Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter Ten: As the Heir of a Knightly House
Mireille had no choice but to concede.
Ren’s actions the previous night could not be ignored. As his mother, she might still have forbidden him from entering the forest, but once he invoked the duties of a knight, she could no longer do so–even if those words came from a boy who was still only the heir of a knightly house.
She did, however, firmly warn him not to overdo it.
His permitted range extended no farther than a thirty-minute walk beyond the bridge. He also promised to return to the village immediately if he sensed anything unusual and to be home before evening.
“I wonder if they’re still there… Oh, good. They are.”
Ren had just crossed the bridge leading into the forest.
He had come to retrieve the two Little Boar carcasses he had left behind.
“Actually, it would’ve been a problem if they were gone.”
No villager would have carried them away. If they had disappeared, the likeliest explanation would have been that another monster had eaten them–and under the present circumstances, Ren could easily imagine the Thief Wolfen being responsible.
“Now then…”
How was he supposed to carry them?
Mireille had told him to bring them back even though the meat had probably spoiled. The bones and pelts would still fetch a little money.
“Wait. I should be able to lift them.”
Now that he thought about it, his current body was reasonably strong. He had Physical Ability Boost (Minor), after all.
“Whoa… It’s light!”
He hoisted one of the Little Boars across his shoulders without much effort. Its animal stench assaulted his nose, but that could not be helped.
As he grimaced, something warm flowed from the carcass’s chest.
“Huh…?”
At first Ren thought it was blood, but it was not.
Startled, he dropped the carcass. Glowing particles, almost like a tiny aurora, drifted from its chest toward his arm.
(Could it be…?)
Ren hurriedly removed his leather guard and looked at the bracelet.
———-
Ren Ashton
[Job] Eldest Son of House Ashton
[Skills]
– Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0)
– Magic Sword Summoning Technique (Level 2: 58/1000)
Gain proficiency by using summoned magic swords.
Level 1: Can summon one magic sword.
Level 2: Gains Physical Ability Boost (Minor) while a magic sword is summoned.
Level 3: Can summon two magic swords.
Level 4: *****************************
[Acquired Magic Swords]
– Wooden Magic Sword (Level 1: 2/100)
Allows attacks comparable to Nature Magic (Minor).
The effective range of its attacks expands as its level rises.
– Iron Magic Sword (Unlock conditions: Magic Sword Summoning Technique Level 2 and Wooden Magic Sword Level 2)
———-
Both the Magic Sword Summoning Technique and the Wooden Magic Sword had gained two proficiency points.
“So I was right… It has to be a magic stone from a monster I defeated myself.”
It was difficult to rejoice when his theory had been confirmed under such circumstances. He would rather have entered the forest with Roy while his father was healthy and discovered it after defeating a Little Boar under Roy’s watchful eye.
Even so, a trace of satisfaction mingled with Ren’s sigh as he lifted the carcass again.
“I should test the Wooden Magic Sword properly soon.”
Now that he was allowed into the forest, he wanted to examine every ability at his disposal. He had been unable to do so while confined to the manor, but that was no longer the case.
For today, however, he was returning home. The real test would begin tomorrow.
The thought made his expression grow serious.
* * * *
Ren awoke earlier than usual the next morning.
His mind and body seemed charged with excitement now that the real work was about to begin.
The baron’s reinforcements were expected in eight days. After confirming with Mireille that they only had to endure until then, Ren ate breakfast, left the manor as usual, and–instead of taking his usual walk–headed straight for the forest.
“You can tell which way you’re going by looking for Tsurugi Rock.”
That had been Mireille’s helpful advice before he departed.
Tsurugi Rock was the enormous stone formation Roy had once described, a great rock rising like a sword. It lay roughly an hour and a half into the forest.
“Hard to see anything…”
Morning mist veiled the trees.
It would probably clear before long, but Ren had never entered a real forest even in his previous life. The unfamiliar surroundings were enough to leave him wondering where to begin.
Fortunately, his objective was simple.
“I only need to hunt within thirty minutes of the bridge.”
He steeled himself and stepped beneath the trees.
Branches swayed overhead and leaves rustled against one another. Apart from the birds, the only sound was the nearby river.
After several minutes, the mist began to thin–or perhaps Ren’s eyes were simply adjusting. Either way, walking became much easier.
“Ugh…”
His foot sank into a patch of mud, and filthy water seeped into his shoe. The unpleasant sensation made his cheek twitch.
A little over ten minutes later, the mist had completely lifted.
At about the same time, Ren noticed a clump of grass trembling near a distant tree. The movement was too localized to have been caused by the wind.
He narrowed his eyes.
The grass suddenly shook violently, and a mud-covered Little Boar burst from it.
“Brwooo!”
“Again with the sudden attacks…!”
Wild animals were said to be cautious, but this Little Boar showed no such restraint. Monsters should not necessarily be judged by the habits of ordinary animals, yet Ren had not expected it to charge him so boldly.
Unlike the previous night, it attacked alone and without hesitation.
“Well…”
A small child probably looked like an easy meal.
Ren had no intention of becoming one. Fortified by his experience the night before, he raised the Wooden Magic Sword without fear as the Little Boar rushed him.
“Brwah!?”
He brought the sword down sharply on its skull.
Even after the creature collapsed, Ren remained alert for several seconds. Only after confirming that it no longer moved did he approach, crouch beside it, and release a breath.
“My first fight of the day ended rather quickly.”
He lifted the carcass onto his shoulder.
As before, warmth flowed from its chest. Ren checked the bracelet and saw that both the Magic Sword Summoning Technique and the Wooden Magic Sword had gained one proficiency point.
“Mireille did say the magic stones had become unusable.”
When he brought the previous Little Boars home, Mireille had discovered that their magic stones were empty.
A magic stone was a crystal of power that grew alongside the monster that possessed it. Once that power vanished, the stone became milky and translucent, leaving it worthless as merchandise.
Mireille had found the change strange.
“I don’t need to worry about that from today onward.”
They had agreed that Ren could keep the magic stones. Little Boar stones were not especially valuable, so Mireille had readily consented. She had merely lamented that he seemed to have inherited Roy’s fondness for them.
“The real problem is this…”
He could not fight while carrying a carcass, but leaving it where another monster might find it also felt wrong.
“I’ll have to take each one back to the bridge.”
It would be tedious to repeat the trip after every kill, but he could think of no better solution. With a reluctant sigh, he turned back.
“Oh, come on…”
As though they had been waiting for him to become encumbered, two more Little Boars appeared.
He could simply have set down the carcass, yet the monsters seemed convinced they had caught him helpless.
“Fine by me.”
Ren hurled the Little Boar on his shoulder at the newcomers.
Both monsters flinched. He used that instant to close the distance and easily crushed the first one’s skull. The second finally recognized the danger, backed away, and fled.
(If only I had some way to attack from a distance…)
Then Ren remembered.
“I do.”
He had intended to test the ability attached to the Wooden Magic Sword–Nature Magic (Minor), which was probably the weapon’s true strength.
He had never used magic before, however, and did not know how to activate it. Ren recalled the nature magic employed by elves in the game: roots and vines that bound their enemies.
Nothing happened.
Wondering whether some trigger was required, he swung the Wooden Magic Sword toward the fleeing Little Boar.
“Brwo!?”
Green motes scattered from the blade and drifted to the ground.
Thick roots erupted from the soil and wound around the fleeing monster, binding it with ease.
“Oh!”
When Ren approached to finish it, he found that the Little Boar was already close to death. The roots constricting its body were far stronger than he had expected.
“That’s… impressive.”
To spare the creature needless suffering, Ren raised the Wooden Magic Sword and struck its skull.
After confirming its death, he gathered all three Little Boars and carried them toward the bridge.