Chapter 9

"Ah, something just broke!"

Sora, who had been diligently scraping the brown mud-covered monster that clung to the tree, raised her voice at the sensation transmitted through her knife. Thor, who had been waiting beside her, promptly caught the dripping body fluid with a conch shell. Sora watched with delight as the liquid smoothly filled the shell.

"That's how we collect it. It's pretty fun, isn't it?"

"Is it? Thanks to this, I've been given the nickname 'Mud Digger.'"

"It does look like mud. But if you think about it, it's more like cleaning mud rather than digging for it. Thanks to you, Thor, the trees are getting cleaner."

"If you say so, all the work around here is like cleaning."

Thor capped the filled shell and put it in his backpack, then took the knife, which had become quite deformed, from Sora. As he sheathed the knife, which instantly returned to its original state, Thor glanced at his belt. Hanging there were a mole and the monster they had just caught.

This bird, about the same size as the mole, is called a Sharpbeak. It has the annoying habit of pecking at tree trunks with its long, sharp beak. When you get close, it flutters around in small circles, attacking your eyes and throat at high speed, and is a formidable enemy with excellent evasion skills. However, the relief is that it won't pursue you far from its territory, just like the mole.

"Hmm, all cleaning...?"

Sora tilted her head, not understanding Thor's words and gaze. Thor, who was about to answer, looked up at the sky through the gap in the trees. The sun, shining brightly, was just past its zenith.

"Let's continue over lunch."

At this declaration, the girl's eyes lit up. They had been walking for nearly three hours since leaving the town, and her stomach was starting to feel pleasantly empty.

Sitting on an old tree stump with Thor, Sora leaned her staff against it and took off her hood, exhaling deeply. She then took off her gloves and patted her face. She wanted to take off her shoes too, but she restrained herself in front of Thor.

She was wearing a chest plate and a robe over a thick woolen shirt. Even in the shade, it was quite hot in mid-spring. However, Sora, who had grown up in the countryside, knew very well what could happen if she exposed her skin in such a place.

"Here, this is your share."

"Thank you, Thor."

The contents of the leaf-wrapped package Thor handed her were a chunk of dried meat, a few biscuits, and a slice of cheese. Sora, who had unwrapped it, exclaimed happily.

"Oh, meat! Itadakimasu!"

The girl, eagerly biting into the reddish-brown meat, soon made a subtle face as she chewed. After forcibly tearing off a piece of the dried meat, she quickly reached for a biscuit and stuffed it into her mouth. After a couple of bites, she widened her eyes and lunged for the water flask.

After forcefully washing it all down with water, Sora finally took a breath and exclaimed.

"Phew, too salty!"

"It's because you sweat. It's quite salty."

"I didn't expect the biscuits to be salty too... Oh, what about the cheese?"

"It's a normal flavor."

While answering, Thor placed a thinly sliced piece of dried meat and a piece of cheese on a biscuit and brought it to his mouth.

"Ah, that looks delicious!"

"Here."

Sora, taking the knife offered to her, mimicked Thor and brought it to her mouth.

"Yep, this is easier to eat. Still salty, though. You should have told me first."

"You ate it before I could tell you. Anyway, about what I was saying earlier, have you noticed anything on our way here?"

"Hmm, let's see. I was surprised by how easy it was to walk."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Because there's a proper path and good visibility... Come to think of it, there were no fallen trees, and the vines and lower branches have been cut. Also, the grass is lush, so the sunlight must be good."

Thor watched the girl, who was listing her observations with her index finger, with a slight smile.

"Yeah, this forest is very well-maintained."

"You've been observant."

The Goblin Forest, just outside the town, has been maintained for logging. Over a long period, they have created safe paths, aligned the trees, and driven away dangerous beasts. Now, it has a forest road that circles the middle of the forest and three logging sites, and is known as a source of high-quality timber.

Sora, who had heard Thor's explanation, turned around and examined the tree holes made by the forest slimes. She then suddenly clapped her hands.

"Oh, that's why it's cleaning."

"More accurately, it's extermination."

Moles damage roots, Sharpbeaks peck at trunks, and forest slimes dissolve trunks and wither branches. These three monsters, which appear around the forest road, are the enemies of the trees. Continuously walking and hunting them is the first job of new adventurers.

"By the way, how many skill points do you think you've earned so far?"

"Three points, since we've defeated three monsters?"

"Unfortunately, only one point. The mole and bird were defeated by both of us, so no points."

"Ah!"

Skill points are divided among the people involved in the battle, but any fractional points are discarded. If two people defeat a three-point monster, they only get one point each. However, if a group of two people defeats a group of two three-point monsters, they each get three points. Also, monster training points are usually multiples of five, which is why parties often have a maximum of five members.

"Wow, that's tough."

Three monsters in three hours, and only a single digit of points in a whole day. By simple calculation, it would take over 200 days of non-stop hunting to raise a skill to level 2. And that's without any help.

Sora was deeply impressed by Thor's perseverance and what he had accomplished.

"Thor, you're really cool..."

"Let's get back to the topic. You understand that working around the forest road in pairs is inefficient, right?"

"Yeah, I get it."

"So, I think we should go a bit deeper."

"Okay, let's go deeper!"

Thor had planned to spend another two or three days patrolling the forest road, but since Sora was more capable than expected, he decided to move up the schedule. While caution is important in adventuring, seizing opportunities is also crucial. Additionally, fighting moles and birds was too quick, and Thor couldn't practice using <Restoration> during battles.

The development of the Goblin Forest only extends to the midpoint of the forest. Beyond that, the forest is dark and dense even during the day, and the monsters that appear are completely different. That area is also the hunting ground for parties of adventurers.

"Do you still have water left?"

"I have half left."

"Have you taken care of your business?"

"I did it a while ago."

"How are you feeling?"

"Great, no complaints!"

Sora's eyes, which answered cheerfully, showed no signs of strain. She was surprisingly energetic for the first day.

"Let's rest for about 30 minutes to fully restore our magic, and then we'll go meet the creatures that gave this forest its name."