Chapter 52

It has been four months since Aldis and the others left Trias and began living in the forest near the capital.

Aldis, who had shed the heavy cloak he used to wear to avoid standing out, now hunts ferocious monsters one after another around the capital. He no longer intends to hide his sword magic, and as a result, he is not only known as one of the "Three Great Strong Monster Slayers" but also as a "Sword Magic User."

"There are no fools left in the capital's mercenaries who would dare to provoke you."

So said the information broker Cesare.

Aldis, now a renowned mercenary, never formed a party with anyone to take on jobs. Among mercenaries, who usually work in groups of four or five, Aldis, who always acted alone, stood out significantly. Moreover, he easily defeated strong monsters that other mercenaries could only manage to slay in a group, naturally drawing even more attention.

For Aldis, acting alone posed no hindrance. In fact, considering the class of monsters he faced, most mercenaries would only be a hindrance. Mercenaries of Ted's and the "Morning Star of the White Night" class were not common.

While it would be efficient to have people to carry equipment and gather materials, as was the case with Grishe and the others in Trias, when he tried to recruit help, all he got were people who wanted a share of the spoils from the Three Great Strong Monster Slayers. In that case, it was better to hunt alone.

So, today, Aldis walked alone down the main street of the capital Gran, heading for the craftsman's district. He had received a message at the inn where he was staying that the three swords he had ordered were completed.

"Are you there, Master?"

He knocked lightly on the door and entered without waiting for a response. It was a forge he had visited many times over the past four months to infuse magic into the swords during their forging. There was no need for Aldis to be polite anymore.

"Welcome, Aldis."

The one who responded was the young apprentice, Horst.

Compared to their first encounter, his attitude had softened considerably. This was because the master had explained that Aldis was not an inexperienced new mercenary.

Even without that, it would be difficult for someone to show outright hostility to a person who could casually hand over six hundred gold coins. Even craftsmen understand that catching a good-paying customer is important for their livelihood. Aldis was the kind of customer that craftsmen wanted to keep.

"Did you get the message that they were completed... Where's the master?"

"I'll go get him. Please wait a moment."

Horst went to fetch the master. A few minutes later, the master and Horst returned carrying the three swords.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Aldis."

"Are these the completed swords?"

Aldis's eyes were fixed on the three swords.

"Yes, these are Schmeltz's masterpieces."

The three swords were placed on the table.

"What are their names?"

"This is 'Spring Mist.' It's a sword infused with wind magic."

The master drew a short sword from its sheath. The blade glowed with a pale green luster.

This was a characteristic of the seven-colored powder mixed into the metal. The color varied depending on the person's attribute and the way the magic was infused. The reason why the powder from Resia was called seven-colored was because of this.

"This is 'Moon Snow.' It's infused with ice magic."

Next, the master drew another short sword. The blade was enveloped in a snow-white color.

"And the last one is 'Azure Sky.' It's infused with neutral magic to enhance the blade's strength and sharpness."

It was a broadsword, longer than the other two. When Aldis drew it from its sheath, the blade glowed a faint blue, a calm color reminiscent of a clear autumn sky.

"How are they? All three are well-made, aren't they?"

"Yes, I'm grateful for the good work. Here's the remaining payment, please take it."

After deducting the two hundred gold coins he had paid in advance, Aldis paid the remaining four hundred. The apprentice took the leather bag filled with four hundred gold coins with trembling hands.

"I'll head to the forest right away."

Waving goodbye to the master, who told him to come back if any adjustments were needed, Aldis set out for the Kossus Forest to the east of the capital.

Few people venture into the Kossus Forest, where monsters often appear. Mercenaries who hunt beasts and monsters, merchants and caravans who take shortcuts with guards, and treasure hunters who seek to strike it rich by excavating ancient ruins are the only ones who dare to enter.

The area where the Kossus Forest stands is believed to have been dotted with towns in ancient times. Although many of the sites are now buried and in ruins, several ruins have been discovered over the years.

Of course, unlike hunting or trading, excavating ruins does not always yield results. More often than not, significant costs and efforts are spent without even finding a ruin. Some treasure hunters have combat skills on par with mercenaries, but most are only slightly better than inexperienced mercenaries.

Therefore, they usually hire a few mercenaries as guards when they go to investigate dangerous areas. The entrance to the Kossus Forest is not particularly dangerous, so a small group of guards would suffice.

A strong treasure hunter might venture in alone, but the area where Aldis was now was deep within the forest, well within the territory of the Whips. Few people could navigate such a place alone.

That was why Aldis ran through the forest at full speed.

He heard a cry for help and, using his magic to detect the source, found one human-sized magic signature surrounded by three massive ones.

Aldis instantly leaned forward and kicked off the ground. Reaching top speed in an instant, he dashed through the trees without slowing down, heading straight for the source of the cry.

"Help...!"

In less than ten seconds, the source of the cry appeared in Aldis's field of vision. A small, lightly dressed person in a blue robe, surrounded by three Lactars.

"Go!"

Aldis released 'Spring Mist' and 'Moon Snow' from their sheaths. Drawing 'Azure Sky,' he attacked the nearest Lactar without slowing down.

Before the Lactar could turn its attention from its prey to Aldis, the blade of 'Azure Sky' touched its neck. The blue blade sliced through the flesh of the giant snake, cleanly severing the bone without any resistance.

'Spring Mist' and 'Moon Snow' similarly decapitated the other two Lactars in a single stroke. Aldis, who had stopped a short distance from the Lactars' bodies due to his momentum, recalled the two floating swords, satisfied with their sharpness.

"Good swords."

As expected, using the seven-colored powder had made a difference. With these, he wouldn't have to worry about his sword breaking even against enemies on the level of the 'Red Eater.' Wiping the blood off and sheathing all three, Aldis finally turned his attention to the person who had cried out.

"A child...?"

The high-pitched cry and small stature had made Aldis assume it was a woman, but it seemed he was mistaken. The face, though youthful, had a slight masculine quality. The high-pitched voice was likely due to not having gone through puberty yet.

"Are you okay?"

Aldis softened his expression and asked, trying not to scare the boy.

"Y-Yes... Somehow..."

As he helped the boy, who seemed to have fainted, to his feet, a question formed in Aldis's mind.

The boy clearly looked out of place. This was deep within the Kossus Forest, where monsters lived. Only experienced mercenaries would dare to enter such a place.

The boy emitted a slightly above-average magic signature, but it was not enough to justify his presence here. His palm, which Aldis had touched while helping him up, had no calluses from sword training. It was clear he had not undergone combat training. It was far too dangerous for someone like him to wander alone in such a place. His pearl-white hair also seemed too clean for a mercenary, adding to the oddity.

"Where are your companions?"

If the boy was with others, he might have gotten separated or been the only survivor after his companions were defeated. That was the natural assumption.

Aldis asked the boy about his companions, thinking he would take care of him until he could be reunited with them. However, the boy hesitated to answer.

"Were they defeated?"

Aldis, interpreting the silence negatively, asked again. The boy shook his head in denial and, stammering, finally spoke.

"The guards... They left... They said the fee was only for up to here. Beyond this point, it would cost extra... If I couldn't pay, they would stop guarding me..."

It seemed the guards the boy had hired had abandoned him in the middle of the forest. Aldis was inwardly furious at such behavior. It was because of people like that that mercenaries were often seen as thugs and potential criminals.

"I see... I understand the situation. Let's get out of here. Something big is coming this way."

"Something big...?"

The boy looked at Aldis with deep blue eyes, not understanding what he meant.

"Probably a monster."

"Ah! A monster...!"

The magic detection Aldis had used to locate the boy had likely piqued the curiosity of nearby monsters. A particularly large reaction was heading straight for them. They would be in combat within five minutes if they stayed.

"Let's go."

With few words, Aldis hoisted the flustered boy onto his shoulder and left the area where the Lactar bodies lay.

After putting some distance between them, he set the boy down in a clear area.

"We should be safe here. Now, about what you said earlier..."

Seeing the boy had calmed down, Aldis began to speak.

"This area is not safe for someone unaccustomed to combat to wander alone. If you want to return to the capital, I can take you there."

Aldis had originally come to the forest to test his new swords by hunting Whips. Since his pockets were already full, wasting a day wouldn't be a problem.

"Choosing the wrong guards was a good lesson. Next time, hire better ones."

Despite his kind words, the boy's reaction was unusually slow. After a long silence, he looked down, avoiding Aldis's puzzled gaze, and spoke weakly.

"I don't have any money..."

2016/12/19 Typo correction: "flew at the nearest solid object" → "flew at the nearest object."

*Thank you for pointing out the typo in the comments.

2019/07/30 Typo correction: "regardless" → "regardless of"

*Thank you for the typo report.