Kijin Hunting
It seems a two-horned kijin has been spotted in Titis forest…
The rumor started to circulate on the streets of Ishka some time after the fact that I was a dragon rider had become known.
Like I mentioned before, the kijins are a race hostile to humans, and their horns that grow out of their foreheads are considered super rare items. Once the news of a two-horned kijin was discovered went out, one or two hundred people’s eyes instantly lit up.
With that said, I was also one of those people.
However, the reason my eyes lit up was nothing like the others.
「That girl, that’s right…」
I recalled the face of the two horned Kijin girl I met during the king of flies incident.
Since that time, I have entered the forest on countless occasions, but I never once ran into that little girl again.
The forest was already a huge place. In addition to that, judging from the lack of news on kijins until today, perhaps she’s living somewhere that has like a barrier protecting it or something.
It was a miracle that I ran into her at the king of flies’ nest that day.
I’ll never meet her again–was what I thought. I never thought that I would hear news like this.
「Well then, what should I do?」
It’s not like I have an obligation to help. Moreover, if I help a kijin fight against other humans, my clan’s reputation that I built so diligently will be lost.
When I think of it like that, helping that girl would be more harmful than beneficial.
However.
Yes, there’s a however.
To see the person I wanted to save meet misfortune in the end is…How do I put it? I find it hard to swallow.
It’s like if you saved a girl from a goblin’s nest, but then she gets killed by bandits in her village afterward–Who would want to hear something like that?
“Since I made an effort to help someone, I want that person to be happy in the end”, I don’t think it’s weird of me to think like that, right? Or at the very least, I wouldn’t want to hear that they had met a tragic end.
After all…
「That was one of the few times I did something good」
Recalling the feeling of satisfaction when I saved that little girl, I decided on the path I should take.
Regarding my clan’s reputation…Well, let’s see… Instead of helping the little girl, I’m fighting other people to snatch that “kijin” for myself. Let’s have it like that.
It’s not rare for adventurers to scramble for valuable item drops, sometimes it escalates into battling with each other.
…Well, my reputation might also drop with that, but I’ll just raise it back up if it does. I only made the clan to spite the guild in the first place, I’m not that attached to it.
While I was thinking about such things, *knock*, *knock*, *knock*, my door was knocked on three times.
The Innkeeper stood there when I opened it, then he informed me in a curt voice that I have a visitor.
When I heard the name of the visitor, I instinctively frowned.
It really was a name that I did not expect to hear.
◆◆◆
「Long time no see, or I guess it hasn’t been that long, Sora. I apologize for my sudden visit」
The one who bowed to me in an exaggerated manner was the plump merchant with slit-eyes, Fedor.
He is a member of the 『Union』who acted as a witness to the duel between me and Larz the other day.
After I beat Larz and Lunamaria became my slave, I didn’t really come in contact with him. This sly slave merchant shouldn’t come here for no reason. I’m sure that he’s up to no good.
…Although I didn’t show my cautiousness on my face, Fedor’s originally slitty eyes squinted even further. He seems to be smiling.
「Actually, I have a request for you, Sora–No, for the Clan, “Blood Spraying Sword”」
「The fearsome “Union” has a request for a brand new clan that was just formed recently?」
There are many other clans who’ll gladly work for you, right? When I asked Fedor that in return, he replied with a strange “Kokoko” laugh.
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「It’s true that your clan was formed not too long ago, but the name of your clan has already become famous in Ishka, no? The clan with a black blade user who controls a dragon and has an elf and a beastkin as subordinates. You subjugated a gryphon for an old lady to avenge her fallen son and grandson, purified a banshee that cried every night for an orphanage, revealed the true form of the scylla who disguised itself as a human at Lake Toya and saved the young men who were captured for crimes they didn’t commit. Also, at Atend ridge, you slayed a berserk werewolf who had been terrorizing the residents there for a long time.」
「…You’re quite informed」
「Information is a weapon after all. I would never slack on my intel gathering, let alone the information on you, who had overwhelmed a level six adventurer as a level one. How can I miss out on it?」
With that said, Fedor did his strange laugh again.
But a moment later, the merchant immediately stopped laughing and stared at me, as if he no longer wanted to waste time.
「You should have heard about the news as well, Sora. A kijin was spotted inside Titis forest」
「I did. But according to what I heard, it hasn’t been confirmed yet…」
「It’s true. The “Union” had already spotted it three times」
「Already? You mean-」
「As you may have guessed, it was from before the rumor even began. It was right on the day when you and Larz dueled. On that day, an adventurer who got lost had encountered a female kijin in the forest. He came and sold that information to us, the union」
Hearing that reminded me of something.
When Fedor came to the guild to be a witness of the duel, he was out of breath and said that he ran into a problem on his way out.
Was that because he had obtained information about the kijin?
If they have been chasing after her since that time, they probably already have lots of information on her. I wouldn’t doubt that they had already found out where she lives as well.
Then, Fedor continued as if he read my mind.
「From the three times she was spotted, and the escape paths she took at those times, we already have an approximate idea of the location of their habitat. However, that location is deep within the forest. As you know, the depths of the Titis forest is the home of demonic beasts. It wasn’t just once or twice where the people I sent to capture her turned into food for monsters. That’s where I want to borrow your help since you control a dragon」
「Hm. If I go from the sky, I can ignore the troublesome demonic beasts and go directly to the home of the kijins」
「Exactly. Of course, you will be compensated greatly for it. If you are interested, I could even give you a new slave. Recently, I had actually obtained a new slave that is very interesting」
「I want to hear more but before that, I have just one question. Do you just need me to take the union’s forces there?」
Did he simply need me for transportation? Or is he expecting to use me to fight?
What Fedor needed was the former.
「We’ll have the professional hunters capture the kijins. They have to be captured alive or the value of their horns will be cut in half, so I won’t be bothering you for that」
「”Have to”? Why’s that? Ah, my apologies. I won’t ask anything unnecessary」
「I don’t mind. As you may know, their horns are rare magic items. There’s a big difference in value from horns that are harvested from living kijins versus dead kijins. If the former contains two hundred mana, then the latter would only have about thirty at most. But even that would still be worth quite a lot 」
「Hohoo…Is that so?」
「Yes. Therefore, it’s standard practice to capture them alive to take their horns. Normally, kijins will die if they lose their horns, but it’s possible to prolong their life with magic and high potions. That way, their broken horns will regrow as they heal over time」
「…That means they basically become money trees if everything goes well」
「Yes. However, the value of their horns drops greatly from the second time they are regrown and on. If we go by the previous example, it wouldn’t even have ten mana out of the two hundred, it’d have at most only four or five. The Kijin horns that are out in the market right now are usually of that quality. But even so, the nobles still fight over them with money. So basically, we have to capture the kijins alive. Do you get it now?」
「I understand. If that’s the case, people who aren’t accustomed to fighting with kijins would only get in the way, right? I’ll just act as transportation then」
「Can I take that as you’ll accept my request then?」
「Of course. I wouldn’t dare to reject a quest that’s coming from the 『Union』 from the very beginning」
I have just started a fight with a guild. I can’t make the union my enemy here too.
There’s no reason to refuse if I’m just acting as their means of transportation.
The location I’m bringing his men to is in the depths of Titis forest. A garden full of demonic beasts where anything can happen.
I pray that those kijin hunters don’t run into any unfortunate accidents there.