Chapter 48: When templates are forgotten

Chapter 48: When templates are forgottenWe were able to secure the needed amount for both mithril ore and adamantite ore, and a bit more. So, we decided to stay one night then head back to Volton.

「With this, I’ll be D rank.」

As I listened to the sound of the carriage wheels clatter, I feel that an artisan’s adventurer rank becoming Rank D is strange.

Not even a year has passed since I arrived at 【Mildgard】. Despite this, my level is in the mid-60’s.

For adventurers in this world, people who reached this level are called veterans. Even though I’m an artisan.

Other adventurers might get angry if they were told this is a status of an artisan.

「So, what will you do? Will you hunt for more Treants at the Forest of Death on our way back?」

When the campsite across the Forest of Death came into view on the left side, the very “my pace” dwarf Doganbo-san who was at the coachman’s seat looked over his shoulder asked if we wanted to make a stop-over.

「May we stop by for a short while if we have some time? Sophia, Maria, what do you think?」

「The town of Volton has a shortage of Treants, so having even a little bit more would be greatly appreciated.」

「I want to become even stronger.」

Since the two were eager, we decided to hunt for Treants for a bit.

「「Ha!」」

Gan! Gan!

『Guooooooーーーー!!』

Sophia and Maria drove their axes into the Treant, and Kaede and I cut off every single tentacle-like root that emerge from the ground.

This time, Kaede and I were support while Sophia and Maria fought the Treants.

Clutching a sword on my right hand and a knife on my left, I cut the roots aiming for Sophia and Maria.

With the Swordplay skill level at 7, I took a step into the realm of top-class sword handling.[1]

It’s slowly coming to a point where it’s becoming shameful to call myself an artisan. I feel like a con artist.

「This much will do, right?」

Having seen 5 Treants killed, I suggested that it was time to go back to Doganbo-san who was taking care of the carriage.

「Yes, we should barely manage to reach the next campsite if we leave now.」

「I have had enough of Treants for a while.」

「Kaede had enough too!」

Since it had become routine work, everyone agreed to put an end to the Treant subjugation. We stored the last defeated Treant and returned to the carriage Doganbo-san was waiting in.

「We have returned.」

「Ou, how was it?」

Galloping on with the Forest of Death in view on our left, something happened just when we were about to reach the end of the forest.

「Oraaa!!」

Before I knew it, Doganbo-san appeared at the front of the carriage, brandishing a hammer.

When the number of thieves had dwindled to half, I jumped out of the carriage.

I thrust my spear, aiming for the thief’s throat.

I’ve gotten used to fighting monsters but it feels different when the opponent is a person. Although I feel uncomfortable taking my opponent’s life, I lunged my spear at the next thief.

「You bastard! I definitely won’t let this pass! I’ll kill you, ravage those women till I’m tired of them and kill them!」

The idiot boss thief swung his axe and attacked me. Avoiding the swing of the axe wasn’t difficult.

「You bastard! You keep running away!」

Because the range of a spear and an axe are different, the fight between the idiot and I was one-sided. Closing the distance in an instant, I stabbed the slow idiot boss thief in the abdomen, chest, and throat with a triple thrust and he died with a frustrated-looking expression.

「Haa, haa, haa.」

Even though I wouldn’t be out of breath if this were a fight with a monster, I am breathing roughly and my back is drenched in sweat right now/

I was disturbed by killing a person for the first time, but that was it. I once again noticed that I have changed.

「Heave-ho, heave-hounsho unsho, Master! Brought thief!」

「Okay, thank you Kaede. You’re a big help.」

Kaede was pulling a headless corpse with her threads.

I stroked Kaede’s head and thanked her.

She may be a monster, but having instructed Kaede to kill people, I couldn’t escape the feeling of aversion again.

「Takumi-sama! Are you injured?」

Sophia worried for me and checked my whole body.

Even Maria had alighted the carriage and embraced me.

Thinking about it, it was also Maria’s first time in an interpersonal battle too. Even if this is a brutal world, the hurdle for killing people is not low. But the reality is, kill or be killed.

「Okay, let’s take what can be taken, and deal with them later.」

Doganbo-san moves at his own pace till the very end.

I’m saved by the very “my-pace” Doganbo-san.

Afterwards, we split into groups to strip the corpses of the thieves of their armor, guild cards, and any item that seemed useable, then dug up a large hole with Earth magic and buried the corpses in it, and then we headed towards Volton.

***

Footnotes:

it’s kinda like how you keep a door open by jamming your foot between the door and frame and then inching your way through. Thank you to Rinne-san for the suggestion.