Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Episode 89: The Hunt The opportunity to hunt the monster that Elle mentioned came sooner than expected. “Lyla, shouldn’t you be venturing into the Great Forest now?” After holing myself up in my room for about three days, studying the assignments Mien gave me and the magic to strengthen the tensile strength and elasticity of cells, Eira came to find us. She had a triumphant smile on her face as she handed a piece of paper to Mien and me, who were studying magic. “…This is a troll.” Mien took the paper she offered and read it before replying briefly. “That’s right. The deadline is six days. And the reward is a whopping 3,000 Rad! Of course, that’s just the contract fee, and they’ll give us a bit more depending on the grade after disassembly.” “If it’s grade measurement after disassembly… I need to prepare provisional contract magic.” “Well, what about it? Mien can do it, right?” “That’s true.” Since Mien was my teacher, my participation in the request naturally meant her participation as well. Since Eira brought the job in the first place, Mien would naturally be with us. “Eira, have you decided who to go with?” “Um, not yet. But you don’t have to worry too much. Lyla, you’re close to that person, right?” “That person… are you talking about Zarka?” When I tilted my head and asked, Eira gave an awkward smile and nodded. Taking Zarka, one of the top guards in the guild, would certainly be reassuring. And if we added Elle, the numbers would be about right. Emily is too busy working to come along. Three guards, one mage, and one archer. The combination was reasonably balanced. There was no priest, but Mien could easily fill that role. Healing is possible with potions, and healing that potions can’t handle is something only high priests can do. Besides, many priests can’t heal depending on their faith, so there was no need to be tied to a priest. “And I’d like to bring a friend too…” “A friend, you mean Nosferatu?” “…Yes, that’s right.” The name is so awkward, but there’s no way to explain it. “It’s a bit much to bring a newbie right away. Is it okay?” “Yes, I trust her.” Instructor Lacas said something similar when I first recommended Elle. It was a question as if asking if she was really skilled, but the result was obvious. Still, he had experienced precedents with me and Emily, so he wasn’t too surprised. Female guards are a bit rare, so I think these reactions from the people around us are inevitable. There’s no martial arts in this world, and women are at a bit of a disadvantage physically. Considering that, it was surprising that there was a considerable proportion of women among adventurers, but if there were variables such as magic and holy magic, it wasn’t that strange. Thanks to that, Elle and I can work without much prejudice, so I should be grateful. // It was easy to bring Zarka in. Whether it was because of the affection we had built up over time, or because he simply had nothing to do, he readily agreed to my request. “…Troll hunting, it’s been a while.” “Just in case, we’re not killing it.” “I know. We usually don’t kill them.” Unless it was just selling the core or byproducts, monsters used for experimental materials were usually captured alive. That’s also how requests are made to the Adventurer’s Guild. In particular, trolls with regenerative powers are used to make potions, so there were many requests for live capture because the freshness of the blood was important. Each monster has its own use, so the types of monsters that are killed and only their skins or cores are brought back are different. Since it’s dangerous to bring captured monsters into the city, disassembly plants and workshops are set up in the outer guilds of the towns outside the castle. The Adventurer’s Guild operates it, but it’s practically exclusively for the Magic Guild. Of course, the monsters wouldn’t be crazy enough to follow along nicely, and the difficulty increased because we had to use a rather violent method of beating them unconscious and then making a provisional contract with subjugation magic. And the reward is as generous as the difficulty, which is a characteristic of live capture requests. “When do we depart?” “Tomorrow.” “How long will it take?” “Um, they say six days, but if things go well, it could be faster.” “I understand.” “…You’re coming, right?” “That’s right.” “Whew, that’s a relief. Thank you.” Even though my name was a bit known for single-handedly raiding a goblin den, the fact that I was still a rookie adventurer didn’t change. I didn’t know what would happen in the Great Forest, so the more veteran adventurers like Zarka, the better. …Actually, Elle alone would be enough, but I thought it would be better to bring at least one man. Four women is not a vibe I want. Besides, Zarka is a veteran adventurer, so it would be good to bring him along in many ways. After receiving Zarka’s approval, I let out a sigh of relief and walked into the inn where he was staying. “…Do you have any business?” Zarka asked me as he looked at me, but I gave a subtle smile and replied. “I just got one.” When I slightly loosened the buttons around my chest, he nodded as if he understood. When his thick hand covered my shoulder as if embracing it, my body heated up with anticipation. It felt like my lower area was getting wet even though he hadn’t even started foreplay. I thought about how long it had been since that incident in Krudion, and why I was looking for a man again, but this was different. That was like a special dish I ate occasionally, and this was like a health food. Even though I prefer rough and inconsiderate humiliation, it’s not bad to mix bodies with someone I know like this sometimes. “Recently, you’ve only been paying attention to Emily. It was before we left, so if I had to say, it’s not even recently…” “Wasn’t that what you suggested first?” “That’s true, but you have to be fair. It’s lonely to watch from the side and comfort yourself alone.” “…Difficult.” “It’s not difficult at all.” We had a comedy-like conversation and then went into the inn room together. // Emily, who had returned from work at the Adventurer’s Guild as usual, immediately lay down on the bed and sighed. “Haa, I don’t want to work…” She, who was working part-time as a receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild, was having the busiest day of the three, including Lyla. Of course, Lyla, who was learning magic from Mien, couldn’t be said to be relaxed, but Emily, who was working directly, was slightly different. Elle, who was also lying on the bed and looking at Lyla’s magic book, opened her mouth in an impressed tone as she looked at Emily. “…When you say that, what should I say? You seem like a really great member of society, and I’m proud of you.” “Are you making fun of me?” “No, not at all. I mean you’re great.” “Oh, really…?” She didn’t seem to be lying, so Emily inadvertently accepted Elle’s words. She lay on the bed and tossed and turned for a while, then suddenly remembered something and asked Elle. “By the way, where did Lyla go, and why are you here?” “Oh, so only my girlfriend is important, and I’m treated like leftover rice?” “N-No, that’s not it!? I was just curious…” “No, what do you mean it’s not? You slugs! I have to turn you both into escargots. Oh, my fate, why did I have to meet guys like this…” “Elysium. Escargots are not made from slugs.” “…I’m just saying. And that name is really weird. Just call me Elle.” “Oh, okay…” “And she went to meet someone. I don’t know who it is, but she said they’re a comrade.” “Um, then I roughly understand.” The only people she would call a comrade would be Eira or Zarka. Eira took a request for troll hunting during the day, so she must have gone to meet Zarka. ‘…Then she’ll be late.’ Emily thought so and gave a small bitter smile. Even she herself thought that the relationship between her and Lyla was very complicated. It was something she couldn’t have imagined in her past life. “….” Elle and Emily were lying on their respective beds, silent for a while. The silence after the conversation that would usually happen. It was Emily who broke it first. “By the way, would it be weird if Lyla and I dated?” “…According to my subjective opinion based on objective judgment, you guys are just weird. It’s not that I have a particular aversion to lesbians, but your relationship is… no, just forget what I said. Well, it could be. I can respect your tastes as much as you want.” Elle said that and rummaged through one side of the bed and picked up the magic sword Boreas. The blue sword was surrounded by a leather scabbard, but the thumb-sized blue jewel embedded in the pommel sparkled as if to prove that it was an extraordinary sword. Elle held the sword in one hand and looked at it intently before continuing. “Yeah, respect for taste. That’s important. For example, even if I declare that I’m going to masturbate with this right now, can you understand me?” “Oh, that’s right. You had that sword. I was wondering why you were here, but you were here to protect it?” “…That’s right, but did you even listen to what I said?” Elle glared at Emily, who had completely ignored her words, but then sighed and nodded. Anyway, it was true that she was staying to protect the magic sword. Elle held the magic sword for a while and looked at it here and there before opening her mouth again. “And, I don’t think it’s particularly weird.” “…Really?” “You’re like a damn dating sim protagonist, you’re only pretending to listen now.” “Oh, to answer that… honestly, I don’t think it matters.” “Really? Well, I feel the same way. I don’t really care if you two date. Lyla is cute enough, and besides…” Elle stopped talking and looked at Emily with a lewd smile. “If the contents are Seo-hyun, she’s worth fucking enough. And her appearance is also a pass. She’s a blonde with blue eyes! Oh, now that I think about it, it’s a real shame. If she was only about 2 years younger, I would have snatched her and eaten her.” “….” Through those words, Emily was able to realize that the Elle in front of her was a human being with a rather dangerous kind of taste. Of course, it was uncertain whether Elle could beat Lyla in terms of force. “Sob, now that I think about it, it’s a real shame. If I had come out 2 years earlier… blonde loli…” Since Lyla stayed in Lakers, even if Elle had come out 2 years earlier, there was almost no chance that she would have met Lyla, but Emily didn’t bother to say that fact. She chose to turn her gaze to the magic sword rather than listen to Elle’s monologue, which was full of nothing but harmful substances, let alone nutrients. She fixed her gaze on the blue sword. North Wind Sword Boreas. A weapon that controls the wind, and a magic sword that can unleash its power through a contract. Lyla hadn’t told anyone else about its identity yet. She couldn’t have said it. That’s because, while taking Elle out, they killed a knight from the Gardisha County and stole the magic sword, and also killed a griffin rider from Mesatria. Even if they were close friends, it was difficult to talk about the process. The reason why she couldn’t show the existence of the magic sword was also because of that. A magic sword is not something you can pick up on the street, and since it is a weapon made with great care by skilled blacksmiths, if Eira or Mien saw it, they would definitely be questioned. “…..” To put it bluntly, she was even anxious about Elle playing with it now. What if someone else came in and found out? It’s not like it’s openly written as a magic sword, but it’s hard to be sure that no one knows about magic swords. Thinking so, Emily opened her mouth to Elle, who was touching the blade of the magic sword. “Hey, Elle. That’s now…” “Huh? Oh, that’s right.”

El, jolted back to his senses by Emily’s words, immediately tried to put away the demon sword, but he was already too late. —Click. The closed door opened, and someone entered. “Miss Emily. About the guild’s troll hunt…” It was Mien who had opened the door. With her black, straight hair neatly tied back and her elegant face, Mien naturally scanned the room to find Emily, and in the process, she spotted the demon sword Boreas. “…Huh?” Mien stared at the demon sword for a moment with her dark eyes. Her reaction seemed to say, ‘What is that?’ But soon, her eyes were filled not with curiosity, but with astonishment. “…Miss Emily, that…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but both of them knew clearly that Mien had noticed the existence of the demon sword. In an instant, an awkward silence filled the room.