The Hero Who Travels with the Mesugaki Saint
Abel, is this all you're tired of? You're such a scrub♡
Eight
“Forest Wolves?”
Another monster I didn’t know about popped up. As soon as she saw the Saint, she started explaining everything about it like it was nothing.
“They’re forest wolves, just like the name says. They look exactly like real wolves, so people get careless and walk right into them. Their behavior is the same too. The request even mentions they raid the sheep pens like wolves do.”
Seeing her spill monster info that smoothly, I wondered if she had some kind of monster encyclopedia stored in her head.
“What a headache these things are.”
“Right? They’re like you, Abel—always stirring up trouble♡”
I’ve never stirred up trouble!
...Not yet.
“How strong are they compared to the goblin?”
“Forest wolves are still lower-class monsters. But they’re way faster than goblins. Strength is about the same.”
“Then that means they’re stronger than goblins.”
“Well, not exactly. Forest wolves have the same habits as wolves, but there’s a huge difference.”
“What kind of difference?”
Then the Saint gave me that arrogant little smile.
“They’re just as stupid as you, Abel♡”
...Stupid?
“Wolves are incredibly smart. They can even figure out hunters’ traps. But forest wolves? They just walk right into them. I guess the fact that they’re monsters means they don’t even feel pain when they step on traps.”
“Hmm, I see.”
So maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to fight them after all.
“We’re taking this request, right?”
“Did I give you a choice?”
“No, of course not♡”
Then why did you ask?
“H-hey!”
“Yes?”
The voice sounded exactly like the one I’d called out moments ago. When I turned around, there stood a cute girl with twin braids and a tall, sturdy warrior woman.
The girl with the braids wore a robe and held a staff. A mage? The woman beside her was clearly a fighter.
“Why did you call us?”
“You’re going to hunt the forest wolves, right?”
“Yes, that’s our plan.”
“Can we tag along?”
This was the classic “suddenly get new party members” event you see in every adventure novel. I couldn’t let this chance slip by.
“Then—”
“No.”
The Saint cut me off sharply. I looked at her with a hint of irritation and asked.
...Why?
“Did you forget why we took this request? If something isn’t just decoration hanging around your neck, you should think before you speak.”
“But going together is fine, right?”
“Then you’ll have fewer forest wolves to fight. No. You have to keep leveling up that ridiculous skill of yours, hero.”
Ah...
Yeah, right. It was disappointing, but I had no choice. I gave them a kind smile and politely turned them down.
“Sorry, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come along.”
“Oh... okay...”
The girl looked a little dejected and muttered.
“Then I guess I’ll have to wait here another week...”
...A whole week?
What was she planning to do for a week? I asked.
“I need wolf fur. That’s why we need adventurers to help catch them. The request grade is too low, so there aren’t enough people willing to come.”
...No wonder.
“So I’ve been sitting here for a week already. If I don’t join you, I’ll have to wait several more days...”
Her voice was full of disappointment. She glanced at the Saint. The Saint flinched, let out a long sigh, and said.
“Fine, we’ll go together.”
She was secretly soft in this kind of way.
“Everyone, let’s go!”
“Wow! Thank you so much!”
“Thanks.”
Good. For the next while, I wouldn’t have to hear any more crap!
“Hero.”
“What?”
“One more time, I’ll say it: all women are foxes.”
...Oh, yeah.
You’re the least trustworthy person here.
#
“Are you all adventurers from the guild?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You look sharp, but I’m not so sure about the others behind you.”
“Don’t worry. We’re all adventurers.”
Hmm...
We had just arrived at the sheep farm that the forest wolves had attacked.
When I asked the names of the two who had joined us on the way, the girl said her name was Reti and the warrior said hers was Roland.
Roland?
Where had I heard that name before? It was the hero’s name in the famous Roland ballad from the European continent—Orlando, the legendary knight.
Surprisingly, Reti was C-rank and Roland was D-rank. Legendary knight name but D-rank adventurer like me.
Anyway, I asked if they could really handle a D-rank request together. They answered.
- Reti has powerful magic, but her mana is low. So she’s not good against multiple targets.
Which meant, basically, a mage who only knew one strong spell and had terrible stamina. I could guess why they couldn’t start the party earlier.
Still, we had reached the farm without getting lost.
“Have you figured out the wolves’ route?”
“Of course. Those idiots always take the same path.”
“Will you tell us?”
“Follow me.”
The farm owner led us around the entire sheep pen. The cows and bulls grazing peacefully on the grass looked so calm it made you wonder if this really was the world of the Demon King. The village I used to live in had the same peaceful vibe.
“Here. The wolves come out from the forest and wipe out the whole pen, then run back into the trees.”
“But if the wolves keep coming, couldn’t you just stop letting the sheep graze?”
“Then the milk and meat won’t taste good. The value will drop. It’s better to let one or two get eaten than to lose the whole farm.”
“I see.”
The farm owner looked at us and said.
“Please, just get rid of those wolves. Every morning my hair falls out because of them.”
...Actually, it was my fault. Probably because the three of us behind him didn’t look very reliable.
“Don’t worry. We’ll exterminate the forest wolves for sure.”
“Oh, thank you. That makes me feel better.”
After the farm owner left, I looked at the Saint.
“Saint...”
Wait, if I tell Roland and Reti we’re the hero and Saint, won’t that cause problems? I didn’t even mention it when we registered as adventurers.
“...Estelle.”
!
Maybe it was because I called her by name—Estelle looked genuinely surprised. But she must have noticed why I used her name and nodded.
“Yes, Abel. What is it?”
“Are we hunting the forest wolves right now?”
“No. It’s better to wait until night.”
That’s the battlefield advantage for the wolves, isn’t it?
She explained it to me like I was an idiot.
“We don’t know the wolves’ exact route inside the forest. The only safe path we know is around the farm. So it’s better to wait here than to wander around.”
“I see. But won’t night be harder for us?”
“Abel, you have to get used to night combat too.”
The Saint smiled softly.
What is this? It’s not her usual arrogant smirk, but I still feel that same cocky vibe...
...Am I the weird one?
Anyway, I understood the Saint’s reasoning. As a hero you had to fight at night sometimes, so she was preparing me.
But I wondered if Roland and Reti were okay with it.
“Roland, Reti. You two are fine with night combat, right?”
“We’re used to it!”
“Me too.”
Both of them had night combat experience. We would just have to wait until night, just like the Saint said.
#
That night was unusually dark. The moon, which should have lit up the sky, was hidden behind clouds. Only the stars should have twinkled in the darkness, but something else was sparkling right in front of us.
Have you ever seen a tiger’s eyes in the dark?
I hadn’t seen one in real life, but I’d watched it on XTube. It was like glowing eyes floating in pure black.
And right now there were more than ten pairs of those eyes floating in the darkness.
“Forest wolves?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I drew my Holy Sword. Roland’s eyes widened a little at the sight of the huge blade.
“Amazing strength.”
......
This thing is ridiculously light. Stop thinking like that. My conscience is bothering me.
“I’ll prepare the magic.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
The Saint didn’t stop Roland and Reti from moving. Instead she whispered to me.
“If you catch fewer forest wolves than these adventurers, I’ll punish you~♡”
“...How are you going to punish me?”
“You’ll just have to imagine♡”
Idiot.
“And while we’re at it, maybe you should try what it feels like to fight with your teammates.”
Yeah, that was good advice too. I nodded and stepped forward.
Night combat against monsters with night vision... it was going to be tough. But the forest wolves were stupid, right?
I charged forward with the Holy Sword. Roland followed right beside me.
Oh, the feeling of having real partners.
My eyes were getting used to the dark, and the shapes of the wolves began to appear beyond the shadows. I swung the sword and one wolf split cleanly in half and died.
“Awoo!”
The wolves, sensing me, howled like wolves and rushed in from all sides. Four came at once. Thank god only a few went toward Roland, or else it would have been a bloodbath.
I gripped the hilt with both hands and swung with all my might. Two wolves didn’t even dodge the blade and split in half. Two leaped high and dodged. One bit straight into my shoulder.
Ah, shit. It hurts so much.
“Damn, it’s biting the place I was already injured!”
I held the sword in my left hand and stabbed straight through the wolf’s belly. I threw it down and stabbed the last one to death.
The wolf scratched my arm with its claws in its death throes, but it couldn’t escape death.
...Damn, it hurts.
I should go get treated by the Saint right now. Just as I thought that, I heard a scream.
“Aaaah!!!”
...Roland?
Only then did I remember the five wolves had gone toward Roland instead of me. I grabbed the sword and rushed to her.
“Haa, haa...”
“Roland!”
She was already a mess. Half her arm was missing, blood pouring out everywhere.
What? Even a D-rank adventurer can’t handle this...
“Eh?”
In front of Roland there were already four dead wolves. One was facing her.
This wolf was completely different.
Why is it so huge?
It was four times larger than the others.
“Haah... Abel, you came. Sorry, but could you help? The wounds are too severe...”
I nodded and stood beside her. The huge wolf looked at me and let out a low growl.
“Grrrr...”
“Abel, buy me a little time. Reti’s preparing magic.”
“I understand. You should go get treated by Estelle. Hurry.”
“...Sorry.”
Roland stepped back and I faced the giant wolf alone.
Is this like a goblin chief?
But goblin chiefs were only big; they didn’t look that terrifying. This wolf was just a bigger version of the others.
“...Doesn’t matter. I’ll just kill it.”
“Grrrrraaaak!!!”
The wolf howled and charged.
Even though it was huge, monsters were monsters. The sword’s attack was still deadly. It was fast, but not much faster than the others.
I dodged sideways and took a deep breath.
“Hup.”
I swung the sword toward its belly with both hands.
“Huaaap!!!”
I roared and unleashed a full-power strike. The sword went straight through the belly skin.
“!”
But it wasn’t over. Whether it was because of the size or not, the huge wolf’s mouth gaped open.
“Eh?”
A fang the size of my skull was right in front of me.
If I didn’t do something, I’d be eaten. I needed a plan...
“FLAME BUSTER!”
BOOM!!!
The wolf’s mouth flew back. I pulled the sword free and created distance.
“...Reti! Thank you!”
Reti’s flame magic had hit the wolf’s head. When I looked closer, the spell had struck its eye.
The left eye and surrounding fur of the giant wolf were burning. Blood, guts, and pus poured from its belly, yet it still roared and stood up.
“Whoa, it’s insanely tough.”
It looked like a zombie.
Still, the time it had was almost up. It realized that too and rushed at me without hesitation.
Now I couldn’t rely on Reti’s magic. Roland was injured.
The Saint... probably had a serious look when she told me to win. I agreed with her.
If I couldn’t beat even a big wolf, how was I supposed to live as a hero?
I gripped the hilt with both hands and slashed diagonally across the blade.
“Grrrrraaaak!!!”
“Die!”
I timed the diagonal swing to meet its charge. The wolf’s body split cleanly along the blade.
“...Haah.”
I dropped the sword and collapsed. Damn, I was exhausted.
“Hero.”
The Saint, who had quietly approached, looked down at me. She was smiling gently.
This... she really is pretty.
Her mouth was the problem. The gentle smile was gone. The Saint’s lips moved.
“So tired just from fighting a forest wolf? You’re such a scrub♡”
...What a fucking idiot.