Chapter 70

The target is a single Silver Wolf.

The location is a small hill near Morina Village.

If that was all, it would just be a regular mission for a Silver-ranked adventurer, but considering that this mission also involves messing with a mistaken noble, the actual reward is ten times as much.

Moreover, just clearing this mission carelessly can suppress my promotion, which is a pleasant bonus. I'm really grateful that the deputy found such a job for me.

If there are more jobs like this, I might ask for them. Of course, within the range where I can protect myself.

"Ah, the Silver Wolf, huh. I've been on edge because I can hear its howling. No livestock has been attacked yet, but you never know with those monsters. It could come here at any time... It's been a series of anxious days."

I arrived at Morina Village by carriage and questioned the village elder.

With my guild certificate, the conversation went smoothly. It seemed he was already worried about the presence of the Silver Wolf and welcomed my arrival.

"That must be tough. Leave it to me; I'll go and take care of it quickly."

"Thank you. ...Are you going alone?"

"No problem. This isn't my first time dealing with a Silver Wolf."

"You're experienced... I'll trust you then."

"Can you be a witness when I'm done? I'll bring the whole pelt, and I need you to sign it as proof."

"I'll write anything to have that hateful wolf killed. I'm counting on you."

"Sure thing, I'll be back."

Morina Village is known for its dairy farming. The presence of a Silver Wolf, which could target livestock, must have been a big thorn in their side. I don't want dairy products to become scarce either, so I hope to resolve this without any casualties.

Ah, right. When the mission is done, I might buy some smoked cheese on my way back. I should buy a bit more for souvenirs.

While already planning my return, I headed for the small hill.

The gentle hills near Morina Village are covered with pampas grass.

It's more like a slightly steep hill. There are many trees, but there's also a lot of pampas grass growing, swaying in the breeze.

This pampas grass grows all year round and can reach nearly four meters in height. When it has its plumes, it does look like pampas grass, but it's so large that it lacks a certain charm.

I heard that this pampas grass is good feed for herbivorous livestock.

Indeed, with so much of it growing around, the livestock industry shouldn't have any problems.

"I'll set up camp here."

I unloaded my gear on a flat area near a stream and immediately started preparing my camp.

I'll intercept it here. I'll kill the Silver Wolf here and take care of the dissection. Since I have to skin it anyway, I'll have to stay at least one night.

The target isn't the kind of monster I need to search for. I plan to provoke it as much as possible in its territory and get it to come to me quickly.

I built a hearth with large, round stones from the river and started a small fire. I threw a few pieces of dried meat into the flames.

"Here's the smell of grilled meat. Maybe raw meat would have been better? But it should smell it anyway."

While doing this, I set up a one-person tent a short distance away and secured it with ropes tied to branches. I should make these ropes with a lighter and stronger material. ...No, if I use high-quality materials, they might get stolen while I'm away. I don't really feel inconvenienced by the weight, so it's fine as it is...

Anyway, let's focus on today's mission.

"An undamaged Silver Wolf pelt! What a ridiculous request... It sounds like a typical arrogant noble's request."

To be clear, I have no intention of delivering an undamaged pelt this time.

I might be able to do it if I tried, but I absolutely won't.

I won't do anything to "accidentally" mess it up. If I do, I'll intentionally damage it even more before delivering it. They should be prepared for that.

I'll damage it so badly that it might still be considered a pelt, but no other store would buy it.

To do that, I need to check my equipment.

First, the bastard sword. This is a must-have. With this, I can handle most situations.

I'll use this for the rough dissection of the large Silver Wolf. I'll use the sword breaker for the finer details.

"Then there's this."

I brought a small shield specially for this mission, which I used when exploring a winter forest with the noble Bridget.

I don't usually like shields, but I brought this one because the Silver Wolf is likely to be very aggressive. It's quite effective when used to strike.

"I also brought a bow, but... will the arrows hit? ...But I can use the arrow wounds to damage it further... I can always shoot them in after the kill..."

While organizing my equipment, I heard a sound outside the tent.

The sound of river stones rolling. ...Something big is coming.

"Hey, it can't be the Silver Wolf, right? Ha ha."

"Ha ha ha."

"There it is."

I thought it wouldn't come while I was setting up, but here it is.

Its fur is a silver close to gray, with a pale black line running down its back.

Most importantly, it's as big as a small bear.

This terrifying wolf... is sticking its head into the stone hearth I built, trying desperately to eat the meat while yipping.

"...Hey! Don't burn your face before I get to do it! Don't ruin my fun!"

"Ha ha ha?"

I'm glad I didn't bring a wood stove. If I had, it would have been destroyed right away.

A stupid wolf that has lost its social nature and can't live in a pack. Naturally, it's too wild to be domesticated, and there's no way to raise it for an undamaged pelt.

On the other hand, its body is very tough, making it a particularly troublesome monster.

The recommended number of close-combat Silver-ranked adventurers for a straightforward fight is five or more...

"This time, I'll handle it alone. Come on, mutt. Let's see if I can teach you a lesson."

"Urrr"

I held the bastard sword in my right hand and bit into a piece of dried meat with my left hand to show it.

"Growl!"

The Silver Wolf growled as if to say, "That's mine!" and pounced at me head-on. It's not yours.

"Hey! A forceful parry!"

"Yip!"

A forceful parry. It's a technique where you use a shield to strike the opponent's attack with overwhelming force, knocking them back. You don't deflect it; you push it back. It's convenient because if you have the power, you can disrupt their stance.

"The pelt needs to be in one piece, so no cleaving... I'll thrust!"

"Roar!"

I jumped into the river and thrust at the Silver Wolf's shoulder as it rolled. It's shallow.

"Roar!"

"Whoa!?"

I dodged its front paw attack and raised the bastard sword to strike.

The silver fur split by the blade fluttered and floated on the river. Good damage. The value of your pelt is dropping!

"I don't have a taste for tormenting my opponents, but someone might be watching! So, I'll let it slide!"

"Roar!"

I dodged the Silver Wolf's attacks and cut its legs to reduce its mobility.

The first thing to do is to limit its turning ability. I'll use my agility to force it to bleed when it tries to change direction.

I really want to cut into its back and remove the visible fur, but there's not much of an opening yet. I'll have to stick to straightforward attacks for a while. It would be troublesome if I got bitten or pinned down. I don't want to get my equipment dirty with its saliva.

"If you don't want to die, run! If you do, I'll finish you off quickly!"

"Growl! Roar!"

"No, you... really won't run, will you!"

Dodge and slash. Dodge and thrust. I repeatedly wounded it and threw it into the stream to force it to bleed, but it kept attacking me with the same hatred as if it were a monster controlled by a system.

I've broken some of its claws and shattered its teeth with shield bashes... What the hell is this thing? It keeps attacking with full hostility until it dies.

Honestly, the only other monsters that fight this stubbornly are skeletons and other mysterious types. This isn't a fighting style suitable for a beast category monster.

"Still, it should slow down as it loses blood."

"Urrr..."

Despite its unchanging hostility, its movements have become sluggish. It's almost time to finish it off.

...It's cruel to keep it alive and hurt it further. Even though it's a monster, I should end this soon.

"I want to finish skinning it while it's still light. Die for my ego."

"!"

I kicked off the ground and positioned myself above the Silver Wolf's head.

Naturally, the Silver Wolf tried to stand up to counter. It would try to use its claws and teeth.

But that would only work if you were in better condition.

"Nam Myoho Renge Kyo"

"Crack..."

I struck its raised head with my sword from the air, deeply wounding its contents.

It was a nasty feeling.

"..."

I landed on the Silver Wolf's back... which was already losing the "firmness" of a living being.

The massive body sank with a heavy thud. The heat from the silver fur, raised by the intense battle, felt like it could burn me. ...This heat will gradually fade.

"...Mission complete. Next time, be born a bit smarter... No, that's my ego. This too."

The sky was getting dim. ...By the time I finish the dissection and skinning, it will be completely dark. It was an incredibly smooth encounter, but I'll have to stay here for the night.

Well, that's fine. ...From now on, I'll think of it not as a Silver Wolf but as a pelt.

I don't like kicking a dead body, but it's a job, so I have to. I'll make a damage mat out of it.

"Hey! Nobles! No reselling! But you can buy it! Buy it and regret it!"

That day, I artistically damaged the Silver Wolf's pelt, stabbing, slashing, and using it as an archery target.

The next day, after properly dissecting and trimming the fat from the Silver Wolf's pelt, it was... a pitiful sight with visible battle scars on the outside and internal bruising from shield bashes on the inside.

The size was ordinary, and it had the black line, but it was full of holes, cuts, and bloodstains... I wouldn't buy such a pelt. But this is what you get in a normal fight. Given the miserly reward, it's more than fair, even luxurious.

"Alright, let's go back and collect the reward. Oh, I shouldn't forget to buy some smoked cheese."

In the end, I didn't have to wait long for the fight, and it was the best possible outcome.

I was able to confirm various sword movements and it was a perfect sparring partner.

However, when I showed the village elder the tattered pelt, he was so impressed by the intensity of the battle that he worried about my condition.

I'm sorry, but I'm strong, so I'm fine.