CH 167.1

Chapter 167.1. The Fisherman

-?’s POV-

Powdery snow falls quietly on the pier. The ash has piled up like mountains, transforming about one-third of the lined warehouses. Silence dominates the scene, but soon enough, despite it being New Year’s Eve, the police and samurai groups will arrive, complaining about the situation.

However, until then, only silence fills the air.

That silence gets shattered by the sound of the ash mountain collapsing.

After the ash mountain crumbles, there is a 1.5-meter-long egg.

As the pure white egg develops fine cracks, its shell begins to break. And from within emerges a small hand with white skin.

Grasping the shell, the small hand exerts force, gradually destroying the shell until the hand’s owner reveals her face from the egg.

“Well, well. Did that person not hear the rules or fail to understand them? Well, regardless, I can say that I’m safe.”

With a lively spirit, a girl of about one meter in height emerges from the egg, completely naked. What sets her apart is the serpent tail growing from her buttocks and the third eye resembling a precious gem on her forehead.

Her emerald green hair, which extends down to her feet, flows beautifully and radiantly as she walks on the ground.

“Well… It may not be a violation of the rules. However, calling it a draw feels awkward, unworthy of a godlike attitude.”

The young girl ponders, resting her chin on her hand, contemplating. Fighting again without adhering to the rules would be somewhat unfair and embarrassing.

She lost so spectacularly before.

“Nevertheless, the opponents were four, while I fought alone. It may be unfair to call it uneven. But still, I engaged in battle believing I could win.”

She started the fight fully convinced. There was also the thought that she could assess the opponents’ strength and manage against four of them. However, it turned out to be a mistake.

“Here we are. It’s been thousands of years since I had a physical body. Let’s enjoy this world filled with magic.”

The young girl, or rather Nagaraja, thought of something good and grinned, clapping her hands lightly.

During the battle with Loki, Nagaraja used her magic in advance and secretly hid an egg.

Gods are immortal. Even if they die, as long as they have a vessel, they can revive themselves countless times.

If the opponent tried to send Nagaraja’s soul to another dimension, it would be a meaningless act.

However, if Nagaraja lost the battle and her soul was left unattended, she planned to transfer her soul to this egg.

The plan was successful. But after returning from the egg, she had lost considerable power. To regain her strength, she had to take some action.

“As long as I don’t have to fight those gods, I don’t have to make much effort. I can do as I please.”

“Hm? Who are you?”

Feeling tired, Nagaraja yawns and turned her face towards the voice coming from the side. She had sensed the presence but had ignored it.

There stood a middle-aged chubby man wearing fishing gear, with a surprised expression on his face.

Sakuma, the tank battalion commander who had played a great role at the Coming-of-Age Party, had come to the pier for fishing on New Year’s Eve.

Reflecting on what a good year it had been, he had put a hot pack in his pocket and leisurely cast his line amidst the falling snowflakes.

I was already telling heroic tales to everyone I met and to everyone I met about how I had saved so many people from Scissors Mantis, adding about five tail fins and eight dorsal fins.

With his arms and legs growing, and his head multiplying, the heroic tale had turned him into a creature. Sakuma fought alone against the approaching King Mantis. Covered in wounds, he defeated it and received 10,000 gold coins from the emperor as a reward.

Determined to cherish this topic and live on, he planned to transfer to a safe rear position.

Recently, the number of monsters increased, and things were becoming more dangerous. Even when riding on an Iron Spider, the risk of death increased.

So, he considered either working in the rear or leaving the military and joining the prosperous Aguni Dukedom, or perhaps groveling to the Takano County and getting a job at some company.

In any case, he wanted to live safely, securely, and comfortably. Such luxuries were his friend, as the saying goes for the old man.

Even such an old man had worries. His weight was a concern, but it wasn’t a big worry as he thought about drinking while eating salami and not losing weight.

The major concern was the inability to have children with his wife. As a mage, he had to produce an heir. It was a world where monsters roamed, and there was a possibility that humanity would be overwhelmed if they weren’t careful. That could be stated as an absolute.

They both received a medical diagnosis confirming that there were no issues, yet they still couldn’t conceive.

So, tired of being repeatedly asked by relatives about when they would have children at the New Year’s gathering, he grew frustrated and decided to go fishing. This was the third consecutive year.

His wife had been indulging in leftover Christmas cake and ended up with an upset stomach, so she didn’t attend the gathering. However, if they continued like this in the coming years, their situation would become problematic. As he gazed at the fishing line cast into the sea, the whiteness of his breath in the cold air made him feel the chill as he absentmindedly fished.

Thinking it would be quiet, he continued fishing, but suddenly an explosion sound came from the distant warehouse district, illuminating the surroundings like sunlight.

He was shaken by the chaos and considered contacting the samurai group, but the light subsided, and the sounds of battle ceased.

It seemed like the battle had ended.

Curious and apprehensive, he cautiously went to where the sounds of battle had come from. He had curiosity and a desire to investigate, but more than that, he recalled the times when he had targeted a fallen log in hopes of catching a rabbit.

If it were a monster, there would be roars and such, but it was silent.

If they had just defeated a powerful monster, even just being present could lead to a rewarding experience.

He could provide care and call for the warriors if there were injured individuals. In that way, he could blend in with the group, appearing as a member involved in monster extermination.

With such petty thoughts in mind, he arrived at the warehouse district and frowned at his uneasiness.