KENS Chapter 2Chapter 2 Hero and the Newbie Adventurer (2)
When you think of monsters you think of forests.
I don’t know who started this, but it is apparently a part of the mistaken common sense of this world.
By the way, we also thought the same when we first came to the world. A bit away from the highway were the gra.s.slands and even further were the dark forests.
There, the encounter rate would be higher, was what one of our game expert comrade had said.
But that’s not actually true.
Sure, there are definitely monsters in the forest. But in actuality, those gra.s.slands and plains were actually more troublesome.
Especially, those goblins that the woman with the honey coloured hair was looking for.
Those guys come in swarms. They would definitely not act alone. The least would be in a group of three but at times they also move in groups of 10 as well.
If it was a cave, they could be dealt with without getting yourself surrounded by them.
But in a plain gra.s.sland, they’ll surround you with numbers and attack from your blind spot.
Is that woman aware of such things?
[Your personality is still the same.]
“Really…..even though it won’t do me anything good.”
Since I couldn’t refute it, I agreed.
Just how many times have I worked like this for free.
Even though I have money problems, I still do things that won’t earn me anything.
Also its pretty difficult when everyone around you puts faith in you.
No matter what anyone says, defeating monsters is the most rewarding job of an adventurer.
An adventurer who doesn’t fight will be looked at with a suitable gaze.
Especially me, who doesn’t take any other quest than herb gathering which is free of danger.
But that’s because I can live with just that.
I won’t come under any danger.
Otherwise, I won’t be able to stay alive. Especially me, who was the weakest among the 13.
[Haah]
Don’t sigh, I’ll also become sad.
A rescue fairy had not come nor was I requested by anyone.
So, there will be no reward. It’ll be just work for me.
I understand if you want to sigh. I understand but please forgive me.
Isn’t saving a person a beautiful thing? I wish I could get a reward for that as well though.
If I can save that beautiful woman, I think I’ll ask her about it.
It’s not like I’m a saint. And I can’t live on just air either.
I need money to keep living. To eat, to rent a room at an inn, and also to get some equipment, I need money.
…….seriously, we really worked completely for free when we were heroes.
Everything might have been for the sake of the people but it was never for our own self.
It’s really a truth I can cry to.
[O.Renji, near your feet.]
That’s unusual. The cursed medal Ermenhilde raised a voice with excitement.
Just as that voice had said, as I looked near my feet, I saw a copper coin.
In this world, the value system was copper coin -> gold coin -> silver coin, in that order.
Normally you’d think that gold should have more value but gold could not be enchanted with magic and it was heavier on top of it.
Well silver was also heavy but it could be enchanted with magic and was also useful against ghosts and undeads making them lose regenerating power, or turning them to ash.
Due to that, in this world, different from the usual fantasy world, the value of silver and gold had been reversed.
This made me think that the Gold Armours shown in Fantasies must have been so heavy.
I want to try wearing that once. Though I think I won’t be able to even move after that.
Well anyway, leaving that aside, I picked up the copper coin from the ground.
“Good job.”
[With this you can buy two pieces of bread.]
For the time being, my problem for today’s dinner has been solved.
By the way, one piece of copper coin can buy two pieces of bread or one piece of jerky.
To have lunch at a slightly stylish restaurant, you’ll need about 20 copper coins.
Fufun, while humming, I walked through the plains with light steps.
You really should always help people. Yup.
[…..Ah, I feel like crying a bit.]
“Can you even cry with a body like that?”
[Shut up………this poor lifestyle, it’s piercing into the core of my body.”
Looks like, it is feeling down.
Probably, due to overly huge pride, it was unable to bear the fact that it actually became happy from finding small change on the road.
It happens sometimes so I should just leave it be.
Even after feeling down so much, if it actually felt happy from finding small change, there is already no room for saving.
Also, there’s the fact that Ermenhilde found it faster than me, so it really can’t be helped.
As I walked while flipping the copper coin with my thumb, I heard the faint sound of swords clashing.
“As expected……”
I gave a sigh.
Why do young ones always do reckless things.
As I moved my gaze, I couldn’t see the woman. In my sight was a 3m big rock that had been marked by the village.
I had thought that she’d move towards the places that stood out, and it seems I was right.
Probably, the woman is currently on the other side of the rock.
To make sure that I’m not too late, I trotted closer towards the rock and decided to peek and see the situation.
The first thing that came into my sight was the woman with honey coloured hair that I had just met earlier.
Some parts of her clothes had been torn, but at least she still looks fine. I breathed a sigh in relief.
And facing her was a monster at the same height of an elementary schooler, with ashen skin; it was Goblins.
In its hand were long swords, battleaxes and hammers that must have been stolen from an adventurer.
It had a big and tall nose compared to its face and its ears were large as well. If one were to put the two ears together it might be big enough as its face, I think.
Goblins looked like proud creatures to me.
Though it is only my personal judgement gained from the many times I had to fight them.
Those Goblins swung their weapons lightly and were slowly driving the woman to a corner.
[fumu. So she was still alive.]
“Oh, you’re back to normal?”
[Shut up. I’ll kill you.]
“yeah, yeah.”
While ignoring its threats and jeers, I observed the woman as she fought the numerous Goblins.
Not much time must have pa.s.sed since the start of battle.
Back then she didn’t have a weapon but right now she had pretty good looking short sword.
She must have gone to the weapon shop after parting from me and then gone off to hunting.
Probably, it’s been around 10mins or so.
But still, the woman was breathing heavily and was holding the light short sword with both of her hands.
There were 5 goblins and each of them seemed pretty composed.
After all they are superior in both skill and numbers.
If they attacked while surrounding someone, even a intermediate level adventurer could face defeat.
They could instantly take care of a newbie adventurer. But without being to forceful, they’re waiting for their enemy to weaken and stop moving.
That’s the most troublesome part of monsters. They had the intelligence to make sure they have the advantage in a fight.
This time, they were using their difference in numbers to weaken their enemy.
Because this an open gra.s.sland, if they surround the enemy, they could attack from blind spots and even if the enemy were to block it, he’ll still exhaust lot of concentration and stamina quickly.
When inside a cave, there are times when they even lay down traps as well. Ambushes or pitfalls, etc. that’s how intelligent they are.
Especially humanoid monsters are strikingly so.
[She doesn’t look like she’ll hold much longer.]
“I know.”
In my sight, the woman keeps on getting cornered.
The only reason they haven’t killed her yet is because they’re playing with her.
When your prey is just one and an amateur at that, it’s not weird for them to have s.a.d.i.s.tic tendencies.
Well thanks to that I was able to make it in time though.
I know that it’s already a miracle for her to have held out against 5 goblins for 10 whole mins.
While thinking that, I brought out the medal from my pocket and gripped it in my left hand.
“Lend me your strength, Ermenhilde.”
[Roger that, my master.]
The jeering atmosphere till now completely disappeared.
While fighting, it is always serious. The opponents are just small fry but there’s a difference between composure and carelessness.
I know that human lives can disappear easily just because of slight carelessness.
In my left hand, warmth started appearing. The magical energy of the source of my cheat ability, Ermenhilde, took form.
One knife. Five Daggers.
There are no decorations. It’s a boorish weapon with stress on utility.
Confirming the weapons, I put the medal back inside my pocket.
Holding the knife in my left hand, I fixed the daggers on my belt.
“Really, as long as I have you, I don’t really need to buy any weapons.”
[Don’t mistake their use, definitely.]
“I know.”
I’m a [G.o.d Slayer] and you’re the [G.o.d Slaying Weapon].
I won’t forget that in my whole life.
As I said that, I jumped out from the shadow of the rock and threw a dagger.
Without even being able to perceive me, the dagger pierced through its head and the goblin died. Red blood stained the gra.s.slands.
Taking out another dagger, I once again threw it. I bring down another one. That makes 2 down.
After that they finally become aware of the intruder that is me and put up their guards.
I threw another dagger but it was struck down by the long sword.
I wanted to finish them off with just daggers but…….I guess that’s that.
The world isn’t such an easy place.
“Ah.”
I ignored the woman as she raised a sound in relief.
3 remain. I’m at a disadvantage if we consider just the numbers.
I have confidence in my superior ability, but if I get surrounded, I could only lose then.
Changing the knife to my right hand, I held a dagger in my left.
Two sword style. But, unfortunately I’m a right hander.
“Shaa!!”
I stopped the long sword’s attack with my dagger.
With having the ability to avert the attack, my left hand went numb but I swung the knife and tore its throat away.
The sharpness of weapons created by Ermenhilde is terrific. I didn’t feel any resistance at all.
The spurt of blood soiled my clothes and struck my cheek as well. I ended up frowning due to its unpleasantness.
By the time I took care of this one, the other two of them attacked me from both sides at the same time.
I threw the dagger in my left hand towards one of them.
Since my hand was numb, let alone proper aim, even the blade was not in the front.
But still, it stopped its advance to strike down the dagger with its weapon.
And their cooperation to attack together also got disturbed.
In that instant, I faced the other one coming towards me.
It raised the hammer overhead but before it could bring it down, I cut apart the its handle.
The goblin, who was holding it with both hands, lost its balance and the hammer lost its effectiveness.
Probably it didn’t expect the iron grip to be cut apart, the Goblic seemed to panic and stopped moving in front of me.
In that instant, I beheaded it.
One more remaining——-as I looked back, the remaining one had run away at full speed.
“fuu.”
I breathed a sigh in relief.
I did it somehow.
I wiped away the blood that stuck my cheek and clothes.
This, will the stain even go away after I wash it?
If I need to buy a new one, it’ll mean more expenses.
[Good good, it seems your skill hasn’t dulled yet.]
“No way.”
I was just lucky.
I don’t know why but this medal always misunderstands me for someone very strong.
Please leave me alone from that.
Just because I now those 12 G.o.dslayers doesn’t mean that I’m also as strong as them.
Unlike the others, I’m not that strong.
My physical abilities are bit higher than the people of this world thanks to the World transfer compensation, but I’m still confident of losing against a first cla.s.s swordsman or a magician.
Even the fight against goblins, those guys could have done it much better than me.
One-hit kill. That’s how they would have done it.
If it was a magician then one magic attack from a long range.
Those kinds of guys are the [G.o.d Slayers].
“I not very good at fighting.”
As I muttered that, I walked towards the woman, who was the main objective this time.
Due to the sudden developments, she was sitting in the gra.s.slands while she raised her eyes and looked at me dumbfounded.
That action looked pretty cute.
[You’re grinning again.]
“…….”
I want to believe that’s not true.
I hid my mouth with the sleeve of my clothes and *ahem* cleared my throat.
“I don’t know why you’re so fixated on subjugating monsters but if you’re this reckless you’ll die very easily, you know?”
Die. The woman shuddered on hearing that word.
Probably, she didn’t even think about herself dying back at the guild.
It’s pretty common among newbies. Also, the fact she’s still alive makes her pretty lucky.
Normally, without anyone to help, she would have been tormented to death by the goblins.
I cut off the fangs of the goblins with my knife. If one were to hand it over to the guild, you can get reward for the subjugation.
Not just goblins, it’s the same for every monster.
Normally one would bring back a part that can be used as material or a part that won’t decay.
If its something as big as a dragon, even if you were not to subjugate it, you can get quite a lot of money from selling its scales.
Well, the reward for goblins is about 10 copper coins I think.
Since I had not accepted the request officially, it might be a little lesser though.
By the way, in case of herb gathering, even after spending the whole day, you’d earn about 5 copper coins.
As expected, killing monsters earns a lot of money but it’s bad for my heart.
I don’t like it.
“if you have learned something, then raise your abilities by first doing the jobs given by the guild—–‘kay.”
As I put the goblin fangs inside my pocket and looked back……the woman was crying.
She was sobbing really badly but tears and various fluids were falling out.
I panicked and looked away as the woman was making an expression not expected from an adult.
[You made her cry, you made her cry.]
“Are you a child?”
As I muttered in a small voice, I hit the medal inside my pocket.
I rummaged through the goblin’s equipments to find something valuable till the woman stopped crying.
[…….this is basically a robbery.]
Or rather, if the opponent weren’t monsters this would definitely be counted as a robbery.
“It’ll earn me some money after all.”
[This is a scene that really makes me doubt whether you’re actually a hero or not.]
The long sword is too chipped, the hammer’s grip was cut apart, so these two won’t get me much.
But it’ll still get me something so I still decided to take it back.
The battleaxe was still fine so it should get me quite some money. It’s a good find.
The equipment was pelt and breastplates but…….but it stinks like h.e.l.l so I’m wondering what to do.
Will it even be usable even if I took it back?
Even if I leave it here, the corpses will be eaten by other monsters and the equipment would end up being reused by other goblins or kobolds with intelligence.
Unn, as I was thinking, I felt a presence behind me.
As I looked back, the woman had stood up.
“Have you calmed down?”(renji)
On my question, the woman gave a nod.
It seems she’s still feeling down. Well, it’s pretty obvious though it can’t be helped.
One actually recovers from something like that quickly would be the weirder one.
“Then, let’s return to the village. I’ll see you off.”
Shouldering the battleaxe, I held the sword and the broken hammer in my empty hand.
I decided to leave the armour. I should be able to get quite the sum from just these weapons.
I can’t ask this woman to feel such a stink either.
The weapons, and in my pocket were the 4 fangs of the goblins.
I’d be able to live luxuriously for two days with that. My footsteps became lighter as I realized that.
Although my objective was supposed to be saving the woman but I didn’t feel like my objective had changed either.
[…….how deplorable.]
“It has become your favourite phrase in the past year hasn’t it, those words?”
[Kuh]
“?”
As the woman looked at me with a questioning gaze as I talked to myself, I replied her that it was nothing.
I unconsciously ended up talking out loud.
I really can’t help that.
I think it’s normal as a human to talk back when someone talks to you.