The First Real Hunt
Right after that incident, I couldn’t even remember how I made it home. I changed out of Dad’s loose work clothes and into my combat gear, trying to steady my racing heart. With a short breath, I grabbed the sword sheath hanging on the wall and fastened it to my waist…
“All set~?”
Her voice drifted in from the living room, accompanied by the familiar sound of her footsteps. The turbulent waves in my chest began to settle at the sound of that familiar voice. It was the voice that always gave me answers when I hesitated, the one that somehow made me feel safe.
“Yeah.”
Dragging out the word, I adjusted my clothes and stepped out the door. Alright, it was finally time for the level-up I’d been waiting for.
The moment I entered the living room, Mom looked at me in my original clothes and spoke up.
“You’re leaving already?”
She looked surprised, as if she thought I was already leaving the village. …I hadn’t even packed my bag yet.
If I said I was going to hunt monsters outside the village, of course she’d worry. Speaking in place of my silent sister, I tried to soften the blow.
“No, just… outside the village a bit…”
“Outside the village? What for?”
I wished she’d just say “I see” and let me go. Instead, she asked where I was headed, looking genuinely surprised. I hesitated. Should I tell her the truth? It was a natural reaction, really. Most things the village needed could be handled inside its walls.
“I’m a mercenary, so… I’m going to hunt monsters outside?”
I forced the words out, trying to make it sound like an everyday thing. Mom’s eyes widened at those few simple sentences.
“What?! No, absolutely not! Do you have any idea how dangerous monsters are?!”
Just as I expected, she was horrified and tried to stop me. The sword at my waist wasn’t just decoration. In Mom’s eyes, I was still that weak, helpless little kid.
As she looked ready to have a full-blown panic attack, Reina stepped in to calm her down.
“It’s alright, ma’am. If anything happens, I’ll step in.”
“That’s right. Even if she doesn’t look it, she’s an A-class mercenary…”
Reina reassured Mom that she’d intervene if necessary, and I chimed in, hyping her up as an incredibly capable person. Of course, Reina had no intention of actually getting involved… but if Mom thought someone amazing was watching over me, she wouldn’t worry as much.
Mid-conversation, Reina suddenly turned toward me. The next thing I knew, a sharp pain shot through my temple as she yanked my sideburns upward.
“Aaaagh!”
I let out a pathetic scream at the sudden, one-sided violence I hadn’t seen coming. It was the merciless gap in our levels made manifest.
Even as my scream echoed, her grip didn’t loosen.
“‘Even if she doesn’t look it’? What’s that supposed to mean?”
She repeated the phrase that had clearly rubbed her the wrong way. A grown woman, apparently deeply offended by those two little words. I hadn’t meant anything by it—just that she looked like an ordinary woman at first glance…!
“Aaaah…!”
A pained whimper escaped my lips and refused to stop, just like the fingers still clamped to my temple. Thinking could wait. If I didn’t say something fast, she was going to rip my hair out.
Rather than trying to explain, I went with the shortest possible answer.
“C-cancel! I take it back!”
“Hmph.”
Only then did she let go, accompanied by a satisfied snort. It was too late to mutter that I hadn’t meant it that way. The sharp pain lingering at my temple made that painfully clear.
Mom, who had been watching the whole scene, looked noticeably more relaxed than before. With a resigned sigh, she finally spoke.
“…So you’ll be fine, then? I don’t need to worry?”
“…? Yeah.”
I had no idea why, but she seemed convinced. Still dazed, I gave a vague reply. She’d been dead set against letting me go, so what changed?
Anyway, with Mom’s reluctant permission, we left the house. The fence at the village outskirts was only a few hundred steps away. Unlike the noisy, bustling city streets, the rural path was quiet. The only sound in the silence was the soft crunch of our soles against the dirt road.
“…Did you talk things out with your friend?”
Reina was the one who broke the silence first. Her question brought back memories of my conversation with Rein. It hadn’t been much of a talk—just me enduring her one-sided interrogation and demands. The embarrassing scene resurfaced, and I felt my body shrink with shame.
I wasn’t looking at Reina, but I could feel her gaze. Without lifting my head, I turned away and answered.
“…Yeah.”
I couldn’t see her expression, but I heard her let out a long breath. Then came her voice, brimming with determination.
“In that case, let’s hunt hard today.”
“Ah, right.”
By the time I looked up to answer, Reina had already turned away. We kept walking until we reached the fence marking the village boundary. Without hesitation, we crossed it and stepped into the wilds beyond.
I’d told Mom it was just another hunt, but the truth was, the monsters near our village were quite strong. If a young boar counted as a 1, then the lizards near Selindale were around a 12. Even compared to the Big Frogs we’d fought briefly in Caldera, the monsters here were on a completely different level.
‘Will this really be okay?’
A flicker of unease crept in. I was armed with some decent gear, but there was still a gap that equipment alone couldn’t close.
Whether she sensed my anxiety or not, Reina spoke up calmly.
“Do you know what kind of monsters live around here?”
“I know about the Hungry Bears…”
“Yeah? Then let’s start with those.”
The Hungry Bear was the representative monster of the area around our village. In a way, it was the barrier that kept villagers from venturing beyond the fence. Reina spoke about hunting one as casually as if it were a stray dog, and I was once again reminded of the vast difference between us.
A-class and D-class. On paper, it was only two or three ranks apart. But right now, that gap felt impossibly wide.
As we walked the dirt path, barely different from the village roads, Reina suddenly stopped. Her voice was cold and decisive.
“There. One’s here.”
I stopped as well and scanned the area. At first, I didn’t see anything. Then, carried by a warm breeze from behind, I heard the rustle of leaves. Right after the forest’s whispering sway, something on the horizon turned toward us—and charged at full speed with its massive body.
The distant speck grew clearer. Its movements were devoid of reason. The Hungry Bear charged with its bloodstained maw wide open, as if flaunting what it had eaten. It was hunger twisted into madness.
This was nothing like the hunts in the royal capital. There was no room to think “a few hits won’t matter”—the size difference was overwhelming.
“Uwoooorgh-!”
Its actions were simple, driven purely by appetite. It just charged and swung its front paws. It didn’t observe its opponent or assess the situation. That alone had been enough to make it this large.
With its roar, its paw swept through the space where I’d been standing, sending a chilling whoosh through the air. It sounded like a massive hammer swinging. Each time, I carefully swung my sword, as if peeling the skin off fruit. I cut through thick hide, drew blood from flesh.
How many times had I swung? The Hungry Bear was now covered in blood, a stark contrast to my own dirt-covered body as I rolled across the ground.
By now—or rather, much earlier—I’d realized something. I wasn’t ready to make this place my hunting ground. It was still too much for me.
“Grrruuugh…”
Its once-powerful roar had weakened considerably. I was exhausted from dodging, and it was weakened from its wounds. Mustering its last strength, the Hungry Bear charged at me again. It probably didn’t even have the concept of “tactical retreat” in its head.
‘That’s enough. Just die already…!’
Gritting my teeth, I drew a trajectory I hoped would be the final blow. My sword slid smoothly through the repeatedly cut hide, and this time the sensation was different—cleaner, more decisive.
The massive body collapsed onto the dirt path, kicking up dust. Listening to the bear’s death cry for the first time in my life, I gasped for breath. Without thinking, I inhaled the rising dust along with my relief, and immediately started choking.
“Hrk…! Cough, hack!”
Of course, the coughing fit came right on cue. Once the brutal fight was over, Reina finally approached and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me along.
“Drink some water and come over here to catch your breath.”
“Kuh, kuh.”
I moved away from the dust but couldn’t stop coughing. Eventually, I snatched the canteen she offered and gulped down its contents. Only then did my throat ease up a little. Still bent over from the pain in my chest, I coughed out the rest.
Reina silently patted my back.
‘I thought I was going to choke to death…’
Water I hadn’t managed to swallow dripped from my mouth like drool as I glanced up at her. Honestly, I hadn’t even been hit that much—it had just been an incredibly difficult fight. She’d said she’d step in if necessary, but I was starting to doubt she’d ever planned to. What was she thinking behind that unreadable expression?
My questions only deepened, but in the end, all we did was drag the Hungry Bear back toward the village.