Chapter 69 – That Bear from Back Then
Chapter 69 – That Bear from Back Then
“It’s been three months already, but where on earth are they and what are they doing?”
Today was an escort job for a merchant.
Once you hit E-rank, you start getting day-trip requests to nearby villages.
More than fending off magical beasts, the main job was “thief deterrent.”
In simple terms, it was about flaunting a menacing sword to advertise, “Hey, we’ve got adventurers here!”
It was perfect for me, the saintess with her flashy gear, and the young master Ted.
Well, thieves hardly ever show up during the daytime anyway.
“Gain and the others might really be crossing the mountains, huh?”
“But the usual route would be a C-rank job, right?”
Ted let out a big “Hahaha” while holding the reins of the wagon.
The merchant and I sat on either side of him.
“Right, right. Marie, you didn’t take the usual route, did you?”
“That’s correct. We took the shortest path over, and that’s when a massive bear over three meters tall attacked us.”
The merchant, who’d been listening quietly, widened his eyes in shock.
Heh heh heh. It had some serious presence, after all.
“Isn’t that a Poison Nail Grizzly?”
“Poison Nail Grizzly?”
“Its claws are venomous—even a graze can be fatal. It’s a seriously dangerous magical beast.”
Fatal wound…
I clapped my hands together with a pop.
“I’ve always wondered about that! Why did Master cut the claws first back then?”
“Haha, ‘cut the claws.’ Yeah, that makes sense.”
So there was meaning behind it after all.
Of course there was—Master would never waste a move.
But there’d been no explanation at the time…
“So, Fernet stopped the bear’s movements, Gain sliced open its belly with a flaming sword, and then Heart unleashed a barrage of arrows.”
“Those arrows were lead-tipped. They’re weak to lead. The belly has less fur than elsewhere, so Gain targeted it there. The fur’s super tough otherwise.”
I see…
Amazing. No orders given, yet everyone moved without waste—such perfect coordination.
“But in the end, Master and Heart lopped off its head with magic, and it was over just like that.”
“The head? As expected of Sid and Heart. Even fur and flesh resist magic like that. Incredible.”
Ted kept muttering “The head… with magic?” in astonishment.
No, no—the raw intensity was way beyond that.
It was so much more impressive.
“It was incredible teamwork. Master placed his hand right on the bear’s neck and unleashed a barrage of pinpoint, zero-distance magic blasts. The instant Master’s mana ran out, Heart swapped in and fired off even more barrages.”
My limited vocabulary makes it so frustrating—I can’t explain it properly.
“Using up all his mana mid-battle… Sid must trust Heart a ton.”
Ted was full of admiration.
Good, seems like the point got across.
“Hey, hey. Aren’t you two E-rank adventurers?”
The merchant suddenly jumped into the conversation.
“Yes.”
“You took down an S-rank Poison Nail Grizzly? What the heck does that mean?”
We exchanged glances and shrugged.
Yeah, of course he’d be shocked if he didn’t know.
“We’re in an S-rank party. Our main members are off on a separate mission right now.”
“That’s right. We’re the newbies…”
We gave sheepish grins, and the merchant leaned back in exaggerated surprise.
“E-E-S-rank?!”
Hahaha. No need to be that shocked.
“To think I get connections to S-rankers. I’m lucky today! Looking forward to working with you more!”
“Y-Yes…”
Ted’s hand was pumped vigorously in a handshake, and he smiled awkwardly as it flailed around.
Hahahahaha. Being from a good family, this is probably a first for him.
Ted’s bewilderment was so funny, I couldn’t stop laughing for a while.
“Well then, could you sign off on the request completion?”
“You got it! Let’s keep working together! Ted! Marie!”
“Yes!”
He was a hearty guy.
He even loaded us up with souvenirs.
A ton of papua fruit, and even a small knife.
“Guess this little knife’s for peeling the skins, huh?”
“As expected of a merchant. So thoughtful.”
Heh heh heh.
Requests where they appreciate you this much feel great.
I’m in a good mood—might as well head straight back to the capital today.
On the way back, as we chatted idly, a wagon came into view in the distance.
I spotted the coachman speeding past from afar. A thief?
The moment I squinted to check, Ted bolted out, so I hurriedly grabbed his arm.
Ted turned back in surprise, and I shook my head.
I relayed Gain’s words from back when he helped Ted: “If you’re jumping in to assist, be cautious. Figure out who’s in the right.”
Of course, he’d also said, “If you’re unsure, back off.”
“Got it.”
Ted nodded with a smile, set down the bag of papua fruit, and crouched low.
We stayed hidden and observed.
“Hand over the kid!” “Open this up!”
Two thieves were banging on the wagon door with sticks.
Thieves? Or more like kidnappers?
“Come out, you bastard!”
“Get lost, you scum! You don’t care what happens to the kid?!”
Voices arguing with the thieves came from inside the wagon.
We exchanged looks and shook our heads.
Who’s the kidnapper? No way to be sure.
After watching for a bit, the thieves pried open the wagon door.
A well-dressed man was holding a very cute little girl.
Beside him, a guard-like man had drawn his sword, holding the thieves at bay.
“Stay back.”
The guard leaped out swiftly and slashed at the thieves.
“Watch out! Daddy!”
The girl cried out desperately at the thieves.
“They’re the kidnappers!”
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thanks for the chapter