Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: No More Bad Dogs in the World
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'A double XP event!?'
That's what I thought as I surveyed the scene before me.
I had lured them here, so it was only natural they'd show up, but the sight before me was so satisfying I felt full just looking at it.
Luna seemed tense from their numbers, her body stiffening beside me. To think she couldn't recognize such a sweet opportunity.
This is why the people of this world never grow stronger and just end up getting carried by the protagonist.
Two War Wolves on the left, two on the right.
A total of four prowled around, wary of us. That alone was already incorrect information.
What's more, a leader-type monster stood imposingly behind the pack, commanding them. Its majestic appearance made it look damn strong.
'Come to think of it, Adela did mention rumors of a powerful individual appearing.'
It was larger than a normal War Wolf, its fur a darker shade of gray. As if it had been in a few brawls in its day, a long, straight scar ran across its left eye. If it had swords, it looked like it could pull off a three-sword style.
'That must be the one.'
Seriously, how much experience is it going to give, looking that impressive?
-Gulp.
"Sir Luke...?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Did you not just lick your lips?"
"Nah, no way. You must have seen wrong."
Tch. This is why I can't stand perceptive people.
"Sir Luke, what do you plan to do now?"
What do you mean, 'what'? Obviously.
"We're killing them all."
Double experience is a magical phrase.
A magical phrase that turns even cowards into fearless men who don't dread death.
And it's right in front of my eyes. Run away?
That's the one thing I'll never do.
"Luna, you said you were a good fighter, right?"
"...Even if I'm a good fighter, taking on five of them alone is impossible."
"What are you talking about?"
"I thought you were going to tell me to kill all five by myself."
I'm not some evil boss at a sweatshop. What kind of mindset is that?
Even if you were a free slave, I wouldn't ask for something so unreasonable.
"Just take care of the four on the side. Leave the leader to me."
"..."
"What is it now?"
"Isn't that... the same thing?"
What do you mean? I'm taking the toughest one.
I'm fighting the boss, so you should at least handle the minions.
And I get to see how well you fight while we're at it.
"But, can you fight them?"
"What do you mean?"
"Aren't those your relatives?"
A wolf beastkin and a wolf monster.
The only difference is one's a person and the other's a monster, but they're still wolves. Wouldn't that make them your distant relatives?
Killing them would be like killing your own kind.
"...Monsters and humans are different."
"Oh, really? For a second there, I thought they were your distant cousins."
Then again, it's not like a humanoid monster would be my distant relative just because it shows up later.
If that's not the case, then there's no problem.
"Then I will lure the four of them away."
"Ah, wait. Take this."
I rummaged through my inventory and pulled out a few glass bottles, handing them to Luna.
"What is this?"
A reddish, slightly yellowish liquid filled the glass bottle.
"It's a mix of vinegar and chili powder."
Doggos are said to have a keen sense of smell.
It's the same for wolves, their relatives, even if they're monsters.
So what do you think these sensitive-nosed doggos hate the most? A strong smell!
This is why I didn't buy the materials I needed for this hunt from the blacksmith.
'As if a blacksmith would sell vinegar and chili powder.'
It barely costs anything to make this incredibly effective weapon.
Other idiots would be like, 'To hunt strong monsters, you need strong gear!' and blow all their money on equipment, but a genius like me has no need for that.
Of course, there was one small problem.
Luna is a wolf beastkin, which means she also has a keen sense of smell.
I had unintentionally brought a troll weapon, but since Luna's a person, she'll probably just hold her breath or something.
"How am I supposed to use this...?"
"If you're curious, open the lid."
Luna must be wondering what kind of effect it has for me to bring it along.
That thought will vanish the moment she opens the lid.
As soon as I finished speaking, Luna, eager to satisfy her curiosity, immediately opened the lid.
Pop. With the cheerful sound of the flask's lid opening, Luna and I both grimaced at the same time.
"...Hngh!"
"Ugh! I told you to open it, and you actually opened it! Close it, quick!"
The effect of my special vinegar concoction was tremendous.
In the brief moment the lid was open, Luna's face contorted, and even I, standing beside her, unintentionally winced.
And as a bonus.
-Yip, yip!
The distant creatures must have caught the scent with their precious noses, as I could see them faltering.
'The effect is outstanding.'
That's me, all right. I could probably make a living as an alchemist later on.
"Alright, Luna. It's time to hunt."
"...Yes."
Wind swirled around Luna's daggers.
Clutching a dagger in each hand, Luna first unleashed a flurry of strikes toward the nearest War Wolves.
And then.
-Swoosh!
Sharp winds took the form of blades and rushed toward them.
'Whoa... magic is so cool.'
I'd been traveling alone so far, so I hadn't seen any real magic. Seeing that made me envious.
The blades struck a few of the War Wolves that failed to dodge.
The leader War Wolf behind them howled, signaling the start of the battle.
-Awooooooo—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As the leader howled, the other War Wolves spread out.
"I'm off."
"Yup~"
Immediately after, Luna summoned a gust of wind around herself and quickly sped away, with the four War Wolves in pursuit.
The leader remained in place, growling at me as if challenging me to a one-on-one duel.
"Tsk, tsk. Where does a son of a bitch like you get the nerve to bare your fangs at a human?"
I'm not a kind person like that famous dog trainer, the kind who sits a dog down and patiently teaches it step by step.
It's not in my nature.
So, what do I do with this bad dog in front of me?
'What do you mean, what do I do? I kill it, of course.'
There's no reason to spare it after it's bared its fangs at me.
"Heh. You're a sturdy-looking one. Hahaha."
If I catch it and take it to a restaurant, I could probably get a hearty bowl of dog soup.
The goblin was a failure, but I know all about dog meat from my past life.
-Woof!
In the midst of our staredown, the War Wolf was the first to attack.
Using its powerful legs, it leaped toward me in a single bound.
"Whoa, shit, it's fast."
Even for a monster, for a mere E-rank to jump 10 meters in one go...
Are the others like this too? Or is it just this one that's so fast?
I'm not sure. I should finish this quickly and go watch Luna fight.
-Pop.
A cheerful sound came from my hand, and I saw the War Wolf's nose twitch a few times before its snout wrinkled up.
"How about it? The smell's killer, right?"
I said, scrunching up my face.
The effect was tremendous, but it was a little too tremendous for me as well.
If it's this bad for a human like me, how would it be for a dog, whose sense of smell is said to be anywhere from 1,000 to 100 million times better?
"This is the greatness of humanity, you dumb doggo."
-Grrr... Woof!
This time, the War Wolf attacked with the claws on its forepaws.
From what I know, some dog breeds are quite intelligent, but this thing seems dumber than a goblin.
"Mooo-ving."
No matter how fast it is, the attack is a straight line.
I took a small step back and threw the flask in my hand at it.
"Go! Monster Ball!"
With a crash, the flask shattered as it hit the War Wolf's torso.
The mixture of vinegar and chili powder from the flask seeped into its fur, and the foul stench made it cry out.
-Whimper!
"Ugh! Shit. The smell."
I must have spilled some while throwing it, because the smell clung to my hand. Whoever made this, damn, the stench is potent.
While I was grimacing, the War Wolf scrambled around frantically, trying to get the smell off its body.
It spun in circles, rolled on the ground, and shook its body as if trying to shake off water.
"Wow, look at that effect."
At this point, I might as well have created a biochemical weapon.
'I wonder if Luna's doing okay.'
She won't pass out from the smell while she's fighting, right?
If she dies because of me, I'll have trouble sleeping.
'Or maybe not? She said she was a good fighter, so if she dies, it's a matter of her own skill.'
Mhm. That's right.
I definitely asked if she wanted to try a different weapon, so if something goes wrong, it's Luna's fault for insisting on coming along.
-Grrrr....
I was lost in my own thoughts when the War Wolf, having managed to get rid of some of the smell, began to pull itself together and stand up.
I guess one bottle isn't enough.
"But do you really think I only brought one bottle?"
Vinegar and chili powder are cheap.
Of course I brought a ton.
I reached into my inventory and pulled out a whole cluster of flasks.
"If you don't catch it with the first Monster Ball, what do you do?"
You keep throwing them until it's caught.
Numerous flasks sailed through the air.
The yellowish-red liquid sloshed and crashed against the War Wolf.
With a series of crisp, satisfying crashes, the War Wolf ended up looking like a puppy soaked in the rain.
-Yip! Yip!
The smell it had just barely managed to remove clung to its entire body once more.
Still, with its life on the line, it somehow managed to endure without passing out. Truly, its mental fortitude was something else.
"Even better."
I didn't think I'd end up using this, but since I brought it, I might as well.
I reached into my inventory once more and pulled out a piece of meat.
A cheap cut of lean meat.
It was sprinkled with a certain seasoning.
A seasoning that doubles as a very useful sleeping pill for insomniacs.
I shoved the piece of meat into the mouth of the War Wolf, which still hadn't gotten up.
Dogs with sensitive noses would detect the scent of the sleeping pill and refuse to eat it, but its sense of smell, thoroughly paralyzed by the vinegar, had lost all function. Besides, a beast never refuses meat that's put in its mouth.
It chewed it up with gusto, perhaps thinking it was my arm I was shoving at it.
"That's it, that's it."
As expected of a dog, when I gave it meat with a bone, it went wild, tearing and biting at it.
Soon, its eyes slowly began to close.
The sleeping pill's effect was tremendous.
"Get a good night's sleep. It'll all be over when you wake up."
Euthanasia.
It'll all be over in your sleep, without a moment of pain.
Mr. War Wolf slept soundly, as if our battle just moments ago had been a lie.
I drew my sword and took my stance.
"Heh heh heh."
You know...
a sleep attack deals double damage.
"Take this! True Charged Slash!"
Slice— I cleanly separated its head from its body.
"Easy."
[ Level Up! Please check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Please check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Please check your status! ]
"Whoa, three levels."
Three levels from just one of these guys.
I guess it was stronger than I thought.
I shoved the severed head and body rolling on the ground into my inventory.
"Now, shall I go see how Luna's doing?"
It ended a bit faster than I expected, so I was about to go watch the ever-so-confident Luna to see if she was really as good as she claimed.
"...But where did Luna go again?"