Chapter 95

I overslept. After handing over the shift to Kokushin, I dozed off, and even when Rada and the others started preparing breakfast, I was still asleep. Thanks to their kind consideration in letting me sleep, I woke up just before noon.

"Are you okay?"

Because I had slept for so long, they thought I might be sick. I was fine, just a bit groggy from oversleeping.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Sorry, you went to the trouble of making breakfast."

I finished my late breakfast with the cold leftover meat from yesterday, the soup Rada had made, and some bread. The salt was a bit strong, but since I was about to move, it wasn't a problem.

"That's fine, but you can stay here for the day if you want?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Let's go."

I wonder why. Maybe I was more tired than I realized. Maybe it was because I had a wild night yesterday. Oh, or maybe it was because of Prunco. Was I drunk, I wonder?

Anyway, the ability to use our time freely is our strength. We can set off even if it's just before noon. We'll be camping out anyway, and we still have a long way to go to reach the city.

Just as we were about to mount, I noticed several carriages and horses approaching from the direction we were heading. One of the horses at the front broke away and came running over.

"Hey, hello. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

The person who called out from the horse wasn't a handsome man with silver hair, but a beautiful woman. She was a woman dressed as a man, wearing a uniform-like, neat outfit that suited her well.

"I'm the leader of the party guarding that caravan, my name is Laurei. Which way are you heading?"

Kokushin and Rada looked at me.

"From Vars, we're heading to the city to the north."

When I answered, she gave me a cool look.

"I see. Have you encountered any monsters on your way here?"

"No, not on the road. We did run into a group of kobolds off the beaten path."

Laurei thought for a moment and smiled.

"Was that near the Prunco?"

"Yes."

"I see. That area always has some kind of monsters gathering. Apparently, the fruit is delicious to them too."

She laughed lightly. Seriously? The merchants never mentioned that. Maybe it was so obvious they didn't think to mention it.

While we were talking, the caravan passed by us. Laurei had only raised a hand to one of her party members, who was still waiting.

"Anyway, here's some information for you. There's a Gandora at the border of the Demon Forest ahead. It's a large, harmless monster as long as you don't get too close. Be careful."

Ah, did she come all this way just to tell us this? Well, monster information is important.

"Thank you. ...Hmm? I think there was a bounty on the Gandora at the guild in Vars."

Gandora is a giant porcupine-like monster with magical iron quills on its back. If you're not careful, you can get skewered. However, it's usually docile and eats soil, excreting special minerals, so it's considered a beneficial monster. Normally, they're left alone until they return to the forest, even if they come near human settlements. I remember reading that in the monster encyclopedia and wondering why they would put out a bounty on it.

"A bounty on the Gandora?"

Laurei frowned thoughtfully. This woman can pull off any expression.

"That's strange. I'll check when I get to the city."

Her gaze was directed at the caravan that had already passed.

"I should catch up with them soon. See you."

"Ah, yes. Thank you!"

She spurred her horse and turned away. She seemed like a noblewoman, like Kokushin.

"She was beautiful, wasn't she?"

Oh, does Rada like that type? Just looking is enough because it makes you nervous? Yeah, I get that. It feels like we can't just hang around.

"Shall we go? We'll definitely avoid the Gandora."

"Roger that."

We mounted Blanca and started moving. We need to hunt some meat along the way. But, the Demon Forest, huh? The danger level will skyrocket, but there are good herbs and such. No, no, of course we won't go there. But I'm curious about the Gandora's droppings. I wonder if they're around.

On the way, three Forest Wolves and five Goblins appeared, but we defeated them easily. By the way, there doesn't seem to be a specific unit for monsters, so we always use arbitrary terms.

We entered the forest to hunt before it got dark. A boar would be nice today. But what appeared was a rabbit with horns. Well, rabbits are delicious too.

Clang!!

A sudden metallic sound rang out. Kokushin, startled, reached for his sword, and Rada moved closer to me. The horses were all facing the same direction.

Faint sounds of sword clashes and human voices could be heard. What should we do? Kokushin glanced at me sideways. Generally, we don't interfere in battles with monsters. We don't want to get involved in trouble, so it's best to move away from the sound.

"There! The big one moved."

Rada pointed between the trees in a whisper. I could see a brown giant moving. Stripes... no, those are quills? So it's the Gandora. But wasn't the Demon Forest still a ways off? Did we accidentally enter it?

It seems the place where the Gandora is located is one slope below us. From our vantage point, we could see its entire form.

The Gandora, rattling its quills, had a familiar figure in front of it. A beastman with a shield like a shell, the one who had been eating a mountain of meat. Behind him were three others, all mounted for some reason.

"Feney!"

The beastman shouted. The Gandora took a step forward.

"Feney, hurry!"

"Hold it back!"

A man in flashy armor on horseback shouted back. He was holding a red-black lump in his hand. Then, all three of them turned and spurred their horses, fleeing like hares. One of the women was leading a horse, probably the beastman's.

"Feney!?"

A pained cry. Immediately after, a dull thud echoed. Through the dust, the Gandora's charge could be faintly seen.

"Are you serious?!"

I spurred Blanca. Kokushin and Rada hurried to follow.

"What are you planning to do?!"

Kokushin rode up beside me.

The Gandora is far beyond our ability to defeat. It would be impossible to rescue the beastman and escape. He seems slow, but so does the Gandora. Carrying him would also be difficult. What should we do?

"Rada! Sleeping powder! Use as much as you can!"

"Got it!"

I also grabbed a few from my magic bag.

"What about me?!"

"Pull the beastman out and retreat!"

"But—"

"We'll retreat too!"

"...Got it!"

Kokushin is the strongest, so don't tense up.

We galloped down the slope. The Gandora didn't seem to notice us.

It's bigger than I thought. I can't even reach its face by throwing by hand. Getting close to its feet would be too dangerous.

"Sorry! Changing the plan!"

I pulled the reins to stop Blanca. She stopped properly even with the sudden stop. Kokushin and Rada stopped hurriedly a beat later.

"Aim with arrows!"

I handed the cloth I had taken from the bag to the two of them. They followed my example of covering their nose and mouth. If we spread too much, we'll fall asleep too. When you're in a hurry, you forget things. Don't panic, think.

The dust was clearing. The beastman... was holding on! His feet seemed to be sinking into the ground, but he was withstanding the charge with that shield. But that's all. He didn't seem to have any weapons. It's uncertain if he can withstand it twice or three times, and if the quills come out, he won't stand a chance.

"Hit it!!"

The arrow had a bag of powdered sleeping powder tied to its end. The balance was off, but I relied on the bow's performance. If it reaches the Gandora, that's all I need. The moment I released the arrow, Kokushin and Rada started their horses. If this doesn't work, it's not a joke. It should work. The Gandora is strong against physical and magical attacks, but it's apparently vulnerable to status effects. That's what I read. It has to be!

"One more!"

Green powder danced around the Gandora's face. The arrow was deflected. I fired the second arrow I had prepared. Without waiting to see if it hit, I pressed Blanca's side to signal her. Make it in time!