Chapter 15: Chapter 15 - The Rat and the Fur (4)
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The second clearing was a medium-sized goblin colony, numbering around 60.
Their human-like appearance, the fact that they were muttering and talking amongst themselves as opposed to the click-clack-click of the Ratmen, and their relatively advanced equipment gave me an indescribable feeling of unease.
Unlike the Ratmen, whose pelts could be harvested, there seemed to be no significant harvest from the goblins. Therefore, employing a preemptive use of magic to sow chaos, followed by infantry engaging in close combat, became the strategy for the hunt.
Whether I had adapted to this behavior or if it was due to the discomfort felt just moments ago, the impact was not as profound as during the Ratmen hunt. Successfully, I managed to defeat five goblins.
Alright, if I continue like this, could I perhaps take on humans as well? As I was lost in such reckless thoughts, once again, Laurel approached me. Laurel, with her left hand tightly gripping a goblin's neck, dragged the seemingly lifeless creature along. Either the goblin was already dead or Laurel had strangled it to death.
"Well done, young master. Twelve Ratmen and five Goblins in your first extermination. I was surprised earlier, but this is truly unexpected, isn't it?"
Laurel brought the hand that held the goblin in front of my face and began to shake it. In rhythm with the swaying hand, the powerless body of the goblin danced along.
As I absentmindedly observed this scene, my attention was drawn to its item hanging between its legs.
Suddenly, memories from a past life resurfaced—a scene from an anime. In that anime, goblins, diminutive creatures, would sometimes assault human females. But when I saw them in person, it was clear that reality was distinct from the world of anime. Perhaps to the goblins here, humanity was like a cave.
Why was I entertaining such thoughts? Perplexed by the unpleasant flow of ideas, I furrowed my brow and pushed away Laurel's hand.
"Hey, put it away. Or do you want me to do the same to you?"
"Kekeke, our young master is being grumpy," Laurel smirked, then flicked aside the goblin corpse she held and sat down beside me.
"Still, it was truly a sight to behold. I'm serious. You probably don't know this, young master, but it's usually the norm for noblemen and women to show all sorts of ugly behavior on their first raid. It's funny how the nobility in this country talk about martial arts as their spiritual foundation, but in reality, only a handful have truly hunted monsters before entering the academy. At best, they've probably shot a few arrows while hunting deer or rabbits.
And yet you, who hasn't even tried rabbit hunting, haven't shown any signs of disgrace today. It makes one wonder if it's in the bloodline of the Count, afterall. Well, even so, there is still a long way to go. Kekeke."
"Sigh...somehow you managed to give me a compliment. Alright, now all we have to do is gather in Markney and wrap up today's achievements, and the extermination will be over, right?"
"Yes, since we concluded the second extermination in a short time, I think we can take a bit of a break and move on. Of course, we'll still have to do some searching in Markney, but I have to agree with the Count. A troll in the southern region? Absurd. I'm pretty sure the old man was drunk and seeing things. At best, he must have mistaken bear tracks."
"Laurel. Have you ever had to deal with a troll yourself?"
"Once, when the Count was out on a campaign, I went along to lend a hand, and even considering my skills were still lacking at the time, it was a pretty tough monster to deal with. Its flesh was as hard as iron, and couldn't be penetrated without a mana-infused weapon. It had two hearts so it was difficult to kill in one breath, and every time it swung one of its arms the size of a man's torso, the soldiers around it flew like fallen leaves.
Well, we eventually caught it. I still remember the hunting methods I learned at that time. So if, and I mean if, the trolls do really appear, if you just hide quietly behind this Laurel, you can safely return home, young master. Oh, did you get scared by what I just explained?"
This woman always adds unnecessary details to her words. After finishing her words, Laurel tapped my shoulder, then got up and quickly left for where the soldiers were.
***
It wasn't until late afternoon that we arrived at the rendezvous point, Markney. There were already a number of soldiers waiting for us in Markney, who had completed the extermination in various places and gathered in order of arrival.
As I entered the barracks set up in the center of the square, a friendly-looking young man rose from his chair to greet me, "Hey, Young Master. You've had a long day. I heard you did a great job in your first raid?"
The young man's identity was Russ, the head of the Magus Corps. Russ, with his light brown, semi-curly hair and platinum-rimmed glasses, was a commoner, but he had a dignified appearance that could be mistaken for a nobleman if you didn't know him. And with his appearance, he was also a man with great popularity, as he was gentle and polite, unlike Laurel.
"Hi, Russ. What do you mean by 'great job'... I just did a little something, a little something."
"What? I heard you took out nearly 20 Ratmen and Goblins combined. That's a really great feat for your first battle, you know, haha. You can be more proud of yourself."
"Hehe, I understand. Thank you, Russ. I would have been better off if I had gone with you today. Listening to Laurel's chatter next to me all day was harder than swinging a club."
"Hahaha! Usually, she clings to me, but since I wasn't there, she clung to you, I guess! Don't be too annoyed, young master. Laurel, even though she doesn't show it on the outside, she's been feeling lonely lately. Well, it can't be helped. She's getting to the age where she's...Kuck!"
Russ, who was talking excitedly, suddenly stopped talking with a strange sound.
A coin fell to the ground with a tinkling sound at the feet of Russ, grabbing his throat.
"Hey, Russ. I told you not to talk about my age. Are you really trying to pick a fight with me?"
Through the fabric of the barracks entrance, Laurel walked in with a frown on her face. It was a rare sight to see the ever-smiling Laurel irritated, but did she toss that coin?
"Khuckk...Laurel, you're here early? Where's the Count?" Russ coughed, but smiled his best human smile and waved at Laurel.
Laurel shrugged off his greeting and continued to glare at him.
"He's returned. He said he had an urgent matter to attend to at the main base. He entrusted the command to you and me. With the extermination successfully completed, he ordered us to complete the final search for Markney and return. More than that, there is no use in talking to you. The next time you bring up my age, I'm going to stick this straight up your asshole and into your snout."
Laurel tapped the sword on her waist to threaten Russ, but Russ just smiled and laughed. When her warning fell on deaf ears, she sighed heavily, shook her head, and with a thud, sat down on a chair in the barracks.
I couldn't believe it. There was someone who could defeat Laurel. Russ was a more extraordinary person than I thought. And Laurel's weak point was her age.
It was a precious harvest to find out the weakness of Laurel, who looked like she was not afraid of anything. I wonder if I will have a chance to use it later?
"And, Young Master, the Count left a message: it's okay to join the search, but don't overexert yourself, and if you feel the slightest bit unwell, come back immediately. What do you say?"
"What do you mean, what do I say? I've come all this way, I'm going back to finish the job. I'll also be searching. It won't be a big deal if you're there, right?"
To be honest, it would be a lie if I said I wasn't tired. I was already running out of stamina, and I had already been to two mountains. That was with these lumps of flesh hanging all over my body. Still, my strength wasn't completely depleted, and the raid was now down to just one more search. If I just went back at this point, I would be left with a lingering sense of unease.
"That's a very good choice, unlike you, young master. It's right to end it together if you started it together. Sometimes, or rather often, I feel that the Count is too protective of you. That's why you've gained so much weight... "
"Ha ha, it'll be fine. As you said, what's the worry if even a troll comes out with us by your side? Come on, let's finish it quickly and go back. Tomorrow is a holiday, so you should go and drink a lot of alcohol and pass out!"
Just as Laurel's mouth was about to spew out another load of nonsense, Russ quickly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me toward the entrance, trying to save the day. It's always like this when they're together. Laurel blurts out, Russ cleans it up.
Maybe they're actually a good match, even though they're always bickering and always sticking together. I wonder if it wouldn't be so bad if they ended up together.
***
Laurel ordered the soldiers to form a long cordon along the lower slopes of the mountains in Markney, and with only the Knights, the Magus Corps, and a handful of volunteers, they searched, but as expected, they found no sign of the trolls.
Russ and Laurel were expressionless, as if they had known this would happen.
"Russ, have you ever caught a troll? Laurel said she had."
As we made our way back down the mountain after the search, the sun was now dipping below the horizon, casting shadows in the mountains. I asked Russ what I had been wondering all along.
"Unfortunately, I have never hunted a troll. Unlike Laurel, I was not yet a member of the Reed family at the time."
Russ had been juggling three balls of mana while we were descending the mountain. When I asked him a question, he destroyed the balls and slowed down to match my stride.
"I do have a rough idea of how to hunt in theory, though, and while I've never killed a troll, I've seen worse when I was still roaming around as an apprentice mage.
As you'll learn in your biology class when you return to the Academy, trolls are a rather middling species in the overall scheme of things in the magical realm.
It's just that the top predators are so few and far between that trolls are highly prized because they're seen relatively often, except in the south."
As I listened to Russ's words, I suddenly felt a sense of urgency.
Right now, I could barely catch goblins. When will I be able to catch a troll? And what about the stronger monsters than that?
If I don't get a lucky break, it might be impossible to do it even if I live my whole life. I hope the items I know still exist in this world.
"Haha, you don't need to be so impatient. It's true that you're a bit behind in your accomplishments, but haven't you made up your mind even if it's late? The blood that flows through you is Reed's, so if you've inherited the Count's talent, you'll surely be able to achieve greatness."
As if he had read my thoughts, Russ patted my shoulder and offered words of comfort. Just as Laurel had continued to nag me even when I was a scoundrel, Russ had continued to give me helpful advice and kind words, no matter how I reacted.
As I recall, he was a couple of years older than the age-conscious Laurel, which would have made him even more different from me, given his princely appearance.
Thinking about it, Russ feels like an older brother. Then is Laurel a sister? I was an only child in my previous life. I didn't have any regrets at the time, but now that I think about it, I don't mind having an older brother or sister.
It really isn't as bad as I thought...
"Hey, Russ, you're being so soft on him, that's why the young master keeps getting distracted. Even when you're being supportive, you need to be firm and tell him what's not okay!"
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