s. If I used magic they would be wiped out. But the plantation would be obliterated as well. That idea was rejected. Even though the easy way was rejected, I’m still serious about exterminating every one of them even if means running around the entire plantation. (TL: しかし 、 それ で なく ても ボク が本気で 農園 を 駆け回れ ば そう 時間 はかから ない。)
“Ryua-chan, make sure not to defeat them all! There are beginner adventurers here too you know.”
If she hadn’t said that then I probably wouldn’t have noticed. For the beginners this is the perfect chance to level up. They won’t just let someone steal their prey before their eyes. Seems like I’ll have to continue but hunt them slowly.
“Hii~!”
Inexperienced adventurers were carelessly surrounded and raised hysteric shouts. ‘I’m not going to just let that happen!’ I thought as I saved them. Those squirrels were completely erased without a trace remaining. Brandishing my new sword, the adventurers were dumbfounded for a while but eventually said their thanks.
“Are you by chance Ryua-san? Waaah, she’s smaller than I thought!”
I resumed my hunting pace when a party of 3 girls came to talk to me. I wonder how they know my name?
“The rumors said that it was a girl that caught Grundom, it was nice to hear. Even though we are both girls, there’s an amazing difference between us. We decided to work harder.”
I see, it seems that the case of Grundom had spread more than I thought. I wonder… it seems this D rank party of girls was looking at me as if I was a star of hope. (TL: Ｄランクのこの女の子パーティには希望の星に見えたのだろう。) These girls are still beginners at this. Saying that, I’m still a C rank so I wonder if its fine to be pleased about receiving praise…it’s not a bad feeling though.
Before I had realized it, the number of the squirrels had declined to near zero. Everything was completed by the afternoon. The head of of the Koiwa plantation was earnestly wiping of the sweat from his face with the towel while thanking us a lot of times.
“No, everyone we are truly thankful! It’s thanks to you people that the crops weren’t completely destroyed!”
All the staff of the plantation bowed their heads.
“So then, it’s fine to take as much fruits as we want right?!”
The voice with no discretion belonged to Aude. So this guy also partic.i.p.ated…it would have been good if I had mistaken him as a squirrel. I might have killed him. That dark thought instantly pa.s.sed through my head.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, but of course there will be a limit to it. The only exception is that you absolutely must not take the fruits designated to be shipped for business.”
*Gulp*
There were someone who swallowed their saliva. …one of them was Roel.
Compared to during the hunt, the scenery right now is peaceful. The adventurers had been swinging their swords in a frenzy to kill the squirrels, and now they’re going nuts gathering fruits. Before long, a questionable amount of fruit from the plantation had been eaten to the point of near exhaustion. I was curious about how Roel was eating them.
“Ryua-chan, aren’t you going to eat?”
“Roel, first off you should really be eating the fruit with your right hand since it’d be easier to gather with your left.” (TL: 「ロエルはまず右手に持っているぶどうを食べてから手を出したほうがいいよ」)
Even though I have already eaten plenty of it, this girl is still eating.
“Yo! Looks like you guys are doing fine!”
A noisy person came to talk to us. Aude was swinging his basket of fruits with one hand and making a rude entrance while approaching us.
“Well, I have also been working hard you know. I’m finally level 7. If I remember right you are at level 6, right? Well, work at it! Being a hard worker is the best way to achieve things.”
“Yes, we will work hard.”
Was she being honest or was she trying to deal with him? I don’t know what Roel was trying to accomplish. We had been pa.s.sing the time nicely up until now, though normally you wouldn’t think someone would stay here this late…I wonder what this guy is going to start yapping about? When we had finished the ore mining quest she had leveled once again to 10.
“Ah, I wanted to see you! Ryua-san!”
The group of 3 girls from earlier found us. They were carrying one basket of fruit.
“About the Grundom extermination, is it fine to ask about what happened?”
“Eh, it’s fine, the subjugation or the ore excavation…”
“Should I tell you about my astonishing episodes? The ‘Injured Person Rescuer’ volume!”
“No need.”
Aude received a cold reply.
“Roel and I are still only at C rank ourselves, is there really any difference between us?”
“There is a difference! We’re still only D rank and at level 2. The whole time we were at
“I thought about giving up, but I really wanted to hear all about the exciting adventures that your party has gone on!”
Each of the girls were opening their mouths and praising us. The girl with proper manners is Ai, the cheerful and energetic one is Mai, and finally the small one who hasn’t talked yet is Mi. It seems they are sisters. Their cla.s.ses respectively are: Axe Fighter, Archer, and Healer. One by one they introduced themselves. For such a slender girl to carry a heavy axe….she might be overdoing it. Now that I think of that, I took a glance at them while hunting and noticed that they couldn’t hit the nimble . I wonder why they couldn’t…? Perhaps I shouldn’t think about it? (TL:何か 理由 がある の か、それとも何 も考え ていないのか 。)
“Mi-chan, you’re a healer right? Same as me!”
Roel gave off an air of familiarity when she spoke, but Mi ended up hiding behind her older sister. I wonder if that’s a shyness suitable for her age…
“Since you’re aiming to be A rank, you’ll eventually have to challenge the A rank ‘Status-Up’ examination, right?
“‘Status-Up’ examination?”
“To become an A rank you have to take the ‘Status-Up’ examination that is held once every year. You need to pa.s.s it on your first try since you don’t get a second chance to take it. There are B rank Adventures receiving permission from the Guild every year, it seems that no less than 500 adventurers are gathered there.”
I heard something like that before… Whenever the topic of that examination comes up, ‘Gene Machine’ comes out. I think it’s a quest that can only be handled when you become an A rank.
“Since we are still just C rank this talk is a little premature.”
“That’s right but…I don’t want to take a test. I wonder why they would do something like that.”
“You will be recognized as an A rank by the Guild located in the Kingdom. Just that in itself is important you know.”
Mai made a dispirited face when she was told about that. I wonder if I could pa.s.s it even if I can’t really perform well in regards to reading or writing.
“The examination every year is…hmmmm, what is it?”
Mai’s hand was being tugged and pulled by Mi. To hear what she was saying, Mai leaned over.
“Ah, look at the time…Ryua-san, Roel-san, we have some urgent business so we will be leaving immediately. Sorry.”
“That’s right, we don’t enough time to play…”
The 3 sisters left the plantation in a haste. From the speed they took off at, I guess it’s really urgent business. It was like the peaceful mood we had earlier was a lie.
“Weren’t they such a weird bunch?”
“Yeah, but I hope those girls will continue to work hard.”
Today we went home carrying only a single basket full of Poporu fruit.
///Gantetsu’s POV+3rd person POV///
“Fu~~…that was tiring.”
While walking in one of the long corridors of the castle, Gantetsu was feeling tired. That mysterious monster subjugation. It’s more ferocious than it looks, even I who had piled up a lot of experience was played with. I wonder how many monsters like that exist…? I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t want to fight it again. If I wasn’t an A rank I wouldn’t have been sent out to hunt it. I wonder if it’s fine to think something like that… I had many dreams in the past of being an adventurer and choosing this path. (TL: かつて は多くの 夢を見 て 冒険者 の 道 を選ん だはず 。) Am I just a convenient tool for the Kingdom now?
“That monster, I wonder where the heck it came from.”
“It’s fine to not think about it, you know~”
Before Gantetsu had noticed, Xinbu was behind his back. Reflexively Gantetsu turned around.
“Are you going to end your life as a normal human~? Gantetsu-san~” (TL: 「今 の で一回人生終 わったっしょ 。 ガン テツさん 」)
“Stop joking around.”
“Temporarily stopping work as an A rank, such a thing is unforgivable Gantestu-san~, but the other day at Kwinmill you apparently did something~?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“It was a result born from a single person. It usually takes 5 people to something like that in this field. Despite that, what did you do? You did something like exterminating a during your free time?”
“That was something urgent. I couldn’t just ignore it.”
Suddenly the distance between Gantestu and Xinbu shrunk, and Xinbu lightly grasped Gantestu’s chin to lift it. It was as if Xinbu didn’t notice Gantestu glaring at him while he was stroking his chin.
“So…are you saying all that I need to do is show my true ability?”
The eyes inside the gaudy gla.s.ses shone followed by Gantetsu groaning.
“Then I’ll go and finish 3 things~. How about yourself, how many will you do? Aren’t you an A rank? Or is this your way of saying you’re getting old~?”
“S-sorry…”
“You should already retire as a soldier~”
Just as Xinbu said, at Kwimill I wasn’t able to produce many results. But, it’s true that I can’t let the incident slide. Originally, I should’ve been an adventurer. Yet my country is working me hard. This Xinbu is a genius. In just one year after he started as an adventurer he pa.s.sed the A rank ‘Status-Up’ examination, and just like that he joined the elites. Since I was young, I steadily made up my way until I grew into this miserable state. It’s not only that, Xinbu also likes to say whatever he wants and I’m not able to refute it. I don’t want to feel inferior, but I know I can’t win against that man. My heart has long since admitted its defeat.
“There was that time I had to retrieve the head chief, he was an old man like yourself.” (TL: 「あとの 一匹 はあの 顔 長兵 士長 が回収し たみ たいっしょ 。対し て ジジイ は」)
When Xinbu had finished talking, Gantetsu returned to walking. Xinbu was looking at his back as he walked off.
“I’m such a miserable A rank…”
After Gantetsu walked far enough, the pink man let out his finger and then once again disappeared from the corridor.
Monster Book
【Wild Squirrel HP:24】
As a group, they frequently inflict serious damage to crops. Its sharp fangs can even crush nuts. Its breeding ability is very high, if you don’t completely exterminate them they will quickly multiply.