Chapter 72

Some people walked deeper into the forest with practiced steps, while others wandered lazily. Furthermore, there were a few who, like me and Iris, seemed to be first-timers, though they were fewer in number.

"Should we hunt in the shallower parts of the forest?"

"Yeah, that's the plan. There are tougher monsters deeper in, and if we end up fighting a monster that's being hunted, we might not come out unscathed. In the shallower areas, it's easier to run back to the other side of the wall if needed."

"Are the ones who rushed into the depths first aiming for the hunted monsters?"

"They were pretty well-equipped, so I think that's probably the case. Or they might know the good spots for earning in this forest. It seems that the appearance of monsters follows certain patterns."

"Wow, I didn't know that."

"I'm not an expert either. The books at the academy didn't have that level of detail. I think they're relying on their experience, so it's not common knowledge."

Just knowing that much is valuable knowledge. Honestly, as a complete novice in this field, it's incredibly reassuring.

"By the way, how are the prices for the common monsters?"

"Hmm, to be honest, this is a bad time. In spring, goblins increase in number, making them a good target for earning, but there are no particularly valuable monsters this season."

"Monsters apparently like to rest in winter too."

"Right. So, I've planned for moderate risk and moderate earnings. Our target this time is kobolds."

This time!? Are there more to come!?

"Kobolds... I don't know much, but they're bipedal monsters, right? And they carry weapons."

"Pretty much. They have dog-like faces, are about two meters tall, and usually don't form large groups, so they're not that dangerous."

"Sounds good to me."

I'd rather respect Iris's judgment than offer my own opinion. She's naturally intelligent and good at crisis management. Even when I have more knowledge, it's often better to rely on her.

"Kobolds are more common in the southern part of the forest. But our target is in the southeastern area, where the kobolds are outcasts from their groups and are generally weaker. The downside is that their magic stones sell for less, but it seems reasonable for a first-timer."

I might be imagining things, but it seemed like Iris emphasized the "first-timer" part.

Hmm? She's planning to do this again, isn't she? She definitely intends to come back.

"I think we can handle it with Iris and me. Besides, I don't have any other plans, so I'll follow yours."

"Okay, I'm counting on you."

The eastern side of the forest is close to the wall, and everyone enters from there. The southeastern area means we'll go a bit deeper, but the risk isn't too high. Apparently, deeper in, there are areas where sunlight doesn't reach, but the area we arrived at had several thin beams of light.

"The visibility seems fine."

"Right. Kobolds have a good sense of smell, so it's hard to ambush them. We'll have to fight them head-on. But, the kobolds in this area often run away, so be careful not to let them escape."

"Got it. If they run, we'll stop chasing them. We don't want to get into a mess if reinforcements show up. Oh..."

Walking alongside Iris, I spotted what looked like our target, a kobold, in the distance. It was probably about 100 meters away, barely visible through the gaps in the trees. However, it seemed to have already noticed us and was in a combat stance. It held what looked like a sword in one hand and was walking towards us, apparently ready to fight.

"They noticed us quickly. It seems to be alone, so of course we'll fight."

"Right. It's about 180 cm tall, which is smaller than the ones in the south, as expected."

Iris and I drew our swords. As I did, I noticed Iris was extremely grateful for her sword. I hope she uses it without hesitation, but watching her, I felt a bit uneasy. In the worst case, I'm worried she might risk her life to protect the sword.

"Iris, I'll take the front. Please support me with magic."

"But Kururi's sword is short, right? I should take the front."

"We can switch once you get used to it, but for now, I'll do it."

I stood in front, and Iris, in the back, watched the kobold from behind, trying to stay hidden.

The kobold was now about 10 meters away, ready to strike. Its face was like a dog's, or rather, a fierce wolf's. It was drooling, indicating it was hungry. It held a thick-bladed saber in one hand and was covered in coarse fur, with a bluish tint. It didn't seem afraid, just aggressive.

The kobold charged at me, raising its saber. I could see its movements clearly. I could have countered, but I decided to block the saber firmly.

The impact traveled up my arm, but it was manageable.

I didn't try to knock the sword away. I could have won a strength contest, but considering the long day ahead, I didn't want to overexert myself. Besides, I now had a partner.

Iris had somehow moved behind the kobold without me noticing. She met my gaze for a moment, and that was the signal. She immediately cast a fire spell from both hands.

Sharp, spear-like flames shot towards the kobold. It didn't notice, and the flames pierced its back, passing through to its stomach. The flames almost reached me but disappeared just before they did. The kobold fell, its body dissipating into mist, leaving behind a bluish, rough magic stone.

Phew, it's over.

I almost got pierced too...

While picking up the magic stone, Iris ran over to me.

"Did I do well?"

"Excellent. I didn't even notice when you moved behind it. And your magic was amazing."

It was so powerful it almost burned me too.

"Really? I'm glad I could help."

"Iris, how about this magic stone? Is it worth anything?"

I handed the magic stone to Iris, who carefully examined it.

Her movements didn't look like those of a novice... Her focused gaze, even with one eye closed, made her look like a seasoned professional.

"Yeah, it's a good one."

"Great start, huh!"

With the evaluation from the professional magic stone appraiser, Iris, we had a good start. We were unharmed and only minimally fatigued.

"Let's go, next one."

We walked for just a few minutes and encountered another kobold. This time, there were two, and they had already noticed us, ready for combat. Their keen sense of smell made it impossible to ambush them, but for some reason, they seemed very aggressive. According to the information, they sometimes run away.

Do we look weak to them?

We are thinner compared to other hunters, but judging by appearance is foolish. We'll show them.

"We'll do the same as before. I'll draw their attention, and you finish them from behind. If I can, I'll use my sword to finish them off."

"Got it."

Iris, as before, was incredible when focused. She moved behind the kobolds without them noticing, despite their exceptional sense of smell. I was confident she would do well again.

The two kobolds sped towards me. Iris had already hidden herself, and I couldn't tell where she was.

The two kobolds attacked simultaneously, but one hesitated, creating a slight gap in their attack. This small difference allowed me to handle them one at a time.

I was cut slightly, but I managed to evade them well enough to praise myself.

The kobolds continued their attacks.

Their coordination was poor, but they were stronger than the previous one. They were also slightly larger.

Trying a risky counterattack would likely result in injury, so I focused on maintaining the status quo.

I deflected their swords but didn't counterattack.

I just had to wait for Iris.

As expected, a spear of fire soon flew towards the kobold that had hesitated. It was burned to the bone and fell, leaving behind a magic stone.

Now it was one-on-one.

Much easier.

Iris was about to cast another spell, but the kobold had noticed her.

There was a high chance it would dodge.

I could finish it off myself, but Iris was about to cast another spear, so I waited.

The spear flew.

The kobold, apparently aware, jumped and dodged gracefully.

However, it was vulnerable in mid-air, and I immediately attacked.

I closed the distance to a point where I could thrust my sword, but then I noticed another spear of fire coming.

Iris seemed to have cast the first spear almost as a feint, with the second one being the main attack.

This unexpected coordination mistake!

Moreover, the consecutive spells slightly reduced the accuracy, and the spear flew parallel to my line of sight.

I quickly used my sword as a shield to block the spear. My sword held, and the spear didn't pierce through.

However, the magic power exploded, and the flames spread over my body.

The kobold, seeing me on fire, took the opportunity to escape. It must have realized it had lost its advantage as a single opponent.

That's fine. First, I need to put out the fire.

The flames didn't hurt much, which was scary in itself.

I rolled on the ground, but the fire wouldn't go out.

Iris's magic was too powerful!!

Iris ran over and cast a water spell.

The water hit me with a strong impact.

It was cold! My body chilled... Wait, something's wrong.

The fire didn't go out.

Moreover, my body, which had been chilled by the water, quickly warmed up.

What's happening? Since a while ago, I've felt a surge of energy.

"A, Iris! Stop the magic! Something's wrong."

Iris stopped the water spell upon hearing my voice.

The water on my body sizzled and evaporated.

The area was enveloped in a light mist as the water rapidly turned to steam.

"Is this...!?"

Iris was shocked, unable to continue.

I was also shocked. My body had been on fire the whole time.

The flames, which had spread from the spear, now felt like a part of me. It was a strange sensation, almost as if they were a part of my body.

There was no pain. Upon closer inspection, I had no injuries, so it made sense.

"I feel really good. It's a strange feeling. I'm usually optimistic, but now I feel like I can achieve anything, as if I can see the whole world. It's a weird feeling."

"I recently learned healing magic. Do you need it?"

"I don't think so. What is this... really... and when will it go away?"

"I'm sorry. I must have hit a weird spot with the magic."

"No, it's fine. We both made a mistake. It's not anyone's fault."

Indeed.

It was our first hunt, and it's rare to find a pair who can use magic so well. It's a natural mistake.

Usually, coordination improves with skill, but with Iris's high specs and my body, this bug-like situation was inevitable.

The flames covering my body wouldn't go out.

I have red hair, so I couldn't tell if my head was burning.

"Maybe it's because I use fire magic every day in the forge."

"It's definitely not the forge! If that were the case, everyone would be strange!"

"Maybe it's because of my red hair."

"It's definitely not! If that were the case, everyone would be strange!"

Iris seemed to be getting more and more anxious.

I had gotten used to it, but it must have been a disturbing sight. Better to act than to worry.

It's understandable that Iris was anxious, seeing someone on fire.

The flames were crackling. Did they spread to the trees?

"We could roast some potatoes."

"Relaxed!? But if Kururi is okay, that's good. What should we do? Should we go back? Can we go back?"

Indeed, from a common sense perspective, it's not good.

"No, but we haven't earned enough for the inn yet."

"It's not that kind of situation anymore!"

"I will definitely earn enough for the inn! No matter what!"

"I appreciate it, but you're on fire! I've been surprised by Kururi many times, but this is too much!"

Iris, slightly dizzy, sat down.

What should we do? This is bad.

The flames will go out, and she'll calm down, I hope.

"Maybe if you stab me with another spear, it will go out."

"More fire while you're already burning!?"

No, I can't burden Iris any further.

Imagination is important in magic, so maybe I can use it to solve this.

I feel a surge of energy. It seems the flames are getting stronger.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

The flames subsided slightly. That seemed to be the right approach.

I sat down and calmed my mind.

I focused on not paying attention to my thoughts and emotions, and eventually, my mind became calm.

The flames covering my body had also disappeared.

"Phew, it's gone!"

"Optimistic! Kururi, you're too optimistic! You were on fire just now!?"

"Calm down, Iris. It doesn't seem harmful. See, I'm fine, and my skin feels smoother."

"Does it have a beautifying effect!?"

"Ah, I'm sweating a lot. It feels like all the bad stuff in my body is being flushed out."

"Detox effect!?"

The effects seemed enviable to Iris, and her anxiety turned to interest.

"Kururi, why can you do that? I don't think it's related to the forge or your hair color."

"Maybe it's a strange effect from Iris's magic."

"If that were the case, it would happen to monsters too. I once hit the cat teacher with a lighter version, but it just burned his fur."

She had hit the cat teacher before.

One day, the cat teacher's whiskers were curled. That must have been why.

"Then it's on my side."

"Is there anything you can think of?"

"..."

There is something.

To be honest, there is.

A strange magic book from my home.

Thanks to that book, I learned magic in a different way from regular mages.

It was a suspicious book, but the content was amazing.

It was clear and covered all the essentials.

It must be that book. The only one that comes to mind is the one I got from Grandpa Moran.

"..."

"There is!"

"There is!?"

"There is, but it's not certain. It's not written in there."

"A book? Wow, there are mysterious things in the world."

"I've been reading it since I was a child. There's more to it, but it's gotten harder recently, so I haven't made much progress."

"Since childhood. That's why Kururi is different."

Hey, you're speaking your mind.

"Different," you're saying it outright.

"Ah, no! That's not it! Now I understand why Kururi is so great."

I already heard it!

"Different," I heard it!

"Hmm?"

After pushing the flames into my body, I felt my senses were unusually sharp, and it wasn't a mistake.

"Five kobolds are coming from 300 meters to the south. They're about two meters tall and definitely tougher than the previous ones."

"Wow, Kururi, are you from a different world!? No, you were always different!?"

Always different, what!?

Ah, maybe it's about nobles and commoners. If so, that's fine.

"My senses are incredibly sharp. I can even hear Iris's heartbeat."

"Eh?"

Iris blushed and held her chest.

No, it feels a bit inappropriate.

"No, it's different. Sorry, I can't really hear it."

"It's okay. I was being silly. It's the first time anyone has heard my heartbeat."

I took her first heartbeat. What's a first heartbeat!?

"Iris, they seem to have noticed us. They'll notice us when we're about 200 meters away."

"U, um..."

Iris still seemed to find it hard to believe.

It's understandable. It's disconcerting to suddenly become sage-like.

If a prince were in this state in front of me, I'd leave and go home. Yes, I definitely would.

"Can I do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"The flames have subsided, but I still feel a surge of energy. I want to cast a spell to release it."

"Okay, but..."

Iris looked at me with concern.

However, when the kobolds really appeared from the south, her emotions shifted from worry to surprise.

I focused my mind on my hand and gathered magic.

The same fire spell as Iris.

Since there