As the death throes of the Giant Crow, which I had slammed into the earth, echoed through the valley, the Wind Birds still remaining in the sky scattered like spiders fleeing a web.
…I guess that buys me some time? The reason I fought head-on, crushing it without using illusions, was to send a “warning.”
Monsters tend to be more intelligent than ordinary animals. It would take several days to pass through this valley, so even if I hid using Stealth, there was a risk of being discovered while eating or sleeping.
So, I showed the monsters how dangerous it was to attack me. Thanks to that, the presence of the Rock Rats, who were trying to scavenge the “leftovers” of whoever won between me and the crow, had also disappeared.
I slit open the chest of the Giant Crow, its head crushed, with a dissection Knife and gouged out the Magic Stone.
Most of this crow’s materials aren’t worth much. The huge flight feathers can be bought as materials for quill pens, but even then, they’re only worth about one small Silver Coin each.
The beak and claws can’t be sold either, so the only thing that’s worth decent money is the Magic Stone. But even though the difficulty is equivalent to Rank 3, it’s still just a Rank 2 monster, so an attribute-less Magic Stone without any special properties won’t sell for much, but it’ll still fetch about one Silver Coin.
The Wind Birds have attributes, but maybe it’s because they’re Rank 1, or maybe it’s proportional to their body size, but they only have really small, worthless Magic Stones, so I gave up on collecting them.
Even so, the reason I picked up several Wind Birds that had fallen to the ground was because I wanted the meat. The crow’s meat is tough and has a strong odor, so it’s not suitable for eating, but the Wind Bird’s meat is a little dry, but it’s still good enough to eat.
I used the Utility Magic [Spark (Fire)] to start a bonfire, roasted the Wind Bird meat all together, wrapped it in large leaves, and put it in my bag.
Ideally, I’d like to use the Dark Magic I’ve been practicing all this time, but I’m not used to it yet, and due to my total Mana Capacity, it’s not at a practical stage yet.
Chink…
I clenched my empty palm, and when I opened it again, a Copper Coin fell out of my hand.
This isn’t a magic trick; it’s proper [Dark Magic].
Viro-san had a bag whose interior was expanded by Dark Magic.
Through observation and experimentation, I learned that Dark Mana Particles aren’t true darkness but rather “dark-colored particles,” and that they can be transformed into various shapes and given certain effects through the caster’s thoughts and precise Mana manipulation.
That application is [Illusion Magic] and [Spatial Magic].
The first step in Spatial Magic, [Weight Up], doesn’t adjust the weight but rather envelops the substance in Dark Mana Particles and moves it along with the Mana Particles.
The basis of Spatial Magic lies in enveloping a substance in Mana Particles.
In the case of the Expansion Bag, it was a magic that created a fixed space by fixing Dark Mana Particles to the inside of the bag, thereby expanding its interior.
The Dark Magic level required to create an Expansion Bag is 4.
My master said that this level is necessary because of the magical structure that fixes and maintains the Mana Particles inside the bag, the technology to subtly absorb the Magic Stone and the owner’s Mana, the technology to freely take things in and out, and the enormous Mana required to construct all of that.
So, I consulted my master about an idea I had, and he said it was interesting and helped me come up with the magic structure.
That was to turn my own body into an Expansion Bag.
Even when a human body is just standing still, it always casts a shadow. There’s darkness in the gaps in clothing and inside the mouth, and of course, inside the body.
Assuming that’s a space of darkness, by making it an extremely small space of Mana Particles and expanding it with Mana, I thought I should be able to achieve the same effect as an Expansion Bag.
By not separating the Mana Particles and circulating my own Mana, I omitted some of the troublesome structures.
I also omitted the structure needed to fix the entrance and exit by using magic on the darkness on the surface of my body each time I took things in and out.
For that reason, it became a structure that could be used with Dark Magic around level 3, but for me, at Dark Magic level 2, I had to constantly focus on maintaining the space of darkness, and with my current total Mana Capacity, I could only create a space large enough to hold a few coins.
That’s why it was still an experimental Dark Magic that wasn’t yet practical, but there was a reason why I wanted to store the roasted meat there.
According to the “knowledge” of general magic, living creatures cannot be placed in a space expanded by Dark Magic.
But that’s not correct. To be precise, living creatures cannot survive and die in a space composed of Dark Mana Particles.
This is just a guess, but perhaps the inside of an Expansion Bag is filled with Mana Particles instead of air, creating a state close to a vacuum.
There’s a “rumor” that time stops and food doesn’t rot when put in an Expansion Bag, but the truth is that small creatures that rot food—”microorganisms,” according to my knowledge—die, achieving the same effect as the bottled goods used by sailors and the “canned goods” in that woman’s knowledge.
However, there’s also a problem with this: if you put in fermented foods like cheese, even the good bacteria will die, so it won’t be preserved food anymore.
Well, in short, it’s better to consume this meat in about two days.
After storing the roasted meat, I started walking through the valley toward the Royal Capital. As expected, since I had fought so flamboyantly to make an example, no monsters attacked me afterward.
The Rock Rats that had been watching me were probably now engrossed in the remains of the Wind Birds and the Giant Crow that I had left behind and wouldn’t show their faces for a while.
The reason I roasted the meat all together was to avoid using fire when camping.
Bird-type monsters can only find me when the sun is directly overhead. It’s still winter, so camping without fire would normally be dangerous, but since I can activate my life force with Light Magic, it’s not that difficult, and there was no reason to light a fire.
It would take a merchant caravan about five days to get through this valley, but with my feet and no large luggage, I could get through in about three days if I hurried.
When I slept, I burned a small amount of animal-repelling wild grass and closed my eyes in the gaps between the rocks.
I was already able to maintain Stealth even while sleeping, so even in the darkness that would be dangerous for a merchant caravan, it had become a safe place for me, free from malicious enemies like humans.
On the last day, another Giant Crow attacked, but this time there was no need to make an example, so I dealt with it using Illusion Magic and poison while ensuring my safety.
I thought I was used to camping in dangerous places to some extent, but perhaps I was still tense, as I stretched my back as if to loosen my stiff body after leaving the valley.
Even though I have “knowledge,” I lack experience. In places like towns and paved roads, it’s fine, but in places with uneven terrain and poor footing, my body tenses up unnaturally, and I get tired.
Until now, I’ve been learning how to walk from Viro-san while covering it up with Body Enhancement, but from now on, I should train to understand the terrain even when walking normally.
Fortunately, I was able to acquire [Night Vision] level 2, which exceeds the limits of humans, so with training, I should be able to grasp my surroundings as well as a Beastkin.
After eating the last of the meat and finishing a simple meal, I resumed my journey to the Royal Capital.
However, once I entered the noble territory, there wouldn’t be much danger. In the first place, I wasn’t traveling on the main road to avoid people’s eyes, so I didn’t even encounter any bandits.
Stealth, now at level 3, easily hid me from wild animals.
Of course, there was a risk that monsters of Rank 3 or higher would discover me, but in the noble territory near the center, I wouldn’t encounter such monsters very often.
“…”
I had encountered a Hobgoblin head-on when passing through the forest before, but perhaps what happened once could happen again.
It was about 2 meters tall. It had a sturdy, humanoid shape with a wide body, and its entire body was covered in armor of muscle, but its head was not humanoid but shaped like a wild pig.
[Orc] [Beastkin] [Rank 3]
[Mana Capacity: 108/110] [HP: 343/413]
[Overall Combat Strength: 374 (Body Enhancement in progress: 430)]
…That’s probably an Orc. They’re born warriors, form villages, and are dangerous monsters that like to attack humans in groups.
I didn’t expect one to appear in a place like this, but judging from the amount of HP it’s lost, it’s probably a stray monster that wandered in from somewhere again.
Due to the sudden encounter, the distance between me and the Orc is less than five meters. But the Orc hasn’t found me yet, who was using Stealth.
I instantly applied full Body Enhancement and accelerated my thinking.
This is an opportunity. Even though the opponent is of a higher rank, they’re not overwhelmingly strong compared to my current combat strength, but if I take too long, the difference in our base strength will put me at a disadvantage.
I use all the skills I have to deal with the situation. My tactic is assassination by surprise attack… an instant kill using all my power.
I gather my thoughts in three seconds after spotting the Orc, wrap the Pendulum around a tree branch, and jump up into the tree with the momentum of my movement.
“Bwo?”
The Orc turns around, alerted by the slight breeze caused by my movement, even though there was no presence, but I am already gone.
Using Dark Magic, I create the shape and sound of a “Rabbit” as if hiding in the bushes, and the Orc, being competent, is put off guard by detecting it.
By that time, I had flown even higher from the tree branch.
Instead of the usual Magic Steel Black Knife, I pull out the thin knife strapped to my boot in mid-air.
The slender knife I received from Sera, the only one left, is a mass-produced steel product, but it has a thick blade and excellent penetrating power.
The Orc’s entire body is covered in a muscular armor, but that is only on the premise that it has undergone Body Enhancement. I distract him, make him careless, and with the Orc relaxed, I put my entire weight on the slender blade from above, stabbing it into his neck all the way to the base.
“Bwoooooooooooooooooooooooo!?”
Before the Orc can understand that he has been attacked by the sudden sharp pain, I release the knife, disappear as if moving into a blind spot, and stab the Black Knife into the opposite side of his neck.
The Orc’s HP decreases rapidly, but the black blade is blocked by the muscles and stops halfway. Releasing the knife that was caught between the muscles, I draw the knife I received from Feld from my waist.
It was a spare knife that I had only used for dismantling, but it is quite good, and its simple attack power is comparable to the Black Knife.
I move behind the Orc, believing that he will definitely turn around, and swing the steel knife back greatly.
“——【Thrust】——!”
And at the same time as the Orc, who finally realized he had been attacked, turned around, the Combat Art of the short sword that I unleashed pierced through the Orc’s eyeball and into his brain.
Two weeks after encountering the Orc, I finally arrived at the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Claydale.
I didn’t bother collecting the Orc’s materials, only taking the Magic Stone.
That woman seemed to think that Orc meat was a high-class material, but in reality, the meat of carnivorous Monsters is smelly and doesn’t sell well.
It is sometimes used as a substitute for pork at cheap stalls, but unless it is something special, ordinary people will not reach for humanoid meat.
I lined up at the gate for ordinary people in the Royal Capital and entered. Even though it is said to be the most heavily guarded in this country, it is still done by people, so as a child with an Adventurer’s Guild tag, I was able to easily enter the city.
However—
“Your tag is quite damaged. You should have it replaced at the Guild.”
The gatekeeper said that to me, as the metal tag had been damaged by all the training and battles. My rank is still 1, so maybe it’s about time to update it to rank 2?
It was mid-winter when I left my master’s place, but I can feel the signs of spring coming soon. It has been a year since I ran away from the Orphanage, and in another six months, I will be nine years old.
I have avoided revealing my identity as much as possible until now, but running away too much will hinder my actions, so if I update the place of issue to the Royal Capital, there will be many situations where I can deceive people.
The cityscape of the Royal Capital was even more prosperous than Dandole, which was said to be a big city.
“………?”
As I was walking while looking at the crowded streets of the Royal Capital, I felt a slightly unpleasant gaze.
There are the usual curious gazes, but this is different. However, it is impossible for it to be someone from the Thieves’ Guild or a contact from the Assassin Guild.
In this city, which is said to be the safest in the Kingdom, there should be no “professionals” who would make such ridiculous advances. If that’s the case, I thought that this gaze was from some stupid thugs targeting travelers and children to earn pocket money.
I could just ignore them… but that’s a hassle.
There is also the option of appealing to the guards, but I haven’t been attacked yet, and I don’t know if they will seriously listen to what I, a Free Citizen, have to say.
Well, they might be the perfect people to beat up to get information about the city.
I leave the main street and head towards the back alleys, and the unpleasant gaze follows me.
…About three or four people? Considering the roughness of their footsteps, they are not thugs, but rather street delinquent boys.
I pass through a place like a drinking district, and head to an even less crowded place, and when I get to a place where there is no one at all, I hear the sound of footsteps running.
As expected, there are four of them… all boys in their mid to late teens. They approach me with smirks on their faces as I stop, and the boy who seems to be the leader draws a small iron knife to show off his power, at that moment—
“Hey, you guys! What are you doing there!”
Another person’s voice echoes from the entrance of the back alley, and the silhouette of a tall, sturdy, familiar man emerges.
This voice is…
“………Feld?”
Please refer to around episode 4 for Feld.
Next time, reunion. Why is he here?
And Aria becomes involved with an unexpected person.