Chapter 109.1

Chapter 109.1

Before departure, remove the innards of the Gowsus cow and pack the ice created by [Ice Blow] into a highly waterproof skin bag for storage together.

The magic bag, Terpaz Bag, doesn’t stop time, but it wasn’t affected by the outside temperature.

The temperature drops as much as you chill it. If you change the ice regularly, it should last reasonably well.

If it fails, apologize to the Gowsus cow.

Throw away the branches and leaves laid in the shelter from the slope and dismantle the base.

While checking for any other landslides, we descended Laneldo Mountain.

Fortunately, no landslides were found, and we proceeded into the Filthatch Forest.

It was interesting because it was my first time, but it seemed no different from being close to Selene.

However, compared to Selene, the forest seems shallow, and the gaps between trees widen quickly, making the forest intermittent.

And before I knew it, it turned into a grassland with scattered trees.

Taking a deep breath in the spacious area after a long time, I sensed several presences coming from the end of the road.

Approaching—Not monsters, huh?

Adventurers?

Soon, four men appeared.

They seemed not to have noticed us and reached for their swords on their waists in a hurry.

But as they realized I was just a boy, they stopped moving.

“Adventurers?”

My guess was thrown back at me.

Unfortunately, it was off the mark, though.

The men were wearing unified equipment.

They must be soldiers of the Filthatch Marquis.

To avoid arousing suspicion, I quietly took out my adventurer’s badge hanging around my neck.

“I’m Tenko. A D-rank adventurer.”

“Indeed, adventurers. What are you doing in a place like this? You have an unfamiliar face... Have you crossed the mountains?”

The man averted his gaze and turned to my rear.

“It’s fine to answer, but first, could you introduce yourselves?”

“We are the Keril Defense Corps.”

They answered briefly and urged me on.

There seems to be no village nearby.

It’s diligent to patrol so far.

And though they’re not magic tools, all four of them are equipped with quite formidable weapons and armor.

“Since the road became impassable, many travelers have been stranded in Keril Village. Because of that, there have been frequent brawls and violent incidents involving adventurers. Well, that alone would be manageable. The problem is that bored individuals have started killing troublesome monsters.”

“I see. What kind of monsters?”

“A creature called Soprick, a magical squirrel. They’re rarely seen around here. They must have migrated here due to the long rain.”

A squirrel?

I’ve seen one of those, during the restoration work.

“If it’s a squirrel, I saw one in the mountains. It looked ordinary, though—”

As soon as I said that, the men tightened their expressions.

It seems the appearance matched that of a squirrel.

“When was that?”

“Two or three days ago. I didn’t pay much attention, so I don’t remember clearly.”

“That was lucky. It was before they took action. If it had been yesterday, you wouldn’t be here.”

At the man’s assertion, I tensed up.

That’s how dangerous those creatures are.

The squirrel I saw looked too ordinary, so much so that I didn’t even use [Appraisal] on it.

Seeing my reaction, the man continued.

“Sopricks have venomous fangs. That alone makes them terrifying, but what’s most noteworthy is their strong feelings for their companions. If a member of their group is harmed, they become furious, and if one of them is killed, the entire group becomes ferocious, attacking any race that has caused harm indiscriminately.”

“I see. So, are the two who went to see alright?”

The man was taken aback by my reminder.

He seemed too surprised by the road’s restoration and had forgotten about it.

He stood up in a hurry to follow them, then immediately stopped in his tracks.

The two who had headed towards the mountain were just returning.

They weren’t injured, and their steps were firm.

More importantly, they were beaming.

“Are you alright!?”

The man called out, but the two interrupted him excitedly.

“The road is really clear! Smooth as silk!”

“Smooth... huh?”

Ignoring the dumbfounded man, the two reached out for a handshake from me.

And with their testimony, it was confirmed that the request token was genuine and the task had been completed.

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