Chapter 5 - Catching a Kobold
Chapter 5 - Catching a Kobold
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To be honest, there's one good thing about being a man in this world.
Unlike women, there's one extra path available.
That path is marriage.
"My condolences."
When I fell into this world two years ago, I had two paths to choose from.
Either sponge off a strange woman, or beg.
Back then, I must have had a pretty strong macho streak.
Because rather than acting all cutesy and sucking up to a woman, I'd rather choose the latter.
And you could say this option is still valid.
Because for some reason, Isabel, an A-class adventurer, keeps throwing marriage proposals at me.
"Why? I've got money."
"Even so, I refuse."
"Hmm... It's definitely not because I'm ugly, though."
Isabel's looks, well, go without saying.
A dangerous look that slightly reminds you of a vampire. Just making eye contact is enough to make your knees tremble.
"Can you at least make me understand the reason? Of all people, I've been rejected twice by you. I just don't get it."
If you ask why I'd turn down a comfortable life and walk a dangerous path instead.
I suppose it's because of freedom.
People here are super, super conservative. It's quite common for married men to not even be allowed outside the house.
Besides, there's a race called 'Elves' in this world... and those bitches target married men, making it even more dangerous.
"There's still a lot I want to know. If we get married, you won't let me leave the house, right?"
"You're quick on the uptake. Fine, if that's the reason, I can totally understand."
Isn't she accepting it way too fast?
It looks like she just casually threw it out there, expecting to get rejected in the first place.
"Still, my offer is still valid. Come find me anytime. I'll gladly accept you."
"Yes, understood."
Of course, there's no way I'll ever accept.
I quietly gave her a polite bow and walked over to the adventurer guild building.
"...Words aren't going to work, are they?"
Without knowing what she was muttering behind me.
"Karl, the request we picked up this time is simple too."
"Little warrior Dennis. There was no need to rush."
Grumbling while being dragged out from his booze-guzzling by my urging, Karl said that.
But from my situation, rushing is only natural in a way. To pay off my debt as soon as possible, I have to move diligently.
"Kobolds. I know these too. There were bastards like them in the snowfield. Good eyes, bad ears."
"Kobolds?"
That seems to be the opposite of the Kobolds I know.
Their main habitat is underground tunnels. So instead of being blind like moles, they're extremely sensitive to presence.
"It seems they're different from the specimens living in the snowfield. Usually, it's the other way around."
"I see. The snowfield lacks food, so their vision must have naturally developed."
If you really want to put it that way, I guess so. Actually, monsters evolving however the fuck they want is an everyday occurrence.
"They say there's a kobold den a bit to the east. We just need to catch them and bring back 10 sharp front teeth."
"The reward?"
"30 copper coins."
Kobolds are definitely dangerous bastards.
Unlike slimes, which even a child can easily catch if they know the trick, they have sharp claws and are quick, making them subtly tricky bastards.
Of course, if you have armor, it wouldn't matter at all.
"That's money fit only for Dennis. I'm not interested, so you take it all this time too."
"...For real?"
"Yeah. You just need to show me around this place."
As expected, he has deep pockets!
Deciding to gladly guide him, I rambled on selfishly.
"This is Blade Herb. It's called that because the leaves look like blade edges. If you chew on it for a long time, a sweet taste comes out, so children like it."
"Must not exist in the snowfield."
Country boy Karl paid quite a lot of attention to my explanation.
Is it because most things don't exist in the snowfield?
"Hmm! Just a moment. We're almost there. Karl, do you see this? These footprints..."
"Kobold?"
"Yes, that's right. Judging by the count, there are about seven of them."
"There must be three more in the den."
Those are probably the males.
It's a system where frail males raise the children while the females bring back food.
Sort of like cavemen, you could say.
"...And aside from that, there's more."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. Little warrior Dennis. Take the lead."
What else could there be? Did he see a forest beast or something?
Anyway, those things won't get too much in the way of catching the kobolds.
Walking along the kobold footprints, sure enough... there were traces of the grass being dug up.
"Here it is."
Tapping the ground with the hilt of my falchion, I could confirm that the inside was hollow.
Moving the rocks along that, a small hole was open.
An underground tunnel.
"We can't go into their den, so I'll lure them out."
"How will you do that?"
"There are ways."
Working as a porter, I learned how to catch various monsters over people's shoulders, and kobolds are one of them.
I pulled out the water canteen I had prepared in advance. Since it's close to the city anyway, there's no need to hydrate separately.
"If I pour water into the entrance like this."
I poured the water from the canteen gushing straight into the hole.
"Kkeu-kkeu-kkeu-kkeu!"
If monsters have one thing in common, it's that right there.
Fucking annoying cries. Kobolds are especially bad. They mercilessly make scraping sounds in their throats.
Their appearance was similar to field mice.
To compare, bipedal field mice?
Their size reached about my waist, and their claws were very sharp.
"Kkeu-kkeu!"
There's probably no existence more miserable than a wet kobold.
Being nocturnal, they sleep their asses off during the day and post a lookout, and this lookout stands guard near the entrance.
In other words, this bastard was dying of sleepiness when it suddenly got blasted with a water-bomb.
"Kkeu-kkeu-kkeu-kkeu-kkeu!"
The lookout kobold shrieked and woke up its companions.
Good. Leaving it at this much should do. I immediately drew my falchion and swung it with all my might.
"Kkeu?"
The attack was a bit shallow.
But the sharp blade sliced off a part of the bastard's neck and chest.
"Kku-eu-eu-eu!"
"Finishing blow!"
I mustn't give it an opening! Quickly approaching the bastard struggling in pain and unable to do anything, I kicked it in the stomach to knock it down.
"Kkeu-eu-eu!"
-Pu-uk!
I shoved the sharp blade into the neck of the fallen bastard. A dying gasp was heard, and soon it went limp.
"That's one down!"
"Dennis. They're coming up over there. Fight without letting your guard down until the end."
As I slashed down one, two more were climbing out of the hole.
"Heh heh, you guys are really begging to be killed!"
I stabbed the neck of a kobold that was off guard while squeezing its body out of the narrow hole, then smashed the face of the other bastard with a fist.
"Kkeuk!"
While the bastard couldn't get its wits about it, I thrust my sword to finish it off.
That's three caught. The ecstasy of the hunt washed over my body.
"Kkeu-eu!"
-Sha-a-ak!
While my body was momentarily dazed in ecstasy, I suddenly felt the sensation of something scratching my back.
Wondering what it was, I turned around to see a kobold standing there with an obvious look of panic.
"Was there another entrance?"
It's no big deal. I was going to lure them out anyway.
"Anyway, buying armor was seriously the best choice! Even getting scratched by claws, I didn't get hurt at all, right?"
"Kkeuk!"
"What are you looking at, you rat bastard!"
Re-realizing the sturdiness of the quilted armor, I swung the blade with all my might.
Half of the bastard's neck was sliced off. Pulling out the blade and repeatedly striking its body, I looked around here and there to find the fifth victim.
'Found you.'
This time, it was my turn to ambush.
The fifth one I found was lying flat and hiding in the grass. It seemed to be looking for an opportunity to ambush Karl.
Walking stealthily up to that bastard, I raised my sword high and gave its flank a deep stab wound.
"Kkeu-eu-eu!"
"Haha! How dare you, mere monsters! Now then, who's the next victim!"
"It's over."
Karl flatly said, tossing two kobold corpses in front of me.
One bastard's head was split in two like firewood, and another's neck was broken and dangling.
Judging by the looks of it, they rushed him simultaneously, but one's skull was split by an axe and the other's neck was grabbed and crushed.
"Splendid workmanship, Dennis."
"This is all thanks to your advice. Think nothing of it."
I'm not being modest, I'm serious!
If I hadn't had armor, I wouldn't even have dared to catch those bastards.
Even if I had, I would've been badly injured by their claws.
"It was like looking at a berserker of the snowfield. A warrior running wild, intoxicated by blood."
"...That's a compliment, right?"
"It is a compliment, Dennis. However, there was something regrettable too. You swing your sword too excessively when using it."
Karl, being a warrior, came close to teach me how to swing a sword.
"You grip too hard... If you do this, fatigue builds up in your fingers and wrists, making you tire out quickly."
So that's why my wrists ached so quickly when catching slimes.
Truly practical advice. I engraved those words deep in my heart.
"And your sword-gripping method is wrong too. I'll teach you that later. Right now..."
"Right now?"
"We need to focus."
Finishing those words, Karl immediately entered combat stance.
Not long after, three armed ruffians emerged from behind the trees.
"Looks like a bunch of motherfuckers who came smelling meat."
Wait. Am I currently facing off against bandits?