Bastard Swordsman

Something Like a Spear

I had been assigned to a joint mission with Artemis.

The flow of events led to a situation where I had to prove my ability to protect Raina if I intended to take her along. I wouldn't call it overprotective. After all, no one would want to entrust a young woman to a strange man whose nature was unknown.

Especially since I was well aware that I was something of a peculiar, strange old man. I behaved intentionally that way, so I knew this kind of repercussion was bound to come eventually. Besides, this wasn't the first time I'd had a test of strength.

The mission designed to test my abilities was a two-day forest expedition.

We were tasked with searching for some unfortunate newcomers who had lost contact within the forest and disarming traps set by foolish newbies who had placed them without permission — a diligent butt-covering mission that was typical for this time of year.

Those who venture into the forest and don't return are usually either dead, have become bandits, or have quietly returned to their hometowns without a word. In any case, they are troublesome folks.

That said, it wasn't as if we were aimlessly wandering through the forest. There was a clear route set out, which involved going to and returning from a designated work cabin deep within the forest.

If there were no prior occupants, we could sleep in the work cabin, and the surrounding area was relatively safe. Reaching the work cabin before it got completely dark was crucial.

Whether we encountered monsters along the way or stumbled upon traps was a matter of luck.

However, in my experience, there was never a time when absolutely nothing happened on this journey.

This quest was about assessing my overall ability as a guild member.

「Sorry to keep you waiting,」

I said as I arrived at the eastern gate in the dim light of dawn.

The members of Artemis were already gathered there.

「Huh, I kind of expected all of Artemis to be here,」

I remarked.

「Of course not. This isn't a mission that requires a large group, and we have other things to do. We've split up tasks," she replied.

「Am I the last one? There might be some unfamiliar faces, so I should introduce myself. I'm Mongrel-san, a swordsman. Bronze rank 3.」

There were five members from Artemis gathered.

I knew the leader, Sheena, and my junior, Raina, and had previously mistaken Goriliana for a man, but the other two were faces I knew but had never spoken to.

「Hey there, Mongrel-san. I'm Ulrika, as you can see, an archer. Silver rank 2. We've seen each other in the tavern, but never had a chance to talk, have we?」

The girl who introduced herself as Ulrika had light pink hair and seemed to be a cheerful and friendly type.

She seemed a perfect fit as Raina's mentor figure.

「I'm Natasha. A water magic user, gold rank 1. I'm here to assess your abilities. Nothing more, nothing less.」

This woman seemed pretty intense.

With long blue hair and sharp eyes that warded people off, she gave a cold impression.

She was often with Sheena, but I'd rarely seen her speak. So that's what her voice sounded like.

「...」

And this person, who looked more like Hercules from Fate than Artemis... no, it was Goriliana.

She was tall enough that even I looked up at her. A muscular physique. She was definitely a... woman. Truly, thank you very much.

「Come on, Goriliana, you should at least introduce yourself. It's the first time.」

「Yeah, Mongrel-san is reflecting on his actions, and he's not that bad of a person. You don't have to be scared.」

With Sheena and Raina's urging, Goriliana slowly walked over to me.

She was within the reach of her scimitar. For some reason, I found myself thinking about that.

「I-I'm Goriliana... a Silver rank 2 swordswoman... today... nice to meet you...」

「Ah, yes... it's nice to meet you.」

Her timid speech was somewhat intimidating, given her appearance.

Well, maybe it was because my first impression was terrible. But with that kind of look, one wouldn't assume she was a woman. Her voice was more manly than mine. It was a real first-impression killer.

Well, I hope to clear up any misunderstandings this time. Yes.

I'd rather not make an enemy with such a visual presence...

「No need for introductions between Sheena and me.」

「Right, right. We don't want to reach the work cabin before sunset, so let's get going.」

「What, are you taking charge? There are more of us from Artemis this time, so if you'd follow our lead, it'd be easier.」

「Yeah, I don't have any objections. Following orders is easier, anyway. But you're here to see my abilities, right? Maybe you should at least observe how I handle things.」

「Oh, I agree! We always move according to Artemis's way, so it'd be nice to see others' methods sometimes.」

「You've got a good head on your shoulders. Ulrika, is it? Nice to meet you.」

「Alright!」

Though Sheena had a slightly sour face, she didn't have any objections since she'd mentioned seeing my abilities.

So I was given the lead, and we proceeded with caution for the day.

Upon entering the forest, I navigated the familiar game paths.

The forest was familiar to me from the entrance, and wild animals rarely sprung out from this area.

Thus, the atmosphere was still akin to a field trip.

Nonetheless, we prepared our formation in case of sudden encounters.

We guarded against attacks from both front and back, arranging in the order of swordsman, archer, magic user, and swordsman from the front.

With this arrangement, naturally, conversations flowed with the archers.

「Wow, that's why Mongrel-san has money even as a solo guy.」

「I handle missions meant for groups alone, so I've got three times the off time.」

Ulrika, being talkative, often engaged me from behind.

While she was lively and fun to talk to, I'd appreciate it if she could also keep an eye out.

「But I don't get the impression that you're rich, Mongrel-san. You always seem to make strange purchases.」

「What a cheeky remark. I only buy what I find necessary.」

「Sure, sure.」

「I brought a special bow just for this time with Artemis, you know.」

「What!? You can use a bow, Mongrel-san!?」

「Seriously? Now that you mention it, you've got one strapped on... isn't it an odd shape though?」

「Oh, want to see it? I bought it during a sale at the Black Soot Market.」

Stopping our march for a weapon demonstration. An unavoidable stop for curiosity.

Don't give me that scary look, Sheena, Natasha. You'd understand once you saw it.

「Ta-da! A bow-sword!」

Unwrapping the cloth revealed a cool weapon with a small blade attached to the end of the bow.

Yes. This bow-sword allowed long-range attacks as a bow and could be used for close combat with the attached blade, wielding it like a spear if the enemy got too close!

「Whoa... seriously? You spent money on something like that again...」

「Haha...」

Wait, their reactions were lukewarm. This time, the bow had decent length and could actually shoot arrows.

Though the sword part was incredibly cumbersome.

「Just to ask, Mongrel-san, can you really use that properly?」

「Yeah, I can use it. I brought a single arrow with me, after all.」

「One arrow.」

「Arrows are expensive. I didn't have the courage to buy in bulk. But from here to that tree, I can probably hit.」

「Such a short range! That's practically the distance of a throwing knife!」

「It's fine; if I miss, I just shift to close combat. That's my main shtick anyway.」

Despite showcasing a new weapon, I was met with worried faces.

Not that adding a bow rendered me weaker or anything.

And truthfully, I considered it a stroke of luck if an arrow hit. I wasn't delusional about that.

Well, when I had free time, I envisioned borrowing arrows to practice.

「Alright, let's move on. The forest gets denser from this point. Stay vigilant.」

「Yes, Sir...」

「Hey, Raina. Is he always like this?」

「Uh, yeah, he's generally like that...」

「I can hear you, you know?」

If you're going to talk behind someone's back, make sure they're not around.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Our MC has a childish side to him.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】