Kays Translations

Chapter 3: Vampire Goat

"What on earth, why is it near this village..."

Crouching low and hiding, I focused on the creature in my sight. It was a reptilian creature with spikes on its back resembling a stonefish, walking on two legs in a hunched posture. With its constantly moving eyes, sharp and pointed claws, and occasional "baa" sound.

After confirming its characteristics, I hide with my back against the hill, being careful not to make any noise.

“No doubt about it…”

"—A Vampire Goat…."

---'Vampire Goat,' a monster that attacks livestock and sucks their blood, but it becomes troublesome as it can also attack humans when hungry.

Moreover, it's quite formidable.

"It might have come out from the unexplored area."

"The chances are high... but it wasn’t here when we were kids, right?"

"Seems like it's a recent occurrence. What do we do?"

"Naturally, we kill it."

When a Vampire Goat appears, the Adventurer's Guild usually issues a subjugation request. It's not an opponent that ordinary people can handle. If the response is delayed, the prey targets could shift from livestock to humans, causing greater damage. With me and Rolo around, we won't let that happen this time.

"I've cast 'Night Vision' and 'Weapon Enhancement Enchant.'"

"Thanks. Well, let's do it as usual then."

"Yeah."

I'm the vanguard, Rolo is the middle guard.

Without a rear guard, Rolo should be able to move more easily than usual.

“It’s coming!”

I uttered a short phrase and kicked the ground. I estimated the distance to the Vampire Goat to be about ten steps, a short distance to close in for combat.

"Meee!"

Whether it was surprise, joy at the sight of prey, or both, the Vampire Goat noticed me and let out a cry, extending its sharp, tongue-like organ.

Don't underestimate the sudden blood-sucking behavior.

"Daraaaaa!"

Dodging the approaching blood-sucking tongue at the last moment, I swung the war mace toward its head with determination.

"Me... eee!?"

The Vampire Goat, which had tried to evade my strike, was unfortunately caught by Rolo's magic. Unable to execute a timely evasion, the steel mass I swung down touched the head of the Vampire Goat, crushing the bones while pushing the neck down. The head compacted with a crunch, and the Vampire Goat fell to the ground motionless.

"One-hit kill. Truly the ‘Heavenly Break Strike’"

"Don't mock me. Your assistance allows me to fight this sloppy way."

The magic 'Slow,' which slowed down the movement of the Vampire Goat, was a magic that Rolo excelled at. It's a low-level spell with a short effect, but according to him, it's something he can use with just a swing of his finger. I've never seen anyone else perform such a feat.

Back when we were in Silhasta, he used it according to the battle situation. It's clear how much Rolo contributed to the party. For someone like me, who fights with brute force, such magic significantly boosts my extermination power.

In addition, 'Night Vision' and 'Weapon Enhancement Enchant.' These nullify the disadvantages of nighttime combat and further enhance the power of my strikes. Albert used to mock Rolo as 'jack-of-all-trades, master of none,' but the way he skillfully uses various magic according to the situation is nothing short of masterful.

"Alright, subjugation complete. Well, it won't affect the adventurer credibility score since it's not a request."

"If we go to the dairy city, there's an Adventurer's Guild there. How about securing the proof of subjugation?"

"Sounds good."

I shaved off the longest needle on the Vampire Goat's neck with a knife and sprinkled oil on the corpse before setting it on fire. If left alone, the smell of blood could attract other monster creatures, and the burnt smell of monsters tends to keep other monsters away. This way, we can warn the villagers that there's a monster creature being burnt near Malhas.

"Will the villagers feel a bit more at ease now?"

"They'll probably be overjoyed!"

"Alright, then... take this to the village."

Handing the thorn, the proof of Vampire Goat subjugation, to Rolo, I gestured toward the direction with village lights.

"What about you, Jurg?"

"I'm having dinner. The soup might boil over."

Rolo sighed softly, pressing my extended hand that was still holding the thorn.

"Let's go together, Jurg."

"The soup..."

"Then, that too. Our dinner will be more luxurious."

Smiling, Rolo looked a bit scary. It was the face he made when he was a little angry.

"Hey, Rolo..."

"It's not allowed. You've always been clumsy in that regard. While everyone was looking at your flaws, I knew a lot of your good points."

In response to Rolo's words, I averted my eyes slightly. There aren't many people who evaluate me so straightforwardly. Truly, he's a precious friend who deserves better from me.

"You protected the village—Malhas today, Jurg."

"Yeah, I was able to contribute a bit."

"That's not it. You protected it with your will and your strength. That's why we should go together. Be proud that the once 'Rebellious' Jurg is now the Heavenly Break Strike Yulgh."

Whether I was being lectured or encouraged, maybe a bit of both. Well, I'm truly indebted to Lolo.

Even though I intended to leave "Silhasta" as a repayment, I ended up being pulled around by him again. Not being able to stand tall is precisely because of this. ...I have no choice but to resign myself to this.

"Yeah, got it."

"Good. If you still complain, I was ready to use 'Sleeping Mist‘ to drag you along."

"...Give me a break."

Smiling wryly, I looked up at the sky while hearing Rolo's words, whether they were a joke or not. The starry sky didn't look much different from the one in Advante.

...Come to think of it, I wonder how the folks from "Silhasta" are doing?

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