The requested subjugation place is a mountainous area in the Eastern Kingdom.
The place of subjugation from can be reached by carriage in four days is in a word, the world of "gray".
The bare rocks are rolling around, and steam is rising in the distance. It was totally different from the deep green mountain that Nod imagined when I heard the word mountain.
"If you live in this kind of place… what do you eat to live?"
Following Nod, Erza got out of the carriage and wondered about the surrounding scenery.
"In this kind of place, hunting seems to be done at the foot of the mountain."
The green that you can see when you take a quick look at the mountains is like a short plant that grows short in some places. As Erza says, there is no sign of prey. If you were there, it would be as small as a small mouse.
Nod answer Erza"s questions was due in part to information gained from adventurers.
The Rock Wolfthat lives near the top of the mountain dares to live in an inconvenient place and adopts a survival strategy to reduce the damage from natural enemies-while remembering which face of the adventurer drunk who gave a comment on the face, Nod replied to Erza.
“I see, it"s okay … yeah! Okay, this is the last one right?”
Erza unloaded the last baggage from the carriage with enthusiasm.
The carriages arranged by the Adventurer"s Guild will immediately move to the next destination. If this carriage is fully chartered, you can keep your luggage on the carriage for a long time, but unfortunately, Nod who just started to grow up had no such money.
The figure of the carriages on which Nod are riding becomes smaller with the sound of the rattle and wheels. The return schedule is also reported, and it is necessary to finish the quest for subjugation by that time.
“Then … Let"s do it!”
Nod and Erza, who had finished unloading a lot of luggage, raised her voice as she was enthusiastic, and stabbed a spear on the ground. A group of winds pa.s.sed through to match, shaking Erza"s red hair.
There are two major differences between Rock Wolfand Forest Wolf.
The first is the armor of Rock Wolf.
Hard armor-like fur with altered body hair is much different in defense than the ordinary wolf body of the Forest Wolf.
The second is a form of hunting.
Rock Wolfets up their nest at a high alt.i.tude in the mountainous region. Although the place has few natural enemies, it is not suitable for food. Therefore, they mainly live down to the foot, collect food, and return to the top of the mountain again.
Therefore, the efficiency of hunting Rock Wolfis worse than other wolf monsters, but Rock Wolfhas made up a small group of hunting corps to make up for it. And take the form of hunting.
The size of their pack is often formed around five and it is clear that the number of forest wolf is less than that of more than ten hunters (rather than the whole pack).
However, even in a small herd, Rock Wolfhunts using the armored defense, so the success rate of hunting is higher than the Forest Wolf.
That"s why Rock Wolfis recognized by the Adventurer"s Guild as a more powerful monster than Forest Wolf.
"──Fuuhh!"
A spear piercing with a spirit hits Rock Wolf"s body. The blow that was drawn out to sew the gap between Rock Wolf"s armor entered the Rock Wolf"s body and pierced the heart while tearing the muscles.
When the spear was pulled out to make a noise, the wolf that died in the last blow, fell on the ground.
Already, there were five cages exposed, including the Rock Wolfcarca.s.s that Nod had finished.
“… No sign of reinforcement”
"Okay, let "s remove it."
Nod and Erza, both of them, looked at the surroundings while holding their weapons. After confirming that there were no other enemies, they talked to each other as they moved their weapons.
(…… For now it is easy)
While thinking so, Nod started to strip the wolf several times.
When it was a.s.sumed that Nod would fight solo with Rock Wolf, "Reinforcement" was the most dangerous.
Rock Wolfhunts in a small group, but if it encounters a strong enemy, it has the habit of serving in delayed battle using armor. While the platoon"s companions are attracting enemies, one of the herds roars and asks for reinforcements. After that, the neighboring Rock Wolfgathers and hunt to defeat the enemy with the full power of the flock.
Therefore, the most painful thing in the battle with Rock Wolfis to stop them for calling reinforcements.
However, if you challenge Rock Wolfin solo, even if the platoon consists of five, it will take time to destroy. Over time, reinforcement Rock Wolfwill gather from nearby and you will be exposed to numerous fights.
That"s why Nod decided that he couldn"t beat Rock Wolfalone.
But what"s about that?
With only Erza joining, is very easy to destroy Rock Wolf.
Of course, he did not fight against the dark clouds.
In order to be surprised, try to keep the position down wind.
A defensive Nod dares to become a trap and attracts Rock Wolfplatoons. The battle began and Erza with excellent mobility from behind while Nod took the opponent. By matching the timing, Nod knocks down the unity and at the same time defeats the Rock Wolfbehind.
The one that requesting reinforcements–called platoon leaders–have a habit of howling after distance from the enemy.
Therefore, Erza kills the individual and when the other Rock Wolfis shaken, it folds further.
In addition it is a battle result with a strategy that used the information gathered well by Nod, such as preparing dust mixed with plant powder with tearing action prepared in case of a surprise attack, Nod couldn"t hide the surprise that the subjugation proceeded more easily than expected.
Nod inserts a knife for dismantling into the body of Rock Wolf, which was destroyed easily.
From the thin part of the armor at the neck, the knife is manipulated dexterously and cut into the fur. To finish, the center of the belly was cut vertically, and after that, the Rock Wolffur could be peeled cleanly.
Just in the same way, Erza, who has finished stripping another Rock Wolf"s fur, is going to the final union.
Nod, which had become untouched, watched Erza"s skill while watching the surrounding area.
Erza is an excellent adventurer.
Nods and her age are not so different and they also just as registered as adventurers.
However, she was better than Genius who had previously formed a clan party, such as the arm of a spear that could not be inferior to the sword of Nod that was aiming for a knight, and the agile roundabout that made use of mobility.
The skill of Erza"s spear that I showed in my battle with Rock Wolfwas unusual.
Rock Wolfarmor is thick. If they still a young individual, the armor area is small, so it is not difficult to attack in the gap.
However, the platoon leader is a Rock Wolf with a strong age in the group, and its armor is thick and has few gaps.
To be honest, Nod is not confident of aiming for the gap. If you do not aim for the gap, you will aim at the unarmored part when you stop attacking.
Erza was different.
She aims at the gap of the armor of the moving Rock Wolf in battle and attacks her with a spear aiming at the critical point. The aim was ──has never been missed in the previous three battles.
── Is it a difference in talent?
If Nod meets Erza, it"s probably the best for them. Nod was a.n.a.lyzing the difference in talent between him and Erza.
However, there was no mysterious feeling in the heart of Nod.
More than that, he is lucky enough to thank her because of that.
Nod laughed at himself thinking about this after the battle. Just as Erza finished to stripping the last Rock Wolf fur.
The first day"s defeat was over to the point with Erza"s success.
Nod which seemed to be out of sight, re-energized and faced subjugation after the next day, but the cooperation with Erza at the party party continued to function effectively.
"If this is the case, don"t you need such a large baggage?"
I almost wanted to agree with Erza"s mixed joke line.
Although there were more Rock Wolf than expected, the defeat proceeded smoothly. Because Erza"s weapon are good, many furs that can be peeled off from Rock Wolf are in good condition.
Rock Wolf"s fur is not expensive because it is in demand as a material for armor, but you can expect extra income, so if you are in condition like Nod, you will be able to pay Alex with a time limit and pay for it.
And that margin is immediately become closer.
It is the fifth day after starting subjugation.
Nod were fighting again with Rock Wolf.
Although there were three encounters on the first day, there was a battle once on the second and third days. On the fourth day, a small pack is found in the distance, but there was no battle.
That said, a total of 25 Rock Wolf have been subjugated. It was more than the number reported in the request, but since it wasn"t met gradually, the defeat would be completed in a few days.
I was talking about this with Erza in the camp.
── How about that!
Nord and Erza were fighting against Rock Wolf, keeping their backs.
Nod already attacked by more than thirty Rock Wolf packs.
Some of them were defeated, and the Rock Wolf"s corpse fell over as if it had melted into the rock, but the number did not decrease.
“Guh!”
Nod cut off one of the Rock Wolf that attacked with a sword. But shallow. The tip of the sword that Nod shook only scratched the armor of Rock Wolf that flew away when he saw it, and did not do any damage.
On the other hand, a Rock Wolf on the other side jumps to Nod while seeing the gap.
Nod that predicted the attack uses a shield attached used in opposite side of his dominant hand, and breaks down the Rock Wolf"s position.
Because the part that was not well armored was exposed, it was a flash of the sword that was returned to it. He defeats one more wolf.
At that time, Erza looked at the edge he sight.
She seemed to use the spear well and add more results in a battle offensive and defense.
But,
“This place is bad! We will be surrounded!”
Erza shouted at Nod.
Nod were completely lured.
Nod were on the open rocks following a platoon consisting of several heads who were thought to be the remnants of Rock Wolf.
It was caught by a large group of Rock Wolf cleverly lurking in the rocks.
(Be careful!)
By defeating the expected number of Rock Wolf written in the request form, there was an idea that had decided that there was almost no remaining from the end.
He didn"t know it was such a large flock.
There was a possibility. In the past, there were many cases such as case that were subject to subjugation that differed greatly from prior information, and large groups that were not reported.
It"s a habit that Nod also heard from senior adventurers.
The place he is invited to is a s.p.a.ce opened on the middle of rocky mountain.
It is on a large monolith and looks like a cliff towards the foot, but there is a road that leads to the s.p.a.ce from both sides. On the way up the road on one side, there were Nods near the entrance of the s.p.a.ce.
Fortunately, Erza had noticed the sign of the wolf lurking early and they aren"t completely surrounded, but it was a matter of time for them tobe surrounded.
"Okay … Erza! Use that, can you do it ??"
“Yes, I can…!”
Nod tried to escape from Rock Wolf.
First, Erza defeats the individual in the pa.s.sage and opens a breakthrough. Along with that, Nod intercepted an individual who was trying to attack Erza who showed a gap, and struck it on the ground.
“Okay … go!”
They run down from the rocky mountain.
While attacked by Rock Wolf, they sometimes attacks them with a sword, sometimes pierced with a spear, sometimes. .h.i.t with a shield, and sometimes lifted with a stone stick.
Nod runs and reluctant to pursue the attacking Rock Wolf.
However, it is self-evident that he is caught up by the wolf. Because, Nod is heavily equipped and his legs were slower than Erza.
Therefore,
“Good … ha!”
Nod fell to the ground with a noise. Roll around the slope and hit his body.
The armor absorbs some of the impact, but the combined power of the armor and weight is moderate.
Pulmonary air leaks from the mouth and the body attacks the pain.
“Nod!?”
The bad guy is of course a rock wolf.
The individual who jumped to bite the shoulder of Nod succeeded in breaking down Nod.
“Kuh … sorry”
Erza"s a.s.sistance prevented the Rock Wolf from trying to attack the fallen Nod. Nod stands up again with pain.
When Nod fell, the Rock Wolf packs caught up with Nod. They raised a terrifying intimidation and just said, "Take me time."
Compared to Nod who had run out of unfamiliar rocks and were exhausted, Rock Wolf seemed to never suffered from running down the rocks. Probably running around their garden is the trick.
“But finally ………!?”
“Nod!”
Once again, Nod and Erza formed a formation as if they crawl their backs like a dancing man and woman. At that time, Erza"s voice had an arousing color.
Upon receiving Erza"s attention and looking there, a big wolf appeared as if to break the Rock Wolf pack.
The individual was more than twice as large as other Rock Wolf.
An aged face in the eyes of wisdom, and above all, the body covered with jet-black armor different from normal Rock Wolf.
“… It"s the worst!”
“… Sure It is…”
Nod also agreed to Erza"s curse that he had heard for the first time since the party formed.
Armor Wolf.
That was the name of the individual.
Rock Wolf"s armor is a change in body hair, and as the age increases, the armor becomes thicker and the area covered becomes wider.
The same is true for skilled individuals who will become leaders of the herd, but the Armor Wolf is particularly worthy of note.
The texture of the armor is thick and thicker than that of iron through the rocks. The area covered by the armor extends from the face to the tip of the limbs and from the tail.
The thick armor covered the whole body like armor, so it was called the armor wolf armor wolf as the top individual of the rock wolf.
And here is important.
Armor Wolf is treated as a separate individual from Rock Wolf because of its strength.
The level of difficulty is so high that it is designated as a rank-up quest for requesting promotion to Crystal adventurer .
The adventurer who told me the information was talking about it with a red face, saying, "Well, you don"t need to worry because it"s rarely witnessed."
The Armor Wolf is trying to surround Nod like a king who leads a group of Rock Wolf.
"Ah. This is really bad"
Nod and Erza, whose faces were distorted in a wind that could not resist the pressure of the army of the wolf armor led by Armor Wolf, retreat.
“Yes, absolutely. Really.”
The retreat ended with a light impact.
── Guru Ruru! !
The roar of wolves echoes even higher in the rocky mountain. It"s just like saying, “I"ve finally caught you up.”
Nod stood with his back on the rocky rocks. Stop back to back with Erza and line up on the rock.
“I thought I didn"t have to use it …”
As soon as that happened, Nod pulled the rope in his back.
At the next moment, a group of wolves surrounding Nod were swallowed by a whirlpool of fire.
TN: this is the longest chapter so far
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