episode_0046

‘…is that just the end?’

Her offer was as sudden as her appearance, and the terms were too generous. I was lost in thought for a moment.

The monster we had to hunt down was the monster we had failed to capture even though two mercenaries and dozens of mercenaries had come forward.

It wouldn’t hurt if I could get at least one more help.

With her red hair tied back and a fierce smile on her face, she looked like a female warrior with outstanding skills even at a glance.

Strong arms that lightly lift a heavy axe, a muscular body peeking through the wolf skin wrapped around the body, and blue tattoos engraved on it.

Words and actions that reveal genuine pride in one’s own abilities, rather than acting or bravado.

In the first place, just by wandering alone in a dangerous land with war clouds in the air, I, who had to go through countless battles to rise to the level of a gold-level adventurer, at least did not seem like a frog in a well who did not know my own skills and showed unnecessary confidence.

“…Master, what are you going to do?”

“Master, even to me, that woman doesn’t seem particularly foolish… The question is whether she can be trusted…”

“…I’ll talk more first and then decide.”

“Now… please wait a moment! Are you serious?!”

When I answered what Luvia and Emma were whispering to me, the mercenary I brought in to give directions asked without being able to hide his embarrassment.

“Yes, I’m serious. If you’re that scared of that monster, don’t you think you need a little more help?

“Well… But how can you say you trust them?”

“..I’m afraid you might become useless?”

Judging by the way he gasped in surprise at those words, it seemed like that was probably the reason for his opposition.

No matter how good his memory is, his advantage as a guide will not compare to those who live their whole lives on this earth.

“Even if I no longer need directions, I won’t abandon you, so don’t worry.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you…”

After coaxing the guide into silence, I asked the red-haired female warrior who was waiting for our answer.

“…What is your name, who makes such an unconventional suggestion?”

“I’m sorry, but we have a custom of not revealing our names to strangers. Imperial.

Instead, I won’t ask you and my group’s names, so for now, you can just call me whatever you feel comfortable with.

In any case, actions are more important than names when it comes to gaining trust.”

“Jeong In that case, I will just call him a warrior for now.

Warrior, the first question is why do you want to go hunting with strangers, as you say?

Why don’t you move with your comrades, with members of your tribe?”

“If you suspect something like a trap, there is no such thing.

It’s true that there was a war with you in the past, but it was the same with other tribes. Because I don’t really hold a grudge.

It’s just that right now, there aren’t many people in the tribe who are skilled enough to please me to go on this dangerous hunt together…

Above all, it is because I received an oracle to do so.”

“A trust?”

“Yes, the druid of my tribe gave me an oracle telling me that if I was going to hunt that monster, I should do it this way.

Leave the tribe alone, meet a stranger not born in this land, and go hunting together.

Now that I see you wearing gold around your neck, I guess he was right.

It is said that these people are the best warriors among the empire’s adventurers, and that would be enough to fight together against a dangerous enemy.”

It seems that she was evaluating me as carefully as I was evaluating her.

No matter how much you believe in the oracle, there may be some parts where you can only be reassured if you see it with your own eyes.

First of all, assuming that the unknown female warrior’s words were true, the oracle was a persuasive motive that explained her sudden desire to be with us, whom she had never seen before.

In a world where the power of beings called gods affects reality, this is especially true in a situation where you go to catch a monster that was created by a curse from a god.

However, just because the words were persuasive, they did not immediately become the truth, so I threw out the question I had been wondering before.

“Is the child hiding behind the tree also part of the oracle?”

There was a girl who flinched in surprise at my words and then stuck out one head to look at me. Just like a female warrior, she also had blue patterns shining on her body.

However, unlike the surprised child, the female warrior calmly shrugged her shoulders and answered.

“This kid? I was just catching one wandering alone in the forest and protecting it. I don’t know who it was as it wasn’t from the same tribe.

They didn’t tell me much either. They said he was a druid, but he was too young for that, so I thought he was probably an apprentice.

It’s not that I hid it, it’s just that I was scared and hid it when an imperialist approached, so I didn’t bother to call it out.

Still, it’s good that I was able to see how good your spear skills as well as your sharp eyes are.”

“Hmm…”

“But you didn’t think that kid was particularly a threat, right? Otherwise, I would have pointed that spear and asked.”

Seeing my slightly suspicious expression, the unknown warrior said, pointing out that I had not even put my hand on the spear.

“Ha… Well, that’s a correct inference. Still, I think it would be good to be able to check everything in person in the future.

From personal experience, it is from such trivial things that distrust arises and relationships become creaky.”

“Uhm… I did it like I did in the tribe… Was it rude? If you, the Empire, wish to do so, you will definitely do so from now on.”

“So you just want to prevent the monster from running rampant and causing more damage?”

“Okay. Not only is the monster itself very dangerous, but I heard that there are some people who think that the rabbit’s rampage is some kind of revelation and are preparing for war.

Our tribe has always been skeptical about war, so if the situation intensifies, there is a high possibility that we will become internal enemies.”

“…I asked you to be honest, so I’ll be honest too.

First of all, I’m a little suspicious that their situations fit together so seamlessly… but at the same time, it makes the proposition a bit more attractive.

On the contrary, it may be an oracle since it matches so exquisitely. I think I can trust what you say, at least enough to accompany me. But…”

“Is there anything else you want to ask me?”

As I trailed off, the red-haired female warrior changed her body posture and asked, as if telling me to speak quickly.

“If you join me in the hunt, what help can you give me?”

Putting aside whether she is simply trying to help me or whether she has something else up her sleeve, the question is what specific help she can give me.

“First of all, I have my axe.”

Grinning as if she had been waiting for me to ask her that, she adjusted her ax and answered.

“…Confidence is one thing worth noting.”

Looking at her like that, Emma muttered quietly.

“So what can I break down?”

“Choose whatever you want.”

Watching her hands tighten on the ax at my words, I watched carefully to see what would happen next.

Even if you can figure out your skills to some extent on the surface, it is ultimately just a guess that is likely to be correct.

Because I wasn’t able to see the skill with my own eyes.

“Wha!”

She jumps high with enthusiasm, and along with her, the ax also rises high and then quickly falls again.

Her muscles, revealed through the fluttering cloak made of wolf skin, swell one by one as if they are about to explode, sending strength to her arms and both hands.

And the blue tattoos shining on her body amplify that power at the last moment.

The immense power that climbed through the handle of the ax and onto the blade tore through the air and slammed into the ground.

At that moment, Emma, who felt not only a loud noise but also a small tremor in the ground, stiffened her body, and I, too, was surprised by the impact I felt from this distance and was amazed as I looked at the ax blade that had penetrated the ground and was deeply embedded.

The female warrior, who had skillfully pulled out the deeply embedded ax blade, looked back at me and smiled, as if asking if this was enough.

“Of all the warriors I have met in this land so far, you seem to be the most outstanding.”

“That’s a happy story. Because it reduces the effort of having to go to other tribes one by one to check it.”

“Is there anything else I can give you?”

“There is more I can give you than my axe…but if I’m going to give you that, there’s something I want to check.”

I nodded at her words with some strange anticipation and immediately raised the window.

The guide who was standing next to me was scared for a moment, and while Luvia sighed and held on to him, I twisted my body once and threw the spear with all my might.

The female warrior’s eyes widen for a moment when she sees the power in that spear.

The spear that flew out with the sound of a blow was deeply embedded in the ground, leaving a mark right next to the mark where the ax blade cut into the ground.

“Hahaha! This is more than enough for us to hunt together! good! I have no choice but to give the rest right away.”

Instead of being frightened by the spear that passed right next to her, she smiled in satisfaction and continued speaking as she placed the ax on her shoulder.

And immediately, he put his hand inside the wolf’s skin, carefully grasped something, and slowly pulled it out.

My eyes widen for a moment when I see that object.

“Perhaps with that-”

“That’s right. With this, we will catch that monster. What could be better than this to catch the rabbit monster?”

I had no choice but to agree with that fact.