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TL: ALT
Chapter 156 – Jennifer’s Scout Caravan Day 1, Afternoon
It was probably a little past noon. As I continued down the road, I found myself in the territory of the White Oxes.
I drove slowly toward Iron Park, where the mines were said to be located. I made my way through the grasslands, talking to merchants and adventurers along the way. I encountered some bandits, but I didn’t engage them; I just knocked them away with a slime wall. Makyo-san used his back fist, which was easier because it didn’t slow him down.
Along the way, I saw a group of adventurers fighting a horde of goblins. They had formed a party with a front line that fought while the rear prepared and cast spells, allowing them to engage in a relatively safe battle. The front line took some damage, but it would likely be healed by the healers after the battle.
“Before I lived in the demonic land, I would have thought this was a good party…”
In the demonic land, Makyo-san could have crushed a group of goblins with a single blow. Everyone would finish them off with a single blow. Since goblins are humanoid and have the same weaknesses as humans, there is no need to fear them.
Even an incredibly strong horde of goblins wouldn’t be a match for us. We’d either flee and lure them into a pitfall or use magic or poison to immobilize them before delivering the finishing blow. In that case, it wouldn’t be a battle in the traditional sense. We’d simply take their lives without letting them attack us. Since there’s no chance of getting injured, there’s no need for healers.
Healing would only be necessary in case of unexpected circumstances.
Life in the demonic land is clearly different from life outside.
I arrived in the mining town of Iron Park at dusk. A large mountain is to the east, and the castle town of White Ox is further north along the road. There is a dungeon in White Ox.
The sound of iron being hammered could be heard throughout the town, and iron was used in many shop signs. The smell of beef roasting wafted from the food stalls in the town square. Iron, dungeons, and cattle are all famous products in White Ox.
I got a room at an inn attached to the Adventurers’ Guild and spoke with the staff while holding the manual. Because of the royal seal and the letter of introduction, they trusted me, so I had to thank the captain when I returned.
“The demonic land? The frontier?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Can people really live in a place like that?”
The staff looked at me suspiciously.
“Have you heard anything about someone who recently settled in the demonic land and became a margrave?”
“Oh! I’ve heard about someone becoming a margrave, but I didn’t know it was true.”
The staff seemed to think it was just a fairy tale. For people in other territories where information doesn’t reach properly, the demonic land is apparently just that.
“If I could share a manual on life in the demonic land, I think it would increase adventurers’ survival rates. Would you be willing to hear me out?”
“Well, if the training ground is empty, you can do whatever you want…”
“Thank you!”
It was dinnertime, and many adventurers had finished hunting. I thought this would be a good opportunity, but only four adventurers came to the guild’s training ground. They were all mid-level adventurers who had come from the frontier just to see me, a priestess.
Still, it was better than nothing.
I explained life in the demonic land and survival techniques, using the example of the adventurer party I had seen earlier.
“…And, in the demonic land, it’s better to prioritize finding a way to deal with enemies and escape than to confront them directly, so there are fewer injuries. Do you understand?”
After explaining everything, I opened it up to questions.
“Forget that, nee-chan. Wanna drink with us?”
I thought they weren’t listening to me. It seems that I have to show them my strength before they’ll listen.
I placed my index finger on the forehead of the adventurer sitting in the chair, joking around.
“Can you stand up?”
“Huh? What’s this?”
Even if he tried to stand up, he couldn’t because of the way his body was structured. He couldn’t shake off my finger.
“I’ve taken away your ability to stand. Now, you can’t take a step forward, so you can’t land an effective blow. On the other hand, I have one free arm, so I can hit you as much as I want.”
I smiled at the confused adventurer and continued.
“In the demonic land, there is no mercy for those who cannot move. They are no different from dying monsters.”
The adventurer fell from the chair onto the training ground floor, breaking free from my grip.
However, it was a bad move. I stepped on the adventurer’s collarbone and neck with the soles of my feet to pin him down.
“You bastard!”
“What are you doing?”
“Are you serious?”
His fellow adventurers stood up and grabbed their weapons.
“If you move, I’ll step on this man’s neck.”
“””…“‘’”
The other three adventurers in the training ground were left unable to move. They finally began to gauge my true strength, wondering if I really had the power to crush someone’s neck.
They were slow to observe and hesitant, so they couldn’t make a decision.
“It’s easy when dealing with humans because they understand what you say. If you immobilize your opponent, you won’t get hurt. Hunting becomes very easy with just this little trick. Is that clear?”
I released my foot and grabbed the adventurer’s arm to help him stand up.
“Damn it, you woman!”
The adventurer who had stood up drew a knife from his waist and lunged at me. He must have felt humiliated in front of his comrades.
I used the slime wall to absorb his momentum, sending him flying back into the wall.
Bang!
The adventurer hit a barrel with a practice sword stuck in it and collapsed. He fell to the floor of the training ground with his mouth wide open.
The other adventurers don’t seem to understand why their comrade was blown away. The slime wall is a new spell that I created, so it’s only natural. However, after watching Makyo-san, I don’t feel like bragging about it.
“First, it’s important to observe your opponent and assess their strength. Otherwise, you might end up like him, rushing in recklessly. You are all experienced adventurers, aren’t you? You should think a little more before you act.”
I took the manual out of my bag and showed it to them.
“Do you need the manual?”
The adventurers nodded vigorously, still holding their weapons.
I sold the manual for three silver coins, which was enough to cover three days’ worth of lodging.
I learned something from holding my first seminar. The royal seal and certificate might earn me the guild’s trust, but the adventurers won’t believe me unless I demonstrate my abilities.
In the cafeteria attached to the guild, new adventurers exchanged information about promising brothels while veteran adventurers lectured them on hunting monsters. They didn’t seem to be preparing for tomorrow’s hunt.
The bulletin board had information about goblin and kobold swarms appearing in the grasslands.
There was also a notice about poison spiders on the mountain path, but the reward amount was written on a small piece of paper, which I couldn’t read. I wasn’t surprised, as I had already heard this information from the tattooed female soldier. However, as a former adventurer, I felt a twinge of shame.
“Excuse me. I’d like to ask you something…”
I approached a guild employee who was almost finished with their work and getting ready to go home.
“Ah, the messenger from the demonic land. How was the seminar?”
“It was okay. But I think it would be better if I showed my skills, so I’d like to take on a request.”
“That’s helpful. There are plenty of requests right now due to the increase in goblins and kobolds.”
“If possible, I’d like to take on a request involving the mountain path. Would that be okay?”
The guild employee looked surprised but then said, “That’s fine,” and showed me the detailed request form.
“The reward isn’t very high, but if you can complete it, it will greatly help the people living in the mountains during the winter.”
“That’s why I came to White Ox.”
“I see. I understand. I’ll do my best to help.”
With that, the guild clerk put down their bag and brought out some healing potions and preserved food from the back.
“These are supplies from the Adventurers’ Guild. There is also a mountain hut halfway up the mountain that you can use as a relay point. The caretaker can be difficult to approach, but he’s not a bad person, so don’t take it personally.”
The guild clerk explained everything quickly.
“We also have weapons available for loan.”
“No, that’s okay. If necessary, I’ll gather some in the forest along the way. Do you know what the monsters look like?”
“They’re spider-like monsters the size of large dogs that spit poison. They’ve made their nests in an abandoned mine, so it’s best to gather mercenaries or allies. You have time to complete the task before the snow falls.”
“Got it.”
After receiving the supplies, I checked the map for the location of the abandoned mine and the mountain path. Then, I set off from the guild, heading toward the mountain hut where I could rest.
I walk through the noisy town, filled with drunken people. Adventurers celebrate completing today’s quest with drinks, while merchants discuss business. Iron Park seems to be a resting place for adventurers who usually explore dungeons. The taverns and brothels are crowded.
I made my way through the commotion, quietly opened the closed gate, and stepped outside.
As soon as I left the town, the nighttime atmosphere enveloped me and the voices of the townspeople faded away.
I felt the piercing gaze of a monster. It was probably a goblin or a kobold. Or maybe even bandits. Either way, the adventurers would handle it by tomorrow.
Ignoring the monsters that didn’t attack me, I began climbing the mountain path that branched off the main road to the east. Moonlight and light from the town illuminated the area, preventing it from becoming completely dark.
The mountain was covered in coniferous trees with exposed rocks in some places. I lit the map I had received from the guild with a magic stone lamp and continued up the path. Suddenly, a jet-black wolf began to follow me.
It seemed to be observing me, but it only growled and didn’t attack. Wild animals are more cautious than the adventurers around here.
However, unlike the monsters of the demonic land, this wolf gave off the aura of a puppy. It was almost cute, like a travel companion.
As night fell and the path grew dark, moonlight and sound were my only guides.
I’m used to the darker demonic land, so I notice a monster lurking in the bushes. It’s about the size of a large dog. It must be the poison spider I’m looking for.
Woof!
The wolf stops and barks.
That must have been the signal because the Poison Spider spat poison at the wolf.
Instinctively, I covered the wolf with a magic barrier. I didn’t want to get involved in a fight between wild creatures.
The Poison Spider recognized me and lunged at me. Its poison attack might take time to take effect.
Since the attack was direct and in midair, I grabbed the mace at my waist and swung it without hesitation. It was a simple, one-handed attack, not involving magic.
Bam!
A sound like walnut shells shattering echoed, and the spider’s abdomen deformed. It rolled down the mountain path and came to a stop.
When I held up the magic stone lamp, it appeared to be dead and leaking purple liquid.
“One hit…”
This is troublesome.
I didn’t have time to think; I just reacted instinctively. This isn’t how one fights in the demonic land. This Poison Spider must be young. Its body is too soft.
“Come here.”
I called the wolf over and rubbed its jaw. Perhaps because I had protected it from the poison, it no longer seemed wary of me. I let it smell the dead Poison Spider.
“Can you track down the lair of this monster’s companions?”
Though it couldn’t understand my words, it seemed to grasp my intentions.
The wolf veered off the mountain path and climbed up a slope covered with dead leaves. I followed behind, keeping an eye on my surroundings.
I arrived at one of the abandoned mines depicted on the map. A bloodstained suit of armor lay at the entrance. The bandits must have been killed by Poison Spiders.
“Are they carrying their prey to their lair?”
I asked the wolf, but it only growled and glared at the mine without answering.
A cool night breeze rustled the trees.
“What should I do?”
If I had a shovel, I could dig a pit. But this wasn’t a demonic land where I could find palm sap.
As I pondered this for a moment, the wolf began barking at the entrance of the mine.
Woof! Woof!
Hearing the wolf’s bark, the Poison Spider came near the entrance, making a rustling sound. Poisonous liquid flew at me, so I created a magic wall to protect myself.
Realizing the liquid was blocked, the spider came out of the cave and jumped at the wolf.
A large spider crawled out in front of me. I was standing next to the entrance. It had eight eyes and should have been able to see me, but it didn’t seem to notice and continued toward the wolf.
Swosh!
The spider was so exposed that I swung my mace down with all my strength and crushed its abdomen. Surprised by how easy it was, I struck it several more times with the mace, just to be sure. Its skin was soft, likely because it was young, and it died quickly, bleeding purple liquid.
“That’s strange,”
I continued defeating the Poison Spiders that crawled out with my mace. With each swing, parts of the spiders’ bodies were crushed.
“Are there only young ones here?”
I asked the wolf suspiciously, but, of course, there was no answer.
To investigate, I entered the abandoned mine.
I lit a magic stone lamp to illuminate the ground and deployed a magic barrier. I headed in the direction of the poison attacks and struck the spiders with my mace.
Along the way, I found eggs, bandit-like corpses covered in threads, and the skeletal remains of a bear. I crushed all the eggs.
In the deepest part of the mine, I found a Poison Spider the size of a cow. However, its outer skin was no harder than that of the others. It was slow and clumsy, so I surrounded it with a magic barrier and defeated it by striking it relentlessly. It was the easiest Poison Spider I had defeated thus far.
It was difficult to observe, which was troublesome.
After exploring the abandoned mine, I went outside, but the wolf was already gone. Perhaps it had returned to its lair. It would have been useful as a decoy, though.
Looking at the map, I saw that there were several other abandoned mines, so I decided to visit them starting tomorrow.
It was late, so I headed to a mountain hut halfway up the mountain.
“Excuse me for coming at this hour. I’m here in response to a request from the Adventurers’ Guild to defeat the Poison Spiders.”
As I knocked on the door and called out, a bearded giant emerged from the mountain hut. He must be the old man who runs the hut.
“Would you let me stay here for the night?”
The old man looked around outside, then turned to me.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes, just me. As long as I can shelter from the rain and wind, that’ll be fine.”
“That’s fine. But what’s that blood on your clothes?”
I looked down and saw that my sleeves were covered in Poison Spider blood.
“Oh, I was crushing Poison Spiders in an abandoned mine earlier, and I got covered in their blood then. I’ll wash them tomorrow morning, so don’t worry. More importantly, where can I sleep?”
I asked, showing him the mace. The mountain man seemed to understand.
“Alright. Use the bed in the back room. I’m the only one here, so you can use any bed you like.”
“Thank you.”
The mountain hut was a simple structure with a dining area in the front and a bedroom in the back.
The bedroom had four bunk beds. I placed my belongings on the front bed and lay down. The sheets were freshly laundered and smelled like citrus.
The bed was comfortable. Perhaps because I was tired from the journey, I fell asleep without eating and didn’t wake up until the next morning.
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She doesn’t realize how OP she is lol
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