Chapter 48

A few days had passed since Aldis began operating from the capital as a new base.

Although she had gone hunting a few times, she didn’t have the kind of connections that Trias had to introduce her to jobs.

Aldis continued to do things that were uncharacteristic of a mercenary, such as moving daily necessities into the forest house.

One day,

the informant Cesare provided her with information for three copper coins.

"Lord Trias doesn’t seem to be fixated on you, but the mercenaries don’t think so. Some of them are targeting you."

It seems that Nere’s story had spread, and Aldis’s name had also reached the capital at the same time.

According to the information Cesare obtained, the target of Lord Trias and the regional army was still Nere, and there had been no signs of them targeting Aldis personally.

However, there were mercenaries who didn’t know this, and even those who did but read deeper into the situation, who were trying to hand Aldis over to Lord Trias.

"In a sense, the rumors you spread are working."

As Cesare said, the rumor that Aldis had commissioned, "The female mercenary has fled to the empire," had spread among the mercenaries through informants.

It seems that no one was planning to go to the empire to chase after Nere.

After all, there was no official request.

Even if they captured Nere, there was no guarantee that they would receive a reward from Lord Trias, so only the most adventurous would consider an expedition to another country.

However, it was natural for those who saw Aldis regularly appearing in the capital, their home ground, to think otherwise.

Of course, even if they successfully captured Aldis and handed her over to Lord Trias, there was no guarantee they would receive a reward.

But those who didn’t understand this, those who were optimistic, and those who interpreted things to their advantage might only see Aldis as a "juicy target."

When Aldis was active in Trias, she had refrained from using sword magic and non-verbal spells to avoid standing out, and she hadn’t actively promoted herself.

Therefore, the capital didn’t know about Aldis’s true strength.

"You should be careful, though. ... Well, I doubt you’d be taken down so easily."

"I understand. I’ll be careful. Thanks for the warning."

"... Since I’ve already been paid, there’s no need to thank me."

Cesare said with a complex expression.

"But still... Even if you’re attacked, dealing with each one individually is troublesome."

"You don’t seem to mind being attacked..."

Even if she was attacked by a group, Aldis had no intention of losing to the average mercenary. However, it was still a hassle in terms of extra effort.

"In that case, why don’t you show your strength so that the mercenaries won’t even think about targeting you? Like slaying a well-known monster."

"Slaying a monster, huh."

Aldis had been indifferent to gaining a reputation.

This was because she didn’t want to get involved in troublesome situations, but she was already in one.

Pretending to be ordinary now wouldn’t make sense.

Instead, it might be better to show overwhelming power to discourage anyone from targeting her.

If Aldis became a respected figure among the mercenaries, it might also serve as a deterrent to protect the twins if their identity was revealed.

"Cesare, what well-known monsters are there around the capital?"

"One copper coin."

The informant presented his fee.

"That’s pretty cheap."

"Well, it’s information that even ordinary citizens know. You could ask around and find out the same thing."

"Then tell me for free."

"That’s against my pride as an informant."

He was a man with a strong sense of professional pride.

"Fine, one copper coin it is."

Aldis took a copper coin from her pocket and placed it on the counter with a wry smile.

"Three well-known monsters in the area around the capital. First, 'Bell-Drawn' in the foothills of the Canobis Mountains to the north of the capital. It’s a mutated 'Troll' with two stripes on its face. Second, 'Four-Winged' on a small island visible from the capital. It’s a giant bird monster with two heads, four legs, and four wings. Lastly, 'Red-Eater' in the ruins by the sea. It’s a humanoid monster with a body dyed red like blood."

Cesare counted off the three with his fingers and described their features.

"These three are sometimes collectively called the 'Three Great Strong Monsters.' Each has defeated numerous challengers. They are as strong as the Grinders you fought in Trias. If you can slay even one of them, no mercenary will dare to target you in the future."

"Is there a bounty on them?"

"Of course. 'Bell-Drawn's territory is said to have a vein of heavy metal, but it can’t be surveyed due to the monster. If heavy metal could be mined around the capital, it would be a significant economic and military advantage, so the country wants to have it eliminated."

Currently, the only place in the Nagras Kingdom where heavy metal can be mined is in the hills near the border with the empire.

Given the tense relationship with the empire, it would be a significant advantage to be able to produce heavy metal in an area other than the border, which is likely to become a battlefield in the event of war.

"What about 'Four-Winged'?"

"It attacks ships in the surrounding waters, causing trade routes to take a longer route. If it were gone, the nearby waters could be opened up for fishing, which would be a significant benefit. 'Red-Eater' is a security issue. The ruins where it nests were once used as a fortress. Having an unknown monster in a fortress so close to the capital is a problem in terms of prestige."

"If there are so many reasons, why not have the military take care of it?"

"Given the ongoing tension with the empire, they don’t want to weaken the military unnecessarily. There hasn’t been a large-scale hunt in about twenty years."

Indeed, the military would want to avoid significant casualties.

If the monsters were as strong as the Grinders, a group of ordinary soldiers would only result in more deaths.

"If I hunt these three, I can make a name for myself in the capital, right?"

"That’s certain. Additionally, no normal mercenary would dare to target such a powerful figure."

"I see."

After that, Aldis paid an additional fee to hear more detailed information about the three monsters and left the tavern.

After making the necessary preparations, Aldis left the capital through the north gate and headed for the foothills of the Canobis Mountains using 'Floating Step.'

She flew through the air in places where no one could see her, and arrived at her destination by noon.

Even though it was close to the capital, it was a mountain rarely visited by people.

The leaves of the dense trees rustled in the wind, and the presence of active animals indicated that it was a rich mountain.

Aldis took a cheap bell she had bought in the capital from her pocket and gently shook it.

The clear sound of the bell resonated through the trees.

Immediately, the presence of the animals around Aldis disappeared.

According to what Cesare had told her, 'Bell-Drawn' was attracted by the sound of a bell.

While normal 'Trolls' didn’t have such a habit, this mutated individual reacted to the sound of a bell for some reason.

After ringing the bell for a while, a white creature with four legs appeared from among the rustling leaves.

"Really does come out when you ring the bell."

The face of the monster that appeared resembled a lion with a mane, but its legs were thin like those of a water bird, with webbed feet.

It was an unnatural combination, as if the lion’s legs had been cut off and replaced with those of a water bird, but its overall form was similar to a normal Troll.

The difference was its color. While a normal Troll is light brown, this individual was entirely white.

It had two stripes running from its forehead to its chin.

It matched the description Cesare had given, and it was undoubtedly 'Bell-Drawn.'

"Let’s get this over with."

Although it was unfortunate for 'Bell-Drawn,' who had long been at the top of the food chain in this area, Aldis had no intention of wasting time.

Before 'Bell-Drawn' could growl in warning, she threw two short swords to sever its front legs and quickly closed the distance to decapitate it with a single stroke.

A few hours later, Aldis was on a small island near the capital.

She was there to slay 'Four-Winged,' which nested on the island.

Luring this monster was easy.

'Four-Winged' did not tolerate intruders in its territory.

Aldis arrived on the island without hiding her presence, flying openly in the sky, and was attacked by 'Four-Winged' before she even landed.

"It’s bigger than I heard."

According to the information from Cesare, it had a wingspan of five meters, but up close, it seemed to be seven or eight meters.

Its feathers were a deep purple, almost black, and its appearance resembled a large bird of prey.

It had two heads with sharp beaks, four large legs with talons, and four wings, two on each side.

'Four-Winged' charged straight at Aldis.

"Whoa."

Although the attack was simple, the massive body with its sharp beak was a deadly weapon.

Aldis instantly increased her altitude to avoid it.

After the initial attack was dodged, 'Four-Winged' circled around to gain distance.

Suddenly, light appeared around it, and in the next moment, it turned into arrows that attacked Aldis.

She couldn’t avoid them in time, and the light danced on the surface of the magical barrier she had cast without incantation, making a dry sound.

"Like lightning, I guess."

This was probably the 'long-range attack' Cesare had mentioned.

"Indeed, if you’re hit by this from above, sailors wouldn’t stand a chance."

Being hit by lightning from the sky, no matter how strong the crew, would be useless.

'Four-Winged' had always attacked unilaterally, driving people away.

But that was when the target was on a ship.

Aldis, who could fly, had a way to approach 'Four-Winged,' and once close enough, she could attack with magic or throw her short swords.

"Go!"

Aldis threw her short swords high into the sky.

The two short swords flew in arcs, one from each side, toward 'Four-Winged.'

While 'Four-Winged' tried to escape from the unknown objects, Aldis used magic to keep it in place and struck with her short swords.

The short swords, now in the monster’s reach, mercilessly cut off its wings at the base one after another.

With three of its wings gone, 'Four-Winged' lost its ability to fly and fell into the sea.

"Oh, no."

If it sank into the sea, it would be troublesome to retrieve the head as proof of the kill.

Aldis immediately froze the sea at the point of impact and reshaped it into a bed of spikes.

'Four-Winged,' unable to control its descent, plunged into the spikes and, after convulsing for a while, stopped moving.

2016/12/30 Typo correction もうきｎ → もうきん

*Thank you for the correction in the comments.

2017/02/05 Typo correction トリア候 → トリア侯

2018/02/13 Typo correction 代わりがなかった → 変わりがなかった

2019/05/02 Misuse correction 覆い繁る → 生い茂る

*Thank you for the typo report.

2019/07/21 Typo correction カノープス山脈 → カノービス山脈

*Thank you for the typo report.