Chapter 72: Forced Summons
As I aimed for a gap between the fallen wolves and jumped down, I heard a voice go, “Eh?”
I observed Mii-chan and the Forest Wolf that had jumped down after me, and while it was the same species as Hoo-chan, I felt it was a size larger.
“For the Forest Wolves around here, is this the standard size?”
“You’re quite agile, aren’t you?”
“Oh, this size is normal. Is that Hoo-chan of yours small?”
“I feel mine is a size smaller. It’s one I Tamed a little way into the forest from Zandra.”
“South of the Royal Capital, there are more of the cuter ones than around here. You’re an unfamiliar face in these parts.”
“I came from the Royal Capital a little while ago. I thought I’d check out the forest before heading back.”
“It’s rare for a Tamer to be alone, isn’t it?”
“Only veterans can come to this area, you know.”
“I’ve never seen anyone come alone before.”
“Are you really alone?”
“Even a skilled Magician usually brings several people, like scouts or lookouts.”
Being stared at as if I were some rare Beast is embarrassing.
“We’re on our way to town, but what about you?”
“Ah, I’ve finished my business too, so I was heading to town… Wait a moment, something’s there.”
I received a report from Hoo-chan, 《Master, something is approaching.》 I focused my consciousness in the direction Hoo-chan indicated.
My Search picked up a reaction like that of a large Beast.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah… something big is heading this way. You all must be tired, so I’ll take care of it.”
“In that case, let’s see what you can do.”
While we were talking, the sound of stepping on fallen leaves and breaking branches grew closer.
“It seems like a big one, but will you be alright alone?”
“Hoo-chan and Mii-chan are here too, so I’ll be fine.”
The growl of the approaching Beast became clearly audible, and Hoo-chan and the others split to the left and right, crouching low.
What appeared was a Horn Boar, but it was so large I could mistake it for Kuma-san, and what’s more, it had young ones with it.
I drew the Demon Steel Short Spear from my Magic Pouch, and since I couldn’t show them my Domination, I pondered my attack method while lightly swinging it.
I decided to leave the three small boars to Hoo-chan and the others, and I opted for a frontal assault.
First, to create a diversion, I ordered Hoo-chan 1 to attack. In the instant the parent boar was distracted, I lightly stepped in and struck its snout from above with the back of my spear.
To the blow from the Demon Steel Short Spear, delivered with Super Strength, it shrieked
To twist and then pull out the deeply embedded Short Spear, I kicked the Horn Boar and jumped back.
As blood gushed from the wound where the Short Spear was pulled out, it collapsed forward, and its death throes began.
Looking at Hoo-chan and the others, they were biting the throats of the small boars, shaking them, and finishing them off. Mii-chan, on the other hand, was riding one of the small boars like a rodeo, clinging on for dear life so as not to be thrown off, though it looked like she was just playing.
Even though they were small boars, if the parent was big, the young were big too; they looked even larger than Japanese wild boars.
With my Short Sword in hand, I moved behind the thrashing small boar, matching its movements, grabbed its leg, flipped it over, and stab.
Since I’d also secured a meal for Hoo-chan and the others, I tossed them into the Magic Bag, and that was that.
“Wow, what a skillful fellow.”
“No wonder he said he’d be fine alone.”
“If it were us, we’d have shot four or five arrows from both sides.”
“With something that size, I wouldn’t want to fight it in close combat.”
“You’re surprisingly strong for someone with such a slender build, aren’t you?”
“It’s probably a Demon Steel spear, but he’s swinging it around so lightly.”
I decided to return to town with the group of six who called themselves [Tanza’s Shield].
The leader was Glen
I had left the Beasts we encountered on the way back from the forest to Tanza’s Shield, and when Ariela asked about the types of prey, I’d vaguely brushed her off.
So, it seems I piqued her interest even more, and she said it with a grin.
I was shown an empty spot in the Dismantling Area, so I started by taking out the Horn Boar.
“Hey, hey, a huge Horn Boar right from the get-go!”
“He got this all by himself? No way!”
“Seriously?”
“This means the rest will be exciting too. Hurry up and show us!”
Horn Boar, 1
Big Elk, 1
Elk, 1
Brown Bear, 1
Black Cat, 1
Golden Tiger, 1
Red Horn Goat, 1
Big Horn Sheep, 1
Great Donki, 1
“That’s about it,” I said.
“What in the world is the size of that Golden Tiger!”
“So him saying he went into the Deep Forest wasn’t just a boast, huh?”
“Look, almost all of them were taken down with a single thrust!”
“Despite his lanky build, he’s incredibly skilled, not at all what he looks like.”
《That’s only natural. Even if they were covered in wounds, they’d be healed by the time I Tamed them, and I deliver a single thrust the moment I release them.》
《Then again, maybe I should have also brought out the ones that died covered in wounds because I couldn’t Tame them.》