Episode 312: Interlude (Berelforestei Country)
“……Dad!”
“Papa! Papa!”
“Ah…… Fint, Yulan! You’re both well!”
A young man and a boy of about ten years old ran towards him.
The father, returning from the battlefield, lifted his younger son into his arms and embraced his older son as well.
“Welcome home……!”
“……I’m home, Filia……! I’m so glad, so glad you’re safe……!”
The mother, who had been chasing after her two sons, joined them, and the four hugged each other tightly.
And such scenes were unfolding everywhere.
This was a regional city in Berelforestei Country.
The hunter men, who had been conscripted for the war with the Prawa Theocracy, were finally discharged and returned to their hometowns.
However, the hole left by these hunters was very large.
With no one to hunt the Monsters living in the Demon Forest, they soon realized that their natural enemies were gone.
Before a year had passed, many of the villages and towns that had served as bases for the hunters were attacked by Monsters one after another and fell.
Of course, they had not developed the land without any defenses.
They had prepared some defensive equipment and established emergency procedures.
But they were critically short of manpower.
The outer walls were destroyed, and the invading Monsters rampaged. No one ever knew how many villages were attacked, how many towns fell, and how many people died.
The retired hunters who remained in the villages and towns, or the inexperienced apprentices, managed to repel the Monsters with their efforts, but all that remained were walls and houses so damaged that they could not withstand the next attack.
The surviving residents abandoned their hometowns and fled to the rear base cities.
“So…… where are we living now?”
“Don’t worry, dear. The lord has provided us with a room. It’s a bit small, but it’s big enough for the four of us.”
“The lord…… I see……”
In any case, the family guided the father to their room as a celebration of his safe return.
It was a simple housing area prepared for evacuees. Houses that looked like large boxes were lined up at equal intervals.
Half a year had already passed since they had evacuated. The houses, all the same shape, were decorated individually by the people who lived there.
The house they were led to was decorated with well-used bows, wooden dolls, and cut flowers.
Since they had been notified of the father’s return, the three of them had been decorating it so that he could come home at any time.
The bow was for practice, made for the older brother who would succeed him as a hunter.
Displaying this at home was proof that he had been recognized as a full-fledged hunter and had obtained a proper bow for hunting.
“When the Monsters attacked the village, it happened to be my night watch duty. I went up to the watchtower and desperately drew my bow. In the end, I aimed at the Monsters that had entered the village……”
Thanks to his efforts, the damage to the residents was minimized.
The village chief, having heard of this, directly recognized him as a formal hunter.
Of course, there was also the aspect of comforting the residents who had lost their village and putting on a performance, but there was no doubt that he had achieved sufficient results as a hunter.
And so, the family rejoiced at their reunion, and they drank, ate, and talked late into the night.
◇◇◇◇
The evacuees lived in simple prefabricated houses provided by the Great Southern Nation, the ＜Repuytari Kingdom＞.
Although made of wood, they were thoroughly waterproofed and had no gaps.
In terms of construction alone, they were much better made than their original houses.
“This is quite a fine house……”
“We also get proper rations. Look, we even got this wonderful pot……”
What they showed him was a very large, thick-bottomed pot. Furthermore, glossy ceramic plates, metal knives, forks, and spoons.
The clothes the family was wearing now were also made using the supplied fabric. Not only that, but the tablecloth and bed sheets were also made from the same fabric. Looking at this alone, they were living a much better life than when they lived in the village.
“And now, Fint is earning money as a hunter. He’s making things a lot easier for us.”
“I see…… You’ve become quite accomplished in just one year……”
The older brother, who worked as a hunter, used a well-made bow and a hunting knife. These also seemed to be supplies from the Repuytari Kingdom.
And upon closer inspection, the supplies had a symbol carved into them that resembled a person’s profile.
It seemed that they were all made in the same workshop.
“……Speaking of which.”
The father took out a weapon that he had brought back from the battlefield as a good-luck charm.
It was the Goddess of the Battlefield.
A weapon called ＜Revolver＞ that had protected the lives of soldiers from the Warrior Monks’ attacks.
It was one of the supplied weapons given to him on the battlefield where he was dispatched. Since the Repuytari Kingdom did not ask for it back, he brought it back with him.
In addition to the five bullets already loaded, there were dozens more in the ammunition box.
A considerable number of bullets had been supplied, so many soldiers had taken them home without permission, and for the time being, they were in a situation where they could be procured somewhere.
The upper echelons also knew the amount of guns and bullets piled up in the warehouse, so they did not actively try to recover those that were circulating in the field.
The father had experienced a close call, using the Revolver that had been supplied as a last resort against the Warrior Monks who deflected arrows.
The bullet fired at close range pierced the Warrior Monk in front of him in one shot.
Of course, he also knew that there were Warrior Monks who could not be shot down even with larger rifles. But even so, he had been saved by this Goddess called Revolver.
“Look. This is the Goddess that saved my life on the battlefield.”
And on the grip of that Revolver. The same symbol as the supplied items was carved into the handle.
“It seems our family was saved by this Goddess-sama.”
“Cool, Dad. I wonder where this workshop is. It’s definitely in the Repuytari Kingdom, but……”
◇◇◇◇
“They haven’t noticed yet. Once they do, it won’t move from that spot for a while. Aim carefully.”
“Okay.”
A large bear stood on its hind Legs, wary of its surroundings.
The large bear, which was nearly twice the height of a person, was a type of Monster called a Forest Bear.
They were dispatched because of a report that it had appeared in the forest along the highway.
Forest Bears were extremely ferocious Monsters.
Their strong muscles, which covered their entire body, deflected ordinary swords without a scratch.
Also, even if one were to challenge them with masterfully crafted Spears or swords, the thick fur, fat, and muscle layers would prevent the blade from penetrating.
Therefore, the key to safely defeating this Monster was to pierce its vulnerable vital points from a distance with arrows.
Of course, this was a double-edged sword, as missing the target would be a life-or-death situation.
The novice hunter carefully aimed, channeling his Magical Power into the arrow and releasing his finger.
With a whoosh, the released arrow was sucked into the Forest Bear’s throat.
The arrow, which had increased Penetration power compared to normal, pierced the hardened fur and inflicted fatal damage.
But.
“＜Last Attack＞!”
The Forest Bear, whose carotid artery and spine had been pierced and was clearly instantly dead.
It charged at them with all its might.
“Bad luck! Dodge it, Fint!”
“O-okay!”
If this had been a close-quarters battle, it would undoubtedly have been a fatal blow. It had such a fast reaction speed and tremendous rushing power.
But in reality, they were quite a distance away, and there was plenty of time to dodge the Forest Bear’s charge.
If they moved out of its path, they wouldn’t be hit.
“In these situations, you can wait for it to stop moving, but……”
The father, who had experienced the same situation many times in past hunts, responded calmly, unlike his impatient son.
He drew the Goddess of the Battlefield (Revolver) from his waist, took aim, and pulled the trigger.
Normally, they would use additional arrows or a catapult to pursue and finish it off, but with the powerful weapon called Revolver, they could do it all in one breath.
With a roar, the fired bullet pierced the Forest Bear’s temple.
The head, subjected to a tremendous impact, turned in the wrong direction, and the neck bent.
And that was the final blow, and the Forest Bear’s body lost all its strength. Its huge body slid across the ground with the momentum of its charge.
“Alright. As expected of the Goddess.”
“Amazing……”
Even after losing their lives, Monsters sometimes unleash one last attack like this.
For a novice hunter, experiencing that in a relatively safe situation was a valuable lesson.
Everyone loves revolvers.
Indeed, revolvers are cool. I want to see them play a more active role.