episode_0054

Rubia walked around for a moment, smelled blood, and said that the rabbit we were hunting didn’t seem to have gone very far.

“…Well, looking at what they’ve shown so far, it didn’t seem like they would just end up running away from us.”

Rather, it was more likely that she would attack us again in order to make sure she repaid the humiliation she suffered from us today.

Even so, it was too risky to have to stay alert and wait in a situation where you didn’t know when she would attack.

In the end, it would have been us who got tired first.

As such, it was encouraging that we were able to continue to locate and pursue her, and that we were still able to actively hunt.

“You did really well. Rubia.”

It was a natural step to praise Rubia, who made it possible.

She seemed quite displeased at having to keep chasing the scent of rabbit blood, but her expression brightened a little at my praise.

“Then are you going to leave right away?”

“Uh, I think we just need to check Emma’s condition and move right away.”

“I understand. Then I will be waiting. Imperial people.”

I nodded to the female warrior’s words and walked forward, and soon I could see the young druid stretching out his hand to the legs of Emma, who was lying down in the form of a half-man, half-horse, and muttering a spell.

When I saw Emma’s expression, which had been gritting her teeth and enduring the pain, gradually relax, I expressed my gratitude to the young druid.

“Thank you.”

She was surprised for a moment, as if she hadn’t noticed my presence, but even though she couldn’t understand what I was saying, she understood that I was expressing gratitude, so she nodded slightly in response and concentrated on the treatment again.

“Owner… Are you going to keep chasing that rabbit in the future?”

As soon as Emma, whose condition had improved somewhat, saw me, she asked me what I was planning to do next.

“Uh, Luvia said you can trace it through her blood.

However, from now on, caution will be more important than speed, so I don’t plan on pushing you too hard again, Emma.

It’s like we already owed you our lives several times in that forest earlier.”

“Of course it was something I had to do. master.

And if that decision is what the owner thinks is best, I will follow it…

If you’re just doing it out of consideration for me, then I’m really fine with it now, so please order me to lend you my leg again at any time.

Epona gave me this body for that purpose.”

I didn’t want to say that, but I already knew Emma’s stubbornness, so I had no choice but to nod.

Fortunately, Emma was healed to the point where there was no major problem in getting up and walking again right away, so she slowly stood up with the young druid who had healed her on her back.

“Doesn’t the owner ride?”

“No. If I’m going to move slowly anyway, it would be better for me to walk.”

Besides, if you do this, you won’t have to worry about protecting that child separately like before. Please protect me.”

“Of course. It’s a pity that the owner doesn’t ride… but I definitely received a lot of help from her.”

Emma turned her head and made eye contact with the young druid and smiled slightly, and for the first time since they met, the girl also smiled.

When they came back, Luvia and the female warrior were already ready to move.

…and the guide we brought with us.

He looked pale, as if he was afraid that the Druid girl would run away because of the story he had told and that he would be held responsible for the chain of events that occurred as a result.

“…I didn’t say anything to that man.

Since this is the person you, the Empire, brought here, I think it would be right for you to decide what to do yourself.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

After leaving those words and standing in front of him, he trembled and stammered before opening his mouth again.

“…I… I really… never imagined that this… would happen like this. I just… really wondered what that kid was up to…”

Despite his words, Luvia and Emma standing next to me looked quite upset because of the danger his words had posed to me and them.

His face, which was already white, lost even more color when he met their cold gaze.

Moreover, since he had already arrived at his destination, found a rabbit, and had also been joined by local people who knew the geography of the forest better, his usefulness as a guide was practically exhausted.

“…I know that, so I won’t hold you responsible for this incident. I understand why you were scared.

But this will have to be the last time. The hunt is almost over. We can’t allow any more doubts or disruptions.

From now on, please obey my orders calmly. If you do that, I will give you the reward I promised.”

“Yes…yes! Thank you so much!”

He hurriedly bowed his head and expressed his gratitude, then left, saying he would help prepare for departure.

“Master, are you really planning to just end this?

I don’t have any intention of killing him, but I doubt if he will cause any more trouble if I keep taking him with me…

Wouldn’t it be better to just tell them to hide around here and leave?”

Luvia, who saw that, spoke as if she was somewhat uncomfortable, and Emma also remained silent but had a similar expression.

“I also thought of that method…

Then, I thought that if I was alone again, I might panic and try to run away.

I think it would be better to just keep taking him with me for now. I won’t cause any more accidents than this.”

“If the owner thinks so… I have no intention of offering a different opinion.

So now I just have to chase that rabbit?”

“Yes, please. Rubia.”

She smiled briefly at my words and immediately took the lead and started walking through the forest.

Following the scent of blood left by the prey.

——

How long has it been?

After wandering around in the forest for a while, we were finally able to see a change in scenery.

Although it was not a change that could be perceived very positively from a general perspective.

We found a clearing with a few rocks and a large cave beyond that clearing, and we could see bodies and bones lying all over the place.

Many of them were residents of this land, judging by their clothing and weapons.

‘I guessed it from when Luvia said that the smell of other blood was starting to mix, but…’

“Is this the place where you and the dragon soldiers fought against the tribes of this land?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Now that we have received confirmation from the guide, it has become clear that the cave we are looking at is the place where the cursed rabbit was sealed for a long time.

The question was why she came here even though she was being chased.

“Do you think that rabbit is still in that cave, Rubia?”

“There are certainly traces left nearby recently…

I can’t tell for sure whether the smells of the bodies scattered around have all mixed together and come in and out. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I had to check it at least once anyway.”

I turned to everyone and checked their readiness one more time.

A female warrior putting her ax back on her shoulder, Rubia and Emma preparing for battle next to me, a druid girl clinging to Emma’s back, and a guide looking at the cave with an anxious expression next to her.

‘I don’t know if the rabbit is in there or not…

There’s no need to do something needlessly reckless. What is the safest way to get in?’

First of all, with my current power, I could definitely overwhelm the rabbit monster.

Because there were four warriors, including me, who could deal with her one-on-one.

However, that was only when I confronted her head-on in an open area.

If we had to fight her in a cave with all four sides blocked, and we had no idea what the terrain was like inside, and she had spent hundreds of years inside it, we couldn’t know what variables would come into play.

A suddenly narrow road or a surprise attack from a hiding place in a cave.

Those things could have turned the outcome of the fight in the hands of a warrior with her level of skill.

Of course, we didn’t fall victim easily, but it was true that if we acted hastily, we could suffer great damage.

Moreover, since the sound was amplified inside the cave, there were restrictions on using the female warrior’s horn.

Originally, if there was a huge explosion, we could have suffered damage.

After thinking deeply for a while, I proposed a formation with Luvia and I in the front, Emma, the druid girl, and the guide in the middle, and a female warrior following behind them.

The female warrior looked somewhat dissatisfied, but was eventually convinced.

The rabbit might attack from somewhere in the cave, so to protect the young druid as much as possible, it was right for us to surround Emma, who was carrying her.

It was obvious that in order to find the enemy in the cave, Luvia, who could see even in the dark, had to take the lead.

So we made a torch and entered the dark cave.

I moved around carefully and without letting down my guard for a while, but nothing special came out.

While Rubia was confused by the new and old blood scents that filled the cave, we had to wonder if the prey we were chasing was no longer in the cave.

Of course, at least this visit was not fruitless.

At one point we noticed that the cave had become brighter, and we soon realized that this was because the light from the torches was reflected by the numerous armors and weapons of all kinds lying on the floor.

“What is all this?”

“…It’s a trophy. Was this why he recently visited this cave that had been sealed for a long time?”

Whenever the cursed rabbit was released and fought, the weapons that belonged to the enemies she killed and the evidence of her victory were carefully stored in her prison.

Over hundreds of years.

‘But there are still more weapons in good condition than expected…

Is this all from recent battles? Or… has the prison that imprisoned her for so long also degenerated into some kind of bizarre space?’

If the latter is the case, staying in this cave for a long time may not be a good choice.

We had to finish the search and leave as quickly as possible.

Despite that decision, the armor that came into view when I turned my head was such an outstanding item that it took up my time for a moment.

It is questionable whether dwarven craftsmen could make the same scale armor, perfectly connected without even a single gap.

However, more than its sophistication and beauty, what caught my attention was that I knew what the armor was and who it belonged to.

“…Dragon soldier’s armor?”

At least some of this new-looking loot did indeed appear to have been recently captured.

‘The guide said he didn’t know what happened to those two after they ran away… Did they end up dead?’

It would be difficult to say it was regrettable.

Because they were one of the strongest subordinates of my enemy, Katenis.

However, since they only faithfully followed Catenis’ orders according to their nature and did not say or do anything that would be despised in themselves, they did not feel any particular joy.

I just stay silent for a moment and then reach out to pick it up.

“…Do not touch…”

And he stops reaching out at the words he hears.

The sound of words coming from the quiet cave, no matter how small, was hard to miss, so I immediately raised the torch and carefully aimed my spear.

Finding the source of the voice that broke the silence.

And soon, under the light I used, a mercenary soldier appeared and glared at me.

He was lying on the floor of the cave with no clothes on, breathing hard and bleeding from wounds all over his body, but his eyes were still sharp.

At least until I pass out again.

In order to quickly treat her, I called the rest of the group in a loud voice.

There were still quite a few things I needed to hear from her.