Chapter 21

Kurahito savored the long-awaited bed sleep.

Even if it was a cheap bed with a thin something laid over a wooden frame, it was far more comfortable than sleeping directly on the ground.

Whether it was a bed or a futon, at least a blanket, the experience reminded Kurahito, who had been living a natural life for a while, of the comfort of a civilized life.

Last night, Maxim explained to Kurahito about the hunters.

Maxim regretted that Kurahito was not particularly interested in hunters.

Hunters are those who accept requests from the state, cities, villages, and individuals to hunt monsters and animals.

The role of the Hunter Association is to oversee these hunters.

In the past, it was called the Adventurer's Guild, a large organization without borders, but it has now split into the Hunter Association, the Explorer's Guild, and the Mercenary Mediation Association, each closely related to their respective countries.

Hunters, except for those employed by the state or the association, are hired on a contract basis. This means they take on jobs and receive payment upon completion. As long as they follow the law, the method is not questioned, but everything is at their own risk.

However, to prevent frequent disputes between contractors, the Hunter Association intervenes to reduce friction.

As a result, the Hunter Association, which was the predecessor of the Adventurer's Guild, once had a formidable force comparable to a large kingdom, but the various states, fearing this, separated the Adventurer's Guild and absorbed each part into their respective countries along with the rise of elemental magic and the establishment of modern states.

Even now, there are connections between Hunter Associations, the Mercenary Mediation Association, and the Explorer's Guild, but the policies of the associations are influenced by the intentions of the respective countries.

This is why such disturbances occurred this time.

Hunter licenses have ranks called stars, which start from ten stars and reach one star at the top.

In addition, hunters with special skills such as gathering, sea, and air, or those capable of special hunts, are given color-coded stars in addition to the regular stars, rated on a ten-point scale.

If a request from the Hunter Association specifies a color, it cannot be accepted without the required color, but if a color is listed, the highest star can be used as a basis to accept the request.

Naturally, Kurahito's star was a colorless ten-star, while Maxim's star, as a royal dedicated hunter, was a one-star, albeit colorless.

Additionally, Maxim explained the mandatory request system, where hunters in the vicinity are forced to take on requests in emergencies such as large-scale rampages or monster attacks, and the designated request system, where specific hunters are assigned requests. By the time he finished, the night had grown deep.

Early morning, 5:30.

According to the clock in the inn's dining room, which was slightly illuminated by the rising sun, the world also calculates a day as 24 hours.

Kurahito's cheap wristwatch had already run out of battery and was left in the cave.

"Wow."

Maxim opened the wooden door with a creak and poked his head out.

The chairs, tables, and doors were made of old wood, and the floor and walls were made of stacked stones.

A giant with red hair and a red beard, resembling a Western sculpture, appeared.

Kurahito was moved, thinking it was completely a fantasy world.

"You wake up earlier in the mountains. It's a habit."

"If you're going to be a hunter, it's a good habit. The association starts getting busy around this time, too."

Kurahito stood up, saying, "Oh."

"Let's go."

The two left the inn without having breakfast.

Maxim said he would return to the capital of Rolana today.

The reason for rushing the hunter registration and request acceptance was for this.

"Travock... it's better to see it. Yeah, it's rolling over there."

For some reason, Maxim, who was bare-chested, pointed to the wilderness ahead.

After that, Maxim and Kurahito left the village gate immediately.

Behind the village was the Aldoria Mountains, and the main road in front, which was packed with earth, led to Rolana. The surrounding area of this main road was the wilderness where the two were currently located.

Dry soil and rocks, with sparse low shrubs and weeds, stretched endlessly.

In the direction Maxim pointed, there was a ball of grass rolling around.

Kurahito made a bored face.

"Don't make that face. Every hunter, no matter who they are, starts by hunting this thing."

"It's more like cutting, isn't it?"

"It's a magic grass. Well, it's just a regular grass, and it doesn't even use magic."

"What's dangerous about it?"

"Basically, it's harmless. Except for entangling other plants and trees."

"...Wow, it's a pretty annoying magic grass."

"Every few years, there's a large-scale extermination around here, but it's not enough, so there are always requests for hunters. Otherwise, this area would turn into a desert."

Saying this, Maxim picked up a nearby Travock and cut the ball of dry and living grass in half with a knife on his waist.

At the center of the cut Travock was a green stone about the size of a thumbnail.

"I split it in two to explain, but this green stone is the proof of extermination, so don't damage it. If the green stone is damaged, they won't buy it. You won't get a reward for this Travock extermination unless you submit a perfect green stone to the association... well, it might not even be worth pocket money, but it's part of a hunter's job."

"How much for one?"

"About one rod for twenty-five, which is about the price of a loaf of bread. By the way, do you know the currency units?"

"That's pretty cheap. ...Units? I don't know."

"...I'm starting to wonder if I can really rely on you."

"Me too."

A dry wind blew between the two.

One rod for a loaf of bread. One rod is a paper bill (equivalent to 100 yen).

One rod is 100 silma. One silma is a coin (equivalent to 1 yen).

There are also 10-rod and 100-rod paper bills.

In the middle of the wilderness, the giant and the human were studying paper bills and coins.

After roughly explaining the currency, Maxim handed Kurahito a leather bag with the counted paper bills and a bundle of other paper bills.

"Well, I can't leave Akari with you penniless, so consider this as payment for the request. I'll try to do something before the mountain is hit by a blizzard. Until then, I'm counting on you."

Laughing, "I forgot about the reward, hahaha," he said and placed his large hand on Kurahito's shoulder.

"I'm not really motivated, but I did promise."

"You're a real mystery... just like the old Akari."

At these words, the air around the nonchalant Kurahito subtly changed.

"Well, it doesn't matter to me. I'll keep my promise."

Maxim smiled contentedly and ran off down the packed earth road in the wilderness.

"Running, huh? That's why you were half-naked."

Left alone in the middle of the wilderness, Kurahito muttered to himself.

"Well, let's cut them."

It felt like weeding a garden.

Kurahito pulled out a horn from his waist, about the size of a one-handed sword.

The "three-horned deer" had horns that were not straight but curved depending on the individual. Kurahito's horns were like a kukri knife with a thick tip and two L-shaped horns, totaling three.

These were from the first three-horned deer Kurahito thawed, which he had damaged the skin of. The horns already had blade-like parts. From what Kurahito had seen of living three-horned deer from a distance, they seemed to use cutting-type innate magic on their horns to defend against enemies and fight for territory.

Of course, the magic was no longer active on these horns, but without iron tools, they functioned well as machetes or one-handed swords.

In fact, Kurahito called the horns he pulled from his waist "kukri knives."

Kurahito walked slowly through the wilderness.

After all, the opponent neither ran nor hid.

Moreover, it came closer on its own.

Kurahito casually hooked a Travock that had rolled over in the wind with his kukri knife.

He then shaved off the grass and plants at the base of the kukri knife and extracted the green stone.

He repeated this process.

However, he now wondered what to do with the extracted green stones.

His worn-out work clothes, the three horns slung diagonally on his waist, the large knife in his belt, and the leather bag with paper bills were all he had.

After some thought, Kurahito put the green stones in the leather bag with the paper bills, tied the drawstring, and hung it from his waist.

When the sun was directly overhead, Kurahito's stomach growled.

He realized he hadn't eaten since last night as he plucked the Travocks.

He threw away the Travocks after extracting the green stones. It seemed that other Travocks did not absorb the green stone-less Travocks.

After collecting about 100, Kurahito decided to return to the village.

In the middle of the wilderness, Kurahito instinctively crouched.

A large bird, about the size of a person, flew by just above him.

Kurahito looked up at the large bird flying over his head, thinking that this world was quite troublesome, even near the village.

He had never seen such a bird before. It was blue all over, with a large, sharp beak.

Kurahito, without any sign of fear, observed the bird, which he casually named the "Blue Great Eagle."

It was not a human but an animal.

For Kurahito, it was a familiar presence.

Whether he would hunt it or be hunted was another matter.

He stuck his kukri knife into the ground and took out the L-shaped horn from his waist.

He reinforced it as gently and quietly as possible.

Monsters are sensitive to the use of magic. If they always escaped, he would get hit by Mr. Snow White's tail.

Thinking, "I'm alone today," Kurahito muttered, and the Blue Great Eagle dove from above.

Kurahito swung his L-shaped horn, which he called a boomerang, to meet the dive.

The Blue Great Eagle twisted its body in mid-air, as if to say, "I won't take that."

The Blue Great Eagle twisted its body to avoid Kurahito and flew low, then rose back up.

At that moment, Kurahito's boomerang struck the Blue Great Eagle.

It clipped a feather.

The Blue Great Eagle, barely avoiding the hit, was hit by a gust of wind on its side and swayed.

Then—

—another boomerang struck the root of the Blue Great Eagle's wing.

The Blue Great Eagle struggled in the air but eventually crashed to the ground.

Even on the ground, it was a bird the size of a person.

Kurahito pulled out his kukri knife from the ground and cautiously approached the Blue Great Eagle.

*Screech*

The Blue Great Eagle, with its large wings drooping, stood up and charged at Kurahito with its beak.

However, Kurahito easily dodged the slow charge and slashed at its neck.

He then kept his distance.

There was no need to deliver a finishing blow.

The wounds to the root of the wing and the neck were fatal.

If he waited, it would die.