Chapter 46: Aim To Live

『In such a forest, one can only hunt down the beasts that flee. Set a trap. Drive with a bow and arrow or a spear. But other than that…… to chase and catch them myself…. such means exist.』

As for the speed of the beast and those with small bodies, they avoid the trees with agile movement and disappear into the depths of the forest without suffering from the obstacles at their feet.

Isn’t it impossible to catch up with a beast in the forest?

『So. Available footings are unstable with obstacles aplenty. Then what are you to do? Search for the path of light.』

The path of Light?

『The shortest route to the destination or goal. Tis an application of dynamic vision and peripheral vision, which until now has only been active in sparring and speed reading. The ability to detect the shortest route to the goal while avoiding obstacles, by measuring ‘your own physical ability, passiveness, foothold situation and risk assessment, using experience, prediction and the ability to observe and understand surrounding conditions. The skilled person sees the situation in an instant while running, and the shortest route in which to advance to the target appears as a path of light…. A Shining Road…… such is the phenomenon.』

The shortest route. Considering my current physical abilities?

How about that?

I have done it by nature, like walking through a crowd in the city.

But to do it in this deep forest……

『Yes, even if you find the shortest route, tis not that easy considering your physical abilities. Therefore, in this forest, in addition to survival knowledge, you shall learn the techniques of running, climbing and flying, jumping and traversing using trees and surrounding terrain, running through narrow paths…. You shall acquire ‘Magical Parkour’.』

Magical Parkour. Although the naming is still the same, the technique is certainly convenient…. and cool.

Instead of obstacles being a hindrance, they move lightly from tree to tree, kick off rock walls that appear, and use the recoil to accelerate further.

『Yes, tis so. Once you master this, moving in the forest is easy. Furthermore, tis also possible to use the roof of buildings to move around the city. Tis a technique used by ‘Ninja Warriors’ once known as the world’s best covert group.』

Ninja Warrior. I knew the name, but I didn’t know the details.

Mysterious warriors who are said to have contributed to the war effort from the shadows in all aspects during the war.

I don’t know who played what role or how, but rumors still sparked rumors and ninja warriors were called ‘Heroes of the Shadows’.

As a kid, I honestly thought that was ‘stylish’, but after all, no one knew the true story, so it gradually slipped into obscurity.

That’s why I didn’t think I’d get to learn the technique that ninja warriors use.

Magical Parkour used by ninja warriors.

I was running in the forest to learn by all means.

“Rabbiiiiiiiiiiiit!!”

The hunt, to catch the escaping rabbit nimbly running around with its small body.

“I hate snakes and frogs, but I’ve eaten rabbit meat! Rabbits I can eat! Waaaaaaaiiiit!”

『Hey, do not get too eager. Parkour needs calm. Get hot and try to do more than your ability to, and you may end up in an awkward state?』

It tries to run through the bushes and throw me, but I won’t let it get away.

I want to eat more meat than mushrooms!

I’ve eaten rabbit meat in a restaurant.

It had a slightly wild flavor, unlike beef-pork, and I thought it was good enough.

“I’m not going to let you go, rabbit!”

And here! With that in mind, I flew from branch to branch and there …eh!?

“Ha bah!?”

…… On the branches of the tree…. hit by the shin of both feet…… misjudged the distance…… What?!

“I’m faaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!”

I-I’ll die!? Both shins hit!? I-I’m gonna die! Gyaaaaaah!

” Heb, Goh, Gaha!?”

Falling, the back of the head! Back, ass!

“Hahaga, oh, goa…”

『…… Therefore, do not push your good fortune too far….』

The distance between the branches of the tree was a bit longer, but I thought I could reach them… I didn’t reach them.

I banged the tibia which faced both feet on the branch of a thick tree, fell from the branch as it is, and crashed to the ground.

Hit my back and buttocks hard and rubbed my body with thickets.

『Hey… you have not perished, have you? If you die with just this, you will be quite the dullard, right?』

“S-Sorry… Damn…”

No good. I can’t get up right away because my whole body is numb.

Rabbits… Oh…

“That rabbit… stopped and looked back at me…. What? Are you laughing with your nose?!”

The rabbit turns around and looks at me, who can’t stand up and give chase.

There is no sign of the rabbit running away any longer either.

It didn’t laugh, but for some reason I felt I was being made a fool of.

“Nah, let’s go…”

I felt like I was being made a fool of, so I stood up to be mean.

At that moment, the rabbit shook its body and began to focus so that it could start moving at any time.

And I see the rabbit, and at the same time I understand it.

“Terrain…. no good…… this distance…… even if I jump out, it can run away as it is….”

I understood only because I was chasing it up to now.

Its mobility. Agility. And, a sharp turn.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t use a breakthrough because of magic preservation.

I can’t knead my magic well because of the pain.

Good grief, how hopeless I am.

Rebal brought down a dragon, but I can’t even catch a rabbit.

But……

“Don’t make light of it… this struggle… you catch it, you win…. if that’s the case!”

I gradually get numb but can move somehow.

However, it cannot be caught though it moves.

Then……

“Dassoso”

『Eh?!』

The rabbit reacted. All right, one more time!

“Dassoso”

『…………eh……』

The technique taught by Tre’ainar. A dance that lures beasts.

It was embarrassing at first, but I was cornered up to this point, and I was hungry, and I couldn’t live if I didn’t eat anything.

Then, shame does not matter.

“Dassoso”

I opened my heart and invited the rabbit with powerful steps.

Then, what did it do?

The rabbit moves its ears, and it approaches me as if it were a drunk.

“I-It worked!? Seriously!?”

『Ho. By opening your heart, you finally achieved it?』

Yes, I didn’t feel ashamed of this, so I took it seriously and invited it.

That thought attracted the beast.

This…… The art of living……

“Oh, I got iiiiiiiiiiit!”

I quickly caught the rabbit that came to my feet.

It’s a little hairy, heavy, hot, and you even hear the sound of the heart.

This is…… Life……

『Hmm, caught one at last? It took a long time.』

“Oh… finally…”

I live by eating this. Somehow, it’s kind of emotional…

『Now then, clean it up, drain the blood, peel off the skin, and remove the internal organs…』

“eh……?”

『What is it?』

…… uh…… That!…… I’m gonna do it?

『Hey.』

“Heh, n-no way… um…… that….”

『Well I never, do you mean to imply you find such task disgusting, I wonder?』

No, still, eh? Can’t I just grill it as it is?

I’m dismantling? eh? Why take out the internal organs? Intestines…… can’t bare it….

『Absolutely… Are you sure? Even if you catch a rabbit, it remains a rabbit. From now on, you have to make the rabbit meat in order to eat it… that is your task.』

“Ah… Seriously…”

『That is why the one who has only eaten meat that has already been processed by the butcher is…』

Oh, still mocking me as the ‘twit’ with a look of disdain.

I can’t help it, but I’ve only eaten what became meat in the first place.

I’ve only eaten meat cooked in restaurants, not to mention the butcher’s meat.

I have to slaughter this rabbit by myself, and dismantle it.

“Hmm.”

That was then.

Two more rabbits appeared from behind the bush.

For some reason, I glance at them.

“…… Oh, and… eh, what?”

Even if I stare, the two do not run away.

Me… No…… It’s like they’re staring at a rabbit I’m holding by its neck….

“…… No way…You’re not a parent and child, are you?”

『Hey. Do not mind it.』

“I know.”

No, I don’t think I’m going to…Stop it, don’t look at me like that.

“Although, you have family, I still need to eat. I can’t stay alive otherwise…so—”

So, no matter how close you are, I’ll eat this guy.

There is no need for sympathy.

It’s a matter of life or death.

I’ve been eating animal meat for years now.

Now, the rabbit that I caught with half-hearted sympathy……

“Kuu …”

『Huh!?』

It is useless even if it looks with such round eyes. Your family is over today.

Come on, dismantle now …

“Guh…. G-Go…. You can go! The rabbit I met on the beautiful starry night…… I’ll name you Shooting Star.”

『Hey, child!』

Before I knew it, something came up, and I let the rabbit that I caught go.

The moment I lowered it to the ground, the rabbit dashed down to the other two, and without looking back at me, the three of them went deep into the forest….

“Be strong… and, get along with your family…. Shooting Star Family…”

『You let it gooooooooooo!!』

At that moment, even though he couldn’t touch me, Tre’ainar struck me with his arm penetrating my head.

“Well, because…”

『Because nothing! What was that? Being kind?! Are you aware that tis the ultimate hypocrisy to show such half-hearted welfare to animals, even though you are not a vegetarian?』

“…… I-I know….”

『You know not! Are you sure? Tis natural in the animal kingdom to be caught by the strong and become sustenance. Survival of the fittest, such is the way, is it not?』

“……………”

『War is the same, is it not? That is how the human race won the right to survive.』

No, yes. I know.

But I just… Family…… if it gets caught and I noticed……

『Dear me… with this, I worry for the future…… in the end, all you could yield were mare mushrooms …. Uh!』

It was then.

“Tre’ainar?”

Tre’ainar, who was preaching to me, suddenly glanced deep into the forest with a scary face.

I’m trying to guess what’s going on, but I still don’t know.

『…… Hey…… child.』

“?”

『…… A little unexpected…… something dangerous that cannot be eaten…. seems he was in this forest.』

“Eh?!”

And the next moment, the trees in the forest shook and felt a sign of ‘something’ approaching little by little with a noise.

At the same time…… I heard the sound of something crashing ‘three times’.

TL Notes

So in case you missed it, manga has been released. And yeah tried scanlating the first chapter myself, couldn’t do it. Can’t find a way to property rip the text to translate it. None of the ORC apps I tried could cut it so had to give that up. Bummer! Unless anyone can make a transcript and send it to me…… Any takers? Well you can check out the Raw of the first chapter here.

And we’ll be meeting a new character soon. Was wondering how to handle it. A big part of the series is cultural diversity, which is why I try to have Tre’ainar’s dialogue be so different from everyone else. With the world opening up we’ll met a lot of different people and their ways. I’d like to make their dialogues unique but I might not be able to pull it off. Still what do you think? Let me know and see y’all for the next one!