Elfaria Chapter 8

008. Horn Rabbit

　That evening, we had a "welcome party" where we drank and ate a lot, and after confirming future arrangements and promises, we disbanded.

　After sleeping in different rooms at the same inn, we decided to venture out to the suburbs the next day. However.

「It's a hassle to have to go through checkpoints to get in and out of the city, though, if you think about it calmly.」

　If you let everyone pass through, you can't protect public safety.

　In addition, it is said that outsiders are required to pay a not-so-expensive toll tax, but fortunately, we were allowed through with only a few simple questions and a luggage check because we had the minimum amount of credibility as "members of the Fixers Guild" and our purpose of "going outside to kill monsters and collect materials".

「――But still, it took us almost an hour from the time we started lining up to the time we walked out the gate.」

　And then

「Uuoooooooohhhhhhhhhh!」

　I couldn't help but shout when I saw the spectacular scenery that greeted my eyes shortly after exiting the south gate of the Hanaria.

　Blue sky, white clouds, endless grasslands ― in the distance were snow-capped mountains, and far to the right was the ocean.

　According to Hannah-san, the southern side is not connected to a road, and beyond that, there are only fields and forested areas.

　She said that new adventurers would mainly work on the south side, and once they had gained experience or advanced to a certain level, they would move on to other areas, villages, or cities, using the roads in the north.

　But more than that, I couldn't help but be shaken by the sight before me.

(I would never have seen anything like this if I had stayed in Tokyo.)

　Unlike the empty, inorganic concrete jungle, I was speechless at the beauty of nature itself, formed over many years.

　However, we could not just stand there in a daze forever.

「I have a lot of "work to do," and it's time for me to start working on improving my level of skill.」

「Basically, the level is supposed to be raised step by step as one gains experience that will lead to one's own growth!」

　According to Osada-kun, all beings in this world have "levels," and the one who manages them is called "Magmet," the god of management, and is worshipped as one of the gods.

「Combat is one kind of "experience," but it is not enough to just go around killing demonic beasts, and it is generally accepted that the levels themselves are just "guidelines".」

「So you are saying that "the difference in level is not absolute"?」

「That's an extreme view. I think it's more natural to think that "it's just God's evaluation".」

　I am grateful to have a comrade like Osada-kun in my life to talk to about this.

　As I told you yesterday, he is not a treasure hunter by any stretch of the imagination, and he has a lot of knowledge and information.

　Most of it is probably common knowledge in this world, Elfaria, but for a newcomer to another world, he is a valuable and appreciated presence.

　Anyway, today's goals are "confirming roles in battle" and "collecting materials".

「As I said yesterday, Osada-kun basically doesn't have to participate in the battle. If you feel "this is bad!" in the middle of a battle, you can just abandon me and run away. But if there is no problem, I'd like to ask you to cover for me or give me instructions or something.」

「Sure!......is what I would like to say but, are you sure?」

「Of course. There is a saying, "The right person is in the right place," and if something happens to Osada-kun himself, that would be more troublesome than it is to me.」

「Yuutooo ......」

　He seems to be moved, but if anything should happen to Osada-kun, the contents of his [Space Dimensional Pocket] will disappear.

　That would be irreversible, and I asked Osada-kun to swallow as many rocks and stones as possible along the way.

　Naturally, this is so that he can send them flying toward the enemy.

(I don't think this will work against a strong enemy, though)

　The slimes and rats we encountered in the sewers yesterday are expected to be effective enough.

　As we proceeded with our search, keeping in mind that we should not move to a position where we could not see the castle or the walls, a group of slimes and big rats appeared right away.

「All right! Let's go!」

　I pulled out my sword and slashed furiously at them.

　Osada-kun also covered me by spitting out rocks from a safe distance.

　Thanks to these prior arrangements, the battle itself ended without incident.

　Moreover, Osada-kun sucked up crystal stones that were lying on the ground, so we did not have to collect them by hand.

　The same was true for medicinal herbs and fruits we found along the way, and the fact that we had no luggage made it easy to move around.

　Whenever I saw parties with large luggage on the way, I was deeply impressed by how lucky I was to have met Osada-kun.

　Furthermore, when I actually took action, I was able to notice things that I hadn't been able to notice before. For example, 

「Hmmm. I guess it would be more convenient to have a shield.」

　I don't have a problem without it at the moment, but the attacks of slimes and big rats hurt me and depending on the situation, there are times when it's better to be on the defensive.

　Other than that, "a spear might be easier than a sword," or "I want to have a projectile weapon," or "I want to be able to use folia!" and so on, and many other desires and thoughts came to mind. [TLN: Folia is equivalent to magic]

　Needless to say, once again, no matter how much the world is "like a game," I cannot forget the fact that it is by no means "a game itself".

　In this world, the slightest carelessness can cause you to lose your life without warning ― it may be hard to realize at the moment, but we should be vigilant and take all possible measures.

(Heh heh ― this is bad! It's getting fun!)

　Combat, collecting, sightseeing........All of them were so much fun and enjoyable.

　Thanks to this, I lost track of time, and when I came to, it was around 4:00 in the afternoon, and I was about to turn back.

「UWaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!」

「Kyaaaaaaaah!!」

　We heard the screams of several people from close by.

「Yuuto!」

「Yeah!」

　I didn't need to be told.

　I looked around and then ran as fast as I could toward the direction I heard the voices――soon I came upon the scene where several boys and girls were being attacked by several demonic beasts. But

「Horn Rabbit!?」

　In this area, they are considered "dangerous creatures" next to goblins, and as the name implies, they are rabbits with horns on their foreheads.

　It is more than twice the size of a normal rabbit and is said to be extremely belligerent and a "carnivore".

　They are extremely dangerous, aggressively attacking humans, goblins, and other prey that are larger than they are.

　It appears that several people have been injured, and if the situation is left unchecked, the damage could spread further.

「Osada-kun, protect everyone!」

「You got it! Be careful!」

　With cheers at my back, I held my sword at the ready, waiting to see what Horn Rabbit would come up with.

　There were five of them in all.

　All of them were emitting piercingly sharp killing intent.

　The glaring match continued for a while, but it was the demonic beast that made the first move.

「Whoaaa!?」

　That was fast! It is truly "as fast as an arrow," but there is nothing I can't react to. But, 

(Gugh. I need a shield as expected!)

　As I am now, it was all I could do to avoid the Horn rabbit's attack.

　I was horrified to think about it, especially if that horn got stuck in my body,......, but I regulated my breathing and moved little by little, calmly glaring at the Horned Rabbit. And then...

「......!」

　It lunges at me again, and I dodge it the same way.

「Hehe! Dumbass!」

　Seeing its horn stuck in a tree and unable to move, I struck it with a blow with all my might.

　There is no need to fight each other in a foolhardy manner, but rather to take into account the surrounding environment.

　Unlike a video game where the game is settled by simply pressing a button when such ingenuity is successfully employed, an indescribable feeling of pleasure comes over me.

　After that, the crisis was successfully escaped with the help of the boys and girls, but

「Pheew~~~. As expected, it was a bit dangerous」

　I exhaled and wiped my slightly sweaty forehead with the back of my hand.

　When it was all said and done, it was a complete victory for us. Neither I nor Osada-kun was injured.

「More importantly, are you all right?」

　Five boys and girls, who looked to be around 10 years old, expressed a mixture of anxiety and relief as they mouthed the words "Thank you" and "You've saved our lives". But, 

「You guys are minors, right? What are you doing here?」

「You see, we are orphans living in the "Leia Orphanage".」

「We've been having a hard time making ends meet.」

「We wanted to help our sister and the others as much as we could.」

「...... so you've been imitating a fixer?」

　It's an unpleasant story, but it's a "common story".

　No matter how dangerous it is, we have to take risks to make a living ― I guess this is the reality of this world.

　Anyway, after administering first aid to the injured, we returned to Hanaria, keeping an eye out for the appearance of demonic beasts.

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