I’m Not an Earthworm, I’m an Earth Dragon

After slashing deeply at the hand of the monster that was aiming for me with its tail, I continued the momentum of the spin and sliced the monster’s waist in half with my greatsword.

Even though Yuna accurately pierced the back of the fleeing monster with an arrow of steel, spilling blue blood and strangely glowing entrails, the monster was still alive.

I smashed the head of the creature, which had lost three of its four arms and was crawling on the ground with its lower body barely hanging on by its severed spine, with a powerful blow from the side of my greatsword.

With that one, I no longer felt the vibrations of anything else approaching. So I told Myungho that it was over for now.

I gave up counting how many I had beaten and cut down after the 30th one. While being attacked, other monsters kept rushing in, and I lost count.

Compared to the monsters of the mountain where I used to live, these were weak. But they were strangely aggressive. Were they not afraid of humans, or did they see them as prey?

It was a series of battles that left even me out of breath. There was no need to check on the others. Yuna was somehow standing, but I could see she was at her limit, and Myungho was staggering and looked like he needed a rest right away.

“Haa… Haa… Altera, are you sure… really sure there isn’t anything…? Then could you maybe make a rock to lean on, or a shallow cave…? I need to eat something…”

I looked around, but everywhere was wide open, perfect for an ambush, so it seemed like I really had to make a cave as he said.

There was a high cliff behind us, so I focused my mind and carved out a space in the wall, creating a suitable place to rest.

Yuna dragged the already collapsed Akash, and Myungho staggered into the cave and immediately slumped down.

I still had some energy left, so I gathered firewood to use as kindling and carried one of the slain monsters, the one that was relatively intact and smelled decent, on my shoulder into the cave.

Everyone was leaning against the cave wall, catching their breath without a word.

I found a flint among the gravel around me and tried to start a fire by scraping it with my fingernail, but both the flint and the wood chips were damp, so the fire wouldn’t catch.

Just as my gestures were becoming increasingly irritated, the fire finally caught. But it looked like it would go out soon, so I brought some highly flammable metal pieces from the earth and put them in the fire.

Now that’s better. Something was popping, but no one seemed to care. I turned my back to the flames and started preparing the beast.

I skinned it, gutted it, removed the entrails, discarded the front legs that were inedible due to bone fragments, chopped off the head and limbs, and removed the large bones.

I went outside to discard the byproducts and hung the meat upside down to let the blood drain. Normally, I would let it bleed out for a long time, but since we were going to eat it right away, I figured it would be fine.

After squeezing the meat to drain the blood, it seemed good enough to eat. I skewered the remaining meat with a rock skewer and went back inside.

I set up a support so it wouldn’t burn, and as I was grilling it, Akash woke up, probably drawn by the smell, and stared blankly at the fire.

“…Akash, you said two weeks, right? Do you still think so…?”

“This is a bit… unexpected. I don’t remember them being this aggressive. It might be a bit delayed… maybe.”

“…Let’s eat, first. I’m so hungry I can’t think straight…”

It seemed he was having doubts about whether we could make it in the promised two weeks. After being harassed by monsters like that, it was understandable that he would be discouraged.

Akash rummaged through his belongings and took out some spices, silently sprinkling them on the meat I was grilling. The aroma was much improved, and I finally felt like it was edible.

Myungho also took something out of his backpack, but instead of sprinkling it, he opened the lid and drank it himself. It was a red potion, a little less vivid than the one I carried.

He didn’t seem to be injured. He gulped it down, and he seemed to be in better shape than before. It must restore vitality too.

After drinking his fill, he passed the bottle to Yuna. Then from Yuna to Akash. By the time they were done, there was none left for me…

Oh well. I don’t need it. Only the weak need things like medicine. Myungho confirmed that I was the only one who hadn’t taken the medicine and offered it to me, but I refused.

“…I’m, uh, sorry. I should have asked if you wanted some…”

“It’ll be more useful for you guys. Save it. I have my own, and I’m not as weak as you think.”

Still, I appreciated that he thought of me, even if it was late. I gratefully accepted his sentiment and flipped the meat.

It looks edible now. I pulled out a wide, flat rock, flattened one side, disinfected it with a burning branch, and placed the meat on it.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Saying that before eating, the name, even the fried rice. It seems like… I don’t know why, but they’re like someone who was dragged into this world like me.

It would be strange if I asked him about it. I silently asked the question in my heart and tore into the meat. I didn’t have high expectations for the taste, but it was surprisingly good. This must be the power of spices.

“…Guys. I think we need to change our strategy. How about we… avoid fighting as much as possible? If it’s this bad at the very beginning, we won’t have any stamina left if we keep fighting like this.”

“I agree. It seemed like the smell of blood attracted more beasts. Once we start bleeding, it seems like we have to deal with all the nearby beasts.”

“Yuna’s words, they make sense. I think that’s a good idea too. It might take a little longer, but I don’t want to die here like a rag. So, now the problem is our barbarian princess…”

When the topic of avoiding combat came up, everyone seemed to agree and looked at me.

The possibility of laying eggs without being detected by others or the mountain beasts…

It’s too low. I wanted to say that I would handle everything myself, so let’s hurry, but I didn’t think they could handle that forced march.

Ah, damn it. This is when being together is inconvenient. I really don’t want to show that side of me to anyone.

“…Haa. Alright. I’ll avoid fighting as much as possible. But, promise me we’ll cross the mountains within two weeks.”

“I don’t know if it’s possible, but if we can, we will. Sorry, I can’t say for sure.”

I don’t know if it’s possible to cross in two weeks while avoiding fights, but… well. I have to at least try.

The reason I avoid laying eggs in the mountains is simple. I’m completely defenseless for the entire day it takes to lay the eggs. I’m weaker than usual, I can’t use my abilities properly, my magic defenses disappear, and my senses are dulled.

In other words, I become easy prey.

Even though they’re party members, I still don’t fully trust them, and I only trust Myungho because I’m confident. Even if they suddenly turned on me, I could handle it.

But if I’m weakened.

If I can’t defend myself from them. If I can’t defend myself from the beasts.

Laying eggs in these mountains meant that. It meant completely entrusting myself to those I can’t trust.

It’s a horrifying thought I don’t even want to imagine.

“…You better keep that promise.”

I lightly warned them and pressed my belly slightly to check on the egg. It’s ridiculous to say I’m laying eggs when I was a man, but what can I do when that’s my fate?

“The worm says okay? Good. At least we don’t have to do another six consecutive battles. Man, I really thought I was going to die.”

I chewed the bones until they cracked, eating the marrow inside. I need a lot of energy to do anything. Whether it’s crossing, fighting, or running away.

“…By the way, this is delicious. Altera, what kind of beast was it?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s like… those things that look like wild boars with multiple horns on their heads. The ones that joined in the middle. It’s probably the spices. It didn’t smell like this when I was just grilling it.”

“I see… Spices really are the best. No wonder people were so desperate for pepper…”

“There were people who were desperate because of pepper? That’s the first time I’ve heard of that.”

“No, it’s just. Pepper is such an excellent spice. Isn’t this sprinkled with pepper?”

“I thought you were a complete ignoramus when it came to taste, but you know a thing or two. That’s right. Do you know the others then?”

“…I don’t know. Those.”

“Puhaha, I take back what I just said. You are an ignoramus.”

“And you, how about doing something about those arms that look like overcooked noodles? Can you even hold a weapon with those arms?”

“Why would a mage need a weapon?”

The tense atmosphere melted away like snow as the men exchanged jokes. It felt like Yuna also chimed in with a joke and got hit with a comeback… something like that.

I can’t join in because I don’t understand the language. I felt left out for a moment, but Myungho naturally drew me into the conversation, and that feeling disappeared.

I’m not good at jokes, so I just quietly ate the meat and chimed in occasionally, but that was enough to make me feel like I was part of them.

I was just saying how I couldn’t trust them, but they are still my precious companions.

“…Pfft, he said that? What the. That’s.”

After chatting for a while, warming not only our stomachs but also our hearts, we set off on our mountain journey again.