Side: Raus
After surviving a hunt in the Ideal Mountain Range that should have been fatal, we are heading to the Royal Capital in a Beast Carriage pulled by Mana’s Spica and Meena’s Breeze. Jade and Fluorite fought fiercely with Gryphons, and they even carried us down to the foot of the Ideal Mountain Range, so they are currently sleeping in the Beast Carriage.
“It’s wonderful to be alive…”
“What’s with the sudden burst?”
Yamato, who was sitting with me in the driver’s seat, seemed to have heard my murmur, but I couldn’t help but say something like that.
“If we were attacked by monsters of that rank, and in such numbers, we should have died! But not only did we survive, we wiped them all out. So of course I’d say something like that.”
That’s right. Under the Treasure Tree in the Ideal Mountain Range, we were attacked by monsters of an incredible quality and quantity. It was a situation where survival was impossible, but thanks to my Master, Yamato, and Prim, not only did they defeat them, but they also saved us with precise support. Because of them, we were able to return safely, not a single one of us missing.
That’s why I’m looking up at the sky, savoring the joy of being alive.
“All’s well that ends well, I suppose.”
“You remember that the process is being questioned because the outcome was so extraordinary, right?”
Yamato looked away when I said that. He definitely remembers and is aware of it.
Huh?
“Yamato-san, what is that up there?”
Immediately after Yamato shot me a glance, I saw something in my vision. Judging by its shape, it might be a Beast Carriage or something.
“That looks like… a Beast Carriage. Why is it there…? Calling Jade! Sorry, Jade! Raus, let’s go!”
“Eh?”
“That Beast Carriage is being attacked by bandits! We need to hurry!”
Bandits?! Here, so close to the Royal Capital? Why are there bandits?! No, no, I’ll think about that later! For now, I need to hurry and save the people being attacked!
“Prim, Raus and I are going to take down the bandits! I’m leaving the Beast Carriage to you!”
“Understood, be careful!”
With that, Yamato and I rode on Jade and hurried towards the Beast Carriage.
“I’ll use Nibelheim and go from the sky, so Raus, charge in while riding Jade. Jade, I’m counting on you.”
“Quaww!”
“Understood!”
With that, Yamato flew off from Jade’s back, activating the Engraving Magic called Fly Wind. To be able to fly without being a Winged Tribe member, my Master is truly reckless.
While riding Jade, I used Ee-quipping to wear my Armor Coat and readied my Lapis Light Sword and Lapis Light Shield. This is my first time fighting while riding a familiar, but Jade listens to my commands perfectly, so I think it will be alright.
“Jade, fire ice arrows and drive the bandits away from the Beast Carriage!”
“Quaww!”
Jade, as if understanding, immediately fired ice arrows.
“Wha?!”
“Are these arrows? No, it’s ice magic?!”
“Impossible?! Is there such a user wielding power like this in Amister?!”
“In Amister?” Those regular bandits wouldn’t say something like that… Looking closely, some of them look like typical bandits, but several are wearing proper armor. But now is not the time to be thinking about that!
I asked Jade to rush between the Beast Carriage and the bandits.
“Gah?!”
“A Hippogriff?!”
As we passed, I knocked one down with the flat of my sword and, with that momentum, jumped off Jade. I didn’t forget to use Physicaling and Mana Ring to cushion the impact of my landing. Ah, my magic from the Ideal Mountain Range battle hasn’t returned yet, so this is quite tough.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“A brat? You’re telling me a brat like this contracted with a Hippogriff?”
“That’s not important. We didn’t expect a Hippogriff here, but don’t forget our objective.”
“Even so, now that we’ve been seen, we have to eliminate that brat, don’t we?”
That’s true, but I have no intention of being defeated easily, and Yamato is preparing in the sky, so you have nowhere to run.
“Indeed. for the sake of our country, this woman is necessary. Since we’ve been seen, this brat has to die. That Hippogriff will also sell for a high price, so it will be a good temporary income as well.”
“The brat’s equipment looks rather good too.”
“Or rather, if you’re going to kill him, why don’t you give him to me? He has a cute face, so I think keeping him as a pet would be nice.”
“If that’s the case, lend him to me too.”
They’re saying whatever they please, but “our country” means they’re not from Amister, and they’re not bandits.
“Run…!”
“Eh?”
A voice came from inside the Beast Carriage, but they were safe.
“Those people… are knights from… Retisencia… They’ve taken me hostage…”
Knights from Retisencia? And a hostage? Has Retisencia started causing trouble for Amister again? Not just with Feel and the Trial Hearts, but doing something like this too. What kind of country is this!
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect you! It’s not just me here, Master is here too. So you will definitely be saved!”
I don’t know what kind of situation this girl is in, but she must never give up on living!
“Putting on a show. He’s even cuter now.”
“Boys like that make you want to break them, you know?”
The woman on the other side looked me over with a very unpleasant gaze. It’s making me feel sick.
“I’m not interested in old women!”
” “O-old woman!” ”
The word “old woman” froze the woman. Serves you right.
“Hahaha! You called me old woman. It’s true, I’m almost thirty, so I’m an old woman!”
“Shut up! I was trying to keep you alive, you brat!”
“I will never forgive you! I’ve dealt with you people so many times, and yet you speak like that! I won’t deal with you anymore!?”
“I can’t allow that. If I don’t return to the country, I can’t even go to the brothel.”
“Then, for that, let’s quickly finish off that brat and take the target.”
They might be joking, but I’ll never let them do that. I readied my Lapis Light Sword, preparing for battle. There are five of them in total, so it’s dangerous to charge in alone. However, I have to take the initiative, so there’s only one way.
“Jade, please!”
“Quaww!”
Relying on Jade, who is overwhelmingly stronger than me, is the most reliable option!
“Gah-fa!”
“Wh-what?! Geh-ha!!”
Jade can use more than just ice-attribute magic. It can also use wind-attribute magic. Moreover, its power and accuracy are higher than mine, so two men were blown away in an instant.
“Taaah!!”
They don’t seem to realize that the Hippogriff used wind-attribute magic, leaving a huge opening, so this is my chance! I ran with all my might and slashed with my Lapis Light Sword in a diagonal cut.
“Ah, ah…”
The woman, struck by the Lapis Light Sword, rolled her eyes, bled, and fell.
“Y-you brat!”
The remaining man swung his sword at me, but I firmly blocked the attack with my Lapis Light Shield. Ugh, it’s heavier than I thought!
“What is this shield?”
“Confirm it after we kill this brat!”
Damn it! Distracted by the attack, I took my eyes off the woman! She was wielding a spear and charged straight at me!
“Wha?!”
But the spear was cut in half before it could reach me.
“You’re too late, Yamato-san.”
“Don’t say that. You were doing better than I expected, so I just wanted to watch a little.”
Yamato, who indifferently brushed aside my complaint, cleanly sliced the woman down with the Azure Silver Sword – Pale Green. The wound was deeper than the one I inflicted on the other woman, but she’ll definitely die from that, right?
“I have no mercy for spies from Retisencia.”
Yamato really hates Retisencia, doesn’t he? I understand how he feels, so I won’t hold back either.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you.”
“Wh-what are you saying?”
“Instead, I’ll have you spill everything. Thoroughly, at the Order’s Guild.”
With that, Yamato struck the last remaining man with the Engraving Magic called Shock Flow, knocking him unconscious, and then bound him with Lightning Band, Engraving Magic, and Knight Magic Arresting. I’ve seen Lightning Band before; it inflicts the shock of fire or lightning attribute magic if you struggle, so you can’t escape easily. It seems to be reinforced with Arresting, so if they escaped from this, they’d deserve praise.
“Their average level was 38. How could they talk so big with that?”
“No, even so, it’s higher than the average of Helios Orb. Besides, they are knights from Retisencia, so that’s the minimum, isn’t it?”
The highest level was a level 42 Human, but that was the woman I cut down, and she hadn’t even evolved yet, so I was able to manage her.
“Well, rather than that, we need to rescue the people inside the Beast Carriage.”
“Let’s do that.”
The voices from inside sounded quite pained, so there’s a possibility they’re injured. I quickly open the Beast Carriage door, but inside were a human girl who appeared to be a noble, and three people who seemed to be guards, all bleeding and collapsed.
“This is bad. Jade, hurry back and call everyone.”
“Quaww!”
At Yamato’s command, Jade flew towards our Beast Carriage. Prim and Rebecca can use healing magic, so they should be able to provide first aid.
“Examining… These three are dead, but the girl is still breathing.”
Yamato used his magic eye magic, Examining, to check on the fallen people. The guards were no good. It might be good that the girl is still alive, but her wounds look deep, so we need to use healing magic quickly…
“Aiding. This should stop the bleeding and ease the pain, so she should hold on until Prim and the others arrive.”
I’ve never seen the Knight Magic Aiding before. It can’t heal wounds, but it can stop bleeding and relieve pain, so it’s sufficient for first aid.
“Th-thank you…”
“You don’t need to talk. Our allies who can use healing magic will be here soon, so it’s best to stay quiet until then.”
“Y-yes…”
The girl lost consciousness, but her sleeping face looked peaceful, perhaps because the pain had subsided.
“You’re here. What’s wrong?”
After a while, Prim and the others arrived.
“Ah, I’ll tell you the details later, but the girl inside is severely injured. I’m sorry, but please use High Healing and Blood Healing.”
“Severely injured? Understood, I’ll go right away.”
Yamato, who can use Celestial Magic and Magic Eye magic, entered the Beast Carriage to support Prim with Examining, while Prim used High Healing and Blood Healing.
“Raus, what happened?”
“This Beast Carriage was attacked by knights from Retisencia.”
“Retisencia? So close to the Royal Capital?”
That’s what I question too, but they seemed to be after the girl in this Beast Carriage, and Yamato is confirming it with the Library, so it’s certain.
“That country really never learns.”
“Really. But the problem is that knights from Retisencia have come this close to the Royal Capital.”
“That’s true, but we recently captured the ambassador and notified them of their execution, didn’t we?”
Wasn’t that on the same day as the princess?
“Not only the princess but the ambassador as well are to be executed, so messengers are coming using Wyverns. They had quite a number of escorts, so perhaps those knights from Retisencia are escorts for the messengers?”
Escorts for the messengers kidnapping a noble girl from Amister? That’s a huge problem, isn’t it?
“Mana-sama, is that a big problem?”
“It’s a big problem. I’ve never heard of escorts for messengers doing whatever they please. If such a thing were allowed, there would be no order or anything.”
Right. In that case, has Retisencia tightened the noose around its own neck again?
“I’m done. The treatment is finished.”
“How was it?”
As we were talking, Yamato and Prim emerged from the Beast Carriage. Yamato was holding the girl, but she was likely still asleep.
“My High Healing couldn’t completely heal her, but Yamato confirmed with Blood Healing that the bleeding was managed, so I think the Healer’s Guild will take care of the rest.”
That’s good.
“That’s good, but why was this girl targeted?”
“She seems to be a noble, but that alone wouldn’t be a reason to target her, would it?”
Lydia and Ludia seem to be wondering the same thing as me. Nobles aren’t rare, but they aren’t scarce either, so the reason to target this girl specifically near the Royal Capital is weak. If being a noble was enough, there would be no need to come to the Royal Capital.
“Wait a minute. Isn’t that girl the daughter of Count Bernstein?”
“Count Bernstein? Isn’t that border with Retisencia?”
“Yes. I see, so that’s how it is. You’re quite something, Retisencia.”
Wow, Mana-sama is really angry. I still don’t quite understand, but Yamato, Prim, and Lydia seem to get it and are quite angry. It’s good to be angry, but please control your magic power.
“In any case, that girl is an important witness, so we need to provide her with proper guards. Once we return to the Royal Capital, we must immediately request it from the Order’s Guild.”
Not just treatment, but guards too. It seems like a much bigger problem than I thought.
Yamato stored the Beast Carriage the girl was riding in his Storage, and the girl herself was placed in a guest room with tight security as we returned to the Royal Capital. At the gate, we explained the situation to the Order and requested guards and healers, and they said they would inform us of the outcome later.
Side: Yamato
After a bit of trouble, we safely returned to the Royal Capital and headed straight for the Hunter’s Guild. While we needed to sell the monsters we hunted, our primary objective was for Lydia and Ludia to complete their rank-up procedures.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Before I guide you to the appraisal room, may I see your licenses?”
However, we are not at the Guild reception. We are in the Head Hunter’s Master’s room. And the elf woman, Sierra Kumon, the Head Hunter’s Master who oversees Amister’s Hunter’s Guild, is holding her head in her hands upon seeing our licenses. She’s a level 53 High Elf and reportedly a disciple of the Grand Hunter’s Master.
“I’m sorry, may I ask a question?”
“What is it?”
“I have received a letter from Feel’s Hunter’s Master regarding you, so I will set that aside for now. But H.R.H. Manalease and the others, why have your levels risen so quickly? And these Dragonewts, they’ve even evolved into High Class…”
I honestly tell them we went to the Treasure Tree in the Ideal Mountain Range and hunted a large number of monsters.
“…You went that far. And you’re all safe… No, with two irregular Ancient Classes, it might not be unthinkable…”
Sierra already knows that Prim is an Ancient Foxy and that she and I singly defeated a Demise Species. In fact, she heard it directly during the report. The Grand Hunter’s Master was present, but since the Hunter’s Guild Headquarters is in Alegria, it was natural for Sierra, the Head Hunter’s Master in charge of Amister’s hunters, to be summoned. The Head Trader’s Master, Head Butler’s Master, and Head Priest’s Master were also called.
Since there are too many circumstances that cannot be revealed publicly, Sierra has taken charge of our matters while we are in the Royal Capital.
“It’s not like I had a choice, but…”
She said that, but since we cannot inform other staff members, they’ll just have to accept it.
“Questing… why are you all alive?”
Sierra asks the members other than myself and Prim, with tired eyes.
“I completely understand how you feel, but it’s also understandable that expecting common sense from these two is the wrong approach.”
The members nod vigorously. Who is lacking common sense?!
“Rock Boar, Feather Drake, Killer Wasp – setting those aside, Storm Liger, Cyclone Liger, Sky Serpent, Heavy Shell Grizzly, Spike Turtle, Winger Drake. Defeating even one of these is a supreme challenge, and to top it off, Tempest Liger, Stormbolt Panther, and even a Gryphon… This lineup is one where not only survival but even escape is impossible, wouldn’t you say?”
“That is a valid question, and we feel the same, but…”
“These two supported us while fighting these monsters. Moreover, when we were in danger, they immediately followed up, so I didn’t feel all that much danger.”
Ludia muttered, “I did once seriously prepare for death, though.” I’m really sorry…
“Is it because they’re not called Grand Hunter’s Master for nothing in defeating a Demise Species? Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s rare to obtain so many monsters of this caliber.”
“Regarding that, there are quite a few monsters I want to use myself, and the Gryphon, in particular, is rare, so I intend to keep them all.”
Gryphons are M-rank monsters, making them stronger than some Catastrophe Species. Furthermore, they are known for their high difficulty in subjugation due to their ability to fly freely, making them harder to defeat than many A-rank monsters. Although they are surprisingly weak and thus ranked M, they are in no way comparable to G-rank or P-rank monsters. In essence, they could be considered A-rank monsters. Additionally, now that we have a Hippogryph as a familiar, Hunting Hippogriffs is something we would resist. However, a Gryphon, while a creature similar to a Hippogryph, is not a Hippogryph. And since it attacked us from the outset with the intent to devour us, I have no qualms about using it for materials.
“Indeed, Gryphons are rare, as the last one brought to the Guild was nearly fifty years ago, but can’t you sell at least one?”
Gryphons, as well as the Magic Stones of Tempest Liger and Stormbolt Panther, will be offered to His Majesty. The extraction of those Magic Stones is done by monster disassemblers dispatched from the Crafter’s Guild. Therefore, the fact that a Gryphon was hunted will surely reach the Crafter’s Guild, and more importantly, Ed’s parents. I already have the burden of only being able to give them one Azure Silver Sword, and since we hunted three Gryphons, I suppose it’s fine to sell one.
“Then, just one. However, we also want the Anomalous Species, and I want to secure three of the other monsters each. Oh, and the Winger Drake is our main objective, so that’s a no.”
“The Anomalous Species was also something we wanted, but we haven’t seen other monsters for several years, and you said you’d hunt the Winger Drake at Amagi Castle as well.”
With that, we can also make coats for Marisa and Viola. Marisa and Viola, dispatched from the Butler’s Guild as attendants to Mana and Yuri, are contracted to continue as their personal maids. Although their wages are paid from the Union funds, Mana and Yuri are princesses, so having attendants is natural, and I have no problem with it. Furthermore, we received a considerable amount of prize money at the recent conferment ceremony, so two butlers are affordable. Therefore, Marisa and Viola are also joining the Union, and their contracts will be formally finalized tomorrow, so I will have to visit the Butler’s Guild once. For this reason, I intended to tailor armor coats for both of them, but with Mana’s armor coat, our stock of Winger Drake is running low, so it was imperative to hunt Winger Drake quickly. After all, only scraps remained, enough for little more than patchwork, so the urgency was high for me. Therefore, tomorrow, before visiting the Butler’s Guild, I intend to stop by the Crafter’s Guild and submit the dismemberment request. Today, I want everyone to rest, so I’ll return to Amagi Castle immediately after finishing.
“Then let’s go to the Tenth Appraisal Room. We need to appraise the items for sale, and we also need to extract the Magic Stones to be presented to His Majesty. Oh, and you will present the Magic Stones of the Anomalous Species and the Gryphon to His Majesty.”
“Yes? Me?”
Sierra suddenly told me this, but shouldn’t the Hunter’s Guild normally be the one to present them?
“How would you explain how you obtained such Magic Stones? If it were other hunters, it might be different, but if it’s you, I can’t explain it.”
She completely dumped it on me. Everyone else seems to agree, so I have no choice but to present the Magic Stones to His Majesty. Incidentally, the Gryphon sold to the Hunter’s Guild, after being taken to the Trader’s Guild, sold out in no time. Nobles, as well as High Hunters, eagerly bought them up as rare and excellent materials. If they knew I had two more, I’d be scared they’d come after me.
