NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 20
Chapter 20: The Samurai Receives a Commission
“Ah! Cross, perfect timing!”
The day Franz and his group’s equipment was returned. After retrieving their gear, the group had come to the Adventurer’s Guild to find work.
As soon as they entered the guild, Diana at the reception desk called out to them.
“What’s up?”
“Follow-up on the village investigation you all informed us about earlier. It was completed yesterday, and as you predicted, we confirmed the elimination of thirty-five imps and one imp leader from the tombstones. As a special reward, we will be paying you one gold coin.”
While putting the handed gold coin into his coin purse, Cross inquired about what concerned him the most.
“What about the identities of the victims?”
“…We’ve yet to confirm even half of them, but we will continue our investigation.”
“I see… Thank you.”
Cross had heard from Franz and the others about why the imps abducted people and the kind of mistreatment the captives endured.
The ordeal they suffered likely made even the dungeons and torture chambers seem like heavens by comparison—a humiliation far worse than any public disgrace.
An unimaginable despair. No matter how the revenge has been exacted, at least the souls need to return them to their families to rest in peace.
“And one more thing, thanks to recognizing the obliteration of the village as an official achievement, you’ve been promoted to F-Rank starting today! Congratulations!”
Without even accepting any commissions, a promotion? He’d heard that G and F Ranks were for beginners, so perhaps that was the case here.
He glanced at the exchanged iron adventurer’s license before re-hanging it around his neck. For Cross, being an adventurer was merely a means to earn a living, so he felt little sentiment over the promotion.
“That’s great, Cross! Now we can take on E-Rank commissions like the rest of us.”
“Yeah… That’s right. There’s a rule for that, right?”
Guild rules dictated that adventurers could only accept commissions that were one rank above or below their own. This was indeed something Diana had explained when registering.
“Well then, let’s take a look at the bulletin board. Since it’s early morning, there should be some decent commissions left, right?”
The group gathered in front of the bulletin board to examine the commissions. Despite being unable to read the local script yet, Kurosu could only glance aimlessly.
“Hmm… Hard to decide which commission to take, isn’t it?”
“I’ve only been taught some running techniques, but I want to put them to the test in battle. How about a monster-slaying commission?”
“For Cross, this is your first commission, right? Maybe it’s better to start with gathering missions?”
“Then… Let’s go with this: ‘Eliminate three Pig Demons: Reward one gold coin.’ It’s just the usual Forest of Demons, and we can also aim for the ongoing herb-collecting commission.”
Since beginning to live with the guardian of the wilderness, Kurosu had been learning the knowledge of an adventurer every night. An ongoing commission was a special type of commission that involved tasks perpetually in demand and was registered indefinitely by the Guild.
Unlike normal commissions where you would tear a notice from the board and get processing at reception, ongoing ones required no such formality. This made them incidental rewards for adventurers on their way to completing other tasks, something akin to earning some pocket money along the way.
“Three Pig Demons, huh… Normally it would be a bit tough, but with Cross, it should be fine this time.”
“Seems alright to me?”
Everyone agreed with Franz’s suggestion, and they got the receptionist Diana to process the commission before heading toward the Forest of Demons.
“Will we camp on the plains again before entering the forest?”
“No, there was a time and place misalignment before, but this time we can use the shared carriage to get to the entrance of the forest. Due to the lord’s policy, adventurers can ride for free.”
“Free, huh? That’s really generous.”
The shared carriages that people usually used inside the town charged one copper coin per person regardless of distance every time. While it seemed natural for rulers to favor adventurers who help thin the monster population, it was clear that the local lord showed considerable understanding. It was understandable why the town was called an adventurer’s paradise.
While chatting as they were swaying on the carriage, they arrived at the entrance of the forest by morning. The other adventurers who were on the same carriage disembarked and went into the woods one after another.
Kurosu also got off the carriage and stretched his body. It was a convenient mode of transportation, but after a long ride, his shoulders inevitably tensed. It was a feeling that never appeared while riding a horse. Maybe the others were used to it since they didn’t seem affected.
“Well then. According to the commission, the Pig Demons were spotted a little to the west of here. Let’s head that way while searching for herbs under the ongoing commission.”
Following Franz’s instructions, they advanced west into the forest. Mauro took the lead as the scout, followed by Franz and Barth up front, with Cross and Pamela in the rear.
“Still, Cross really brought all three swords, huh?”
“Yeah. I intended to get used to this new sword, but I can’t part with the large and small ones.”
Kurosu had brought a broadsword he’d just bought. He’d already gotten used to it with some practice swings, but there was no replacement for testing it in actual combat.
“Being a samurai is tough, huh… Oh, that’s the herb!”
Pamela pointed at a plant that resembled mugwort. It was growing in clusters, so they carefully uprooted it and wrapped it in the cloth they’d prepared. They’d been told that wetting the cloth would let them keep the herbs fresh for a few days. Careless handling might result in them being refused for purchase, so they handled them carefully and meticulously.
“Ten of these herbs bundled together fetch five copper coins. Since it’s an ongoing commission, it’s fairly cheap, but we should gather all we can when we find them.”
“Understood… – wait, something’s around,”
There was a faint presence coming from the left front. Though the distance was too vast to be sure, the footsteps suggested it wasn’t just one entity.
Having heard Kurosu’s voice, Mauro went to investigate and returned shortly.
“Four Dog Demons fifty meters ahead. They haven’t noticed us. What shall we do?”
…”Fifty meters,” hmm…
Kurosu was learning their units for length, weight, time, but it still wasn’t instantly clear in his mind. Half of a cho, perhaps?
“Since it’s this season, their pelts fetch high prices. How about we do this? Cross and I will flank them, and when we signal, Mauro, shoot with your bow. Pamela, prepare magic just in case, and Barth, we’ll leave our protection to you.”
“Understood.”
Following Franz’s orders, everyone took their positions. Peeking from the bushes, Kurosu saw four standing dogs walking side by side. They were making noises with their snouts and drooling as they walked, creatures that seemed nothing close to adorable, even if trying to put a good face on it….
…Though, if they were called kin or relatives of Diana or Yan’s kind, one might accept it without much thought.
Whishh!
– Kyaaaan!
The moment Franz waved his hand as the signal, an arrow flew and pierced one head.
Three remained.
Cross emerged from the hidden bushes.
The Dog Demons, startled by the sudden loss of one of their own, quickly bared their fangs and attacked.
Franz had mentioned the pelts would sell well, so probably it would be better not to hack their bodies.
With this in mind, the new sword slashed towards the throat. He confirmed the spurt of blood, then chased after the second, impaling the back of its head. Instant death.
“…………”
Kurosu broke off a nearby large leaf, wiping the blood off his sword. The sharpness couldn’t compare to his beloved swords, but it wasn’t bad as a blade meant for hacking. A sword that acted similar to an axe, had its own charm.
By the time Kurosu had dispatched two demons, Franz had also taken care of his foes. Mauro and the others had gathered together.
“Crow, how was my shot?”
“The aim was good, but the sound of the arrow could’ve been quieter. At this distance, there’s no need to put so much force into it. If the initial hit didn’t reveal our position, we could’ve taken out another.”
“Damn, yeah, you’re right… I’ve always shot at full power so it’s hard to gauge how much strength is needed to take down an opponent.”
“The nuances of bow control require practice. You’ll get better with more combat experience.”
“Harsh stuff, huh? Alright, let’s butcher them now.”
Kurosu used the knives he’d purchased earlier to skin the Dog Demons.
The knives labeled as “butchery knives” turned out to be surprisingly handy. Their large curve allowed for smooth skinning along the flesh instead of the clumsy work of a dagger, and their saw-toothed peaks made breaking bones and tendons easy. It was a good purchase.
“Right, let’s keep moving then.”
With the stripped furs and magic stones sorted and divided into bags they carried, they continued their journey further west.
… … … … … …
“…!”
Some time passed when a hand at the front went up. Everyone fell silent and increased their alertness. Mauro approached quietly, careful not to make a sound, and reported in a whisper.
“There they are, Pig Demons. 30 meters ahead, next to the roots of a tree. Two are sleeping, but one’s on watch.”
“Alright, Pamela, hit the sleeping two with your Flame Tempest miracle. Mauro, you take out the guard with your bow, and we’ll attack simultaneously. They’re kind of dubious, but if we can restrain them, even a little, it’s good enough. I imagine the sleeping ones won’t die outright. After the two of you attack, Crois, Bart, and I will each deal with one. Crois, can you take the one Mauro is attacking? It should be the liveliest.”
“Understood.”
“Barth, hold them off until Crois and I arrive. We’ll be there as soon as we’re done.”
“Understood.”
The plan having been set, they took a step to arrange their positions, but then Pamela made an unexpected suggestion.
“In that case, Mauro and I will also participate in helping Barth. I’d like to put the staff techniques I’ve learned to use.”
The girl who usually complains during practice… showed remarkable composure and a settled presence.
“Right. We can fight now, too.”
“……Crois, what do you think?”
Franz looked at him anxiously.
“There’s no problem. If there’s an emergency, I’ll intervene. Mauro, target the eyes when you shoot to distract. Barth, pay attention to their positioning. Pamela, attack their knees or feet.”
“…Got it! Let’s recall our training and do our best!”
Following Franz’s cheer, moving silently but stopping right before they were spotted, they neared their target.
When the Pig Demons came into view… what awful creatures they were. They had the bodies of overweight men with pig heads that bristled with long fangs. The two sleeping ones were unarmed, but the single pigman standing watch held a large axe.
“Pamela’s spell is ready. Three, two, one… Fire Storm!”
A fiery sphere emitted from the tip of the staff, detonating the snoozing Pig Demons. The two screamed as they were engulfed in flames.
Simultaneously, Mauro’s arrow missed its intended target and struck the guard right in the cheek. In unison, they all charged towards their respective foes.
“Buhiiiii!—”
“You look like a pig trying to squeal.”
The Pig Demon wielded an axe, stomping heavily toward them. ——but sluggish. Honestly dull. It swung the axe with all its might despite sweating, but the movements were too exaggerated, slow like a fly had stopped by.
Having heard it was an E-Rank opponent in advance… but this wasn’t interesting at all.
When the axe was raised, Cross sliced open its belly, and when the knees buckled, he dealt a final blow with a powerful downward strike.
Now, let’s check on the others.
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