By Zephyria 
The most dangerous snake in Yokoko, Ofnir.
I didn’t feel much from just hearing that story, but I could understand it to some extent in Myrkr’s explanation that followed.
“We also have a grudge against Ofnir-ra. He has eaten several of our comrades… He is a truly terrible disaster-ra! But he has a body as huge as a mountain, so we have never seen his entire appearance-ra.”
“Have you ever fought back?”
“Of course, we have attacked him several times for revenge, but he doesn’t budge-ra. His skin is too hard, and he has the ability to sense creatures entering his territory, so we can’t approach him secretly-ra….”
Myrkr, who had been looking dejected, clenched his fist again with a determined expression.
“Anyway, Boss, it’s a dangerous place, so don’t ever approach it-ra! I can take you to other places myself as much as you want-ra.”
But I became interested in that area that he told me never to approach.
In the first place, the purpose of this request was to investigate the ecology of this special management zone, so of course, I had to include that place in the investigation. The Dvergr didn’t know much about Ofnir in the central area, so it was even more necessary for us to investigate it directly.
“The destination has been decided.”
“Where is good-ra?! Is there a place you want to go-ra?”
I nodded at Myrkr’s question and said.
“The central area.”
“What-ra?! Did you hear what I just said-ra?!”
“You don’t have any complaints, do you?”
Ignoring Myrkr, who was shouting in a fit of rage, I turned to look at Ardian and asked. He smiled. It seemed to be a yes. Myrkr, who was horrified, grabbed his head.
“It’s dangerous-ra! Don’t do anything reckless-ra!”
“You just have to tell me the direction. If I know that, we’ll take care of the rest, so you don’t have to come.”
Then, as I got up from my seat to move, Ardian and Corso also got up, following me. Myrkr hesitated for a moment, groaning, but then he had a change of heart, and with a determined face, he stood up abruptly.
“Good-ra! Boss! I’ll go with you too-ra!”
“No. There’s no need for that.”
“No-ra! We also have a grudge against that guy-ra.”
Myrkr, who had decided on his own, suddenly ran towards the village. There, stories were exchanged about killing the enemy and the danger, and then the dwarves shouted.
It looked like they were going to war.
Well… it’s none of my business whether they go together or not. Whether they try to kill Ofnir or not. Whether I investigate him alive or dead, it didn’t matter. The special management zone was just a place that needed to be investigated to see if it was dangerous or not, and there was no need to protect it.
Myrkr, who was armed with a toothpick-like sword at his waist, was escorted by the dwarves and climbed onto my shoulder again this time. The voices of the dwarves who were escorting him became louder.
“Be careful-ra!”
“Be sure to come back alive-ra!”
“I’ll be back-ra!”
Myrkr waved his hand, answering loudly.
With that, I turned my body.
And since it was quite a distance from leaving the eastern area to reaching the center, we quickly crossed the forest, stepping on the trees so as not to be too delayed.
“Once you enter the central area, you must never let your guard down-ra. Ofnir has an unimaginable size, so if he moves his tail once, you’ll be crushed-ra!”
“Isn’t that just because you’re too small and will be crushed?”
“No-ra! Boss is completely underestimating me-ra!”
Myrkr was raging on my shoulder. But even if a guy the size of my palm told me about an unimaginable size, I couldn’t guess how big he was actually talking about. Just then, Myrkr suddenly raised his head and shouted.
“Ah! Be careful-ra! We’ve entered the central area-ra! If we go a little further from here, we’ll be in Ofnir’s detectable area-ra!”
At those words, I immediately sharpened my senses and looked around. Unlike the eastern area, which only had trees, the central area was a strange terrain with many rugged cliffs.
“Ah ah! Boss, stop-ra! You have to stop-ra!”
Suddenly, Myrkr shouted loudly. He kept hitting my shoulder, telling me to stop quickly, so I finally stopped without going any further. Myrkr, with his eyes wide open, looked straight ahead with a pale face and shouted in a trembling voice.
“He’s! He’s over there-ra!”
At that, I looked around, but there was nothing that looked like a snake. I was wondering what he was looking at, when… the ground began to vibrate loudly and strongly.
Drrrrrrrrr!
I staggered at the sudden vibration. Ardian, who was holding me from the side, was looking around, so I also raised my head.
“……!”
The cliff was moving.
“It’s him-ra!”
Myrkr shouted in a shrill voice. Immediately after, the cliff began to rise. No, that wasn’t a cliff. What I thought was a cliff was part of the giant snake ‘Ofnir.’
Kugugugung….
A dark shadow fell over the sky.
The one who rose, completely blocking the sun, moved flexibly and slowly turned his head towards us. Ofnir, who had a stone-like surface, was looking down at us with his mouth open in the place I was painfully looking up at. His eyes were as huge as his body, and I could see at once that the pupils of his bright red eyes were narrowed thinly.
Shaaak.
Suddenly, Ofnir cried out, revealing his hostility. It was when an ominous premonition flashed through my mind. Ofnir seemed to move his head for a moment, and then ‘stuck out’ his forked tongue towards us. It was said that he stuck it out, but the tongue, which was shot out like a sharp harpoon, was truly a weapon.
“Evade it-ra!”
Immediately after Myrkr’s scream-like shout rang out, Ardian’s arms, which were wrapped around my waist, tightened, and he jumped diagonally, carrying me as he was, and created distance. The tongue that fell in the place where we had been a hair’s breadth away pierced the ground. It felt as if the ground was as soft as pudding. The speed was fast, and the destructive power was unusual.
‘I have to be careful.’
It’s a shame, but it’s not easy for me to deal with this guy with my current achievements. I had to lament my own powerlessness once again.
It was then.
Ardian, who had been holding me around my waist, changed his posture and held me up in both arms. As the posture changed, the position of the guy’s face was looking down at me. When our eyes met, the guy smiled.
He’s a guy who will do whatever he wants to do.
I frowned and opened my mouth to say something, but the guy’s excuse came out first.
“It’s easier to move when I hold you like this.”
I twisted my lips.
Soon after, Ofnir, who had put his tongue back into his mouth, turned to look at us. Ardian had cast levitation Magic when he raised his body high, so he was facing Ofnir head-on.
Shaaak!
Ofnir, who found us and made a sharp cry, shot his tongue again and attacked. Following that, he slammed his huge tail down as if throwing it away.
But thanks to the Levitation Magic, Ardian, whose range of activity had widened, kicked off the air and dodged around skillfully. Corso was also using Levitation Magic to escape well, so none of Offnir’s attacks hit.
Shuaaaak!
Offnir, frustrated that things weren’t going his way, let out a long wail. At that moment, Mirk, who was trembling, hidden snugly in my arms, peeked his head out.
“Ugh, it’s too big! Shouldn’t we run away now?! At this rate, we won’t be able to do the investigation the brothers want!”
“Hey, weren’t you following me to get revenge?”
“Brother! That was then, and this is now!”
I stared silently at the dwarf hiding in my arms with narrowed eyes before turning my gaze back to Offnir.
“But… he’s right, for sure.”
At this rate, we wouldn’t be able to investigate properly.
Mirk was right about that much.
“Right?! You thought well! Come on, let’s quickly escape beyond the range where that disgusting guy can sense us!”
Mirk’s expression brightened as he looked up at me. Ardian, who had only been dodging attacks and buying time, glanced down at me with a faint smile.
And asked.
“What should we do?”
He was acting as if the choice was only mine. It was as if he was saying he would do whatever I told him to do. It felt like he was acting like a servant even though he wasn’t one.
I answered Ardian’s question concisely.
“Kill it. We’re going to investigate.”
“Understood.”
Mirk, who had been anxiously listening to our conversation, screamed. I almost threw him away because he was so noisy, but I stopped myself. Just as Offnir showed signs of attacking us again, Ardian opened his mouth.
“Corso.”
It was a call that felt stiff, unlike when he called me. However, Corso, who didn’t seem to care much, quietly and with no unnecessary movements, drew his sword as if he had been waiting for that call.