Chapter 42: Attack of the Worm

All things considered, the Commoner’s status gain is seriously bad.

Even though I gained more than 30 levels, the status growth rate only feels slightly more than when I reached Lv30 from Lv20. Well, I did reach Lv70 so I am modestly stronger but I guess it’s the limit of a Commoner.

I assigned my jobs in a balanced fashion with Jobless, Swordsman, Apprentice Practitioner, Magician, and Pugilist.

Within the casino, we could exchange food and bento in addition to items in exchange for medals so we used a fraction of the medals to get dinner before we headed toward the labyrinth.

The Baron’s house eldest son, Oregeru’s smell indicated that he went to the east and have not returned but it didn’t seem like he was close by.

However, because a west wind was blowing at the moment and we were upwind, we couldn’t grasp his exact location.

Well, if we enter the labyrinth, even if Oregeru is in the labyrinth as well, there are plenty of places to hide so we most likely won’t encounter him. I thought so as we headed east but,

“Oh my god, monsters are heading toward the town!”

“It’s a herd of wool worms! The wall’s going to be breached, call the guards! Those who can fight, head to the east!”

A monster herd!?

Haru and I looked at each other and nodded before we ran toward the east.

Along the way, we passed by what looked like the stairs indicating the entrance to the labyrinth but we passed by that and climbed up the ladder on the stone wall.

There I saw several hundred worms the size of medium-sized dogs.

Then, those caterpillars spat out threads and were creating paths to climb up the wall.

Multiple adventurers and soldier-like men were fighting but the situation didn’t look good.

Adventurers were atop the wall as well, piercing and defeating the caterpillars that climbed up but if this continued, the monsters would definitely pour into the town.

Without hesitating, I leaped off the top of the wall and “「Slash」”, sent out 「Slash」 using my knife hand toward 2 of the caterpillars spitting out thread.

The caterpillar heads burst and green mucous splashed onto the surroundings.

Seeing an adventurer surrounded by caterpillars, I sent a 「Petite Fire」 toward those caterpillars and unsheathed my steel sword hanging on my waist. I do possess the skill for dual-wielding but I felt that it was easier to fight with a single sword.

Glancing at Haru, she was not only dextrously manipulating both the Fang of the Fire Dragon and the short sword, she was also making use of the special ability of the Fang of the Fire Dragon to create flames using physical attack power, releasing balls of flames to distant places with caterpillars that were far enough from the forest such that it won’t catch the forest on fire.

It looks like an amazing ability to judge as well as technique is required to use magic while wielding swords.

Maybe I’ll stick to defeating them one by one.

I defeated a portion of the caterpillars surrounding the adventurer with 「Petite Fire」 but there was still a large number of them.

For now, I went toward the encirclement of caterpillars and used 「Rotational Slash」. Using a low angled sweep of 「Rotational Slash」, the caterpillars belched out green bodily fluids and collapsed. Those fluids stuck onto my face as well so, to be honest, I was in a mental state of wanting to enter a bath immediately.

“Ma, young master.”

The adventurer I saved called out. Looking closely, isn’t he one of the adventurers who wanted to steal the brown bears from us? His feet was wounded though … (TL: From his rotational slash lol.)

” … My help harmed you.”

I honestly muttered.

“That’s not true, young master! Either way, with young master here, it’s like we have the strength of a 100 men!”

“Leaving that aside, what’s the reason for this?”

As I slashed at the surrounding wool worms, I asked about what was happening.

“I don’t know, the herd of wool worms suddenly attacked. We were on our way to the labyrinth but … wool worms are monsters that spit out yarn-like thread, they generally do not leave their nests and don’t attack people, people gather old nests and use them as a replacement for wool.”

I see, so that’s why they’re called wool worms huh.

“Then, you don’t know the reason why … 「Petite Stone」 … the wool worms suddenly went on a rampage?”

I hit the wool worms climbing up the wall with gravel made by earth magic as I spoke.

Adventurers and soldiers were gathering on top of the wall so it no longer looked like the wall would be breached.

The moment I thought so, the wool worms movement stopped and they all fled toward the forests at once.

Did they realize that they couldn’t win?

【Ichinojo Level up】

【Apprentice Practitioner skill: 「Healing Magic」 obtained】

【Pugilist skill: 「Fist Attack」has skilled up to 「Fist Attack II」】

Oh, I learned healing magic. Apprentice Practitioner Lv7 huh.

The magic I acquired is 「Petite Heal」 … hmm, maybe I’ll give it a try.

“Hey, don’t move.”

I sheathed my sword and approached the man with the injured leg.

“「Petite Heal」 !”

I chanted the spell.

When I did so, a pale light was emitted from my hands.

When that pale light touched the wound, the wound slowly sealed and 10 seconds later, the injury was completely gone.

「Petite Heal」 can’t be used on people away from me, the healing was quicker than potions but it was not instantaneous, and I can’t do area healing … huh.

【Ichinojo Level up】

Oops, that should be for Apprentice Practitioner. Lv8 huh.

“Ama, amazing, it’s the first time I’ve experience healing magic, so it is capable of showing effect so quickly huh … wait, leaving that aside, young master, you can use healing magic!? Don’t tell me, you’re a noble-sama!?”

“There’s no way I’m a noble … rather, why did you link the use of healing magic with nobles?”

“Young master, you don’t know? There are a lot of people among nobles who can use healing magic.”

I had no idea of such a thing.

Well, nobles are wealthy so they can raise their Commoner level by changing job to Commoner and pay taxes, becoming Apprentice Practitioners. Wait, if a large sum of money is required to be treated using said healing magic, then the gap between the rich and the poor would widen even further.

A disparate society is scary.

Speaking of nobles, that Oregeru most likely went to the labyrinth after all.

Since we didn’t pass him by when we were on our way here.

“Master, are you alright?”

“Yeah, Haru?”

“Thanks to the wind brooch master gave me, I don’t even have a single scratch.”

“I see …”

But, Haru’s hair was quite dirty.

I’ve got to quickly wipe it off.

“Hey, there are buckets used to store water on the wall right! Please lend me 1! I’ll prepare the water myself so just throw me the bucket.”

I asked of the adventurers on the wall for the wooden buckets most likely prepared for fires.

The adventurer immediately replied and threw a bucket over.

“「Petite Water」”

I sent a mass of water flying directly above.

The mass of water flew out with great force but could not defy gravity and came falling down.

“「Petite Fire」”

The water crashed into the flames.

Even though it’s high-temperature flames, it was just for an instant. Without turning the water into steam, the water fell down.

【Ichinojo Level up】

【Magician skill: 「Wind Magic」has skilled up to 「Wind Magic II」】

Oh, it’s lucky that my level went up. Looks like I learnt 「Wind」 magic.

Then, the water fell into the bucket. Though, half of it was spilled.

“I’ve warmed it slightly but it should be better than just water … Haru here, towel. Wipe your hair, face and wherever it feels disgusting. I’ll wipe myself also.”

“Thank you, master.”

We wiped the sticky green goo off ourselves with the towels.

We’ll have to properly maintain our armour and swords later too.

“Young master, can I have it too?”

“You will have to wait until the end.”

“I’m fine with being last. Thank you.”

As we were wiping the green fluids off ourselves, the adventurers descended from the wall and began recovering the defeated wool worms.

Unlike regular dismantling, you need to remove the thread from wool worms when dismantling them. That work is customarily done by the Textile Guild.

In addition to the money from selling the wool worms, it seems like the town would give out rewards as well. We received an explanation that it will be divided among the people who participated in the battle. In particular, the 10 people who dropped down to fight, including me and Haru, will be generously paid.

Normally, for large-scale party combat like these, non-adventurers like me would not receive the reward for exterminating the monsters and my reward would only be to wholesale the monsters that I hunted myself but, because I’m in a party together with Haru, she received my part of the rewards. Looks like the painful system called Jobless is still going strong.

Well, in these kind of situations, people apart from adventurers and soldiers seldom fight with the monsters so there’s most likely not been much discontent and grumbling.

When I explained that I wasn’t an adventurer, the man beside me oddly said “Eh, young master is not an adventurer? You’re a noble in incognito after all.” but I ignored him.

“Putting all things aside, I wonder why did the monsters attack …”

When I muttered so, I thought of something unlikely.

“Haru! Can you detect Carol’s smell?”

” … Yes!”

Don’t tell me, Carol was brought into the labyrinth!?

If that happened, the instant she entered the labyrinth, her Temptress skill would be triggered and her monster-attracting pheromones would be released from her body. The monsters approached due to the smell … such a thing is not impossible right?

Then, the monsters left when Carol left the labyrinth, or that she entered deep enough such that the smell doesn’t leak out anymore.

If it’s the latter, then the same thing would happen once again when Carol’s on her way out of the labyrinth.

Author’s note:

This novel’s points have exceeded my first work, “Otherworld journey with cheat codes that made me stronkkkk”, becoming my highest-rated work.

I am truly thankful to you all who bookmarked and evaluated. The comments and reviews are very encouraging as well. (TL: Same here~! ???? Thanks for all the comments and support!! =D)

I’ll be in your care from here on out as well.