Chapter 24
Undead
Translator : PolterGlast
We had our quest
selected without issue, and we arrived at an abandoned road to the east of the
town of Biodasdal.
This time, the quest
was to subjugate an undead monster called a Corpse Shout.
This eastern area was
the direction I had come from Furo Village, and the abandoned road we were on
was just off the paved one.
It seems this
abandoned road was originally used, but as Biodasdal developed and a paved road
was built, this one fell into disuse.
In the past, the area
was also lawless, and many who died here, attacked by bandits and thieves, are
now buried along this road. This is apparently the reason why undead monsters
often appear.
As you can see, it's
now in ruins, but it was once a regularly used road and is close to the current
paved one, so the receptionist said that subjugation quests like this one are
frequently issued.
"We're not that
far from the well-traveled, beautifully paved road, but this place has a certain
atmosphere. It might even be creepier than the southeastern forest."
"That's because
there are actually stronger monsters here than in the southeastern forest.
Though, when I say stronger, it's like comparing acorns."
"Well, it might
be like comparing acorns to you, Graham-san, but it's a pretty big deal for me!
Are there really a lot of undead monsters?"
"I can't identify
the type of monster just by its presence. All I can tell is whether it's weak
or strong. I can tell if it has features like being able to fly, though."
"I see. So that's
how you were able to find the Sword Hawk! But... you can tell the difference
between humans and monsters, right? You found those people from far away
yesterday."
"A person's
presence is distinctive. On top of that, there's too much individual variation,
so it's even easier to tell when they're in a group."
"That's so
interesting! ...Wow, I'm so jealous! Do you think I could learn to sense
presences too?"
"Yeah. Anyone can
do it with practice. Though I think it would take a very long time to reach my
level."
My late father was the
one who taught me how to sense presences.
He often took me
hunting, and I suddenly remembered him teaching me how to do it then.
He looked like me, but
his personality was the complete opposite of mine; he was a cheerful and bright
person.
"I can learn it
with practice!? I thought for sure you were using a skill."
"It's nothing
that grand. If you're willing to learn, Ginia, I'll teach you anytime."
"Please, teach me
when you have time! But... just like with combat, I feel so bad that I'm the
only one receiving things."
"That's not true
at all. I left my village for the first time at my age, and you've helped me
with my lack of general knowledge. Besides, just having you in my party is more
than enough of a blessing."
"No, lately I've
been starting to wonder if I'm good enough for you. You're as strong as a
superhuman, Graham-san. I think you could even make it in an A-rank adventurer
party!"
"I don't think
it's that easy. But, even if I were to be invited to an A-rank party, I intend
to continue with you as long as you're okay with it, Ginia."
"Just hearing you
say that makes me so happy! I'll do my absolute best to live up to your
expectations!"
"No, no, you
don't have to push yourself so hard. I like this relaxed atmosphere."
If I were younger, I
might have wanted to climb to the top, but for me, who has spent my life in
constant battle, this pace is very comfortable.
And it's fun to watch
Ginia grow.
"I like how
things are now, too! When I was an adventurer on my own, it was like hell, but
I never thought it could be this much fun."
"I'm glad you
feel that way. --Oops, while we were chatting, some monsters have gathered. You
fought undead yesterday, so do you want to give it a try, Ginia?"
"Yes! Let me at
them!"
Crawling out of the
ground was a Bone Mummy.
It's not the monster
from our quest, but it's a good opponent for Ginia.
I'll let Ginia handle
the monsters on the way and take our time looking for the Corpse Shout.
About an hour after
starting down the abandoned road.
The quest was to
subjugate five Corpse Shouts, and we have already successfully defeated five of
them.
However, there were
more monsters on this abandoned road than I expected, so even though the quest
ended early, we're still continuing down the path.
Ginia seems to still
have plenty of energy left for a fight.
"It's really full
of undead. Do you think the undead monsters from the northern mountainous
region also came from this abandoned road?"
"That's a strong
possibility. Are you still okay, stamina-wise? We're heading towards the
monster with the strongest presence on this road, but we can turn back right
away depending on your stamina."
"I'm still good
to go! Besides, if I run out of stamina, you'll fight for me, right,
Graham-san?"
"Well, I can
fight, but there's no point if you're not the one doing it. We've already
completed the quest, after all."
"That's true...!
Okay, if I feel like I'm running out of stamina, I'll let you know right away!
But I am curious about the monster with the strongest presence on this road.
Can you defeat it, Graham-san?"
"Of course, I can
beat it easily. I wouldn't be heading towards it otherwise."
From there, while
keeping an eye on Ginia's condition, we headed towards the location of the
monster with the strong presence.
As we proceeded, the
road itself became more overgrown with plants and steeper, and we eventually
came to another abandoned road.
The road we just came
out on was the one used before the abandoned road we had been on, so it's
probably the old abandoned road.
And—at the end of this
old abandoned road is the monster I've been sensing.
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