When we arrived at the source of the screams, a bizarre scene unfolded before us.

A familiar, annoying buzzing sound filled the air.

It was the sound of mosquito wings, the kind that always seem to emerge out of nowhere in the summer.

Yes, what stood before us were mosquitoes. But their size was all wrong.

“H-heeekkk!?”

The mosquito latched onto the burly man who had mocked me earlier was as big as the man himself.

The stinger about to pierce him was as long and thick as a harpoon I’d once seen a fisherman use.

A human-sized mosquito… seeing one up close made my skin crawl, a wave of discomfort and revulsion running down my spine.

Looking closer, there were over ten mosquitoes circling the three adventurers.

In any case, we needed to help them immediately.

“Ivy!”

“Mii!”

Ivy promptly deployed a barrier.

The protective shield surrounded the men, and with a loud crack, it repelled the mosquitoes that had latched onto them.

“—Hah!”

I fired a Light Arrow at the mosquitoes.

Releasing the maximum number I could control at once, 64 arrows fanned out in all directions.

Crash! Crack! Snap!

The mosquitoes’ carapaces shattered with sharp, echoing sounds.

They didn’t seem particularly resistant to magic, as the arrows tore through their bodies, leaving large holes.

In a single sweeping attack, the massive mosquitoes fell, their wings destroyed and their bodies pierced.

Phew, we managed to pull through.

“...”

The adventurers, who had been screaming moments ago as if facing their doom, now stood frozen, staring at us in a daze.

It seemed to take them some time to process what had just happened.

“Are you alright? I’d like to hear more about those mosquitoes if you don’t mind.”

“Ah, yeah…”

A bit flustered, they explained that the mosquitoes had attacked them out of nowhere.

Apparently, those creatures were called Iron Mosquitoes. They had a peculiar trait: they absorbed iron from the blood they sucked and used it to form a protective iron shell over their bodies.

They were classified as third-tier monsters, meaning they were relatively strong.

Certainly not the type of monster one would expect to encounter in Asai Forest, where beginners often came to gather medicinal herbs.

As I listened, it became clear that the adventurers had been sent here by the guild to investigate strange occurrences in the forest.

So, something unusual really was happening here.

At least this trip wouldn’t be a waste.

“Mimimii!”

‘Even if there’s nothing else, we’ve already discovered that pancake shop!’ Ivy chirped.

I personally felt one pancake visit was enough, but it seemed she had taken quite a liking to the place.

I resolved to stop by the shop again on our way back.

“Uh, um… sorry about earlier.”

“Hmm? About what?”

“For mocking you. As adventurers, we should know better than to judge strength by appearances. We acted like fools, and you had every reason to leave us behind.”

“No, no, I wouldn’t get mad over something like that.”

They seemed genuinely remorseful, hanging their heads in shame.

Not that I’d been bothered in the first place.

And besides, I’m not the kind of person who would abandon someone in need just because they made fun of me.

Honestly, being thought of as that cold-hearted stung more than their teasing ever could.

“Exactly! Bruno had every right to leave you to your fate and move on without a second thought!”

At some point, Rey had caught up to us and stood with arms crossed, puffing out her chest triumphantly.

The posture emphasized her chest, which made me so embarrassed I had to avert my eyes.

Luckily, the adventurers didn’t seem to notice my awkward reaction.

“Mii!”

But Ivy, apparently, didn’t miss a thing, calling me a “perv” loud and clear.

Feeling as dejected as the adventurers, I soon spotted Logan approaching in the distance.

This wasn’t the time to dwell on embarrassment.

We needed to press deeper into the forest to uncover the cause of the disturbances.

As we started moving again, one of the adventurers called out to us.

“Earlier, we saw a strange figure riding on the backs of those mosquitoes! Be careful!”

“Thank you!”

Grateful for the valuable information, we continued our journey into the depths of the forest.