Volume 01 – Chapter 05

Chapter 5: Unique Monster

 

The day after Weiss left for the city, Roy became busier than ever before. He woke up earlier than usual to go to the forest and returned home late.

A day passed, and so did a week, and his fatigue began to show on his face.

“……Dear, shouldn’t it be fine if you rest for a day?”

“I can’t do that. That D-rank monster might get close to the village if I don’t reduce the number of monsters that can become its prey.”

Roy smiled and declined Mireille’s suggestion, saying that he just have to endure for thirteen more days.

(If I knew things would come to this, I would’ve started training on how to hunt monsters in the forest.)

Although Ren knew that regretting it now wouldn’t help much, he couldn’t help but think that.

It went without saying that he had offered to help Roy with his hunts, but Roy firmly kept refusing him no matter how much he appealed.

 

Time continued to pass, paying no heed to Ren’s increasing restlessness.

It had been ten days since Weiss’s departure. Just like any other day, the sun began to set, and the sky was turning a deep red color. It would be completely dark in just a few minutes.

“Mom, Dad hasn’t come back yet. Isn’t it getting too late?”

Thinking that it was strange that his father still hadn’t returned from the forest, Ren went to the kitchen to ask Mireille about it.

“You’re right…… I wonder if he is working harder than usual today……” she replied, but contrary to her words, her expression turned into that of uneasiness. “I’m still worried about him so I’ll go out and take a look.”

“I’ll also come with you.”

“No, you will stay here. It’s already nighttime so it will be dangerous.”

Although Mireille’s reply was stern, Ren still didn’t agree with it and he proposed a compromise.

“It’s dangerous for you to go alone as well. That’s why I’ll still secretly follow you even if you stop me. So don’t you think it’s better if we go together from the start?”

“Haa…… Ren, why do you always have to be so sly?”

Mireille had no words left to counter Ren’s response. She did think of forcing him to stay back anyway, but it would be more dangerous if he followed her secretly. That’s why she couldn’t help but agree to bring him along.

(It’s my first time going out at night ever since I reincarnated.)

They left the house through the kitchen door, and a cool wind, influenced by the climate of this region, caressed Ren’s face. Carried by the wind, the scent of flowers, grass, and dirt tickled his nose.

He could hear insects chirping from everywhere, but it was something he would have preferred hearing when things were peaceful.

“Ren, give me your hand,” said Mireille. The two of them started walking side by side. “Be careful not to fall.”

Since the light coming from the stars and the houses around them barely reached the path they were walking on, Mireille held a torchlight to illuminate it.

It was so dark that they could only see a few meels ahead. Meel was a unit of measurement that was equivalent to a metre from Ren’s previous world, so it meant that they could easily lose their footing if they didn’t pay attention.

 

────After walking for around thirty minutes, they reached a path around which torches were placed on both sides.

“There’s the entrance to the forest. That river over there separates the village from the forest.”

The path surrounded by torches was actually a wooden bridge suspended over the river.

The bridge did not look like the work of a skilled craftsman at first glance, but it looked sturdy since it was made of thick logs.

“Now where is he────Hmm? Is that……!!”

While Ren was looking at the bridge and the river, Mireille noticed something on the other side of the bridge.

When Ren copied her and looked there as well, he could see a humanoid figure on the ground leaning on a tree.

Both Mireille and Ren realized that the person was Roy, and they rushed toward him.

(……Something’s strange.)

Ren found it weird that Roy wasn’t showing any reaction even though his family was approaching him.

The only thing Roy did was to slightly turn his head towards them. He did not look at them, but instead, he continued breathing heavily and his shoulders moved up and down.

“Dear! We were so wor────”

Mireille suddenly went silent, and at the same time, Ren noticed the condition Roy was in.

“D……Dad?!”

Roy, who had gone into the forest to hunt this morning full of spirits, was on the ground with blood flowing out of his body, dyeing the ground red.

“Mire…………ille………… Re……n……”

“Don’t speak! We will quickly take you back home, so hold still!”

“Do……n’t……”

He extended his trembling arm which was covered in blood and grabbed Ren’s shoulder. The blood on that arm was almost dry and his grip was a lot weaker than usual.

“…………Go back……! ……Because of the……smell of blood…… The monsters will…………!”

Forcing out those words, Roy stopped moving. However, Ren could still feel Roy’s heart beating when he touched his chest.

But while he was confirming Roy’s heartbeats, the sound of agitated snorting came from the surrounding trees.

「Bruuuuu!」

「Ha! Haaaaah!」

「Bruuuaaa!」

Three Little Boars appeared from the forest. They were as big as a large-breed dog and their fur, which was covered in mud, was thick and sturdy like armor. The fangs that protruded from their mouths were sharp, indicating just how dangerous it would be to get bit by them.

……Those monsters were most likely drawn in by the smell of Roy’s blood as he had said.

「AAAAAAAAA!」

Ren couldn’t even get a moment to decide whether to fight or to run when a Little Boar charged at him.

“Mom! Take Dad and go back!”

“Ren?!”

“Just hurry up and go! I’m the only one who can fight them off!”

Ren faced the Little Boars to keep them away from his parents.

However, he had no experience fighting beasts, even in his previous life. He broke out in sweat seeing the Little Boar charge at him, baring its fangs.

「Bruuu────!」

The Little Boar leaped towards Ren aiming for his neck.

Ren drew the Wood magic sword he was carrying on his waist and held it sideways. He tried to stop the Little Boar by pushing the sword between its mouth.

“……G-Guh……!”

However, he was unable to completely stop its momentum and was knocked down to the ground.

The Little Boar’s fangs drew closer, dripping with foul-smelling drool. Although he was terrified, he desperately controlled himself and pushed his arm forward with determination.

To his surprise, that action easily pushed the Little Boar away.

(So that’s how it is. My training with Dad has made me a lot stronger.)

Ren quickly stood up and swung the Wood magic sword at the head of the Little Boar in front of him.

Right then, a different Little Boar leaped at him, but this time, Ren calmly stopped the blow.

「Bua────?!!」

He swung his sword at the head of the second Little Boar as well and just like before, even the thick fur of the monster was nothing in front of his physical strength.

「…………!」

「……aa……!」

The two Little Boars died leaving behind a weak cry. The spot on their skull where Ren had struck with the Wood magic sword had sunk deeply.

Witnessing that sight, the remaining Little Boar let out a miserable cry and fled.

“Ren?! Wh-When did you become this strong……!”

Mireille had been trying to leave while supporting Roy’s shoulders, but due to the difference in their stature, they could only take small steps and had just finished crossing the bridge.

“I’ve taken care of them! Let’s hurry up and bring Dad back home!”

Ren switched with Mireille to support Roy’s body and quickly headed towards their home.

 

They left the bridge and started walking down the dark pathway, and when their house was visible, Mireille separated from them.

“I’ll go and call Grandma Rigg!”

“G-Grandma Rigg?”

“Yes! She has the pharmacist skill, so she will definitely be of help to us!” she said and left in a hurry.

Since both of them were worried about Roy, the darkness of the night on their way back from the forest didn’t feel as dreary as it would’ve usually been.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

When dawn was about to break, Roy’s treatment had reached a stopping point.

The door to Ren’s parent’s bedroom opened and Grandma Rigg walked out of it.

“Grandma Rigg! How’s Dad?!” asked Ren as he hurriedly got up from the floor. He was sitting outside the room so that he could immediately help out when needed.

“……He is stable for now, but his condition is unpredictable. However, I’ve done whatever I could for the time being.”

Last night, Ren had seen the wound on Roy when he was laying him down on the bed. Roy’s abdomen had been deeply cut open; enough for his internal organs to spill out.

According to Grandma Rigg, he also had multiple fractures throughout his body.

Ren felt that there was something strange about his injuries.

(────I doubt that it was Little Boars who injured Dad since I was able to defeat them so easily.)

The only other explanation was that Roy had fought the monster Weiss came to warn them about.

Ren was aware that Roy had complete knowledge of the forest around them, so he wouldn’t deliberately step into a dangerous area. So that meant the monster Weiss mentioned had appeared relatively close to the village.

“……Um, can I go see Dad now?”

Grandma Rigg gave her approval and left saying that she would come again in the afternoon to check on Roy’s condition.

 

When Ren stepped into his parent’s bedroom, he could see Roy laying down on a large bed.

His entire body was covered in slightly dirty bandages and it was painful to look at. Although his eyes were closed, looking at his chest made it clear that he was still weakly breathing.

“When he wakes up, I have to tell him that we could only reach home safely because of you,” said Mireille while sitting on a stool placed close to the bed. She looked just as tired as Grandma Rigg.

Ren looked at her for a moment, then turned his attention back to his father.

Although his father had upheld his responsibility as the one in charge of this village, now that he was seriously injured, who would protect the village now?

“I’m the only one who can do that,” was the answer Ren reached.

“……Mom. I’ll handle Dad’s job from tomorrow onwards.”

Hearing her young son say that, Mireille stood up in a panic.

“Y-You will not! It was not a Little Boar that attacked your father! You are clever, so you know that, don’t you?!”

“That’s what I think as well! But────!”

“No buts! Since you never managed to win against your father, what will you do if the monster that defeated him appears again?!”

Ren stammered, having no way to counter her words, but he couldn’t back down as well.

“You know that Dad wouldn’t willingly go into a dangerous place, don’t you? But seeing that he still got seriously injured, it means that the monster is a lot closer to the village.”

“Still────!”

“There’s no time to hesitate anymore.”

……Ren still had another reason.

 “Since I was born in the Ashton family, I have the duty to protect this village just like my father.”

Mireille finally fell silent after hearing her son’s words.

Ren’s heart ached as he watched her, but he wouldn’t take back what he said. The Ashtons had the duty to protect this village. It was something that Weiss, the commander of the knight order that served the Baron, had said as well.

“I considered evacuating the entire village, but there’s no doubt we’ll encounter monsters on the way. So it wouldn’t matter even if we try to take refuge outside the village since I’ll still be the only one who can fight.”

Holding out on their own till the Baron’s reinforcements arrived was the best path for them.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Mireille had no choice but to give in. As Ren had said, it was a fact that he had a duty to fulfill as the son of a knight, and she had no words to refute it.

However, she firmly made Ren promise that he wouldn’t push himself and that he wouldn’t go beyond a distance that would take thirty minutes of walking after crossing the bridge. She also made him promise that he would return as quickly as possible if he felt something strange, as well as that he would be back home before evening.

“Ah, there they are.”

A few hours after Roy’s treatment had finished, Ren was crossing the bridge that led to the forest.

He had come to retrieve the bodies of the two Little Boars he had defeated yesterday.

While selling the Little Boar’s materials would help earn some money, Ren’s main motive was to avoid attracting the D-rank monster who could’ve come for the corpses.

“Here……we go.”

Due to the effect of Physical Ability Up (low), Ren managed to lift the bodies on both his shoulders.

The beastly stench pricked his nose, but he had no other choice but to endure.

While he was grimacing due to the stench, something warm flowed out of the Little Boar’s chest region.

“Eh────?”

At first, Ren thought it was blood that flowed out and he placed the bodies back on the ground. But on looking again, he could see something like glowing particles—similar to an aurora—coming out of the corpses’s chest and slowly flying towards his arm.

Feeling surprised, Ren removed his leather armor and looked at the bracelet. What he saw was something he had been looking forward to for a long time.

 

The proficiency of both Magic Sword Summoning Art and Wood Magic Sword had gone up by “2”.

“……As I thought, it only works using the mana stones of the monsters I defeat myself.”

Although he managed to confirm that his hypothesis was correct, Ren couldn’t honestly rejoice in this situation.

He wanted that to happen when he would have gone to the forest with a healthy Roy and defeated Little Boars as his father watched over him.

Ren let out a sigh with a slight tinge of happiness as he picked up the Little Boars again. 

“……I should test all the abilities of the Wood magic sword soon.”

But since he had to return home right now, he put it off for tomorrow.

Ren braced himself for the upcoming day, thinking that it would be the first time he would actually enter the forest.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Ren woke up earlier than usual the next day, so he made his preparations and headed for the forest.

「You can tell the general direction by looking at the Blade Monolith.」

That was the helpful advice he got from Mireille right before leaving.

As Roy had explained to him before, the Blade Monolith referred to the giant boulder in the shape of a sword that towered in the middle of the forest, and it would take around an hour and a half to reach it from the entrance.

Recalling that fact, Ren reconfirmed his objective for the day.

(All I have to do is hunt the monsters that are within a range of thirty minutes from here)

After crossing the bridge, he resolved himself and stepped into the forest.

The wind made the branches of the trees sway and he could hear the rustling of the leaves. The only other things he could hear were the chirping of birds and the sound of water flowing in the nearby lake.

“Argh……”

Ren’s feet got stuck in the muddy ground and mud got inside his shoes. The unpleasant sensation made his cheeks twitch.

When he began cleaning the mud off his shoes, something similar to a leech started crawling up his arm before he realized it. Although it wasn’t strange for such a thing to appear in a forest, it still felt unpleasant on the skin.

Since the leech still hadn’t bitten into Ren’s arm, he easily brushed it off.

“This is what happens to leechers, huh……” ^[1]

He looked up at the sky, feeling embarrassed at his pointless mutter, but then went back to cleaning his shoes.

When he was done wiping the mud off, he started walking again with heavy steps. It was not because he felt tired, but rather he was just ashamed of himself for saying such a stupid thing at a time like this.

 

────While he was busy in his thoughts, the grass near him suddenly shook and a Little Boar covered in mud jumped out of it.

「Bruuu!」

“They always appear so suddenly……!”

Usually, wild animals act more cautious in front of their prey, but it seemed like that wasn’t the case with this Little Boar.

Perhaps it was wrong to view monsters as the same as animals, but Ren never thought that a Little Boar would be daring enough to attack by him alone.

However, he didn’t feel scared at all and just swung the Wood magic sword down on the Little Boar.

「Buaaa?!」

He struck a sharp blow on top of its head.

“My first fight of the day ended so quickly,” he said and picked up the body of the Little Boar over his shoulder, and just like yesterday, something warm flowed out of its chest.

Ren quickly checked his bracelet and noticed that the proficiency of Magic Sword Summoning Art and Wood Magic Sword had gone up by “1”.

“Come to think of it, didn’t Mom say that the mana stones were empty?”

It was something that happened yesterday. When Ren handed over the bodies of the two Little Boars to Mireille, she had told him the mana stones were empty right when she began dismantling them.

Mana stones were the crystalization of mana that formed inside monsters as they grew.

And when the mana inside the mana stones gets completely expended, they turn translucent and are completely worthless.

Although Mireille was confused yesterday and said that it was strange, Ren didn’t have to worry about it anymore. After all, she had decided to let him have the mana stones. 

“…………So.”

What should I do now, he wondered. Recalling yesterday’s event was fine, but he needed to figure out what to do with the body of the Little Boar he had just hunted. Fighting while carrying it was impossible, but he also didn’t want to leave it as is.

Thinking that there is no other way, Ren decided to carry it back to the bridge.

“Argh…………”

Right when he started walking, two more Little Boars appeared in front of him.

“Not that I mind though.”

Ren threw the body of the Little Boar he was carrying at the monsters that had just appeared, making them falter for an instant.

He took advantage of that gap and closed the distance between him and the two Little Boars. He easily killed one of them by striking it on the head. When the other monster realized the danger it was in, it miserably started running away.

I would’ve killed it if I had some long-range attacks, thought Ren before suddenly remembering something.

“────Don’t I have one?”

He was referring to Nature Magic (low). It was the skill that came along with────or rather, was most likely the true ability of the Wood magic sword.

It was something he planned on testing today.

But Ren had never used magic before, so he didn’t know how to activate that skill.

When he was mulling over what to do, he remembered the nature magic he saw when he played the game.

In the game, it was an elf who used nature magic, through which he created roots and vines to restrain opponents.

However, Ren still didn’t figure out how to use it. He wondered if there were any conditions to invoke it, and tried swinging the Wood magic sword toward the direction the Little Boar was heading for. When he did that────

「Buoo?!」

Green glowing particles appeared around the Wood magic sword he had swung downwards.

When the particles reached the ground, roots grew from it and bound themselves around the neck of the Little Boar that was trying to escape.

Unable to breathe anymore, the Little Boar stopped moving.

“Ooh…… That was amazing……”

When he got closer to the Little Boar to deal the final blow, he noticed that it was already on the verge of dying.

Ren brandished his sword and swung it towards the monster’s head to stop its suffering.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Upon reaching home that evening, Ren was greeted by a dumbfounded Mireille.

“W-Were you the one to defeat all of them?!”

“Yes. They were strangely aggressive today.”

The Little Boars he had defeated numbered twelve. And because of that, the proficiency of Magic Sword Summoning Art and Wood Magic Sword increased by the same amount.

“Even your father rarely hunted this many…… Th-That’s right! How did you carry them all the way here?!”

“I carried half of them on my shoulders and dragged the rest after tying them using some vines I found in the forest tightly.”

“I-Is that so……”

(Although it’s a lie that I found them in the forest.)

He had created the vines using the Wood magic sword as well.

They were the result of his experimenting with the things he could create using the nature magic he had seen in the game as a reference.

It was not particularly difficult. All he had to do was to strongly wish, “Roots, come forth! Vines, come forth!” as he swung the sword.

(Nothing else came out, but well, I guess it was inevitable since the Nature Magic I can use has ‘low’ attached to it.)

But as expected, as soon as he unsummoned the Wood magic sword, the roots, and the vines disappeared as well.

(I just have to be careful not to use it too much.)

Ren had a hunch about what the result would be if he overused nature magic. The sensation he felt while using it was similar to the one when he summoned the magic sword. That’s why he knew that it utilized mana.

While Ren was thinking that he must also focus on growing the amount of mana he had, Mireille looked at the condition the corpses were in and voiced her surprise.

“Amazing! The pelt of these Little Boars can be sold at a higher rate compared to when your father hunts them!”

“Huh? Why is that?”

“That’s because they are in really good shape. Your father hunts them with a bladed sword, so the pelts end up getting damaged. But since you use a wooden sword, there is not even a single scratch on them.”

Mireille looked at Ren in confusion, but it didn’t seem like she had sensed something.

On the other hand, Ren could only smile wryly.

I hope tomorrow’s hunt ends safely as well, he silently prayed to the chief god Erfen.

After praying, Ren greatly stretched his back, and when he did so, he realized that he was surprisingly tired. It seemed like hunting in his father’s place was more exhausting than he had thought. 

(……I have to do my best tomorrow too.)

With that thought in mind, Ren’s expression turned into one filled with resolve.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The spoils of the second day were the same as the first. But on the third day, Ren hunted more Little Boars, and that count kept on increasing as the days passed.

It was the evening of the seventh day since Ren had started going to the forest, and the day’s hunt had finished without him getting injured once.

「Great work, Young Master!」

「As expected of Sir Knight’s successor!」

「You worked hard today as well, huh!」

He could hear the villagers calling out to him on his way home.

Recently, the villagers had started talking to him more than when he went out for his walks. Although it wasn’t a bad feeling since the first thing that came out of their mouth was praise.

But Ren didn’t let the praise get to his head since he was too busy for that.

(Looking at it again, I’ve defeated quite a lot of Little Boars……)

When he finished replying to the villagers, he lifted the armor covering his arm and looked at the bracelet.

 

・Wood Magic Sword (Lv. 1:  97 / 100)

 

Ren didn’t bother looking at the proficiency of Magic Sword Summoning Art since he knew it would take a long while for it to level up. The proficiency he gained by defeating Little Boars just amounted to “1” after all.

He still had a long way to go.

However, he was looking forward to the Wood Magic Sword’s level-up.

After all────

 

・Iron Magic Sword (Unlock Conditions – Magic Sword Summoning Art Lv. 2, Wood Magic Sword Lv. 2)

 

The thought that his next magic sword, the Iron Magic Sword would unlock soon made him more motivated for his daily hunts.

Currently, he saw no description for the Iron magic sword even when he touched the words. Most likely, the description would be made available only when he unlocked it.

(I can’t imagine that iron would have any special abilities though.)

Nevertheless, he was still looking forward to it.

He was in high spirits since there was no doubt it would get unlocked tomorrow.

His steps were light as if he was about to perform a skip at any moment.

But since he was still dragging a lot of Little Boars tied using vines, it was a strange sight for the villagers.

However, his light steps stopped as soon as he reached home.

“……I wonder what’s wrong.”

From the window, he could see human silhouettes hurriedly rushing down the corridor. He could tell that it was Mireille and Grandma Rigg even from a distance.

He instantly figured out that something must have happened.

Recklessly putting down the Little Boars he was carrying, Ren rushed into the house in a panic.

Since Mireille was in a hurry, she didn’t notice that Ren had returned. Looking at his mother in that state, his bad feeling turned into conviction and he followed her upstairs.

“Mom! What happened?!”

Just before Mireille could enter the room Roy was in, Ren held her hand which was on the doorknob.

“R-Ren?! O-Oh yeah…… It was time for you to come home……!”

Ren could tell that she was acting suspiciously.

It wasn’t as if her behavior was cruel, but her gaze was wandering around in panic and it seemed like she wanted to push Ren’s hand away and enter the room as quickly as possible.

“Um────”

“Young Master! Please move aside!”

Just when Ren was about to say something, Grandma Rigg, who had suddenly appeared behind him, said in a hurry and strongly pushed his body to the side.

She opened the door and went inside, holding a wooden tub containing boiled herbs

“Madam, please stay outside as well! Do not enter the room since it would be a disturbance.”

After that, Grandma Rigg closed the door with a thud, leaving Ren stunned.

 

Mireille, who was standing next to him, knelt down on the slightly dirty floor. She gently reached out to him and embraced him.

……Her body was slightly trembling

“Something happened to Dad, didn’t it?”

In response to his words, her embrace became tighter, and her trembling increased even more.

“Mom, is there something I can help with?”

“……There’s nothing.”

“As long as it’s something I can do, I am willing to do anything, so────”

“There is nothing we can do. Neither me nor Grandma Rigg.”

“────What do you mean……by that?”

With tears overflowing from her eyes, Mireille looked and Ren and started explaining.

“When Grandma Rigg came to check on your father in the evening, his condition suddenly worsened,” she said firmly.

According to her, Roy’s condition had rapidly deteriorated, and now Grandma Rigg was using a large amount of a precious medicinal herb to keep him alive.

However, that herb would run out tonight.

“Madam! Please bring the medicine compounding box from my house! My husband will tell you where it is, so please hurry up!”

Right then, Grandma Rigg peeked out of the room and shouted.

“Ren, make sure you don’t disturb Grandma Rigg and wait quietly in your room.”

Although Mireille’s expression was full of sorrow, she warned Ren with a stern voice and embraced him once again before leaving.

 

After Grandma Rigg went back into the room, Ren followed her and stepped inside without hesitation.

Although Mireille had told him to stay put in his room, he couldn’t do that without actually hearing the details.

“Grandma Rigg! Does the herb we need grow somewhere nearby?!”

“You won’t find it in this region anymore! It used to grow at the base of the Blade Monolith, but after a harsh winter ten years ago, it stopped growing there!”

Unlike Mireille, she replied in a clearly annoyed tone.

She was irritated since Ren was disturbing her while she was doing her best to save Roy.

(The characteristics of the herb are……)

Ren tried to look at the herb Grandma Rigg was using. Fortunately, there were still some that had not been boiled yet, so he was able to see what the herb looked like.

It was easy to memorize the herb since its leaves were in the shape of a pentagram.

(────So the herb was Rondo grass.)

Rondo grass was a medicinal herb that was common in The Legend of the Seven Heroes.

It was something that even the protagonist, who was born in the countryside, could buy. However, the village Ren lived in couldn’t even be called countryside and was in a remote region that was rarely visited by adventurers or merchants.

Although this village had a stock of Rondo grass, it seemed like that still wasn’t enough.

(It’s an item I have used multiple times. There’s no way I would fail to recognize it.)

Grandma Rigg had said that the Rondo grass stopped growing in this area, but Ren refused to believe it until he saw it with his own eyes.

That’s why, he couldn’t stay here doing nothing.

However, he was scared as well. On top of entering the forest in the middle of the night, there was still the D-rank monster to worry about.

The thought of going to the Blade Monolith right now……was definitely scary.

(……It’s not the time to hesitate.)

His father would die if he didn’t do anything.

Ren clenched his fists to muster his courage and reached a decision.

He stepped out of the room without saying anything else to Grandma Rigg and spotted his mother hurrying down the path between the fields through the window.

“……Mom, I’m sorry.”

After apologizing to his mother, Ren turned to look at the forest. He nodded to himself and then focused his gaze further into the depths of the forest.

And then finally, Ren quickly left the house, his destination being the Blade Monolith that stood tall in the middle of the forest.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

────A while after Ren had entered the forest, the lush, thick trees started to thin out and the path gradually became more clear.

Fortunately, he had not encountered any Little Boars so far. Since he had an unusual menacing air around him right now, that’s what caused the monsters to keep their distance.

After that, Ren continued to walk for several more minutes.

(Finally, I’m here.)

After passing through the forest, he arrived at an open plain with a small lake. Enshrined in the center of that lake was a giant boulder in the shape of an upside-down icicle────the Blade Monolith. Although the surroundings were dark due to night, that area was illuminated by the stars and the visibility was surprisingly good.

 

However, Ren didn’t know how to get close to the Blade Monolith.

There were places to stand at the base of the Blade Monolith, but he would still have to cross the lake to reach there.

The lake wasn’t too deep, but it was deep enough that even adults would use a boat to cross it. So for a young boy like Ren, the depth of the lake exceeded his height.

Ren remembered the ability of the Wood magic word and he swung it downwards to create a path made of roots to the Blade Monolith.

He crossed the lake using the makeshift pathway and looked around for any Rondo grass.

(So Grandma Rigg was right.)

Although he tried searching a bit more with a slight hope, he still couldn’t find any.

Ren looked up at the Blade Monolith that stood almost perpendicular to the lake and swung his magic sword again to create vines that grew on the side of the giant boulder.

“Ooh…… This is really convenient.”

He started climbing the Blade Monolith while feeling grateful for the Physical Ability Up (low) skill.

Luckily, he was neither afraid of heights nor slipping off.

Climbing the Blade Monolith—which was as tall as a building with a few tens of floors—using nothing but his bare hands was something that would have been impossible in his previous life.

Ren realized that fact and sighed.

A while later, he found a spot where could sit down and stopped to take a break. After wiping the sweat from his forehead, he looked up.

“Is that────”

His gaze went further up, perhaps close to the top of the Blade Monolith.

Illuminated by the starlight, he could see something fluttering due to the night breeze, and he unconsciously broke into a smile.

“Seems like it hadn’t gone extinct yet, Grandma Rigg.”

What were gently swaying in the night breeze were herbs with leaves in the shape of a pentagram.

Regaining his vigor, Ren grabbed the vines again and started climbing at a speed incomparable to before.

Although he started getting out of breath, he continued to climb for several minutes without stopping.

“────There’s no doubt about it! That’s definitely Rondo grass!”

Rondo grass hadn’t gone extinct and was still growing on the flat surface on top of the Blade Monolith.

Ren didn’t know how much was needed, but it definitely wasn’t a small amount.

At the same time, however, he saw something disturbing.

Bones that seemed to belong to beasts were scattered a short distance away from where the Rondo grass was growing.

He went close to examine them and realized that the bones belonged to Little Boars. He also found a large amount of jewelry nearby that was shining due to the starlight.

“…………”

Ren unconsciously clenched his sweaty palms.

There was no way Little Boars could climb up all the way here. He also hadn’t heard of a monster capable of flying living in the forest. The final nail in the coffin was the existence of the jewelry.

……The name of a certain monster came to his mind.

(I have to hurry.)

He had a terrible feeling.

He gathered the Rondo grass in a rush and descended using the vines.

After reaching the base of the Blade Monolith, Ren carefully looked at his surroundings and started walking on the pathway made of roots he had created earlier.

He regulated his breathing which had somehow become erratic. When he finished crossing the pathway, he wiped the sweat that had formed on his forehead.

(I have to hurry and get out of the forest……!)

Ren walked quickly, trying not to make any sound. But suddenly────

「!!」

「Bruu……!」

「Gaaah!」

Three Little Boars that seemed scared appeared out of nowhere and charged at him.

“Not at a time like this……!”

Ren was confused as to why the Little Boars were attacking him even when they were scared, but he swung his Wood magic sword, feeling irritated at the loud noise they were making.

Naturally, it was an easy win.

Ren defeated them in an instant and tried to get away from there without even glancing at their corpse, however────

 

「────」

 

The night breeze suddenly went silent.

A giant figure, whose size was a lot greater than Ren’s height, was standing on the grass that was swaying in the night breeze just a few moments ago.

Ren could only see its huge silhouette due to the moonlight, but it was enough for him to figure out the identity of the monster Weiss came to warn them about.

“……I see why the Little Boars were afraid. They were running away from you, huh.”

From the shadow, he could see the four tails of the beast shaking ominously as it stretched its head toward the sky.

 

“So it was you────Thief Wolfen.”

 

Ren resolved himself and turned around.

The monster standing there was the one he had just mentioned.

It looked like a wolf with pure white fur and had four tails and six eyes. The length of its body was around three adults lined up.

The monster had two major characteristics. One was that its speed was nothing to scoff at. The other was that it could skillfully use wind magic, and it used the wind that surrounded its body as an invisible hand to steal things from its opponents. Of course, it also used that wind magic to attack.

Its encounter rate in the game was quite low, and it wasn’t strange for people to clear the game without fighting it once.

(I thought it could have been this guy when I saw the jewelry on top of the Blade Monolith.)

Thief Wolfen was a monster whose strength lay in the middle to the upper tier of the D-rank.

However, it was not a typical D-rank monster, but something that was known as a Unique Monster. It dropped a rare item when defeated so there was more than enough reason to defeat it.

“Shit……!”

But the monster was too strong for Ren to fight right now, so he broke into a run in desperation.

The only thought that filled his mind was to get away from this place and return to the village he was born and raised in.

 

「OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo────!!」

 

 

The monster’s howl pierced his ears.

The howl Thief Wolfen used to intimidate its prey────It was exactly the same as in the game. 

“Haa…… Haa……!”

Ren was straining his legs to the point that it felt like his muscles snapped. However, he ran desperately without looking back even once.

But not even a few seconds later, the trees on his either side were knocked down due to a strong wind.

Clad in a whirlwind, the Thief Wolfen was approaching him from the side.

“────?!!”

Ren dodged the monster with a paper-thin difference, but he couldn’t maintain his balance and tumbled on the ground.

As he was getting up, Ren narrowed his eyes seeing Thief Wolfen standing near a tree in front of him a short distance away.

“I’m sorry. I won’t go near your den again.”

Thief Wolfen────A wolf with an enormous body that he had never seen before.

And now that it actually stood in front of him, its size was overwhelming.

Its silver fur exuded magnificence and the swaying of the four tails that couldn’t be seen on a normal wolf gave out a sense of pressure. Realizing that all of its six eyes were focused on him, Ren’s heart started beating uncontrollably fast.

“You see the Little Boars over there? Why don’t you satisfy yourself with them.”

「…………」

He drew his magic sword and gripped it tightly.

Although he knew it was meaningless, Ren tried to calm himself down by talking to the Thief Wolfen.

In contrast, The Thief Wolfen’s eyes glowed crimson as they stared at him. It took a step forward and slightly curled its back, baring its fangs.

“────Step aside,” said Ren while turning a gaze filled with hostility towards the Thief Wolfen, who showed no sign of moving.

He didn’t have time for this.

Rather than the strong opponent in front of him, Ren was more scared about not being able to bring the medicinal herbs back to his father on time.

「Grrrr…………」

However, the Thief Wolfen didn’t respond. Instead, it let out a long threatening growl.

Right after that, erratic winds surrounded Ren.

(Wind Magic────!)

Since the Thief Wolfen was adept at using wind magic, it used it to create invisible arms that couldn’t be seen by its opponent.

As soon as Ren sensed that the Thief Wolfen was preparing to attack, he immediately twisted his body and retreated backward. However, he felt a sharp pain on his cheek and when he slid his fingers across it, he saw that his fingertips were covered in bright red blood.

Ren was amazed at the Thief Wolfen’s wind magic, and it instantly made him realize something.

(This is not someone I can face────!)

He didn’t want to fight if possible, but he also knew that escaping was highly difficult.

It meant that he had no choice but to fight.

(……Is its leg, wounded?)

When Ren saw the Thief Wolfen acting as if it was protecting its leg, he noticed that there was a trace of a deep wound, and realized that Roy was the one to injure it.

(Dad upheld his duty as a knight.)

That wound was the reason why Roy was able to escape from the Thief Wolfen, and also why it hadn’t attacked the village sooner.

Ren felt his tense body slightly relaxing.

(But I don’t think I can easily escape.)

He knew that he would easily lose his life if he showed his back to the monster.

The only other option he could think of was to nature magic obstruct the Thief Wolfen and try running back to the village, but that was also next to impossible.

Since this place was close to the Blade Monolith, escaping as Roy did would be really difficult.

(Even if I were to fight, all I have is the Wood magic sword…… How am I supposed to fight with that────)

Perhaps because he was driven to a corner, Ren’s mind was clearer than usual.

He recalled the elf he fought in The Legend of the Seven Heroes Ⅰ.

That fight also took place in the forest. When he played it for the first time, he had quite a hard time due to the environment and the obstructions the elf created using nature magic.

But since the skill Ren could use was Nature Magic (low), all he could create were just roots and vines.

“But that doesn’t mean……I’ll just give up!”

「Gruu?!」

Using roots and vines to stop the Thief Wolfen in place for an instant, Ren approached it without a moment’s delay. Thinking that this was his only chance, he swung the Wood magic sword down at the monster’s head with all his power.

“~~!! Just how hard is it?!”

The top of the Thief Wolfen’s head was harder than he had expected, and his hands received a strong shock.

On the other hand, the monster who had been struck on the head by the magic sword screamed 「GYAAAAARH!」 and his six eyes were filled with killing intent.

However, Ren didn’t get afraid and tried to attack again. But just when he tried to raise his sword once more────

“Wha……?!”

His magic sword broke from above the handle, and soon, the handle also disappeared like mist.

At the same time, the roots and vines he had created also vanished.

(Did the previous impact cause it to break……? But that’s okay. I can just summon it again!)

Since it was a sword he had summoned using his skill, Ren thought that summoning it again should be possible. When he tried to do that, the Wood magic sword quickly appeared once again.

However, a sharp pain assailed his head for an instant.

(Is it because I summoned a broken……magic sword……!)

The mana it consumed was a lot more than usual.

Not only that, but the Thief Wolfen had also prepared to counterattack while he was summoning the magic sword again, so he didn’t even get the time to catch his breath.

「GUUOOOOOOOOOHH!!」

Fortunately, it seemed like Ren’s attack did have an effect.

The Thief Wolfen approached Ren with his mouth wide open. However, it was staggering and his movements had gotten slightly slower.

“Kuh……”

Ren desperately jumped to the side to avoid the attack. When he rolled on the ground, the damp mud went inside his mouth, making him feel sick. 

Coughing as he stood up, Ren spat out the mud in his mouth and took a moment to catch his breath. He then took a stance with his Wood magic sword.

(I should strike its head once again with the Wood magic sword────but that wouldn’t last me long.)

Since creating roots and vines consumed a lot of his mana, treating his magic sword like a disposable item would be absurd.

Even while he was thinking about it, the Thief Wolfen’s wind magic was closing in and he concluded that it was impossible.

「GRUUUU!! GAAAAAH!!」

Driven by rage, the Thief Wolfen rushed in to attack.

Naturally, Ren defended himself repeatedly with his Wood magic sword.

That continued on for some time, and Ren’s exhausted body began to waver.

「GRUUOOOOO!!」

The Thief Wolfen took advantage of that opening and swiftly charged like the wind, baring its fangs at Ren’s unprotected side.

“Guaa……aahh……?!!”

The leather armor he had been wearing stood no chance against the sharp fangs of the monster, and they easily pierced through it and sank into Ren’s soft skin.

He managed to prevent his side from being bitten off by forcibly rotating himself, but it had started bleeding heavily.

(Should I use the Rondo grass────No, I can’t……!)

Although he broke into a sweat due to the pain, he didn’t know if he could spare any Rondo grass for himself since Roy was his priority.

But that would mean that Ren would go down first.

If only I had a trump card……something that would get me out of this mess…… he pondered and reached out to wipe the sweat off his forehead, but then────

Suddenly, the crystal on his bracelet caught his eye.

He remembered the words he saw while coming home from the hunt this evening.

 

・Wood Magic Sword (Lv. 1:  97 / 100)

 

That was not the only important part, but the words in the next section were as well.

 

・Iron Magic Sword (Unlock Conditions – Magic Sword Summoning Art Lv. 2, Wood Magic Sword Lv. 2)

 

Ren only needed to defeat three more Little Boars and absorb the power of their mana stones into the bracelet to unlock the Iron magic sword.

He remembered that he had just defeated them a while ago.

However, back then, he had no time to absorb their mana stones, and the thought of unlocking the next magic sword wasn’t even in his mind.

「GAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

Without being intimidated by the roar that shook the air, Ren ran desperately while holding his burning wound.

“Haa…… Haa…… Stop being so persistent……!”

Since the damage the Thief Wolfen took from the strike to the head was still affecting it, Ren created multiple vines around it to keep it occupied, and used that chance to continue running toward the Blade Monolith.

On his way there, he had to obstruct the monster multiple times using the same trick. His mana was starting to run out, and because of the heavy bleeding, his vision was getting blurry.

However, he kept running desperately until finally, the Blade Monolith and the lake that surrounded it were visible.

Confirming where the corpses of the three Little Boars were, Ren mustered everything he could and moved towards them, and then……he reached them.

Ren had reached the corpses of the Little Boars before he could get bitten by the Thief Wolfen.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH”

He extended his hand on which the bracelet was equipped towards the corpses and screamed.

The bracelet absorbed the first, the second, and finally the third mana stone. When it finished absorbing them all, the crystal on the bracelet faintly glowed.

Ren looked at the bracelet making sure not to miss the change he was expecting.

 

・Iron Magic Sword (Lv. 1: 0/1000)
The sharpness of the sword will increase as the level increases.

 

Ren panicked, thinking that the Iron magic sword didn’t have any special ability, but he prayed that it was sharper than ordinary swords.

「Guoooo……!」

Ren turned around and threw the Wood magic sword at the Thief Wolfen, but before it could hit its forehead, the monster dodged it and the sword fell behind its four tails.

「GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!」

The enraged Thief Wolfen bared its fangs and lunged toward the nape of Ren’s neck as he took a lowered stance. The claws on the monster’s front legs gleamed in the starlight as it charged at him.

But in the next instant, several vines emerged from the Wood Magic Sword that had fallen behind the Thief Wolfen, binding its upper body.

 

Ren looked at the Thief Wolfen with a fierce determination and eyes filled with fighting spirit that would not lose to the monster, whose deadly jaws were still aiming at him, and shouted────

“This is my────!”

The Wood magic sword vanished and a crack appeared in the empty space near him. From that crack emerged a magic sword which was colored black from the handle to the tip of the blade.

「?!!」

Since the vines disappeared shortly after, the Thief Wolfen, whose upper body was bound by the vines, was confused by the sudden freedom.

Taking advantage of the gap, Ren held the Iron Magic Sword in a lower stance, pointing the tip upward.

 

“────Final attaaaaaaaaaaack!”

 

Without hesitating, he plunged the sword deep into the monster’s mouth.

The blade pierced through the monster’s skull and appeared on the other side, bathing in the night breeze as blood dripped off it.

After the Iron magic sword passed through the skull, all that was left was the slight pale glint of the blade.

「Ga……aa……ah……!」

The white wolf let out a weak cry and the light vanished from its six eyes. It quietly lay down as its eyelids closed.

At the same time, Ren felt his bracelet absorb the power of the Thief Wolfen’s mana stone.

“I did it……”

Like the monster, Ren naturally lay down on the ground as well.

His vision was getting blurry and everything he could see was turning black like the night sky.

He tried to use the Iron magic sword as a cane to stand up, however, his body didn’t listen to him.

The Iron magic sword soon vanished, and so did his bracelet.

Lying face down, his eyelids closed quietly.

 

────Dad. Mom, I’m sorry.

That was the last thing he muttered before losing consciousness.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Several minutes later, the sound of horseshoes echoed around the Blade Monolith.

“The howl came from around────C-Captain!”

“What’s wrong!”

“Please take a look at the shore of the lake over there! It’s the monster we assume to be our target and…… I-Is that……a boy……?”

Five knights that served Baron Claussell arrived at the forest near the lake.

They rushed over to the fallen Ren and the dead Thief Wolfen next to him and dismounted their horses at the same time.

The man who was referred to as the captain bent down on his knees and lifted Ren’s body up.

“……Thankfully, he’s still breathing.”

However, the blood didn’t stop flowing out of Ren’s body.

Noticing that, the captain took out a small bottle from inside his chest armor and applied the liquid to Ren’s abdomen. As soon as he did that, the liquid emitted a faint pale glow and the blood stopped flowing out. But perhaps the captain thought that it wasn’t enough, he ripped Ren’s clothes with a sword and used them as bandages to cover his abdomen.

Meanwhile, the other knights looked at the surrounding and exclaimed in surprise.

“Isn’t that a Thief Wolfen?!”

“C-Captain! It’s a Thief Wolfen! The unknown monster we were after was a Thief Wolfen!”

The captain was astonished hearing what they had said.

“……!! That can’t be true. Thief Wolfen is not a monster such a young child can defeat by himself!”

But there was no time to be surprised. The captain thought that Ren had to be treated as soon as possible, so he picked him up to put him on the horse.

When he did that, a few medicinal herbs dropped from Ren’s pockets. Looking at them, one of the knights realized something.

“Captain, could it be that this boy is the one commander spoke about……?”

The captain was taken aback as well.

“That is possible. This boy is most likely the sole heir of the Ashton house. Something must have happened to his father, so he probably came to this forest to get Rondo grass.”

“If that’s the case, then it was a good thing that we arrived quickly.”

“You are right──── Someone, bring along the Thief Wolfen’s remains! We will now take this boy and hurry to the Ashton family’s house!”

And so, the sound of the horseshoes started echoing once again.

 

The knights rode through the forest, crossed the bridge, and reached the fields. The sound of the horseshoes soon reached the village that was usually quiet and gradually drew closer to the Ashton family’s house, until it became visible.

Finally, the horses came to a stop in front of the house.

“We are the knights that came from Claussell as reinforcements! Is anyone present?!”

Dismounting the horse, the captain carefully lifted Ren’s body and shouted.

Hearing that voice, Mireille came out of the house seeming ghastly.

“Sir Knights, you────R-Ren?!!”

“There is no time to waste, so I apologize for the lack of greeting! We have to hurry and take this child to a room!”

“Y-Yes……! This way!”

When Ren was carried to his room, the knights immediately began treating him.

Since the knights were prone to injury during fights, they knew how to perform treatments. Mireille was asked to leave the room since she would get in their way, so she stood in the corridor feeling dumbfounded.

After a while, the captain stepped out of the room.

“This might be an impolite question, but did something happen to Sir Ashton?”

“……That’s right. His condition suddenly deteriorated……”

“As I thought,” said the captain. He took out Rondo grass from his pockets and said, “This was something the boy was preciously holding.”

“……!! Ren, don’t tell me you……!”

Upon hearing that, Mireille realized everything and broke down in tears.

Strength seemed to leave her body but before she could fall on the floor, the captain’s next words made her control herself.

“Madam. Please don’t let your son’s hard work go to waste.”

Suddenly coming back to her senses, Mireille thought about Ren who was getting treated on the other side of the door and strongly bit her lips.

“Ren…… Your mother will be back soon, so please take care.”

She said that and turned her back to Ren’s room. Taking the Rondo grass from the captain, she rushed over to her husband.

 

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[1] The actual pun here was different. Leech in Japanese is ‘ヒル’ (Hiru). Ren had said “So this is the actual Hill (Hiru) Climb……” So yea, I turned the pun into something else cause I couldn’t think of any better alternative.

 

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