We arrived in Dragunia and headed to the Amister embassy.
We needed to inform the ambassador to Valentia of our visit, and it was decided that all communication with the royal castle would be handled through the embassy. We were told to go there immediately upon arriving in Dragunia.
“We have been expecting you. We sincerely congratulate you on your safe arrival. And belatedly, congratulations on your marriage and engagement, H.R.H. Manalease, H.R.H. Yuriana.”
Upon arriving at the embassy, the ambassador, Rosalie Turkis, immediately came out with her staff and said those words.
Apparently, she is the sister of Duke Turkis, who rules Emosion.
Her succession rights are ranked fourteenth, but with such a low ranking, the possibility of her inheriting the throne is nonexistent.
In fact, those ranked eleventh or lower in succession cannot ascend to the throne unless their ranking is advanced.
Since Mana renounced her succession rights by marrying me, Rosalie’s succession ranking has moved up one place. However, Mana’s succession rights were not officially renounced but demoted in rank, making her the last in line.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you very much.”
“We welcome you all. Unfortunately, since your arrival date was not set, we do not have a banquet prepared, but we have made arrangements for your entertainment.”
They are well-prepared.
It’s true that for hunters like us, it’s difficult to predict when we’ll arrive in Dragunia. However, the fact that they are prepared suggests that they had a rough idea.
“You are very well-prepared. But thank you. Since it’s a special occasion, I will accept your invitation.”
“We are honored.”
And so, we were treated to hospitality at the embassy that evening and ended up staying the night.
This time, since we are also acting as emissaries from Amister, there’s no helping it. I just want to go back to my normal hunter life as soon as possible.
The next day, we were told that messengers had been sent to the Dragon King’s Castle the previous night, so a reply would likely come soon.
Therefore, Ed, Marina, and Fiana would remain at the embassy to continue their work, and Raus, who was down with acute magical power fluctuation syndrome, would stay behind with Rebecca, Carol, Yuria, and Apricot to be cared for.
As for us, we decided to go on a hunt.
Normally, we would want to visit Lidia and Ludia’s family home, but it’s highly possible their father would be absent if we showed up unannounced. So, we decided to stop by the Highwind family to inform them of our plans and visit the family tomorrow.
I have to keep Prim’s true identity as an Ancient Foxy a secret. In situations like this, I should really refrain from leaving the city. However, showing Emperor Reinhardt’s letter will solve some of our problems, though not entirely.
Mana or Yuri needs to accompany us as a guarantor. Mana is a hunter, and Yuri intends to join this hunt, so there are no issues.
Incidentally, Rika is also accompanying us on this hunt.
She mentioned that she wants to let loose while staying in Valentia, as she’s free from the duties of a Lord or Provincial Governor.
I don’t think she necessarily has to come on a hunt, but if she wants to, it’s fine.
And so, along with Prim, Mana, Yuri, Rika, Meena, Flam, Lidia, Ludia, Marisa, and Viola, I headed out to the wilderness that spreads beyond Dragunia.
“So, what kind of monsters are here?”
“Longnose Boar, Giant Buffalo, Grass Bee, Saber Liger, and also Goblins and Kobolds.”
Longnose Boar, if I recall correctly, are like elephants without ears.
Their size isn’t that significant, but their long noses are a nuisance, weren’t they?
Also, the Giant Buffalo is a buffalo with a massive body nearly 5 meters tall, and its horns are said to be powerful.
The Saber Liger should be a close relative of the Storm Liger we hunted in the Ideal Mountain Range, and it’s an S-rank monster.
Kobolds are demi-humans with dog-like faces and should be ranked the same as Orcs.
Their higher species are called Lycaon Kobolds, and their rare species are called Werewolf Kobolds. I think they should decide if they are dogs or wolves.
There’s nothing noteworthy about Goblins and Grass Bees.
“Are there no Drakes?”
“No. Since Mount Wilness is a sacred ground for Dragonians, Drakes don’t come close to this area.”
“Drakes are found in the Solpreza Mountain Range. There’s also a labyrinth, so in a way, it’s even more popular with hunters than Dragunia.”
The Solpreza Mountain Range, if I remember correctly, has a lake called Lake Amur deeper inside, and there’s a Treasure Tree there.
I’ve also heard there are Feather Drakes, so I’d like to go there if possible.
“Today’s hunt isn’t a full-fledged one, just a reconnaissance. Besides, Yuri and Rika are here, so we don’t need to go too far.”
“That’s right.”
I agree.
However, Longnose Boars are common in Valentia, and Giant Buffalos are said to be delicious for their rank, so I’d like to hunt them if possible.
“As if on cue, here they come. Look, that’s a Longnose Boar.”
Indeed, that’s it.
I thought they were elephants without ears, but it would have been better to call them boars with long noses.
These are C-rank monsters, aren’t they?
“They are C-rank. The ones that require caution around here are, as expected, the S-rank monster Saber Liger. With this group, it’s no problem.”
Well, it’s an S-rank monster now.
Still, if we let our guard down, we could get hurt, so we’ll be vigilant.
“There seem to be two Longnose Boars. That’s well within our ability to handle, so let’s have Yuri and Rika deal with them.”
“May I take on one of them with Flam?”
“I was planning to leave one to Spica, but this might be better. Then, Meena will draw its attention, and Flam and Breeze will attack.”
“Understood.”
So, one will be handled by Meena, Flam, and Breeze, and for the other, I will focus on defense, while Yuri, Rika, and Spica attack.
Now then, shall we begin the hunt?
“Hah!”
Meena deflected the Longnose Boar’s nose with her Silverio Shield and struck it with her Silverio Sword.
Infuriated by the gash on its face, the Longnose Boar charged at Meena, but Meena created a barrier using her Silverio Shield, Shielding, Earth magic, and Telekinetic Magic, and defended it firmly.
“Fuh!”
As the Longnose Boar, slightly dazed, collided with the barrier, Flam’s arrows pierced its eyes simultaneously, taking away its vision.
“Hee-hee-hee!”
Then, Breeze, Meena’s contracted beast, Battle Horse, charged in, cloaked in Earth magic.
The Longnose Boar, struck by Breeze’s charge, was flung away. Flam’s arrows pierced it again, and Meena delivered the finishing blow by driving her Silverio Sword into its head.
As for the other one, I blocked its attacks, and it was gradually becoming more agitated.
“Spica!”
“Brrr!”
At Mana’s signal, Spica unleashed an earthen spear created with Earth magic.
I’ve seen it fight a few times, but its accuracy is improving.
The earthen spear hit, and the Longnose Boar shrieked, but the Aqua Arrows of Lux, the water spirit contracted by Yuri, struck it directly.
“Seiyaaa!”
Then, Rika slashed its nose with her Lapis Light Rapier.
Then Spica charged in, enveloped in a giant earthen spear, ending the battle.
“Wow. That was surprisingly easy to defeat.”
“It’s because Yamato-kun drew its attack. If not, who knows what would have happened.”
“That’s right. I, and Lux too, are not very accustomed to combat, so there were times we didn’t know what to do.”
Lux, perched on Yuri’s shoulder, nodded in agreement.
Spirits cannot speak, but they can communicate with their contractors, so it’s convenient not to have to issue instructions one by one like with contracted beasts or summoned creatures.
However, they don’t listen to orders from anyone other than their contractors, so they can be inflexible.
“Meena and Flam, along with Breeze, have become quite adept.”
“Thanks to you, we managed.”
“I often team up with Meena-san.”
As I watch them, Meena and Flam were not in any danger.
Breeze also listens to Meena’s instructions well, so they don’t do anything reckless. Depending on the opponent, they might not even need support against C-rank monsters.
“Aside from Meena and Flam, Yuri and Rika still show signs of awkwardness. It’s understandable since they’re not used to it, but I think they could be a little more bold.”
“I think so too, but I can’t help but feel frightened.”
“There’s nothing for it but to get used to it.”
These are monsters not found in Amister, so it’s understandable.
“It’s also about gaining experience, so I don’t think there’s any need to rush.”
“Right. In that sense, Marisa and Viola are the same, so perhaps I’ll focus on supporting them today.”
Prim probably shouldn’t show herself fighting too much, so that would be better.
She’ll likely get stressed from not being able to fight at full strength for a while, but I’ll have to support her fully.
“Oh, it’s a Saber Liger this time.”
“Then, Ludia and I will try.”
“Be careful.”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
As the name suggests, the Saber Liger is a type of Liger whose fangs are long like swords.
It seems to be a size larger than the Storm Liger, and its physique also seems slightly different. Its fangs can be used as short swords or daggers and are monster materials that fetch a high price.
Weapons made from monster materials can withstand high-level magic depending on the Monster Rank, but they are more difficult to process than metal.
The Saber Liger is an S-rank monster, so it meets the conditions, but weapons made from monster materials tend to have a shorter lifespan than those made from metal.
Their magic strength and hardness are often above Magic Silver and below Adamantine Steel, and some can even rival Divine Metal, but their magic conductivity is always around Adamantine Steel or lower. Therefore, High Hunters and High Orders who own them usually do not use them for regular combat but as a trump card.
Oh, it’s spotted us, and the Saber Liger is rushing towards us.
Lidia and Ludia stood in front of the Saber Liger.
“Hah! Tah!”
Lidia parried the Saber Liger’s fangs with her Drag Breaker and then slashed its body with her Drag Sword.
The Saber Liger’s wound wasn’t deep, but it still retreated to put distance between itself and Lidia.
“I won’t let you escape! Seriyaaa!”
As if anticipating this, Ludia intercepted it and landed an uppercut to its face, sending the Saber Liger flying into the air.
Lidia followed up by striking it simultaneously with her Drag Sword and Drag Breaker, causing it to fall to the ground.
However, just before hitting the ground, Ludia’s Drag Raptor’s foot blade, which was waiting, bit into the Saber Liger’s neck.
This fight is over.
“As always, your combination is superb.”
“Just as expected from twins.”
The Saber Liger, with Ludia’s foot blade lodged in its neck, looks as though its head has been severed. Moreover, the wounds from Lidia’s twin swords are also clearly visible and deep, so it might have died from those alone.
“How was it?”
“It was an excellent coordinated effort. It was seamless to watch.”
“Thank you.”
Both Lidia and Ludia have evolved into Hydra Dragonewts, and their weapons are also made of Lapis Laz. It feels like they can handle most S-rank monsters.
In fact, they’ve even defeated a G-rank monster, the Heavy Shell Grizzly, in the Ideal Mountain Range.
“As expected, these are easy to use.”
Ludia flexed her arms and wrists, feeling the touch of the Drag Raptor.
Until now, her wrist was rigidly fixed, and it was attached on top of a gauntlet, which was absurd. It was also incredibly heavy.
In comparison, the Drag Raptor has her bare hand underneath the gauntlet, making it less than half the weight and instantly attachable with Ee-quipping.
Furthermore, since it’s made of Lapis Laz, she doesn’t have to worry about magical fatigue or deterioration, so it’s no wonder Ludia is so pleased.
“I understand how you feel. While multi-jointed swords tend to chip easily, this Lapis Whip Edge is fine.”
Mana also seemed pleased, holding the Lapis Whip Edge in her hand.
A multi-jointed sword has a blade divided into multiple segments, which can be used like a whip. Due to its structure, the blade tends to chip easily and is difficult to handle.
Foreign objects can get lodged between the segments, causing them to not connect properly.
Foreign objects are usually not subject to magical reinforcement, so they tend to shatter. However, when facing high-rank monsters, the blade itself might chip.
Moreover, for high-class individuals, the issues of magical fatigue and deterioration exist, making multi-jointed swords the shortest-lived among the many types of weapons.
Mana chose the multi-jointed sword because it can attack not only at close range but also at long range and can also bewilder opponents.
In reality, a whip does have such aspects, but it’s difficult to use when an opponent gets close, so a multi-jointed sword that can also be used as a sword is the best choice. However, for these reasons, the number of multi-jointed sword users is currently small.
But since Mana’s multi-jointed sword, the Lapis Whip Edge, is also made of Lapis Laz, it can regenerate even if the blade chips slightly, and it doesn’t cause magical fatigue or deterioration, so she doesn’t have to worry about its lifespan.
Its usability remains unchanged, and for Mana, who has been using a multi-jointed sword for many years, this is greatly appreciated.
“I understand how you feel. Oh, there’s a pack of Longnose Boars over there. Since we’re here, let’s hunt them.”
“Let’s do that. If I could be greedy, I’d want to hunt some Giant Buffalos too.”
“If they’re around, that is.”
The Longnose Boars that Prim spotted are more than ten in total.
They are a bit distant, but that should be no problem, and I’ll take down one myself.
