163 – 163 – Serious Gaming Addiction #1
163 – Serious Gaming Addiction #1
When Ludens’ first semester was still going on.
I searched for the existence of “Lesh” in the library.
Since all the monsters and monsters appearing around Ludens have some kind of myth, legend, or ghost story, there was a high probability that the data were organized.
Fortunately, the Encyclopedia of Everything that can be borrowed from the library also mentions the existence of “Leshy”.
“Lesh: A monster who lives in the forest.
It is possible to change the appearance freely, such as transforming into an owl or a goat wolf.
It is said that he enjoys gambling and gambling.
In winter, he gets very violent, so you shouldn’t approach the forest where Lesh lives in winter.”
this is the explanation.
And the 「Forest Keeper – Lesh」 that I actually encountered was more than I could have imagined.
“Dad, I’m here!”
When Nike lifted his hand, the huge monster stretched out his body as if he was about to snatch Nike with one hand and break his back.
Crunchy, Crunchy. straight up.
It sounded like bending a stiff branch.
The man’s body stretched out like that seems to be well over 2 meters.
Lesh looked down at us with a raised gaze.
Those emerald eyes were clear and somehow resembled Nike.
When everyone is overwhelmed by its majesty and unable to speak.
Nike approached the giant and chattered like a chick.
“Dad, I came here because it was vacation! Long time no see! How are you all? Graham the squirrel or Willy Willy the blue bird? huh? What about the Mokey Mokeys?”
“… … .”
The man did not respond to Nike’s chatter.
He simply turns his head and strides into his cabin.
Nike explained this.
“Dad’s going to serve you tea, so everyone come inside!”
Nike soon followed the existence of ‘Dad’ into the cabin.
At that time, Enio poked me in the side and asked.
“Are they able to communicate with each other? I couldn’t hear anything.”
“I do not know.”
“It’s more strange than that… . It would be rude to say this to someone else’s dad, but… . More like a human… .”
It’s like a monster.
Are you trying to say that?
I agreed.
Of course, I didn’t say that out loud.
I felt like I would fold my body in half if it went into my ear.
In many ways, it seems like an existence that we can’t deal with yet.
“It looks exactly like the club manager… ! Indeed, daughters and fathers resemble each other… !”
“There was a blue bird’s nest on my head… !”
I thought you would be frightened by the dire situation.
Unexpectedly, the nymphs chattered like they were excited.
You look like Nike
I don’t think there was any resemblance except that they had eyes, nose, ears, and a pair of arms and legs.
In the first place, 「Forest Keeper – Lesh」 wasn’t even Nike’s biological father.
However, there must be a reason for saying that nymphs look alike.
Did you like the atmosphere?
It occurred to me that maybe the outside was solemn and terrifying, but inside there might be an odd corner like Nike.
When I think of that, I feel a bit less alert.
“Then guys, let’s go inside.”
Domina led the students.
We entered the cabin after Nike, who entered first, and Domina, who led the way.
“Excuse me.”
interest.
The cabin was larger than it looked from the outside.
I think it’s because of the structure that the stairs are installed in the wide basement.
The spacious basement was like a museum.
Stuffed animals such as bears and deer look rather hideous.
However, what caught my eye was the chess board, checkerboard, and colorful playing cards piled around it rather than the stuffed animals.
There are a bunch of tools that look like pieces on a game board.
There are a lot of dice that look so strange that you don’t know how to read them.
“Is this a 16-sided die… ?”
“It’s Puipu, it’s to see this rabbit-shaped game horse… !”
The nymphs, who were still full of children’s hearts, seemed unable to come to their senses with the play equipment everywhere.
However, Nike, who had come downstairs first, gave them a warning.
“You can’t touch it carelessly… ! If I mess with it, I might have to play a game with my dad… ! There are some things that take a really long time to finish and have a hard time memorizing the rules.”
Does it feel like playing chess with grandpas after playing chess eggs on a table in the neighborhood?
I also lost some money by betting on the local grandfathers, so I know the fear well.
However, it seemed that the nymphs were already immersed in this playground-like space.
Arnoy found something when he was nervous.
“This, this… .”
it was bone
Should I say that the human bones are well put together and displayed like a human body model?
“These are like real human bones… ! Why are these terrifying things displayed like taxidermy… ?”
“Hey, here are also full of human hand bones… !”
Ariol and Arnoi were greatly embarrassed.
Even the chattering imps shut their mouths.
As they said, there was a space full of human hand bones in one place.
When I saw them nicely displayed, I felt like they were lined up like trophies or medals.
“… booty?”
Whose question was it?
It was probably Enio.
As Enio said, these dangling bones seemed like trophies.
nasty hobby… .
Suddenly, it reminds me of the adventurer who advised me that a man-eating monster lives in this Rashguard Forest.
“hehehehe… ! This Arnoi will be eaten… !”
Nike, of course, frowned at this.
“Why is my dad eating you? I don’t know if it’s someone who has trespassed in the winter forest. You guys, my friends, will treat you well without eating them!”
“Is it like that? Then it’s safe… !”
Arnoy brushed his flat chest and felt relieved.
But I was rather suspicious.
No, then, what happens when people who aren’t even Nike’s friends break into the winter forest?
It’s better not to know.
“This looks very much like the bones of a nymph… !”
At that time, Arnoi looked around at a small piece of bone.
For that, someone appears and answers instead.
“hit.”
It was a low, melancholy voice.
At the same time, it is rich in strength.
If a hundred-year-old tree could open its mouth and speak, wouldn’t it sound just like this?
“That is the bone of a nymph. It’s a finger bone.”
After disappearing somewhere, the forest keeper appeared with a wide tray in his hand.
A wooden cup is placed on the tray, and steam is blowing out.
“hehehehe… ! Was it a real hand bone? !”
Arnoi was startled and dropped his hand bones.
Dropping other people’s things on the floor.
It was fortunate that Domina picked it up with agility before it fell to the floor.
Domina said, putting the hand bones back where they were.
“Are you Nike’s father? I’m Domina, and I’m in charge of Miss Nike’s club advisor at Ludens. About coming here all of a sudden—”
“Sit down. And drink.”
The Forest Keeper said only what he wanted to say.
Domina doesn’t speak anymore, just sits on the mushroom-shaped chair that has been prepared nearby.
“It’s a huge mushroom.”
It’s a real mushroom.
I also sat in the mushroom chair.
It’s softer and softer than I thought, so it’s rather uncomfortable.
“So Nike. What did you learn at school?”
The Forest Keeper asked Nike.
Nike, who was gurgling a cup of strange grass-cooked tea, mum-thoughts, then says:
“Beginner voodoo, and some fighting techniques, and… .”
The man who heard the story said briefly, “I see,” and then quickly left.
Watching him disappear through the roots that hung like a curtain, we just stared at each other’s faces, dumbfounded.
* * *
“I think I know why Nike has a weird corner.”
outside the cabin.
Enio said softly next to me chopping firewood with an axe.
“To say just what you want to say and disappear in a flash. Her daughter’s friends came to visit, but isn’t this reaction a bit like that? What do you think, Viktor-kun?”
“is it.”
I thought back to when I went to a friend’s house to play.
“… … .”
I only have memories of a very long time ago.
Back when I was still in elementary school.
When I went to a friend’s house after school, there were often times when my friend’s father was at home even during the day on weekdays.
There were many cases where we were watching TV without really paying attention to whether we were playing or not.
Thinking back then, wouldn’t Nike’s dad be similar?
but.
It was clear that he was a very indifferent person.
Only then, when will we be able to ask about the mysterious dice we acquired.
It was the moment when I swung the ax down with that feeling.
-Moke~ Moke~.
I turned my head at the familiar sound.
Soon a strange furry animal walking on all fours on the floor was swarming all around us.
“Hey, what is this… . cute… !?”
Enio responded in an easy-to-understand manner.
Perhaps they noticed the person they liked right away, the brown-haired quadrupeds rubbed their faces against Enio’s black stockings.
-Moke~Moke~.
“Looks like this is Moke Moke. look at the fur Totally fluffy… ! Your flesh is also plump, so it’s completely soft, right?”
“is it.”
Is this the famous moke moke?
It looks like a mixture of a raccoon and a Pomeranian.
Enio clearly liked Mokey Mokey.
Enio looks cold on the outside, but like a child his age, he liked cute things.
“yes? who called me?”
At that time, among the Mokey Mokeys, Nike Mokey Mokey appeared.
In his hand was a basket full of mushrooms and flowers, and Nike said as he washed them in the nearby running water.
“I’ll make dinner tonight… ! Leshgard-style mushroom hot pot… ! It will be really tasty… !”
Nike cooks?
Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever been treated to food by Nike.
However, it was also true that there were concerns.
What does it taste like?
bubbling.
Before I knew it, a large pot was boiling in front of the hut.
In the mushroom hot pot with a strange scent, mushrooms of a kind that I have never seen before are ripening plumply.
Its taste… .
Hurulup.
“It is delicious.”
This seems to be more delicious than the flower fillet of the inn that was said to have received the three petals.
“Mushrooms can taste better than meat.”
Nike seemed relieved by my evaluation.
“yes? Is not it… !? Everyone eats a lot… ! There’s so much to eat in this Rashguard Forest… !”
indeed.
Is it a rich forest?
Enio was surprised.
“This is a triple truffle. I heard it’s a very expensive material… ? It was hard to see except for a few times when I was at my parents’ house.”
Does it contain extremely rare and expensive ingredients?
In addition to that, he said that there were plenty of things like 「Forest Hemp」 and 「Hundred Years Bellflower」.
“I don’t know if I can eat something this expensive.”
Ho-ho-Smiling Domina.
Of course, her spoon doesn’t stop.
Then, as the meal was about to end, Domina asked.
“So, Miss Nike. Where is your father? I haven’t seen you since you left earlier.”
“Dad… , Well… ?”
Nike didn’t seem to know where her father had gone either.
Soon, Arnoy said a word.
“The Forest Keeper is more reticent than I thought… ! I thought he resembled the club manager, but now that I think about it, he resembles the chef Viktor… !”
“yes? is it?”
Nike tilted her head.
Soon, “He looks scary on the outside, but he’s actually a fun and warm person when you get to know him… !” defended his family.
Then add a word.
“Come to think of it that way, you really do look a bit like Viktor… !”
Fuheh – Laughing Nike.
Do you think I and that forest keeper look alike?
It might be similar to being silent.
It was then.
Fuu-!
I heard something loud.
At the same time, the sound of something flapping its wings roared through the evening forest.
– Kwyiying. Quying.
Food duck, food duck.
“A group of people… Did you fly?”
Nike seemed startled.
I was rather surprised that the bird’s name was not a pheasant, but rather a pheasant.
How did you get your new name?
Soon, Enio twitched his nose and frowned.
“The smell of blood… . I can hear metals clashing… .”
“Dad… !”
Nike, who was eating, quickly ran somewhere.
We also followed suit.
What I encountered there was-.
It was a forest keeper with people lying on the floor and blood dripping from his hands.
“Ah, monster, monster… .”
“help me… .”