LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 126.2
Pest Control Is Also A Specialty
While thinking, “Wow, Nadja can release vacuum blades?” in a slightly sideways way, Yuuri turned to face Aroru. He had never thought about who was in charge of pest control, so he asked his question, still puzzled by it.
“Was that your job, Aroru?”
“It’s not really my job, it’s more like our familiars or the ones with a keen sense that handle it. During breeding season, Brook takes care of it all.”
“What’s that, Brook’s too strong, right?”
“That person is ridiculously strong, so there’s no point in worrying about it. Also, Magg is good at it too. He seem to be good at finding hiding spots.”
“I think I get what you mean about Magg…”
In Magg’s case, Yuuri thought it was more that he was good at finding places that were easy to hide in rather than being good at finding lost things or bugs. And he was right. Magg had skills in stealth. When they played hide-and-seek in their apprentice group, Magg was always the last one to be found.
…Of course, in this case, the hide-and-seek was disguised as training. It was important training to hide while suppressing one’s presence.
“So, why are these Corrosion Bug pests that need to be controlled?”
“Weren’t they in your hometown?”
“I’ve never seen them.”
“I see. That’s peaceful and enviable. These guys, as the name suggests, corrode whatever they chew on. Pretty much anything.”
“That’s way more dangerous than I thought!”
Yuuri was shocked by Aroru’s nonchalant explanation. Even though they looked just like beetles, he had no idea they were such dangerous bugs. It made sense why Rooks seemed to be warning him not to touch them.
By the way, Corrosion Bug generally prefer inorganic materials. They chew with their spiky mouths and apply body fluids they secrete to corrode their target. The reason they corrode things is not entirely clear, but research suggests they are just eating inorganic materials, and corrosion may be an unavoidable side effect.
Still, none of that mattered to ordinary people. What was important was that “Corrosion Bug chew on houses.” Other inorganic materials were also targeted, but houses were especially vulnerable. They must be big and tasty for them, so they gnaw away at them.
For that reason, it was a given that once they were found, they had to be eliminated. There were Bug repellent sprays, but for some reason, Corrosion Bug didn’t react to them, so it had to be dealt with physically.
“Well, cats hunt them, so big cities are usually fine.”
“Cats…?”
“It looks like the mother cat uses them for her kittens’ hunting practice.”
“…Normally, wouldn’t they do that with mice?”
“They hunt mice too. Any size they can hunt seems to be used for practice. The Corrosion Bug aren’t tasty, so once they’re killed, they’re just left alone.”
“Wow, cats are too skilled…”
Cats were known to be natural hunters, so if there were no shortage of prey in the city, their skills would surely improve. Still, Yuuri thought he wouldn’t want to see a cat hunting bugs. It seemed like it could get a little too gruesome.
“By the way, if Rooks’s catching so many of them, does that mean Corrosion Bug reproduce quickly?”
“No, no. It’s just the breeding season right now. If we take care of them now, it’ll be easier in the later seasons.”
“I see. …Aroru.”
“What?”
The mention of the breeding season made Yuuri wonder about something he hadn’t really considered before. The question came out as a form of inquiry, hoping it was wrong.
“…Could it be that the ones Rooks’ been catching are the babies?”
“Yep.”
“…Do the Corrosion Bug get bigger?”
“Mouse-sized.”
“Rooks, do your best and get rid of them! I really don’t like the idea of those dangerous bugs being that big!”
“Kyuu!”
Yuuri was being honest with himself. If they were beetles, he wouldn’t mind if they were large for display purposes, but Corrosion Bug were dangerous Bugs that corroded whatever they chewed. And they didn’t care if it was organic or inorganic. If he got bitten by one, it would be bad news. The idea of mouse-sized Corrosion Bug roaming around made him shudder.
Aroru didn’t say anything in response to Yuuri’s honest words. Even she didn’t like adult Corrosion Bug. Though she didn’t mind Bug-type magical beasts, she couldn’t warm up to Corrosion Bug, which were nothing more than pests. So, she was a 10-year-old who had no mercy for them.
Rooks, thinking Yuuri was cheering it on, began moving with enthusiasm. With sounds of “bishi, bashi, batchin,” it expertly took care of the Corrosion Bug while stretching its body. It was a well-practiced and efficient movement, something it had done countless times during it cleaning routine. The capable slime was once again doing an excellent job.
“…Nadja.”
After tapping her familiar on the body, Aroru, as if saying “I get it.”, had Nadja descend onto the ground and move to the opposite side from Rooks. Yuuri could hear a hissing sound, followed by Nadja slicing the Corrosion Bug into pieces with a small vacuum blade. It was so fast that there was no grotesque aspect to it. So, Yuuri didn’t feel as scared watching it.
…Incidentally, Corrosion Bug were tough. Nadja’s vacuum blade cut them into pieces instantly, but the sharpness of the blade was obvious. However, Yuuri had no idea about that and just thought, “Wow, snake familiars can use vacuum blades.” There was no further comment, as those were just his inner thoughts.
“Did Rooks and Nadja always take care of pest control like this?”
“Right person for the right job.”
“Yeah. If they’ve been working hard, I should make them something delicious.”
“Nadja will be happy. She says your cooking is delicious.”
“Wait, what? That’s news to me. I’m happy to hear that. I’ll try my best to make something Nadja likes.”
“Mm.”
Yuuri beamed with happiness when he realized that Nadja liked him, even though he knew she was a huge serpent-type magical beast. All he saw was the small white snake wrapped around Aroru’s neck, with its intelligent eyes that Yuuri thought were cool. He was now even more motivated, wondering what to make. Aroru just shrugged, as if saying, “You’re always like this.”
In the end, seeing the two familiars getting a reward for their hard work in pest control made everyone even more motivated to keep doing it.