Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Golden Reed Forest
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The Golden Reed Forest was filled with reeds that grew tall, reaching up to my waist.
Fitting its name, the reeds, tinged with golden hues, swayed beautifully in the wind.
But this wasn't the time to get lost in sentiment. It was already four in the afternoon, leaving us little hunting time.
We needed to scrape together 200 million won in two months, so we had to hustle.
"Alright! Time to hunt!"
At my words, Sua and Lussera pushed forward, parting the reeds.
Lije followed slowly right behind them.
The Golden Reed Forest teemed with monsters of various types, but the most common were bird-like ones.
Among them, Reed Sparrows were by far the most numerous.
These small sparrow-shaped monsters had very low health and attack power. But with their vast numbers and speed, they weren't to be underestimated.
Larger ones like Gold Wings or stronger Reed Hawks appeared occasionally, but rarely.
As Lussera and Sua ventured into the reeds, a flurry of flapping wings erupted, and Reed Sparrows took flight.
Thousands of them soared up before diving straight at the two in unison.
Lije extended her hand, erecting a massive protective barrier in front of them.
The Reed Sparrows' beaks clattered against the shield, sending ripples across its surface. The sight of thousands slamming into it was spectacular.
The sheer momentum felt ominous.
Yet Sua and Lussera trusted Lije completely and pressed their attack.
Every swing of Sua's spear sent three or four Reed Sparrows tumbling down.
The fallen ones dissolved into ash, which swirled toward my Status.
Lussera formed huge claws on her hands and tore into the sparrows.
Her attacks felled more than Sua's spear did.
A spear just wasn't ideal for hitting small birds.
I made a mental note to pick different Valkyries for the mines tomorrow.
With Lije, hunting was stable, but Reed Sparrows weren't that threatening anyway, so she felt like overkill.
Someone like Elastra, with her wide-area attacks, might be more useful.
Sua didn't quite fit this hunting ground either.
She swung her spear diligently, but few actually hit.
With so many Reed Sparrows swarming, it felt like lucky hits.
At least Lussera targeted them precisely, making her effective.
.
.
.
"Haa... haa..."
Lussera and Sua panted heavily.
Two hours had passed since we started hunting.
Moving nonstop for that long had worn down their stamina.
Thanks to Lije, they hadn't taken a single hit, so HP was fine—it was just fatigue.
'Ah... no need to send A-rank or higher to the mines...'
We had no other Valkyries to swap in for these exhausted ones.
We had B- and C-ranks, but no point using them.
Time to head back.
In two hours, I'd gained two levels. And a whopping 1 million gold—after taxes.
"Let's head home."
At my command, the three Valkyries slowly retreated, preparing to leave the hunting ground.
Once we cleared the area and the reeds thinned, the frenzied Reed Sparrows halted their assault and stopped pursuing.
"Tired?"
"Haa... haa... No, I'm fine."
Sua caught her breath, straightened up, and replied.
Lussera didn't look nearly as drained.
The gap between B-rank Sua and SR-rank Lussera was clear.
Sua seemed to be gritting her teeth, enduring because I'd made her leader.
"Good work. Rest up at home—until our house is ready."
"Understood. Thank you."
I opened my Status and launched the Valkyrie Taxi app. Set pickup to current location, destination to Diana's mansion.
Hit call, and it connected instantly.
The Status showed a carriage icon heading our way.
'Totally like a ride-hailing app...'
Summoning luxury like this felt too good, but why suffer? Convenience it was.
I unsummoned Lije and Lussera, leaving only Sua beside me.
The taxi arrived soon after, and we boarded.
Just two hours of hunting had wiped Sua out; she nodded off in the jostling carriage.
I gently tugged her head, and she slumped naturally onto my shoulder.
As sunset bathed the Golden Reed Forest in beauty, I hooked pinkies with the sleeping Sua.
That alone made coming to this world feel lucky.
Sua's steady breathing sounded close, the road to Astera stunning.
Her scent and soft cheek pressed against me.
Clop... clop...
The carriage slowed entering Astera—busy with people and vehicles.
Sua slept soundly until then, waking only as we hit the city.
"Nngh...?"
Startled awake after leaning on me so long, she realized what happened.
"Kai... sir... sorry. I fell asleep."
"No big deal. I liked it. Lean on me anytime you're tired."
"Th-thank you..."
Pure Sua blushed, stuttering her thanks adorably.
Ha... I wanted her true name so bad.
She was too pretty—a forbidden fruit right now.
Sensing my stare, Sua's cheeks burned as she bowed her head.
Her expression mixed embarrassment and apology—guessing my feelings but unable to reciprocate yet.
But I could wait.
For Sua.
As I watched her, the carriage pulled up to the mansion.
We disembarked, reached the front gate, and rang the bell.
"Who is it?"
Erekina's voice.
"It's Kai. From earlier today..."
"Ah! I know. Opening now."
Erekina sounded thrilled, like she'd been waiting.
The gate opened moments later.
Sua and I entered through it.
The mansion at night had a different vibe. The manicured garden glowed beautifully under various lights.
I spotted the pool I'd overlooked earlier—spacious, lit from within, looking luxurious.
We followed the stone path through the garden to the mansion, where Erekina opened the door.
She bowed in greeting. A far warmer welcome than my first visit, when she'd seemed curt. Now, full courtesy.
"Welcome. Lady Diana informed us. You can summon three Valkyries here, Kai sir.
I'll show you to your rooms."
At her words, I summoned Lije and Lussera.
"Hoo..."
Lussera, summoned into reality, let out a relieved breath. She seemed thrilled to be here.
We followed Erekina to the third floor.
They'd given us two large rooms.
"Guests, use this and the one across. Each has a shower and bathroom—help yourselves. Ring the bell in the room if you need anything; we'll come."
"Thanks. Where's Lady Diana's room?"
"Pilots can speak casually to us."
"Huh? Oh... right. Show me Diana's room."
I dropped the formal tone naturally.
I'd spoken casually to my Valkyries to assert ownership.
It felt odd with others', especially since locals didn't honor Valkyries with formal speech.
"Lady Diana's room is that way. One door down that hall."
Erekina answered.
"Gotta wash up and say hi later."
"Understood. She's probably waiting. Then I'll..."
Erekina bowed and left.
"Should I get a secretary like that?"
Sua's expression shifted subtly.
"What? Jealous?"
"N-no. How could I..."
Her flustered cuteness made me pat her head.
[The Lead Spear Knight's favorability has increased.]
[The Lead Spear Knight's favorability is already MAX, so no change.]
The notification popped up—my gesture boosted her favorability again. She looked even prettier.
"Sua and I take this room. Lije and Lussera, the one opposite."
"Got it..."
Lije nodded, but Lussera looked a bit disappointed.
Her expression sparked thoughts, but I ignored them. Time with Sua was pure bliss—nothing else mattered.
I showered, cleaned up, and headed to Diana's room.
She'd provided this courtesy, after all—a proper thanks was in order.