Chapter 69

“Alienor, tell me more and more about Cockatrices!”

“Wh-what…? Why should I have to listen to a request from the likes of you? Even you should realize that I’m an inappropriate person to choose for advice…”

Alienor looked bewildered by my attitude. I suppose it’s only natural, since she’s been losing to me the entire time.

“Look, I don’t really know much about their nature or characteristics. But if we don’t cooperate at least until the Cockatrice is defeated, you’ll lose out too. If we don’t get a Cockatrice, we won’t get a decent meal!”

“M-muuu… I suppose that’s true…”

It seems Alienor also hates the idea of her barbecue turning into hard bread.

“Cockatrices usually act alone. They eat frogs, mice, and small birds within their territory. Their diet is similar to an owl’s. After all, if they petrify their prey, they can’t eat it themselves. They usually sleep at night, but from midday to evening, they search for food and eat heartily.”

“So now is the perfect chance to run into one.”

“Conversely, if they fall asleep in their nest, they’re nearly impossible to find. Catching one at night is hopeless. Everything is decided before dusk.”

I see. They really are the perfect ingredient for a barbecue party.

“Thanks! As expected of someone born in the forest, you really know your stuff, Alienor!”

“Y-you don’t need to say unnecessary things… I’m not happy at all to be praised by you! If anything, you’re just the one who’s ignorant!”

Alienor wouldn’t say “thank you” honestly, of course, but she didn’t seem to mind. Perhaps because of the praise, her face was a little red.

“For my clan, who makes a living from black magic in the Morco Woods, this is common knowledge… Restoring those who were accidentally turned to stone by a Cockatrice is part of the job, after all…”

I see. Even among black mages, their areas of expertise differ depending on the environment they work in.

Cockatrices don’t show up in urban areas. Therefore, knowledge about them isn’t necessary and doesn’t deepen. But for a black mage based in the forest, they naturally have to become familiar with forest creatures.

Maybe the reason Alienor has been struggling so far is that she didn’t understand her own strengths. It’s also partly because tasks that allow her to use forest knowledge almost never come up.

“Alright, let’s split the roles. Alienor, you search for the Cockatrice’s location. In exchange, I’ll take the risky role of finishing it off.”

“Are you sure? Even if you’re petrified and recover, you can be left with aftereffects. Like having an incredibly stiff neck.”

That’s a subtly annoying aftereffect…

“Besides, recovery from petrification isn’t 100 percent. Some people just die. So, I can’t really recommend it.”

“Alienor, you’re kind, aren’t you?”

An awkward silence followed. Immediately after, Alienor’s face turned a deep shade of crimson.

I reflected a bit on my phrasing. I hoped it didn’t sound like I was taunting her…

“What strange things are you saying?! It’s i-impossible for a proud black mage like me to show kindness to an enemy like you! It’s insane!”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know your true feelings, and you might still hate me.”

“Then I’m not being kind, am I?!”

“But looking at it objectively, I think it’s important that you can properly say, ‘That’s dangerous.’ Even if you’re talking to someone you absolutely can’t forgive, you’re still trying to offer a minimum helping hand… Isn’t that a form of kindness?”

I wondered if my explanation got through. Anyway, Alienor might actually be a good person. Even if she’s a “good person,” she’s designated me as an enemy, which is a pain.

“You’re… a strange guy… Now I hate you even more…”

Apparently, my remarks were a series of failures. But since her evaluation of me started near rock bottom, I didn’t mind much. It’s not like it can get any lower.

“Fine. If you want to die that badly, I won’t stop you. But don’t you dare try to finish it off until I tell you to move, okay? Cockatrices are very cautious. Jumping out halfway is the most dangerous thing you can do. If you’re overconfident, even a veteran Cockatrice hunter will turn to stone.”

So she’s telling me not to move until we know it’s safe. She is worried about me after all. I won’t say it, though, because she’d just deny it.

We moved cautiously into the forest bit by bit. That said, compared to the other pairs, I think we were still quite close to the edge. Cockatrices aren’t clustered in any specific spot, so the density doesn’t change much as long as you’re in the same forest.

“Not here either. Okay, next. Moving on!”

At some point, Alienor had pulled out two dowsing rods.

“Is that magic? Also, those are for finding ore or water veins; they won’t work for animals, right…?”

“Shut up! This is a method passed down through my ancestors for generations!”

I was skeptical, but since I had no idea where a Cockatrice might be, I had no choice but to follow. However, after walking for about twenty minutes, the bent dowsing rods began to spin around and around.

“It’s close! It’s close!”

“Do those things really spin at such a high speed?!”

“Anyway, it’s around here! Just be quiet for a second!”

And then, there truly was a Cockatrice’s snake-like tail. It hadn’t noticed us yet. Its tail was pointed our way.

“Alright, it’s my turn now.”

I quietly began to draw a magic circle with my staff. I would use “Mind Control (Moderate).” I had been able to command bees with a lower-tier version of this before. I hoped it would work this time too!

The Cockatrice spun around to face us. It had a look on its face like it didn’t know why it was walking toward us. Good, it’s working! All I had to do was let it approach right in front of me and finish it with the knife.

However, this took mental strength. After all, if it bit me, I’d turn to stone, and yet I was letting that mouth get closer. I just had to focus, focus… only about thirty seconds more…

At that moment, something slammed into my staff and sent it flying.

“S-sorry! The dowsing rods were spinning too fast and flew out of my hand!”

Sure enough, in Alienor’s other hand, the remaining dowsing rod was whirring like crazy.

“Something is definitely wrong with those!”

But we were in trouble. The Cockatrice was glaring at us. The Mind Control spell had been broken…