Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

A completely naked woman emerged from deep within the thicket.

When she saw Tatsumi and the others, her eyes widened in surprise, but immediately afterward, a look of relief spread across her face as she slumped limply to the ground.

Then, she lost consciousness.

“U-um…? A-are you okay…?”

Tatsumi tried to rush over to the woman who had collapsed, but suddenly his vision was engulfed in darkness.

He panicked for a moment, wondering what was happening, but quickly regained his composure when he heard a voice from behind him.

“N-no!! You mustn’t look at any other woman’s naked body! If you want to see a naked body, I’ll show you mine anytime, anywhere, so you mustn’t look at any other woman’s naked bodyyyyyyyyyy!!”

It was, of course, Calcedonia who was clinging to Tatsumi from behind, pressing both hands over his eyes.

He could feel her body heat through his back. If the two of them weren’t wearing leather armor right now, Tatsumi would have been able to feel the softness of Calcedonia’s breasts against his back.

Feeling a twinge of regret over that, Tatsumi addressed Juddock, who was surely dumbfounded.

“U-uhh—Juddock. I’m sorry to ask this, but could you take care of her for me?”
“Golly. I guess I have no choice.”

Juddock’s reply clearly carried a tone of exasperation.

But neither Tatsumi—whose view was blocked—nor Calcedonia—who was too absorbed in holding his eyes shut—noticed

They didn’t notice that, despite her exasperation, Juddock was smiling gently at the two of them.

“Alright, I’ll take care of her, so Calcie, be a darling and move Tatsumi-pie away, mkay? I might need your help after.”

At first glance, there didn’t appear to be any visible injuries, but the woman might have a fracture or something similar.

If that’s the case, they’ll have to rely on Calcedonia’s healing magic to treat her.

Just as Juddock, flashing a wry smile at Calcedonia as she dragged Tatsumi away, was about to approach the woman lying on the ground—

a roar that shook the surrounding trees echoed through the air.

.

Instinctively, Juddock dropped into a crouch, readied his weapon, and scanned his surroundings with vigilance.

He couldn’t tell what kind of beast had roared, but he could pinpoint the direction from which the sound had come.

There was no doubt about it. That roar had come from the same direction the naked woman had appeared earlier.

If that’s the case, it’s hard to believe that the naked woman and the source of the roar are unrelated. The reason isn’t clear, but that woman was likely fleeing from the creature that roared.

“Calcie dear.”

Keeping his eyes fixed on the depths of the thicket, Juddock asked Calcedonia, who stood behind him.

“That roar… do you know what kind of creature made it…?”

Asked this, Calcedonia also moved away from Tatsumi. While remaining vigilant and keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings, she sank into a sea of thought for a brief moment.

“…Yes. I seem to recall hearing that roar before. It was probably from a Great Snow Lizard.”
“A Great Snow Lizard?”

As its name suggests, the Great Snow Lizard is a large snow lizard.

Boasting a massive frame—two sizes larger than a standard snow lizard—it is the leader of a snow lizard pack. A herd led by this Giant Snow Lizard has a larger population than a typical herd, and at times, it moves in a coordinated manner, making it an even more formidable foe.

“However, the size of this snow lizard herd… it seems rather small for one led by a Giant Snow Lizard.”

Calcedonia said, gazing at the snow lizard carcasses scattered around them.

The herd of snow lizards that Tatsumi and Juddock had defeated. Its size was smaller than a typical herd, and for a herd led by a Great Snow Lizard, the number was overwhelmingly small.

“…Let’s worry about that later. Right now, more importantly…”

Juddock, keeping his weapon at the ready, slowly and cautiously retreated toward where Tatsumi and Calcedonia were standing.

“…Do you think we can win? Against that giant snow lizard?”

Asked again, Calcedonia thought quickly.

With Tatsumi, Juddock, and herself, they would hardly be at a disadvantage even against a giant snow lizard.

However, even if they were to win, it wouldn’t be a victory where they could overwhelm the giant snow lizard and kill it instantly.

It would be a battle where they’d have to fight cautiously, taking their time to chip away at its health bit by bit just to scrape out a victory.

But they couldn’t afford to take their time here. Right before their eyes lay a naked woman, collapsed in the snow.

Naturally, it would be difficult to fight while shielding her, and if they left her naked in the snow for too long, there was a real possibility she would freeze to death.

“…………It’s not that we can’t win, but it would be wiser to bring the girl with us and retreat.”
“I guess you’re right.”

They don’t need to face the Great Snow Lizard here.

Tatsumi and Juddock came to hunt snow lizards of their own accord, not because of a request. In that case, there’s absolutely no problem with simply fleeing back to town as is.

If there’s a problem at all, it’s probably just the fact that a Great Snow Lizard has appeared near the royal capital.

But even so, rather than forcing a fight against such a formidable foe, it would be better to return to the Elf’s Restful Pavilion and inform Eru of the Great Snow Lizard’s presence.

Many of the regulars at the Pavilion are skilled mabeast hunters. If Eru passes the word to the regulars, mabeast hunters capable of taking down the Great Snow Lizard will spring into action immediately.

“We have no choice. Darling, this is an emergency. Please bring that unconscious woman here as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”

Like Juddock, Tatsumi had been on guard, weapons at the ready. As soon as Calcedonia spoke, he teleported to the unconscious woman, then teleported back to Calcedonia’s side with her.

“Juddock! Come over here!”
“Got it.”

While Calcedonia wrapped the woman who had teleported with them in her cloak, Tatsumi called Juddock over.

He pulled Calcedonia—who was cradling the woman wrapped in her cloak—close with his right arm, then touched Juddock, who had come over, with his left arm.

“You’re going to get dizzy if you’re not used to this.”
“Huh? To what? What’s going on? What are you planning to do to me?”

Ignoring Juddock—who knew full well what was happening but was deliberately playing coy—Tatsumi absorbed the mana filling the air.

Teleporting three people—one of whom was a demi-human—along with himself was hard work, even for Tatsumi.

The distance he could jump in a single leap was reduced, and the mana he consumed increased. Still, he knew he’d have to push himself a little right now.

Keeping his companions firmly in mind, Tatsumi activated “Instant Teleportation.”

.

Her consciousness slowly returned, and as her eyelids opened in sync with it, she noticed…

a beautiful woman with pale golden hair and blue eyes peering worriedly at her face.

“Oh, are you awake?”

Noticing that she had opened her eyes, the golden-haired woman smiled gently.

As her consciousness gradually cleared, she realized she was lying on a bed.

“…………Where am……?”

“This is the Elf’s Restful Pavilion, a tavern and inn. I am the owner, Erulala Zaphyra Fyrasilula Akatsuka. If that’s too long and hard to say, just call me Eru.”

The woman who introduced herself as Eru smiled even more broadly. Upon closer inspection, she had long ears. It seemed she was an elf.

“……Elf’s Restful Pavilion……?”

That name sounded familiar to her as well.

It was one of the taverns famous even in the capital for attracting many skilled mabeast hunters.

She had often talked with her companions about how they, too, would one day like to frequent such a famous tavern.

Just as she thought that, a flash of insight struck her mind.

An exceptionally huge snow lizard.

Scattered all around were the remains of ordinary-sized snow lizards that had been devoured.

When the giant snow lizard noticed them, it seemed to smirk.

The giant snow lizard’s crimson eyes, staring at them as if to devour them────

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

She let out an agonized scream and, as if trying to protect herself from something, unconsciously curled up tightly on the bed.

.

“…Uuuuugh… My head’s still spinning…”

Occupying one of the tables at the Pavilion, a burly man with four arms lay face-down on the table, groaning.

“Here, I brought you some water. Maybe drinking this will help you feel a little better?”

A young man placed a wooden mug filled with water near the man’s head.

“Thanks, Tatsumi-pie… Still, how come you’re still okay after repeating those nauseating teleportations?”

Was he impressed, or just exasperated? With a tone that made it hard to tell, the four-armed man—Juddock—muttered.

“Hmm… I’ve never had a problem with roller coasters or other thrill rides. Maybe I was just born with a strong inner ear.”
“…Tatsumi-chan, you say some things I just can’t understand sometimes…”

Seeming to lack even the energy to lift his head, Juddock spoke while still slumped face-down on the table.

Tatsumi sat down at the same table as Juddock, giving him a wry smile.

Just then, something leaned against her from the side.

“Ah… I feel sick, too… Please take care of me, darling.”

Far from feeling sick, it was clearly Calcedonia whose voice was brimming with delight.

Like a little bird rubbing against him to be pampered, Calcedonia leaned against Tatsumi, her stray strand of hair bobbing up and down.

The mabeast hunters nearby teased them or gave them lukewarm stares, but Calcedonia paid them no mind.

Though he wore a slightly exasperated expression at his beloved’s behavior, Tatsumi let Calcedonia do as she pleased.

“…………I wonder if she’s okay… What on earth happened to her?”
“Her injuries weren’t that serious. Of course, she had scrapes and minor cuts all over her body, as well as some old scars… She was probably a mabeast hunter.”

After teleporting back and forth several times, Tatsumi and the others returned to town. They immediately rushed into the Elf’s Restful Pavilion and explained the situation to Eru, who received the news with a shock.

After hearing their story, Eru ordered a female staff member to carry the unconscious woman into a room at the inn, then joined Calcedonia in tending to her.

After Calcedonia and Eru examined the woman, they determined she had only minor injuries and no serious ones; Calcedonia’s magic quickly healed even those minor wounds.

All that was left to do was wait for her to wake up. Having left her care to Eru, Calcedonia had just returned to the tavern where Tatsumi and the others were waiting.

“…We’ll probably find out what happened once she wakes up.”

Tatsumi, Calcedonia, and Juddock all turned their gaze toward the staircase leading to the second floor.

A short while later, Eru came rushing down the stairs, looking utterly distraught.