Chapter 46: A Bounty of Models
I’ve been mimicking the Butler’s footwork to learn from him.
The Butler’s attire consists of a hooded robe coat that I lent him, worn over a suit, and ankle-high leather boots—apparently a type of informal riding boots. He walks through the Forest without getting the hem dirty. Sure, his shoes are a bit scuffed, but not nearly as bad as mine.
By the way, the dirt on our shoes ranks from me, Dean, Retze, Ash, Chris, to the Butler. Dean stomps around in his hefty boots, so it seems like our walking styles reflect what we value. But there’s no denying that my footwork is terrible.
The Butler wields a slender sword that resembles an Estoc. He handles it with the elegance of a rapier, yet its sharp, rigid blade pierces through prey without bending.
As mentioned earlier, most of the Demon Beasts are taken down by Dean and Chris, but when they were engaged with another foe, a Weasel Demon Beast leaped out, startled by the sounds of battle. The Butler swiftly pierced the Weasel from its eye to its throat.
That was quite gruesome.
My fighting style is closer to Dean’s, so I should probably learn from his footwork, but I can’t help but envy how the Butler keeps his clothes clean! So, when it comes to moving around, I definitely prefer the Butler’s way.
“From here on, there will be more wolves. Individually, they’re weaker than bears, but they hunt in packs! Please protect yourselves by either fleeing or fighting without relying on us.”
“Okay!” I respond to Chris’s warning.
“Indeed,” Ash adds.
Chris might seem a bit overzealous and unnecessarily pumped up, but he’s not a bad caretaker and shows consideration for us. Since the bear encounters have increased, Ash and I have been carrying the bags for Dean and Chris.
Seriously, why are we even carrying bags? Santa? They’re not heavy, but they’re incredibly awkward to hold. To make it easier, I tied the bag into a net-like shape with a string so I could sling it over my shoulder. No worries, Kikkou Shibari isn’t known in this world.
“—Could you teach me that knot?” The Butler asks, his thirst for knowledge evident once again.
“Count me in!” Retze chimes in.
As a result, we all ended up tying our bags in a surreal Kikkou Shibari style. It’s not my fault; I swear it’s not my fault.
“Whoa, a group!” Dean points ahead, where a pack of about six wolves is lurking.
They inch closer, observing us carefully.
As I watch, thinking each of us might handle one wolf, the leader of the pack kicks off the ground, and the other wolves pounce on their chosen prey.
Why do three of them have to come for me? Do I really look that vulnerable? It’s just like how carnivorous beasts target the young of herbivores during a hunt; I get it.
“Gene!”
“Yes, yes!”
I respond to Retze’s urgent call while slashing at a wolf. I step in, sweeping upward, and with a swift motion, I slice through the throat of a wolf still airborne. I then turn my blade to cut down another wolf that lands near where I was standing, and as the last one prepares to leap at me again, I strike.
I’m worried about chipping my blade since it’s not the Zanzenken. I’m just relying on strength and speed. While I aim for the neck, I’ve ended up slicing through the backs of two wolves instead. Maybe I should wait for them to jump and aim for their soft throats instead.
“…Wait, am I really strong!?” Retze exclaims in surprise.
“Lord of Dusk… Is it that you’re so unguarded because you don’t need to be cautious at this level?” Chris showers me with excessive praise, but that’s not quite right.
I’m just not used to being on guard.
“You look inexperienced in battle, yet you wield a mighty sword; you really do defy expectations based on appearances,” Dean says, looking exasperated. He’s right about my inexperience.
Right now, I’m just relying on my physical speed to react—no, I’m responding visually, which is working for now. But I can feel the pressure to learn how to anticipate movements before faster enemies show up.
Having lived a life far removed from danger in Japan, it’s tough for me to act while being wary of something.
Dean and Chris take down the remaining half of the wolves.
“Chris, you wield a beautiful sword,” I comment.
“Hm? Are you complimenting me? Thank you!” Chris replies with a smile that seems to sparkle with light.
I thought Chris would use a flashier sword, but his technique is surprisingly delicate and efficient.
“With Ash and Gene both being new Adventurers, I’m starting to lose my confidence,” Retze says while quickly collecting the horns.
I think it’s impressive how he can immediately start doing what needs to be done, even while surprised. The two Silver Rank Adventurers really are something else.
“Wolf Demon Beasts are drawn to the scent of blood; we should move,” the Butler says as he stows the collected horns into his bag.
“Indeed,” Ash nods as he picks up the bag he had tossed aside and slings it over his shoulder.
Unlike when we fought the wolves before, this area has a higher population of them. In fact, many similar presences are detected in the Exploration. As the Butler said, we should leave this place quickly. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck fighting indefinitely.