Chapter 17

On the south side of the border city of Lester, there is a large river called the Holden River. Near the border city of Lester, during the rainy season, the river can widen to about 100 meters. This great river flows straight from the southwest, the territory of the barbarians, toward the border city of Lester, hits the hilly area where the city is located, and changes its course by almost 90 degrees before flowing into the southeastern sea.

The riverbank is overgrown with low trees and grass, providing ample hiding places for barbarians and monsters. Soft mud is deposited in various places, forming bottomless swamps, making it a very dangerous place for those unfamiliar with it. In addition to goblins, many lizardmen who prefer damp environments also live there, making it dangerous enough. However, what the adventurers who hunt here fear most is the giant-mouthed lizard, a magical beast.

This giant-mouthed lizard is about 5 meters long, with a huge mouth, eyes that face sideways, a long body, six short legs, and a long tail. It is a magical beast that resembles a crocodile that has grown to a giant size with two extra legs. Its mouth is nearly one-fifth the length of its body, which is both its distinctive feature and the origin of its name.

One day in July, Al and Orson were walking on a road heading southeast from the city. Behind them, a cart pulled by a donkey followed. On top of the cart, a boy around 12 or 13 years old was holding the reins. His name was Rippi, a porter often hired by Orson. He had wavy red hair and round eyes, and was a cheerful boy who was always talking.

On the cart were a bundle of poles with splices, and a goblin corpse. Some of the poles had ropes tied to their ends. The road they were traveling on was a narrow dirt path, winding to avoid hills, and the cart had several times gotten stuck in the mud, but they finally reached a spot where they could see the river.

Orson stopped and raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. Rippi, following the signal, pulled the reins to stop the cart and quickly stood up on the driver's seat. He made a visor with his hand above his eyes and looked at the river.

"Have you found it yet?"

"No, not yet. But we'll start looking around here. You stay here with the donkey. If you see any goblins or something, blow the whistle to let us know."

Today, they were hunting the giant-mouthed lizard, known for its danger. However, the ones that are too large, weighing over a ton, cannot be loaded onto a cart. They were targeting the ones that were a size smaller, about 3 meters long. Even at this size, the giant-mouthed lizard's hide is a luxury item, and its meat, skull, and teeth can also be sold, fetching about three gold coins if in good condition. Orson, with his years of experience, knew that this size of giant-mouthed lizards increases just before the rainy season begins.

"If we catch one, I'll give you a tip, okay?"

Orson took a long pole from the cart's bed and, in response to Rippi's question, said "of course" and gave a thumbs up.

"Mr. Orson, how do you use that?"

"Huh? This? I use it to fish for the giant-mouthed lizard."

In response to Al's question, Orson used a knife to cut meat from the goblin corpse and tied it to a piece of wood that would float, attaching it to the end of the rope on the pole, and handed it to Al. He then tied a rope to one of the remaining goblin corpse's legs and lowered it from the cart's bed.

"You use the pole to throw the meat attached to the piece of wood into the river where the giant-mouthed lizards are likely to be. They have good eyesight and sense of smell. They will detect the smell of blood in the water and swim over. When you see them, raise the pole and pull the meat toward you. They can jump out of the water, so be careful not to get eaten."

"I see. What should I do if the bait gets eaten?"

Al connected several poles to make it longer, held it in one hand, and tested its balance while asking.

"If that happens, it's a failure. The giant-mouthed lizard will try to pull you into the water, so let go of the pole immediately. Never try to resist. If you fall into the river, you will die."

Al was surprised by Orson's explanation. But seeing his serious expression, he nodded seriously. Orson continued his explanation.

"Place the remaining goblin corpse about 20 meters up from the river. Al will use the meat attached to the end of the pole to skillfully guide the giant-mouthed lizard there. I will ensure Al's safety while guiding and position myself between the river and the giant-mouthed lizard to prevent it from escaping. When the giant-mouthed lizard bites the goblin corpse, I will kill it. Once that's done, Al will provide magical support."

Al nodded. He had brought several poles in case of failure.

"But, the giant-mouthed lizard is a magical beast, right? Won't it come toward me if it sees me?"

"Yeah, magical beasts do see humans as enemies. But if there's food in front of them, they will go for it. However, after they eat it, that's not guaranteed. The giant-mouthed lizard swims quite fast and can move on land at about the speed of a light jog. Be careful. Also, they can see behind them, so don't let your guard down. And never stand in front of them to avoid being bitten."

"Got it."

"Can I watch from nearby?"

Rippi asked from the side. But Orson tilted his head, frowned, and after thinking for a moment, shook his head and looked at Rippi.

"If you come to watch, who will take care of the cart? If something happens to the important donkey while you're watching, I won't be responsible."

"Rocinante is smart. He'll tell me if something suspicious comes. Come on, can I? I want to be an adventurer and make a lot of money when I'm Al's age. I want to see as much as I can before then."

Rocinante is the name of the donkey. Orson crossed his arms and thought for a moment but shook his head again.

"No, it's still too dangerous. Al isn't used to this hunt yet. For today, just stay near the cart and watch from a distance. If there's another chance, I'll think about it then."

Rippi pleaded several times, but Orson shook his head each time. Rippi reluctantly gave up.

"Looking forward to the tip."

Al said, patted Rippi's shoulder lightly, and ran briskly to the river with the pole in one hand. Orson followed, checking the ground with his right hand holding a bundle of poles and his left hand dragging the goblin corpse. Rippi sighed as he watched them go.

Thank you for reading.

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