“Guhaha, so that’s what happened. Is that why you were in such a bad mood when you came back from the village?”
“Dad, you’re too loud!”
“Oops!”
It was the afternoon of a day off, and we were shopping at the trading company of the executive chairman of the cherry blossom festival.
When I told him about the extermination of wild boars in the village that ended a few days ago, the chairman of the executive committee laughed and got punched by his daughter.
While we were defeating the boars, the daughter of the executive committee chairman was teased all the time for being exactly like her father.
“So, are you guys preparing for your next trip?”
“Yes. Maya-san and Sera-san are about to rank up, so I thought we could start preparing early.”
“Is that so? Oh, I’m going to miss you guys. I heard you are going to move on to another place after this.”
“After the Northern Margravate, we will head to the Western Margravate, and then we will go to the Royal Capital at the beginning of the year.”
I have also informed the chairman of the executive committee that it is time to head to the Northern frontier territory.
In the Eastern frontier territory, there are many memories such as the cherry blossom viewing festival and the extermination of the demon.
““Tada!””
“Oh, you’ve chosen a nice pair of shoes. We’ll take them then.”
““Yey!””
Today we are going to choose a pair of travel shoes for Fran and Horn. Both of them are in their growth period, so their shoes will soon become smaller. And since we are already here, I decided to let them choose the one they like.
After that, I also choose a cloak for travel and light clothes because summer is near. Just in case, I also bought potions, antidote potions, and herbal medicines.
“I’ll give you a little discount.”
“Oh sorry for that. Thank you.”
“No, no, you’ve taken care of me too.”
“““Thank you~”””
The executive committee chairman gave me a discount, and we finished shopping for Fran and Horn. Fran and Horn happily put their luggage in their magic bags.
Alright, now that we have a little extra time, I decided to take a walk around the town. Once I put it inside the item box, the food will stay fresh, so I plan to buy spices as well as vegetables and meat.
“Oh, it’s a curry spice set.”
“““Buy a lot of curry!”””
“We still have a lot of curry powder, so we don’t need it.”
There are curry powder spice sets on sale at the store, but I did not buy any because I have my own spice mix. Shiro, Fran, and Horn all love sweetened curry.
“Le’s buy this, this, this, and this.”
“This one looks delicious, too!”
“Fran wants this.”
“Horn also want this!”
“Oh, okay, just don’t buy too much.”
Sue and the others started stocking up on snacks. The girls just love sweets.
Uh-, they really bought a mountain of sweets.
If they left them with me, they’d get told off for eating too much, so the girls left the sweets they bought with Ao.
No, no, I’m not saying I won’t let them eat. I just want to make sure that they don’t eat too much.
And like this, the rest day for the first time in a long time passed.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
As the name suggests, it’s a spell that temporarily improves your physical abilities. Unlike magic that produces fire or water, it does not need to convert magic into natural phenomena, so it is easy to use even for beginners. As a result, swordsmen and martial artists sometimes used it unconsciously to improve their physical abilities.
“Samurai-oneechan is that type too. Well, your strengthening rate is not that high though.”
“I was using magic……?”
No doubt about it. That’s probably why she was able to fight almost evenly with Fana. By the way, Fana also used body strengthening magic.
“She was holding it back quite a bit.”
“Mm. I matched my opponent.”
“W-what!? Does that mean you weren’t serious?!”
“That’s right.”
Completely shocked, Karen takes a step backwards.
“Ha-, haha, hahaha…… Apparently, I was a frog in a well……”
“That is good news for you Samurai-oneechan!”
“Huh?”
“Actually, there’s a way to improve that body-strengthening magic! (Grinning)”
★★★
“Don’t worry. Fana-oneechan and Anje-oneechan got stronger thanks to their magic circuits being fixed, so it’s not cheating. In fact, I think it’s a treatment that people all over the world should receive, and that time should come soon. So, Samurai-oneechan should get it right now. It’s okay, it is painless, and once you do it, your world will change. If you want to become stronger, you have no choice but not to take it. Courage, all you need is courage. If you don’t show courage now, when will you show it? You can’t be a true samurai if you won’t do this. Don’t worry, you can do it, Oneechan. If you have the soul of a samurai, you can do anything. So be brave and take the plunge.”
『Isn’t this exactly the same as with the hero, Master? The wordings has just changed from hero to a samurai.』
Oi, please don’t say anything bad about people.
“With you saying that I feel like if I were to back down here, it would tarnish my reputation as a samurai…”
Thanks to my desperate persuasion, Karen’s heart was clearly wavering.
“I’m not doing this for everyone, you see. It’s special because it’s just for you Oneechan. And it’s only for today, you know?”
『Special and only for today? All of these are common phrases used by con artists. But didn’t you say earlier that everyone in the world should receive it? 』
Still, Karen seemed to have made up her mind, she said,
“Alright. I’ll try the treatment!”
“As expected of a samurai. Now then, take off all your clothes.”
“……Ah?”
“Eh? You didn’t hear? I said take off all your clothes and be naked. Oh, of course, you’re going to take off that sarashi too.”
“W-wait a minute!? N-naked!? Do I have to do it naked!?”
Karen screams in bewilderment.
“That’s right. It’s a kind of medical procedure, so there’s no need to worry about it.”
“No, I do worry about it! I’ll tell you that up front!”
“Huh? Don’t tell me you have wavered? But you’re a samurai, aren’t you? A samurai never back down, right? For a samurai to say she’ll do it then later change her mind, that’s really not a samurai thing, right?”
“Your are just a Karakuri doll and you’re provoking me!?”
『Master is a scammer after all…… Catch me quickly, Master.』
Karen put her hand on the obi of her kimono and untied the knot with all her might.
“Of course I have no intention of backing down now!”
After the sarashi was forcibly stripped off, her twin hills were exposed.
Yahoooooooo!
Just as I had expected, no, they were even more magnificent.
No matter how I look at it, her Master who asked her to hide her precious boobs with a cloth is a complete failure of a person.
『It’s Master who’s the one who failed. 』
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
There were four vacant rooms in the inn, and we decided to rent one of them. The room in the inn has two bunk beds so we can sleep comfortably.
“I’m going to sleep with Shun today!”
“Me too! I will sleep with Oniichan!”
“Then I will sleep with Sue-oneechan!”
“You guys, there is an extra bed you know.”
““No!””
Even though we have extra beds, Shiro and the others want to sleep with us.
“(Chuckles) Shun-san, it can’t be helped then.”
“Sigh. Alright, alright.”
Sue also smiled wryly, saying that it couldn’t be helped. I decided to give up in the end.
We immediately entered the forest near the village with the other adventurers.
“Oh, there’s a wild boar!”
“Are they here to greet us in a group?”
“It looks like they have recognized us as their enemies.”
As we walked into the forest, we spotted a group of wild boars. The wild boars seemed to have recognized us as enemies.
“Spotted wild boars are smaller than ordinary wild boars, but they are belligerent and very fast.”
“Mm. That’s why it’s such a heavy burden for an amateur.”
“It is nice if you have the speed and the skills to finish them off with a single blow like Shiro and Ao. But to be safe, let’s block their charge with a magic barrier first and others can finish them off.”
“Alright, let’s try it first. It’s a convenient time to charge in.”
“““Buhii!”””
While I was talking to the swordsman-oneesan, a group of wild boars rushed towards us. I quickly created magic barrier to block the boar’s lunge and then made sure to stab it.
“Buhii!”
“Hmm”
“““So cooool!”””
The gorilla beastman next to me took a boar’s charge head-on. Even though he doesn’t use holy magic, he is ridiculously powerful.
Shiro, Ao, as well as Fran and Horn, were all praising the gorilla beastman.
However, in a way, another person stood out.
“Buhii!”
“Ei!”
Gokin!
“Woah~, Oneechan blew up a wild boar!”
““Amazing!””
The daughter of the executive committee chairman is literally blowing up a wild boar that rushes in with the mace in her hand.
Well, the boar’s head is so mangled that we can’t show it to others.
“Aside from Shiro, Ao, Martial Artist-oniisan and you, who can attack boars by yourselves, the rest better fight a boar in groups.”
“Ah? Uhm…. why am I, the signboard girl of the store, joining the ranks of the superhumans?”
“Look at that wild boar with a mangled head. Only you can do something like that you know.”
“You really are a descending of your old man.”
“Uuu……”
After the first match, everyone shared their thoughts, but I have no doubt that the daughter of the executive committee chairman will join the ranks of superhumans.
Even I can’t kill a wild boar with a single blow, but the daughter of the executive committee chairman ends up killing them all with one blow.
Taking the executive chairman’s daughter, who is looking downcast, we set out to look for the next group of spotted boars.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
His feet looked like they could crush even a carriage, and his face was burning red as he looked down.
――Gods.
Along with the hot breath, that voice echoed in my head.
Is this monster talking?
――Found you.
――This time, this time, ……burn to ashes!
As the air fluctuates with the high heat, wide-opened eyes and clenched teeth became visible to us. The neck, chest plate, limbs, everything is thick. On top of that, his whole body is on fire, so it felt like my skin would burn just by standing there.
Coming from one level below was a giant that reached a total length of 10 meters.
“This is ….…”
I feel like an idiot. I can’t believe I’m doing nothing, just looking up, muttering to myself.
Roar!
The courage I had worked up was extinguished, and my feet tried to run on their own. All my instincts were in unison, telling me not to confront it.
『That voice, that appearance……!』
Solana’s voice was also trembling.
“W-what is this guy!? Can it still be a mere monster……!?”
Even the veteran Mia-san was afraid. Felix-san also had his mouth wide open, unable to cast a spell.
『Listen, Rion. That fiery giant, no— that titan, it appeared in the scene of Ragnarok that I showed you before. 』
Overwhelmed, I frantically gulped. I adjusted my breathing. I followed the basics of adventurers and tried to calm myself down. Sit back. Stand with my feet shoulder-width apart. Then I looked up.
No matter how scared I am, not looking is the worst option and will result in me failing to avoid danger.
『This magic power—it looks exactly like …….』
The goddess did not get it either.
Fear is contagious, and I almost ask what she meant.
『Calm down, Sun Goddess!』
Thor roared.
The Thunder God’s words seemed to be heard by the rest of my companions too. Everyone looked at me. To be exact, in the gold coin in my pocket.
『The flame titans once had their own king. I sense a strong resemblance in this “Incarnation”. 』
And Thor continued.
『The same smell comes from deep underground. If this city is where they dig up the “titan’s ashes” and if there is a titan’s body underground, then it’s—』
My hand holding the short sword trembled.
“King…… of the Flame Titans?”
A cry erupted as if in response to my words. It reverberated through the halls of the stone walls, and my head was about to crack.
Flaming fists come rushing down to us. We scattered to dodge it.
The floor rippled like a carpet, and a heat wave swept over our fireproof cloak. If it weren’t for Safi’s runes —the fire defense would not be manipulated, and that blow would have ended our party.
“W-what the……?”
My head is full of questions.
Why, how could there suddenly be such a strong, seemingly impossible being here now…!
『Look closely and remember. 』
Thor spoke, scolding his hapless apprentice.
R-remember?
Looking up at the “titan” through my hood, God’s message flashed across my mind.
He said, ‘The incarnation of rage has appeared’ but ….…
The “titan” held his hand out towards the wall. With that, the stone that made up the wall peeled off and flew towards it. The stone was absorbed into its body.
“Perhaps…….”
I remembered my first impression. I know a monster that build their bodies out of rocks and soil.
“Is that a golem!?”
『I heard the message say, ‘Incarnation of Wrath,’ which means it’s not real, it’s more like a puppet. 』
“But….…”
A new question burns in my chest along with impatience.
Felix-san shook his hood and looked up.
“……Instead of mixing the titan’s ashes with the golem core, they may have made a golem core from the titan’s ashes ……!”
I detected the magical power on the monster before us with the Divine Protection of the Hunting God. A bright red light shimmered on its chest.
Is that really a golem core?
“Then…. In other words, it is a being created by the ashes, so it has thoughts that are close to titans!”
Felix-san nodded repeatedly, but I could only understand a little.
In short, it was born from the ashes of a titan. Magic stones are usually used for the golem cores, but for this one, instead of magic stones, the ashes of the titan are solidified to form one.
“You idiots, let’s get out of here first!”
A chain axe swished above me. Mia-san knocked off the debris the size of a human head that was falling to me.
The passage is now on the verge of collapse due to the rampaging giant golem.
“H-here!”
Safi jumped out of the backpack.
“There should be a large hall here! It has a high ceiling and can be used widely.”
“……Spaces like that are likely to be dens of monsters.”
A thud came behind us. The giant golem walks towards us, thumping and shaking the floor as it moves.
“Hmph! So, is there a greater threat than that!?”
“…… R-right.”
We hurried after Safi. The Incarnation of Rage stops in its tracks at various points as it was getting stuck to a beam in the ceiling. From time to time, crumbling rocks were hurled to us. But we only look forward, dodge and rushed our legs.
Then in a wide passage, the left and right walls were suddenly cut off.
—We made it to the Great Hall.
“Uh……”
We groaned.
There were indeed monsters in the huge hall. There were guard golems that we had encountered and defeated earlier. The blue light on their heads catches us.
Mia-san readied her chain axe.
“Wargs in the front, orcs at the back gate, right?”
“……It’s at the front gate.”
Felix-san, you……
So meticulous even at times like this.
Six guard golems in front and a giant golem in the back. We were being attacked from both sides —just as Mia-san had said.
『It looks like we have no choice but to do it. 』
I braced myself hearing Solana’s words. However, the guard golems quickly split up to the left and right and began to move closer to the wall. There is no sign of them attacking us who have just rushed in.
Then the entrance was lit red.
“Its here….…”
I looked back.
The “Incarnation of Rage” rushed into the great hall.
I prepared myself for immediate combat. But the giant golem was stopped in its track.
——Don’t get in the way! You puppets!
The golem guards by the wall took up their weapons and leapt at the incarnation.
“Monsters are attacking monsters……!?”
Mia-san was stunned.
I’ve never heard of something like this either. Only Safi, the black dwarf, seemed to know what had happened. Her dark eyes are moist.
“They remember…… They are still following the orders from 1,000 years ago.”
Safi paused then she whispered, “Thank you”.
“Fight the titans, they are still doing what the dwarves told them to do!”
The guard golems were kicked around by the incarnation.
I don’t think there’s a chance of them winning. But one after another, they get up and continues to fight the incarnation.
We kept our distance from them, taking the opportunity to catch our breath and get ready for battle.
『……Rion, let me out. 』
The gold coin vibrated at Thor’s words.
『The opponent is equal to a titan. I will do something about it. 』
『Thor, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but this is the fifth level. This is the lowest level at the Royal Capital’s dungeon, you know? The seal is pretty strong here. 』
『We can’t just leave the humans in front of a titan! 』
Loki and Thor are arguing.
Certainly, it’s tough for us to fight that enemy alone. The light of the magic detection on it was much stronger, even compared to the Mithril Golem.
I glanced into the hall.
……Something that could help!
“Oh….…”
I saw a faint light on the wall in the distance. The light indicates that the “seal can be removed.”
“—Safi.”
I called out to dwarf girl.
“Was there a dwarf forge here, too?”
Safi wipes away her tears.
“Yes there was. A place where magical weapons were forged.”
At this moment, before I knew it, the chain of metallic sounds had stopped.
Then huge roar echoed through the great hall.
The giant golem, who had destroyed the golem guards, turned his eyes on us.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
It’s now midnight. Rion and the others had finished their first day of exploration and all the blacksmiths and adventurers were asleep.
Carts went inside the dungeon. Its cargo was a dark red orb -a golem core. The transporters are low-level adventurers hired with money. Many of them were in debt and on the verge of becoming slaves.
As instructed by the employer, they left their carts on the exploration layer. Both the Adventurer’s Guild and the guards turned a blind eye to this late-night transport.
It would have been difficult for Ganis to put pressure on the guild on his own, but the “business-savvy” slave traders were always making arrangements for him.
Eventually, the golem cores were activated.
From the rocks and dirt around it, huge stubby bodies were formed. Then the giant golems carried an orb the size of a barrel on his shoulders. And just like that, they disappeared into the depths of the dungeon.
< Puppeteer> Ganis, is still unaware of the arrival of Rion and the others. On the other hand, Rion and the others also don’t know what the magician is experimenting with.
◆◆◆
It’s the second day since we arrived in Alvis.
I will continue to “train” to become stronger. However, I pull the hood of my fireproof cloak down over my eyes and avoid combat with monsters as much as possible.
Today we are prioritizing getting through the levels.
The dungeon of Alvis has 10 levels, so in addition to fighting monsters, I also have to get used to the battlefield. In fact, the deeper we dive, the hotter it gets, and the sweatier we get. Still, when I think about defense, it’s hard to take off the cloak.
The party members are the same as yesterday, with Mia-san, Felix-san, and two supporters carrying luggage. Safi is with the supporters, and the male supporter carried the backpack she is in.
After drinking plenty of water and taking breaks, we made it to the fifth level.
“Whoa……!”
I was so surprised that I involuntarily exclaimed. The structure of Alvis’ dungeon has changed in the fifth level.
The ceiling is now 10 meters high, and a number of magic stone lanterns shine brightly above us. I’m pretty sure it’s much brighter than the cloudy sky outside.
The road is also wide enough to accommodate three horse-drawn carriages. It is as big as the main street of the Royal Capital. Until now, the passage was like a part of a mine, with a conspicuous rugged stone wall. But the walls here are suddenly smooth and polished to the point where they almost shine a ray of light.
“As expected….…”
Safi peeked out of the backpack.
“This is the palace. The mountain of Alfheim has collapsed, burying everything from the main gate up…….…”
Looking up, I talked to Safi.
“It’s such a wide road……”
“It’s like that all the way down from here. We work with golems, so we need a road wide enough for them to pass by each other, and a ceiling tall enough for them.”
I see. So, the roads are made to fit golems, rather than dwarves.
“The white dwarves also had wings, that’s why the ceiling is so high.”
The previous levels were large enough for adventurers to fight. This floor is even larger, so it must have been the center, with many dwarves and golems passing through.
“Our forges will also start coming up from this floor. The upper floors are the warehouses and barracks for soldiers.”
I took a deep breath.
“It’s amazing……”
Since leaving the Royal Capital, there have been so many surprises, both about the journey and this dungeon. There are so many things I want to talk to Lu and my mom.
When I get home… after I’ve defeated the titans, the slave traders, and all the other things, I’ll definitely tell them.
“…There have been no reports of ancient forges being found on this level.”
Felix-san, who is also wearing his hood, taps his staff on the floor.
I suddenly realized something.
“Maybe….…”
“Mm. It’s possible that it’s ‘sealed.’”
I used Alarm skill to raise my ability to assess our surroundings. For the time being, there was no wall that could be unsealed as far as my eye could see.
“Let’s go and search.”
We start walking down the huge aisle. Perhaps because it was early in the morning, there were relatively few people here at this deeper level. It’s a great way to focus on the presence of monsters.
After proceeding for a while, I heard loud footsteps.
“……An enemy.”
Perhaps because it was quiet, Mia-san have sensed its presence as well. I looked at her in agreement and pointed to the corner about 50 meters ahead.
“It’s getting closer. It’s two-legged, it’s big and it looks like it got armor on…… I can hear a metallic sound.”
“Armor?”
This time, Felix-san spoke. Remembering the level we are at and the monsters that appeared so far, I nodded.
“Guard Golem, right?”
His prediction was correct.
What appeared in the corner ahead was a huge body dressed in armor. It’s hard to grasp the size of the passage because it’s wide, but it’s probably about 3 meters long.
It is a rough humanoid figure, with a cylindrical head lit with blue light. What sets them apart from ordinary golems is their weapons and armor.
One is armed with a club, the other with an axe. And both were protected by decorated armor. This soldier-like appearance is the origin of the name “Guard Golem”.
“Eh? That’s our golem……!”
Safi’s eyes opened wide in surprise.
Mia-san’s mouth turned up in a frown.
“Good grief. Then why is it attacking us!? We’re here to help the dwarves!”
Solana responded from the gold coin.
『Hmm…… Over the years, the golem created by the dwarves may have been incorporated into the dungeon.』
With awkward movements, the golems approached us.
I decided to take the initiative. I took a deep breath and accelerated towards it. The club and axe that are swung down are not scary if you can read the trajectory well.
While dodging, I slashed through the gaps in their armor. I had seen fights with Skoll, mithril golems, and even gods —extraordinary beings. Compared to those, these attacks were so easy to see through.
『Rion… you’ve gotten braver. 』
Thor acknowledged me. It’s not just about skills. I myself have gained strength through experience.
“Mia-san, Felix-san!”
One signal to my comrades was enough.
A chain axe quickly smashed the head of a guard golem. Then a magical flame pierced the chest of the other one.
My role is to stop them, and my party members’ main focus is to deal heavy blow on them. It was our first time fighting one, but with our teamwork, it’s not a threat.
“Hmm, my level’s gone up too..”
“Let’s just say we’re growing as a party.”
Mia-san shook her chain axe and grinned, while Felix-san shrugged.
Like mine, their weapons also had magic runes engraved on them. Mia-san’s axe has 『Toughness』. In addition to increasing the power, it also seems to have the effect of increasing the strength of the weapon.
As a blacksmith, Safi seemed worried that the strength of the wielder was beginning to exceed the weapons’ design.
As for Felix-san’s staff, it has『Wisdom』. It increases the power of magic.
Felix-san traced the faint glowing letters with his finger.
“At this rate, we might be able to go and defeat the intermediate boss on Alvis’ 6th layer.”
I tried to relax my nerves, but a chill suddenly ran down my back.
Reflexively, I used the <Divine Protection of the Hunting God>. But there was no need for special search. Because from the end of the aisle, came a tremendous roar.
The entire dungeon vibrated.
The magic lamps on the ceiling even flickered.
“W-what the-?”
Mia-san held up her chain axe. In the distance, there was a golem staggering weakly. Smoke was coming out of its body, as if it had just emerged from lava.
Then the golem came to a halt, eventually crouching down.
“……Huh?”
……It looks like the remains of the golem we saw in the corridor yesterday.
――Oooooooo!
Again, a roar shook the entire dungeon. Pebbles also fell from the ceiling.
Felix-san’s eyes widened.
Another creature appeared, ruthlessly trampling over the golem.
“Gua, o, ooo……!”
It was a huge cow about the size of a horse-drawn carriage. Its horns, sticking out on both sides, were on fire.
Felix-san groaned.
“……Muspelheim Aurochs……”
It is commonly known as “Fire Ox”. It is a dangerous monster on a par with Garm. It appears in the sixth layer about once every half a day and was also called the “Intermediate Boss” due to its strength and the number of magic stones it possesses.
I know only that much.
But—
“Why is it on the verge of death already……?”
Safi’s voice trembled. The Aurochs’ entire body was burned, its right eye was crushed, and it was dragging its other leg.
Then the Fire Ox took its last breath and fell with a thud.
“D-don’t tell me…… Did it run away from the floor below……?”
I managed to squeeze out a voice. I felt that if I didn’t say something, my pounding heart would give way to fear.
The left side of the huge passage is connected to a staircase. Something is coming out from the lower level where the fire ox has fled from.
The ceiling was nearly 10 meters high.
We looked up at the huge body that had “bent over” and walked in. It is humanoid, and its whole body flickers like a summer sun. When I detected its magical power, I saw a bright red light on his chest.
“……Golem?”
I thought so because the light on its chest looked like a golem core. Its face, distorted by the heat, had a faint expression. Its mouth stretched as if it is grinning.
“D-did it laugh……?”
Mithril Golem in the Western Dungeon. An army of golems in Kalmar.
More than anything, I sense the presence of a titan.
The Incarnation of Rage has appeared.
The fact that God’s voice echoed in my head means that even the Chief God is also watching this situation.
The colossal golem ―no, the titan man― rushed towards us.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
We immediately received a request for the extermination of wild boars.
In fact, the guild master knew that we were going to the Northern Frontier Territory, so he decided to get the other adventurers to learn how to get rid of the wild boar with us as soon as possible.
“Even so, the members here are pretty much the same huh.”
“It can’t be helped. When it comes to that priest, the members are limited.”
The adventurer who are with us at the cherry blossom viewing festival and demon slaying are also the ones who accompanied us in this request.
By the way, we have also earned the title of Demon Hunter.
“Uhm, why am I being dragged into this again?”
“Uncle said that the cherry blossom viewing festival was over and the number of customers had calmed down, so you should work hard.”
“When I get back, I’m going to kick my dad’s ass!”
And once again, the daughter of the chairman of the cherry blossom viewing festival executive committee was designated to accompany us. Of course, the daughter of the executive committee chairman has also earned the title of Demon Hunter.
This time too, it is a village half a day away by horse-drawn carriage, but it seems to be a little larger than the village we went to last time. For that reason, there is a small inn in this place.
Kara Kara Kara.
“I think a tent would be a bad idea.”
“What are you talking about? You are an adventurer, so setting up a tent is a given.”
“That’s why I’m saying, I’m just a shop clerk! I’m not an adventurer!”
“No, realistically, when you go to the countryside with a merchant caravan, don’t you normally use a tent?”
“Ugh.”
On the way to the village, the childhood friends are having such a lively conversation in the carriage. If anything, it seems that these childhood friends are making fun of the daughter of the executive committee chairman.
By the way, there are quite a few people heading to this village, so there are two horse-drawn carriages at the same time.
The village is guarded by soldiers from the Margrave Territory, not knights of the church, but it seems that there was an influx of wild boars from other villages.
Now that we arrived at the village, we immediately greeted the village chief.
“Oh, aren’t you the daughter of the Chamber of Commerce in the capital?”
“Eh? Do you know me?”
“Yes. I sometimes go shopping in the capital you see. Your father is a very strong man. I guess it’s a given that his daughter will inherit that bloodline huh.”
““““Pffft! Buhaha!””””
“Ahaha, I see……”
The unexpected remark of the village chief made the adventurer-oneesans burst out into laughter. The daughter of the executive committee chairman on the other hand had a forced smile on her face.
Well, she is carrying a sturdy mace for close combat this time, so I guess it’s no wonder people know that she was the chairman’s daughter.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“Leave this to me! I must do my 10 million yen’s worth of work!”
It was Karen who stepped forward.
“Not only is the Nue elusive, it also has great fighting ability. Many skilled samurai have challenged it in the past, only to be defeated. However—”
The Nue swung its front legs, trying to slash Karen with its sharp claws. But by that time, she was already gone.
“Ji!?”
Karen is now above the head of the astonished Nue.
“Yagyu Shinnen-ryu: Waterfall!”
Karen’s sword slams into the monkey’s head. The impact caused the huge body of the Nue to fall face down to the ground.
“That girl is really strong. Well, even if only temporarily, she was even on par with Fana, so it’s as expected I guess.”
“Hmm, the swordsmen of the East are not to be underestimated.”
While Anje and Fana are impressed, Karen lands on the ground.
“I’ve heard that it is very strong but…… It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.”
“Samurai-oneechan, do not let your guard down.”
“Huh?”
Immediately afterwards, darkness wriggled over. The “slimy” darkness that has gathered from the surroundings clings to Karen’s body.
“Uh-…… M-my body…… I can’t move!?”
“Not only can it hide in the darkness, but it can also manipulate the darkness.”
The Nue stands up.
Karen’s slash had dented its head, but apparently, it wouldn’t die at that level.
“Shaaaaaaa!”
In addition, its snake tail then stretched its body and attacked Karen, who was immobilized.
Slash!
The snake’s torso had been slashed before it could be thrust into Karen.
“Hmm”
The one that slashed it was the wind blade that Fana unleashed. At the same time, Fana herself leapt right in front of the monkey head of the Nue.
Zaaang!!
She slashed its neck off. The monkey head flies through the air and falls to the ground.
“……What a tenacious monster.”
The Nue wasn’t dead yet.
Despite losing its head, it ran towards the depths of the forest in an attempt to escape. Moreover, a thick darkness covers its body. It is probably trying to hide in the darkness in order to scatter its pursuers.
“That’s useless.”
After those words, a huge earthen wall appeared in front of the running Nue. It crashed into it with all its momentum.
“Did you really think you can escape?”
It was Anje who created the earthen wall. She approached the fallen Nue, who was confused because it didn’t understand what had happened.
“If losing your head doesn’t kill you… I wonder how long I’ll have to keep hitting you for you to die.”
“~~~~~~!?”
The bottom line is that the Nue died pretty quickly after receiving a barrage of punches from Ange.
“……I came out in high spirits, but I was completely caught off guard.”
Karen looked frustrated.
“By the way, Anje-dono is also quite strong…… She can use magic too……”
“Why don’t you try using magic Samurai-oneechan? I’ll teach you if you want.”
The knowledge of magic is not common in the East, but that doesn’t mean that magic cannot be used here. Karen will also be able to use it if she trains.
However, she shakes her head from side to side.
“No, I am a samurai, and it is true that magic may be powerful, but for a samurai whose life is a sword, it is wicked to rely on anything other than the sword.”
“You’re too stubborn! That’s why you lost to Fana. If it had been a real battle, you would have died you know.”
In response to Anje’s harsh remark, Karen only groaned, “Gununu” and can’t immediately reply to it.
Still, she managed to squeeze out the words,
“It’s better to die than to do something that goes against the soul of a samurai!”
“But Oneechan, you’re actually already using magic.”
“……? W-what do you mean?”
Karen looked shocked and confused, so I explained,
“It’s body strengthening magic. Samurai-oneechan actually uses it unconsciously.”
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“Excuse me. Shun-san and his group are here to talk about the priest’s matter.”
“Come in.”
Liliana-san knocked on the door of the guild master’s office and announced our arrival. We were immediately allowed to enter the room, so we entered the Guild Master’s office.
“Excuse us. Oh~, Margrave-sama is also here.”
“Mm, we were talking about the future schedule you see.”
It just so happened that the Margrave was also in the office with the deputy leader of the knights. The timing is good, so I decided to have them look at the letter from the village chief together.
As soon as I sat down on the sofa, I took out the village chief’s letter from the item box.
By the way, Maya-san and Sera-san were very nervous because the Margrave is in front of them.
“Deputy Leader, this is the letter addressed to you from the village chief of the village we just visited for the wild boar extermination request. If possible, I think it would be better to have the Margrave and the Guild Master look at it too.”
“Hmm. Okay, let me see.”
“Oh. What a mess.”
“That stupid priest was doing stupid things in the countryside too.”
The three of them read the village chief’s letter and had serious expressions on their faces. From the looks of it, they didn’t expect that the priest’s actions would have spread to the countryside.
“Uhm, I think the same thing might be happening in the other villages.”
“It’s better to act on the assumption that it’s indeed happening. I can’t believe they’ve gone as far as this.”
“We will send soldiers and financial support to the villages to exterminate varmints. As the Margrave, I feel bad for those villages.”
“To be honest, I’m glad that Shun and the others went to the village. Even the villagers themselves didn’t expect there to be so many wild boars. Normally, it would have been a mistake on the part of the village, but this time, I won’t hold them responsible.”
The Deputy Leader, the Margrave, and the Guild Master immediately responded to the letter from the village chief. It is said that a survey team will be dispatched to various villages, and the Margrave will play a central role in compensating for the damages in those villages.
“Actually, we were taking measures against what the priest had done, but we didn’t think about the villages in the countryside. We’re really grateful to you guys.”
“When I heard what the village chief said, I couldn’t believe it either. I’m glad it wasn’t too late.”
“That’s true. Varmint control requires the help of adventurers. Shun and the others have experienced the extermination of wild boars, so you guys may have to help again.”
“We’re okay with it. We’ve somehow figured out how to kill spotted wild boars efficiently.”
There is a high possibility that the soldiers and Holy Knights will not be enough, so it is not a problem at all for us adventurers to exterminate varmint.
“Also, I don’t think we can butcher those 200 heads at once. Please let me have 50 of them today. I’ll contact you again when the butchering is done.”
“I understand.”
There is a large refrigerator magic tool in the butchering area of the guild, but as expected, 200 heads will not fit it. We’ve decided to sell the spotted boars to the guild in several batches.
It looks like the village’s problems will be solved, which is really a relief.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“This is the Yokai Extermination Magistrate’s Office.”
Karen led us to a certain building.
“Yokai? Aren’t they monsters?”
“Yes. Well, in this country, monsters are also called yokai.”
Karen answered Anje’s question.
“This Yokai Extermination Magistrate’s office is a magistrate’s office that specializes in exterminating yokai.”
Apparently, the administrative body in Edou country is called a magistrate’s office. There doesn’t seem to be a private organization like the Adventurer’s Guild, but this magistrate’s office seems to be doing something similar.
“They collect information on yokai sightings and publish them in the bulletin. Then they will reward those who defeat them. We can also look at it from time to time to see if there is any good information.”
However, yokai with high rewards are quickly defeated.
It was said that a nearby swordsmanship dojo keeps an eye out on the bulletin as a form of training, and as soon as a yokai sighting was published, they head out to the given location to defeat them.
By the way, anyone who brings in a yokai corpse can receive a reward.
Inside the magistrate’s office, there are illustrations of monsters posted. This was extremely helpful for foreigners like us.
“What’s that? Kappa, Tengu, Nurikabe, Nue, Kamaitachi…… There are a lot of monsters that we don’t see in the west.”
“But that little yokai looks just like a goblin.”
“So, they live here too huh….”
Goblins have a high reproductive rate. There are other monsters that look similar in the west like the giant spiders and snow trolls.
“As expected, the monsters with high rewards have been hunted down…… All that’s left is not worth it.”
It seems that there are many monsters that are not worth it, such as the distance of the location, the limited time of hunting, or are difficult to defeat compared to the given reward.
No doubt. This place is the same as the Adventurer’s Guild.
“This Nue guy looks strong.”
According to the illustration, it was a chimera-like monster composed of monkey, tiger, snake and raccoon.
“Nue is a formidable enemy. It has a special ability to hide in the darkness, making it a monster that appears and disappears at will. It is also very agile and can run away quickly. Because of this, few people are willing to try to defeat it, considering the reward.”
“Hmm, on the contrary, it’s a good target.”
“You’re right, Fana-oneechan. Just defeating one is worth a million yen.”
The reward for defeating a Nue is 1,000,000 yen. Compared to the rewards of other yokai, it was unbeatable.
“You seem to have a great deal of confidence..… In that case, I have no objection. I will follow you guys.”
So just like that, we came to the place where there was a sighting of a Nue. It is a dimly lit mountain pass even in the daytime.
“How do we find the Nue?”
“Enemy Search”
I used my search magic to find out what was going on around me. Then, a few hundred meters away from the pass, I could feel a strong mass of magical power.
“Probably this way.”
“……Don’t tell me you can tell where the Nue is? To think that you have that kind of ability… The latest karakuri is truly amazing…”
Karen still seems to think that I’m a karakuri.
“Does Lill feel anything?”
“Well, it smells a little stinky, like a mixture of animal odors.”
Lill’s keen sense of smell also has a high search performance. We deviated from the pass and entered the forest.
“Oh? Did it notice that we are approaching?”
“It’s very likely. There’s a slight tension in its scent.”
The response of my search magic weakened.
Nue was said to have the ability to hide in the dark. It may have been wary of us, so it hid its presence a little. However, it has not completely disappeared from existence.
Although it was dark in the dense forest, it was still daytime with the sun high above.
“Over there. You can see that vague shadow, right?”
“Hn, now that you mentioned it…”
“If it’s night, we can never tell.”
Perhaps realizing that it was useless to hide, the figure of the Nue emerged from the darkness.
“There’s no doubt about it, it’s a Nue! I can’t believe we found it so easily…”
It looks exactly like the illustration in the magistrate’s office. The face is a monkey, the body is a raccoon, the limbs are a tiger, and the tail is a snake, and the total length is five or six meters.
By the way, raccoon is an animal that can only be found in the East.
“Kiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!”
The Nue let out such a strange roar and rushed to us at a breakneck speed.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
The carriage arrived at the territory capital before evening, so we headed straight to the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Oh, you guys are back. How was the expedition?”
“It was pretty tough but it was a good experience.”
“I see. That’s good.”
Since there are many adventurers who complete the procedure in the evening, Liliana-san, the deputy guild master, was also in the reception booth.
“Did you have fun, Fran-chan and Horn-chan?”
“Yes. I killed a lot of wild boars!”
“Mm, lots of them.”
“Huh? You killed a lot of wild boars? Shun-san, can you tell me about it?”
“Oh, yes, sure.”
Liliana-san seemed to feel something was off after listening to what Fran and Horn had said. That’s why we decided to move to an individual booth next to the reception booth.
“Then, Fran-chan and Horn-chan, how many wild boars did you catch?”
“Hmm, I hundred I guess.”
“About two hundred?”
“Over two hundred!”
“Oh, and we caught little deers too!”
“It’s about a hundred too!”
“Really?”
““Yes, it’s true!””
Fran and Horn are trying their best to explain to Liliana-san, but Liliana-san was surprised by the number of wild boars that Fran and Horn have killed.
Her expression…. Is there something wrong?
“Shun-san, is the number of heads killed by Fran-chan and Horn-chan really true?”
“It’s true. There were also a number of them sold to the village, but it was roughly around that number.”
“Hmm, that’s bad then.”
Oh?
Liliana-san seemed to think more deeply after hearing what I had said.
“Killing about 20 wild boars is equivalent to E or F rank, and if you kill more than 200 boars, it is equivalent to B or C rank. In that case, there is a suspicion that the village has made a false application.”
“““Ah!?”””
Liliana-san’s remarks surprised not only me, but also Sue, Maya-san and Sera-san.
I could have put Maya-san and Sera-san in danger then.
“L-Liliana-san, the truth is…. Something like that happened in the village.”
I told Liliana about the church incident that happened in the village.
Then, Liliana-san clasp her hands together and spoke to me.
“Then the timing is just right. The deputy captain is at the guild master’s office today. I’ll take you there.”
By coincidence, the deputy captain happened to be in the guild master’s office.
This is a godsend, so with Liliana-san’s lead we head to the guild master’s office.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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