Volume 4 - CH 4

“All that’s left is the demon.”

The basement, which had been abuzz celebrating Melissa’s miraculous recovery, was suddenly enveloped in a depressing silence.

It was understandable. Melissa had indeed been saved, but even then, the unavoidable death would come and strike again at night.

According to Rattri, the demon that was the source of this problem is still watching the fort and stalking at its prey, the hunters.

As far as they could see, there was only a small amount of food left in the fort. In order to procure more food, they would have to leave the fort, which means risking facing the demon.

But more than anything else, the fort itself was already at its limit in terms of durability. It was unlikely to be able to withstand a siege. In other words, it would be difficult to buy enough time to wait for reinforcements. In the first place, it was unclear whether those who had gone to inform the others had been able to shake off the demon and reached the village safely.

“From what I have heard, some of you have been keeping an eye on demon. Do you not know where it is?”

Mira’s carefree voice echoed in the quiet room. But there was little response. The hunters who had awakened from their dreams were vividly recalling the horrors of the demon, and were trembling at the death that peeked through.

“At this hour, it should be circling the surrounding forest.”

It was Dolan who answered. He asked a female hunter to wipe Melissa’s body, then reached for his bow and arrows on the wall.

“You’re going, aren’t you? Then you can use this old bone as a shield, a decoy, or any way you want.”

With that, Dolan stood up firmly. From Mira’s eyes, words and actions, he seemed to have guessed what she was going to do next.

It was hard to tell from the way he was sitting, but he was almost two meters tall.

“I’ll give you a hand.”

“Me too.”

Dolan was followed by a group of older hunters. The two were not as big as Dolan, but their determination in their eyes was as equal as Dolan. They lined up in front of Mira, swords and axes in hand.

“Excellent. You think we can win?”

Mira looked up at Dolan and the others. She lifts her mouth open, and said something she didn’t truly mean. She wasn’t intending to test their resolve.

“I see an opportunity to win, so I’m taking it. It’s how I managed to get this old.”

“After such a display of summoning skills, I see no reason not to stand up.”

“If you don’t rise to the occasion, you can’t really call yourselves hunters.”

The three turned around and looked at the young hunters in silence as they answered her question out loud. Their reply were also intended to let the rest know of their intentions as the elders of the group.

These strong people are about to take on an opponent that they could not defeat on their own.

Can we find a chance to win in this? Is there nothing we can do against them? Or should we abandon our pride and just let them go? As hunters, are we willing to remain as prey?

That’s what Dolan and the others were saying.

I don’t mind this kind of manly development.

As for Mira, she honestly thought that one person would be more than enough. But when Dolan came forward, she abandoned that idea.

Rather, she noticed what the trio were doing. They were trying to solve all of the problems in one go.

The hunters in the fort were currently trembling in fear of the demon. If Mira were to remove the source of the problem, they would naturally be happy that their lives had been saved. But it would leave a bad taste her mouth.

For the future of the hunters, Mira realized that the first priority should be to help them overcome their fears, rather than showing them the power of summoning.

To regain one’s confidence. It is very important for those whose lives were continuously filled with fighting.

The opportunity to regain it was presented by Dolan and the others. All they had to do was muster up a little bit of courage.

“Wait a minute! Melissa is already saved. Instead of trying to fight a battle where the odds are against us, wouldn’t it be better to have each of us carried one by one out of the demon’s detection range?”

The thin man interrupted the hunters and reiterated his recommendation as the most certain way to survive.

His choice would not be a mistake. If you die, everything is over. But unfortunately, his suggestions were coming from his limited understanding of summoning. He didn’t see a chance to win even with Mira. This same consensus was unfortunately common among the younger hunters.

“It’s not that we don’t have a chance. You’ve seen her summoning, haven’t you? If there was chanting, it means it’s advanced magic.”

Dolan said, somewhat admonishingly. Her summoning magic. In other words, if you can handle an advanced summoning like Asclepius, then you should be able to handle combat as well.

“That’s right, I saw it. But no matter how good the healers are, a mere scratch from that demon’s attack will result in serious injury, and a direct hit will kill you instantly. It’s not an opponent you can take lightly.”

But the thin man could not understand. The reason for this was that he only have basic knowledge on how magic works, including summoning.

It is common knowledge that advanced magic require a certain amount of strength to master. There are some exceptions to this, but unfortunately, this does not apply to summoning.

“Real summoning magic is not like that. Isn’t that right, Mira?”

“Of course not. resourcefulness is the essence of summoning.”

In response to Dolan’s words, Mira exaggeratedly puff her chest out a little and smiled proudly. Mira thought she was expressing her dignity to the best of her ability. However, to the younger hunters, she looked like a young girl who just wanted to be taller. Dolan and the others couldn’t help but laugh at her cute and unreliable appearance. Yet, their trust in her never wavered.

Nevertheless, the young hunters’ feelings on the matter began to lean more towards the thin man’s words. That’s when it happened.

“I’m going.”

With Melissa at his back, Rattri stood up, said with a strong will in his eyes, and stepped up next to Dolan. There was only one thing in his heart. It was determination.

“Hey, we just saved Melissa’s life. And we have a way out. Then we don’t have to fight or stay here anymore.”

The thin man closed in on Rattri and told him that running away was the best way to survive. If he fought the demon recklessly and Mira died, he would be killed. If Mira were to die, the escape window through the sky would be completely cut off.. He had to avoid that at all costs. That’s why the thin man is desperate.

But Rattri never agreed.

“She is the one who saved Melissa’s life. That’s why, if Mira-san wants to do this, I’ll go with her. If it comes to it, I’ll buy you some time. She has a way to fly. Eventually, Mira will come back here, right? Then you guys can meet up with her and escape far away. So don’t worry.”

I will not let Mira die, no matter what, even if it means sacrificing myself. That’s what Rattri said with determination. Hearing those words and the strong will in Rattri’s eyes, the thin man caved to pressure and choked.

“Besides, we have a shot at winning. It’s not like I want to die either.”

As if to dispel the heavy mood, Rattri laughed it off.

“To be honest, I don’t know much about summoning either, but I hear it’s pretty amazing. I’ve been told by a friend of mine who’s… stronger than me now. I’ve heard that advanced magicians are generally very strong, regardless of the type of magic. So, Mira-san must be quite good.”

He said his reasoning. His words then spread like a ripple among the crowd.

First, they thought of the friend Rattri had mentioned. Even though he is young, Rattri is the best hunter in this fort. There was only one person in their memory who could surpass Rattri.

The fact that he was so tough added to the common perception that a magician’s strength could not be measured by their appearance.

As a result, the young hunters finally saw the light.

“Is it possible that we can win?”

The thin man, who had been obsessed with escaping, asked Mira, his face regaining a little of its wariness. At the same time, the murmuring among the crowd stopped and their ears and eyes turned straight to Mira.

“That will depend on the effort you put in.”

Mira answered the youths’ question, and immediately summoned a Holy Knight next to her. Then she turned to the crowd.

“I’ll use my summoning magic to guard against the demon’s attacks. As you can see, this one specializes in defense. Whether you can defeat the demon or not depends on your attacks. What do you think? Who’s brave enough to try the knight?”

Mira touched the white knight’s towering shield and looked around at the young hunters as if to provoke them. This, of course, was just talk. The Holy Knight has a reasonable amount of attack power, even if it is not as strong as the Dark Knight, who specializes in attack. There is no opponent that Mira’s Holy Knight can’t easily deal with.

But the goal is for the hunters to regain confidence in their hands. If Mira goes all out, she won’t be able to achieve that. That’s why Mira chose to act as a shield.

It has a larger frame than Dolan, a fine armor, and above all, a huge shield. The white knight’s appearance, which specialized in the use of a shield, instilled courage in the young people, just as she had hoped.

“I’ll try. I can see our chance now.”

“I’m a hunter, too. No way I’ll miss this fight.”

Fear was still smoldering in the back of their minds. But by nature, young people holds great hope. Now a small spark of courage has been ignited.

Starting with the two of them, one after another, young hunters began to come forward. The basement suddenly became lively as they rushed to check and ready their equipment. As for those who needed medical treatment, Asclepius was healing them one by one.

Mmm, the youths should be like this.

Mira looked around at them, and sat down with a thud.

“You have my gratitude.”1

Dolan said in a quiet voice as he sat down next to Mira, who smiled at him. The two older hunters who were standing next to him bowed their heads in appreciation as well.

At first, Dolan thought that he could use himself as a decoy to create an opening for an all-out attack. He thought that Mira, with her advanced summoning skills, would be able to inflict a substantial, if not fatal, wound on the demon if there was an opening. This would increase the chances of the youngsters’ attacks reaching them.

The two older hunters who came forward afterwards seemed to have a similar idea. If once doesn’t work, two or three times will.

But when the three of them saw the Holy Knight, they realized that Mira was more overwhelmingly powerful than they had expected.

At the same time, they also understood that she had sensed their goal of inspiring the young hunters. The gratitude given by Dolan and the others included such a meaning.

“Well now, I wonder what you are talking about.”

Mira, on the other hand, shrugs lightly and tilted her head.

For Mira, it wasn’t that she understood the feelings held by Dolan and the older hunters, but that she was made aware of them.

It is not wrong to protect and help the weak because of one’s strength. However, it is also important to let them stand firm on the ground and walk on their own. If we only protect them, the young shoots will not grow into great trees. However, if we make a mistake and the tree breaks, they will become useless. It is a difficult dilemma, but also a necessary one.

And that, Mira thought, was a conclusion that could only be reached through years of valuable experience.

Sure enough, the way they live, which cannot be imitated by mere pretense, is very cool. Feeling that way, Mira carved their spirits into her heart.

While the basement was bustling with preparations for battle, a group of people stopped in front of Dolan and his team.

“Hey, is it true that we’re going to fight that demon?”

The man who said this to Dolan seemed to be one of the men who was repairing the exterior wall. Someone must have called out to him. Dolan looked at him and saw that everyone who were outside was present.

“Ah, yes it’s true.”

Dolan nodded ostentatiously and looked straight at the men. In the depths of his eyes, there was a certain determination that made the men gasp as if they were under pressure.

“But, but, but, you can’t do that. We’re repairing the wall because we knew the odds ain’t good. We all agreed to hold out and wait for backup. That’s what we all decided, right?”

The man stammered slightly, but still spoke his mind. They were in a critical moment, so it is natural to be cautious.

“What if I told you that the odds were with us? Would you fight?”

After glancing at Mira and the white knight standing beside her, Dolan asked the men.

“I’ve heard the stories. That white guy’s your best bet, yeah? But I don’t know. I ain’t know much ’bout summoning, and it sure looks awesome. But, you know, that’s not something you can handle with some skill.”

The Holy Knight was so intimidating that it was obviously overwhelming everyone present. Just standing there was enough to make you feel pressured.

The men felt it for sure. And a feeling of winning was also shining in their hearts.

However, the fear of facing a demon overshadowed it. As a result, they were unable to take the first step. They are not cowards. If they were sure of their chances, they would pick up their weapons. Even if they didn’t, they would at least show their determination in the end. However, the reason they couldn’t do so was that the threat posed by the demon was that great. Not to mention the nightly raids where they were being hunted down.

Dolan and the others had been able to raise the young hunters’ courage and inspire them with their words, but this time they lacked the right ingredients.

One more push was not enough. Then, a man stepped out. He was wearing a leather apron, gloves, and black work clothes. He looked like a craftsman, but his face was neat, with a hint of innocence. He was the craftsman who was assembling wood with superb craftsmanship.

The craftsman looked up at the Holy Knight, then lowered his gaze and stared at Mira, then said as if its a fact,

“I think it’s okay to bet on her. Well, I’m not of a fighter myself, so I’ll leave it to everyone.”

“…Is that so? Hmmm. If Tomoki says so, it means she’s pretty good….”

The craftsman called Tomoki seemed to have a lot of trust placed in him, and his words seemed to be the catalyst that ignited the men’s will to fight.

What did the craftsman really base his decision on? When Mira thought about this, she suddenly noticed his name. It was a very Japanese name, Tomoki.

Mira looked at Tomoki as the men’s’ spirits came to life. Just then, her eyes met his, and she was convinced that she was right.

Tomoki walked up to Mira, and whispered in her ear,

“You’re a former player, right? Can I let you handle it?”

He smiled then winked suggestively at her.

If it were a normal girl, her cheeks would have turned red. But it was Mira, who confidently lifted the edge of her mouth and said,

“Ma~ Leave it to me.”2

Tomoki was a former player. He quickly realize that Mira was from Japan just like him, and guessed her skills.

In the old days when this world is still a game, there was no real death for players. That’s why they can fight reckless battles over and over again. As a result, players easily stepped into areas that ordinary people of this world could not easily reach.

In other words, combat players are generally strong. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages, but Tomoki judged that former players are good enough to handle this.

If he doesn’t defeat them himself, that means he’s specialized in production.3

At the same time, Mira also made a guess about Tomoki. If he is an ex-player, then his woodworking skills are on a superhuman level.

In the game era, there were those who were more passionate about making things rather than fighting, such as blacksmithing, woodworking, and carving.

They are called “production specialists”, and they vary from one person to the next, but they generally have minimal combat skills. Some of them are unfortunately not very good at it.

However, this is not to say that they are completely useless. Some people can create products that are comparable to legendary status. As a side note, the ornaments that Mira entrusted to Cleos to train his successors are also the work of players who specialized in such production.

Based on these facts, she could imagine that Tomoki is a great woodworker. And the fact that the men believed his words even though he said he was not good at fighting, which was not his field, meant that his experience and skills surpassed his strength. A first-class craftsman is also a first-class at judging character.

A few moments later, the hunters who had finished their preparations lined up in front of Mira and the others. And when the last one lined up, the war council began.

However, the meeting didn’t discuss anything complex. Where to set up the battlefield and how to move in formation to get there. What to do in case of emergency. How to divide the roles of the different weapons in our hands. The contents were basic, but necessary.

When the meeting was over, Mira gave a piece of advice.

“I will definitely protect you no matter what the situation is. So don’t run behind the white knight. This battle is to regain the dignity of you hunters, and thus it is important for you all to confront the demons.”

The hunters responded to Mira’s words with a strong nod of approval.

Tomoki, who is not a combatant, took on the role of watching over Melissa and remained in the fort. Rattri bowed his head to Tomoki and said,

“Please take care of her.”

Finally, Dolan and the other older members of the group issued a proclamation to the young people, and their spirited voices echoed so loudly that the basement trembled. Finally, the hunters ran out of the fortress with colors in their eyes that were the opposite of what Mira had seen when she first came.

So we got some more world building about the crafting classes… which surprisingly isn’t in the WN nor the manga. Hopefully the anime doesn’t cut this part out.

TL Note:

1: 気遣い、感謝する = Kidzukai, kansha suru = Formal version of thank you

2: 「まあ、任せておけ」 = `Mā, makasete oke’. I kept the Ma part because its cute

3: 生産 = Seisan = production; manufacture. So yes, the author went out of its way to point that its not your typical crafting class and more to general production. Think infrastructure, vehicles, industries and more, not just weapons and armor.

Anyway, been real busy for the last 3 months with IRL stuff so sorry for the wait. That being said, if anyone who’s actually fluent in Japanese and want to translate this just ask me since my translation schedule is not fixed. Otherwise, I’ll see you next chapter whenever that will be.