Chapter 220
Return
Translator : PolterGlast
About one month had passed since we returned from the Dungeon
City. During this time, I basically completed requests as a duo with Ginia,
while occasionally going out alone to subjugate the monsters on the wanted
posters. I had subjugated a total of five monsters from the wanted posters, and
thanks to that, we were able to earn a considerable amount of money. The
request fees were high, and the materials I obtained could be sold at a high
price. I had nothing but gratitude for the Guild Master who picked them out for
me.
There were fifteen wanted poster monsters remaining. Since I
had already defeated the ones relatively close by, I would likely have to
travel far and hunt them all at once from now on. According to the Guild Master, rumors that I was going
around defeating strong monsters in various regions were spreading, and
information on powerful monsters currently not grasped might also start
gathering. I had been worried about hunting them all down to extinction, but at
this rate, there seemed to be no need to worry about that. I intended to hunt
down monsters deemed dangerous without holding back.
Also... Aoi, who had been away from the front lines
for this past month, was finally coming back. I thought she would fully heal a
few days after coming back, but because her ligaments were damaged, her return
was delayed. Conversely, being able to return to the front lines in just one
month after injuring a ligament showed an abnormal recovery power, and the wand
I received from Salis that could use 【Heal】
also played a huge part. The amount recovered per use was minuscule, but it was
the embodiment of "many a little
makes a mickle".
I think it was a frustrating period for Aoi, but it
was also a period of great growth for Lia and the others. Thanks to her
giving them constant instruction, the three of them—Lia, Anne,
and Gree—were steadily gaining strength. As for Gree, he was
about strong enough to do some actual combat, so it might be a good idea to
take the little ones on a Goblin hunt in the near future.
While thinking about such things and waiting for Aoi
to make her long-awaited return, she came bounding down forcefully from the
second floor.
「Alriight! I'm completely healed!
I'll be participating starting today!」
「Don't overdo it. If you get injured
again, there's a possibility it'll become a habit.」
「It's fine! As long as I don't use 【Limit Release】, I won't sustain any injuries!」
「I'll support you as well, so let's
complete requests while getting you used to it at first.」
「Yeah! I want to go all out, but I'll
hold back! After all, we're going to the city of Klingark next week,
right? I absolutely hate being left behind!」
That's right. Starting next week, we are supposed to go to
the city of Klingark. It had been brought up before, but Miria
from the 【Crimson
Rose】 party is
scheduled to guide us to the orphanage. We also promised to complete requests
together while we're at it, so Aoi must definitely want to participate.
「Yeah. If you get injured, you'll be
house-sitting with Lia and the others, so don't be reckless for your own
sake.」
「I know! So, what request are we
taking today?」
「We've already accepted one since
yesterday. It's a subjugation request for a pack of Orcs that appeared
on the southern highway.」
「Orcs, huh... Since we fought the Kaonashi, they feel
lacking as opponents, but I guess they're just the right opponents for a
comeback match!」
「It's your first battle in a month,
so don't drop your guard even against Orcs.」
While advising Aoi like that, we headed toward the
southern highway where there were eyewitness reports of the Orc pack. It
is a highway that isn't used much, but since there are still people who use it,
we've been requested to subjugate them quickly. Since we hadn't grasped the
scale of the pack, we planned to not subjugate them immediately upon finding
them, but to let them roam and pinpoint their stronghold before wiping them
out. Orcs have monstrous reproductive capabilities, and their numbers
will only increase unless their stronghold is crushed. If we don't eradicate
them now at this timing when they were discovered early, it will become a
terrible situation later on.
While advancing and thinking about such things, we arrived
at the destination highway. At a glance, I couldn't confirm the figures of any Orcs,
and even probing the vicinity yielded no such reactions.
「Hmm... it should be here, but they
aren't around!」
「I tried probing nearby, but there's
no presence. Shall we advance a little further?」
「Why don't we wait here a little
longer? Your presence detection has a hard time picking up weak reactions, Graham-san...
and I have a feeling the Orcs are nearby.」
Since Ginia unusually offered her suggestion, I
decided to trust her words and stand by. Waiting on the southern highway while
exchanging idle chatter for about an hour. I detected something forcefully
approaching from the direction of the thick vegetation. Ginia and Aoi
seemed to have noticed as well, immediately readying their weapons.
「As expected of Ginia! They
came pretty fast!」
「So it was a pattern where they were
too weak to be detected. You saved me.」
「Not at all. More importantly, let's
brace ourselves. Please keep in mind—not to defeat them.」
「I know! We're letting them get away
on purpose, right? Let me handle this to commemorate my return!」
Saying that, Aoi charged toward the approaching Orcs.
Because the grass was deep, Aoi's figure disappeared, but thanks to the
screams of the Orcs, I was able to grasp her position immediately. After
going on a rampage for a while, Aoi returned making a V-sign. Looking at
this state, it seems there's no longer any need to worry about her injuries.
「I slammed paintballs with a strong
scent onto the Orcs I let escape on purpose! If we follow the scent and
the paint on the vegetation, I think we can reach the Orc stronghold!」
「Your movements had no issues, and it
looks like there's nothing to worry about. Can I leave the sweeping of the
stronghold to you too, Aoi?」
「Of course! I'm going to go on a
rampage to my heart's content to make up for the time I rested!」
Showing a huge smile while rolling her wrists, Aoi began to follow after the Orcs. The request was practically as good as accomplished, and Ginia and I could just wait here, but—. Let's go admire Aoi's heroic figure for the first time in a while.
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