Ch.2626 – Revealing the Purpose

<26 – Revealing the Purpose>

Mr. Hood quickly climbed up a tree and disappeared in an instant.

The remaining targets were naturally our group of four.

“That’s the team with the top scorer from the first gate.”

“That monkey guy looks dangerous too.”

“This is too risky.”

Most of the human hunters who came looking for people with points didn’t dare target us.

Thanks to that, we were deeply engaged in casual conversation.

“I see the money spent hiring you as bodyguards was well worth it.”

“Hahaha! If you’re grateful, treat me to more!”

“Is there something you’d like to purchase?”

“Good liquor comes with a high price tag.”

“Liquor?”

My ears perked up instantly.

How could I not be interested?

The food compendium includes beverages too.

If beverages count, there’s no reason alcohol shouldn’t.

Better to drink when I have the chance!

“Oh, what’s this? Does the little squirt want a taste?”

“I love anything related to food and drink!”

“Then would you like to try this?”

Son Ocheon pulled out a gourd flask from his waist.

It was the same gourd he’d been carrying at his waist all the way from Mount Shinjeong to the airship and through the first gate.

“You’ve had that forever! I thought it was just water in that flask?!”

“What nonsense are you talking? Of course it’s alcohol.”

This booze hound.

How much has he been drinking all this time?

“Here, what do you think?”

“Ugh, the smell.”

How much do I need to drink for it to count as collection?

One glass? One bottle?

If it’s in a bottle, do I need to empty the bottle, and if it’s in a gourd, do I need to empty the gourd?

Honestly, I’m confident in my drinking capacity.

Before my capsule malfunctioned and I was forcibly sent to another world, I used to drink heavily with my childhood friend Sia.

It was amusing to watch my chubby friend who always challenged me saying, “I’ll definitely get you drunk today!” only to pass out first every time.

Sometimes she would drunkenly ramble about how she’d make sure my alcohol tolerance was lower than hers for some inexplicable reason.

“……”

Hmm, I’m getting a bit nervous.

In the game, choosing <Drink> would automatically empty the container and time would pass, with a certain probability of getting the <Drunk> status effect…

But in reality, where drinking capacity is determined purely by one’s constitution, probability doesn’t factor in at all.

Oknodie’s body is that of a child.

Children are typically weak to alcohol.

“Please refrain from giving alcohol to a child. It’s not only unhealthy, but we’re also in the middle of a competition.”

Still, alcohol is a candidate for the food compendium collection.

I should try to get it when I have the chance later.

Hmm… yes.

Preferably when that hairy old man is asleep.

After the exam ends, I’ll secretly steal and drink it late at night.

“Hey squirt, aren’t you worried about getting stranded? The leaders are already out of sight.”

“We can just track them, can’t we?”

There are plenty of hints.

[You found footprints from the advance party.]

[Observation experience +2]

[Tracking experience +1]

[You found leaves stepped on by muddy feet.]

[Observation experience +3]

[Tracking experience +1]

[You found bushes and branches cut by a knife.]

[Observation experience +1]

[Tracking experience +1]

Thanks to the tracking mechanism that progressed smoothly whenever I discovered hints through eye-tracking, my ability to identify and follow clues is quite useful in reality too.

To be honest, I’m just as confident in my tracking ability as I am in my hiding ability.

“Oh, squirt, do you have hunting experience?”

“Of course I do.”

“With your size, did you hunt rabbits or something?”

“What are you talking about? I hunt monsters too. Sometimes even people—oops.”

“People? You’re joking, right?”

“O-of course I’m joking! Hehehe.”

Phew. That was almost awkward.

Or maybe it already is?

The sudden silence makes the atmosphere heavy.

[Trackers flee in fear.]

[Detection experience +1]

[Intimidation experience +3]

Oh no.

I was trying to gain combat experience, but my slip of the tongue only increased unnecessary skills.

[The dangerous presence moves away.]

[Detection experience +1]

Thanks to that, the troublesome enemies who were considering attacking us gave up on confronting us alone.

Although it was accidental, I’m honestly relieved.

Even someone as strong as Son Ocheon would be in considerable danger against a malicious examinee who likes to attack alone.

“It’s okay. That won’t happen anymore.”

Did she misunderstand something after seeing me lost in thought?

For some reason, Isabelle patted my shoulder comfortingly.

“What won’t happen? Oh, hunting? We’ll have to attack others if the situation calls for it. That’s how we pass the exam.”

“It’s okay. Your big brothers and sisters will take care of that.”

While it’s convenient for me, this won’t do!

“What if you get hurt, big sis?”

Isabelle placed her hand on her chest and silently stomped her feet with a touched expression.

Kuk kuk, she’s really innocent.

She doesn’t even realize I’m laying the groundwork to prevent the chef who should help me collect for my food compendium from avoiding difficult cooking by using injuries as an excuse.

She’d be shocked if she knew my devious thoughts.

After that, Isabelle occasionally looked up into the distance or rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.

“Isabelle.”

“You can call me big sis.”

“Big sis, are you crying?”

“No. I have allergies to pollen.”

“Ah, that must be tough.”

“Yeah. It’ll get better soon, so don’t worry about it.”

Isabelle was not only foolish but also a liar.

There weren’t even any flowers in this forest.

Yet she kept wiping her eyes afterward.

* *

The training Oknodie had undergone became increasingly clear.

Poison resistance training.

Tracking training.

Sword and bow training.

Not just animal hunting, but human hunting experience as well.

‘This is definitely assassin training.’

There’s no doubt about it.

This is absolutely assassin training.

“Hunting isn’t anything special. At that age, I used to hunt orcs too.”

“Really?”

“Some punk claimed he killed a deer just because he stuck one stone axe in it after I hunted it down. I put that axe right back into the arrogant bastard’s skull.”

Son Ocheon tried to lighten the mood.

Oknodie, now relaxed, laughed and played along.

“Ah, that’s so annoying, isn’t it?”

“…Squirt, have you sent a few people off too?”

“Not with an axe, but with a bow.”

“……”

“N-no, I’m joking! Lying! Just kidding!”

“…Reeeally?”

Instead of lightening up, the mood darkened further.

In Isabelle’s mind, Oknodie’s tragic past was already unfolding.

A remote island.

Child slaves captured together.

Only one child could escape alive.

Children who ate and slept together forced to point knives at each other for survival.

Oknodie trying to forget the terrible sensation of killing by pretending to be happy.

‘This child is so pitiful…!’

Despite such an unfortunate past, the child’s innate nature that hadn’t completely disappeared had helped her.

In reality, the child probably didn’t want to kill people but had no choice because of missions.

Nothing else could explain the child’s optimistic nature and how well they got along with others.

“Let’s all rest here before continuing. With the stream nearby and mongoose meat, this is the perfect spot for cooking.”

At the mention of meat, Son Ocheon and Oknodie scattered to gather firewood, drooling in anticipation.

“Giselle. A moment.”

“Yes?”

“You two are helping that child, right?”

“Was it that obvious?”

“I can roughly guess what kind of background the child has. A very unfortunate past, I imagine.”

“Please don’t make it too obvious in front of the child. The child is trying hard to be cheerful. I want to protect that smile at least.”

“I understand. That’s why I want to help too.”

“Are you serious?”

“I already owe my life once. The child also saved my precious adventure party members. Although I’m afraid of whoever is behind that child, I want to help as much as I can.”

“If you’re that determined, I won’t try to dissuade you.”

Giselle told her about the butler and maid, and the abnormalities they had observed in Oknodie during their journey.

“I see… So even on the airship, the child easily evaded the guards.”

“You seem to have had quite a past yourself, Isabelle.”

“Oh, this?”

While listening to the conversation, Isabelle silently skinned the animal, removed the entrails, and sorted the meat.

Noticing Giselle’s gaze on her impressive butchering skills, Isabelle replied sheepishly.

“I’m different from that child. I’m already 18 years old, and I learned these skills voluntarily by pestering my seniors because I wanted to be helpful to the adventure party.”

“I see.”

“From my perspective, Giselle, you’re the strange one. You have an incredible number of items in that backpack. You even brought insect repellent incense when I mentioned I disliked mosquitoes?”

“Well, my past isn’t something to be proud of. I was a ticket black market dealer.”

“A ticket black market dealer? It’s surprising you decided to take the exam. One gold ticket would fetch quite a price.”

“Haha. It hurts even more than that. I used a platinum ticket.”

“A platinum ticket?!”

Even Isabelle, who had collected tickets with her adventure party by visiting various examiners, had never obtained a platinum ticket.

“I have to ask, just to be sure—you’re not staying by that child’s side with some suspicious intentions, are you?”

“Of course not. The child was raised as an assassination prodigy in a noble family. Even a black market dealer doesn’t have enough lives to mess with that.”

“…We’ve both come to know quite an extraordinary child.”

“Indeed we have.”

Whatever their pasts might be, their desire to help Oknodie was the same.

Isabelle felt she had grown closer to Giselle.

“Do you think they’re dating?”

“Don’t ask me, squirt.”

“Should we wander around for another hour or so to give them privacy?”

“Hmm, should we?”

“You two. If you’ve gathered the firewood, stop talking nonsense and come over here.”

Giselle called out with a smile to the two who had been hiding behind the bushes watching.

Isabelle couldn’t help but smile at the two who were making obviously disappointed expressions.

* *

[Common dish <Brown-tailed Sap-marinated Mongoose Roast> has been added to your Cooking Compendium.]

Isabelle’s cooking skills, honed through adventure party activities, were quite impressive.

“I’m so happy…!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Isabelle looked at me with a contented expression.

As I was returning her smile and admiring her face…

“Quite a few people are coming.”

“They must have seen our campfire.”

As the men said, a considerable number of examinees were gathering toward us.

“Look at them, they’re cooking meat.”

“They even lit a fire?”

“Hehe, how leisurely.”

Tall figures in luxurious attire.

I recognized them from the first gate.

“What business does the Western Nobility Alliance have here?”

“Choose your words carefully when stating your purpose.”

Giselle smiled with her mouth but not with her eyes.

Son Ocheon stood up holding his staff, showing off his massive build.

The nobles flinched and stepped back at the two men’s intimidating presence.

“It’s a misunderstanding. We didn’t come to fight.”

“If not to fight, then?”

After a tense standoff, the noble alliance examinees finally spoke.

“Teach us how to make a campfire.”

“We want to eat meat too.”

“I can’t sleep without a mattress. Sob.”

“Forget everything else, please just get rid of these mosquitoes. I’m going crazy because of them!”

“……”

The young masters and ladies had come to say, “Please help us.”