The Fairy Circle created by the caterpillar monster—based on the results of its investigation, it was estimated that the Fairy Circle was a mana pool hot spot.
If we define a hot spot as a place where mana density is higher than the surroundings and that state persists for a relatively long period, then the Fairy Circle that was investigated is exactly that.
Since it was even confirmed that slimes were being born, it would be fine to say outright that it is a hot spot.
However, it is unknown whether all Fairy Circles are like that, or whether this one just happened to be like that.
They would need to continue investigating further.
“Still, a hot spot, huh... What we know is that the mana density is high, and that slimes are born. Also that medicinal herbs grow. And that monsters tend to gather.”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. Whether a Fairy Circle becomes a hot spot, or whether it became a Fairy Circle because it was a hot spot—at present, we judge investigation to be difficult.”
Is the caterpillar monster exerting some kind of effect and creating a hot spot?
Or is the butterfly monster finding hot spots and laying eggs there?
To investigate that, they would have no choice but to find hot spots that are not Fairy Circles and observe whether the butterfly monster comes there.
“Hmm. It’s interesting, but maybe it’s not a required investigation... If we can mass-produce mana meters, we can try it, though.”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. First, let us celebrate that we have found a hot spot that can be investigated easily. We will send in ground forces and fence it off as a research site.”
They set a policy to fence off roughly 500 meters around the Fairy Circle and investigate the hot spot, and issued instructions to the local strategic AI <Cosmos>.
Upon receiving the order, <Cosmos> immediately began preparations to airlift ground forces by packing a group of multi-wheeled tanks into transport aircraft.
“Within a few days, the fencing should be complete. After that, we will confirm there are no dangerous wild animals or threat-creatures, and construct investigation facilities.”
“I’ve heard hot spots can disappear in a short time, too. Are there any signs? You can’t just leave a mana meter there forever, right?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. For the time being, we will have a mana meter drone patrol about once per day. The straight-line distance from the forward base is about 12 kilometers, so it is fully feasible. We plan to have it fly over a certain area, so there is also a possibility of discovering mana anomalies such as hot spots along the route.”
For human feet to travel that distance, it would take at least two days, and if you were unlucky, it might take three. There were no leveled roads, and it was an undulating forest region. Naturally, there were no landmarks, so whether you could reach the site ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) at all was unknown—a gamble.
And ignoring all that and reaching it from the air—<The Tree>’s aviation power was cheating in the extreme.
“At present, there have been no encounters with threat-creatures of any kind in the sky over the <Demon Forest>. As for wyverns, other individuals are over 500 kilometers away at the territories confirmed so far. For the time being, air superiority will be in a state secured by <The Tree>.”
Strictly speaking, at least the butterfly monster had been confirmed.
But even so, it was about half the size of <The Tree>’s air-superiority fighters, and as far as they had observed, its flight speed was also extremely slow.
Alternatively, it was possible that somewhere there existed a fantasy-standard giant bird like a roc, but Asahi’s prediction was that it would not be around here, since this area had until recently been right next to wyvern territory.
If wyverns sat at the top of the ecosystem, then huge flying monsters should have lost the survival competition and been eliminated.
Since it was a reasonable claim, the <The Tree> faction was using aerial machines almost without restriction over Northend City and its nearby surroundings.
Of course, since they understood the trait of reacting to radio waves, they refrained from using radar at high altitudes, but—
As they continued giving that situation report—
“Commander Ma’am. A giant organism is approaching the Fairy Circle under investigation.”
“Huh?”
That report was delivered from <Ringo>.
*****
“Estimated body weight: 1,840 kilograms. Body length: 5 meters. It is a boar-like organism.”
“Insane. It really can just bulldoze trees and run, huh.”
In the footage filmed by the four-legged, two-armed Jumper running between the trees, the giant organism in question was running with heavy thuds, unconcerned with the trees blocking its path.
What it was heading for was the Fairy Circle under investigation.
“It may be able to detect mana density. It is heading straight for the Fairy Circle.”
Detecting mana.
If it could do that, then it meant it had some kind of organ capable of detecting mana, either inside or outside its body.
In that case, it might be usable as a new mana meter.
“Also, that thing is a monster... a threat-creature, right?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. Most likely, we estimate it is the threat-creature referred to as a Forest Boar. It does seem to be said that it is rarely sighted at hot spots.”
The Forest Boar was shared among adventurers as a highly dangerous monster.
Its skin was hard, and normal weapons could not injure it.
With the muscles covering its entire body, it could rebound minor blows.
No matter how you ran, it would follow your scent and chase you down.
It had leg strength enough to plow down trees, and you could not escape even if you ran.
It was omnivorous, eating anything from tree bark to humans.
“So it’s big, fast, and strong. Yeah, it’s a threat if you’re flesh-and-blood.”
“They say that if you’re only somewhat skilled, you get turned into mince. Unless you use a weapon specialized in thrusting, or slashing, and deliver a deep wound all at once, you basically can’t kill it.”
“Ehh... Hm... In adventurer fantasy, you can... maybe...?”
If it were one of the inhuman beings like those who had been in the Royal Capital of Aphrasia before, perhaps they could do a feat like cutting it down head-on.
And she also knew that among the adventurers who holed up in the <Demon Forest> every day, those kinds of inhuman beings were mixed in, but—
“Even if you kill it, it is so big that you can’t properly butcher it, and it is an unnecessary risk to your life, so it seems to be an unpopular threat-creature. When it appears on the outer edge of the forest, people can be gathered, so it sometimes turns into a festival, though.”
They hunted it on the outer edge, butchered it with a large crowd, and apparently ate it on the spot.
“Well, it seems like that kind of festival only happens once every few years.”
“If the location is good, it seems they sometimes transport it to the city.”
“Forest Boar has reached the Fairy Circle.”
The giant boar that came running while shaking the ground with heavy thuds plowed down trees and entered the Fairy Circle.
“...It’s targeting slimes.”
And just like that, it lowered its snout toward the ground and began moving while snuffling and sniffing around.
Based on prior information, they knew that threat-creatures—meaning monsters—would take actions like eating slimes, or crushing them.
In fact, this was the first time they were recording the situation.
“Oh, it’s eating them.”
The Forest Boar voraciously chewed the slime wriggling on the ground, along with the surrounding plants.
Slimes seemed to be food for threat-creatures.
“I thought we might be able to research slimes too, but with this, is it going to be hard?”
“If we subjugate it, we will have more research materials.”
In another ten minutes, a one-platoon squad of multi-legged tanks for suppression would be airlifted in.
Six giant combat machines that were not inferior in body length or body weight.
If the Forest Boar did not have some special attack method, they should be able to subjugate it without issue. They might even be able to finish it with a single bombardment.
“Hmm, well, I guess we do it... Can the escort craft shell it?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. It is equipped with a 20mm multi-barrel machine cannon. Since these are armor-piercing rounds, they will likely work. There is no record of it having displayed a defensive function like that Defensive Membrane.”
“I hope that doesn’t turn into a flag...”
And then, ten minutes later.
The Forest Boar was successfully subjugated by the armor-piercing rounds fired by the escort craft that had arrived overhead.
