Chapter 14

――Cumberland Eastern Forest Area

Gauruga, the former S-class adventurer with a leopard head, was walking to the eastern forest area with Baltro, who claimed to be a gardener at the Joshua residence, a former guard of the principality, and a hunter.

"Huh, so you have such a good build, Gauruga."

"It's partly because I'm a leopard, you know."

Gauruga was trying to gauge this man who claimed to be a gardener, with an atmosphere completely opposite to that of a butler, but found it difficult and inwardly twisted his neck. He walked beside Gauruga with his hands clasped behind his head, whistling a tune. Behind them was the muscular former guard, and in front was the hunter, positioned there for his keen sense of smell.

"It's like a cloud."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, never mind."

Gauruga, who had inadvertently spoken his thoughts about Baltro, gave an ambiguous smile. As if to cover up his inner thoughts, a branch he stepped on snapped with a crack. Sound? Come to think of it...

Gauruga, startled, focused on the sounds around him. He was a former adventurer, and a top-notch one at that, belonging to the elite S-class. Adventurers, as their name suggests, venture into uncharted territories and face dangers. Whether it's deep forests, dungeons, or ruins, the most necessary and essential ability for an adventurer to survive is "danger detection." Even the strongest warrior can be killed with a single blow if caught off guard.

He had been careless, feeling as if he were still in the city. A large man with a leopard head and a scar over one eye is often treated as a troublemaker in the city. People either get scared and touch him, or openly avoid him. However, the people in this place did not give him a single unpleasant look; instead, they spoke to him kindly and even offered their help. It felt comfortable. Despite the lack of a roof and the continuous outdoor sleeping, he felt a sense of peace.

"Sorry."

"Huh? You haven't done anything to apologize for."

Gauruga showed his white fangs in response to Baltro's hearty laugh. While they conversed amicably, he remained focused on the "sounds" around him. It was then that he finally noticed the "abnormality." Not from outside, but from within. The former guard's footsteps were the loudest, followed by the hunter, who was accustomed to moving quietly in the forest, and his own, which were the quietest. However, Baltro made no sound at all. Such perfect stealth was difficult even for top-notch scouts or rangers.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

"Didn't you have something you wanted to ask? Our master would surely say to ask anything without hesitation."

"Our master?"

"Sure. We're all comrades who have gathered under Master Joshua, right?"

"Is that so? I am... also a servant of that person?"

Just one word from the charming and revered Joshua made Gauruga feel elated.

"Gauruga, don't use words like 'servant' or 'subordinate' in front of Master Joshua. He dislikes words that belittle people."

"How merciful... he is..."

"If you ever have the chance to speak directly with Master Joshua, call yourself a 'citizen' or 'subject.' That's the right way to go."

"Understood."

"Oops. I almost forgot. What did you want to ask?"

"...Footsteps. I thought you must have trained quite a bit."

"Sure. It was tough for me. Stealth is my weakest point. Alru, on the other hand, can do it effortlessly due to her race, which is frustrating."

Gauruga guessed that Alru must be a cat or forest elf.

"Can I do it too?"

"Hmm. With your build, it might be better to focus on other areas. Once you learn how to use your strength, you'll be more powerful than me."

"That's true. Haha."

Gauruga, who was an S-class adventurer, did not seem offended by Baltro's advice. Rather, he found Baltro's nonchalant attitude, which did not care about anyone's past, appealing.

Rustle—

At that moment, a slight sound of grass and leaves brushing against each other reached Gauruga's ears. This was not the sound of the wind.

Gauruga placed his hand on the great axe, which was as tall as he was, on his back. The hunter in front seemed unaware of the sound, but Baltro, as expected, had already noticed and raised the corner of his mouth in a smirk. He raised his index finger, signaling to wait.

"That area is where the 'Pineapple' grows. According to Master Joshua, the 'Killer Plant' is attracted to it."

"Killer Plant... that's a colloquial name. It refers to a 'moving plant.'"

"Wow. As expected of a current adventurer. You know a lot."

"Former."

Gauruga signaled to the former guard behind him, and Baltro instructed the hunter in front to stop. It became clear that the unnatural sound was made by the plant-type monster moving slightly. The location was in the depths of the thicket to the right front. It seemed to be an ambush type, camouflaged like a regular plant. It had red fruits and sprawling vines, and at first glance—

"It looks like a strawberry."

"Strawberry...? The red fruit?"

"Yep. Master Joshua mentioned it. Anyway, let's wait. Something interesting is about to happen."

"Understood."

They crouched down and observed the Killer Plant. After about two minutes, Gauruga's skin prickled with a sudden chill. This presence... it's bad. His fluffy fur, marked with black and white spots, stood on end.

"It's coming. Don't worry, we're not the target."

Gauruga's heart calmed down at Baltro's unperturbed demeanor. Then, it appeared. A wolf-like beast with black and white stripes, about five meters in length, not particularly large. However, its lithe form, characteristic of felines, possessed a certain beauty. The aura of a king. Such words came to Gauruga's mind.

It did not run but walked slowly and confidently, approaching the Killer Plant. The Killer Plant, attracted to the fruit, lashed out with numerous vines at the pitiful victim that had come close. At that moment, Gauruga's vision turned white.

"Flash?"

"No, that's lightning. Shall we go back?"

"Leave it?"

"Creatures like that might interest Master Joshua. We should check with him before killing it."

"Kill... that?"

"Well, we could leave it, but the hunter might be attacked. We should check with Master Joshua about that too."

Gauruga, hearing Baltro's calm words, realized that the true strong one was not the beast devouring the Killer Plant, but the nonchalant man in front of him.

◇◇◇

Bonus.

Meanwhile, at the Rubicon River—

"I, I also wanted to do a pillow talk. Why was it me yesterday!"

Eri, a maid at the Joshua residence, was complaining and slashing the river with her hand. Next to her was Rumburg, who was crossing his arms and smiling wryly.

"Eri, I do not concern myself with your daydreams. However—"

"I understand. I was just a little envious of Alru."

Eri slashed the river with her hand. Fish flew from the river to the shore, flopping around.

"Your skills are impressive."

"I thought I'd get lunch for the people planting cassava."

"Master Joshua would be pleased to hear that you caught fish for the subjects."

"Really? That's right!"

Eri's cheeks flushed, and she slashed the river again. However, in her excitement, she used too much force, and a large amount of water splashed onto the shore.

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