Chapter 44: Mischief
“Hey, what’s wrong, Gonzas!”
Go-Gonzas.
He’s probably a companion of the guy who wet his crotch, but that guy looks more like a Gonbei than a Gonzas.
It seems his buddies have arrived, but I feign ignorance, receive my ale and snacks, and take a seat at an empty table.
“It’s rare to see someone with a Fang Cat.”
“She’s quite capable, you know.”
His curiosity is blatant, but I don’t sense any malice, and the man and woman to his left and right also seem merely curious.
“How did you do that earlier?”
“I just wanted to drink my ale, but he came looking for trouble, so I just hit him with some killing intent.”
“Hooh, just one blast of killing intent did that?”
“Can one earn well here?”
“If you’re aiming for big game, you’d be better off going to the surrounding villages.”
“I mainly hunt Medicinal Herbs and bird-type monsters, so I’d rather avoid big game.”
I hear the footsteps of a group approaching, and the man in front of me is looking behind me, so I guess they’re Gonbei-san’s companions.
“Hey, you! What did you do to our buddy!”
“Buddy? You mean that piss-pants?”
The man in front of me 《Pfft!》 sputters, and the men sitting to his sides are also forcing smiles.
Only one woman puts her hand to her forehead with an “Oh, dear” expression.
“Quite the smart mouth you’ve got there. We can’t just stand by when someone lays a hand on our buddy.”
“It’s good to care for your companions, but I was the one who was accosted. I was just protesting against it. Go ask the people who were around him.”
“I don’t care about such nonsense! For our buddy’s sake, I challenge you to a Mock Battle! If you refuse, bow your head, apologize, and get out of this town!”
I thought about hitting this guy with killing intent too, but the power of King’s Pressure would be a nuisance to those around, and I’d forgotten this wasn’t like dealing with Goblins.
“You’re saying whatever you please, aren’t you? This is the result of him messing with my Tamed beast and then calling me a punk Tamer. If you really want a Mock Battle, I’ll accept, but wait until I finish my ale.”
If I summoned Bee-chan and the others here, explaining it would be a pain, and I don’t even know if they’re nearby.
“You’re completely underestimating us, 〔Blood Wind〕. Hey, go call the Guild Master!”
However, he doesn’t even glance at the four people sitting at the same large table.
Even though the man yelling behind me has companions around him, they don’t try to get closer. Is it because they’re afraid?
As I leisurely drank my ale, a man with a sturdy build approached, but he was looking at the man opposite me.
“Hooh, to think Blood Wind would pick a fight with 〔Glacial Shield〕. Have you improved your skills?”
“Guild Master, it’s this brat! We didn’t pick a fight with Glacial Shield!”
Oh dear, looking at the man opposite me, he’s forcing a smile.
I drain the rest of my ale and take the mug and plate to the counter.
“Hey, brat! Are you trying to run away!”
“I’m just clearing up. You’ve got quite the attitude towards me, huh~”
“Huh? Are you alone?”
“That’s right. You picked a fight with me thinking I looked weak, so I decided to buy it and make you regret it.”
“Rank?”
“I just became E-rank. I also have experience with Mock Battles.”
“Understood. Head to the training grounds.”
《Hey, hey, it’s a 9-on-1 Mock Battle!》
《Who are you betting on?》
《Well, I’d like to say Blood Wind, but…》
《That pressure earlier was incredible.》
《It wasn’t just mere killing intent.》
《I’ve never seen his face before, but he’s solo with just one short sword.》
《But still~ He’s probably a Tamer, but he’s only got a cat with him.》
Blood Wind has nine members? They’re the typical type that gets stronger in a group.
I have Mii-chan sit next to the Guild Master and take out the Wooden Sword I made for Mock Battles from my Magic Pouch.
The thick Wooden Sword for practice swings got laughed at, so this one, carved from sturdy wood and more suited for actual combat, is my favorite.
Piss-pants Gonbei is mixed in with the reserves, and it looks like the guy who challenged me to the Mock Battle will be the first one up.
“You understand, I’m sure, but when I say stop, you stop immediately.”
The Guild Master says in a displeased tone, waving his hand to signal us to separate.
We face each other at a distance of 10 meters. I take a light practice swing and wait for the signal.
With the “Begin!” call, I unleash my killing intent and King’s Pressure. He seems to be trembling and unable to move, so I leisurely walk over to the man’s side and give his butt a light whack.
With a nice 《THWACK!》 sound, he recoiled and sat down hard.
A full swing with Super Strength would have killed him, so I held back, but it still looked painful.
“Guild Master, next one, please.”
“O-Oh… right.”
《Hey, did you see that?》
《He’s carrying a cat, but that’s why he’s solo.》
《There are still 8 more of them left.》
《Hey, hey, they’re already crying!》
《Hey! I bet on Blood Wind! There are still 8 of you, are you trying to run away?!》
《Cowards! You guys are the ones who should disappear from this town!》
“Guild Master, if you want, I can take on all 8 of them at once.”
“It seems that won’t be happening.”
The 8 of them are clinging to the Guild Master, desperately pleading something.
Since no one is stepping forward, I walk over to the Guild Master, and all of them hide behind him, avoiding eye contact with me.
“They’re saying they’ll all leave town, so please forgive them.”
“What’s that? They can harass someone with a cat, but then they run away after challenging them to a Mock Battle?”
“It seems they also realized how strong you are after being hit by your killing intent.”
I shrug and accept the end of the Mock Battle.
It’s a shame; I wanted to see how much I could suppress them with King’s Pressure.
When I return to the dining hall with Mii-chan, it’s empty as people haven’t returned from watching the Mock Battle.
There’s no one at the purchase counter either, so I immediately go to sell my spoils.
“Butchery, what’s your game?”
“Howl Dogs and Horned Rabbits, I guess.”
“‘I guess,’ huh. Well, whatever, go on.”
He points down the passage to the butchery, so I bow my head and pass through.
Inside, about three groups who didn’t know about the commotion are discussing while looking at their game.
“Haven’t seen your face before. What’s your game?”
“I have over a dozen Howl Dogs and Horndogs.”
I take them out of my Magic Bag in the designated spot and line them up.
Howl Dog: 11
Horndog: 9
Elk: 1
Hedgehog: 6
Sprint Bird: 3
Chiki-Chiki Bird: 4
“Hooh, you seem quite skilled. Chiki-Chiki Birds too, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s this one’s job, after all.”
I pet Mii-chan, who’s perched on my shoulder.
They say there are customers ahead and it will take time, so I hand over my Guild Card and tell them I’ll wait in the dining hall.
When I leave the butchery, the dining hall is crowded, but I manage to get some ale and skewered meat and find a table… It’s bustling, isn’t it?
There was an empty spot at the large central table, so I sat down. At the next table was the party that was called Glacial Shield earlier.
“Brother, that was some impressive pressure.”
“That idiot couldn’t move an inch, just trembled.”
“Where did you come from?”
“Zandra. Things got rather noisy there, so I pretty much ran away.”
“There’s a rumor about a Tamer with Divine Protection in Zandra, though.”
You’re well informed, or rather, has the rumor spread even to a place like this?
I just shrug silently.
“Is the rumor true that you have Killer Bee escorts?”
“Well, if I’m in danger or trouble, they do help me out.”
“You’ve received Divine Protection, yet your Tamed beast is a cat?”
“My ability is just 1, you see. The Tamer god probably took pity on me and granted me Divine Protection.”
“That’s nice~. I want to Tame a cat too,” she murmurs, looking enviously at Mii-chan’s tail.
“For a Tamer with a cat, that amount of game is incredible.”
The woman who called out to me was one of the trio from the butchery.
“Oh, was it really that many?”
“Twenty Howl Dogs and Horndogs. And most of them were taken down with a single stab.”
“Yeah, the guys at the butchery were surprised too.”
“If you’re staying in Emden, I’d like to see your skills sometime.”
“I only hunt nearby.”
“Ah, we also have our Kaa-chan, so we stick to nearby places where we don’t have to overdo it. I’m Orlc, the leader of Glacial Shield. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Shinya. And this is my partner, Mii-chan.”
Someone 《Bwahaha!》 burst out laughing, but I refrained from glaring at them.
The butchery clerk brought the appraisal sheet, so I confirmed it, accepted, and headed to the payment counter.
Howl Dog: 11, 14,500 Dahla x 11 = 159,500 Dahla
Horndog: 9, 20,000 Dahla x 9 = 180,000 Dahla
Elk: 1, 130,000 Dahla
Hedgehog: 6, 24,000 Dahla x 6 = 144,000 Dahla
Sprint Bird: 3, 35,000 Dahla x 3 = 105,000 Dahla
Chiki-Chiki Bird: 4, 65,000 Dahla x 4 = 260,000 Dahla
Total: 978,500 Dahla
The sun was starting to set, so I hurried out of town, met up with Hoo-chan and the others, and set up a Camping Barrier some distance away from the town.
After taking a breather, it was time for the long-awaited meal. I’d been holding out with just snacks for this very moment.
I took out the stockpot and decided to try the soup first. After lightly pouring some into a cup, I realized the Gold Mash powder wasn’t in the shaker.
Of course, it wasn’t in there because I hadn’t put it in. I’d been too hasty, overcome by my appetite, so I took a deep breath.
Tapping the shaker a couple of times with my index finger, I lightly sprinkled some onto the soup, stirred it well, and took a sip.
I knew it would make it delicious, but man, this was just too good~!
Next, I dished out some stew into a cup, gave the shaker a tap-tap to sprinkle some on, stirred it carefully so as not to spill, and brought it to my mouth.
Mmm… I felt like kicking my feet in delight, just like a child.
Mii-chan was looking at me with a funny expression, so I decided to share a bit of my happiness with her.
I took out her food bowl, sprinkled some Gold Mash on the Hedgehog entrails, and offered it to her.
She’d been watching what I was doing, so she cautiously sniffed it before slowly taking a bite, only to spit it right out.
《Master, it stinks. I prefer the meat as it was.》
I’d forgotten that humans and beasts have different senses of smell and taste.