Chapter 284: Surviving in the Jungle 4
TL/Editor: raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
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I could immediately tell that the group of women looking this way were witches.
First off, setting aside their beautiful appearances, their attire was entirely different from that of the barbarian warriors nearby.
Although their skin tones varied from a deep tanned brown to a pale whitetheir outfits were the same.
They wore robes that clung tightly to their bodies, revealing every curve.
These robes contrasted starkly with the leather bikinis worn by the barbarians nearby.
Although varying in color, each robe was so thin and tight that it inevitably captured the attention of men.
Wait, are all these witches from Heroines Chronicle?
A foreigner has arrived. An adventurer from the kingdom?
He's very powerful, enough to shake our barriers.
They appeared less like a coven of witches and more like a gathering of young suburban moms.
Were it not for the pointed hats on their heads, they might seem like a group of fashionable, young married women leisurely enjoying brunch at a caf.
From a witch shorter than Gaspard's daughter to ones as tall and slender, a variety of witches strode confidently toward me.
But if witches were gathering like this, it seemed more likely that there was a fool who had made a mistake rather than a criminal.
Surely someone couldn't be so arrogant and insane as to turn the barbarian village, the Temple and dozens of swamp witches against them.
Hello, adventurer from the kingdom. If you've found out anything, I'd like to know.
Have you all suffered losses too?
Of course. We travel through deep forests and swamps too.
The witch who spoke was at the forefront.
Her light milk chocolate-colored skin was quite charming, and she seemed adept at handling men, particularly in conversation.
She was very confident in initiating and steering our conversation.
Simultaneously, she subtly emphasized her cleavage and gradually moved closer, with the poise of a seasoned socialite.
In Heroines Chronicle, most witch characters were gloomy, introverted, reclusive types engaged solely in research.
Seeing one who could be the queen of a club instead of a social outcast felt oddly disconcerting.
There's also a kid whose cherished wild herb habitat was destroyed, and another whose small animal marked for summoning became bug food. I've also had fruit trees I was growing for cosmetics eaten right down to the roots.
Really?
"So we're victims too.
-I don't know about the others, but she's definitely a good witch.
-Haha, who the f*ck said a witch was the criminal?
-These are witches and the culprit is probably also a witch you idiots.
-That's definitely not a witch's robe but more of a suburban mom look, what the f*ck?
She waved her hand with a chuckle, her expression in stark contrast to the other witches behind her, whose faces were contorted in various expressions of dissatisfaction.
From a witch who only flicked her lips as if wanting to add something but didn't, to one sulking silently with puffed-up cheeksanyone could see they were full of complaints.
If those expressions were all an act, they could well be acclaimed actresses rather than witches.
As I began talking with the witches, Silbang quietly passed by, starting a conversation with the villagers.
Gaspard and his family had just returned, causing an unsettling feeling among the villagers waiting, including the barbarian warriors who rushed out to greet Silbang.
Gaspard, Silbang! Youre back!
"Are you alright? There are many bugs, the forest is restless!"
Whether it was all the commotion or the barbarian warriors who had also felt the threat of bugs near the village, their expressions were dark.
If the witches faces were full of irritation and moodiness, the barbarians were marred by worry and concern.
After all, unlike the witches, who suffered financial and materialistic losses, the barbarians faced direct threats to their lives.
The barbarian warriors didn't farm the land but relied on the jungle's bounty for their survival, which was now under threat.
They depended on hunting, gathering herbs and mushrooms, and fishing in the river.
With the road to Antibes, where they could have sought help, blocked, their worries were far from minor.
"What happened?"
"The bugs, they were scouting."
"They watched the village, then left."
Listening to the barbarian warriors' worries following the witches' grievances revealed the seriousness of the situation.
While the witches grumbled about their territories being overrun by mutant bugs, it seemed the barbarians' village was completely surrounded.
There were men from the village who had left and had neither returned nor made contact, leaving their women in tears, dripping with worry.
Considering the number of bugs I encountered on the way, it is highly likely that these men were devoured, leaving no trace.
Should we defend the village or go out and crush the instigator?
"What should we do, Hanna?"
"Eh, um?"
In situations like this, it's best to leave the decision to the player.
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Raei Translations
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Should we defend the village from the mutant man-eating bugs or hunt down the perpetrator who created them?
Han Se-ah naturally chose offense.
It's not like we can just sit around waiting for the bugs to attack.
The viewers and her status as a streamer also dictated that we pursue the culprit.
-So you mean the witches dont know sh*t?
-Boo hoo, it's a farewell to the chocolate cuties.
-If they're that pretty, why not include them in the party?
-LOL, if looks were everything, they should be rated 4, not 1.
-At least bring one of the witches, why the hell do you keep dragging around that old man?
-If were going to the swamp, lets bring a witch. Surely Teacher Roland could charm one.
"So I just ask Teacher Roland to seduce a witch for me? Make a reasonable request to get an actual response."
Because of this, the viewers showed no reluctance to the immediate departure from the barbarians' village.
Though they were disappointed about leaving the lively sisters behind in the village.
"Before we leave, let's hear everything from the witches and barbarians."
"We can't just wander this vast forest without a single clue."
We decided to speak to everyone before we left.
No one complained about this since it meant that both witches and barbarians had to appear on camera at least once.
Both witches and barbarians recognized that we were adventurers out to solve the case, and skilled warriors capable of causing a mighty uproar throughout the village.
I even considered whether I should break a few limbs if someone became too troublesomefortunately, it wasn't necessary.
Thus began our questioning among the jungle and swamp residents.
"Seen anything suspicious? ...Hmm, just a swarm of bugs trampling my garden suddenly."
"Before this, I was cooped up in my workshop, had no idea what was happening outside.
"My pond completely dried up! Some strange bugs burrowed through and destroyed it!"
The problem was that most of the testimonies were useless.
Though they've evolved into a bright suburban mom look, the witches, due to their occupation, haven't shed their reclusive 'hikikomori' traits, all equally clueless.
Locked in their labs, not venturing beyond their territories, busy building new workshops, studying barriers and spells...
Various reasons kept the witches oblivious to any oddities until the incident erupted.
These were typical for mystery queststestimonies that provided no information but filled the background.
Surprisingly, the barbarian warriors had a lot to say.
Roaming around for hunting and gathering, they found all sorts of traces.
Conversely, they had too much information, which was a problem.
"Not the base of the tree, higher up. Broken? No, it was snapped."
"Small bugs? Baby bugs, never seen them. Wonder where they grew up."
"Meat-eating bugs, there are a lot of them. They keep coming out, must be running out of food."
A group of beetles had lingered near the village then disappeared, and a swarm of moths had flown low over the village before being chased away by spears.
Thus, anyone suspecting something began rambling incoherently.
It seems there was no crucial hint here either.
Han Se-ah was furrowing her brow intensely, groaning like a puppy with an itch, probably because the quest log wasn't updating.
It's obvious, but could it really be expected that a user would deduce the criminal from scratch?
Following the quest log typically leads to a suspicious place, and at that place, a suspicious person appears, naturally progressing to a battle.
"Suspicious stuff? Hmm, I think I saw something, but it wasn't a bug."
As time passed, to the viewers, it felt more like a beauty contest than an information gathering
"People were swarming to the deepest parts of the swamp? The moon was also hidden behind clouds, but our kids have a good nose.
The scent of incense, the kind your kingdom folk burn during worship, was wafting about."
"People from the Temple in the swamp at night?"
An interesting testimony was pouring out from the last witch's mouth.
One that couldn't be ignored.
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