Chapter 18

The next day, before the sun had even fully risen, Maxim headed towards the mountain with the pretext of searching for Akari.

Of course, there were surveillance hunters, but none could keep up with the giant who had started running in earnest. The only information they had was the location data from the reports of the personnel scattered around, thanks to the cooperation of the Hunter's Association.

Still, there were hunters lying in wait at the campsite.

Maxim, who had been stopped by Zang before he reached the campsite, did not show up, and instead, he was chased by a hungry Great Thornland Spider.

It was a simple trick; the night before, he had called Snow White with a whistle and had her carry the thread of the Great Thornland Spider, pulling it to near the campsite.

After that, the Great Thornland Spider would find its prey on its own.

In terms of speed alone, Snow White would never be caught by the Great Thornland Spider, so that was not a problem at all.

"You should have just 'run' to search from the beginning..."

"What are you going to do after you find Akari? Even I can't keep up with constant enhancement."

Maxim, who had covered a distance that would take a normal person half a day in about half that time.

Zang looked at Maxim with a slight frown and a "Hmm."

"Enhancement... is it that annoying?"

Maxim was bare-chested, with a backpack and an axe slung over his shoulder, and steam rising from all over his body.

"Do you find it annoying too? It's only the enhancement of a giant. It's like this because of that."

He must have been told this by others before, as Maxim looked shocked.

Enhancement is a type of Life Essence magic, which includes healing magic.

Life Essence, while nominally belonging to the spirits, is the only one not classified as spirit magic.

Life Essence, which resides in all life in this world, prioritizes protecting its own life, repels external interference, and only listens to its own commands. Even healing magic is repelled if the target does not give permission.

In other words, all magic related to one's own body is Life Essence magic.

Giants, who possess a physical body incomparable to humans, have an enhancement effect that is far from ordinary. However, because it is so powerful, the more they use it, the more heat is produced in their bodies, and they need to strip down to release the heat, as Maxim is now.

For Zang to find this annoying is rather harsh, even if he is ignorant.

The two did not speak further and climbed the mountain in silence.

Zang and Maxim crossed the territory of the Great Thornland Spider while the Association's hunters were being chased by it.

Akari and Maxim met again easily.

Akari emerged from a cave, and Maxim, stained by the sunset, climbed up the rugged slope.

However, their reunion was not without incident. Snow White, who had caught up and jumped down in front of the cave, started to threaten Maxim.

With her black and white striped tail bristling, she crouched low and bared her fangs.

Maxim, restraining the flustered Akari with a hand, roughly threw his backpack and reached for the hand axe on his waist, still bare-chested.

—Grrr

Maxim's face twisted into a fierce grin at Snow White's growl, looking like a beast.

In such a tense situation, Zang merely watched.

Hostile actions are a matter of life and death. If you can't kill, don't attack. If you attack, it's a matter of life and death. That's the wild.

Moreover, Maxim is an enemy to Snow White. Zang could not stop it.

It was a bit pitiful for Maxim, but he seemed to be enjoying it, so there was no problem, and Zang decided to be a spectator.

He wondered why Snow White did not react to Akari, thinking it was probably because she was so small. When he looked at Akari, she seemed to be glaring at Zang, who was watching from the sidelines.

She was probably blaming Zang for not stopping the confrontation.

He certainly did not think she was small.

"Wouldn't it be nice to have a fight here, but I'm a bit busy. How about later?"

Maxim backed down.

—Grrr

A short roar that shook the air.

Snow White, bending her hind legs, leaped.

"Is it true... how about a collar?"

Snow White disappeared into the mountain behind the cave in one leap.

"It doesn't suit her, and we're not in that kind of relationship."

"Are you not keeping her?"

"Rather, I'm being taken care of by her."

"...You're hopeless."

"Thanks, I'm blushing."

"I didn't say anything nice."

"You two seem to get along well."

Akari stood beside them, clearly angry at being left behind.

"Yeah, you're here. You're not—"

"I'm not small."

At Maxim's teasing, Akari puffed up.

"You're right, Akari is not small, not small."

Maxim, scratching his beard indifferently, patted Akari's head.

Akari turned away with a huff.

"Well, you seem to be doing well."

"..."

Akari bowed her head.

"I've caused you trouble."

Maxim's hand rested on Akari's trembling voice.

"It's not your fault."

He roughly patted her head.

Before she knew it, Akari was crying.

"Stay like that and come inside. It's getting dark."

Zang said this and started walking in a direction away from the cave.

"Hey, finish up your talk."

He disappeared into the forest, stained by the sunset.

On the opposite side of the mountain where the cave was, there was a steep cliff.

There, a black and white striped back sat with its tail drooping to the ground like a hanging scroll.

"You did well to hold out."

Zang patted the back.

A slightly weak "Grrr" was the only response.

Snow White continued to face the cliff without looking at Zang.

Snow White could not yet defeat Maxim. Zang understood that much.

Caught between the instinctive sense of power difference and the desire for revenge, Snow White was conflicted. Her natural tactic would have been to strike and retreat, but the hesitation to attack immediately was a sign of this conflict.

Zang said casually,

"You can kill him someday."

What would Maxim and Akari think if they were here?

"I want to get back at him someday too."

He had no intention of getting involved with Hayato, but if the time came, it would be then.

Because he had such feelings, he did not deny Snow White.

The line between human and beast had become blurred, if not completely erased, after Hayato's power was taken and no one came to look for her, and she was picked up by a beast.

"Really stubborn, aren't you?"

Zang took the opportunity to pet Snow White's fluffy white chest.

—Grrr, Grrr.

Finally, Snow White lost her balance and pounced on Zang.

Snow White, as if to say, "Damn, you're annoying, I'll do this to you," pressed her head against Zang.

Snow White had grown to the size of an adult snow leopard or larger, and her body length was not much different from Zang's.

Although she retracted her claws and fangs, her strength was overwhelming.

Zang had already activated his enhancement when she pounced, but he felt a growing threat as their roughhousing became more like a no-holds-barred fight.

Determined not to lose to Snow White, Zang reaffirmed the importance of daily training and tickled her until she was helpless.

By the time they returned to the cave, it was completely dark, and a fire was burning in the hearth.

"Could you at least prepare some firewood?"

When Zang entered the cave room with Snow White, Maxim said.

"Oh, sorry. I don't usually use it."

"You don't use it? You live here, don't you?"

"Isn't the Fire Spirit enough?"

Zang said casually and sat opposite Maxim and Akari. Snow White, looking unhappy, sat behind Zang as if to be his backrest.

"Are you going to keep the Fire Spirit materialized?"

"Yeah, it's written in the textbook."

Maxim and Akari looked exasperated.

"Sure, it's written, but it's terribly inefficient."

"Huh? It's just a matter of continuously supplying a thin stream of magic power. The first half-year was tough, though."

"...What do you do when you cook?"

"While maintaining the Fire Spirit, I make a pot out of earth, and if it's too much trouble, I bring out water and do it at the same time."

The usual method is to prepare firewood and ignite it with the Fire Spirit.

Zang brought meat and wild herbs from the storage and made a pot and a stand as usual, put the ingredients and portable food in it, and filled it with water using Water Spirit magic, then put the lid on.

He also used Earth Spirit magic to create thin stakes around the Fire Spirit, skewered larger pieces of meat, and slowly rotated them to ensure even cooking.

The two looked as if they had been bewitched.

"I saw this yesterday, but it's still impressive to see it again."

"Proper education wouldn't make you this way."

Maintaining the Fire Spirit while using Earth Spirit and Water Spirit magic. The magic itself is of the lowest level, but doing three at the same time is like sawing, hammering a nail, and lifting weights all at once. In other words, it's a circus act.

"Well, it's a pretty standard magic textbook... probably."

"What kind of textbook is this?"

Zang took out a thick magic textbook from his moss-green backpack and handed it to Maxim. The textbook was slightly worn from being opened to the same pages many times and from writing and rereading with a mechanical pencil.

"...It's pretty standard, but it's standard."

Akari, who had received the textbook from Maxim, flipped through it.

"Wow, this is the only one in the academy. It's more of an encyclopedia than a textbook, though."

"Right. It covers most of what's publicly available, but it's too unhelpful to be used as a textbook."

"Did you study with this?"

While listening to their surprise, Zang broke off a piece of meat that was only half-cooked and gave it to Snow White, who was sitting on his back.

Snow White had become a gourmet, enjoying both the charred surface and the rare inside. She glanced at Maxim but started munching on the meat.

Zang increased the intensity of the Fire Spirit, completed the pot, and served it in bowls with spoons to the two.

The two, who had returned the textbook to Zang, accepted it.

After finishing the curry-like stew and taking a breath, Maxim said,

"I'm going back to my country. Can you take care of Akari for a while?"