Chapter 1: Encounter with Monsters – Part 1
“…They’re coming toward us, a pack of Prairie Wolves.”
“Hmm? What’s their course?”
“They’ve spotted us and are heading straight for us. Even if we try to move, they’ll chase us down.”
“Hmm.”
As we traveled toward our destination, we had moved quite a distance from the Royal Castle, allowing a pack of monsters to form without being subjugated. I sensed their approach as they detected us. Although we still had a considerable distance between us, it would be easier to deal with them quickly rather than ignore them and let them chase us.
“Should I go?”
“No, I’ll handle it. Does anyone want wolf meat?”
…No one spoke up. Well, that’s fine.
“Looks like no one’s interested? Then I’ll take care of it.”
“Got it. Should we stop?”
“No, we’ll be moving straight ahead for a while, right? So just keep going, and I’ll catch up soon.”
“Understood. I’m moving out now.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
After exchanging a few words, I broke away from the line and dashed toward the direction where I sensed the monsters. They weren’t too far away, nor were they particularly strong, so I approached with the mindset of a light workout. I soon spotted the twenty or so wolves and halted my pace.
The wolves seemed to have caught sight of me as well, increasing their speed while barking loudly. I clenched my right fist, and as the last wolf entered my range, I took a deep, large step with my left foot and swung my fist down.
In that instant, the pack of wolves vanished like smoke in the wind.
I had no particular desire for materials, nor was I on a quest, so I obliterated them without leaving a single fragment behind. Before I did so, I checked to see if anything seemed off or if they were being controlled by something, but there were no signs of such. It seemed that we had simply wandered into their territory. Given the size of the pack, they likely thought of us as a hunting opportunity. A pack of twenty or so wouldn’t be satisfied with just one or two prey, so they would have attacked anything they found.
Well, considering they were Prairie Wolves, known for their low intelligence, it was plausible. A smarter wolf wouldn’t gather in a group during the day and charge at us from the same direction, so it made sense.
“For now, let’s head back.”
After confirming there were no survivors and checking for any surrounding damage, I decided to return to regroup, as it took longer than expected.
Chapter 2: Encounter with Monsters – Part 2
“…Leader. Up ahead, a Bear and a Great Bull are engaged in battle. What should we do? Should we detour to avoid confrontation?”
“What kind are they… No, never mind. Stella, can you handle it?”
“Hmm, I can do it!”
“Then I’ll leave the Bear to you. Rio.”
“What?”
“Take down the Great Bull, and do it with as few injuries as possible.”
“Got it.”
It had been nearly two hours since I dealt with the wolves. As we continued straight ahead, the forest began to thin out, and Fon, who was leading the way, reported the situation. I asked Stella and Rio to take care of it. They quickly placed their hands on their weapons and increased their speed, breaking away from the line to charge toward the fierce battle between the pitch-black Bear and the four-horned Great Bull. I had seen both before but didn’t know their names; I only remembered that their meat was delicious and their bones had a useful hardness.
As I thought about this, I watched as Stella, upon contact, severed both of the Bear’s arms and stabbed her sword three times into its neck before retreating. Shortly after, Rio threw a knife into the joint of the Great Bull’s leg, embedding it deep, and then leaped onto its back as if performing a rodeo.
“Wow, that was impressive.”
“Very meticulous, unlike us.”
“Yeah, well, at this point, if half of it is still intact, that’s good enough.”
“…Isn’t that just because the leader and Lady Fana are putting too much power into it?”
“We rarely hunt for food, so it’s not like we have to worry about leaving meat behind… By the way, can anyone do the disassembly?”
“I can do it~!”
“Can I leave it to you?”
“Of course~!”
“…By the way, how did you do it before?”
“I’d just skin it and cut the meat into pieces, taking only what I could eat, then burn or bury the rest.”
“Hmm. We never hunted for food, so when we killed something, we just took what was left and cooked it.”
“…Aren’t we just savages?”
““Well, I won’t deny that.””
As I watched Stella and Rio handle the disassembly with care, I was impressed when Fon asked me a question, prompting me to turn back and respond. The conclusion was that we were indeed savages, but honestly, I couldn’t deny that our lives had been anything but heroic or chivalrous, except when reporting the subjugation of the Demon King’s Army in town.
Well, it was also because we had no one capable of cooking, and we didn’t have the luxury of being able to. It wasn’t that we didn’t intend to learn; it was just that we were in a time when we could only focus on combat.
“Finished?”
“Yeah, it’s done. Ruru, your turn.”
“Leave it to me~. Should I disassemble the Bear too~?”
“Leave the Bear; just take care of the Great Bull.”
“Understood~!”
As we chatted, Stella and Rio returned, and Ruru headed off to disassemble the Great Bull while Fana tossed over the Magic Bag for food supplies. I handed Stella and Rio a water flask filled with water to wash off the blood they had gotten on themselves, commenting on how meticulous their methods were.
“Oh, right. Leader.”
“What is it?”
“How far are we moving today? We’ve been making good time compared to our initial plan.”
“Hmm… How long will it take to move through the forest?”
“Umm… I’d say we’d need half a day. We’re going straight, but there are more monsters living in the forest, so we’ll likely encounter them more often.”
“Are there rivers or water sources in the forest?”
“Just a moment… It might deviate a bit from our course, but there should be a small river.”
“How much time will we need?”
“At our current pace, it shouldn’t take long. I think we can reach it by evening.”
“Then we’ll aim for that.”
“Understood. Stella, come here for a moment.”
“What’s up?”
Chapter 3: Night Watch
“Alright, the order will be me and Fon first, then Stella and Fana, and finally Rio and Ruru. If you sense any monster presence, handle it individually if possible. If it seems like a larger scale, wake up the others and handle it together. If something feels off, wake me up; I’m used to exploring in the dark, so I’ll take care of it.”
Everyone responded, and I watched as the second and third shifts, the two women, entered the makeshift tent. Fon and I sat in front of the campfire.
By the way, it was mostly Stella and Ruru who prepared the camp, while Rio and Fon helped out. Fana and I were securing the area and checking for any abnormalities near the river. The reason for our investigation was simple; both of them had no experience setting up a tent, so we had them do the fire-starting while we pretended to be busy.
It turned out to be the right call. We found remnants floating down from upstream, and upon investigating, we discovered a sizable Goblin nest, which we promptly crushed. Fortunately, there were no living humans captured, so we didn’t end up with extra burdens before heading out for the subjugation. Well, there were corpses, so we burned them.
As for preparing the meals for the camp, it was mostly Ruru with Stella’s assistance, while the remaining four were utterly useless. Well, Rio and Fon hadn’t done such things due to their roles, so it couldn’t be helped… As for Fana and me? Don’t expect a savage like us to be able to cook properly. Joking aside, both of us could tell the difference in flavors, but we were fundamentally unsuited for cooking. We were both haphazard and careless, leading to a failure rate of about seventy percent.
Honestly, it would probably be better to throw these guys back into the battlefield for the sake of the world.
“…By the way, why don’t you use weapons, Leader?”
“Weapons? Well, I generally don’t.”
“Why not? It’s not like you’re short on money.”
“They can’t withstand it.”
“Huh?”
“My strength is too much for weapons to handle. Even an Iron Sword designed for durability would shatter after swinging it full force ten times. I could make them last longer by holding back, but the opponents I’ve faced so far weren’t the kind I could afford to hold back against.”
“Seriously… So what do you do when you need a weapon?”
“Like I did earlier, I use the bones of the monsters I’ve killed or grab sticks and stones from around.”
Well, I could probably make them last longer if I treated them more carefully… But why should someone who uses weapons have to be considerate of the weapons they use to fight at full strength? I’m not treating them roughly, just swinging them with all my might, and they shatter.
If I could get a weapon suited to my strength from a race like the Dwarves, who are skilled in blacksmithing, that might work… But I don’t particularly need a special weapon that badly. Plus, not having a weapon allows me to strike unexpectedly, which can be advantageous in sudden tactics. If I need one, I can always borrow from Fana.
“I see?”
“Not really? Well, you’ll see soon enough.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Ah, you use quite a large one, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Unlike you, I’m not solely focused on stealthy assassinations.”
“I see… By the way, do you think you could take down that last Demon Race with your current abilities?”
“…No chance.”
“Is that due to your skill level or your fighting style?”
“Both. My approach is to strike swiftly and catch them off guard with hidden weapons. The Demon Race doesn’t stop until they’re dead, forcing me into direct combat, which is unfortunately not my specialty.”
“I see… What about your actual strength?”
“I can barely win against a Dragon if I can distract it, but against someone stronger than that, I’d either end up in a draw or deal minimal damage.”
“I see… What’s your experience fighting stronger opponents?”
“Not much. In fact, when it comes to facing stronger foes, it’s usually a matter of life and death, so I’ve never faced them outside of training.”
“Hmm… So it seems you won’t be able to take the front line in the next battle.”
“Yeah, I can only handle clearing the way and dealing with the weaker ones.”
I felt my lack of strength keenly… Should I focus on gaining more diverse combat experience? For now, it might be best for everyone except Ruru to face death a few times and overcome it. I’m not sure about Stella, but Rio and Fon likely have little experience fighting against stronger foes where they couldn’t win in a fair fight.
…I was thinking of going on a series of Disaster Designation subjugations, but perhaps it would be better to start by raising Rio and Fon’s abilities. Considering that I’m being targeted by high-ranking members of the Demon Race, it would be reassuring to have at least one person who can take them down while still having some energy left.
“For now, once this subjugation is over, I have a plan.”
“Huh? What are you planning, Leader?”
“I’m going to train you all. I intend to make sure you can at least take down the Demon Race you’ve witnessed.”
“…Isn’t that aiming too high?”
“Not too high. In fact, even that seems worrisome when considering future battles.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah. Plus, it’s not a pleasant feeling to watch things end without being able to take revenge, right? You’d want to kill the Demon Race that caused the deaths of your friends and employers with your own hands, wouldn’t you?”
“That’s… true. I wouldn’t feel satisfied just watching.”
“Then you need to get stronger.”