2-3 Part 1
The Strange Book Says to Complete Jobs at the
Adventurer's Guild
- Sigrun of the Black Horn -
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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