Episode 2.8-9

Since the open fire was getting weaker, Lecan got up and put more firewood in.

Eda is sleeping while skilfully leaning on a tree. She just went and fixed her posture.

A new problem has arisen.

No magic beast comes close thanks to the Monster Ward. But a large number of them have bunched up together around the perimeter of the Ward.

Lecan's former world had magic that could ward off magic beasts too, and if this magic was set up too strong, there were cases where magic beasts ended up being lured in around the perimeter of the magic range. This situation is similar to that phenomenon.

Morning of the second day, Chaney and Eifun woke up. Lecan reported them about the gathering of magic beasts and its possible cause.

"This many magic beasts, precisely how many there are?"

"Around 200."

"Eeeeh."

"Is that fer' real. Then we cannae' afford to turn off the ward."

"That's true. This will cost me quite a lot of magic gems, but let's keep going with the Monster Ward on. Haha, I did hear before that putting powerful magic gems in the ward would have the opposite effect of gathering magic beasts, but back then I put in some strong one in a spur of the moment, truly careless of me."

"And then what will you do."

"What do you mean, Lecan-san."

"If we keep going with the Monster Ward on, these magic beasts will follow after us. Once we arrive at the town, they'll attack the town."

"Ah..."

"I cannae' imagine what kinda punishment await those who bring magic beasts to town with 'em."

"What... should we do."

"For now, let's move out with the ward on. I have a plan once we get to a plain."

"I understand. Then let's be on our way."

"Missy, it's mornin' already. We're gonna leave ya behind if ya don't get up. Come now, missy."

"U-U~n. Morning huh? Wheres' breakfast?"

"Let's take it while moving. We're leaving."

While running ahead of the wagon like yesterday, Lecan chewed on jerky, chewed on dried beans and drank water.

The wagon got to a plain before long. And then, magic beasts that have been following them about 500 steps away are clearly visible now.

"Ain't that a lot less than 200 no?"

"It seems half of the magic beasts weren't keen on leaving the mountain."

"But it's still a lot. I think it's around 100?"

"T-this is impossible! Even with ten adventurers, this is absolutely impossible. I once heard Vouka had a garrison. Let's ask 'em to deal with these."

"Villages along the way would be devastated then. Besides, I am not sure our supply of magic gems is enough to last the journey. Lecan-san. What do you suppose we do here."

There's a lot of magic beasts whose specific name Lecan doesn't know, but none possesses a large mana pool. Beasts that resemble wolves, boars, apes, bears, every one of them is of the lowest rank of magic beast.

If this were inside a forest, fighting the lot of them could still prove threatening even if they were individually weak.

To top it off, he would need to protect the client, complicating the battle even further.

However, this place is a plain. In this situation, he can afford to temporarily leave the client.

On top of that, his foes aren't going anywhere.

"Fumu. Keep the Monster Ward on. I'm off for a bit."

Lecan dashed toward a herd of boar magic beasts.

He got there instantly.

He pulled out his sword. And began to cut up everything.

Every one of these beasts has insignificant amount of mana, but there's no telling what kind of attack methods they have in store. Which means, those who make the first strike win. Exterminate every last one of them without giving any chance to attack.

After killing everything without leaving even one alive and taking a glance at the heaps of dead bodies, Lecan ran back to the wagon.

"You should turn off the Monster Ward. Let's move."

"You barely got any blood splat on ya. Cor blimey."

"I had never seen such fearsome swordsmanship in my life before."

"...Lecan. No, Lecan-san. Were you a famous mercenary with an epithet all along?"

Lecan passed by Eda when he was returning to his position in front of the wagon, and that was when Eda's eyes caught a shining silver ring on his left middle finger.

"Hold on, did you always have that stylish ring on you?"

That ring was something he took from <Storage> and put on when they got into the forest on the first day.

However, Lecan is under no obligation to explain that.

"Yeah."

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

The party arrived at a small village at noon of the second day, but they only replenished water and took a short break before departing again. Eda was walking unsteadily with unfocused eyes, when asked why, she said she was hungry. No choice, Lecan shared his jerky. By the way, Eda got on the wagon in the end. Chaney allowed it.

When the sun was about to set on the second day, Lecan sensed magic beasts approaching while they were traveling in a mountain.

"Lecan-san. Is something the matter?"

"It's magic beasts. 18. They're coming here from the front. Stop the wagon. I'll go meet them."

"Understood. Eifun-san! Please stop the wagon."

"I-is it enemy? Where."

The party waited for the enemy without making a sound. Eda has her arrow on her bow as she looks at the dim forest in front of her restlessly, while still on board the wagon.

Trees are making noises.

"Above."

Lecan spoke. <Life Detection> cannot distinguish elevations, thus he didn't know the enemy's altitude until they got close enough.

A great number of magic beasts came pouring down.

"Uwaa, uwaa"

Eda kept shooting her arrows while screaming out, but none even grazed a magic beast.

Eifun the coachman closely watches the magic beasts' movement as he evades and blocks their attacks.

It's magic beasts that resemble apes.

They're as big as a 10-year old kid, covered in black fur with red faces.

They look to be quite agile.

Lecan calmly butchered the magic beasts.

These magic beasts were moving slightly erratically, but before Lecan's kinetic vision and attack speed, they just appear sluggish.

The client, Chaney has hidden himself inside the wagon and closed the window, so he's safe. These aren't the type of enemy that could destroy the wagon in a single strike, and he's not giving them any chance to make an attempt in the first place.

Eda proved to be more dangerous than the apes. Two arrows were flying toward Lecan. He was irritated by the second arrow, and cut it down mid-air.

An ape that was going to jump out and bite Eifun Lecan slew was the last one.

Eda was shouting, 'ow ouch, it hurts'. She probably got bit or scratched by the apes. He can't be bothered enough to look after that far though.

"I-Is it over? Ah, the wagon's covered in blood. But right now time is more valuable. Let us go."

"Ah, Chaney-san. Wait a moment. I've gotta go grab my arrows back!"

One mystery was solved when Lecan heard Eda. He was puzzling over where she put her spare arrows. But Eda never had spare arrows with her.

"Eifun-san, please depart."

"Hohoho."

Chaney paid no mind to Eda's begging and ordered the wagon to depart. Eda retrieved some arrows within her reach in a fluster and went after the wagon. By the way among 12 arrows that Eda carried, exactly zero managed to hit the ape magic beasts.

At the camp in mountain on the third day.

Suddenly, Eda shouted out loud.

"Magic Gems!"

"What about magic gems."

"We beat those Red Apes (Urudou) and didn't take their magic gems!"

This would mean those beasts were Red Apes.

Lecan heard that these are the most plentiful magic beasts in forests and dungeons. He's killed several of these beasts so far, but he never made the connection between their name and figure.

Still, what is Eda saying now. Did she not hear Chaney saying, "Time is more valuable", earlier.

"And it was such a fortune!"

Leaving aside the question whether Eda is even qualified for a portion, those Red Apes' magic gems aren't worth the effort to fetch them. If you're that desperate, around 80 magic beasts Lecan defeated at noon would have more valuable magic gems within them. Though Chaney had asked village elder of the village they stopped by at noon to fetch half of magic gems and materials from those magic beasts to him while relinquishing the other half to the village, therefore it won't go to waste nor spread disease from decomposing bodies.

"C'mon, won't ya reconsider going back now?"

Since Eda is getting noisy, Lecan steers the conversation elsewhere.

"Eda. That yellow muffler on your neck, stands out."

"Eh? Ah. It's cute isn't it. Hehe."

"It's very visible even in dark places."

"Oh, really now. Thankies."

"Makes for a good mark for magic beasts to target on."

"Eh?"

"Adventurers do not put such a gaudy muffler on."

"...Uwawawawawa! What the heeck. You shoulda tell me sooner then! Uwaa. So that's why they were so persistent comin' for me. Uwaa, uwaa. It's making me aching all over just remembering it. Dangit. Dangit!"

While thinking that this girl still made a lot of noise in the end, Lecan recalled that there was one such adventurer with flashy attires.

It's a female adventurer called <Bloodstained> Rancy. With burning-like red hair, she put on a blood-like red leather armor. With glittering rubies on both her hands. She truly was a flashy woman. Cutting up magic beasts she attracted in with her great sword, she always bathed in her victim's blood. As she was also a frighteningly beautiful woman, many men were also drawn to her. And every one of those men had their hearts broken apart.

Lecan suddenly felt a sense of longing for his former world.

He looks up above, there's only stars there, no moon. That big bright moon does not exist in this world.

He couldn't help but longed for it.