Chapter 25

Although it's a bit late, here is the second part for today.

I had to rewrite it because I lost the content I had finished writing.

The carriage carrying Ein and the others arrived at the forest near the capital after a few dozen minutes.

The weather was good and the sky was clear, making the air in the forest pleasant.

"Lord Ein, we have arrived."

"Please be careful. This way, please."

Ein was helped down from the carriage by Chris.

What Ein saw was a beautiful forest with lush greenery and the sound of birds.

"What a beautiful place. It doesn't seem like there are any monsters here."

"It is a beautiful place, but there are still monsters. There are no dangerous monsters, but please don't forget to be on guard."

Taking Chris's advice, Ein became more cautious.

Since this was a place where monsters appeared, anything could happen.

"Then I will lead the way, Lord Ein, please follow me. Chris, I'll leave the rear to you."

"Understood."

Since Lloyd would be leading the way, Ein would follow behind him. For the people of Ishtarika who knew Lloyd and Chris, there was no one more reliable.

"By the way, Mr. Lloyd, what kind of monsters appear in this forest?"

"Well, the ones that often appear are Forest Rats, Giant Caterpillars, and Green Slimes."

Although Ein didn't know what kind of monsters they were just by hearing their names, Chris provided additional information to Ein.

It seems that Forest Rats are about 80 cm long and prefer to act alone rather than in groups.

Giant Caterpillars can grow to over 1 meter in size, but they move slowly and are not very aggressive. However, when they feel threatened, they release a poison that makes your eyes water like when you're chopping onions.

Green Slimes are, as the name suggests, green slimes. They smother their targets and suffocate them. However, since they are not very large, you can still escape by scratching them off with your hands. The position of their magic stone and core is also visible, so you can easily defeat them by attacking those spots.

"Seems like a safe and good first battle."

Ein is generally not one to push himself. Therefore, this kind of opportunity felt just right for him.

"Lord Ein, you have already grown to the point where you can fight with the castle's knights. So, we won't interfere. Of course, if the situation becomes dangerous, we will protect you."

"Thank you. I can fight with peace of mind."

*

"Umm... Lord Lloyd, it seems Lord Ein is not satisfied."

"To be honest, I expected this to some extent. After all, he can already fight with the knights..."

The two of them were watching Ein, who was fighting a bit behind them. What they saw was Ein effortlessly dealing with Giant Caterpillars and Forest Rats.

When Ein first faced a Forest Rat, he seemed to be thinking about how to attack it.

Similarly, when he faced a Giant Caterpillar, he seemed to be considering his first move.

It already seemed that Ein had a patterned way of attacking these monsters, making them no match for him.

"Alright, that's it. Yeah, rats and caterpillars are just not it. This is a miss."

What Ein was saying was his opinion on the magic stones of the monsters, one of his pleasures.

Both the rats and caterpillars were honestly not very tasty. However, the Green Slime seemed to suit Ein's taste.

"Melon soda? I wonder why it's melon from a slime, and why it's soda, but the taste isn't bad."

Ein was happy to taste something he hadn't in a while. Although he thought it was a bit too perfect to get melon soda from a green slime, he wanted to enjoy the taste first.

"Most of the flavors from magic stones were more on the luxurious side, but the Green Slime is different. Maybe it's not luxurious because it's a slime?"

To put it in perspective, it was like drinking a melon soda with food coloring from a family restaurant. It had a sweet, syrupy taste, and the junk food-like quality was comforting to Ein.

"Ha ha ha! Lord Ein! It seems you're not satisfied."

"Hmm. It's different from fighting humans. The weaknesses and actions are different."

"Of course. They are trying to either defeat or escape from Lord Ein, feeling their lives are in danger."

"Yes. So it's quite educational. Unlike training at the castle, the opponents are fighting for their lives, so my responses are different."

Because the monsters were weak, Ein could easily understand their intentions today.

The rats always aimed for Ein's neck and leaped at him, while the Giant Caterpillars only tried to spread a mild poison and escape to the trees.

The Green Slime, the most dangerous of the three, had the highest speed but only used a smothering attack. Ein could attack the magic stone or core when it tried to smother him.

"It seems you already have a strategy."

As Chris said, Ein had already developed his own way of dealing with the monsters.

Because their movements were simple, it wasn't difficult.

"But it was good to have this level of strength today. It's a good experience without getting hurt."

"That's the best. Next time, let's go to a place with stronger monsters."

"Please do. Thanks to both of you, I can face this with peace of mind."

While saying this, Ein looked at a nearby Green Slime.

He was about to head back but decided to try out a technique one last time.

So, Ein took out a special claw made by Katima.

"Ah, Lord Ein, is that—"

"I thought I'd try it out in practice since it's a good opportunity. Should I not?"

"No, there's no problem. I also want to see it in action."

Relieved, Ein made a black, tentacle-like arm appear from the base of the claw he held.

"Ah, so this is the Dark Straw."

"Despite its appearance, it's a straw, Lord Ein..."

Chris seemed to have some complaints about the naming, but Ein actually found it cool.

What's wrong with having a straw that looks so powerful?

Currently, version 2 is under development, and discussions about its direction are ongoing between Katima and Ein.

"Alright, here I go!"

With a battle cry, the "Dark Straw" pierced the body of the Green Slime, right next to its magic stone.

It then began to absorb the contents of the magic stone, breaking down toxins in the process.

"I've never seen a skill like this... I see, the glowing bubbles are the life force and magic power of the magic stone."

The Green Slime, which had tried to escape after being pierced by the Dark Straw, soon stopped moving and was only being absorbed.

"Lord Ein, this technique is a bit scary..."

"Is it? It does look dark and intimidating."

"No, it's more the way it absorbs the magic stone."

The sight of a black tentacle emerging from a boy's hand and extracting the contents from a fallen monster was quite unsettling.

"Well, it can't be denied that it's intimidating. But having a powerful technique is a good thing, isn't it, Chris?"

"Yes, I suppose so. After all, it's best for Lord Ein to become stronger."

Using the Dark Straw, the magic stone seemed to have a higher quality of taste compared to when it was extracted and absorbed separately.

*

After spending some time in the forest, Ein's hunting went smoothly. With the sun starting to set, they decided to head back to the castle.

"By the way, Lord Ein, did your status change at all?"

"It seems to have changed after absorbing a few Green Slimes. My magic power seems to have increased slightly."

Ein hadn't expected any changes in his status before the hunt began. However, he noticed a slight increase in his magic power after absorbing several Green Slimes.

"It's difficult, but it seems best to absorb the magic stones of weaker monsters before the Dullahan's."

"Although you're right, there's nothing we can do about it now. If you really want a certain skill, you'll have to prepare a lot of that monster's magic stones."

"There doesn't seem to be any other way."

As Chris said, if Ein had absorbed the magic stones of weaker monsters, like Green Slimes, before the Dullahan's, he might have gained many more skills. However, it was too late to think about that now.

"Let's head back to the carriage, Lord Ein."

"Understood. Thanks to both of you, I had a good hunt. Thank you."

Ein thanked them, and Lloyd and Chris smiled and replied that it was their pleasure.

"By the way, Lord Ein, the claw used for the Dark Straw was quite good, wasn't it?"

Lloyd remembered the Dark Straw. The special claw made by Katima for the Dark Straw was strong even from Lloyd's perspective.

"Yes, that's true. I wonder what materials were used."

"Are you curious?"

Ein smiled slightly and asked if he was interested.

Lloyd, who was interested, replied, "Of course."

"The claw is made from a dragon's claw, with a mithril coating. Katima forgot what kind of dragon it was."

"Really? Such expensive materials were used..."

Chris was genuinely surprised.

A dragon's claw alone could vary in value, but it was still quite expensive. The use of mithril as a coating was even more surprising.

"Mithril is perfect for skills that require high conductivity, like absorption. A dragon's claw is impressive enough, but to use mithril as well..."

Mithril was a valuable material in Ishtarika.

Equipment made from it was said to last a lifetime and was extremely strong, but it was also very expensive. A rapier made entirely of mithril could cost up to 10 million G just for the material.

In Ein's case, the mithril was used as a coating, so the cost was not as high. However, the combination of a dragon's claw and mithril was still shocking to both Lloyd and Chris.

"Katima said, 'I'm chasing my dreams, nya!' and made it for me. Honestly, it's quite expensive, including the magic stones, so I feel bad..."

"Well, for Katima, it's a hobby and a source of joy, isn't it, Lord Lloyd?"

"Yes, Lord Ein. Since you came, Katima has been very happy, which is a joy for us as well."

"I'm glad to hear that. We're here."

While explaining the claw, they reached the carriage where the knights were waiting.

Ein thanked them again, and the day's hunt concluded. Considering the results, it was a successful day for Ein, as he gained valuable experience without getting hurt.

*

"Lord Amour, the ships from Ishtarika have arrived."

In the Duchy of Eulor, the large ships from Ishtarika finally arrived. There were two of them.

Although they were smaller than the Princess Olivia, they were still larger than any ship Eulor owned and exuded a sense of power.

"I understand. I will go to greet them."

To welcome the guests from Ishtarika, it was important not to be rude.

Therefore, Lord Amour decided to personally greet the people from Ishtarika.

The people coming from Ishtarika included civil servants for finalizing the trade agreement, knights for protection, and a research team to investigate the sea crystals. Many people were involved.

The civil servants were among the highest-ranking officials in Ishtarika.

"However, it really feels real now. I never thought we would be able to trade officially with Ishtarika."

"Yes, I also feel the reality of it, though I can't say it out loud."

The two ships docked near Lord Amour's castle.

Seeing their imposing presence and construction, the strength of Ishtarika became clear.

"What about the Grand Duke August?"

"Yes, he will arrive in a few days. When he arrives, we will arrange a meeting with the people from Ishtarika and have him board the ship."

"Alright, then there doesn't seem to be any special issues."

The Grand Duke August was slowly making his way to Ishtarika.

"Lord Amour! The people from Ishtarika are disembarking, please hurry!"

"Ah, I understand!"

First, Lord Amour decided to welcome the guests from Ishtarika properly.

He needed to ensure that the trade went smoothly, so he hurried to greet the Ishtarika delegation.