2-3 Part 1
The Strange Book Says to Complete Jobs
at the Adventurer's Guild
- Sigrun of the Black Horn -
Translator : PolterGlast
Contrary to rumors, the Great Forest of Ilmia was a
somewhat sacred and beautiful land. I was carried by the guild's swift shared
carriage and dropped off just before the northern town.
The driver told me that heading west from there would lead
to the forest entrance, and obediently following his instructions, I found it
was indeed right there. The first things I felt were the deliciousness of the
air and its strange purity. Yet, perhaps due to the depth of the
shadows cast by the light, it felt somewhat mysterious.
The weather was good too; as I walked, the afternoon
sunlight filtered through the trees, flickering and creating numerous white
curtains within the forest. However, in reality, this is one of the most
dangerous zones within the Empire's territory.
“Maybe I should have brought a compass...”
I walked through that beautiful yet eerie forest. If I were
to encounter that large Magical Beast or whatever it was, I wouldn't
stand a chance.
However, maybe this job suits me. I found a cluster of the
target herb, Sunlight Herb. I immediately used my Shovel to shear
them off right above the roots with a crunch. After harvesting a good
amount, I stuffed them into the large bag I borrowed from the guild.
I'm glad I'm good with a Shovel. Herb gathering
proceeded at a brisk pace. I quickly
found the remaining two types, Base Herb and Blue Herb, as well.
I am a failure who can't even serve as a spare for my
brothers. Therefore, since childhood, I had mountains of time to immerse myself
in reading books at the Royal Library. Starting excavation was also from
there; I wanted to read more books from another world.
I walked aimlessly through the forest, taking care not to
get lost. Then, completely unrelated to this quest, I found the leaves of a
yam. Lucky me, this is the kind Gee likes. I decided to dig it up
immediately.
“But Shovel Level, huh... If that goes up, I can dig
as many potatoes as I want, Gee's mood will improve, and excavation will
progress faster. That sounds wonderful...”
There, I brushed the mud off my hands and opened the Tome
of the Evil Dragon.
— Purge —
- 【Bury 1 Villain】
- Completion
Reward: EXP 200 / Shovel LV
+1
- “Put
an end to the breath of evil. Acquire the courage to execute justice.”
“Why must it be a person... Zirant, wouldn't
oversized garbage be acceptable...?”
The book does not answer. In the first place, what is the
standard for a villain? Who decides that they are a villain worthy of death?
How do I find them?
There's no way to know. So I dug up the yam and forgot the
reality of the book desiring condemnation.
Having packed the dug-up yam into his bag, the carefree
adventurer Shinza was resting with his back against a tree trunk. His
herb gathering was coming along at a leisurely pace; about two-fifths of the
bag was filled with yams and colorful herbs.
“—!”
However, suddenly, an extraordinary roar thundered through
the Great Forest of Ilmia. It was the growl of a gigantic beast.
Following that, I heard the sound of arrows cutting through the wind and the
fierce clashing of swords and shields. It meant a battle had suddenly begun
deep in the forest.
“Don't tell me it's that thing... This is bad, I
can't work like this.”
No, it might be more serious than that. If the group
fighting deep in the forest loses, the next target might be me. This is the Great
Forest of Ilmia, beyond the reach of the Empire's order; a terrifying
place.
I only undertook a simple herb gathering job, but now that
it's come to this, I have no choice but to go...
I have read about it in an encyclopedia. That Magical
Beast's name is Abyss Hound, a genuine monster said to inhabit the
cursed land of Abyss. It is characterized by black fur and a massive
body reaching up to a man's chest; furthermore, their stomachs know no such
thing as being full.
To put it in terms of Middle School Syndrome, the Abyss
Hound is a hellish wolf constantly tormented by bottomless hunger. Facing
it, are those adventurers who took on a subjugation request? Only about five
people who look capable of fighting properly remain.
However, more than double that number are dead or injured. That
thing called 'the brink of death' was right there. It was a gruesome scene. The
groans of the wounded and the growls of the beast were making the subjugation
team hesitant. No, just one person seemed different.
“Vanguards, protect the archers! I will go forward! You guys
just survive as best you can!” “H-Help us, Sigrun! Just us alone...”
A woman with black horns recklessly stepped forward.
Moreover, her attire was incredibly light, exposing much skin. She dodged the Abyss
Hound's claws, slipped past its jaws, parried with dual swords, and slashed
at the beast's face in a counterattack.
“She's strong... On par with Brother Georg?”
“Abyss Hound! Your luck ran out when you were found
by me. Come!”
If it's like this, I might not need to intervene. I am just
a novice adventurer, Shinza; I don't know what I could do even if I
butted in.
“No, but wait...”
“What's wrong? If you're a wolf, attack like a wolf! If you
won't come, then I'll go to you!”
There is a possibility of the unexpected. If that happens,
I'll have a guilty conscience. Therefore, Shinza—just
an ordinary nobody—dashed out from the shade of the trees and onto the
battlefield.
“Oh no! Someone stop that thing! Ah?!”
Sigrun of the
black horns chose to charge. But the Abyss Hound is a beast; caring
nothing from the start for a direct confrontation staked on pride, it instead
set its sights on the wounded crawling on the ground. The largest man among
them. Most likely, it thought to snatch that prey and run. But I won't let it.
“Kuh... Sorry, but I can't give you any food.”
Just before its fangs attacked him, I fed it my Shovel—though
it might not suit its taste. No matter how thick the fur and subcutaneous fat,
the inside of the mouth is soft. The Abyss Hound let out a scream like a
stray dog and backed off.
“Haa, haa, haa... I-I'm saved...”
“Thanks for the cover, Shovel Man over there!”
Shovel Man,
huh? Not a bad name. Glaring at the Abyss Hound, I pointed the blade of
my completely skewed talent, the Shovel, at it.
“Sigrun, was it? I'm bad with this type. I'll leave
it to you.”
“Yeah, leave it to me!”
The world is crawling with monsters. Leaving the wounded in my care, Sigrun leapt at the Abyss Hound
once more.
Unlike humans, four-legged creatures are hard to trap in
pitfalls. With this massive body, unless I could dig a hole much faster, it was
beyond my current ability.
Perhaps because the Abyss Hound was already weakened
from the clash with the subjugation team, Sigrun's dual-wielding style
was cornering it.
However, the dying beast ran from Sigrun once again.
Or rather, in a desperate attempt, it attacked the wounded over here.
“Sho-Man!”
“Stop with the weird nickname!”
The target was a scrawny wounded person. Since there was a
bit of distance from here, I instantly scraped the earth with my Shovel
and threw a clod of soil.
The giant black wolf flinched as mud got into its eyes. But
this is just a temporary measure;
just as Sigrun did, I charged at it too.
Judgment time. Sigrun's dual swords struck the neck,
and my Shovel smashed the beast's head, finally stopping the monster's
movement.
No, that wasn't all. The body of the Abyss Hound
crumbled away. Eventually, the ground where its corpse lay was scorched black,
and only a fang possessing the shine of obsidian remained.
The cursed world Abyss— it seems this is the fate awaiting the monsters that belong
to that place.
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