Remnants of the attack
Summer ends, and the chilly season approaches. It’s September.
This busy period of wheat harvest and planting is also when beast hunting begins in earnest. It smells so good…
This year I’ve been hunting forest meat at a steady pace even before now, but even this still isn’t enough. No matter how much meat we send to the battlefield, it’s never a problem. When you’ve got a bunch of people doing nothing but fighting without producing anything, the waste really is intense.
I feel like if we just had chemical fertilizer, the food problem would be completely solved, but I don’t really understand that stuff. If I could just chant “Haber-Bosch!” and solve it, that’d be easy, but reality isn’t quite like that.
My knowledge is at the level of “How about planting beans in the fallow fields or something, I dunno.” Even that is probably unnecessary knowledge considering this country’s fertility. You can’t underestimate the people actually doing agriculture. There’s so much I don’t know.
“Hey Mongrel. Would you mind coming with us to escort the harvest?”
“……”
While I was sharpening my chakram at the guild workshop, Sally called out to me with that suspicious smile of hers.
Given who I’m dealing with, I can’t just give an immediate answer.
“The ‘Young tree Staff’ has taken root in this region again, but there are still villages we haven’t been able to show our faces in. Mongrel, you’d have connections in places like that, right?”
“Ah, I see. Well, if that’s the reason, then sure.”
“You’re sharpening quite an old chakram. Was it from the old Harpelian military equipment? I hear they’re selling cheap at the market, this type of thing.”
“Let’s leave the chakram talk for later since it’s scattering the conversation.”
“I see? You’re quite right. Well then, where should we make our expedition? I have about three convenient candidate locations in mind.”
I really don’t get the pace of conversations with this woman. Well, it’s not unpleasant though.
“How about the Basin area, or rather the south side? I haven’t been over that way recently, so I was planning to take on a mission there for a change of pace.”
“The south, huh. How about Rus Village then?”
“Oh, nice. It’s closer than last year. Then let’s do it there. Reserve a request under the ‘Young tree Staff’ name for me. I’ll do the same.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Yeah, great. Soon I can get some honey… wait.”
When I turned around, Sally was already gone.
Apparently she left right after saying “I’ll do that.” Are you bad at ending conversations or what?
“I really wonder how Momo turned out so normal…”
I step on the stirrup and turn the axis with a grunt, rotating the fixed chakram.
Then I bring the whetstone close and grind the iron ring into a perfect circle.
I hear there used to be many elliptical chakrams in the old days, but because this kind of maintenance couldn’t be done on them, later chakrams became mainly circular. Well, elliptical ones would be a pain to sharpen…
“I’ve reserved the mission, Mongrel. Let’s depart the day after tomorrow.”
“Oh, you went to the reception… wait, the day after tomorrow? That’s sudden, hey.”
“I thought you probably didn’t have any plans anyway.”
“I don’t, but…”
“That’s good then.”
Sally picks up one of the polished chakrams and dangles it between her fingers.
“Did you buy this at the market?”
“I bought a set of ten at the Black Mist Market. They’re like this now, but most of them were terrible with rust floating up.”
“What an interesting purchase. Next time I’d like you to buy me something interesting too. I’ll pay for it.”
“Hey now. If you say that, I might really buy something interesting.”
“I’d prefer something that doesn’t take up too much space though.”
After saying just that, Sally left the workshop.
The flow of conversation was completely chaotic, but apparently I’m going on an expedition the day after tomorrow.
However, the destination is Rus Village. It has an apiary and delicious honey.
If I’m lucky, I might be able to eat something sweet. With that thought, even a boring expedition seemed like it might be a little enjoyable.
“Ah, nice to meet you for the first time, Mongrel-san. I’m Vandale, vice-captain of the ‘Young tree Staff.'”
While I was waiting absent-mindedly at the carriage station by the south gate, some big guy called out to me.
His height must be about 2 meters. Despite that, his build is extremely thin, and his facial features are so gaunt that I think he should probably get about three IV drips. He’s the type of guy who’s just really tall but seems bad at sports. Looks like he’d faint from anemia at morning assembly.
“Vandale… Vandale… ah, I think I heard just your name from Momo. I’m Mongrel. How’d you know my name when we’re meeting for the first time?”
“Your hair color is unusual. I could tell it was you at a glance. Well, I stand out too though.”
Vandale’s hair was pure white. Since he’s probably around my age, it’s not premature graying. It’s the silver hair characteristic of Sunglaire people. It’s grown out long and unkempt, making him look like a ghost at first glance.
If I’d encountered him at night on first meeting, I might have put my hand on my bastard sword’s hilt.
“Our captain is always causing you trouble…”
“Ah, no no. She’s a weird person but not really harmful. Seems tough on your end though. You seem like a reasonable person somehow, so I’m worried about you.”
“Haha… I was left in the royal capital handling miscellaneous duties until recently, but that was actually more relaxing… Still, it’s a party I chose to stay with, so yes.”
A thin man with long silver hair covered in a pitch-black cloak.
If he had fangs too, he’d be a complete giant vampire, but I don’t see such fangs in his mouth. Probably human.
“You weren’t there when Young tree staff was active in Legol before, right?”
“I was scouted in the royal capital about two years ago. I’m fairly new… but somehow I’ve become vice-captain before I knew it.”
“Huh… If Sally bullies you, tell me. I’ll scold her.”
“Thank you. Having you say that is encouraging for me too.”
“You guys, you know I’m here and you’re having this conversation?”
“Oh, Sally, you were here?”
“Oh captain, I didn’t notice.”
“The reward distribution should be perfectly calculated though.”
Sally seemed to be seriously worried. Calm down, it’s just a joke, so don’t worry about it.
“Captain Sally, that conversation is fine now! Mongrel, and Vandale-san too! The carriage is here, so let’s depart!”
While we were having this exchange, the other members of “Young tree Staff” gathered as well.
And so we departed Legol as escorts, with Momo somehow leading the way.
Even though it’s a party centered on magic users, all the active people in this world have good legs. Every mission requires walking to even begin, so it’s natural.
So even intellectual magic users don’t become weaklings saying “I can’t move anymore” after walking all day.
Even Momo, the youngest, is keeping up with us properly, so this is the normal sense. Well, Momo has the advantage of youth too.
“Eh?! You really gave up on magic practice?! Even though I gave you a ring!”
“Well, I tried really hard too, you know, for about a month. But there was no progress and it ate up time, so I figured it was time to quit.”
“Really?”
“For real, for real, leaning towards for real.”
Actually I gave up much earlier than that. Magic training is tedious. I just broke normally.
“This is why uneducated adults are…”
“Don’t you encourage people a bit more?”
“M-Momo-san… that’s rude, saying things like that… people can’t choose the environment they live in…”
“Miselina, that’s not the kind of follow-up, it should be more gentle feeling.”
I’m thinking of selling or giving away the ring if something comes up. Right now it’s joined the equipment storage area in my room.
Since I have almost no magic items, it might be fine to keep it as a collection piece.
“Ah, speaking of which, I heard, Mongrel-san. You tested the flippers Momo-san made, right? Thank you.”
“Ah, while fishing at the lake. There were some problems but it wasn’t unusable.”
“Mongrel! This Vandale-san is a veteran of magic tool production! He’s a magical inventor, so to speak! You could be more polite in your speech!”
“Shut up and be quiet, idiot.”
“Crude language!”
“Haha… no, Momo says this, but I’m just someone who worked at a shop in the royal capital. Since becoming a guildsman, I’ve mostly just been repairing staves.”
Huh, staff repair. Well, I guess staves break from use too. I can’t really picture it though.
I see, guilds full of magic users need people like that too.
“! Everyone stop, Charge Deer ahead!”
Oh, we’ve got a customer while taking a leisurely walk.
“I’ll go to the front. Young tree staff magic users provide support from behind. Ah, but wait, the ruts will collapse, so never mind. I’ll do it alone.”
“We won’t make such mistakes!”
“Now now Momo, let’s leave this to the vanguard. We need to watch the surroundings.”
The Charge Deer emerged from a nearby forest and stood right in the middle of the road.
It just turned its face toward us and stared without running away. This kind of behavior is the complete opposite of deer from my previous world, which is a bit interesting.
“Well then, I’ll also step forward as vanguard.”
“Huh? Vandale-san is vanguard? Aren’t you a magic user?”
“Ah, yes, well. People often mistake me, but I’m close combat… me…”
Vandale, like a withered tree, opened his black cloak and from within extended thinly… a crude gauntlet.
And it wasn’t just any gauntlet. It was a massive, extremely vicious gauntlet with large scythe-like blades attached to all five fingers.
Are you from the assassin’s guild? Didn’t you join the wrong party?
“!”
The Charge Deer ran toward Vandale, attacking with its sharp horns aimed at him.
“Eh, so you can handle that thing?”
“Yes, well. Leave it to me… ‘Iron Wall.'”
Vandale’s eyes glow red. It’s a skill that front-line fighters often learn first, temporarily increasing one’s core strength and toughness.
A tank despite looking like he’d have only assassination skills.
“Kii…!”
“This won’t do, coming out in front of people… Crushing Strike.”
Vandale grabbed the horn with his sharp-clawed arm, then crushed the head while breaking the horn with pressure.
What a damn brute force technique. Though I’m one to talk.
“Ah, the horn broke… Well, everyone was uninjured, so I suppose it’s fine.”
What’s surprising is probably Vandale’s core strength. He received the Charge Deer’s charge head-on, broke the horn with one hand, and destroyed the head. It’s not something you can do overnight. More than anything…
“Your skill tendencies are like Sunglaire military.”
“!”
Vandale turns a surprised face toward me, but it’s not something to be so unexpectedly surprised about.
You’d understand after fighting Sunglaire’s army a bit.
“Crushing Strike” could be called their soldiers’ specialty.
You don’t see maces, morning stars, war picks, or hammers much in Harpelia.
“Ah, I’m not probing you. If Sally recognizes you, then your background must be clean now too, right? No explanation needed.”
“…Yes, it’s difficult to explain. If possible, I’d like to talk while enjoying alcohol at night.”
“I see. …Alright, let’s butcher this guy for now. Everyone go ahead.”
“Is that alright?”
“I’ll catch up soon. I’m just bundling up the unnecessary organs and throwing them in the forest. …Don’t you do this in Young tree staff?”
“…Well, yes. It doesn’t bring much profit…”
“Wow, first-class parties are different.”
Really, how much do they usually earn?
“Come on, go ahead. I’ll handle this guy’s processing. I’ll catch up right away.”
“Ah. Then we’ll leave it to you.”
“Yeah.”
I saw off the carriage group and started butchering on the spot.
…The horn is broken off and the head is completely crushed. What a brute force technique.
Vandale was probably originally a Sunglaire soldier. Infantry, not cavalry. Not using a morning star is partly to adapt to the current environment, but well.
“Well, I’ll collect the meat. …Ugh, the precious tongue is torn up.”
I left the unnecessary parts there, made a carrying pole from thin trees in the forest, and ran toward our escort targets.
Catching up wasn’t difficult either. Walking to match the carriage’s movement is more stressful.
If you run for a few minutes, you can catch up to the rear easily.
“…Mongrel-san also has Sunglaire blood, don’t you?”
“Ah, I do. Not as obvious as Vandale-san though.”
“Yes, I’m pure-blooded… When the city atmosphere gets bad, our position becomes quite precarious.”
Since we both have white hair, there’s camaraderie in our conversation.
At least I can feel it from his side. I wonder about my side. I hope I’m managing to seem that way.
“Vandale-san, do you also sense the atmosphere of war?”
“It’s not just me. Everyone else does too.”
“I heard. There’s going to be a war, they say.”
“My prediction is Twice Plain. It’s a good opportunity to gain prestige though.”
“…War. How frightening…”
At this time of year, everyone finally catches on.
…So war really will happen. What a pain. It’s Twice Plain, you know? It’s not a winnable battle, so Sunglaire should just give up…
“Sunglaire has mastered the Crushing Strike. I was once part of that. …Now I use it via gauntlets though.”
“Mongrel, Vandale-san is—”
“Because using blunt weapons would make you stand out badly, right? I get it. They’re rare in Harpelia.”
“…You understand.”
“Mongrel-san, did you also once use blunt weapons?”
“No? I’ve been using this bastard sword from the start. Despite how I look, I was born and raised in Harpelia.”
“Is that so… Then perhaps you adapted easily.”
Well, actually it was near the border in a questionable area.
If you ask whether I had adapted, I hadn’t adapted at all.
“Soon there will be war with Sunglaire. Surely right after the harvest.”
“Probably. There’s talk like that at the guild too.”
“Will Mongrel do logistics?”
“Yeah. The location isn’t decided yet, but I’m thinking of focusing on loading and unloading.”
“Oh, that’s reassuring.”
Personnel who can do loading and unloading at high speed are rare. When you flatter me like that, I’m grateful too.
“…Please be careful, Mongrel-san. People with mixed Sunglaire blood…”
“I know, Vandale-san. Rather than me in the rear, it’s Vandale-san going to the front lines who should worry about that.”
“…Is that so?”
“You haven’t experienced it, right? Be really careful. Sunglaire people on the front lines face terrible discrimination. When walking through your own camp, when going to the toilet, always move together with your party members. Otherwise you’ll get caught up in ‘accidents.'”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
This isn’t exaggerated intimidation. It’s legitimate advice.
You can’t expect reason from people’s hearts during war. Even things that would normally work don’t work during wartime.
“If you want, Vandale-san could also join me in logistics? I think you’d be suited for it.”
“Well, that…”
“Mongrel, could you not arbitrarily reassign our precious close-combat member?”
“No good?”
“Of course it’s no good.”
Too bad. I thought we’d have one more person for heavy labor.
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