Episode 10
Every time I fired the gun, a muzzle flash illuminated the scene before me, capturing it for a split second like a photograph. Left, right. I could see the Lord of the Mountain moving around.
*BANG, BANG, BANG!*
It was impossible to hit it in this darkness.
"Something to light up the area… isn't there anything… what…?"
They say a person's mind goes blank in a moment of panic. Having never truly panicked before, I never believed it. I'd often watch TV shows or movies and get frustrated, thinking, *Why didn't they do something in that critical moment?* But now that I was in that position myself, my mind really wasn't working. I tried to take a deep breath and assess the situation, but my brain couldn't keep up. I couldn't think straight.
"Please, just think of something…!"
Anything. I just needed something to light up the area. With that desperate wish, I scrolled frantically through the sales list. And then, a moment later, a certain firearm caught my eye, and I felt my mind clear in an instant.
"This is it!"
I immediately hit the purchase button. A box with a handle appeared before me. I unlatched it and checked the contents. A crimson-colored pistol, shaped like a revolver. And next to it were shells shaped like shotgun ammunition. I loaded one into the pistol and fired it into the sky.
*WHOOOOOOSH—*
A ball of fire shot high into the air, illuminating the night sky. It glowed as brightly as a small sun, bathing the surroundings in a red light. In the brightened view, I could clearly see the Lord of the Mountain.
*Grrrrrr…*
It panted heavily, likely from the intense movement, and turned its gaze toward me.
*Yelp, yelp!*
Haru leaped at it, trying to stop it from coming toward me. But the beast swatted him away with its massive paw, sending Haru flying.
Before it could kill Haru.
I dropped the flare gun, picked up my pistol again, and aimed at the beast. It locked its eyes on me and charged. I held my breath. I counted in my head.
One.
Two.
Three.
*BANG!*
The beast stumbled, its momentum carrying it past me. I turned to look at it. A bullet was lodged in its shoulder, and it was struggling to get up, but it couldn't. Before it could recover from the pain, I aimed at its body and pulled the trigger to finish it off.
*Click, click.*
I was out of bullets. I pulled the crossbow from my inventory. I didn't know if the crossbow could pierce its thick hide, but I had to try. I ran toward its head. It swung its uninjured paw at me, trying to attack. I aimed the crossbow at its head. The light from the flare, like a sun in the sky, began to fade. In the growing darkness, its eyes gleamed.
And in that moment, I pulled the trigger.
***
"Hah… hah…"
My ragged breaths were the only sound in the silent forest. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, I could make out the beast's silhouette. The paw it had been swinging moments ago was now completely still. With the bolt still embedded in its head, I looked around and called Haru's name.
The voice that always answered me was silent. I fired the flare gun again, launching another flare into the air, and scanned the area.
And then I found him.
Blood was trickling from his mouth, and his breaths were shallow and pained.
"Haru!"
I rushed to his side and checked his body. Thankfully, there were no major wounds. The impact from the paw must have just rattled him. I scooped Haru into my arms, walked past the Lord of the Mountain, and headed home.
***
Early morning. I woke up and immediately looked for Haru. He always came trotting over to me in the morning, still sleepy. But this morning, Haru was just lying there with his eyes closed, breathing.
I grabbed a pickaxe and went outside. The traces of last night's battle were still vivid. I went to the field, cleaned up the trampled potatoes, and tilled the soil again. I cleared away the broken chair and replaced it with a new one, then used a shovel to fill in the beast's giant footprints, erasing all traces of it.
In less than half a day, everything looked as it had yesterday, but one thing was missing. Because of that, my morning routine of sitting in my chair with Haru and watching the lake was gone.
*Psssssh.*
I took a beer from my inventory and took a sip. The malty scent of warm beer filled my mouth.
*Woof, woof!*
My hand froze. I shot up and practically kicked down the cabin door. Haru had finished his food and was drinking water. He looked at me and barked.
"Hah…"
I let out a sigh of relief. I had been so worried that he wouldn't wake up.
"You really had me worried…"
I collapsed on the spot, a mix of relief and exhaustion washing over me as I looked at Haru. If he had just stayed quiet last night when the beast came, it might have passed by without incident. It was because he disobeyed me and ran outside that all this happened. This was all my fault for not training him. The Lord of the Mountain was dead now, so there probably wasn't any more danger, but it was better to be prepared.
"Haru, you're in for some tough training."
I wanted to start training him right away, but you hear stories about people waking up from a shock only to not wake up the next day. I decided to let him rest and observe him for a few days before deciding whether to start training.
When I stepped outside, the sun felt incredibly bright, a stark contrast to the morning. I stretched, looked up at the clear sky, chuckled, and grabbed my hoe.
"Alright, time to get to work."
***
While Haru was sleeping, I went to the city to do some business. He seemed to be sleeping longer than before, but he was getting up, and he was rolling around while I worked in the fields. It seemed he'd be fine on his own.
"Alright then…"
I set up my stall for the first time in a while and slowly arranged my goods. This time, I was selling something that was both a weapon and a tool. A machete.
The forest around here wasn't just dangerous because of the beasts; the terrain itself wasn't safe. The western forest, in particular, was a swamp. One wrong step there, and you could fall in and drown.
"Come one, come all! This isn't an everyday opportunity! An essential knife for cutting through the brush on your way to the western forest! This machete, for just 1200 bron…"
*Ta-da-da-da!*
The sound of trumpets came from somewhere. I wondered if there was a festival and looked toward the city gate, where the sound was coming from. A troop of knights in iron armor and soldiers on horseback were entering the city to a warm welcome. And what they were carrying was none other than the carcass of the Lord of the Mountain.
The knight leading them, with wavy blond hair flowing in the wind, waved to the crowd.
"All hail Lord Terbryan!"
The people cheered the knight's name.
"Is that a woman…? No, a man."
From a distance, I thought it was a woman because of the long hair. But as he got closer, I could see the distinct, angular features of a man. He was incredibly handsome, like a sculpture carved by Michelangelo himself.
"So that's the rumored sabertooth tiger."
"Wow, look at those terrifying eyes!"
"The fangs are incredible, too. Look at them. One bite and you'd be torn to shreds."
The citizens chattered as they looked at the beast being carried by the soldiers.
"That's Lord Terbryan for you. To think he'd slay it just a few days after the subjugation order was issued!"
*'Is that a different one from the one I killed?'*
I examined the beast's body carefully. The hole in its shoulder and the one through its head… that was the one I killed, no doubt about it.
*'So he took the carcass and is pretending he killed it…'*
Knights were, in a way, public servants. It wasn't uncommon for public servants to be greedy for achievements, but to go so far as to fake someone else's accomplishment?
"Well, it's a shame, but this isn't the first time someone's stolen my credit."
My boss at the company I'd slaved away at for three years used to do it all the time, so I was used to it. In fact, it was probably for the best. To enjoy my slow life, I needed to stay as far away from fame as possible.
"Oh my, so that's how it was?"
"Whoa, you scared me!"
I jumped and turned around at the sudden voice behind me. Standing there was the young noble girl who had bought soap and shampoo from my stall before.
"Are you here to buy something?"
"No, I just happened to overhear a very interesting story."
Behind her, Nell adjusted her glasses with her middle finger, glaring at me.
"Nell, do you think it's true? That Yuji was the one who defeated that sabertooth tiger?"
"It must be a lie, my lady. How could a mere merchant with no power defeat such a strong beast?"
"Is that so? I have a slightly different idea…"
"What?"
Lady Elessia gave a meaningful smile. Being looked at like she knew something was unsettling. Nothing good could come from getting involved with nobles. I couldn't just let this go.
"Of course, I was just saying that out of jealousy. How could I, a man without a single weapon, defeat a monster like that?"
"You're the one who occasionally opens a stall and sells rare items. You must have some rare weapons as well. Like this one."
Elessia picked up a machete from my stall and examined it.
"Do you think you could defeat it with this?"
"Well, who knows? Perhaps you have a *special* ability that allowed you to defeat the Lord of the Mountain with just this small weapon!"
She mimicked swinging it a few times, then placed it back on the stall and smiled brightly.
"I'll be sure to tell my father about this."
"No! There's no need for that."
She looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise.
"What? Why not? If I tell him, my father will take care of everything. You could be granted a knighthood, become a noble, and live a comfortable life."
"That's an attractive offer, but I have no desire to live a life of prestige."
All I wanted was a slow life, living in nature without anyone bothering me. I didn't want to become a noble, forced to attend parties, host my own, and constantly worry about maintaining my status and relationships.
"Hmm, you truly are a strange one… To reject the status of a noble, something other commoners would trade their lives for…"
Elessia crossed her arms, her hand on her chin, giving me a suspicious look. Nell stepped closer.
"He is, of course, refusing because he's afraid of being found out for not being the one who defeated it."
"You think so?"
"Well, something like that."
I sat down in my chair and waved my hand at Nell as if to shoo her away.
"You're disturbing my business. If you're not going to buy anything, please leave."
"Hmph, we were just about to leave anyway!"
The noble girl puffed out her cheeks like a blowfish, turned to walk away, but then quickly turned back.
"I am Elessia de Aulua, eldest daughter of the Aulua family. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Uh…? Oh, I'm Yuji Sakamoto."
"Yuji Sakamoto…"
Elessia touched her lips with her finger and smirked, then turned and walked away again.
"I'll be back~"
With those parting words, Elessia disappeared.
"A noble, huh…"
I closed my eyes and imagined myself as a noble. Dressed in fancy clothes, living in a large mansion with servants.
"Ugh…"
A shiver ran down my spine, and I shook my head to clear the thought.