Chapter 0022 Once again into the sea
-x-X-x-
The sword fight with the Dullahan gave him confidence in fighting with a sword … although at best he could get one hit in.
Nevertheless, he gained confidence.
He also had confidence that his magic control had improved considerably … although he had not succeeded in 『Blood Freeze』 yet.
It was unclear if it could succeed in the first place.
In any case, Ryo was thinking of verifying his growth.
It was inevitable.
Ryo had not entered the sea ever since that time he lost consciousness.
He obtained salt by collecting seawater from land and evaporating the water but he never entered the sea.
If he really wanted to eat fish, he would hunt river fish.
Yes, the inevitable was undersea combat.
The competition for magic control with the Bait Ball … he must win!
At that time, he certainly did disperse the Bait Ball.
But that was nothing more than a surprise attack he used to escape from the magic control.
To live in 『Phi』, that was not enough.
In the end, the only way was to gain confidence by building on successful experiences.
Ryo stood on the rocky spot and glared at the sea.
His appearance was the same as before, his only weapon was the knife-tipped bamboo spear in his right hand.
Alongside his waistcloth and sandals on the beach was the knife he received from the Dullahan … the ice sword known as 『Murasame』 (named by Ryo).
He was particular about keeping the same equipment as before.
"Now, here I come!"
He dove in and stabbed a nearby fish with his bamboo spear.
He wasn't there to enjoy the scenery like the previous time.
Since then he had trained further and with the increase of his endurance came an increase in his lung capacity but even then, his limit was at most five minutes.
That was probably the human limit …
In that case, he should start the fight as soon as possible.
The instant the fish was speared, the world changed just like before.
Like a repeat of the past, a Bait Ball came from the front.
That was exactly his aim.
And Ryo confirmed that he was in a situation where he could not grasp the water with his hands and feet.
(All right, then I will snatch the control of the seawater around my hands and feet back.)
Imagining it loosely will result in 『repulsion』.
However, for Ryo who had gained greater magic control in an order of magnitude, just by imagining along with slightly more magical power, his hands and feet were able to grab the water.
(All right! I got it back.)
Next was Ryo's turn.
He imagined it in his mind. The scene where Ryo freely controlled the seawater the Bait Ball was in and that the monsters that form the Bait Ball were not able to move.
(
The moment he chanted that in his mind, the Bait Ball began to distort.
The monsters that made up the Bait Ball could no longer control their posture and movements.
(Does that mean I can freeze them too?
The distorted Bait Ball froze.
Instead of freezing the monsters that made up the Bait Ball, he froze the seawater around them.
On land, in the past he failed to freeze anything within 10 cm of the monster's body but now, against monsters that seemed to have strong control of water magic, he was able to freeze their surroundings.
Ryo was extremely satisfied with that result.
He succeeded in neutralizing the entire Bait Ball without using his bamboo spear.
Using the power of magic control that he had trained so far.
Therefore, it was unavoidable that he was late in noticing the appearance of the huge squid in front of him.
Just the previous time, the shrimp made him fall unconscious because he was careless after defeating the Bait Ball but this time the same pattern appeared once more.
Yup, that can't be helped anymore.
The huge squid … might be the legendary creature called the Kraken on Earth.
Its total length was 40 meters.
But his reaction was quick after he noticed it.
(
The moment it was deployed, something hit the ice wall and the ice wall broke.
(The ice wall 5-layers was broken in one hit!?)
That was unexpected.
(
(
(
He deployed three copies of the spell.
However this time, his control of the ice walls was robbed and they were dispelled the moment he cast it.
The ice wall cast under magic control that he painstakingly trained … was easily taken control of by the Kraken.
(
He used the area freezing magic that he froze the Bait Ball with to freeze the area around the Kraken.
However, even though the ice was generated in an instant, it quickly dissipated and returned to seawater.
The Kraken snatched control of it …
(This is impossible. Let's flee.
Water Jets sprouted out from the base of his feet and he made an emergency escape.
Even the Kraken did not anticipate that action.
Escape was a success.
He hurriedly put on his sandals, picked up his waistcloth and Murasame, and ran toward his home as quickly as possible.
He could finally take a breather once he entered the barrier.
"The sea is terrifying …"
"Even though I once again lost, this time to the Kraken that appeared afterward, I was able to win decisively against the Bait Ball. Right, I have certainly improved. It's just that it is too soon to face the Kraken. That is definitely a boss character that should only appear when I become much stronger."
He was unpleasantly made aware of its level of magic control that was completely different from the Bait Ball.
In other words, it was possible to raise his magic control even further … probably.
"As expected, I have to train further. I've been making a five-story pagoda but now let's make it a Tokyo Sky Tree."
There seemed to be a huge mistake there but that was part of Ryo.
-x-X-x-
Ryo was not always fighting.
After all, his goal was to live a 『Slow life』.
『A slow life accompanied by constant life-or-death battles』
With such a slogan, no one would even consider living a slow life in the countryside.
First, spices. He had dried the peppers he picked and finally made black pepper.
That was extremely useful in meat dishes.
In addition, salted or freeze-dried peppers are sometimes called 『Green Peppers』.
They are used as an ingredient in stir-fry in Southeast Asia but Ryo salted them to create the green peppers.
Because when he tried to freeze-dry them, it just became dehydrated peppers.
Only the 『Dry』 was performed … and the 『Freeze』 was ignored so the end product was dehydrated goods.
However, the ones that gave him the most sense of accomplishment were the fruits.
『Ichizuku』 that looked like a fig, 『Rindo』 that looked and tasted like an apple, and 『Mango』 which he found recently that was exactly like mango.
Those were the ones listed in the 『Plant Encyclopedia Beginner's Edition』.
But there were unlisted fruits too.
Papaya, loquat and even watermelon!
He could understand finding wild papaya and loquat but he never imagined that he would find wild watermelon.
They were smaller than any species of watermelon found in Japan, had almost no sweetness, and the external appearance resembled a melon more than a watermelon but … once cut open, the iconic red flesh could be seen. Ryo was moved to tears when he saw the red flesh after cutting it open. Although the complete lack of sweetness also caused Ryo to cry a different kind of tears.
However, there was a huge problem in living his slow life.
Till today, he had not found a single antidote grass.
Failing to find it after searching so hard probably meant that it was an issue with the environment.
Although it wasn't recorded that it 'Grows well in cold regions' …
Perhaps the Rondo Forest was too warm, or rather, the climate could be called an everlasting summer so it could not grow.
And, as feared, that was true for soybeans as well.
He couldn't find soybeans either.
That said, he had replaced soy sauce with fish sauce.
It was slightly different from the soy sauce that the Japanese eat but it was a difference that could be found if you searched for soy sauces nationwide. There was no problem there.
But there was no replacement for miso.
As long as he couldn't get soybeans, miso … Ryo had already given up on it.
And finally, the main carbohydrate, rice.
Ryo had a certain project in mind.
Project name: Paddy Field Development in Rondo Forest
Just like the name implied, the idea was to develop a paddy field to grow rice.
The same plan to establish a paddy field that he failed in the past.
The plan where, without Earth Attribute Magic or tools for creating a paddy field, he tried dropping Icicle Lances from the sky or causing steam explosions to cultivate the land …
At that time, it was a complete failure and he put off the issue … but it was an unavoidable problem that he eventually had to face head-on.
And today was the day to face it head-on.
First, he secured a square piece of land with 60 meters on each side that reached up until the very edge of the barrier.
He made ice spears on all four ends and connected them by tying ivy.
That would act as a replacement for the thread that indicates the water horizon …
The inside of the ivy would be the paddy field.
For the time being, the procedure for cultivating the paddy field was …
Digging up the soil and crushing it into fine pieces to make it look like a field.
And then supplying water to moisten the entire field.
At that time, there would be holes underneath the soil so no matter how much water is added, it will not collect.
While adding water, a tractor or cow would mix the mud and water and seal the holes underneath the soil.
The previous time, he reached a deadlock at the very first step of 『Digging up the soil』.
"I am different from how I was before!"
This time, Ryo was exuding a fighting spirit throughout his entire body.
"
The inside of the ivy border was encased on all sides with Ice Walls.
And then it began, the symposium of water and ice.
"
"
"
"
"
Ice spears were created 40 meters up in the air one-after-another and they free-fell to the planned paddy field.
High-density high-speed continuous bombing.
If one spear was not enough, he could fire a ton of spears!
Basically a brute force solution.
Of course, he didn't think that would be sufficient to solve the problem.
"
"
"
"
"
Thick Water Jets that were also continuously fired crushed the soil chunks into tiny pieces.
Ice spears dropped from the sky and water jets were fired from a close distance.
If seen from afar, it would probably be quite a surreal sight.
But the actual situation was … erupting soil, soil, and more soil …
The soil blown upward was crushed by the water jets.
That scene lasted for about ten minutes.
Hundreds of continuous creation was a strain even for Ryo.
He knelt and adjusted his breathing.
He had never used such an attack in waves even against monsters.
Well, it was probably possible because his target was the stationary ground.
The common expression in battlefield reports was that the ground at the bombing site was scooped out but the original ground in Ryo's paddy field could no longer be seen.
As though it was scooped up, crushed, and mixed up and down by a tractor.
"Yeap, that's how it is done."
The first step was complete.
Next was to add water to moisten all the soil.
In places like Japan with improved paddy fields, there would be faucets where you can get as much water as you wish by twisting it open.
Of course, the people would continue to pay for land improvement fee for decades, generations and pretty much forever.
Naturally, in addition to that, there would be a water usage fee too.
Nevertheless, not having to worry about water was a great thing for farming.
Famines are often caused by water shortages in the east and west.
However, here there was a man who could provide water freely.
What a pairing!
Undoubtedly, the vocation of a Water Attribute Magician is agriculture!
"Let's get this done in one go.
The Squall that he used to wash away the poisonous fog from the Kite Snake and used to water plants such as the Ichizuku in the garden.
It was quite a violent sight to see that fall onto the 60-meter squared land.
That violent sight continued for about two minutes.
It was sufficient to cause the soil to become considerably muddy.
There was some pooling of water as well.
But if left alone, the accumulated water would quickly flow underground and it would return to an ordinary field.
Normally, a tractor would be used here to scrape the soil and mud.
But Ryo didn't have such a machine.
But of course, he didn't need one!
"
An ordinary Ice Wall was 2 meters high but this Ice Wall 2 Step was twice as high at 4 meters tall.
Of course, with that, it should be fine to prevent mud from flying out.
"
"
"
"
"
He created Icicle Lances one-after-another at about 30 meters from the ground, lower than before, and dropped them onto the paddy field plot.
The thought process was the same.
If there was no tractor, firing a ton of spears into the ground would achieve the same purpose!
Then, from time to time, he would chant
Ryo continued to fire Icicle Lance for 30 minutes at a much slower pace compared to when he started the land cultivation.
With this, Ryo didn't actually know how much the stirred up bottom was clogged up.
However, the mud seemed to have become quite fine.
Finally, the mud surface in the water must be level.
Otherwise, when the rice seedlings were planted, some of the seedlings will be submerged underwater in some places.
Flooding and tilling the soil were extremely important steps before planting the seedlings.
"Right, they are important for the seedlings … eh? Seedlings …?"
Ryo was stunned.
"I didn't … prepare seedlings …"
That's right. Usually, before preparing the paddy field, it was necessary to grow the rice husk into seedlings in a different location for a month before replanting the seedlings.
But … Ryo didn't prepare the seedlings.
He fell to his knees crestfallen.
The preparations for the paddy field today were completely wasted.
"N-no, I was able to verify that I can prepare the paddy field so it was not a complete waste. Yup, it wasn't a waste … it shouldn't be … I hope it wasn't."
With his head drooping down, Ryo could not stand up for some time.
-x-X-x-
While hunting for meat in the east forest as routine, it appeared in front of Ryo.
"
Ryo sensed an invisible wind-attribute attack magic coming from in front and intercepted it with Ice Shield.
The opponent probably had no intention of killing him with that blow.
It appeared.
With its right eye shut …
"That Assassin Hawk? But its color is now completely black and more importantly, it seems bigger than before …"
Yes, it was the Assassin Hawk that Ryo had life or death struggles with twice.
The first time, he crushed the Assassin Hawk's right eye.
The second time, he defeated the disciple that the Assassin Hawk brought along.
To Ryo, it was the first opponent that made him conscious of death.
And not only once but twice.
They both felt that they were fated enemies.
But this time, it had a different dominating presence.
Just like its physical transformation, there was a change in its presence or majesty …
It felt as though it had a different aura around it.
"There's no mistaking that it has become considerably stronger. Did it evolve or something? At any rate, I won't be able to escape and I don't intend to escape either!
Something invisible flew from One Eye toward Ryo.
(A strengthened Air Slash?
But the Ice Wall 5 layers were shattered in one hit.
Furthermore, Air Slashes continuously assaulted Ryo.
Ryo evaded the invisible attacks.
And even as he evaded, he never took his sight off One Eye.
One Eye persistently attacked repeatedly from a long distance.
And Ryo dodged all of them.
That exchanged lasted for about three minutes.
At the same time it released an Air Slash, One Eye disappeared.
(
A powered-up version of the defense-specialized Ice Wall 5 layers.
One Eye charged in together with the Air Slash.
"A breakdown charge! What an enviable technique for Wind Magic users!" (TLN: To recap, the 'breakdown' charge is Ryo's own term. The previous time it was explained as having 3 clones firing ranged attacks and then following up with a direct charge)
Although that is a technique that only monsters can use … and something human Wind Attribute Magicians can't …
Just as One Eye's charge was about to be stopped by the Ice Wall,
(
He shot Icicle Lances from the ground toward One Eye.
One Eye dodged it with instant lateral movements that completely ignored aerodynamics.
In that state, it swung its right wing against the Ice Wall 10 layers as though a boxer releasing a right hook.
"Shit."
Ryo crouched down at once.
Shari
With a sharp sound, the wings cut through the Ice Wall and continued over Ryo's crouched head.
"So it can fight in close combat too …"
Cold sweat ran down Ryo's back from the terrifying sharpness of the wings.
One Eye continued to fire Air Slashes consecutively from a close distance.
And Ryo endured by continuously generating Ice Walls.
Of course, Ryo did not remain pushed back.
Before it noticed, 16 Icicle Lances had formed in the air.
They free-fell vertically from directly above it.
It was the fastest ice spear that added gravity acceleration to the speed of a long-range attack.
However, One Eye showed that it could evade that as well.
It flew backward as if it was lightly backstepping.
As though it was conveying that 'I had seen that technique before'.
Yes, Ryo did kill One Eye's disciple with Icicle Lances from the air.
However, the speed of the spears was completely different from back then …
For now, he had to return to square one.
At that moment, the atmosphere around One Eye changed.
At the same time, the Ice Wall and the Ice Armor around him disappeared.
(Guh.
The Ice Armor did not form even after chanting.
"Did it snatch my control!?"
He quickly tried to regain magic control … but something was different.
There was no 'repulsion' sensation that would always be there in such cases.
In retrospect, even when the Bait Ball and Kraken took control, he could at least still create the Ice Walls.
The created objects were taken control of.
But this time, the creation itself could not be done.
As if magic did not exist.
Or magic was made ineffective.
"Don't tell me this is magic nullification …?"
He didn't know if such a thing existed.
However, it was best to think of it that way.
In that case, it was pretty bad.
(
As expected, the Water Jets did not form.
"It gained such a troublesome skill after evolving …"
At the very least, in the entry for Assassin Hawk in the 『Monster Encyclopedia Beginner's Edition』, there was not a single mention of 『Magic Nullification』.
Meanwhile, One Eye seemed to be accumulating something.
(Another new technique … it might be something dangerous from Wind Attribute Magic … Wind Attribute? No, no way …)
Was it a coincidence that he looked up at the sky and immediately let go of the knife-tipped bamboo spear he had in his right hand? Or was it due to his refined combat intuition from his daily interpersonal battle with the Dullahan?
In an instant, the sky flashed and lightning struck.
The lightning fell on the standing bamboo spear instead of Ryo.
However, Ryo, who was right next to it, was blown away by the impact.
But he immediately got up.
If he showed even a small opening, One Eye would charge in.
It probably saw him sway as he got up.
And it might have judged that his magic was sealed and that he no longer had a weapon.
Or perhaps it was thinking that even if the thunder didn't defeat him, it managed to snatch his weapon away.
One Eye charged in.
Ryo rolled to the left to dodge One Eye's assault and pulled out Murasame that was on his waist.
The moment he pulled it out, he formed the ice blade and swung it sideways toward One Eye.
That seemed to have surprised One Eye. It moved quite a fair bit backward.
Surprisingly, even though it moved backward, it didn't retreat any further.
It seemed to wish to settle the fight with close-quarters combat.
That was what Ryo wanted.
As long as his magic was sealed, he had no way of surviving apart from relying on close-quarters combat.
Furthermore, not all magic was sealed as he could still somehow create the ice blade on Murasame.
He found it perplexing but that wasn't the time to think about it.
One Eye had the hook that could cut through all 10 layers of his Ice Wall.
There was no telling if it was hiding anything else.
He had to sharpen all his senses.
Yes, just like when he was facing the Dullahan.
However, when he thought about that, he was relieved.
That was what he had always been doing.
As usual, look straight ahead.
After a moment of stillness.
While floating in the air, One Eye released a right and left hook.
Ryo carefully received it with Murasame.
He did not dodge, but instead, received it.
He was confident that the ice blade on Murasame could defend against One Eye's hook that could cut through 10 layers of Ice Wall.
Far from breaking, it didn't even chip.
Something flew from between its beak toward Ryo's eyes.
Ryo shook his head and dodged it. It was probably some form of Air Slash.
An Air Slash that could be released with its mouth and not its wings.
But he didn't dwell on it.
If his thoughts were entrapped, he would not be able to see what he needed to see.
Facing One Eye in close-quarters combat was quite troublesome.
Air Slashes from left-right hooks and the beak and each feather could be shot like a shuriken.
The speed of the shuriken was not fast but facing more means of attack from an opponent in close-quarters combat … that alone was enough to be troublesome.
Ryo would have been defeated a long time ago if he had not been devoted to defense.
However, the diverse attacks including the shuriken were insufficient to break Ryo's defense.
One Eye's attack and Ryo's defense had been ongoing ever since the start of the close-quarters combat.
Perhaps frustrated by his unbreakable defense, One Eye's right hook was slightly overextended.
Ryo took advantage of that.
He intercepted One Eye's right hook slightly ahead than usual in a place where it could not channel much power to and parried it away.
Toward One Eye whose posture was broken, he mowed down sideways near its neck.
One Eye flew further backward but Ryo stepped in and followed up with a thrust.
While dodging even further backward, the Air Slash that it threw as a last resort with its beak was parried with Murasame and he thrust three times consecutively.
But One Eye dodged them all.
After One Eye evaded the triple thrust, Ryo's assault paused momentarily.
At that moment, One Eye aimed a left hook at Ryo's head.
Ryo couldn't prevent it.
He pulled his left foot half a step back.
He dodged it with footwork and by moving his center of gravity.
And then, this time, he shifted his center of gravity from his left foot to his right foot, took a large step forward with his right foot, released his right-hand grip from Murasame, and thrust out with his left hand.
A one-handed left-hand thrust.
He felt a solid response from Murasame in his left hand.
His thrust pierced exactly under its beak or, in human terms, around its throat.
A fatal strike.
It fell to the ground and spat out blood from its beak but yet its one eye was trained on Ryo.
There was still indelible hatred in its eye.
"Yes. I am the one who took your life and the life of your disciple. I guess you can't accept the outcome after fighting with all your might."
Ryo did not let down his guard even though he was approaching casually.
"At the very least, I was able to grow because I met you. I am grateful to you for being the catalyst for my growth. You even evolved for revenge and your disciple. In honor of your proud appearance, I will give you a merciful end."
On that day, one fate was extinguished.
-x-X-x-
The day after the battle to the death with One Eye, Ryo returned to the battlefield.
He didn't have any specific reason for doing so. It was on a whim.
Seeing the battlefield once more, he finally felt a sense of victory.
But that was not a place for joy …
Something landed in front of Ryo.
Ryo's mind turned blank the moment he saw it.
Except for just one phrase.
The end.
(Dragon ...)
A dragon that shined red and had a total body length of 50 meters.
His mind was entirely blank but it started spinning at high speed after a few seconds.
(Why is a dragon here? No, that doesn't matter right now. I have to do something to escape. No, is it even possible to escape? That is impossible no matter how I look at it. Fight? No, impossible. Even if the world is overturned, it is impossible to fight that. There's too much of a difference in our class as living organisms. No joke, it could kill me with just the tip of its little finger.)
He was thinking desperately so he didn't catch it.
<
The voice that spoke directly into Ryo's mind.
<
"Eh? What? I hear something?"
Ryo finally returned to reality.
<
"This is telepathy … Ah, yes I'm sorry, my mind was shaken. I can hear you."
<
"Eh ….."
He had more than seen it.
So much so that it was probably the One Eye that Ryo killed the day before.
On one hand, it didn't seem like it would be possible to lie and on the other hand, even if he did, it would be a disaster once he was exposed.
"Yes, I have."
Ryo replied and told the truth.
Everything from his fated connection with the one-eyed Assassin Hawk to the result of yesterday's battle.
"If it was your kin, I am terribly sorry. I apologize."
Ryo said and lowered his head.
<
The dragon replied and thought for a while before opening its mouth. No, it spoke with telepathy.
< It said and looked up at the east mountain.
Yes, the mountain that Ryo thought 'Seems like there would be dragons living there' actually had dragons living there.
"I see. I certainly did kill that one-eyed Assassin Hawk."
< "Yes, it did! That was terrible! I'm a magician so magic nullification is breaking the rules."
Yup yup, the dragon nodded.
Then, its gaze suddenly stopped at Ryo's waist.
< "Waist?"
Ryo took out Murasame and showed it.
By now, the initial fear of the dragon had disappeared.
Ryo's nerves may be thicker than he thinks.
< "Fairy King? This was given to me by the Dullahan that appeared every night at the lake in the northern wetlands …"
In Irish folklore, Dullahans are fairies.
<>
"Ah, I am a Water Attribute Magician so it gave it to me. Thanks to this sword, I was able to survive yesterday."
<>
"Eh? No … it taught me swordsmanship and did not show magic to me even once …"
< Fufufu, Ryo didn't know what was interesting but the Dragon laughed.
"Um, I have some questions to ask but …"
< The dragon nodded magnanimously.
"I wish to know the size of this Rondo Forest and what kind of place it is."
< "Ah, that's right, that is correct … sorry."
< "Continent …"
Ryo failed to imagine it.
Well, he did wish to Michael (pseudonym) for 'a slow life where there are no people' … but this was too extreme.
<>
Wahahahaha, the dragon laughed out loud.
"So this is such an isolated world …"
< It wasn't something to hide in particular so Ryo told it that he was reincarnated from a different world.
< At that moment, a roar was heard coming from the east.
< After saying that, it stood up ready to fly off.
"U-um, please at least tell me your name. I am Ryo."
< Ruwin said before flying off to the east.
"Phew … dragons have such oppressive force. I wonder if its position is like a gatekeeper who surveys the surroundings … That's why it had such a presence … I can't imagine the top rank of that mountain. Yeah, I will make sure to keep away."
He once again vowed strongly to his heart.
On the other hand, Ruwin, the 『Dragon King』, headed for the east mountain.
< It was a long time before Ryo met Ruwin again.
As for the Dullahan who seems to be the Fairy King, Ryo would continue to practice swordsmanship as usual tonight.
Yes, being taught Water Magic … didn't happen after all.
-x-X-x-
Since the decisive battle with One Eye and the encounter with Ruwin … about 20 years had passed by Ryo's experience.
And a crisis came knocking on Ryo's slow life.
That day, Ryo was heading to the sea.
He wanted to procure salt and try grilled saltwater fish for the first time in a long time.
He hadn't met the Kraken since that time he dived into the sea and was about to be killed by it.
Well, that said, he had only been to the sea a couple of times a year …
After all, the memory of almost dying several times in the sea might have unconsciously influenced Ryo.
Despite being a Water Attribute Magician, the sea was his weakness …
"No, the sea is not my weakness. The Kraken is my weakness! I've already eaten that shrimp!"
Yes, the shrimp that caused Ryo to faint the first time he dived into the sea. He had defeated it and ate it.
He also examined the structure of its one large arm closely.
The most surprising part was that despite emitting such powerful bubbles, it was not a monster but a normal shrimp.
He noticed that it was an enlarged version of the snapping shrimp found in the sea near Japan because it reminded him of a video he saw.
By engaging its overgrown claw, it would generate bubbles and the bursting of the bubbles would generate a shockwave.
It was a phenomenon called bubble burst or cavitation that would generate plasma and could reach extreme temperatures of 4400oC.
The snapping shrimp in the sea near Japan grows to about 5c in length but it is capable of generating plasma at that size.
The three states of matter, solid, liquid, and gas … and the fourth state called plasma.
The power of nature is terrifying because it can generate that with just the shape of a claw.
By eating such a shrimp, that fear was overcome!
However … he was still a long way from overcoming the fear of the Kraken.
Now then, the sight that Ryo saw of the sea … was messy.
In contrast to the usual beautiful white sandy beach and the blue horizon beyond, there were things that weren't natural and definitely manmade on the beach … and yes, it was strewn about …
It was as if a ship had wrecked and the debris had washed up on the shore.
And people were lying among the wreckage.
Three people?
It was the first time in 20 years (Ryo's body clock) since transporting from Earth to『Phi』that he met humans.
Ryo carefully approached and placed his hand on the nape of the neck to check for a pulse.
Two of them had already passed away.
The remaining one, in his mid-20s, had dull red hair, a solid physique, and held a sword in his left hand that gave a sense of presence.
It was clear that he was a man who lived by the sword.
"Leaving him here would probably be bad for my mental health."
Ryo had terrible thoughts.
" A cart made of ice with a total length of about 2 meters was created.
It could be called a self-propelled wagon as it could follow just simple movements behind Ryo.
Originally, it was conceived because he used to generate an Ice Bahn and slide his luggage over it but it became troublesome and would be too difficult to carry if he hunted too much prey in one go.
He actually wanted to make something like a golem that could walk on two legs. It would be able to move on any rough terrain.
But he couldn't get a golem to work after many tries and even now after 20 years, it still did not work.
For the time being, because he travels multiple times a year to and from this beach, he had built a cobblestone road. With that foundation laid, the He loaded the still-living man who appeared to be a swordsman and the items around him onto the wagon.
"Salt … I guess I can come back later for it."
However, Ryo noticed it when he was loading him.
There was a fairly deep cut on the swordsman's left arm and blood was gushing out.
"Crimson blood … seems that his artery was cut. At this rate, he'll die of blood loss … yeah."
He looked around for something that could be used.
The basics of stopping blood flow was by compression.
Just pressing down on the bleeding point with a cloth or something is effective but … the items that drifted onto the beach were dirty and he worried about infectious diseases.
But other than that … there was no cloth or thread around.
"There's no helping it."
Ryo muttered as he pressed down onto the sleeve of the swordsman's clothes that was above the cut and started compression.
"60% of an adult's body is made of water. Two-thirds of it is in cells and the remaining one-third is interstitial fluid and blood. That means that I, a Water Attribute Magician, can manipulate human blood too …"
Ryo imagined it.
Within the swordsman's arm in front of him.
He felt that he could see the inside of the swordsman's arm through his hand … probably he saw it through the water in both their bodies …
At the very least, he was able to form an image.
He tried concentrating on the blood vessels.
"Found the source of bleeding!"
Around the ruptured blood vessel, he coated the outside with a film of water. When doing so, he took special care to … carefully … not crush the blood vessels.
"I did it!"
In Ryo's image, the bleeding from the blood vessel stopped but the only way to see if it had actually stopped bleeding was to remove the hand that was applying pressure.
He slowly released his hand and watched.
Blood … did not ooze out!
"Phew. I somehow did it."
Then, Ryo slowly returned home with the wagon containing the swordsman.
Abel woke up.
He looked around.
"I was saved …?"
His limbs were free. He wasn't even chained.
The pendant that he always had on him was still there.
His trusty sword and leather armor were leaning right next to his bed.
His arms and legs could move without problem.
Clothes … he still had his pants on but he wasn't wearing his shirt.
There was a deep wound on his left arm but it wasn't bleeding.
His condition was generally good.
He didn't seem to have been enslaved to anyone.
Abel got out of bed, stood up, and put on his sword on his waist.
"A private house … but it's too big for one. Is it the village mayor's house?"
He passed through the living room, opened the door, and went outside.
The sun was shining brightly and there was a large garden.
"It's not … a village? Where am I?"
"Ah, you're awake. I'm glad I helped you."
Abel turned around in shock. He didn't sense any presence.
But he was more surprised by the appearance of the man who called out to him.
He was one head shorter than Abel. In his late teens, with black hair, and dark skin probably tanned by the sun.
But above all, the only things he had on were sandals and a loincloth … and that was made by some tanned leather. He wasn't wearing anything that could be called 『clothes』.
(Even slum kids would wear something a little more decent … no, that's not the first thing I should say.)
"I am Abel. I believe you saved me. You have my thanks."
Abel said and bowed.
"Ah, don't mention it. I just carried you home after I found you washed up from the sea. But I was only able to help Abel-san, the other people had, unfortunately …"
"Ah, the others were washed up too? Don't worry, they were smugglers."
"Smugglers?"
Ryo, who couldn't grasp the situation well, tilted his head.
(If they were smugglers … then Abel-san who was washed up along with them is … what? A smuggler too? No, if he was a smuggler, he wouldn't bother mentioning it. He talks with a blunt tone but he doesn't look like a bad person. A blunt tone … oh, I can understand his language. I don't think it is Japanese but I can understand it for some reason … I don't know why but as expected of Michael (pseudonym), a capable man.)
"For now, have some food. Abel-san's clothes are being dried here. I believe it is already dry. Oh, right, my name is Ryo. A pleasure to meet you."
His lifesaver named Ryo was strange in many ways.
First, food. There was no bread.
But he had 『rice』.
It was a grain produced only in the southern part of the central countries and Abel had eaten it before.
It was combined with various spices … how could he put it, he recalled that such combinations were usually exquisite.
The spiced roast meat that Ryo gave him was surprisingly delicious.
The combination of firmed rice clumps 『onigiri』 and roast meat felt even more delicious than the combination of bread and meat.
The clothes that Ryo wore, or rather his loincloth, was made of tanned boar skin.
He apparently tanned it personally.
There certainly were traces of hardship.
But what surprised him the most was that he had no other clothes.
"You have no other clothes …?"
"Yeah, I couldn't get my hands on cloth or thread so I couldn't make any."
"No no, even if you can't make it, you can always buy …"
Abel regretted it after saying that.
Naturally, he couldn't buy what he needed because he didn't have money.
Those were words of insult toward his lifesaver.
"Putting aside a town, not a single person lives around here."
The answer was beyond Abel's imagination.
Upon further asking, he found out that this place was called 『Rondo Forest』 and that no one else lived around this area.
"Rondo Forest? Sorry, but I have never heard of this place. When I was on the boat, I heard them saying that they were being swept south …"
"Ah, that's right. In the first place, what happened on the ship that Abel-san was on?"
Abel talked briefly about what happened on the ship.
It departed from port earlier than planned. Because of that, Abel couldn't get off.
They encountered a storm when out at sea and the mast and rudder were destroyed and at that point, they had been swept considerably south.
And unfortunately, two days later, they were struck by another storm and were swept even further south.
And in the end, the ship was destroyed by the Kraken.
"Kraken!"
Chills ran through Ryo's body.
"I'm surprised you survived …"
"Well, I guess I was lucky. After all, the others died, right?"
"Ah, that's true."
Abel also wondered about Ryo's weapons.
He had two knives on his left and right waist.
Even if he was armed with a knife, he had too little armor.
Just a loincloth was …
He knew that knife users or scouts prefer lighter equipment but that was too light.
He said that there were no cities around and no one lived here.
But the exquisite roast meat was a slice of rabbit-type meat.
Ryo probably hunted it.
In other words, he should be able to fight quite well. Otherwise, he would not be able to live in a land where there is a Kraken offshore.
"The roast meat just now was excellent. Did Ryo hunt that?"
He was curious but he hesitated from asking directly.
He decided to ask in a roundabout manner.
"Yes. I often hunt them in the forest to the east from here. It is the thigh meat of the Lesser Rabbit."
"Um … is Ryo a knife user? I think it is quite difficult to hunt a Lesser Rabbit with a knife."
Abel was not really good at asking in a roundabout manner. In the end, he just asked directly …
"Ah, I am a Water Attribute Magician. This knife can be said to be for self-defense or dismantling …"
Ryo answered a little shyly.
Magic users make up about 20% of the entire 『Phi』 population.
The remaining 80% can't use magic.
Ryo, who remembered what Michael (pseudonym) said, felt bashful.
He expected reactions such as 'Oh, you can use magic, amazing.' or 'So you are a chosen one.' or 'I yearn for that ability'.
But …
"Magic huh? Only half of the people can use it even in the central countries. Incidentally, I can't use it."
"Half …"
(Michael … you said 20%! This is different!)
Ryo was depressed and displayed a 'What a shock!' expression from graphic novels.
"Hn? Ryo, what's wrong?"
"N-no, it's nothing …"
-x-X-x-
"Ryo, I have something to discuss with you."
After finishing their roast meat meal and cleaning up, Abel started a conversation.
"Hn? About what?"
"Actually, I wish to return to the beach where I washed ashore. I have something I need to check. I'm sorry but could you guide me there?"
"Ah, that's fine with me. Then, let's go."
Ryo only had his usual loincloth, sandal, and two knives.
Nowadays, he didn't even use the knife-tipped bamboo spear anymore.
Originally the bamboo spear was used because the longer reach gave him a sense of security during battle.
However, after days of interpersonal combat with the Dullahan, close combat with the one-eyed Assassin Hawk, and with Murasame in hand, a longer reach was no longer necessary.
Yes, Ryo had improved.
But that didn't appear to be the case in Abel's view.
"Ryo. You mentioned that you are a Water Attribute Magician."
"Yes, that's right."
"You don't need to bring your magic staff along?"
"Eh ..."
In the central countries, magicians typically carry staves.
That was because the magician's staff was a conduit for magic to assist in magic activation and supplement the effects of magic.
A magician without a staff requires more than 10 times as much magical power to activate magic and the effect of the magic would be about one-tenth in comparison.
In other words, to put it bluntly, they would be useless.
But Ryo had never used a staff to date.
"A-ah … I don't have one."
Abel regretted his question after he heard that answer.
(Another mistake … when living in poverty, it might be possible to lose your staff. I embarrassed my benefactor. Asking such a stupid question …)
"Ah, yeah, there are such instances. I am a swordsman so we'll be fine as long as I have this sword."
Abel said and tapped the sword on his waist.
"If anything happens, I'll stand in front as the vanguard and fight so Ryo can watch from behind."
"No, there's no need to …"
"Please, let me do just this. If I keep getting help even after you saved my life, it would damage my dignity."
Abel replied and brought his face directly in front of Ryo's.
"Ah, yes, then I'll entrust it to you when the time comes."
It took his all to give his reply.
There were no longer any corpses on the beach.
It had only been five hours since Ryo carried Abel away but it seemed that the corpses of the two smugglers had already been cleaned up.
Of course, it wasn't Ryo who cleaned them up.
Probably something from the sea did.
"Those two were already dead. It seems that they had been eaten or dragged into the sea."
Ryo gave a simple explanation without any emotion in particular.
But that wasn't the case for Abel.
"In other words, if Ryo didn't drag me away, that would have been my fate too."
Cold sweat ran down Abel's back.
"Abel-san's luck is good after all."
Ryo smiled broadly.
"No … well, yes, I'll think of it that way. And Ryo, if possible, could you call my name without honorifics? It's a little hard for me if you call my name with –san but I call you, my lifesaver, without any honorifics."
"But I believe Abel-san is older than me … Well, if you are fine with it, then it is okay. Abel."
"Ou, thanks. All my friends call me that so this is better."
"Friends …"
(Even though I wanted to be alone and told Michael (pseudonym) to send me to a place where no one would come to … I feel a little envious of having friends. After all, 20 years alone is a long time.)
Ryo thought to himself emotionally.
On the contrary, Abel was searching for something.
(Ah, so there's nothing after all, to serve as proof. Did it sink to the bottom of the sea? Well, it can't be helped, I should join up with everyone for now.)
"Ryo, thanks. In the end, it seems that I can't find what I am looking for."
"That's a shame. What do you plan to do now?"
"For now, I wish to join up with my friends. I should be able to contact them if I go to the City of Rune but …"
Ryo tilted his head and answered.
"Sorry but I do not know where that City of Rune is. I think it is probably far north from here … I believe you drifted a considerable distance. There are no people around this area, not to mention cities."
"I see … I'll have to prepare myself for the worst."
At that moment, Abel paused for a while. And after thinking for a little, he said to Ryo.
"Hey, Ryo, do you want to travel together?"
Abel's invitation came as a surprise and was completely unexpected by Ryo.
It certainly would be difficult to travel through the forest alone.
Even if Abel was a skilled swordsman, traveling solo would increase the difficulty immensely.
The greatest difficulty would be 『resting』.
With two people, one could sleep while the other stayed up and kept watch.
However, a lone person would not be able to get sufficient sleep.
They would have to stay vigilant at all times. And staying vigilant for long periods would be tiring.
And fatigue would cause mistakes.
That was a rule of the world that even a skilled person cannot escape from.
That's why even in the armies of modern Earth, the smallest unit was a 『two-man cell』, a pair of people.
However, Ryo had never imagined leaving Rondo Forest.
He had created paddy fields around his house, dug sewers, and laid cobblestone roads to places where he often visited.
He was also cultivating many fruits within the barrier.
There were fewer vegetables but that did not pose any inconvenience to life.
He had no difficulties living here but … the fact was that his heart moved a little when he was asked if he wanted to 'travel together'.
(No inconveniences. No difficulties. But I am just a little curious to see a city built in this world of swords and magic. That said, discarding the environment I made around the house and this slow life feels a little wasteful …)
Abel panicked a little when there was no reaction from Ryo.
"Sorry, it must have been too sudden. At the very least, I would be grateful if you could travel to the City of Rune with me. As a guide, or yes, as a request. A request. If you come with me, I'll pay the request fee and help you if you wish to live there. To be honest, I'm totally lost here so I can't imagine how I can get to the City of Rune from here. How about it?"
Abel said and lowered his head.
(Ah, that's right. I don't really have to leave Rondo Forest forever. I can always see the world a little before coming back again. I'm confident that by that time, Michael's (pseudonym) barrier would still be functioning.)
Ryo thought to himself without any basis.
He had complete faith in Michael (pseudonym).
"All right. For the time being, I have to prepare some things so if you are okay with leaving tomorrow, I will accept the request to travel together."
"Yes, Ryo, thank you!"
Abel grabbed Ryo's hand with both hands and shook up and down happily.
To Abel, Ryo was kind of a ray of hope.
He drifted to somewhere he had no idea where and was fortunate to be the only one who survived but it was thanks to Ryo who found him and took him home that …
Although Ryo mentioned that he didn't exactly know where the City of Rune was, he was confident that it was 'fairly far north' so he should have some basis for that information.
In the first place, it is extremely difficult to cross a forest when you don't even know how long it would take.
(A magician without his staff might have difficulty fighting but I can handle the fights. I would be grateful for having somebody to take turns keeping watch when resting. Ah, right, I'll get him a staff and clothes from the very first city we reach. That probably won't be perceived as insulting. Actually, there's a possibility that he can't enter a city looking like that …)
Abel had completely misunderstood that Ryo didn't have a staff and was only dressed in a loincloth because he was poor … although it was true that Ryo had nothing to his name.
On the other hand, even though he was only leaving the house for a while, Ryo had to prepare some matters.
The functions of the house were made by Michael (pseudonym) so Ryo didn't mess with anything.
The barrier and the storage would probably work fine even in his absence.
The paddy field can't be saved. He'll just have to remake it when he comes back.
He had stored some frozen paddy. He could eat it or grow seedlings from it so he could get started as soon as he comes back.
There was no helping the fruits in the garden.
He'll just have to pray that they survive with just rain …
Basically, the things he will be leaving at home would work out somehow.
The problem was the things he will be bringing with him.
The convenient classic otherworld story 'Item box' that is a spell capable of storing items in a subspace … he didn't have it.
He didn't have any items with similar functions either.
He had to be careful with what he chose to bring with him.
First, he decided to bring the seasonings.
Salt and black pepper.
He placed them into small wrapping cloth bags … about the size of a drawstring bag … made from tanned Kite Snake leather. It probably won't get in the way much if he hung them on his waist.
Since they were seasoning, it wasn't necessary to bring a large quantity of it.
But the taste of food would be completely different with or without it. They were essential for traveling.
Similarly, he placed Wound Grass in paste form in a drawstring bag.
Next would be flint. It would generate sparks if struck against Michael's (pseudonym) knife.
Water, he could create it.
(Eh? Is that sufficient? It turned out quite little.)
It appeared that if you don't consider 『A change of clothes』, the things needed for travel were quite little.
(All that's left is … saying goodbyes.)
After eating dinner, Ryo told Abel that he would be going out for a while.
"At this timing?"
That was suspicious even to Abel.
"Yeah. Since I can only meet them at this timing. I plan to tell them that I won't be home for some time. I think it will take some time so Abel, please wait here."
"Yeah, all right."
(Even though he said that nobody lives around here … he has to tell somebody that he won't be home? Perhaps, is there a spirit of a person important to him? Even if he is alone now, it doesn't mean that he had always been on his own. I shouldn't pry into his circumstances.)
Ryo came to the center of the wetlands to the north, near the shore of the lake.
When the moon reached the middle of the sky, the Dullahan on the headless horse appeared as usual.
Normally, Ryo would hold up Murasame, the Dullahan would ready its stance and their combat would start.
But today was different.
Ryo approached the Dullahan without readying his sword.
"I wish to tell you something today. I will be leaving this Rondo Forest for a while from tomorrow onward. Therefore today will be the last."
He didn't know if his words got through.
In the first place, Ryo didn't know what kind of being a Fairy King was.
Nevertheless, he felt that sincerity could be communicated to it.
Even if it didn't understand, it has been true that it had been training him with the sword so it was natural that he would want to express his gratitude.
"I am truly thankful for all you have done until now. I have survived until now thanks to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Perhaps it was his imagination but he felt that the Dullahan seemed a little lonely.
Of course, it was a headless knight so it had no face. Therefore he didn't know its expression.
But still, Ryo could sense its lonely atmosphere.
"I won't be able to practice after tonight. As the final practice, I will fight more seriously than usual."
After saying that, Ryo formed the blade on Murasame.
In response, the Dullahan pulled out its sword from its scabbard as usual.
Their sword battle began.
The fight lasted for two hours without rest.
The points were two to three.
Ryo was able to deal two fatal hits … but he received three hits so he lost.
Well, his record has been straight losses so far.
But today he didn't stay down. He had to give his final greetings.
He managed to stand on his feet despite them swaying.
"Thank you very much."
Ryo bowed deeply.
The Dullahan approached Ryo and presented something in its hand to him.
"This is … a robe? For me?"
It was white, or rather a pale blue robe.
The kind of robe a magician wears in RPG games or movies, along with a hood, that would hide a person from the tip of the head to the ankles.
A classical magician outfit!
He certainly would get caught if he entered a city with just a loincloth …
Ryo accepted it and immediately put it on.
It was a perfect fit.
Moreover, it was tailored perfectly around the arm to shoulder to make it easy for him to swing a sword.
Rather than a pure magician, it felt more like something a lightsaber-wielding galaxy knight would wear.
Ryo immediately took a liking to it.
"Thank you very much! I will take good care of it."
He bowed deeply once again.
Seeing that, the Dullahan gave off a satisfied atmosphere.
He didn't have a face but Ryo imagined it that way.
The Dullahan straddled its horse and disappeared as usual.
-x-X-x-
"Now then, shall we depart?"
After Ryo made a final check to ensure he didn't forget anything, he announced to Abel.
"Yeah, let's go."
The two of them were lightly equipped.
In the first place, Abel was shipwrecked so he didn't have any luggage.
He only had his clothes, wallet, light armor, and sword.
Ryo only had the robe he received from the Dullahan, loincloth, sandals, knife, Murasame, and seasonings.
Since they were crossing through a forest, having fewer luggage was better.
"Basically all our food will have to be procured. I have salt and pepper seasoning and I can produce water so there are no issues there but we will be hunting animals and monsters and eating wild fruits. Well, this forest has many living organisms so I believe there won't be any problems."
"Understood."
"After heading north for some time, we will come across a fairly large wetland. I have traveled up to that point before so I know the situation. For now, there won't be any significant monster encounters until we reach that point."
While saying that, his first encounter with the one-eyed Assassin Hawk came to Ryo's mind.
At that time, he encountered it in this north forest.
"I see. Then let's head for the wetland for now."
After leaving the barrier, the two of them were silent for a while.
Ryo was thinking of the house he lived in for a long time while Abel was worried about Ryo.
Abel finally couldn't endure it and asked.
"Hey, Ryo. I have something I wish to ask."
"Hn? What's that?"
"Um … this might be a brash question so it is okay to not answer if you don't want to … but where did you go last night?"
Abel hesitated as he couldn't help but to feel curious regarding the matter that he shouldn't pry into …
"Ah, that's fine. Yesterday I went to my master's place to let them know that I would be away for a while."
"Master? Did that master give you that robe?"
"Yes, you're right. I received it as a farewell gift."
At a glance, it looked to be of good quality but appeared to be a regular robe.
But Abel felt something was different about it.
Abel had grown up surrounded by quality and beautiful products.
Therefore, he had an eye for such items. That eye was telling him.
(That isn't something ordinary.)
But he didn't know what was extraordinary about it.
"Um … does that robe have any special effects?"
Normally it would be taboo to ask such a question but it wasn't taboo to ask someone within the party.
Without knowing the weapons, armor, or special skills of party members, they would not be able to cooperate during an emergency.
However, Abel asked Ryo simply because he wanted to know the true reason for the sense of incongruity he felt.
"Hn~ I don't think there is anything in particular. Because master didn't say anything."
The Dullahan had never spoken before.
Well, that was expected given that it didn't have anything above its neck.
"I see …"
If the owner didn't know about it, there was nothing he could do.
Abel wasn't convinced but there wasn't anything else he could do.
In the meantime, they arrived at the northern wetlands.
"For this wetland, we will detour to the left toward the west and then head north. I don't know much about what lies beyond there so I think we should be more cautious."
"Ou, all right."
Abel nodded.
"I wonder if most magicians speak in coherent manners. My companion, a magician I have known from my hometown, speaks as Ryo does."
"Is that so … I have not met other magicians before so I can't comment on that …"
(Not to mention other magicians, Abel is the first human being I have met.)
Ryo thought to himself and smiled wryly.
They bypassed the northern wetlands and did not encounter any monsters even after leaving the wetlands northward.
After proceeding further north, about mid-afternoon going to evening, they finally encountered a monster.
"That's a Lesser Boar."
"Like mentioned yesterday, I'll do it. Ryo, please watch from behind."
Saying that, Abel drew his sword.
Ryo did as he was asked and stood back.
In Ryo's mind, the scene of his first battle after coming to 『Phi』 was being revived.
(Right, the opponent for my first battle was a Lesser Boar too. I was exposed to murderous intent for the first time in my life and got rooted. In the end, I defeated it by piercing it with Ice Bahn and Icicle Lance … so nostalgic.)
While Ryo was remembering, the battle began.
The Lesser Boar charged at Abel.
"Combat Art: Side Step."
Abel avoided the Lesser Boar's charge by side-stepping to the side with minimal movement just before it reached him.
And while dodging,
"Combat Art: Perfect Pierce"
The blade pierced into the left ear of the Lesser Boar. The sword reached its brain and the Lesser Boar was killed without achieving anything.
Ryo was surprised. Not by that skillful execution … but by that 『thing』 he just learned.
(Combat Art!? What is that? That side-step to the side and that final pierce through the ear. So 『Phi』 has such things too.)
"Phew, this will be dinner for tonight. Hn? What's wrong, Ryo."
"Ah, no, that was the first time I've seen Combat Art so …"
"Ah, I see. Magicians can't use it after all. It is unique to those who use weapons to fight such as swordsmen … something like a skill?"
"I see …"
Ryo was thinking about something.
"More importantly, it is going to be evening soon so perhaps we should prepare for camp. I pierced the Lesser Boar through its ear so blood would flow out naturally but …"
"Ah, that's right. I recall a large tree beside a cave a little way back so we can set up camp in front of that. There should be enough space for a bonfire."
Ryo set his thoughts aside for now and started thinking about what was more important.
Yes, right now the most important matter was having a meal.
"You have a keen eye. Then, shall we just disassemble and bring the parts where we will be eating there?"
Abel took out a knife to disassemble the corpse there.
"Then I'll gather dead branches and travel back to start the fire."
Ryo was a Water Attribute Magician who was good at starting a fire.
The roasted Lesser Boar thigh meat was delicious.
The combination with salt and black pepper was supreme.
But unfortunately, there was no rice.
Even though there was a certain amount of satisfaction, Ryo felt that something was missing.
On the other hand, Abel didn't feel any of that and seemed quite happy.
That might have been the difference between those who stayed in one place until yesterday and those who have spent their time as adventurers.
He had only left his home for half a day and he was already feeling reluctant …
The importance of 『rice』 in the diet … could only be understood after it was lost.
(If this was the case, I should have brought rice even if it was a burden …)
Ryo was convinced even though he didn't have an idea of how he could bring it.
Rice was important.
When he returns home, he'll take good care of it.
"Then, I'll take a nap first. I don't think I will sleep deeply but feel free to wake me up if anything happens."
After saying that, Abel entered the cave beside the large tree.
The plan was for Ryo to wake Abel when the moon reached the middle of the sky.
(Now then, I have free time so I guess I can train my magic control.)
He had walked all day today and didn't get to fight too so he had a lot of magical power remaining.
He didn't know how much magical power he could recover by sleeping after this but he should recover the magical power consumed if it is limited to magic control training … Ryo somewhat thought to himself.
In the past, he used to train magic control by making huge five-story pagodas and Tokyo Sky Tree in his garden but recently he had taken a liking to making miniature Tokyo Towers.
As with most things, it was extremely difficult to make a large object small.
Even if the word 『miniature』 could be easily said, various techniques were required and it was necessary to pay close attention to everything from designing to manufacturing.
That 『close attention』 was 『control』 in magic so to speak.
Building a large Tokyo Sky Tree required a lot of magical power.
However, in terms of magic control, Ryo felt that producing a tiny Tokyo Tower could train it better …
Well, either way, both were training that he liked so he wasn't particularly dissatisfied.
He slowly built a Tokyo Tower with a line of ice that was thinner than thread.
Right hand, left hand, right foot, and left foot, four towers all at the same time.
It was no longer training with just one tower.
Training has to be tough.
Isn't it important to create a training menu that is fun but also challenging?
While Ryo was building Tokyo Towers on his palms and in front of his toes, a few monsters caught Ryo and Abel's scent and were approaching.
Abel told him to 'wake me up if monsters come' but he still has to walk a long distance tomorrow so it would probably be better to let him sleep.
Ryo thought to himself and decided to settle it on his own.
That said, as long as it was not a particularly strong monster, he didn't even have to move.
He just had to pierce the monster from its right ear to its left ear with a Water Jet …
Earlier, Abel also pierced the Lesser Boar's ear.
Ryo knew from experience that it was easier to penetrate through the ears.
That meant that he could defeat the monsters without making any loud noises, that is, without disturbing Abel's sleep.
Even if he left the defeated monsters there, other monsters would quickly drag them away.
Although the blood from the monsters would gather other monsters … they would die before reaching anywhere near Ryo.
The night forest was such a place.
As such, he kept only one Lesser Rabbit for the next morning's meal and left the others to the providence of the forest.
If they were full, they probably won't bother to attack Ryo and Abel either.
-x-X-x-
Relieving Ryo of the night watch, Abel sat in front of the bonfire.
Beside him was the corpse of a Lesser Rabbit that Ryo caught.
There were traces of blood flowing out from its ear.
(A single thrust through the ear with a knife? His skill is not bad … wait a minute, a single pierce through the ear against a Lesser Rabbit? And with a knife? Far from having skill, I can't really understand. Won't it normally escape before you even get close to it? Or is he adept at hiding his presence? Rather than be a magician, isn't it better if he just becomes a knife-user? As expected of someone who lives alone in this forest.)
After adding dead tree branches to the bonfire, Abel picked up the ice jug and ice cup to pour water into that Ryo prepared.
(Speaking of things I don't understand, there's this. When did he prepare this jug and cup? He said that I could drink it if I am thirsty while he's asleep but … would his magical power be okay? Before eating, he poured water from over my head like a shower as a substitute for a bath … if I add it to this, I believe he used quite a lot of magical power … but he didn't look like he was out of magical power … yeah~ I don't understand.)
He glanced at Ryo who was sleeping in the cave with his robe.
(That robe … I feel it's special … I think it is probably something that was not created by human hands. That was given to him as a farewell gift … what kind of master did he have? When he said 'I'll have to tell them that I will be away for a while', I wondered if he was saying his farewell to the spirit of someone who lived with him in the past but had passed away … but if he was able to receive something like that, it was not a spirit … but not human either … was it a legendary being like a dragon or something? No, the fact that it can't be created by human hands means that he received it from a spirit or something like that … no no, but …)
A proper conclusion couldn't be reached as his questions and answers went around in circles.
Well, that wasn't an issue since he didn't have anything special to do during the night watch.
In the meantime, the eastern sky became brighter.
Ryo woke up at about the same time.
"Abel, morning."
"Ah, morning."
In the end, no monsters attacked Abel even once.
After eating the Lesser Rabbit that Ryo had caught, the two began walking north.
Naturally, there were no roads in the forest.
There was something that barely seemed to be a beast trail, but it was not easy to travel on either.
The formation was Abel in front and Ryo in the back.
It was due to Abel's offer that even if a monster suddenly attacks, Abel, a swordfighter, would be able to respond immediately.
Well, as Ryo followed while building tiny Tokyo Towers on both palms, he didn't object to it since then he only had to pay attention to the rear.
After all, a person would tire quickly if they had to walk ahead while still paying attention to what was coming from behind.
On that day, they were attacked by quite a few monsters since the morning.
Although the monsters that attacked were not strong monsters such as Lesser Rabbit, Lesser Boar, or Lesser Snake.
"Ryo, leave the defeated monster as it is. When it is nearing noon, we'll have the most recent one we defeat as lunch."
"Roger that."
It was possible to collect magic stones from around the heart of Lesser Rabbits and Lesser Boars.
They could be used in alchemy, but the weak monster magic stones from monsters named 『Lesser』 were small and poor quality magic stones that had almost no use.
Therefore, adventurers do not collect Lesser monster's magic stones.
It can't be sold in the first place so collecting it was a waste of time.
In contrast, if it was 『Greater』 or stronger, transactions could be done at a reasonably high price … but, on Ryo and Abel's journey, a 『Greater』 monster had not yet appeared.
Abel was responsible for all the battles.
Ryo watched Abel's movement from behind.
The existence of 『Combat Arts』 that he first learned yesterday.
He was extremely intrigued by it.
Of course, Ryo couldn't use it but he realized that the Dullahan, who trained him in swordsmanship, did not use it either …
That said, it was possible that Ryo's eyes didn't catch it …
When watching Abel activate his combat arts, a part of his body glowed white at the moment of activation.
For 『Combat Art: Side Step』 which was a sideways dodge, both legs would glow; and for 『Combat Art: Perfect Pierce』 that seemed to increase the attack power with a sword, the hand that holds the weapon and the upper body would glow.
However, during the 20 years of sword battle with the Dullahan, the Dullahan's body had never shone like that.
With that in mind, it meant that the Dullahan did not use it during their fights after all.
Although he felt great that it was possible to reach that level of strength without using combat arts, he was still interested in using the techniques that he was seeing right now.
Besides, to be able to say 『Combat Arts: OO』 and reverse the outcome of the battle in one shot … Isn't that cool!
Yes, a man has chuunibyou no matter how old he gets.
Abel, on the other hand, was naturally aware that Ryo was watching him fight.
(Is he interested in the way a swordsman fights? Well, some parts can be used in fighting with a knife so …)
That was the degree of recognition he had.
In the first place, Abel was accustomed to being watched by others.
Since he was a child, he grew up being called a sword genius.
He also learned magic, but it didn't quite fit.
And so, he devoted himself to the sword.
That's why he spent all his time practicing with the sword from morning till night.
And he also learned some combat arts.
Since he was the second son, there was no need to lead the house.
Fortunately, Abel quickly became an adventurer after reaching adulthood, at the age of eighteen.
Eight years later, he was now a well-known B-class adventurer.
Around the time it was about to reach noon.
Ryo and Abel exited out into a slightly open area of the forest.
Even in a dense forest, there were occasionally such places.
Yes, just like the place where Ryo was surprise attacked by the one-eyed Assassin Hawk for the first time …
Kakin
Abel pulled out his sword, swung it to the side from in front of him, and felt something deflect off the sword.
Something that couldn't be seen, something invisible …
"Assassin Hawk!"
Ryo shouted from behind.
When Abel looked up, a large hawk was fluttering in the air and looking at them.
"That previous attack was a Wind-Attribute attack magic."
Ryo ran up and stood beside Abel.
"Assassin Hawk, this is troublesome. In my party, we would probably escape into the woods. What do we do?"
"Unfortunately that is not possible. There is a Normal Boar behind us, and in the forest in front, there is a monster that I have never encountered before."
"Seriously? We're suddenly surrounded? Was this a trap or something?"
Thinking a little, Ryo shook his head.
"No, it's probably a coincidence. Well, this opening here could be an Assassin Hawk hunting ground."
The place where Ryo was first attacked by the one-eyed Assassin Hawk was also such an open place.
The Assassin Hawk probably knew that they could take advantage of their strength in these kinds of locations.
"Well, what do we do?"
"Let's ignore the guy in the forest in front for now. If we fight here, it may not come out."
"Ou. That means we'll be fighting the Assassin Hawk and the Normal Boar here."
Abel sighed a little. Both opponents were troublesome foes.
"I'll face the Assassin Hawk and Abel can deal with the Normal Boar."
Abel was surprised by the allocation.
Even Abel would die if he made a mistake against the Assassin Hawk's Air Slash and Assault.
"No, but that is …"
"The Assassin Hawk is in the air so it is tough for a swordsman, right? I'm a Water-Attribute Magician, so I'm good at defense."
Ryo grinned.
"Today's lunch, we can have a ton of bird and boar meat."
While saying that, Ryo headed for the Assassin Hawk.
"Ku … I understand. I'll rush over once I defeat the Normal Boar so don't die."
After saying that, Abel rushed backward.
"Abel, don't rush and get hurt."
Ryo's voice was heard by Abel.
Normally, when Abel fights a Normal Boar with his party, Warren, who acts as the shield-bearer, would receive the charge of the Normal Boar, and the Wind-Attribute Magician Rin would use attack magic while Abel would attack with his sword to kill it.
But this time, Warren was not around.
Moreover, if he took his time, Ryo might be killed by the Assassin Hawk.
"I'll have to defeat it with haste."
The Normal Boar entered Abel's field of view.
"Ryo was able to detect the presence of such a distant monster. No, that doesn't matter now. If I don't concentrate, I will be killed instead."
Seeing a human approaching it, the Normal Boar created and fired two stone gravels.
"As if that will hit? Sword Art: Absolute Shadow"
The swordsman exclusive 『Sword Arts』 that are a higher rank than 『Combat Arts』 and the 『Sword Art: Absolute Shadow』 which was said to be difficult to learn even among the 『Sword Arts』.
It was a technique to dodge all long-range attacks including magic with minimum movement.
While he was dodging with 『Sword Art: Absolute Shadow』, he did not lower his speed as he rushed toward the Normal Boar.
The Normal Boar lowered its head.
Abel knew. After lowering its head, the boar-type monsters would charge.
Usually, he would wait for the charge and dodge it sideways with 『Combat Art: Side Step』 just before the collision.
But now, to save time, he charged toward the boar too.
It was extremely difficult to time.
"I have no choice but to give up on using Side Step."
When he muttered so, the Normal Boar disappeared.
It was a charge at a speed that was incomparable to a Lesser Boar.
"Sword Art: Zero Rotation"
That was a technique to dodge the attack of the enemy who is rushing in at zero distance by rotating 45 degrees with the right foot and piercing the enemy's left side with a sword with that momentum.
Abel's magic sword, which shined red, pierced the left ear of the Normal Boar without missing its mark.
"Gieeeeeeee"
The death throes of the Normal Boar echoed.
However, at the same time as the Normal Boar collapsed, Abel knelt too.
The continuous activation of 『Sword Art』, even for a swordsman called a genius, caused quite a lot of fatigue.
However, there was no time to slowly wait for recovery there.
After all, Ryo was fighting against an Assassin Hawk in the previous location.
He stood up with effort and took a deep breath.
After adjusting his breathing, Abel started running toward the opening.
As expected, the current Abel was not as fast as when he was heading for the Normal Boar.
Nevertheless, he returned to the opening in a hurry, but there …
Ryo had cut the neck of the Assassin Hawk with a knife and was draining its blood.
"Oh, welcome back Abel."
"Oh … I'm back …? Did you defeat it?"
"Yeah, I'm draining the blood. The monster in the forest in front seemed to have retreated."
Upon hearing that, Abel collapsed to his knees.
"Eh? Abel? Did you get hurt?"
That surprised Ryo.
"No, I'm not injured anywhere. I'm just a little tired."
For the time being, he was glad that they were both safe … so Abel thought to himself.