Chapter 3 - Unicorn hunting
Chapter 3 - Unicorn hunting
Credit :
Translator : Blightscarlett, Cnine
Proofreader : Cnine,
Editor : SenjiQ, Gilly
BTW, I’ve prepared two teaser for something that I might considered to become a main project, One is Yandere themed WN and another is NTR themed WN. Look forward for it.
Enjoy~~!
I learned that slavery existed in this world from my parent"s conversations.
Some slaves were affected by obedience magic; they couldn"t betray nor defy their masters.
It appeared that slaves were considerably expensive to maintain.
Moreover, there were also something like maintenance costs attatched– or, rather, food expenses.
Although my parents were the so-called "lords" of the small, rural town, they didn"t own any slaves.
Well&h.e.l.lip; both of my parents could use true magic, so rather than buying slaves they enslaved magical creatures.
They made magical creatures resembling small golems with《Stone Servant》magic; when my mother was shopping, she even made them just to carry her luggage.
Unfortunately, I did not have any talent for true magic and couldn"t even make magical creatures.
In addition, unless they were created for that purpose, most magical creatures couldn"t talk.
As I thought, I really wanted a beastman slave&h.e.l.lip; or, maybe a demi-human. Even a human would be fine.
I wanted slaves that absolutely wouldn"t betray me.
&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;although, it was definitely not because I"m a so-called lonely person.
Anyway, before I bought a slave, I would need beds for them to stay in.
Money.
I needed money.
Naturally, the pocket money that I received from my parents was insufficient for my goals.
Therefore, I made a plan.
◆◆◆
One month had pa.s.sed since I started to communicate with the spirits.
I decided to carry out my plan soon: to hunt wild animals and possibly monsters in the prairie across the mountains.
If I was able to borrow the power of the spirits, then perhaps it was also possible for me to hunt monsters. [TL2 : Monster Hunter?] (ED2: Does he look like he"s swinging a bone sword?!)
Then, by selling the raw material and meat in the neighbouring town, I could exchange it for a suitable reward.
With that money, I could prepare furniture and purchase slaves.
I, someone who despised the garbage known as "human beings", actually didn"t want to go to a town that was swarming with humans&h.e.l.lip; but it couldn"t be helped.
Since I lived in a small town, it was hard to exchange the monsters and animals that I hunted for money.
Furthermore, it would make me stand out.
「He was a 10-years-old kid that couldn"t use true magic! His archery wasn"t flattering either; how could he hunt?」
Questions like that would be raised.
I couldn"t say that it was because I used the spirit"s power.
Though there was the oath with my parents, even without that promise just saying the name of the spirits was a taboo in the village that I lived in.
If it became known that I could see the appearance of the spirits, hear their voices, and borrow their power, I had a hunch that it would only bring misfortune.
Therefore, I made my way as far as the neighbouring town.
If there was no one that knew about me, maybe they would believe me if I said that I hunted with true magic.
Amongst talented humans, there seemed to be people who could use it before they were even 10-years-old.
I didn"t have any expectations from my parents, and was left to do individual training by myself&h.e.l.lip; as usual.
I didn"t have any friends in the human town either; n.o.body was concerned with me.
It was very convenient when I stealthily snuck out of the town.
After I walked to the forest, I jumped and flew with the power of the wind spirits.
Just to be sure that no one would see me, I borrowed the sylph"s power and invoked 《Cloak of Hidden Figure》.
I flew in the sky, and crossed the mountains and valleys; I continued to do so till I was flying over the great prairie.
Could it perhaps be that this great prairie was a region unexplored by humanity?.
I couldn"t see the shadow of a single person in the great prairie.
Even so, I thought that it was not all that strange. It could be said that it was a frontier from the perspective of the rural town. Furthermore, no one had came to this place since they couldn"t have easily pa.s.sed through the deep valleys and steep mountains.
On the other hand, I pa.s.sed through the mountains everyday. I"m sure that it was called the Albas mountain range. [TL2 : Arubasu→アルバス, have a better name, I originally though it was "Alps"]
A warlike race resided at the bottom of the mountain.
As for me, who flew in the sky and pa.s.sed over the steep mountain and deep valley, I had nothing to do with that savage, warlike race.
As expected, there were still no signs of human beings here. Instead, various wild animals resided in the great prairie– monster-like animals as well.
It might have been convenient to look for deer, but any big game would do if it was possible to hunt it. In this case, the big game wasn"t just something with a huge body– the size didn"t matter, so long as it would give me a lot of money. (TL: help please) [TL2 : Help wanted→ (もちろん、ここでいう大物とは、身体のデカさではなく、大金で引き取ってもらえそうなという意味だ。)]
While flying, I continued to look for big game or any groups of animals.
However, rather than animals, I sought out monsters.
Thanks to that, I discovered my target after only flying for an one hour.
I saw many horses with horns growing from their foreheads in the prairie.
It was the so-called One Horned Beast, a [Unicorn].
I had, indirectly, listened to my parents talk about the unicorn"s horn. It seemed to be sold at extremely high prices.
I heard that its effect was capable of curing both wounds and illnesses in an instant.
When speaking about standard items that appeared in fantasy stories, Unicorn Horns were a common item.
This time, I only discovered two unicorns.
I thought that they had strayed from the herd.
I would hunt them no matter what, anyway.
This 《Concealment》 was extremely convenient.
It was not only hiding my appearance; it was also erasing the sound when I spoke and my odour. (ED2: &h.e.l.lip;take a bath, Ash&h.e.l.lip;)
I flew at a low alt.i.tude, approaching until the distance from myself to the target was only 30 meters.
That was because the effective range of《Wind Spirit Arrow》was 30 meters.
If I wanted longer range, I could fire《Salamander"s Breath》 with an effective range of 100 metres by combining several spirits of fire into one Salamander. [TL2 : Fire Lizard here written as "Hitokage[火蜥蜴]" which also means salamander][TL2 : He really said "Gattai"]
Although, I could not use it in that place because flame spirits were not present in abundance.
Instead, there were numerous earth and wind spirits in the great prairie.
Earth spirits, on the other hand, had 《Stone Blast》 which had considerable fire power. Unfortunately, the range was extremely short.
I could probably make a《Stone Blast》suddenly spring up like a stone thrown from the ground&h.e.l.lip; but if I was careless it might accidentally kill a unicorn.
In that situation, the special training I underwent over the last month would be wasted.
I did a certain special training to obtain the horn, potentially without killing the unicorn.
「If it"s from this distance, will the 《Wind Spirit Arrow》reach it?」
I asked the Sylph that revolved around my face amongst the wind spirits. (TL: Sylph - pretty much indicate wind spirit. He (I a.s.sume) name their race Sylphs or categorize them.)[TL2 : she will known as Syl later]
「Yeah. However, Ash-kun, you can"t use the《Wind Spirit Arrow》right now.」
「Eh, Why?」
「On top of using《Wings of Wind》and《Cloak of Hidden Figure》 simultaneously, going as far as using《Wind Spirit Arrow》 on top of that is impossible. Even if Ash-kun is a genius, three simultaneous invocations is impossible! Impossible! IT"S IMPOSSIBLE, you know!」
「Ah, I see.」
Though it was only matter of practice, till now I was only succesfully able to do 2 simultaneous invocations.
I dissolved《Wings of Wind》 and then descended to the ground. (TL: hmm should I call it wind wings?)[TL2 : keep it as wings of wind]
I was worried that the unicorns might escape, so I kept the 《Cloak of Hidden Figure》 active till the end.
「Yosh&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;now, use the 《Wind Spirit Arrow・Revised》!」
「Everyone, Let"s combine, Nano」[TL2 : during this time what appear in my mind is Megazord]
「「「「「O~~~~~~~~h!」」」」」
Just like that, the wind spirits floated in the air, each one of them grasped both feet with their hands and became like arrows. [TL2 : they become like this [←] ]
The nine bodies of wind spirits resembled a ladder&h.e.l.lip; no, it completely resembled a spear.
I decided to aim at one of the unicorn.
「GO!」[TL2 : in English]
「「「「「「OK!!!!!!!!!」」」」」」[TL2 : also in English]
I shouted and pointed with my finger, and the wind spirits went flying at terrifying speed; their bodies became a lance as they shouted. (TL: *sniff* my failure in physic&h.e.l.lip;)[TL2 : did it have to do with Lance?]
Following my aim they hit its body—– just kidding, the wind spirits only pierced the base of the horn.
Furthermore, I joined my index finger and middle finger together, while moving them quickly.
As a result the other unicorn horn broke from its base.
When I joined my fingers together, the spear made of Wind Spirits changed their course, and went toward the other unicorn.
Without missing my aim, it succeed in breaking the 2 horns from the base of the forehead.
The unicorn horn was extremely strong and durable, like my father said.
Well, breaking it would be a difficult job if I was only using a normal 《Wind Spirit Arrow》.
I thought about the issue, and the result that came during special training with the wind spirits was the 《Wind Spirit Arrow ・Revised》.
It was an attack of nearly 10 wind spirits in the form of a lance. Depending on the situation, that power could still be increased at alarming rate.
By the way, this so-called arrow closely resembled a spear. It was troubling whether to name it《Sylph Javelin》 or not.
The reason was because it was derived from an ordinary Javelin, but its power and accuracy were greatly different.
Since it was perfect for throwing, it was no different than the usual Javelin. Only, it could do multiple attacks at once.
However, it was strange.
Despite only breaking the horn, the two unicorns fell down and collapsed on the spot.
Why&h.e.l.lip;?
Because I did not want to meaninglessly kill, as much as it was possible, I just broke their horn without injuring their body.
Because I only wanted the horn and didn"t particularly need the meat, I only broke the horn and tried not to kill it.
&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;although, it was not as expected.
The wind spirits approached the unicorn, and eventually one of them shouted.
「&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;D-&h.e.l.lip; ..Dead!」
Huh?
It looked like the unicorns in this world would die when their horns were broken.
I didn"t know that.
&h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip; &h.e.l.lip;
Yeah&h.e.l.lip; since I didn"t know that, it couldn"t be helped.
Forgive me, Unicorns.
I somewhat regretted my actions, but, well&h.e.l.lip; I thought that it was not all that different from killing a horse or deer by hunting.
Maybe someday I will kill an animal while hunting&h.e.l.lip; no, it just happened some minutes ago, but it was just too early to call myself a hunter.
My month of special training was just completely wasted.
No, wait. I managed to acquire a powerful Spirit Magic art, the so-called 《Sylph Javelin》 or 《Wind Spirit Arrow ・ Revised》.
So maybe it was not completely wasted.
◆◆◆
I continued to fly and headed toward the fabled Fortress City, Kare.
It was a flourishing town with a population exceeding 5 digits, making it an important figure in the Runreshia Kingdom.
I had never been to the capital nor any city, and the rural town in which I born and raised was incomparable to either. Of course, that also included visiting the Fortress City Kare.
I earnestly continued to fly in the direction that I had learned from my father beforehand.
Although I carried two unicorn horns, thanks to the Sylph"s a.s.sistance it was not particularly heavy at all.
Eventually, I saw the Fortress City Kare which I had heard about in stories.
There were steep mountain paths and a river in between; though it would take around 10 days to walk that distance, I only needed around 2 hours of flying in the air.
It was overwhelmed with humans, Fortress City Kare was a city that was surrounded by tall and thick city walls, that made foreign cities abandon the idea of invading it.
Well, that has nothing to do with me. I wasn"t invading, just flying in the sky.
Several dozen guards were stationed above the city wall.
Those soldiers vigilantly watched the sky while gripping their bows.
Maybe it was in preparation for facing an a.s.sault by a Dragon Knight Division or Flying Knight Division of a foreign country.
Though, as I thought, it had nothing to do with me as I was currently invoking 《Cloak of Hidden Figure》.
+++
Not Necessarily Accurate Glossary (Gilly Edition)
《Stone Servant》– Create a golem to do everyday tasks. Golems usually cannot speak, and they can be used for heavy labor and shopping as well. I keep confusing them with Gnomes&h.e.l.lip;
[Unicorn] — Usually sacred creatures that are pure but unwary of virgins&h.e.l.lip; also, it is said that any contact with a corrupt person will kill them. They are perhaps the most killable creatures in all of fantasy, it"s no wonder they"re so rare.
[Salamanders] — Unlike their real world amphibious (not reptilian!) counterparts, Salamanders are known for being Elemental Fire spirits. This is, again, ironic because they live in streams. Blame it on the Greek alchemists, they don"t understand anything&h.e.l.lip;
《Salamander"s Breath》– Using the power of a Salamander by combining fire spirits, one can fire a stream of flames from their mouth. Good for grilling meat!
[Gnomes] — What, you thought those things with funny red hoods in gardens everywhere were weak? Those are Greecian earth spirits, you know! At least, that"s one translation. We tend not to use the word Pygmy because, well&h.e.l.lip; racists took it! Why do racists have to ruin everything?
《Stone Blast》– Boom! Make a big explosion from a rock with incredible impact force and dirt confetti! Surprise your friends at parties– with death!
[Sylphs] — Sylphs are Greecian wind spirits! They have a really complex etymology in the real world– they might have descended from the words for moth, tree spirits, or even forest nymphs! The point is, it"s a faerie. A genuine faerie! Pluck of the wings and you can put them on a baby to sell it&h.e.l.lip; a fairy baby fetches a high price! Of course, moth wings will do if you"re a cheapskate.
《Sylph Javelin》– A much stronger version of 《Wind Spirit Arrow》 that is fueled by the power of a Sylph. Ah, right. Javelins are throwing spears! Really, it"s super ridiculous&h.e.l.lip; imagine a jousting tournament where they throw the spears, hee&h.e.l.lip;
《Cloak of Hidden Figure》– Shrouds the user in a cloak of perfect invisibility, making it difficult if not impossible to spot them, hear them, even smell them&h.e.l.lip; Sneak into every bathroom! Peep on all the people!
[Fortress City Kare] — A well-defended city surrounded by almost impenetrable walls. Probably still weak to having its supplies routes cut off&h.e.l.lip; fufu&h.e.l.lip;