Chapter 76 – Kay's translations

Chapter 76: Easy Hunting

Since chatting while waiting for prey was out of the question, everyone looked bored, but only Lloyd and I kept watch around the baited horn boar, carefully searching for enemies.

The presence approaching us felt similar to the gray foxes we had hunted before. There seemed to be two of them, but since Lloyd hadn’t noticed yet, I stayed silent and observed.

When Lloyd let out a sharp “chit chit”—an imitation of a bird’s warning call—Dale and the others, who had been sprawled out lazily, quietly raised themselves and nocked arrows onto the bows they had set beside them.

Only four people could line up facing the bait, so we had opened four holes. Since we couldn’t see through them, we had hooked small broken twigs onto the holes as markers.

Listening through the holes where the twigs were hooked, they strained their ears for the sounds of approaching beasts.

I had told them I would float a light to make things visible, but they clearly didn’t trust it.

After a while, it seemed the prey had taken the bait, so I stood up and illuminated the area with light.

The brightness was about the level of a car’s low beam, but it clearly revealed two red foxes gnawing at the battered horn boar.

As the red foxes raised their heads toward the light, someone called out, “Franz and Luke, on the right!” At the same time, bowstrings twanged, and the foxes leapt into the air.

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The smaller one seemed to have been hit off its vital spot and tried to flee, but a second arrow flew, and it collapsed almost immediately.

“It’s a bit too bright, but that was an easy hunt.”

“Boring, sure, but it’s good money for a bit of work before bed.”

“Still, this hunting method only works because we’ve got a dome to protect us.”

“If we can hunt without struggling, it’s a relief not to worry about injuries.”

“That light—isn’t it everyday magic?”

“It is, but that’s the result of nine years of practice since my everyday magic manifested. I can even produce water up to about eighty percent of a wooden bucket.”

“No wonder. Listening to you, Leon, your approach to magic practice is completely different. Of course you’re a magic prodigy.”

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Since no larger prey appeared after the red foxes, we decided to sleep—staying up late is bad for the skin, after all.

Lack of sleep dulls awareness, and carelessness in the forest can be fatal.

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When Dale and the others woke up, they cheerfully remarked things like, “Camping without having to stand guard is so easy.”

Since there were concerns about the durability of Farana’s dome, we decided to have her show us her shield today and conduct a strength test.

If the shield became stronger, then shelters and domes should become stronger as well.

Lloyd led the way, while I took the rear, searching for horn boars.

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In a horn boar hunt I’d seen before, shields had been raised consecutively, which made it perfect for checking durability.

After taking down one elk and three orcs, we spotted a black bear while searching for a campsite.

I waited for Lloyd to notice it, then proposed to Dale that we hunt it while defending with shields.

“Got some idea in mind?”

“I want to check the strength of Farana’s shield. If it’s strong enough, we can safely use it for shelters and domes too.”

“Understood. You all heard him.”

“It’s nothing unusual.”

“Yeah, magic’s faster now, makes it easier to block. We’re counting on you.”

“Then I’ll prepare my bow.”

While we were talking casually, the black bear noticed us and began approaching.

Farana started raising shields along its path, but I instructed her to reduce the spacing between them.

The black bear let out a growl and charged toward us.

To support them, I used a dust-filled [Whirlwind!], herding it toward the shields.

Dale stood at the center of the crescent-shaped shields and roared, drawing the black bear’s attention.

Just before it reached the shields, arrows flew in from both sides, but it continued its charge and slammed into the shield, letting out a thunderous roar.

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Dale immediately thrust a short spear into its chest, and from the side, a Stone Lance flew in and pierced its belly.

Just like before, the well-coordinated teamwork ended the fight without danger.

While Dale and the others cleaned up, I checked the condition of the shield.

“What is it?”

“The black bear hit it, but it can withstand a horn boar’s charge, right?”

“Well… more or less.”

“Hm, isn’t this the same strength as a Stone Lance?”

“When I was taught Stone Lance, I was shown a magic-steel spear and told to make something thicker than that. For shields, I was taught that since they rise from the ground, thickness alone would be enough for defense.”

That made sense—breaking through a thick earthen wall or storehouse wall isn’t easy.

Since she needed to adjust her way of thinking a bit, I had her say ‘Return to sand’ as she released the mana from the shield.

With a solemn expression, she faced the shield and murmured, ‘Return to sand! Release.’
Unlike before, when it collapsed into chunks of earth, it crumbled into sand.

It seemed that putting things into words turned them into images, which then affected the magic.

It worked similarly for me, and this would allow us to improve the strength of Farana’s shelters and domes.

“From now on, when creating shields, shelters, or domes, do an internal chant like ‘become as hard as rock’ before saying shield or shelter. Once you’re used to it, you can go back to shortened chants.”

Leaving the existing shield intact, I had her create a new one beside it, and then had both attacked with Stone Lance.

Comparing the two, the one created after consciously thinking ‘become hard’ was clearly stronger.

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Marginas pondered as he read through the third report sent by Count Samiyul of Meroden.

“What is it, Marginas?”

“Apparently, the tornado over the Fleming Count’s estate in Berna has vanished. There’s testimony that on the very day the estate collapsed due to the tornado, an adventurer was escorted by knights to the count’s residence. The witness was a gate guard, who said he had been ordered to bring an adventurer named Leon to the estate if he ever saw him.”

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“And what of it?”

“Have you forgotten? The adventurer whose name triggered the conflict with the Warrens Trading Company and the arrest of Marquis Fleming was Leon. And now, Count Fleming himself has had that man brought to his estate.”

“Are you suggesting the destruction of the estate was his doing?”

“No. I was wondering why he was taken there in the first place. That matter shouldn’t have leaked outside. And I find it troubling that Count Fleming personally had that adventurer brought in.”

“Has Count Fleming been found?”

“Not yet.”

“It’s problematic that the count’s fate is unknown, but if the estate was completely destroyed, the man who was taken there is likely dead as well.”

The Fleming marquis family had been scheduled to be stripped of their titles and reduced to criminal slaves or executed. However, making the affair public could have undermined the authority of the nobility—and even the royal family.

For that reason, they were demoted to counts and confined to a viscount’s territory, making it appear as though their crimes were minor.

With the family head missing, it would be better to let the Fleming family quietly disappear than to search for relatives to inherit the title.

Having decided to advise His Majesty accordingly, Chancellor Brighton lost interest in Count Fleming. The destruction of the estate by a tornado no longer mattered to him.

When he asked the commander of the magic corps about the tornado, he was told it was a natural phenomenon and nothing could be said for certain.

After ordering Marginas to arrange a magistrate to be dispatched to the city of Berna—temporarily governed by Count Samiyul—he put the entire matter out of his mind.

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We returned to the city of Kreis and headed straight to the guild, then went to the dining hall.

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I left the submission of the prey to Dale and the others.

This time, there was more game than usual, and everyone headed to the butchering area with big smiles on their faces.

“Sebans, we went hunting with Leon, and besides beasts, we’ve got around forty birds too.”

“Oh, is that so? Then let’s head further in—by the way, where’s Leon?”

“He went off to drink some ale.”

“Tell him the sub-master is looking for him.”

“For Leon?”

“Apparently, after he brought in seven battle hawks the other day, a bunch of guys who want to become his patron have popped up.”

“So that kid’s swarmed with potential patrons?”

“He’ll probably turn them down.”

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“Yeah, he makes more money doing things his own way than being tied down by some half-baked patron.”

“Put the birds on this worktable. The beasts go beyond the pillar.”

Following the butcher Sebans’s instructions, they began stacking the birds on the table, starting with the Chikki-Chikki Birds.

As they added Runner Birds and Green Birds, he nodded.
“These are the ones Leon hunted by himself.”

They were all completely uninjured, every neck neatly snapped—clearly Leon’s work.

The beasts were lined up next as well, from gray wolves to black wolves, large and small red foxes, and finally a black bear.

When the high orcs and orcs were added, Sebans praised them, saying, “You’ve really improved your skills,” which made them shrug and give wry smiles.

After Dale received the guild cards, we were told to wait in the dining hall and were ushered out of the butchering area.

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After returning from the butchering area, Dale and the others lined up at the dining hall counter, grabbed ale and snacks, and settled at the table next to mine.

“Good work.”

“Yeah. Thanks to Leon this time, even the butchers said they’re getting better.”

“Every time we hunt with you, we improve, so it feels bad that we can’t properly thank you.”

“Apparently you’ve got a crowd of patron candidates lining up for you too.”

Thinking here too?, I was getting fed up when the butcher brought over the appraisal sheet.

After checking it, Dale handed it to me.