Monster Hunt (1) - A Pleasant Start
Monster Hunt (1) - A Pleasant Start
Passing through Deluna's giant castle gates, a quiet forest path led towards the West Iron Mine.
The dew-laden, refreshing air brushed the tip of her nose.
Moreover, a cool breeze blew,
and warm morning sunlight streamed through the leaves.
It was such a pleasant morning that just walking was enough to make her hum a tune.
However, Rose's footsteps on that path were as light as feathers, not just because of the refreshing weather—.
It was also due to the equipment Risolde had procured for her, by Balthazar's orders.
Black leather armor that snugly enveloped her upper body yet wasn't too heavy.
Tightly fitted pants that didn't hinder her movements at all, and luxurious boots that hugged her feet.
At her waist, a sleek and sharp Rapier hung, and above all, a deep red Cloak was fluttering behind her shoulders.
It was that very 'Cloak of Transformation' she had coveted at the 'Stardust General Store' yesterday.
- Here are 10 Sola. Please give me that 'Cloak of Transformation' I mentioned yesterday.
Seeing Rose casually place a heavy Gold Coin pouch on the counter, the young-faced Dwarf Pankus pushed up his glasses and narrowed his eyes.
- ...No, you got this much money in just one day? Miss, isn't this some shady money? I don't accept dirty money.
- Shady money, you say? Believe it or not, the Lord-nim himself bestowed it upon me....
Rose didn't need to bother explaining.
The old door of the general store opened, and upon seeing the 'companion' who followed Rose in, Pankus's face turned pale.
- ...Ri, Risolde?!
- Long time no see, Pankus. By the way, that Cloak of Transformation you made, I didn't know it was such a magnificent item that it could fetch ten Gold Coins.
- ??? Huh?? Wasn't that the regular price??
- ...Well, you see....
Under Risolde's icy gaze, Pankus, who had been sweating profusely and hesitating, eventually had to hand over the Cloak for five Gold Coins, with tears in his eyes.
Moreover, half of the Gold Coins generously provided by the Lord remained,
'Since the Lord-nim has already bestowed it, use the rest as you see fit,' Risolde said coolly as she walked past.
Thanks to this, with an unexpected large sum of money and all sorts of top-tier equipment secured, Rose.
"Heheheh~"
Even though she was on her way to defeat the Monster rumored to be appearing in the mine, humming a tune, her steps couldn't help but feel light.
Compared to the past days when she wandered the forest with only a shabby tunic and an old Shortsword,
in her current fully armed state, an unfounded confidence surged within her that she could slice down any enemy that appeared in an instant.
However, stroking the red Cloak fluttering in the wind, a thought suddenly came to her.
'No, but the more I think about it, the more absurd it is.'
That impudent general store owner Dwarf, Pankus.
He inflated the price to double the original, and even tried to proposition her, saying she could pay the difference with her body. What a scheme.
"Isn't him being 50 years old also a lie? No, maybe even him being a Guardian is a lie."
As Rose muttered to herself, Risolde, who was walking behind her, quietly opened her mouth.
"Pankus is indeed a Guardian."
"Really? But his vibe is completely..."
"Not all Guardians are warriors who fight Monsters. On the contrary, 'Production-type Guardians' like Pankus, who use Mana to forge artifacts, are much rarer. That's why the Lord-nim put a lot of effort into keeping him in Deluna."
"...Put effort into it? Wasn't he the Lord-nim's Guardian?"
"No. He didn't explicitly say who his Lord was, but he was already a Guardian before he met us."
I thought Lords and Guardians were always together—.
At Rose's low murmur, Risolde looked at her with a strange expression.
"...Usually that's the case. But you, who are saying that, are also separated from Lord Lucian and wandering around alone, aren't you?"
"Ah. That's... true."
Rose, looking embarrassed, stuck out her tongue slightly and smiled at Risolde.
"......."
Risolde hastily lowered her head and avoided her gaze.
"......??"
Come to think of it, it wasn't just now.
After leaving the Lord's castle, stopping at the general store, and all the way walking the forest path towards the mine, Risolde had been subtly keeping her distance from Rose and walking separately.
If Rose spoke to her, she couldn't meet her eyes, sometimes her face would flush, and she would even flinch and avert her gaze.
'Ah... perhaps....'
Last night, Rose had laid Risolde, who had resigned herself to feeling nothing, on the bed and, using her [Lust] Skill, given her an explosive orgasm.
Covered in each other's saliva and bodily fluids, rubbing their bodies together countless times, screaming in pleasure—that hot memory.
For Rose, it was just one of the many one-night stands she had experienced, but for Risolde, it was an intense and unfamiliar stimulation she had experienced for the first time in years.
Moreover, if one were to be precise, the aggressor(?) of last night was Rose.
Risolde only remembered melting helplessly and screaming in ecstasy at Rose's lewd touch and the tip of her tongue, so her embarrassment and shame were bound to be immense.
'...Did I act too... brazenly, as if nothing had happened?'
Just like trashy men whose attitudes completely change the morning after they've had a one-night stand,
Rose wondered if her attitude was too indifferent.
When even she fell silent, an even more awkward and suffocating silence settled between the two of them.
Only the sound of insects and rustling footsteps filled the forest, when Risolde carefully opened her mouth.
"...Yesterday."
"...Y-yes?! Yesterday??"
"Yesterday... thank you. I don't know what kind of magic you used, but...."
The end of Risolde's cold voice trembled slightly, and her usually pale white cheeks were tinged with a faint blush.
"Ah, haha... What magic? I just..."
Waving her hand, Rose, who was laughing awkwardly, also had her cheeks flush bright red.
Thinking, 'I did it because I wanted to, so I don't need thanks,' she awkwardly blurted out something.
"If you need it, just say the word anytime! I'll definitely..."
Fortunately, she stopped,
but anyone could tell what she was going to say next.
I'll definitely send you off, so tell me whenever you're horny!
"......."
"......."
Risolde's face was completely flushed a fiery red, as if it would burst.
What the hell am I spouting—!
Rose, in her mind, wanted to beat her own mouth and find a hole to crawl into.
In that suffocatingly awkward atmosphere, what saved the two of them was—.
"Kyarururu...."
"...A wild boar...?"
"No, it's a Monster."
What burst out of the bushes ahead looked like a wild boar, slightly larger than usual, but.
Grotesquely protruding bone-like horns piercing its forehead, and bloodshot red eyes.
And the black aura it spewed from its mouth like drool was clearly not that of an ordinary beast.
"Kyaaaaa!!"
The creature, upon spotting the two,
fiercely charged towards Rose, who was in front.
But as Risolde, with an expressionless face, simultaneously extended her hand.
[ Ududududuk-! ]
Rough clumps of earth that rose from the ground and thick tree roots tightly encircled its ankles,
and as it was forced to break free from them and continue its charge, its speed noticeably decreased—.
"Hmph!"
[ Pwoook-! ]
Seizing that opportunity, Rose, who lightly launched herself, imbued the tip of her Rapier with Mana and instantly pierced the creature's thick neck.
"Kii... kee...."
Soon, losing its strength, the body of the wild boar Monster collapsed to the ground.
Along with that, the blue Mana that escaped from the creature was felt seeping into Rose's body.
"Whoa... That startled me. Thank you, Risolde."
"......."
Past Rose, who was shaking off the blood from her Rapier and sheathing it, Risolde, who was looking down at the Monster's corpse sprawled on the ground, furrowed her brow.
"...It's just a wild boar."
"?? But just now, I clearly felt Mana entering me?"
"A wild boar that was injected with Mana... turbid Mana. Just like us Guardians."
"...Huh??"
Following Risolde's gaze, the creature's corpse she looked down at—
the horns that had risen from its forehead, the blood-red glow in its eyes, and the ominous black aura had all disappeared.
It had simply transformed into an ordinary wild boar with a hole in its neck.
"Uh... hmm... Its appearance has certainly changed."
"It lost its Mana and returned to its original form."
Risolde, with a serious expression, murmured.
"For something like this to be possible... either this wild boar accidentally killed a Guardian or a Monster and absorbed its Mana.
Or, a 'Lord' who can transfer Mana to others injected their own into this beast... I wonder..."
"But looking at its movements just now, an ordinary wild boar doesn't seem like it could kill a Guardian or a Monster. Then perhaps another Lord..."
"There's one more possibility."
Risolde nudged the wild boar's corpse with her foot and added.
"Some powerful Monsters, just like a Lord creates a Guardian, can inject their Mana into lower-ranking creatures and use them as their subordinates."
"Then... isn't that dangerous? Should we go back first and report to the Lord-nim?"
As Rose, with an uneasy gaze, looked into the depths of the forest and asked, Risolde shook her head.
"However, if a wild boar injected with Mana is only at this level, then its main body won't be very threatening either. Since we've already come this far, near the mine, let's explore a bit more. With two Guardians, most enemies won't be a problem."
And then, in a voice so low it was almost inaudible,
she averted her gaze again and quietly added.
"...If anything happens, I'll protect you..."
"...Yes."
Rose smiled brightly and nodded.
Gripping the Rapier at her waist tightly,
thinking that with this new equipment and Risolde by her side, no enemy would be a problem.
< Illustration - Fully Armed and Confident >
