Chapter 13
Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Domain Expansion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When I returned to the blacksmith after buying everything I needed, I found Luna had been busy preparing in my absence. She had changed from her pretty dress into a suit of leather armor.
"…How do I look?"
"Great."
Her tail wagged gently. Whether you like someone or not, a compliment is always nice.
Even though she wasn't a main heroine, seeing her in form-fitting leather armor made her look just as good as one, a testament to her unfairly beautiful appearance.
Those jugs were far too stimulating for a virgin.
Seeing Luna like this, I felt truly fortunate that my first party member wasn't some grimy dude.
What if my companion was a muscle-bound man, and he was wearing tight leather armor?
And I had to see that every day?
"Ugh…!"
"What's wrong!?"
"Oh. It's nothing."
Just imagining it made this morning's meal threaten to come back up.
‘I’m never accepting a male companion.’
As I was having that thought, the daggers at Luna's waist caught my eye.
"…What's this? Luna, you use daggers?"
"Ah, yes."
To think my first companion, the first member of my harem, would be a rogue of all things.
And not just any rogue, but one who dual-wields daggers.
It brought back vivid memories from my gaming days of a rogue who claimed, ‘I’m great at DPS,’ only to be the first to die from a control mistake, single-handedly wiping the raid.
"Have you ever considered using a different weapon?"
"Is there… a problem with them?"
To my eyes, they were nothing *but* a problem.
As I eyed Luna and her daggers with suspicion, she must have noticed my gaze, as she spoke up cautiously.
"You don't have to worry. I will show you my skills today."
She sounded like a typical scammer, but…
‘She can't be weaker than me, can she?’
There had to be a reason for her confidence. Besides, she could use magic. If she was weaker than me, who couldn't use any, then it would be better for my mental health to just ditch her, harem or not.
"Tsk… Fine. I'm sure you know what you're doing."
I wanted to tell her to just use dual swords instead, but she had already bought the daggers, so it was too late to change anything.
"Let's get going before it gets late."
Leaving the blacksmith, we headed straight over the city walls and into the forest.
Before entering, I recalled Adela’s explanation.
The werewolves were located a little deeper in than the goblin territory at the forest's entrance.
Even monsters have a hierarchy, so their territories are all different.
Werewolves, being stronger than goblins, occupied a better location, and territorial disputes would break out if one crossed into another's domain.
"Luke! That's not the way!"
"Oh, really?"
Sure, I had heard the explanation, but I didn't really know.
It was strange that Luna could navigate the forest after hearing it just once; it wasn't strange that I couldn't.
"How are you so good with directions?"
"From what I can see, I think you're just terrible with them, Luke…"
What can I say?
There's no Google Maps here.
The absence of something you’re used to having is felt more keenly than never having it at all.
"So, how much further?"
"I think we're almost there."
As if she had a navigator in her head, Luna forged ahead without a hint of hesitation.
And before long…
"Luke. I think there's a marking here."
"Really? Let's see."
I approached the tree Luna was pointing at and looked closely near its roots. The bark was a different color, but it was so faint you had to stare hard just to notice it.
"Wow, how did you even spot that?"
"As a wolf beastkin, my sense of smell is more sensitive than others. I could smell it from over there."
Oh… I thought she was just a rogue, but it turns out she's a real ace when it comes to tracking.
Without Luna, I would have been wandering around all day again.
"Great job! You have my praise!"
*Pat, pat.*
As I patted her head in praise, she wagged her tail happily.
"So if this area is the werewolves' territory, what's the plan?"
"What do you mean, what's the plan?"
We lure them out, of course.
***
"Lure them out?"
Luna questioned Luke's words.
"Yeah. No need for us to go through the trouble of searching for them, right?"
Whether it's monsters or people, you should always fight with the advantage.
Going to the enemy means willingly walking into their home ground.
Unless it's absolutely necessary, there's no need to fight so foolishly.
Besides, searching for them is a pain.
Just like with the goblins, we could search all day and not find them. Even if we did, it would take much longer than luring them out.
Such inefficient actions. I can't stand them.
"How are you going to lure them?"
*Thunk.*
In response to Luna's question, Luke stuck a tree branch into the ground and answered.
"First, before we lure them, we need to find more of their territory markers."
"What…?"
We already found one, so this whole area must be werewolf territory. Why did he need to find other markers?
Luna couldn't understand Luke's actions.
It was suspicious, but Luke had a way of thinking that was different from others. Believing he must have some idea, she decided to do as he said for now.
"Ah, before we go find the next one, just a moment."
"…?"
Luke turned to look in the direction where the branch was stuck.
*Ziiip.*
"Kya, kyaaah!!"
Luna, who had been watching to see what else he might do, couldn't help but scream at his next action.
He had suddenly unzipped his pants and exposed his private parts.
Her curiosity getting the better of her, Luna had been staring from behind and got a clear view of what emerged from his pants. It was the first time she had ever seen a male member, so her shock was only natural.
"Geez, you scared me. What are you screaming for all of a sudden?"
However, unlike Luna, Luke was completely unfazed.
If anything, he was a little startled by her sudden scream from behind him.
‘Just screaming isn't enough to lure them. This is why you can't work with rookies.’
The forest was huge. Did she really think screaming in a place this vast would be enough to draw their aggro?
What I did with the goblins worked because I was screaming right in front of their house.
"Wh-Why did you suddenly take that out!?"
"I told you I was going to lure them."
"What does that have to do with luring them!"
Luna quickly turned away, but she had seen it too clearly at first, and the image kept flashing in her mind whenever she closed her eyes.
She'd always thought he was a little strange, but today he seemed particularly eccentric.
"Are you really asking because you don't know why this is necessary?"
"I think you're the only person in the world who would know just by looking at that."
Are the people here really that dense?
To think I have to explain every little basic thing.
"Sigh… Listen carefully, Luna. You come home to find a burglar has broken in and is robbing your house. What do you do?"
"…I'd capture or kill them."
"Exactly!"
"…?"
Despite Luke's explanation, Luna still wore a look of complete confusion.
"Look. This is their territory, right? That means it's their house. We're robbing an empty house right now."
I unleashed a stream of urine over the werewolf's territory marker.
*Psssssh.*
"Domain Expansion."
Right now, I was overwriting my domain on top of the werewolves' territory.
What does this mean?
It means that while the werewolves are away, a burglar named 'me' has broken into their empty house and is ransacking it at will.
And now that one of their marked territories has disappeared, they'll be suspicious.
It's like the homeowner is watching a burglar rob their house on CCTV.
So what will the homeowner do?
They'll think, 'Has this bastard lost his mind?' and either call the police or come over personally to smash the burglar's head in.
My method of luring is the latter case.
"Alright. One down. Let's go to the next one, Luna."
"…Yes."
Though displeased, Luna couldn't say anything because of Luke's overwhelming confidence and did as she was told.
They circled the area near the first marker, searching for another.
And then, the second marker was found.
"It's here."
"Okay."
This time, the marking wasn't on a tree but on the ground between two trees.
Just like before, Luke unzipped his pants without a moment's hesitation.
Knowing what was coming, Luna had already turned her back the moment she pointed out the spot.
After repeating this process a few more times, they could feel it.
With each new marker, the ground became muddier and the trees damper, to the point where even Luke could spot them without Luna's help.
They were getting closer to the werewolves.
"Keep watch this time, too. I'll be quick."
"Yes…"
With Luke becoming defenseless each time he did this, Luna was about to turn her back and keep watch again.
But then.
*Awooooooooooooooooooooo—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
"There we go. They took the bait."
"…"
The long-awaited appearance of the monster, yet Luna couldn't bring herself to be entirely happy.
‘Something like this actually worked…?’
Even though the werewolf's howl came from nearby, she felt no tension or wariness for the coming battle.
Right now, she was just astonished that such a ridiculous luring method had actually worked.
It felt as if all the knowledge she had ever known had just been rendered useless.
"Luna, what are you doing? They're here."
"Ah, yes…!"
*Slap, slap.*
Luna slapped her own cheeks.
‘Get a grip. Now's the time to show him my skills.’
That suspicious look in Luke's eyes back at the blacksmith.
It was clearly a look of doubt about her abilities.
That's why Luna had to prove her skills by showing him how she fought in this hunt.
And soon, from the direction of the howl, dark shadows began to move one by one, until finally, they revealed themselves in Luke and Luna's sight.
"Luke… I think the luring was a little too effective…"
"Looks like it."
The homeowners, whose house had been robbed right before their eyes, seemed quite angry. They hadn't come alone, but had brought friends to gang up on the intruders.
*Grrrrrrrrr…*
Flanking them on both sides were four werewolves with gray fur, each twice the size of a large dog, prowling menacingly.
And between them, slightly behind, stood what appeared to be their leader—a werewolf even larger than the others, with dark gray fur and a long scar running down its left eye.
"Now what do we do?"
Luke thought.
‘A double EXP event!?’