16-Episode 16: Rescue of Black Wolf and Maiden

Gosh, it's so easy to get deep in the woods.

My name is Ivan, and I'm an adventurer based in the Forest of Monsters.

This time our party has gone deeper into the forest than we've ever reached before because that rookie, or rather, rookie Lex, has done it again.

This is because that rookie, or rather rookie Lex, has done it again.

That bastard used his magic to create a path through the forest of monsters.

Not only do merchants no longer have to go around the forest to get to the nearby villages and towns, but they can also take shelter in the middle of the road to protect themselves from plant-based monsters such as trap plants and killer plants.

The benefits of this road are immeasurable, and many merchants and travelers have already begun to use this roadway.

Furthermore, the guilds and neighboring towns have paid for adventurers and built new squares for wagons to pass each other and camp in.

Thanks to this road and square, we have a bridgehead to go deeper into the forest where we couldn't go before.

Yeah, it's all kinds of Lex.

And it's amazing that it only happened in a couple of days.

I can't believe these slow-working old guild guys and their bureaucrats are moving so fast.

The guys who stayed overnight in the forest will be surprised when they come back.

I'm just wondering what those days of frantically putting up wards and wearing out your nerves were all about.

''As expected of this area, there's a lot of materials and monsters. We can hunt as much as we want since it's completely untouched!

It's not just us, the other adventurers are also engrossed in collecting materials deep in the forest, which they are entering for the first time.

The perimeter of the forest was where everyone was competing for materials, so the depths of the forest were truly a treasure trove.

"Oh, it's a madaramandragora!

There's a rat's nest in the corner!

Ouch!

Ta-da!　Take refuge in the streets and recover at once!

Oh, oh!

Even if we were to be accidentally attacked by a demon because we were absorbed in collecting it, all we had to do was flee to the city streets in a hurry, which really made our jobs easier.

"He might be able to reach the deepest part of the forest with ease.

My friends nodded in agreement with my mutterings. I don't need to check who they are referring to just to say 'that guy' anymore.

Now, while we're at it, let's get all the material around here, bastards!

""Hey!"

There's a lot of material around here, though, and I don't think we can get it all.

Even here, the forest as a whole is only a little bit deeper than the perimeter, it's a really big forest.

You're not going to be able to do that.

Ha, I've been working hard today.

After finishing my work in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, I headed to the guild's office to report back to them.

This is to report the work of burning the perimeter of the forest, making paths, and defeating ordinary monsters.

Especially for the road building job, I feel like I've earned a high reward for burning the forest in addition to the normal requests.

I burned this part of the forest today and added a new path over here," he said. Also, this is the Hex-Arm Monkey we've been asked to destroy.

After pointing to the staff's unfolded map and explaining where the path was enlarged, I submit the demon's body parts to prove the defeat.

If it's me who has a magic bag, there's no problem, but if you don't have it, it's hard to bring back parts of a demon that can't be sold, so the Adventurer's Guild will consider your request a success if you submit parts that can identify the demon.

However, I think magic bags aren't cheap, but you can usually buy them.

A mage would be able to make one himself.

Come to think of it, it was said to be a lost item or something in Togai town.

Shall I ask someone next time what that means?

Yes, I've confirmed the areas to be killed. As for today's burning of the forest and the expansion of the road, the staff will later confirm them and then add them to the next reward. Also, the reward for the other day's burning will be 24 gold coins. We will pay you together with the reward for today's request to defeat them, which is 30 silver coins.

While I was thinking, the receptionist checked the materials for defeat and prepared a reward for me.

''Thank you,''

After receiving my reward, I quickly leave the window so that I don't disturb the people behind me.

Hmmm, I worked again today.

........but I think I forgot something.......

''Oh, shit!　I forgot to ask Liliella to look at the demons we defeated!

Oh, my God!　I was hoping that by having her see the demons I defeated in the forest, she would see that I wasn't cheating!

That's why I got a request to take down the guy, but I felt a sense of accomplishment for finishing the job, so I inadvertently submitted it straight to the counter!

Ugh, we'll get another kill order tomorrow.

I can't help what I've failed to do.

Let's have something good to eat today and change our mood.

''Yes!　Meals! Meals!　Let's get some food!

And when I was depressed, Ivan and the others seemed to have finished buying the materials and were heading to the tavern counter in the guild.

''Whoa, it's Lex!　Are you getting a good deal?!

Ivan finds me right away and pats me on the back.

"Ouch!

He's a nice guy, but I wish he'd stop bang-bang patting me on the back.

'Hahaha, we're making money!　You made it happen!

Is that for me?

'Oh!　You made a path through the woods that made our job easier for us, you know!

'Haha, glad I could help you...'

'Hmm?　You look so limp. Are you worried about something?　Alright, uncle will consult with you!　First of all, food, food!

The next thing I knew, Ivan and the others were dragging me to eat with them.

Well, that's okay.

◆

Well, you still haven't got it all figured out, have you?

''Yes, I couldn't make it in the morning, so I thought I could meet you in the evening purchase time, but I accidentally submitted the demon's defeat part to the window earlier.

"Ha-ha-ha, that was careless!

It's no laughing matter!

Just think of it as a personnel matter.

"Don't worry, if you want, I'll vouch for you, little girl!

Really?

Yeah, I'm still a famous adventurer in Hexi Town. And if I vouch for you, you'll get some credit for it.

Wow!　What a good man!

I knew adventurers were so dependable!

Well, you're good to us, too!　It's not much of a stretch, you know!

Thank goodness, that should clear up Lilliera-san's misunderstanding soon.

After all, it's not nice to be misunderstood.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. It's already dark outside.

Ah, maybe we'll be spending the night in the forest. As long as we have boundaries, we can spend the night in the forest. No, we can do it in the square on the street, so we won't have to worry about that!　No, it really does come in handy, man!

The other adventurers burst out laughing as well.

Everyone is so jolly.

It's a good thing.　But the girls have been talking about going deeper into the woods for two days now, I believe.

And then an adventurer from another table spoke to us.

'Huh?　Is that so?

Yeah, I had to push myself a little deeper into the woods, and I found Zenso grass. I was talking to my friends about it and they said it was worth the effort to go deep into the forest, when the little girl asked me where I had found it.

Well, you've found a very rare herb, haven't you?

Zenso grass is a medicinal herb that can be used as an ingredient for difficult medicines, as I recall.

What kind of ailments was it used to make medicine for?

I didn't expect to see a road through the forest the day after we returned from our desperate day in the woods.

No, that was a surprise!　We came back today to see if we could go into the woods, and we found a path that leads deep into the woods!　Hahahaha.

Apparently, these people were exploring just before I made my way into the forest.

''So you're still in the forest then, Liliella-san?''

No, it's time to come back or we're in trouble. There's a limit to the amount of luggage you can carry while fighting demons in that forest, and more importantly, in deeper places, there are demons that will ignore the wards and attack you. The demons were pretty strong around the area where we got the zengso grass, we even went back to the area where the demons were weaker just in case and camped out before coming back.

Wow, I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this.

'How far from town did you find the medicinal herbs?'

You're in the woods, about two and a half days northeast.

We're not even close to the main road in that area. We're too far away to accidentally hit the road.

Ivan pulled out a map and pointed to where Liliella and the others would be.

Is the line on the map the road I made?

What should we do?　Perhaps you should go and look for it?

No, it's dark outside. If they are on their way back, the worst thing that could happen is that they will pass each other and we will be in trouble. Don't underestimate the size of the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

"In the Forest of Monsters, everything around you is hostile. Unlike a normal forest, the level of danger at night will increase by an order of magnitude.

And you're a B-ranked adventurer. You're not going to do anything reckless, and even if it kills you, that's what an adventurer is prepared to do.

Ivan and the others have stopped me from going into the forest at night.

'It's only an inexperienced person who does something reckless. Think about your own safety first.

Hmmm, that hurts my ears. Is this the mindset of a top-notch adventurer?

''........I understand. If Liliera-san doesn't come back, I won't move until morning.

That's right, Liliela-san is a B-ranked adventurer too.

And she's been an adventurer longer than I have, so I'm sure she wouldn't do anything rash.

I'll trust her for now.

Yeah, that's right. Well, if things go wrong, we'll join in the search.　....for a fee!

'You're paying for it!　Sequoia!

"f*ck!　We're professional adventurers.　You'll be licked if you look so sweet!

Ivan is making fun of everyone for the evil things he says.

But he offers to help us search for him, so people are actually concerned about him.

They are good people, after all.

But then suddenly the guild door is slammed open and everyone inside turns their attention to the entrance.

The ones who enter are adventurers dressed in rags.

They are all bleeding and their equipment is bright red.

Are you okay!

The adventurers nearby immediately moved in and cast a recovery spell or removed their equipment to help them breathe easier.

The guild staff also came out and began to check the situation while everyone was healing the injured adventurers.

''What happened!''

''When we were camping in the forest with a ward, we were attacked by a pack of blade wolves...''

A blade wolf?　That's a grade A demon!

The adventurers are tense.

Blade Wolf, as I recall, is the name of a demon with a blade-shaped bone sticking out of its body, and it attacks people by tearing them apart.

Those bones were as hard as a real sword, and must have been extremely dangerous if attacked by a group of people.

''Where did it come from?

A day's drive from the woods. We were camping out in the woods for a day or so when we were attacked...

A day's worth of distance?　There's never been a blade wolf in that area before!

They must have come from deep in the woods.

Yes, and not only that, but there was a black blade wolf that I've never seen before.

Black blade wolf?

Aye, that one commands the bladewolf.

A black blade wolf, but what kind of demon is that?

'Probably a mutant. Mutants have a different behavioral pattern than normal demons.

''But if it's a mutant, it's probably an A-ranked demon with a high rank. At worst, it could be an S-rank equivalent!

We may be asked to take it out specially.

What's a special takedown request?

Nodding my head at an unfamiliar word, I ask Ivan-san a question.

I'm sure you're aware of the fact that the guild issues a top priority request for a special kill request when a monster appears that is so dangerous that the town will be damaged or the adventurers will not be able to work in the area if they don't rush to kill it.

Heh, I didn't know there was such a thing.

I'm not going to be able to get any more requests than that. That's how high a priority the request is.

That's right!

At that moment, a dignified voice was uttered that echoed throughout the guild.

It was the assistant guild leader, Milisha-san.

''As of now, I am issuing a special request for a special defeat. It consists of two items: the defeat of a pack of blade wolves and a black blade wolf. And until they are defeated, we will be guarding the streets of the Forest of Demonic Beasts!

Milisha-san's declaration caused a buzz in the guild.

''Issuing a request at this time of day isn't very sedate.

The other adventurers nodded at Ivan's words.

''Normally, we would gather the executives and issue a special request for a special strike down as a result of the meeting the next day or later. However, this time it was in the vicinity of a road that has just begun to open. Considering the urgency of the situation, we received an immediate decision from the guild leader.

"I see, if the newly opened road is rendered unusable by an A-ranked monster, all the money we've made will be wiped out. If that's the case, it's better to defeat them, even if it means risking our lives.

Is that how it works?

Since nighttime activities are dangerous, I think it's better to just guard the roadway at night.

If the merchants camping on the road were to be attacked by a pack of blade wolves, the number of merchants using the road would decrease because this road would still be dangerous. That's why I want to defeat the demon responsible for this as soon as possible. The bottom line is that we want to build a reputation for the safety of this road.

''This request will reward 150 gold coins for each blade wolf, and 600 gold coins to the one who kills the black blade wolf that is a mutant!

Oh, not bad!　One and a half times the usual purchase price!

'Really?　The purchase price of a B-rated Evil Boa is higher, though.

'No, the size of a blade wolf is the size of a normal wolf. They're strong enough to be strong, but if you want to take down one of them, it's easier than an Evil Boar. It's just that there are so many of them in a pack. It's just that there are so many of them that it's hard to take them all out. The purchase price of the Evil Boa is not that high, right?

Okay, so the numbers are different.

But the Evil Boar works in packs of a few animals too, right?

'How big of a pack are the Blade Wolves?'

That's right, roughly 50 or so. It's not only that, but also the number of B-rank worthy demons is that many. It's a good idea to mobilize all the adventurers in the guild to hunt them down at once.

Wow, they're about 10 times as many as the Evil Boa.

I'm expecting to encounter them in a swarm, so they must be A-ranked demons.

That's definitely a troublesome opponent.

'And how strong the mutants are is also a problem. The strength of the mutants varies from individual to individual, so past information isn't of much use.

Indeed, even if the mutant demons look the same, their abilities change significantly.

Moreover, they are almost certainly stronger than normal demons, so their nature is bad.

''Then why don't we wait for the demons to come out while escorting them to the square on the street?

'No, it would be better to repeat the exploration spell and look for it at a distance where you won't lose sight of the street. The rewards are higher than usual.

So why don't you join us?　We've got some probing magic users over here, too.

The adventurers begin to have a strategy meeting right away.

Well, what about us? We just finished a job, you know.

In the midst of all this, Ivan and the others didn't seem to be interested in the special defeat request.

''Huh?　Ivan and the others aren't going?

Yeah, we're all tired from the job we just finished. As far as I'm concerned, as long as the reward is good, nothing good will come of it even if you get greedy. Besides, it doesn't necessarily mean we'll be defeated right away. It's not too late to get a good night's rest today and start working tomorrow.

I see, as expected of you, Ivan.

He understands their current situation well without being carried away by the air around him.

If you look closely, there are several other parties that are eating their meals in no hurry.

I'm sure they must be of the same mind as Ivan and the others.

''I've worked today too, I'll think about it tomorrow.

That's when I heard the adventurer who was being treated mutter some words to the guild staff.

'Please, save Liliella. She's still in the forest.

Liliella?

I was surprised and headed down to the adventurer.

What's wrong with you, Liliella?

Rieliela used me as bait to escape from an injured blade wolf that had suddenly appeared and attacked her.

My God. I didn't think Liliella had escaped.

'But hey, considering the time of your return, that was two days ago, right?　It's too late to do anything about it.

But with the warding stones, there's a chance he could have survived...

'No, you ignored the monk's wards and attacked me, didn't you?　If that's the case, wouldn't it be useless to put up wards?

The adventurers talk about how Liliella's safety is probably hopeless.

Oh no, we haven't even cleared up the misunderstanding yet....

I have to go help!

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You can't go into the woods now!

Ivan grabs me by the shoulders and stops me.

'But we have to hurry, Liliella!

But that doesn't mean I'm going in alone!　How big of a forest do you think it is!

'But I don't have a party crew and...'

Then Ivan smiles at me.

'We're here!

What?

Hey! You heard the man!　Liliera's little girl is left behind in the woods with her friends.　That's why, from now on, those who go into the forest, when you find your little girl, protect her!

Hey!

I'm on it!

All right, we'll be there.

Yeah.

When Ivan-san called out to them, not only the adventurers who were about to head out to defeat them, but also the adventurers who had been watching the situation started to stand up.

''Everyone........''

Well, we're all friends in this world, aren't we? In times of trouble, we are all in each other's company.

'And it's a good time to make money!　I don't care if I have to find the girl while I'm at it!

It's not cute when you're old and naughty!

Shut up!

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

I was almost in tears as the adventurers took up their weapons and began to check their equipment.

It was like the story of the adventurers in the story itself, and I couldn't help but get teary-eyed.

You can't help but be amazed at what you can see. You guys use magic potions to restore your magic power!

'Oh, that was really bad.

Don't be extravagant!

Ivan's fellow wizards had no choice but to take out the magic potion from their luggage and drink it down.

''Oh, it's disgusting!''

All right, let's go, boys!　Lex is coming with us!

Yes!

Wait for me, Liliella!

You're not going to be able to do that.

'We'll go straight through the forest from here. Don't forget to leave the luminescent stones so we don't forget the path.

We followed the road to the middle of the road and entered the forest from there.

The luminescent stone that Ivan mentioned is a stone that glows for a while when you put magic power into it.

It is said to be used to search for unexplored ruins, but this is the first time I've actually seen it used in action.

'Straight through!　Ignore all but the demons that stand in the way!

Yes!

We start running under Ivan's command.

We don't use torches when we move.

This is because there is a danger of losing our light if we are attacked by a demon.

Instead, the wizard cast a light spell on everyone's weapons and shields.

This way, they won't be able to block their hands with torches.

''Grrrrrrrr!''

You can hear the screams of the beast.

A bladed wolf?

No, that was an augur-bear scream!

With the words of the party's bandit, two Ogre Bears show up.

''Geez!　A mate!　They are a tireless workhorse of physical strength. And their pelts are so thick that even a battle-axe couldn't do a scratch on them!　And if it's a mating pair, they'll be attacking you at will, seeking sustenance in order to have a baby!　I don't have time to deal with them properly, just use your magic to blind them!

Okay.

No, we're running out of time.

What?

When I activated my body strengthening magic, I jumped into the middle of the aug auger bears' mates at once.

Apparently they didn't expect me to jump into the middle of them, and the augmented bears stop moving in confusion.

''Hah!''

I cast a spell on my sword, spinning it around in a circle and swinging it.

''Vacuum Blade!''

A vacuum is created around the sword, and the air around it drags the huge bodies of the Ogre Bears as if it were dragging them, and they are drawn to the sword as if they were sucked into it.

''Hah!''

I cut off the augerbears approaching from the left and right horizontally, spinning them around.

The vacuum fault lines on the swords easily cut through the body of the auger bears.

I'm not going to be the only one who can do this.

''It's done!　Let's go!

Oh, boy.

I led the way and resumed my search for Liliera.

"We don't need us if they're here, do we?

For some reason, everyone is nodding yes and no.

No, no, not at all, folks.