Chapter 39

June 1st.

In the clear early summer sky, from the time of the morning practice, Mel and the others were restless, constantly fidgeting.

Today, they are going to the Western Forest under the leadership of Guy Jakes, the former adventurer and squire, who is Dan and Sharon's father.

For the other three besides me, it's like a school trip.

They talk about what to bring and what to put in their lunch, just like elementary school students before a trip. They maintain a serious expression during practice, but as soon as it ends, they dash back home to check their bags again.

I have the same equipment as yesterday, so I finish preparing quickly.

We set off at 8:00 AM, heading to Guy's house, the meeting place. Besides Guy, young squires Einos Vassal and Will Keegan will accompany us, but today's purpose is more about our training than reconnaissance.

Guy sternly explains the precautions to the excited three.

"There are many dangers in the forest. Unlike the hills of the manor or the northern plains, you don't know what's out there. Don't act on your own. Listen to what I say. Understand?"

The three respond in unison, "Yes!"

Guy looks at them with a face that seems to ask if they are really okay, but he immediately gives the signal to depart.

Mel wears a leather jacket and a leather hat, with a short sword at her waist.

Dan also wears a leather jacket and hat, but he holds a dagger similar to mine and a shortbow used for practice.

Sharon wears a cloth jacket and a wide-brimmed hat like a straw hat, holding a wooden stick about one meter long.

All of them carry backpacks and walk through the village, looking excited.

Some of the villagers, curious about the Zakk Quartet going somewhere together, stop their farm work to watch us. Some of them wave, and we wave back as we walk.

Once we enter the Western Forest, we proceed parallel to the road, about 300 meters from it.

The road itself has little traffic, so the level of danger is the same as deeper in the forest, but this route is chosen because it makes it easier to pinpoint a location in an emergency.

As we enter the forest, the three also tighten their expressions and start to be on guard.

They seem to have been warned repeatedly by their parents, and the atmosphere quickly shifts from a trip to training.

(That's impressive. Even with all the warnings, they maintain the same serious expression as during practice. This must be the difference between children from a peaceful country and children of soldiers...)

I also try to be as alert as them, paying attention to my surroundings.

Occasionally, we hear sounds, but they are just deer or rabbits, and we haven't encountered any dangerous animals.

We learn about animal tracks from the former adventurer Guy and how to set traps, while we proceed through the forest.

The forest is peaceful, with only the sounds of birds and the wind rustling through the branches.

After about three hours of walking with breaks, we reach the road again.

There is a small square that seems to be used for rest, with the Black River flowing just below.

"We'll take a break here. Don't go near the river alone..."

After Guy finishes his instructions, Sharon spreads a two-meter square cloth.

"Mr. Zakk, please sit here. My mother made some herbal tea for us."

She pours tea into a wooden cup from a water bottle.

She's usually laid-back, but she's really considerate at times like this.

Mel and Dan also sit on the sheet, and lunch time begins.

Sharon's mother, Claire, seems to have put a lot of effort into it, as there are not only sandwiches but also pickled vegetables and boiled potatoes.

Mel looks a bit disappointed with just sandwiches, but Sharon offers her some of her lunch, and in the end, the four of us enjoy our meal together as usual.

Guy looks at me and Sharon with a somewhat awkward expression, but I avoid his gaze.

(Although he's the grandson of the respected former lord, he probably feels like his cute daughter is being taken away. Well, Sharon is quite adorable, so I can understand...)

Sharon has long, light golden hair in a braid, fair skin, and large blue eyes, making her a very beautiful girl. Her gentle demeanor would make her look like a noble lady if she wore a white dress.

The other girl, Mel, has bright reddish-brown hair in a ponytail, a slightly tanned face, and large brown eyes, making her a healthy and beautiful girl. She's always moving around except during practice, like a playful young filly, which is fun to watch.

Dan has short, wheat-colored hair like his father Guy, with freckles on his nose. He often looks uncertain but has good muscles from his hard work.

(To me, they're all like children, so I don't need to worry about taking them or anything...)

After finishing our meal, we head back into the forest.

We start heading back to the village around midday, having walked about 2.5 kilometers into the forest from the village to the Ars Road.

We take a slightly more northern route, deeper into the forest.

The three seem to be tired, and their steps are heavy.

Just as I was about to suggest a break to Guy,

"Enos, Will! Get Mr. Zakk and the others to a safe place! There are wild dogs!"

Guy shouts, and Enos and Will, holding short spears, position us behind them.

"Mr. Zakk, please step back. We'll use that oak tree as a backrest."

Enos points to a large oak tree about five meters away and guides us.

Dan tries to draw his bow, but I stop him.

"Wait. Acting rashly here will hinder Guy. It's better to wait until they get closer."

After confirming that Dan nods, I move Sharon and Mel behind me. Mel tries to step forward with her sword drawn, but I step in front of her, and she looks happy and steps back obediently.

Meanwhile, the wild dogs approach Guy.

There are about ten of them, with large mouths open and drooling, looking fierce like dogs but more like hyenas in their hungry state.

They seem to sense a threat from Guy but approach cautiously. Their target is us, the children, and they circle us, growling.

Guy plants his sword in the ground and draws his longbow, starting to shoot arrows.

A sharp whistling sound is heard, and an arrow pierces the mouth of the leading wild dog.

The wild dog lets out a sound like a mix of a yelp and a cough, jumps up, and falls motionless. This seems to be the signal, and the wild dogs charge, closing the distance quickly.

Guy shoots arrows to drive them back, but after hitting two, they get too close.

I see the drooling mouths and red, burning eyes of the wild dogs and think,

(Terrifying... They're trying to eat me... I have to do something...)

I panic in my first real combat.

The red, burning eyes of the wild dogs are terrifying, and I can't think. If I were alone, I would definitely be eaten.

I try to steady my trembling knees and start casting my most skilled spell, the Swallow's Wing. In my first combat, I'm so scared that I can't speak clearly, and the spell doesn't come out easily.

"O, god of the winds, ruler of countless breezes. G, grant me the blade of the swallow that dances in the sky. I offer my life's strength to you, dance, s, Swallow's Wing."

After many stumbles, I finally complete the spell, and a transparent swallow emerges from my right hand, passing by Enos and charging at the wild dog.

The wild dog, not understanding what the swallow is, growls and lunges to bite it. I manage to control the swallow and hit the wild dog's right eye, which is wide open.

The moment the magical swallow pierces the wild dog's face, blood splatters. The wild dog lets out a yelp and jumps up in pain but collapses, as if my magic reached its brain.

Meanwhile, the wild dogs continue to approach us. Five wild dogs surround us, and Sharon lets out a small scream.

I almost close my eyes, thinking it's over, but I keep them open with sheer willpower. The large mouths of the wild dogs look like the entrance to hell. My legs tremble, and I can't even prepare the next spell.

However, Enos and Will are completely calm, thrusting their spears with mechanical precision. Each time their spears pierce the wild dogs' vital points, the dogs fall. With Guy joining from behind with his sword, the wild dogs are quickly eliminated.

(They are really strong. Even young Enos and Will had no trouble with wild dogs. Still, it's my first combat... Even though I was just protected, it's terrifying to have an enemy target your life...)

Guy asks if we are hurt, but no one, including me, can speak.

I manage to recover first and say, "I'm fine. Enos and Will took them down before they got close."

I remember that I attacked without Guy's permission and apologize to him.

"I attacked with magic without permission... I'm sorry..."

I bow deeply, expressing my deepest apologies.

"You did nothing wrong, Mr. Zakk. In that situation, it was better to have fewer enemies approaching," he says with a smile, trying to reassure me.

However, my heart is not at ease.

(Although Guy didn't give a clear order, I might have caused confusion by attacking on my own. I told Dan not to act, but I lost control first. Can I really do this...)

While Guy checks our safety, Enos and Will are extracting magic crystals from the dead wild dogs.

Magic crystals are gem-like crystals held by beings with magic power, such as humans and monsters, and are used as materials for magic items. We watch as they extract the crystals from the dead wild dogs.

Enos offers, "Would you like to try?" and I cautiously approach the wild dog I killed. The right eye of the wild dog is completely gouged out, leaving a deep hole. It seems my swallow reached its brain.

As I stand next to the wild dog, Enos looks surprised.

"One hit with magic. And it hit the vital point accurately. Impressive."

I don't respond to his words and ask how to extract the crystal.

"Where is it? How do I get it out?"

Enos points to the area near the front legs.

"Depending on the monster, the location varies, but it's usually near the heart. Around here."

He adds a gesture, saying,

"Place your hand on the monster's body and focus. Magic crystal, come out."

I try to extract the crystal as he described, imagining it floating up from the wild dog.

Although I'm not using magic, I feel a flow of magic-like energy from the wild dog, and something slowly approaches. As I focus, the flow suddenly stops, and I feel something warm and hard touch my hand.

The hard object falls to the ground.

A small, black pearl-like gem, less than one centimeter in diameter, rolls on the ground.

"Mr. Zakk, impressive. To extract it perfectly on the first try!"

It seems there's a knack to it, and it takes about ten tries to get used to.

Enos places the gem in my hand.

"This is proof of your first kill. Keep it as a memento."

Thus, my first combat ends.

(I couldn't do anything. This is a life-or-death battle. Can I get used to this in the future...)

The dead wild dogs are gathered in one place.

The self-defense group will dispose of them in the morning. They might be eaten by other monsters before then, but they try to dispose of them quickly to avoid that.

We head back to the road. Considering our safety, they use the road.

Mel and the others seem quite shocked and are quiet. Sharon's face is pale, and her steps are unsteady.

I ask Guy for permission and hold Sharon's hand.

She is surprised but at least her steps become more steady.

As usual, Mel grabs my other hand. The path is narrow, but the three of us can walk side by side, so we proceed together.

(I feel bad for Guy, but if we don't do this, it might become a trauma. I don't think they can recover from this, but at least they won't break down before we get home...)