I Said Make My Abilities Average! (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 65

Chapter 65:

The Frontier City 

The city was a small frontier town in the eastern reaches of the Kingdom of Marlane. Though it was comparatively small, it was in fact a town of middling size, home to branches of both the Hunters’ Guild and the Merchants’ Guild. It was the sort of place that, while perhaps two or three ranks lower than a metropolis like the royal capital, would be referred to by the citizens of the countryside as a big city, the sort of place to which all the grandmas and grandpas of the countryside might go on a once-yearly outing with their sons and daughters and grandchildren. 

For the common folk of these remote lands, who would never think to run off and forsake their home turf, the kingdom’s capital was a place you might only visit once in a lifetime, unless you were a merchant or something of the like. So, in terms of the common person’s reality, this place was as close to a city as one got. 

Such was the nature of the frontier city, Mafan. If all you wanted was simple living—not too rural, not too metropolitan—alongside a river that never dried up even in the worst drought, then it was not at all a bad place to live. It was situated close to the border with the neighboring country, and while relations with that country were not especially good, they were not so bad that a war was likely to break out anytime soon, so this wasn’t too much of a problem. In addition, Mafan offered an ideal stopping point for the trade routes that ran through the area, which was quite the advantage for a small city such as this. 

“This seems like a town where you could really take it easy,” Mile said cheerfully. 

“We don’t have time to ‘take it easy’ on a training mission!” Reina scolded. 

Currently, the members of the Crimson Vow were in the room they had taken at one of the inns. As always, they had chosen their lodgings after first carefully investigating all the inns in town and asking around about them… Though of course, if they didn’t like the place they first chose, they could just switch to another one. 

The price, rooms, amenities, cleanliness, and the food and such were all all just fine… 

Only, there was no catgirl. 

This place had no catgirls… 

There was the married couple who owned the place, a chef of about thirty, and a young woman of around seventeen who worked as a waitress and did odd jobs. All of the owners’ children had married and moved off to the royal capital to make a name for themselves, so the chef and the waitress both appeared to be regular salaried employees. 

When Mile asked whether the owners did any cooking at all, the two immediately looked at her askance. 

Everyone in the world has one or two things that they don’t ever wish to talk about. Therefore, when Mile saw their reaction, she enquired no further. 

Even though there were no children here for Mile to fawn over, the waitress, Mitella, was a bit of a flirt. She was red-haired and freckled, with charming looks and a strong will…which was to say, she would have perfectly fit the part of a waitress in a saloon. 

Perhaps because she was roughly the same age as Mavis—who, her birthday having passed, was now eighteen—she seemed to be fond of teasing her, though not in an ill-natured manner. Rather, she dragged her shopping on her days off or followed her around for no particular reason, all of which left Mavis nonplussed. 

“Why does she only seem interested in me?” Mavis grumbled. 

“That’s obvious. She’s using you as a substitute boyfriend,” Reina replied without hesitation. 

“Wh…?” 

Terror spread across Mavis’s face. 

“I’m already pretty well set for red-headed, sassy, overbearing girls, thanks!” 

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wha…?! Who?! Who are you talking about?!?!” 

Apparently, even Mavis could be counted to turn up the heat once in a while when she was offended. Reina, though she herself was willing to talk about nearly anything, got easily riled up by others’ words and switched to full-on rage mode. 

“O-oh, come on! B-both of you, please calm down!!!” Mile said in a panic. 

Pauline only gave a weary shrug of her shoulders… 

*** 

“How does this one sound for our first job in town?” 

There were nods all around as the Crimson Vow stood before the job board, selecting their very first professional outing in the Kingdom of Marlane. 

“Well then, to the counter!” 

“Hold it right there!” 

Seeing Mavis and Pauline’s nods, Reina had assumed that the matter was settled and began to head to the counter, when suddenly Mile raised an objection. 

“Look at that one!” 

“What?” 

The other three looked where Mile was pointing, to a slip of paper that was posted to the side of the job board away from the others. 

EMERGENCY REQUEST: 

Exterminate the monsters flooding out from the forest. 

Payment: 1 gold each. 

“What is this?” 

Reina’s suspicion was warranted. Monsters flooding out from the forest? Such a thing rarely happened. At least, not without some extenuating circumstances. Plus, if the job were really all that urgent, it wouldn’t have been posted nonchalantly on the wall like this. Instead, it would have been carried out by a specially recruited force of C-rank parties or higher. It didn’t make any sense… 

“Well, I guess we won’t know until we ask.” 

The four proceeded to the counter to ask for an explanation. The clerk looked troubled and explained, “You all have come from another region, yes? The truth is, there are some peculiar circumstances surrounding that request…” 

According to the clerk, part of the border—the border with the neighboring land, near which Mafan was situated—was surrounded by a dense forest. Apparently, the people on the other side of this border forest, i.e., the citizens of the other country, were known to periodically flush the monsters out of the forest—not to exterminate them, but to chase them away. 

Naturally, any monster who was being chased down would go running in the opposite direction—and as a result, they were all fleeing into this country’s side of the woods. Subsequently, turf wars had begun to break out between the fleeing monsters and the monsters that already lived on the Marlane side, and the monsters who lost then moved farther in Marlane’s direction, the weaker ones fleeing the forest. As a result, the citizens were coming under attack, and their crops and livestock were being destroyed. 

Therefore, while it was necessary to eliminate these monsters, if they were to put out a request every single time they needed help, the affected villagers would go bankrupt. The lord of this territory had sent out his own troops once already, but the fact was that the army was primarily in place to defend the land from external invaders, and while the men were practiced in fighting other humans, hunting monsters was a bit out of their wheelhouse. Consequently, they were not very good at it. 

Plus, jobs like this were not good for soldier morale. It would have been one thing if they were fighting against other soldiers, risking their lives in defense of their country, but they were not too keen on dying or being injured and left unfit for service on account of a bunch of monsters. Once was bad enough, but to send them out again and again, and have the soldiers’ numbers dwindle bit by bit, would be a huge blow to the fief’s strength. 

And so, it seemed that the lord had instead decided to bolster these numbers by hiring hunters, who were accustomed to fighting beasts. However… 

“Let me guess,” Reina ventured, “the soldiers and the hunters here don’t get along very well, so fights have been breaking out, and the hunters have been having all of the most dangerous parts of the job pushed onto them, so the number of hunters who will accept this job is dwindling.” 

The clerk nodded. 

“Yes. As much as the soldiers loathe this duty, they keep bad-mouthing the hunters, because having them involved hurts the soldiers’ pride. They push them into all the most perilous roles, and they don’t do anything to actively support them. Even if you had nine lives, that would still be too much to put up with, and certainly, no one would go out of their way to purposely have to deal with that kind of treatment. The result is that the only people who will take the job now are desperate for money, softhearted to a foolhardy degree, or simply idiots. And then…” 

A look of rage twisted the clerk’s face. “This is all just harassment by our neighbors!” she spat. “They’re the ones who keep driving those monsters over to our side of the border!” 

“Ah…” The Crimson Vow nodded. 

It was a straightforward situation with an unsurprising outcome. 

And then, of course, came the Crimson Vow’s equally unsurprising reply: 

“All right. We’ll take it.” 

“What?” 

The clerk froze. “N-no, I don’t think you all heard me just now! Are you really that desperate for money?!” the clerk asked in alarm. 

“We aren’t,” Reina said simply. “We’re in the third category.” 

“Huh?” 

Reina continued with a grin. “What I’m saying is, we’re in the third category. The ones who would take this job because we’re idiots. Is that not a good enough reason to accept?” 

The clerk, along with all of the other Guild staff and hunters who had been listening in on the exchange, froze, and silence spread throughout the guildhall. 

*** 

“So you’re the hunters who accepted the job, huh?” 

Two days later, the Crimson Vow, having officially taken on the aforementioned job, assembled at the garrison of the local army, their assigned rendezvous point. Upon arrival, their first move was to greet the captain in charge. 

The participants in this sortie were a platoon of forty soldiers and three parties of hunters totaling fifteen all together—a combined fifty-five fighters. Yes, two other parties had also decided to join the Crimson Vow. 

Truthfully, the other two parties had no interest in this job whatsoever, but when the clerk pulled them aside and told them what was going on, these men had begun to fear the possibility that a party of all young women, who had just arrived from another country, might be annihilated, or harassed or abused by the soldiers. For the sake of the Crimson Vow, these hunters had willingly put themselves in danger. 

“If anything happens, you can rely on them. Both of them are trustworthy parties,” the clerk had told the Vow, but rather than seeming relieved, as the clerk had imagined they might, the members of the Crimson Vow immediately grew tense. It seemed they were now being a bother for other hunters, and it would be terrible to see them injured or killed because of it. 

“I’m glad to see so many of you here today. I’m sure you know that this isn’t an easy task, but it’s one that we must take on for the sake of our farmers and for all of the other people who rely on the crops and livestock that our farmers have raised with their blood, sweat, and tears. Let’s grin and bear it, and do our best out there!” 

Surprisingly, the captain of the extermination squad was a rather down-to-earth fellow. Whether you were in the army or the mob, it wasn’t unusual for people with common sense to find their way into the upper ranks. 

“We are the Crimson Vow. We’ve recently arrived from the Kingdom of Tils on a journey of training and self-discipline. Pleased to make your acquaintance!” 

After introducing themselves to the captain, the members of the Crimson Vow moved to exchange introductions with the other two parties. 

According to the clerk, both of these parties were made up of good people, and it seemed that they should properly express their thanks for the assistance. Even Reina gave the other hunters an uncharacteristically meek and modest greeting—with a brilliant smile no less. Apparently, even she remembered how to put on a bit of a show. 

“Smiles and flattery don’t cost a thing, after all.” The words that emerged from Pauline’s mouth were cynical as ever. 

“I’m Wulf,” said one man, “of the Devils’ Paradise. Over there is Vegas, of the Fellowship of Flame.” 

At Wulf’s introduction, one of the other men gently waved his right hand in greeting. The members of the Crimson Vow politely nodded their heads in reply. 

“We’re hunters—fighting monsters is what we do. So we can’t let ourselves fall behind those army brats. If we don’t kill at least two or three times the number that those guys do, it makes hunters everywhere look bad. Both the Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of Flame are going to hit at least three times’ their quota, and you all should try and aim for at least twice as much. That said, those lazy boys are gonna be pussyfooting around, not wanting to stub their little toes on unfamiliar turf, so if a few C-rank hunters can just do what they normally do, beating them should be a piece of cake!” 

Collectively, the other two parties were comprised of a group of men in their early thirties to their forties, all in their prime—none of them of the age at which they would be interested in young women. In fact, the members of the Crimson Vow were probably all around the ages of these men’s daughters. Anyway, as the clerk had made clear, there could really be only one reason why they had decided to accept this job—the only reason why one would accept a job not even worth its pay, for the sake of some strangers to whom they had no allegiance, when they likely had families of their own they should be protecting: 

They were all idiots. 

Of course, the Crimson Vow were in no position to talk about anyone else’s foolishness, and really, they didn’t even mind those sort of idiots. They just had to try and make sure that no one ended up hurt on their behalf. 

The Fellowship of the Flame! That definitely sounds like the name of the sort of party who’d get wiped out by a single monster, thought Mavis. We’d better look out for them… 

Meanwhile, Mile was thinking on something entirely unrelated, as usual. 

Why would they have a name like “The Devils’ Paradise”…? 

*** 

The next day arrived: the day of the monster extermination. 

Naturally, they knew the day on which their neighbors were going to drive the monsters out in order to harass them. The neighboring land hired hunters as reinforcements as well, so word got around. Information flowed freely between the Guilds on both sides, and the local lord was no dummy. He hired hunters who were registered to the other Guild in order to receive information from them. Thus, on the second day after the others began their scheduled campaign, the fighters on the Marlane side set out. Their goal was to drive the monsters back before they could even make it out of the forest. However… 

“Shouldn’t we just start at the same time as them and force all the monsters in towards the border?” asked Mile. 

The captain replied, “We tried that before. All that happened was that the monsters got caught between the monsters coming from the other side ahead of them and the soldiers driving them forward behind them. They turned back on the soldiers, and a lot of men got hurt. It seems like the same thing happened on the other side with the same results. Since then, we’ve abandoned that gambit.” 

At this, Pauline looked stunned. 

“In that case, why didn’t they just give up on this whole harassment thing?” 

The captain simply shrugged as though to say, “Why don’t you ask them that?” There was no way that he could answer for them, after all. 

Once the captain had finished giving out orders, they finally set out. 

The captain’s instructions consisted of three main points. 

One: The number-one priority is your own safety. Always prioritize the lives of yourselves and your friends over defeating or driving off any monster. 

Two: Do not touch any monster or animal that a huntsman could trap for his meal. The only creatures they should be focusing on dealing with were ogres and goblins and the like. 

Three: Do not step over the border! 

That was all. 

It was no problem if a hunter crossed over a national border while hunting down monsters or beasts, but a soldier crossing over the border in the line of duty could cause quite the conundrum, for it might be viewed as an invasion of another kingdom or fief. Even if the other side had been the provocateurs, such a misstep was still bad news. Even Mile and the others could deduce that much. 

The group was split into four teams. 

First, the platoon of soldiers split up into four squads, numbered 1 through 4. Then, the Devils’ Paradise joined up with squad number 1, the Crimson Vow with 2, and the Fellowship of the Flame with 4, while squad 3 assumed the command role, with the captain, his aide, and two high-ranking NCOs included. 

The soldiers had been split into four groups of nine, so the numbers for each new team were 14, 13, 13, and 15, making up the 55 in total. 

Unlike soldiers, who were trained to be able to fight smoothly alongside any combination of other soldiers, separating parties of hunters would be sheer folly. Likewise, there was no point in having the hunters, who had been hired on specifically to decrease the number of injuries amongst the soldiers, operate independently. Therefore, they were arranged so that the veteran hunters would be situated at the front and back, while the squad with the command staff would be placed in the middle. There was no one who would object to such an arrangement. 

When it came time to fight, they would spread out side by side, but for marching they split into two columns. If they marched single file, the line would be too long, and they would be susceptible to surprise attacks, unable to easily change formation to adapt to changes in their circumstances. The Crimson Vow were in the middle of their line, with the second squad of soldiers at their front, and squad three, with the command staff, at their backs. 

“Hmph. We waste all our money hiring hunters and all we get’re these little girls, huh? Can’t even use them as a shield…” a man walking in front of the Crimson Vow muttered bitterly. 

Directly ahead of the Crimson Vow—in other words, at the tail end of the soldiers’ formation—was the NCO serving as the leader of the second squad, the squad in which the Crimson Vow had been included. In one of Earth’s militaries, he would have been around the rank of Sergeant. 

When it came time to battle, the hunters would act under the direction of their own party leaders, but if the soldiers should give any orders, the chain of command went captain, aide, upper-ranking NCOs, and the leader of their squad, in turn. Even the hunters would be expected to follow orders. 

Naturally, any particularly unreasonable instruction, such as, “I need you to hold back those enemies here to buy us some time, even if it costs you your life,” would be in violation of their contracts and considered invalid as a result. However, orders such as “go strike those enemies to the right” or “go do some recon” would be considered instructions from their employer and dutifully obeyed. 

In other words, were a leader so inclined, he could direct the hunters toward tasks with a high risk of fatality. 

Of course, no employer could get away with not paying their agreed-upon wage simply because a hunter had died. Their deposit would have already been paid to the Guild, and that amount would be distributed to their remaining party members and their family. In the event that no one remained who was able to rightfully claim payment, the wages became the property of the Guild and were utilized for the good of all hunters. 

Thus, the Crimson Vow had no reason to think that the squad leader would try to make them do anything truly perilous, just because he was acting a little surly. Still, the risk was such that both the Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of the Flame had considered the Crimson Vow to be in need of protection. 

With this thought in mind, the Crimson Vow steeled themselves all the more. And yet… 

“Damn it! If we have to protect those little girls, they’re as good as dead weight.” 

Apparently, the soldiers were just as worried about protecting them. 

An ironic laughter rose up from the members of the Crimson Vow. 

It had been a few hours now since they had entered the forest. Having taken only two breaks of average length and a number of shorter ones along the way, they were now reaching the end of the first day’s travel. Breaking for lunch would have taken up too much of their time, so they had skipped it; everyone had eaten a hearty breakfast in preparation. 

The monsters driven out from the neighboring lands had yet to reach this area, so they were able to proceed without incident. It would be the next day that they could expect to start encountering their foes. 

Under normal circumstances, no monster would go out of its way to attack a group of soldiers or hunters of this size. They might have been fiends and wild beasts, but they weren’t stupid. 

For tonight, they would make camp where they were. The real job began tomorrow. 

“It’s about time we set up camp. No need to rush—let’s just get set up before it gets dark and then take it easy to get ready for tomorrow.” 

The captain was right. They were already far enough into the forest that time was no longer of the essence in trying to meet up with the oncoming monsters. Learning the terrain of the place and having everyone in top condition for the fight should be their first priority. Plus, the place through which they were currently passing was a meadow that was fairly sparse with trees—the perfect place for camping. 

“Company, halt! We’ll make camp here!” 

The upper-ranking NCOs shouted to the front and back, and everyone assembled. 

No matter how loud their voices got here, it didn’t matter. With such a large number of people traveling in a group, their movements would already be apparent to any monsters or beasts lingering in the vicinity, and none of them would be stupid enough to come pick a fight with a combat force of over fifty people. Besides, as soon as they started preparing to cook, their scent would get around pretty quick. It was pointless to even think of concealing their presence. 

Though they were camping out, there was no reason for them to carry tents or the like. Their goal was to press through the forest with only the minimum personnel and equipment necessary for combat, which meant that everyone would either just trim down the grass and spread their cloaks down on top of it or wrap themselves up in their cloaks like a bedroll. If all went according to plan, the trip would be only four days and three nights—or five days and four nights at worst—so that was enough for them. 

The soldiers all staked out their spots and began cutting the grass down. Several of them seemed to leave an unnatural amount of space around them, but it was likely that those men were guilty of tossing and turning, snoring or grinding their teeth, or some other unappealing habit. 

Then, the hunters began to prepare their own camps. 

Suddenly, the soldiers and two of the hunting parties ceased to move. Silence spread throughout the clearing. 

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what is that?” asked the captain, who was overseeing the operations and had left the preparations of his own sleeping space to his subordinates. 

“Huh?” Mavis shrugged. “It’s just a normal tent.” 

She pulled back the flap to show him quickly, not understanding the source of the captain’s surprise. What he saw inside were four beds, a simple table with four chairs, and a small chest, which held all their changes of clothing. The beds were not the fluffy, canopy-adorned kind favored by young maidens; they were merely plain, simple beds. 

“Y-you just pulled that out of nowhere…” 

“Ah, yes, well, it’s a huge pain to set it up and take it down every single time, so I always just store it like this.” 

“That’s absurd!!!” 

A chorus of voices echoed from all around them—the voices of the soldiers who had been listening in, accompanied by that of the captain himself. 

“I-I mean, storage magic capacity is determined by a ratio of weight to volume, so…” 

Storage magic users were few and far between. And storage magic, which relied more on aptitude than training, was not something that you could increase with age. As a result, it was not unusual for even someone young to be able to use it, provided they had the aptitude and ability. It was unusual to see such users, who were the darlings of merchants and nobles alike, take up such a dangerous profession as working as a hunter—but the captain thought, To each their own. That said… 

“If you have that much space to waste in there, you should fold up the tent and put something else inside!!!” the captain shouted. All the surrounding soldiers nodded. 

If they had known ahead of time that she was a talented storage magic user and that she was going to be wasting that much space in her storage, think of what they could have asked her to bring: blankets, meat, vegetables, and all sorts of other things. They wouldn’t have been restricted to the minimal amount of drinking water produced by the two soldiers with enough practical magic aptitude to summon it—they could have even had enough for cooking. As they thought about this, a feeling of vexation began to bubble up inside the captain. 

The members of the Crimson Vow were not bad people, he knew that much. As leader of the troops, he was merely ashamed at having let the chance to so greatly increase their provisions slip right out from under his nose. 

“I do have more inside…” Mile said offhandedly. 

“What?” the captain replied, in a hollow voice. 

“I’m telling you, I’ve got more in here. A lot of other things!” 

With these words, Mile began to produce a cook surface and stove and cookware and meat and vegetables, along with all other manner of things, one after another from her storage. 

“And…” 

Slam! 

Finally, out came a large tank of water. 

Everyone was speechless, their eyes wide, until Pauline broke the silence. 

“Water is five copper per cup! Bread is five copper a piece. Meat and vegetable stew is five half-silver a serving!” 

In truth, if the soldiers had shown themselves to have a bad attitude, then the Crimson Vow would have made only enough for themselves and the other hunters—or else they would have charged the soldiers an exorbitant rate to milk a profit out of them. Yet, despite their expectations, the soldiers had turned out to be decent people, so they decided to charge a more conscientious price. 

Five copper pieces was the equivalent of about 50 yen, and five half-silver was roughly 500 yen, so besides the water, none of it was really all that expensive. It was about the same prices as you would find at a restaurant in town. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” 

This had been a day full of surprises for the captain. 

Less than an hour later, there was a throng of soldiers gathered around the tent where the Crimson Vow had set up their stove. 

Already, from the time the cooking started, there had been a number of looky-loos. They watched as the stew pot was filled magically with water, and as Reina carefully sank in a fireball, bringing it to boil in an instant. Mavis chopped the dried wood with her sword in the blink of an eye. Then Reina once again summoned up her fire magic to set it ablaze. After that, they tossed in the ingredients that Mile had chopped and seasoned their food with spices pulled from her storage. The quantity of spices they used meant that the five half-silver for the soup was more than worth the cost. They were doing them a special favor here. 

There was a strange silence, and suddenly Pauline realized that the soldiers and other hunters were all looking her way. 

Mile, Reina, and Mavis had all performed their own little shows, so now, Pauline realized, the audience was expecting some kind of trick from her as well. Unfortunately, all of the cooking was now finished. Yet it would be rather dull of her not to do something to contribute to the group’s earnings. 

After hemming and hawing for a few moments, Pauline hit upon an idea. 

“Get your healing magic! Five half-silver per injury! I’ll heal you right up—all your scrapes, foot aches, and training injuries—you name it!” 

Her price was ridiculously low. 

It would be one thing if she were a magic user who was affiliated with their own group, but to get such healing at one of the infirmaries in town staffed by retired former hunters would be far more expensive. There was a limit to the amount of magic every mage could use, after all, so performing mass healing every single day was not possible, which drove up the demand and the price. 

When traveling in remote areas, conserving precious energy stores was a necessity for mages. No mage would ever wish to waste their magic pointlessly. Thus, you normally waited to deal with everything other than the most serious injuries until you got back to town. For the soldiers of a rural fief, which could not be expected to have a healing mage to assign to every platoon, healing was just left to natural processes even after they returned home. 

“ Seriously?! ” 

The soldiers came running eagerly toward Pauline. Gaping, the hunters were just a beat behind them. 

Though Mile had not imparted the fundamentals of magic to Pauline, she had taught her more efficient ways of using her healing powers to supplement her already existing abilities. Now it was possible for Pauline to continually use minor healing magic without expending too much energy. Plus, all they had to do tonight once they were finished eating was to go to sleep, so recovering that energy should be no problem. 

With this many people present, including the rest of the Crimson Vow, there was no reason to think that anything should go awry. The forest was wide, but it was not exactly uncharted territory. As far as everyone knew, there was nothing worse than ogres in these parts. 

It would be one thing if this expedition were a more lengthy one, but as it stood, they were only scheduled to plumb the depths of the forest and come right back out. It was not as if there would be anywhere else for the soldiers to spend their money. Many of the men had thought of this, of course, and had left their purses at home, but now they scrambled to borrow coin from comrades who always kept their money on them rather than storing it back in their lodgings. 

There was none among them who would be foolish enough to let the opportunity to get a good meal and healing for a pittance slip out from under their noses. 

While all this was going on, the meat and veggie stew was completed under Mile’s direction, and so the group was able to enjoy a proper meal in the wilderness—without having any supply wagons in tow. It was a feat that, up until that moment, no soldier or hunter could ever have imagined. 

“Seriously, what was with that?” 

“I couldn’t believe my eyes!” 

After the lively meal was finished and the members of the Crimson Vow retreated to their tent, the Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of the Flame all sat in a huddle, discussing. 

“First of all, having that much storage space is ridiculous! She’s gotta have gotten calls from nobles and merchants—maybe even from a king himself! What’s she doin’ livin’ out here as a hunter?” 

“I mean, I dunno, everyone’s got their own story. Maybe she wasn’t suited to life in court or whatever. I mean, it’s not like any of us is one to talk…but with a power like that there’s no way there ain’t B or even A-rank parties comin’ for her! What’s she doin’ in a C-rank party?!” 

Pearls before swine. Coins before a cat. There were phrases of equivalent meaning in this world as well. 

“Still, I can see why those other girls are such a perfect match for her.” 

“Mm-hmm. There is that swordswoman. She chopped up that wood like it was toothpicks. And that attack mage—she has such exquisite control of her fire magic. And then there’s that healing mage… She can use her healing spells so easily, and so many times . I bet they’re all personal guards, hired to watch over that storage magic girl and heal her up just in case something happens. There’s no way that many little firecrackers could’ve come together just by chance.” 

“You think she’s a spy?” 

“Doubt it. She’s way too useful to be expendable, and if she were, she wouldn’t have been taking on jobs like this. And anyway, I really can’t see it, not with a face as stupid-loo— ahem , as, uh, pure and simple as hers.” 

“You’ve got a point,” the others replied. 

They were not a particularly courteous bunch. 

Still, it was impressive how accurately they guessed at the extent of the girls’ abilities, even without having seen anything flashy beyond the storage magic. That was veteran hunters for you. 

Of course, the soldiers were not all fools, either. 

“The hell was with that storage magic? She’s like a demon!” 

The commander’s aide was focused on Mile’s storage magic, but the commander himself had other things on his mind. 

“Sure, there’s that, but did you see that one with the sword?! She tossed those logs up in the air and cut them into kindling with no more than two or three swipes of her blade… You lads, could any one of you cut a log midair like that, nothing holding it up?” 

The men toward whom the commander’s question was directed all shook their heads. 

“And then, there was that fireball the other one conjured up without even moving, with just enough power to get that pot boiling. She controlled it so easily, with just enough force so that it slipped into the water. Have any of you ever seen anyone who could use magic like that?” 

Once more, the soldiers shook their heads. 

“And I don’t think I even need to tell you all about that healing magic… Yeah, sure, maybe it was mostly scrapes and bruises, but I know that every single one of you was in line, and she healed each of you without even breaking a sweat. I’ve never heard of any mage who’d let all their magic get used up while they were out in the wild. Let alone for little stuff like that, not even in a battle or an emergency situation. Looking at this logically, I’d wager she didn’t use more than a half—no maybe even no more than a third—of her power to do all that. Though, hell, I don’t even know what ‘logic’ means in this situation.” 

The commander was a bit befuddled. 

At the very least, the unexpected powers that these girls—who they had thought would be nothing but dead weight—had shown them gave him a newfound respect for hunters as a whole. 

*** 

The next day, when the camp awoke, a delicious smell was wafting through the air. 

“What is it?” 

When the soldiers roused themselves, they found before them a mountain of bread and a steaming stew pot, along with a platter of salad. 

“Get your breakfast combos, five half-silver a plate!” 

Today was the day of the big fight, and there would be no time for them to stop and have lunch. 

It seemed they had two breakfast choices: hard tack, a few scraps of jerky, and some water—or this hot, delectable, and filling array. 

There was not a man among them who had the slightest trouble deciding. No soldier would ever neglect his physical condition on such an important day just to save a few silver. 

“G-gimme one!” 

“Me too!” 

“Can I have two portions?” 

The soldiers came flooding over. 

“All right, all right, no need to rush, there’s plenty to go around! Everyone gets seconds for free today—our treat!” 

“ All riiight!!! ” 

Of course, it was not the best idea to fight on a full stomach, or really to have much food in your belly at all, but at least this time they were fighting against monsters and not people, so there was no chance of them being pierced in the gut by a spear or sword or arrow. Plus, given how far they still had to travel, it was equally important that they safeguard against fatigue and hunger in this case. 

And so, the soldiers ate their fill—in moderation—and set off triumphantly from the camp. 

This is the first time I’ve ever seen these men so full of life on one of these jobs. I owe my thanks to the Crimson Vow. 

The commander looked ahead to where the Crimson Vow walked before him and silently nodded his head. 

The group was about two hours out from their campsite when the commander shouted, “This is the place! Spread out and start patrolling!” 

Where they now stood was the narrowest part of the forest, which was bordered on both sides by mountains. It was halfway between the national border and the outer edge of the forest on Marlane’s side, and it was the ideal place to ambush and drive away any monsters that might come running their way. 

They would cut the beasts off here and let nothing get by them. That was their primary duty. 

The head of the platoon, the commander of this expedition, split the group up into four teams again, spreading them out to the left and right at intervals. They formed an unbreakable line that crossed the expanse of the area between the mountains. 

The moment that any monsters that came at them, no matter how many there were, they would be repelled in the opposite direction with no chance of slipping through between the patrols. As long as they were successful in getting all the monsters turned around here, all they would have to do afterward was keep driving them back all the way to the border. 

Of course, in the process, all of the ogres and goblins on their side of the line would be driven away as well. There was no way of distinguishing between the native inhabitants and the invaders, and besides, if those other scoundrels were going to drive all their beasts over to Marlane, then what was the harm in the Marlanians doing the same? 

Or so they figured, at least. 

Of course, they did have to be very careful not to drive away the orcs, jackalopes, deer, and boar that the local huntsmen took as their quarries. Diminishing the number of edible beasts and monsters in the area would be incredibly detrimental, not only to the local huntsmen but also to the people of the nearby city, who relied upon such creatures for nourishment. 

The neighboring country was apparently unconcerned about such matters, driving every creature in their woods, edible or not, indiscriminately towards Marlane. So when they were driving off the monsters, it was important not to lay a hand on the more valuable, edible creatures, allowing them to pass through unharmed. 

It was roughly two hours after all of the teams had gotten into position that Mile, with her superhuman senses of sight and hearing, first spotted something. 

“They’re coming. There’s a huge mass of monsters and beasts up ahead! But they aren’t all in one group—they’re spread out.” 

Hearing this, the other three members of the Crimson Vow gave a silent nod, while the soldiers looked on, perplexed. 

“Mile’s good at sensing these things,” Mavis explained. “If Mile says they’re coming, then they’re coming. Get ready!” 

The soldiers appeared to still be half in disbelief, but thinking back to the incredible feats they had seen performed the day before, they silently nodded and drew their swords. Apparently, they could find it in themselves to have a bit of faith in Mile. 

“They’re here!” 

After a short while, the soldiers, too, began to pick up on the signs of the approaching monsters. 

Reina gave a wicked grin, fangs bared. 

“Let’s do this!” 

“All right!!!” 

“Two o’clock, three orcs, two hundred meters ahead. Target irrelevant. No mark!” 

“Roger that, no mark!” 

“One o’clock, four goblins, three hundred meters ahead!” 

“Mavis, dispatch the threat!” 

“On it!” 

“Eleven o’clock, six kobolds, 150 meters ahead!” 

“Pauline, get ’em with a water spell!” 

“Okay!” 

Following the directions of Mile (or rather, her radar), Reina issued commands, and one after the other, the Crimson Vow flew forth to repel the monsters, jumping right back into place after each attack as the men stared on silently. Occasionally even Mile and Reina took their turns, landing the girls a number of kills apiece. 

The soldiers of the second squad watched them, mouths agape. 

“C-Captain…” started one man. 

“What is it?” the captain replied. 

“Th-this is kind of relaxing, huh?” 

“It sure is, huh?” 

The men fell silent again. 

Meanwhile, having been told that it wouldn’t hurt to take just a few of the orcs, jackalopes, deer, and boar, Mile busied herself sniping a selection of each and storing them away into her loot box. These were not for turning in to the Guild but for eating. There was no need to pay the inflated prices at the butcher’s shop when they could hunt their own meat, after all. The soldiers made sure to take down a few for their own meals that evening and the following morning as well. 

Of course, they only took two or three all told. With only around fifty people to feed, they wouldn’t need much more than that, plus it would be difficult to carry home, and it would be bad form for a group of soldiers to go around masquerading as huntsmen. If they were to come back from battle hauling mountains of meat, the rumors would be absolutely scandalous. 

Meat, shorn from the bone, comprises about 70 percent of a pig’s weight, and a further 70 percent of that is typically considered edible. In other words, roughly 49 kilograms of a 100 kilogram pig can be consumed as meat. And of course, an orc weighed considerably more than 100 kilograms, so taking down just one should have been plenty. That said, when butchered by a layman, there were a lot of parts that would become inedible, and since typically only the good portions would be used and the rest discarded, they would actually need about two or three to make up for the lost portions. 

(Incidentally, the edible parts of a steer account for only 27 percent of its weight.) 

On the soldiers’ request, Mile put away their kills in her storage as well. Without Mile there, they would have had to do all of their hunting right around the campsite, where the hunting conditions wouldn’t be as favorable once they had driven all the monsters back—yet again, her presence was a huge help. 

After about two or three hours had passed since the initial encounter with the vanguard of approaching monsters, they were already through the worst of it. There were still some beasts on the route of their initial approach, but when they collided with the now-retreating front of monsters, most of them would get turned around naturally, swept up in the retreating wave. Thus, the number of monsters still crossing the border toward them was in rapid decline. From here, they would keep driving the monsters onward, meaning that, if their neighbors were going to keep pushing the same monsters forward, they would receive their just desserts. Of course, much more than this would mean an increased possibility of casualties, so while the soldiers remained on their guard, they couldn’t help but breath a collective sigh of relief at these developments. 

“Captain, I was thinking it would be smart to have Mile and Pauline make rounds to some of the other squads. Might I ask your permission for them to do so?” Mavis queried. 

The captain’s face brightened up, and he gave a great nod. 

“Yes, please, if you would.” 

Their squad had yet to take a single grave injury, but there were no such assurances for the others. Or rather, it was highly improbable that they would be in the same shape. After all, they did not have the members of the Crimson Vow at their disposal. 

In truth, it was only natural to have their sole adept healer make rounds between all of the squads, an idea that the captain himself ought to agree to immediately. To fail to do so would be a lapse of judgment that would see him severely dressed down by the commander and the other captains after the fight. 

It was a bit embarrassing that the likes of a rookie hunter was covering up for the captain’s own delay in coming to this conclusion, but given the guileless sincerity of Mavis’s manner, the captain felt not the slightest bit of shame in thanking her for her helpful words. 

Of course, he assumed that Mile was being sent out as a guard for Pauline, the healer, though, in fact, that was not the case. 

No one in the Crimson Vow would say it, but they all recognized the truth: Mile was stronger with a blade than Mavis, more skilled at combat magic than Reina, and more proficient at healing than Pauline. Really, this was only to be expected, since Mile was the one who had trained all of them into what they were today. 

In circumstances like these, there was a possibility that some soldier or other would take an injury that left him on the brink of death. Pauline would never be able to address such a grave wound, so Mile was dispatched to assist her. 

Since the squad to which they had been assigned was in the center of the forces, it only made sense for them to each go in a separate direction. Should it happen that there was someone too gravely injured on Pauline’s side, she could simply do her best to stabilize them until Mile arrived. 

And so, Mile and Pauline split up, running. 

*** 

“You all did wonderfully out there today. We didn’t lose a single man, and no one got injured enough to mess ’em up later. This is a truly momentous occasion. Obviously, I can’t permit you to drink, but you all have my leave to eat your fill. Just not so much that you can’t make the return trip tomorrow. From here on out, you’re free to do as you like, lookouts excepted. But first, let’s all work together to get that meat cooking!” 

Everyone raised a great cheer at the commander’s words. 

Casualties: 0. 

A number of men had gotten hurt, but thanks to the two healers, they were all fully recovered now. There had been a few in bad enough shape that it was unclear whether they would be able to withstand the return trip, but miraculously, even they had made a full recovery. To heal cuts and bruises was one thing, but Pauline and Mile had managed to erase even the most serious of injuries, ones that would have normally showed symptoms for many years—broken bones, ruptured organs, and deep cuts into tendons and arteries were cured without a trace. Truthfully, this was the sort of battle that normally would have seen one or two men D.O.A., and a few more forced to retire from the service, but in the end, their damages were a net zero. 

Even healing magic had its limits. If too much time passed before the healing magic could be applied, and the natural healing process had already begun, the body would react accordingly, leaving the injured with wounds that could only heal in the natural manner. Under these circumstances, missing parts could not be restored. Certainly, no one had ever returned from death’s door to full health as a result of healing magic alone. The fact that magic could not heal old wounds was related to this. 

But here, they had healers with magic the likes of which could only be expected from the high priest of a temple—two of them, no less! 

Furthermore, both of them had chosen to participate in this dangerous job for the measly sum of one gold apiece, and since healing in battle was technically part of their hired duties, it had come for free. 

It was unthinkable. Where else in the world did one find such charity?! Even a clergyman would never work for such meager recompense. 

The soldiers were overwhelmed with thanks for their good fortune and for the hunters’ kindness. 

After some time, everyone was treated to a nice barbecue. 

Some of the grass had been cut away to minimize the risk of flames spreading, and a roaring bonfire was built up from fallen logs and branches. A little ways away, a pit was dug to discard the viscera, beside which the soldiers set to dealing with the orcs. 

Naturally, these men had handled orcs before in the course of previous missions. However, they were still amateurs when it came to dissecting monsters and lacked any dedicated tools for cutting flesh or bone. As a result, it was a bit of an undertaking. While a short sword worked just fine in a battle, it was awkward for preparing food, and there were few soldiers who would risk chipping their beloved blade to chop through orc bones. And so, they all stood there looking at one another without even approaching the orcs. 

“All right, I’ll handle this,” Mavis said. 

There was a single flash of her blade, and the three orcs were freed of their heads and limbs, their bellies slit and their fat clipped away in a single breath before the sword went back in its scabbard. 

“I’ll leave it to you all to remove the entrails and dispose of them, if you don’t mind.” 

The men were speechless. 

If the orcs had been up on their feet, it would have been one thing, but she had brought her blade down on the corpses laid out on the ground without a moment’s hesitation. Furthermore, she had not once stopped moving her blade, cleaving all the bones, the neck, and the limbs like she was cutting a hot knife through butter. Surely, an orc’s flesh and bones could not be so tender. 

The motion had not appeared to be an especially careful one, yet somehow, there was not a single nick on the organs inside of the split bellies, not a shred of meat tainted by the contents of the creatures’ digestive tracts. 

“She’s on a completely different level…” 

Magic, they could accept. They were swordsmen and lancers, after all—not mages. When they watched a skilled mage work, at best, they might think to themselves, Wow, that’s cool . 

This, however, was something they could judge. 

All of them, in spite of their relatively mature ages, were no match for this woman of not even twenty years. Seeing the enormous gap between their skills and hers filled them with a deep sense of defeat. Today, they had won out against hordes of monsters…and lost to a group of young girls. 

Still, none of them felt anger or ill will. 

All they felt was regret—at their own weakness, at their own shortcomings. 

“Damn it! Let’s eat! Gut those carcasses! Cut that meat!” 

“Yeah!!!” 

Today they had their very own meat, more than they could eat. They could eat their fill without paying a single copper! 

Reinvigorated, the soldiers began cutting the meat and roasting it over the bonfire, just as, from elsewhere, a terribly delicious smell began wafting toward them. It was not just the smell of cooking meat. There was something indescribable, something mouthwatering. 

And then they heard it, a cry like the voice of the Devil himself. 

“Barbecued orc sauce, two half-silver a pop! Salt and pepper, just two half-silver! And refreshing, ice-cold lemonade, the perfect complement to that greasy orc fat, just three half-silver a cup!” 

“ Damn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!! ” the soldiers roared. 

And here they thought that today they would be able to eat to their heart’s content, without parting with a single coin… 

“ How are we supposed to pass that up?!?! ” 

“So there really was no point in us coming along at all, was there?” muttered Wulf, leader of the Devils’ Paradise, looking crestfallen. 

“Yep. They’re strong and sturdy. A party of all young’uns, half of them girls not even of age…” Vegas, of the Fellowship of Flame, was right down in the dumps with him. 

“S-still, it was worthwhile! We earned money without anyone getting hurt, got in some good practice, and improved the relations between hunters and locals,” said another of the party members. 

However… 

“The ones who made us hunters look good was a group of little ladies who came from somewhere else—not us. We were supposed to be saving them and making ourselves look good that way, but we were about as useful as air…” 

The men fell silent. 

“Well, c’mon. Let’s go get somethin’ to eat. Can’t work without a bit of meat in ya!” 

“Y-yeah…” 

Not a single one of the hunters was in high spirits. 

*** 

While everyone but the lookouts slept, and silence fell over the camp, there was movement in the Crimson Vow’s tent. 

“All right, I’ll be back.” 

“Be careful out there. Of course, it’s you we’re talking about, so I guess there’s no point in worrying.” 

“Ahaha, I’ll try my best!” 

Mile slipped out from the tent and through the clearing, cloaked in an invisibility field and sound barrier. This time, she had made sure to tell her fellow party members what was going on beforehand, so she did not have to sneak out. 

And then, Mile crossed over the barrier and invaded the neighboring country. 

Of course, given that she was a hunter and not a soldier, it was a harmless act that could not properly be called an “invasion.” She was not acting as part of the military, and she had not received any orders from them. 

As of now, Mile was merely a solitary hunter, going out in search of raw goods during her free time, outside of work duties. Yes, there was no problem with that at all. 

She slipped through the forest at an inhuman speed, and soon, she came across an ogre. 

“All right! Invisibility field, sound barrier, dismissed! Intimidation, full power!” 

Normally, Mile’s magical power—or spirit or aura or what have you, her general presence, which monsters and wild animals would sense as “the smell of danger”—was something that she fully suppressed, but now she released it in full force. 

In other words, all of the creatures in the surrounding region suddenly sensed that there was a dangerous life form approaching, a life form with half the power of an elder dragon, dripping with wanton bloodlust. 

And with such a presence around, what do you suppose might happen? 

KA-THUMP-KA-THUMP-KA-THUMP-KA-THUMP 

Indeed, a stampede broke out. 

Ahead of her, all of the monsters from this side of the border, which had been driven toward Marlane earlier in the day, along with all of the monsters (the dangerous, inedible ones) that had been driven out from Marlane, began rushing at full speed toward the outskirts of the forest on the neighboring country’s side. Meanwhile, behind her, all of the edible creatures prized by huntsmen began rushing at equal speed towards Marlane. Any useful prey that got caught up in the stampede, Mile carefully escorted out of the fray and sent back towards Marlane. 

Mile then approached the tail end of the ranks of exiting “bad monsters” and drew in a deep breath, ready to release her powers of intimidation once more. 

“ Hee-hee-hoo… Hee-hee-hoo… No wait, that’s all wrong!” 

Even when she was all alone, Mile never failed to play both sides of the comedy duo…whether or not she intended to. 

“Okay, let’s try that again. All right, grnnnnnnnnhh … Er.” 

That time was a bit dangerous. 

It was important not to overstrain your muscles at times like this, Mile thought. 

It had been two days prior that the army of the enemy nation had approached the border between the lands, chasing down the monsters. However, just like on the Marlane side, they had settled down for an orc barbecue after finishing their duties. Furthermore, though they still had a fair distance to travel the following day, they had decided to make camp while there was a decent amount of light outside. 

Of course, there was a reason for this. The possibility of Marlane driving the monsters back their way sooner than predicted, and their having to stay behind to block them in order to protect the huntsmen, farmers, and crops of their kingdom from harm, left the soldiers hesitant to make a premature exit from the woods. Plus, if they came back too early, people might think that they were running , which would hurt their reputation more than anything else. 

That said, while both of those reasons were legitimate ones, their real motivation boiled down to something like, “We came all the way out here, so we may as well spend another night and enjoy a nice cookout.” 

The soldiers took their time on the retreat, moving only during the daylight hours at a normal human walking pace. 

Now, the large monsters stampeded forth in a panic, no longer trying to maintain a safe distance between themselves and the men who had chased them down on foot. Behind them came Mile, and… 

They were on them in an instant. 

*** 

The following morning, the two enemy platoons had packed up their camp and were just starting to head out, when they heard a cry from the guards who had been positioned to the rear. 

“A swarm of monsters coming in quick from behind! There are ogres and goblins and kobolds and others—all being herded by a dire wolf or something, approaching at top speed! There are at least fifty of them!” 

“Wh-what the hell?!” 

By the guard’s report, there were “at least fifty,” but in truth, their number was closer to seventy or eighty, at minimum. If luck was not on their side, there might be even more. In fact, in the worst-case scenario, there were possibly hundreds, or even thousands. There might be enemies that they could not even see, hidden in the trees or otherwise out of the line of sight—though it was just as possible that they might be imagining enemies that were not there. All they could tell was that the monsters were approaching—fast. 

I’m not sure we’re gonna make it back from this one… 

Of course, one did not want to end up taking casualties when the goal was to harass one’s enemy. Therefore, the enemy nation had assembled an avalanche of force for this mission, with 100 men in total between the two platoons, the hired mercenaries, and the hunters, all under the leadership of one captain, the company leader. Each of the two platoons that had joined in were further attended by their own lieutenants. 

The remaining half of the company had been left out on the outskirts of the forest. Naturally, dragging 180 soldiers through the woods would be far too difficult, so they remained on guard at the fringes of the trees, prepared to put up defenses on the off chance that any monsters should escape. 

It was worth noting that these soldiers were not the force of any regional army. It was unlikely that any singular fief would, on their own, harass another country in a blatant act of aggression—and though the injuries sustained each time were few, a small force could not afford to make that kind of strike again and again. Particularly if it was in the name of such a dishonorable act and not for the sake of protecting their homes or country. 

Anyone who died in the name of such a shameful cause would never be welcomed into the gates of Valhalla. Every man, no matter his rank, knew that fact. 

“A counterstrike! All troops in battle formation, about-face! Hurry!!!” 

It was pointless trying to run away from an onslaught of monsters within the forest. They would never make it out in time, and if they were caught from behind, they would be annihilated, without even the chance to resist. Though they were fully aware of the futility of their task, they had no choice but to stand and fight. 

If only they had a scattered enemy with just a few heads each to face. 

If only they were in a more open place with fewer trees. 

However, at this point, there was nothing to gain by wishing for such things. They were facing a horde of monsters in the middle of the forest, where humans were at a disadvantage. There were limits to how much they could move, or swing their swords, and more monsters could pop out at them at any second. Thanks to the sudden nature of the attack, and the direction from whence it came, there was not even time to assume proper battle formation. 

Iris, Teatelia, I’m sorry. Looks like I won’t be coming home… 

The captain drew his own blade and turned to face the enemy horde. Just then— 

“Bwahahahahahaha! I am the goddess, Visibiel!” 

Above the trees, a strange form appeared. 

There she floated, wearing an outfit that, should an Earthling have seen it, would cause them to remark, “Oh, a swimsuit!” Over that, she wore a translucent dress made of light, with ice wings and a halo already formed and attached. 

Indeed, it was her usual look, just with a slight change in wardrobe. 

Incidentally, now that her halo and wings had become more of a staple, she had improvised a few shortcuts. In other words, rather than issuing detailed instructions to the nanomachines each and every time, she now simply commanded them, “Goddess Formation!” and left them to figure out the rest on their own. 

This strange form then thought to herself, I mean, it’s not a lie! Everyone can properly see me, and there’s nothing unclear about my appearance, so it’s fair to say I’m “visible.” I’m telling the truth here! 

It was an assertion on par with, I bought it from a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays. 

The two platoons were surrounded by a lattice barrier as the girl, Visibiel, descended from the treetops before them—not without some difficulty. The horde of monsters split around them, as though avoiding the soldiers, and continued running past. Apparently, they were unable to stop themselves in time and formed this pattern to instead put as much distance as possible between themselves and a force that it was clear they should absolutely not be reckoning with. 

“W-we’ve…been saved…?” the captain stammered, but it was still too soon to make such assumptions. 

“You there! Why are you lot disturbing this forest? Depending how you answer, I may not be able to allow you to leave.” 

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! 

All of the soldiers cried out inside their hearts, looking to the captain. 

This peculiar figure was clearly no ordinary person. They had initially been complacent, thinking her to be an ally, since she had referred to herself as goddess and saved them from the horde of monsters. But now, suddenly, she had turned on them. There would be no winning against a devil—nay, a deity. Their only hope now lay in the strength of the captain’s wit. 

“W-w-w-w-we were merely driving these dangerous monsters further into the forest, to ensure the safety of our farmers! They may be monsters, but they too are creatures who have received the blessings of life from Your Greatness! We would never think to do something so heinous as meddle in any innocent lives but for the sake of defending ourselves and feeding our families!” 

It was a splendid reply. After all, the captain had earned his station. 

“Oh, is that so? Then surely you were not, instead, driving those monsters into the neighboring land in order to harass your neighbors? Surely you would never do such a heinous thing!” 

“Th-th-th-th-that is absurd!” 

Sweat dripped down the captain’s brow. 

“Very well, then… Oh?” 

Just then, Mile noticed that one of the soldiers had a limp left arm. Apparently, he had broken a bone while chasing the monsters. The rate of injury may have been much lower on their side than on that of those who had to drive the monsters back, but that did not mean that they escaped entirely without damage. 

She slowly proceeded to the spot where the man stood, white with fear, and ran her hands across his broken arm. 

“Hmm. It seems you’ve already had these bones set, yes? In that case…” 

The soldier’s broken arm began to glow, then at the very next moment— 

“It doesn’t hurt anymore!” cried the man, flabbergasted. 

“It should not. It has been completely healed.” 

“Wh…?” 

The man timidly flexed the limb and then swung it with more force. 

“I-It is healed…” 

Silent, instantaneous healing. Not only of bone, but of muscle, artery, and tendon as well, all fully. Not ever the master mages in the capital or the pontiffs in the greatest of temples could do that. 

Silence unfolded across the company. No one made a sound. 

“Now, I’ll overlook this but once, so don’t you dare cross me again. It would be a shame to have to sink this whole continent beneath the waves, so I suppose I’d have to restrain myself enough to destroy only this land…” 

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! 

The soldiers were shaking like leaves. 

Meanwhile, the Visible Go—er, “Visibiel”—thought to herself: Even if these soldiers believed her, there was no point if their superiors, who would hear this report, did not believe as well. She approached the men, who all immediately went stiff as boards, and drew the sword from one of the soldiers’ scabbards. 

“Take that!” 

She kneaded the blade with her fingers until it was warped into a metal spiral. 

Why didn’t it break?!?! The soldiers were flabbergasted—as well they should have been. The sword should have broken. There was no feasible way for it to take on such a peculiar shape. 

Then she approached the next soldier, and drove holes into his breastplate with her fingertips, as easily as though she were pushing through a rice paper screen. 

Poke. Poke. Poke. 

After opening the three holes with her pointer finger, she plunged all four of her fingers in at once. 

“Eeeeeeeeeeeek!” 

The holes had not gone all the way through to his body, but the soldier still cried out in anguish. 

Finally, she turned to a rock that was a little ways away, pointed her finger at it, and… 

KA-BOOM! 

These men were the royal army, the pride of their country, and yet at this, a number of them simply collapsed on the spot. In truth, the fact that even more of them did not collapse was perhaps a testament to their spirit. 

However, all they had really done was manage to stay on their feet. 

Even those who had not collapsed merely stood there without moving a muscle. They appeared utterly shell-shocked. 

“Go now, and tell of what happened here—tell your countrymen what will become of anyone who defies my will!” 

Mile reversed the gravity beneath her and floated gently up into the air, flying in the direction of the herd, while the men watched, still and silent. 

After another full minute, the soldiers slowly began to return to their senses. If they were to stand stock-still in the middle of the forest, monsters would fall upon them where they stood, and they would be annihilated…normally. 

This time, however, there was no real worry of that. All of the monsters had just run away at full speed. 

Finally, one of the more level-headed soldiers suddenly screamed, “Wait! Crap! All of those monsters are gonna rush right out of the forest! There are villages right outside the forest and towns beyond that! We were supposed to stay here to stop them, but the monsters all went right past us!!!” 

Hoping to calm the men, the captain immediately replied, “It’ll be fine. The other half of our company is waiting outside of the forest, prepared for just such an eventuality. They’ll stop those monsters, I’m sure of it! Even if it means that those men will be wiped out… Our country was the one who started this thing, so we can’t go crying to mama just because the tables have turned. Besides, I’m sure the local troops aren’t out there just playing around. They should have all been making their own preparations while we were busy with our work. 

“By the time that stampede reaches the outskirts of the forest, those monsters should’ve used up most of their energy, and they’ll be separated from one another thanks to their differences in speed. Once separated, they should prove far less of a threat. 

“Still, we need to follow them and participate in the defense, so there’s no time to waste. Not if we want to protect our own men from casualties. Also—none of you need to worry about that goddess. Thinking about her, reporting to the Crown, being questioned, being hanged—no matter what happens, that’s my  job!” 

As they looked upon the captain’s weary visage, the slightest bit of composure began to return to the soldiers’ own faces. Sure enough, none of them would have to give the report about the goddess. The only thing that would be expected of them was to have an amusing tale with which to regale their fellow soldiers and the serving maids at taverns. Such was the privilege of the rank and file. 

“All right, let’s get moving! Troops, roll out!” 

Thus, the combined brigade of the two platoons, the mercenaries, and the hunters began their advance. 

Their expressions were dark as they hurried home. Though they had all picked up on the captain’s mood and nodded in agreement, most of the soldiers were aware of the grim truth: It would be impossible for the two platoons on the outskirts of the forest to repel that many monsters. Even after that, the monsters would not stop, and the villages beyond the reserve platoons, and the towns beyond those, would all be… 

Uh-oh, there’s not much of a gap left before the forest ends, is there? At this rate, these monsters are all gonna go flooding out of the trees! Well, it’s better to put the brakes on this before they overrun the villagers… 

Mile, who had been flying ahead of the stampede just in case, was now in a bit of a panic as she realized how close they were getting to the edge of the forest. She was not of the mind to see any innocent civilians suffer as a result of her attempt to punish the soldiers. 

Umm, it seems like there are soldiers on the outskirts of the forest, so I probably don’t have to stop all of them. I still need to make them sweat a little bit… Okay! 

In the forest, it would be imprudent to use powerful fire magic, or any other magic with the chance of causing widespread natural disaster. Furthermore, any heavy-handed means of attack would just cause the monsters and beasts to turn back around again and start stampeding in the opposite direction. With this in mind, Mile, who had now overtaken the herd, turned back to the front of the stampede, began waving her arms, and shouted, “Ball Lightning!” 

Ball lightning. A phenomenon infrequently seen in locations near active thunderstorms, where a bright ball of light streaks through the air near the ground. It is one of the myriad phenomena frequently mistaken for UFOs or the souls of the departed. 

There are numerous cases where humans who have come into contact with such objects, which many theorize are made of naturally occurring plasma, have perished. Additionally, ball lightning vanishes as quickly as it appears, leaving no trace behind it. 

In other words, it was a convenient little trick, one that would run through the air along the ground and dissipate fully into the first thing with which it came into contact without affecting the area around it in the slightest. By regulating its power appropriately, one might guarantee that the thing with which the ball came into contact would not be killed, but rather, stunned or startled into stopping—or at the very least, turning around. By adjusting the numbers here, she should be able to adjust the course of the stampede as well. 

The phenomenon of ball lightning still had yet to be fully and accurately explained even on Earth, but whether or not it actually was plasmatic in nature mattered not. Mile hoped and prayed for “something like that,” and so the nanomachines who received her thoughts brought something like that into existence. She got the result without having to question the process, and that was just fine with her. 

Honestly, she had no intention of slaughtering a bunch of monsters en masse in the first place. There was nothing to be gained from leaving mountains of corpses to rot on the forest floor instead of putting them to some practical use like food or materials. In fact, doing so would upset the local ecosystem. As far as Mile was concerned, this was the only way to safely get everything taken care of. 

Gyek! 

Ga-hwee! 

Gnyarh!!! 

Various cries of terror and anger sounded as some monsters were felled, some collapsed, and some turned around, heading once more into the depths of the forest. Of course, some of them continued on as they were, unmolested, while others refused to change their course. These numbers were, of course, carefully calculated by Mile, who had determined the directions in which her lightning ball would fly. 

“Looks about right.” 

She had culled the monsters’ numbers by a sufficient amount, and those who were still proceeding had been greatly weakened. The rest? Well, the soldiers beyond the forest would have to do their best to deal with them. With that final thought, Mile retreated. If she didn’t get back soon, she got the feeling that the commander would be quite cross with her. 

*** 

“What? The storage girl’s gone? Why? Where did she go?!” 

The remaining three members of the Crimson Vow looked on, troubled, as the commander raged. 

“Umm, well, she said that she wanted to go and chase those guys down just a little bit, so they wouldn’t think of bothering you all again…” 

“Bwuh?! You’re telling me she crossed the border and invaded enemy lands, all by herself, in the middle of the night?! I told everyone, very clearly, not to cross the border no matter what . Was she even listening?!” 

It was after breakfast the following morning, while the group was cleaning up camp, that Mile’s absence came to light. 

For breakfast, everyone had eaten the leftover meat from the previous day’s roast, so the members of the Crimson Vow were able to sell the seasonings and beverages that Mile had left with them. This meant that they would have to discard the cask that contained the liquids, but they still had plenty left over from their previous sortie, so it was not something they were too concerned about. 

Afterwards, however, when the soldiers thought that they might petition Mile for use of her storage magic to carry the rest of their still-uneaten meat to enjoy again that evening, the jig was up. 

“Well, actually,” Mavis explained, just as they had discussed the night before, “she’s not a soldier, just a hunter, going out on her own time in pursuit of food for herself, which has no relation to this job or to national borders.” 

Hearing this, a light bulb seemed to turn on over the commander’s head. 

Now that he thought about it, it was just as Mavis said. Plus, given the report of the Crimson Vow’s activities he had heard yesterday from their squadmates, he was aware that Mile possessed indeterminably more ability than the average soldier. However, no matter how strong she may have been, chasing down a herd of monsters alone was incredibly reckless. Besides, there was no telling what might happen to her in the time that she was gone, until she caught up with the other soldiers. It would be different if she at least had as much combat prowess as that swordswoman who was their leader, or the combat magic wielder… 

The commander expressed as much, fretting over this reckless action he was permitting. However… 

“What? Mile’s better with a sword than I am, stronger at combat magic than Reina, and more skilled with healing magic than Pauline. She’s the one who taught all of us, after all.” 

“What?” asked the commander, shocked. 

“What???” chorused the other soldiers. 

“I-Is that true?” 

“It’s true.” 

“So we don’t need to wait for her?” 

“She’ll be fine. She’s probably safer right now than we are.” 

The commander fell silent. He didn’t wish to think about this anymore. He turned to his men and ordered, “Company, withdraw! We set off for home at once!” 

Thanks to Mile, their food and water stores had scarcely gone down at all. They only had about a day and a half of travel left, but when traveling through the forest, where anything could happen at any time, it was simply common sense to try and economize or discard extraneous supplies. Thankfully, the soldiers had enough strength to carry a sufficient amount of the remaining meat to eat for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning. (They would not be taking lunch, which took too much time.) 

“Sorry I’m late!” 

“How did you catch up with us so quickly?!” 

At some point around midday, Mile finally caught up with the group, approaching calmly, with no signs of fatigue. By now, the commander had already entirely given up on making sense of her. 

“Oh, by the way, I picked up the casks and extra meat that got left behind at the campsite. My apologies—I should have just left you all enough for breakfast and packed up the rest beforehand. I really wasn’t thinking. I can carry the rest of everyone’s things, too, if you like!” 

Whatever she says, the commander thought to himself. I’m tired. I’m just so tired… 

“Time for a break!” he decreed to his men. “Give all your meat and your bags to the storage girl!” 

Mile sputtered, “‘S-storage Girl?!’ Are you serious?!” 

“Oh, sorry…” 

Unintentionally, the commander had let their internal nickname for her slip. He immediately apologized. 

That night… 

“Well, it looks like there’s salt and pepper and sauce here for the barbecue. And how about some ice-cold lemonade? We’ve got delicious apples to cleanse the palate, too. And some alcohol-free ale, nice and chilled, just five half-silver a cup!” 

“Damn it, damn it, damn iiit!!! ” the soldiers roared. “There goes all of our allowance moneeeeeey!!!” 

*** 

Eventually, the soldiers of the neighboring kingdom—who were on pursuit duty—arrived back at the outskirts of the forest. When they got there, they found the other half of their company looking absolutely bedraggled. 

However, bruised and beaten though they were, they were alive. And, as far as the soldiers could tell, it did not look as though a single man had been lost. 

Don’t tell me they tried to protect themselves and let the monsters get past them—no, they would never do something so cowardly! 

“Your report?” the captain asked, directing his question at the commander of the third platoon, who had been left in charge of the outskirt forces. 

“Yes, sir! Around noon yesterday, monsters began appearing from out of the forest. Though their groups were sporadic, their numbers kept increasing, occasionally coming in larger waves. Though our men were mostly able to hold them off, we grew fatigued, and while no one took any fatal wounds, there were an increasing number of injuries. However, thanks to the local army sending reinforcements, and the Hunters’ Guild issuing an emergency request, we were able to fully protect the local farmers from harm beyond a few fields, which were destroyed. 

“I was the one who made the decision to contact the army and the Guild, so I personally take full responsibility for any shame or expense the royal army may incur as a result of my actions. Please, let no harm come to the other men. I beg your consideration…” 

“You stopped that stampede without losing a single man?!” 

The captain was stunned. Despite what the man had reported, he had never suspected that they would truly be able to stop the monsters once they left the forest. 

Well, wait a minute… Which way had that “Goddess” gone? That’s right! She went in the same direction as the monsters. We passed by a lot of monsters on the way back, too. We were able to ignore them or drive them off without any pointless fighting, though. But the numbers did seem a bit high for them all to have just broken off from the stampede on their own. 

And then we get a miracle—lots of men hurt, but no one killed… Well I guess, not a miracle so much as an example of “divine balance”… 

The wounded can be healed. We can spend a bit of money and request the services of skilled healing mages, or we can make a sizable donation to a temple and have their clerics take care of our men, as long as they aren’t lacking in forces and the wounds aren’t too serious… In other words, though we’ll have to spend a bit of money on healing, the kingdom won’t have to waste all of the money and time that it would take to train up new skilled soldiers. I’m sure that the Goddess must have realized at least that much… 

The captain patted the man on the shoulder. 

“You idiot! That’s my job. You did well. Let’s get to the nearest town and contract as many healing mages as we can. We’ll have them work until their power or our coin runs out, whichever comes first. We’ll borrow the money if we have to. We need to get back to the capital as quickly as possible. If we don’t want the kingdom to be destroyed, that is…” 

“Wh…?” 

It seemed that there were hardships yet to come for these men. 

*** 

“Brilliant work back there, everyone. It is a great blessing that we were able to complete our duty perfectly without having a single person seriously wounded or killed. Honestly, we didn’t even have any light wounds by the time we made our way back. The accomplishments of the ladies and gentlemen of the Hunters’ Guild are an example that we should all strive to emulate. We extend to you our deepest thanks and look forward to working alongside you all in the future. I now declare this special alliance dissolved. Dismissed!” 

There was a great cheer at the captain’s decree. 

Everyone had made it back safe and unharmed. 

The soldiers were overjoyed at this unprecedented achievement. The hunters, however, did not participate in the rejoicing. Unlike the soldiers, who were constantly asked to face down death, regardless of their own wishes, a hunter’s life was one that was guided entirely by one’s own free will. It was perfectly normal for them to make it home alive. After all, they only chose jobs that were suitable to their own skill sets. 

Thus, the hunters never lost their cool and unaffected manner, though on the inside they were thrilled as well. 

“I’m sorry. We would love to pay you a bonus, but I don’t have the authority to do so. I’d give you my pocket change, but I still have to buy a drink for these soldiers, whose special allowances you all enticed them to spend. There’s forty of them, so it’s probably going to take at least three or four gold pieces. Those guys don’t really know the meaning of holding back… 

“So, I apologize! We’ll pay the agreed fee for the hunters’ help, no question. If all goes well, we can probably get them to raise the pay for next time, too! Please forgive me!” said the captain, bowing humbly. 

The Crimson Vow smiled wryly. 

“I wonder if there will be a next time,” said Mile. 

“There won’t,” said Reina. 

“Doubt it,” agreed Mavis. 

“I don’t think so,” added Pauline. 

One might imagine that not much had been accomplished during that short outing of Mile’s. Considering how quickly she had caught back up with them, she couldn’t have gone very far, nor even caught up with the tail end of the fleeing monsters. So, what could she have possibly achieved? 

However, her triumphant pose suggested that she had set something in motion. Still, she appeared to have no intention of asking for any additional pay. 

In any event, none of this changed the fact that more than sufficient support had been provided by the Crimson Vow to the army, by transporting goods, providing them with provisions, aiding them in battle, and healing their wounds. Furthermore, while the other two parties had fallen short of these girls, they were still far more skilled than any of the other hunters who had aided the army to date and provided far more help than any groups of soldiers ever could. 

All of the hunters who had participated in this endeavor had hit home runs, and each and every one of them was instrumental to the fact that not a single soldier—nay, not a single member of their special task force as a whole—had been lost in the line of duty. The captain readily recognized this fact, along with the fact that without having the same members once more, there was no way that they would be able to achieve the same result in the future. 

“We have some light food and drinks prepared over there for the hunters, too. After you’ve got a bit in your bellies, please feel free to head back to the Guild. We’ll send a report of your job completion. I’m guessing that you didn’t have much of a chance to converse with the other hunters while we were marching or camping, right? You were split up between the squads while we marched, and the Crimson Vow retreated right back into their tent after our meals. It would be good for you all to spend a little time together, right?” 

The hunters headed towards the indicated building, gladly accepting the captain’s kind consideration. It was as he said; they hadn’t had much chance to mingle, after all. 

“I’m so sorry…” 

When they arrived at the spot where the food and drink had been set out, Wulf, leader of the Devils’ Paradise, suddenly bowed his head. 

“To tell you the truth, we were all underestimating the four of you. ‘Our two parties are gonna do three times what those guys do, so you all should try and aim for at least two times.’ Augh! What was I saying? I’m embarrassed to recall…” he said, covering his face in his hands. “Anyway, I really am sorry. And also, thank you. You already took our money for the food, so that’s its own thing, but you really saved us with that healing magic, and you’ve improved the reputation of all hunters in the eyes of those soldiers. The fact that you all were here was just one of the reasons why the army had a much better attitude towards us than they usually do—as well as why this job went as well as it did—but it certainly was a major reason. That captain always was pretty favorable as far as soldiers go, but still—normally things would go much more poorly than this.” 

Vegas, the leader of the Fellowship of Flame, as well as all the other party members, nodded in agreement. 

“Still, I mean, both of your parties did take this job that you otherwise had no interest in just because you were worried about us, right?” asked Reina. 

“Hm? How did you—? Leutessy, that little…” 

Wulf immediately guessed the offender. Apparently, the clerk they had spoken to was named Leutessy. 

“Well, everyone was able to avoid injury, and we all made a little money off of it, so that’s all that really matters!” piped in Pauline. 

A little?! At her words, the two other parties exchanged exasperated looks. You made a killing! 

Of course, all the money that they had taken went into the pockets of the whole party, not just Pauline, but from the wicked grin on her face, the other hunters could not help but see who held the purse strings. 

Still, based on the payment of one gold each specified in the original job posting, the Devils’ Paradise had earned five gold, and the Fellowship of the Flame six. Not bad at all for just four short days of work. Of course, when one considered the high probability that they might have just been used as a shield for the soldiers—and the possibility of them being greatly injured or killed—it was not a particularly generous amount of pay for a veteran hunter. But compared to other jobs of similar length, it really was not half bad. 

The Crimson Vow, meanwhile, had four people, which meant four gold. In terms of Japanese money, this amounted to earnings of roughly 400,000 yen. In four short days—only one-ninth of the thirty-six day month—they had earned that amount. And then, factoring in the food that they had sold to the other hunters and soldiers, they had taken in nearly double that. 

They had earned much higher wages than this, many times before—such as when hunting down the bandits or dealing with the wyvern. Still, for an average C-rank hunter, this would be a spectacular reward…assuming that all of the party members came back unharmed, anyway. 

The three parties snacked on the provided food and made small talk, exchanged information, and generally got to know one another better. Then they went to give the soldiers their thanks and headed, as one, back to the guildhall. 

*** 

Clapclapclapclapclap! 

Upon entering the guildhall, they were greeted by the sounds of applause. 

“Wh-what?” 

The three parties stood stunned, confused as to what was going on. Through the cacophony, Leutessy, the clerk, called out to them. 

“That was amazing, you all! You really did splendidly out there! The army captain himself came here earlier to sing your praises. The guild master extends his gratitude as well. And also…” 

She glanced at the Crimson Vow, confirming that they were all completely unharmed. 

“You were a great help to our friends who came from so far away. You’re the pride of our branch!” 

Applause broke out once again from the Guild staff and hunters. 

However, the Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of Flame wore muddled expressions as they took in said applause. Clearly, these were men in deep conflict. 

It was understandable, of course. The ones who had flourished were these young rookie girls, whose abilities they had failed to recognize, looking down on them with the haughty assumption that they would be the saviors of such innocents. And yet, here they were being praised, everyone thinking that the accomplishments of those girls—who had, on the contrary, saved them in many ways—were their accomplishments. There were few other things in life that could possibly cause a man such anguish. 

However, this was not something that they could explain to any of the others. That would require them to speak of the girls’ special skills and combat methods, as well as their exceptional abilities. For a hunter, sharing information about other hunters they had met in the line of duty was the greatest of taboos. Such a thing could affect a hunter’s livelihood and safety, after all. 

In other words, they could not give even the slightest hint of the girls’ abilities or strength. Besides, even if they were to insist that the members of the Crimson Vow had been the ones saving lives out there, no one would believe them. At most, some might think that they were just joking around or trying to pull some kind of prank. 

Furthermore, back while they were eating, the girls had drilled it into them: “We don’t intend to keep the fact of Mile’s storage magic a secret, but don’t tell anyone about her storage capacity, or our combat styles, or anything else. Just let everyone know that all three parties worked hard and contributed to the success of this mission.” 

Ugh! This is so awkward!!! The two parties screamed internally in agony as the other hunters congratulated them and clapped them on the shoulders as offers to treat them to ale came flooding in. 

Meanwhile Mavis, who, unlike her three teammates, could relate far too well to the hunters’ feelings, watched over them piteously. 

“Thanks for everything out there. Hope we can do it again sometime!” said Wulf. 

“Of course! We’ll be looking forward to it, too. Thanks for all your help!” Mavis replied as each of the parties retreated to their respective homes. 

Apparently, as veteran hunters, they did not stay at an inn but at their own home base. Of course, even while they called it a base, it was really more of a typical, rented domicile, set up for shared living. 

Everyone had already received their completion marks along with their pay. The Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of Flame had excused themselves soon after, claiming that they were exhausted—probably on an emotional level from having to drink in everyone’s praise. 

As for the Crimson Vow… 

“More than anything, I’m glad you all are safe. From now on, I hope that you will choose jobs that are a little more suited to your abilities,” Leutessy, the clerk, said cuttingly. 

Apparently, Leutessy assumed that the fact that the Crimson Vow had made it back safely was thanks to the Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of Flame, and, having been the one who informed these two kindly parties about the girls’ plight and persuaded them to participate, she felt that she had indirectly been responsible for saving the girls herself. 

It would seem that when giving his praise of the parties, the army captain had not named any individuals, but rather, offered his thanks to the hunters as a whole. Indeed, most soldiers were generally aware of the hunters’ “greatest taboo,” and thus, they did not offer any concrete praise regarding the Crimson Vow’s actions. It wasn’t surprising, then, that Leutessy should think that the words of congratulations were meant primarily for the two veteran parties. 

“Ahahahaha…” 

Able to plainly guess all of these facts, the members of the Crimson Vow could do nothing but laugh. 

*** 

“Let’s take it easy for the next couple days,” Reina proposed. 

The other three nodded. In a regional capital, three half-gold per day was about sufficient to cover food and lodging for four people. Including their sales, they had taken in about seven or eight gold pieces, so it was only right that they take a few days to themselves. Even if they were not hurt or exhausted, those who work themselves to the bone every single day without stopping to rest never live very long lives. 

Plus, what was the point of working nonstop to the point of death or injury when you were already doing a job that put you in the line of danger for the sake of enjoying yourself and living a happy life? No matter how quickly they were aiming for a promotion, to rush like that would only detour them with injuries and failed jobs. 

Outside of sleeping at inns, the Crimson Vow had barely been using their money. 

They didn’t use arrows or throwing knifes, which would require them to replenish ammunition for their weapons, and they had two experts in healing magic on hand, which meant that they never wanted for bandages or medicine. When it came to food, Mile’s storage was already chock-full of meat, herbs, and vegetables acquired from hunting and foraging, and they even had a stock of fish as well. 

They had already collectively agreed that they would not eat into their savings except in extraordinary circumstances, but really, it was almost impossible for them to even spend what they earned. 

So they spent their time sightseeing around the town, which they had not yet seen very much of, trying the local cuisine, and purchasing souvenirs for Little Lenny. 

Normally, one did not purchase souvenirs until right before returning home, as it just made more luggage to carry, but for Mile, with her storage magic and her pseudo-inventory disguised as storage magic, this was no concern. They could buy anything they liked the moment they laid eyes on it. They were absurdly handy, these tricks of hers… 

*** 

Four days later, the girls of the Crimson Vow stood in the hall of the Hunters’ Guild in Mafan, capital city of a fief in the frontier region of the Kingdom of Marlane. 

“Hmm. Not really anything interesting here…” Reina muttered, but that was more or less the norm. 

There weren’t a lot of “interesting,” well-paying jobs that a rookie hunter would find exciting in a remote place such as this, and if there were, they would be snatched from the board the moment they were posted. 

The world was a harsh place, after all. 

“Ah well. Wanna do some dailies or an escort job? If we do some daily requests, we can study the spread of plants and monsters in this area, and if we do a guard job we can familiarize ourselves with the local geography and get cozy with the other parties who come on the journey. Then, they can tell us more about how things work around here. And either way, we’ll be earning a bit of coin,” said Mavis. 

Reina, who wished to earn a promotion as quickly as possible; Pauline, who wanted to save up money to support the dream of establishing her own company; and Mile, who just wanted to live a carefree life, all nodded enthusiastically. 

“A round-trip guard duty, bound for Glademarl?” 

The request slip Reina had come across mentioned an unfamiliar-sounding name. The fact that they had never heard of the place meant that it was probably located somewhere that they had not been yet, and that the job was a round trip meant that they would not have to travel unpaid for the return. Besides, most merchants were unlikely to turn around the moment they had arrived somewhere, so they would probably have a bit of time to explore this new town when they got there. 

The real question was just how far this Glademarl or whatever was from Mafan. 

At times like this, it was best to ask the clerk. The Crimson Vow walked up to the desk to see Leutessy, who was fast becoming a familiar face. 

“Um, about this guard request, the job bound for Glademarl…” 

“What?!” 

Leutessy appeared shocked. “What is it with you all and wanting to take these jobs?” 

“What?!” 

This time, it was the members of the Crimson Vow’s turn to raise their voices in surprise. They had no idea what she meant. 

Guarding a merchant caravan was a perfectly normal job for a group of C-rank hunters, no matter who they were—even bottom of the barrel, fresh off of a promotion from D-rank. Therefore, it was a natural choice for a party like the Crimson Vow, who had embarked on this journey specifically for the sake of self-improvement. In fact, they actively sought guard missions that would take them in the same direction they already wanted to travel, and even if the employer had already filled up their slots and was no longer taking applications from hunters, they would worm their way in somehow or other, offering reduced rates or the like. 

They could choose to walk on foot, carrying all their own things, or ride in a wagon and get paid for the privilege. There was no hunter who would ever go on such a journey without taking guard jobs. As a result, they could not understand why Leutessy should doubt them. 

“Ah, you all don’t know anything about that area, do you? Glademarl is about three days from here, each way. They’ll be staying for two days, which means that the trip will be eight days, seven nights. The village itself is a lovely place, peaceful and quiet.” 

The four found themselves slightly surprised. The destination was not a town but a village. And it was not a peddler who was heading to this tiny village but a whole merchant caravan. This was unusual, to say the least—assuming there was not some exceptional reason. 

“However, the route to the village traverses a rather steep mountain road, and there are a lot of monsters, as well as bandits.” 

“Awesome!!!” the four cried. 

“What?” 

It was not every day that you heard a prospective guard cheer at the possibility of bandits. 

But by now, Leutessy and the Crimson Vow were only exchanging interjections, and the conversation ground to a halt. 

“A-anyway, merchants regularly travel between here and the dwarven village of Glademarl in order to sell daily necessities and purchase the metalwork they manufacture there, but this route is more dangerous than the others, so it’s not very popular. There aren’t a lot of bonuses given out, either. The veteran hunters usually take it half out of charity.” 

“In that case, that’s the perfect job for us to take!” 

“Huh?” 

Reina’s unexpected reply set the clerk straight back to stammering. 

“Well, I mean, we’re just overflowing with volunteer spirit!” Pauline continued with a grin. 

At that, Leutessy resigned herself, no longer knowing what else to do. 

“Fine, fine. I guess you should take it then.” 

Meanwhile, Mile was practically vibrating with excitement. 

Dwarves… Dwarves! I finally get to meet some dwarves!!! 

Indeed, by now Mile had met almost all the races of this world: elves, beastfolk, faeries, demons, elder dragons, and more. The one race she had still yet to encounter, however, were dwarves. If she really put her mind to it, she probably could have found some in one of the royal capitals, but she had yet to chance across any. After all, back in the capital, they had spent most of their time either at home or working. 

“Yes! Finally, a complete set!” 

“Complete set???” 

As usual, no one had any idea what she was talking about. The other three members of the Crimson Vow and Leutessy all stared at her silently. 

*** 

“I think something like this ought to do it…” 

The evening after they accepted the job, the Crimson Vow received word that their departure would be in two days, so the next day, each went about town individually, making her own preparations for their vacation-slash-journey. Though Mile had more than enough food for all of them already stored away, buying luxury items, books for entertainment, and changes of clothing was still important in preparation for such a lengthy sortie. 

Normally, no one would bring expensive books on a journey where they were sure to end up tattered—and likewise, few would think to bring along any luxury goods, which would just be more for them to carry. However, the Crimson Vow had Mile, along with her absurd amount of storage space. With that in mind, the other three party members went about buying whatever they pleased, not caring a jot about transportation or storage. 

That really was no good. Whatever happened to their vow that they would work harder, so that they could survive even without Mile? It was no good, no good at all… 

Following Pauline’s lead, Mile decided that she would try her hand at a bit of commerce. Indeed, if there was one thing that she knew dwarves liked, it was booze! Or at least, that was common knowledge in all of the books she had read in her previous life. 

“Say, little miss, is it really okay for you to be buying those? The alcohol’s pretty potent. And anyway, how’re you gonna carry them all?” 

Yes, Mile had taken it upon herself to travel to all of the breweries in town and pick up the strongest spirits she could find. She had asked around with folks who had been to the dwarven village before. According to her investigation, while there were breweries around the village, their product did not compare to the high-class liquors sold in Mafan, and there were in fact many dwarves who enjoyed a stiff drink. 

Then again, that wasn’t true only of dwarves. In a world such as this one, where amusements were few and delicious foodstuffs hard to come by, it was not at all bizarre that there were many folks who were fond of a good drink. In fact, even amongst humans, who were, after all, brethren to the dwarves, there was many a soul who was fond of the bottle, far more so than in modern day Japan. 

That said, this did not change the fact that there were many dwarves who enjoyed drinking, so Mile’s assumption was not totally off the mark. 

“I’ll be fine! Store!” 

With that, all of the casks and jugs that Mile had just purchased vanished in the blink of an eye. 

“You’ve got storage skill, do ya?! And such a large amount—I’m jealous.” 

After a momentary shock, the old shopkeeper looked upon her with deep envy. It was normal for any merchant to be covetous of such a skill, but for a brewer, being able to transport goods safely and securely was a gift all the more longed for. And that was the purpose for which Mile was using her skill right now. 

The route they were going to travel was a mountain road, rarely maintained, and it was full of monsters and bandits. Would anyone ever risk transporting alcohol, which was stored in heavy, easily breakable containers, along this route? It wasn’t a daily necessity, and even the most rough, backwater villages produced their own booze. Factoring in the cost of transportation time and labor and hiring guards would cause the sales price to skyrocket. And then there was the fact that, no matter how high quality if was, if it didn’t knock you off your feet the way the local stuff could, it would never sell. 

Therefore, there were few merchants who would bother transporting alcohol for sale, or so Mile judged. 

*** 

The day of their departure, the Crimson Vow arrived bright and early in the square before the Merchants’ Guild. Other parties had been hired as well, and they couldn’t keep their employers waiting. It was only to be expected that a group of low-ranking rookie C-rank hunters should be the first to arrive at the meeting place. They waited for a short while, until finally… 

“I-It’s you all!” 

“So you’re the other party who took this job, huh?” 

Two sets of familiar faces had appeared: the Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of Flame. 

“That minx, Leutessy! She came all the way to our house to tell us, ‘Oh, this poor caravan, if they don’t hire more guards soon they won’t be able to leave on time!’ and we just had to take on the job.” 

“She came to us, too…” 

The two party leaders, Wulf and Vegas, began to grumble. 

Oh dear… thought the members of the Crimson Vow. It was obvious that the clerk had once again acted on their behalf. 

It was something of a mixed blessing for them, though surely, as far as the other two parties were concerned, there was nothing “blessed” about it. 

“We’re sorry!” 

Even though it was no fault of their own, the Crimson Vow felt compelled to bow their heads in apology. 

“It’s fine—we know it’s not your fault. On the contrary, it feels bad to say it, but we’ll probably just be a burden on you.” 

Despite Wulf’s words, as far as the members of the Crimson Vow were concerned, having all of these capable hunters present meant that no one would bother messing with their party; traveling with two such trustworthy-seeming parties at their side put them all a bit more at ease. Nothing ill would come of this trip. 

“We’re looking forward to spending yet another mission alongside you all!” Mavis said cheerfully, and the two other parties nodded in reply. 

*** 

They made their introductions to the merchants and drivers who had finally arrived, and the caravan set out soon after. They only planned on moving during the daylight hours, so they would have plenty of time for talking during breaks or at night. Only a fool would waste good travel time on chitchat. 

The merchants were a bit wary upon seeing the Crimson Vow, an unfamiliar party comprised entirely of young women of questionable age. But once Wulf and Vegas, who sensed this, gave the party a ringing endorsement, the merchants, who were already acquainted with their two other parties, seemed a bit more at ease. 

Of course, having them along was a blessing. Not only could they use attack and healing magic, but they could summon drinking water with magic as well. This meant that their chances of survival were greatly increased in the event of any unexpected incidents. 

As important as water might be, there was no merchant alive who would dare cut into the amount of goods they needed to transport for sale just to bring along large stores of water. Most merchants carried only the minimal necessary amount, with only the slightest reserves. It was difficult to resupply water in the mountains, and horses required a lot of it. Thus, in the event of an emergency, having access to extra water supplies could mean the difference between life and death. 

With that, the merchant caravan—which was rather small in the grand scheme of things, while simultaneously being rather large for a caravan that traveled only between a regional city and a small village—proceeded steadily into the mountains. There were seven wagons and fifteen guards, resulting in quite a high ratio of guards to wagons. 

At the head wagon was the Devils’ Paradise. At the tail was the Fellowship of Flame. And with the very center wagon was the Crimson Vow. Reinforcements shored up the front and back, while the mages and the nimble-seeming fighter were at the middle, able to protect the caravan from attack on both sides, as well as quickly lend support to either end of the caravan. It was a formation that any of them might have come up with, which made it a logical layout to which no one had any objections. 

In each of the parties, half of the hunters rode in the wagons, while the other half proceeded on foot. There were two reasons for this: First, having the guards make an active show of their presence would ward off bandits and well as intelligent monsters, and second, the more people there were riding in the wagons, the less space there was to carry goods. 

The movement speed of a fully laden merchant wagon was much less than that of a stagecoach, both due to the weight and the need for caution—no merchant wanted to arrive at their destination with damaged goods. So walking alongside at a normal pace wasn’t taxing for a hunter. The fact that they changed shifts now and then made things even easier. 

*** 

“All right, everyone! Let’s take a break! Time for lunch!” 

The transport manager, who was the leader of the seven-wagon caravan, shouted to the wagons ahead of and behind him, just loud enough so as not to startle the horses. He was the mediator for the three merchants who were participating in this expedition, and the driver of the central wagon. 

This merchant was of the ilk who would proudly decree, “Hiring a driver when I can drive the damn wagon myself’s nothing more than a waste of money! Sheer folly! What good’s a merchant who can’t drive his own cart?! Sure, you might be doin’ real well for yourself now, but what happens when your money all goes down the gutter and you’re left with nothing but yourself and a single wagon?! If you can’t make your own wagon move, then you’re gonna end up nothing but a peddler, carrying your little pack of wares on your own back!” 

Perhaps because they had such a person in their midst, the other two merchants were each at the reins of a wagon as well. Thus, there were only three hired drivers, with a clerk from the leader’s shop at the reins of the final cart. 

When it came to the caravan’s general operations, the transport manager was in charge, but if it came to a decision of whether to fight against, surrender to, or run away from any attacking bandits or monsters, the merchants would defer to Wulf, the combat leader. The merchants were more than welcome to refuse a recommendation by the combat leader that they should abandon their goods, but doing so would mean that running away was off the table, leaving the combat leader with only the option to surrender. 

Such a scenario would likely conclude with the hunters turning over any money and weapons they had on hand, though there was also the possibility of the merchants being taken for ransom. 

Most often, those who surrendered were not killed. To inflict such a thing on a group would mean that travelers in the area would begin to give up on the idea of surrendering, which would only serve to increase the losses that the bandits took. As such, there was no merit in putting together a large-scale subjugation force to hunt down bandits unless the problem got very serious. 

They were not yet very far from town, so the highway itself was still fairly smooth. They pulled into a clearing a short distance from the road and stopped so that the merchants could begin to prepare a simple lunch. 

For such a job, it was the employers’ responsibility to provide food and libations while they were on the road. It would be a huge burden on the hunters for each of them to have to carry their own foodstuffs and water on their backs; to individually prepare their meals would be a greater burden still. So unless the conditions of a contract were particularly bad, or a merchant’s means particularly paltry, this was the normal course of things. 

However, the meals provided were the sort in which hunters could expect to be treated to the Three Sacred Treasures: the familiar travel standbys of hardtack, dried meat, and reconstituted vegetable soup. Once in a while they might be treated to dried fruit, for a real treat. 

As the merchants set about assembling a simple stove with which to boil water for their meal, the Devils’ Paradise and the Fellowship of Flame looked to the Crimson Vow expectantly. 

“Ah, well, I think we should enjoy this meal that the merchants have provided for us, just for now. They’re working so hard to put it together for us, after all. I’ll put something together for dinner, though,” said Mile. 

Everyone’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. 

*** 

The first day came to an end without incident. The caravan was still close to town, so they had not yet entered the region that was plagued with bandits and monsters. 

“Why don’t we make camp here for the night?” 

The merchants seemed to already have a predetermined set of locations for taking breaks and camping, having traveled this route many times before—assuming, of course, that there were no major changes of plan due to weather, wagon malfunctions, or attacks. 

Once more, they pulled a short distance off the highway and made a circle enclosed by the wagons. In the event that any attacks came during the night, the wagons would serve as their shield. It was quite futile to try driving a wagon in the dead of night, and the merchants could not possibly bear to bring themselves to abandon their fully laden carts if they came under attack. Even abandoning the wagons themselves and riding away on the horses would prove difficult. 

They would either have to fight, or they would have to surrender. There were no other options. 

That said, surrender was only a viable option if it was bandits they were up against. In the event that their opponents were monsters… Well, in that case, they would just have to hang their hopes on the strength of the guards they had hired. 

“Um, do you mind if I step away for a bit?” Mile made her usual request, seeking the merchants’ permission. 

There would be no need for her to seek permission if she was just stepping away to pick flowers or something nearby, so this meant she was probably hoping to go a little farther. That said, she could only go so far in a place like this, so permission was quickly granted. 

Seeing this, the other hunters’ eyes glittered with anticipation. 

After Mile stepped away, Reina said to the merchants, “Don’t worry about preparing dinner for me tonight.” 

The members of the other two parties cut in one after the other, while the merchants looked on, perplexed. 

“Me neither.” 

“Nor me!” 

“Nor me…” 

“What?” the merchants cried. 

What were these hunters thinking, going without dinner? The merchants were flummoxed, but, as requested, they prepared an evening meal for themselves alone. 

“I’m back!” 

A short while later, Mile returned. She appeared to be empty-handed, but the other hunters did not seem disappointed to see this was the case. 

“All right! Here we are.” 

As planned, Mile pulled her spoils out of storage. 

Deer. 

Some fruits resembling persimmons. 

And the old standard, a cask. Inside was fruit juice, and beside it were drinking bowls filled magically with water. 

Seeing this spread, the other hunters hurriedly grabbed for their wallets. 

“Ah, there’s no need to pay for anything that I hunted while on the job here. The only thing I’ll need payment for is the juice that I bought ahead of time, and the sauce, salt and pepper, and other seasonings. The juice is two half-silver a cup, and as a special bargain, for just five half-silver, you can use as much of the sauce and seasoning you like while we’re on this trip!” 

Obviously it would be a bit much to keep spending silvers here and there the entire time they were on the road, which would be six days of their eight day venture—excluding the two days they would spend in the village. It would be a particularly piteous thing to inflict upon them after the two parties had once again let themselves get screwed over for the sake of the Crimson Vow. And so, Mile decided to provide this special service. 

“Whoa! Seriously?!” 

“N-now that’s some thinking I can get behind. Hope you don’t mind if we take you up on that offer!” 

Granted, it was not as though career hunters such as these were truly hurting for money. Still, having to shell out every single time they wanted to eat a steak was sure to lead to a lot of unfortunate feelings, including a sense that they were being used. Even though it was so tasty! Even though they were so glad to have it! Even though they were full of gratitude! 

But if everything except the drinks and the seasonings were free, and they could use the seasonings as much as they liked, they certainly weren’t going to complain. 

We’re gonna eat. We’re gonna eat until we burst!!! 

Hunters took a good meal very seriously. 

As always, the Crimson Vow set off like busy bees. Reina began preparing the stove that Mile had produced, while Mavis chopped the dried wood that she had collected while Mile was gone into kindling. Then, she began butchering the deer carcasses, while Pauline helped out, cutting the meat into portions of appropriate size. 

Mile began bringing out cookware and sauce and seasonings, placing them on the table that she had produced beforehand. 

The merchants and their hired drivers only stared on in awe. 

“Y-you’ve got…storage magic…?” one of the merchants asked Mile, in a voice full of disbelief. 

Of course, as he had just seen, there were more things to question than just the storage, but it was the absurd capacity of her storage that shocked him the most. 

Deer. Not fawns, but fully grown deer. And a table, chairs, a stove, cookware and tableware, a cask, and much, much more. Plus, just to put a cherry on top, behind Mile was a fully assembled and furnished tent. 

The merchants had heard that the Crimson Vow could use attack and healing magic, and produce water with magic, too, but judging by how they were outfitted, they had assumed that the party only had two mages, with the other two being sword wielders. 

As the three parties had already fought alongside one another previously, there was no need to inform each other about their strengths or battle styles, and so there had been no opportunity for the merchants to learn more about the Crimson Vow. Furthermore, Mile had not bothered to disclose the fact of her storage to the merchants, as it had nothing to do with her combat abilities. 

“Ah, yes. It’s quite handy.” 

“Handy” was certainly one word for it! The merchants stared at her like wolves looking at a plump sheep, unable to suppress the feeling that they would snatch her right up if the chance should arise and milk that ability for all it was worth… 

“All right, eat up, everyone!” 

The merchants and drivers looked at the deer meat roasting on the spit and the soup that Pauline was making on the stove—not reconstituted powdered vegetables, but an honest-to-goodness stew filled with real ingredients—and then turned back to look at their own table, where the hardtack and jerky were laid out. 

Then, they all replied in unison: “Please and thank you!!!” 

After dinner, the group miraculously managed to avoid a scene in which the merchants pulled Mile limb from limb in the hope of winning her favor. On the contrary, she turned the tables on them, asking the merchants a number of questions about the merchandise they were carrying. 

As Mile had gathered, thanks to her investigation back in Mafan, the merchants did not appear to be carrying any alcohol to sell for profit, given the many drawbacks associated with transporting it. At most, they had a few bottles that they might offer as gifts to the village chief or any skilled blacksmiths. 

Yes! Jackpot! 

If she wanted to curry favor in the village, then liquor, particularly high-class, expensive liquor, was an obvious choice. There would be nothing in the village that could compare. Now, the only question would be the selling price. 

“Um, so, about how expensive is that liquor you brought as gifts?” 

When you didn’t know something, it was best to ask the experts. 

“Ah, well, there’s wine, which is about three silver a bottle, and some distilled spirits, which run about eight silver each. They’re both pretty pricey, of course. The wine’s a bit cheaper because they don’t make their own there, so it doesn’t have to be quite as good. However, the spirits have to be the real deal.” 

I see, I see. They came to the same conclusion I did. Plus, as I don’t have to give my stock away for free, I brought more expensive stuff. I should be able to cut a good profit on this… 

Mile’s windfall—and her win—was assured. 

*** 

Bandits often appeared on the way to the village. 

This leg of the journey was when the caravans were still fully loaded with daily necessities and luxury goods for sale, as well as money that would be used for stocking up. On the return trip, they would only be stocked with metalwork that had been purchased for later sale, goods that would be less appealing to bandits, who operated largely without horses so as not to rely on the main road. Such items were hard to carry, and if they tried to sell them off anywhere in the immediate area, they would be easily tracked and discovered. Anyone who would buy them knowing that they were stolen goods would be sure to bargain the price down to such a pittance that it would hardly have been worth the bandits’ trouble. 

Additionally, by their return, the merchants would have spent all of their investment money, and the money earned from selling the goods they brought would have already been invested into new stock. As a result, they would have very little actual coin on hand, and so, it was rare for bandits to bother targeting anyone leaving the village. 

Even monsters with any sort of intelligence realized that attacking the caravans when they were traveling uphill instead of down was to their advantage, as they would find plenty of things to eat on the wagons in addition to the humans. 

And so, the attack came right on schedule. 

Fweeeeeeeeeeee! 

At the telltale sound of a whistle from the front, all of the wagons immediately stopped, and Pauline and Mile, who had been taking the resting shift in the central wagon, leapt out. Sure enough, it was the signal of an impending attack. The members of the other two parties who had been resting in the front and back wagons jumped out as well. 

Now, when the guards had all descended and everyone would be in position to hear, a voice rang out. 

“Ambush! Four ogres, straight ahead!” 

The five members of the Devils’ Paradise were in charge of protecting the front of the caravan. For C-rank hunters, they were reasonably skilled, but in the grand scheme of things they were really only around the middle ranking for C-ranks, or perhaps a little lower. Five men against four ogres would be a tough battle. The Crimson Vow immediately rushed to the front. 

Meanwhile, the Fellowship of Flame split up, leaving two men at the rear, while one each moved to flank the left and right sides of the central section of the caravan, and the final two rushed to the front to lend their support. They were seasoned guards who would never be so foolish as to send all their forces to the front line while leaving the rear and flanks of the caravan vulnerable to attack. 

As formidable a foe as four ogres might be, they would be no match for eleven C-rank hunters. However… 

There came a sudden, harried cry from the two Flames who had remained in position at the rear. 

“Three more ogres coming from behind!” 

Apparently, despite the fact that the enemies were ogres, they were intelligent enough to think of attacking from multiple directions simultaneously. That said, the fact that there had been a delay before the ones at the rear had appeared was probably sheer chance and not a result of any mindful planning to strike after the defense was already concentrated at the front. 

“Flames, to the rear!” 

At Wulf’s direction, the Flames who had come up to the front and sides rushed back to their original position. That left nine hunters to face the four ogres at the front, and six to face the three at the rear. At first glance, this was just about sufficient balance, and yet… 

“I’ll go to the back, too!” Mile declared. 

“Go for it!” replied Wulf, granting her permission. Like Mile, he had realized that, numbers aside, the rear team was at a disadvantage in terms of objective combat strength. 

Mile headed immediately to the back, as fighting broke out on both sides almost simultaneously. 

“Flare!” 

There was no need for a mage to wait until an enemy came into striking range. Their incantations were finished before the approach even began. Before both sides got into the thick of things, leaving it harder to distinguish friend from foe, Pauline let off a full-strength Flare attack. 

The ogres were fully consumed in flame, but since the area of the attack was wide, the actual power behind it dropped accordingly, meaning that it was not enough to fell an ogre at full health. Of course, Pauline had already fully accepted this from the get-go. Even if she could not manage to fell any monsters, the fire was at least enough to slow their approach and wound them somewhat. Pauline wasn’t the only one here with combat abilities, after all. 

Up next was… 

“Firebomb!” 

Ka-boom! 

With a sudden explosion of flame, one of the ogres sank to the ground. Obviously, this attack had come from Reina. 

With the one ogre down, Mavis, beside Reina, turned to face the ogre for which Wulf was aiming. The other two ogres were attended by two of the Paradise apiece. 

The ogres stopped moving. There were now three groups of two against one. Normally, these would be dangerous circumstances for lower-ranking C-rank hunters, but for this group, it was no issue. Reina and Pauline had already finished incanting their next spells, which were to be held on the off chance that they were needed. For the rest, they trusted the sword fighters to do their thing. It wasn’t good to hog all the glory, after all. 

Meanwhile, of the Flames, only the two who had been at the flanking positions made it to the back in time for the start of the battle, leaving them at four-versus-three. The members of the Fellowship were slightly more skilled than those of the Paradise, but they were up against three ogres with a third of their membership missing. It was a dangerous situation—indeed, a battle that could not possibly be won without casualties. Realizing this, the remaining two hunters rushed toward them at full tilt, but it did not seem as though they would be able to make it in time. 

As the two Flames ran, praying to the heavens that their companions’ injuries would be mild enough that they would heal without any long-term effects, something went whizzing past them. Suddenly, from behind the four at the rear, who were brandishing their swords desperately, doing all that they could to hold back the ogres and protect the carts and the merchants, a single tiny girl launched up from the ground, flying over both the pivoting Flames and the three ogres to touch down behind the monsters. 

In a single move she drew her blade and cut down the ogre who had been slowest to react. 

With Mile and the Flames surrounding the ogres, it was five against two, and shortly after, seven against two. The ogres did not stand a chance. Before much longer, all the ogres lay lifeless on the ground. 

Apparently, the Flames had been in rather dire straits before Mile’s arrival. One of them had a cut in his left arm, and another had taken a blow to the flank, hard enough that while he probably did not have any broken ribs, it was likely that he had at least sustained fractures. 

At first, Mile thought to start applying healing magic straight away, but for the most part, the healing role in the Crimson Vow was left to Pauline. They were not in any great rush, so she was not about to steal Pauline’s thunder on that front. 

Yes, even Mile could remember to have consideration for others and “read the room” sometimes. At least, every once in a while… 

By the time the battle finished at the rear, the front had already cleaned up as well. The ogres’ numbers had been reduced to three with Reina’s firebomb, and their strength weakened and pace slowed by Pauline’s flare. At that point, against six melee fighters, the ogres had about a snowball’s chance in Hell. 

*** 

The whole group gathered beside the central wagon—guards, merchants, drivers, and all—to confirm everyone’s status and discuss their next moves. 

“The only injuries sustained were the two Fellowship members. They’ve both already had healing done, so they’re fit as fiddles and feeling fine.” 

The non-hunters were agog to see the first man’s arm healed without so much as a scab, thanks to Pauline’s magic. They were not as impressed by the wound on the other man, as blunt internal trauma was not something judged easily from the outside—though of course, to completely heal the fractured bones, bruised organs, and ruptured blood vessels that lie underneath a wound was, particularly in this world, no mean feat. 

It was hard to picture in the mind’s eye things that one could not see, especially for those not well versed in the internal construction of the human body. 

“Let’s take the ogres with us. This area is outside of the bounds of any extermination requests, and no one would bother eating ogre meat except in a famine. Still, their hides and tusks can sometimes be used in making armor, so I bet we could get some of the dwarves to buy them from us,” said Mile. 

“Yeah,” Wulf agreed. “I bet those guys in the village will be happy to know that we took care of some of their local ogre problem, so it’ll be a nice show of strength as well. Once they know that there’s no risk of the fruits of their labor falling into the hands of ruffians and humanoid monsters, they should be less reluctant to part with some of their more impressive stuff.” 

“What? But the carts are full… Oh right, storage magic!” 

Given that Mile would choose to store as huge a waste of space as that tent—which was spacious but largely empty inside—just because it was too inconvenient to take it down and put it back up every single night, one could conjecture that she still had a reasonable surplus of storage space. Anyone who could not guess at least that much was not fit to be a merchant. 

If only they could use magic like that themselves. If only they could convince that girl to work for them. Or better yet, to become their wife. Or mistress. Or lover… 

At that thought, a series of rose-colored visions that they knew would never come true floated through the merchants’ heads. 

Everyone had the right to dream. It was an unalienable freedom which no one could take away from them. 

Underneath the concentrated heat of their covetous gazes, Mile felt a shiver go down her spine…