Bastard Swordsman

An Arrow's Revenge

「Wait, there's a snare trap.」

I halted Artemis who were behind me and knelt beside the bush. Despite the cover of branches and leaves, it was unmistakable—a man-made trap.

It was merely a snare designed to catch an unsuspecting person's limbs, but getting caught while walking through the forest would be a disaster. Such traps required a warning ribbon to indicate their presence, and a numbered tag from the guild should be used on the trap itself. This trap had neither.

Embedded near the roots of nearby bushes were bits of metal, likely intended to weaken struggling prey. It was impressive how thoroughly they had managed to violate regulations.

Those from rural areas seemed to relish in such practices, which could be quite problematic.

「An illegal trap, huh.」

「I'll collect it. There seem to be quite a few this year.」

「Looks like the newbies these days don't think things through. Perhaps they were used to doing whatever they liked back where they came from.」

「The guild should improve its initial training. Maybe even introduce a written test.」

「If that happened, we wouldn't have any guild members left.」

Ulrika's concerns were valid, but with so many thief types around, I thought it might be better to sort them out sooner. It was probably cheaper than letting them linger halfway, getting a taste without fully committing.

「Hmm... I see. You have a keen eye for spotting traps.」

「Well, somewhat. I'm not a born hunter like Sheena, so forgive any oversight.」

「No, you're doing better than expected.」

「Is that a compliment, really?」

「It is.」

「But your eyes look scary.」

「Quiet.」

「Ahaha.」

「Ulrika, hush.」

「Okay.」

Walking through the forest and picking up on slight changes was a skill I'd honed since arriving in this world. To be honest, I'm not very confident. While I might have developed average skills, anything outside the realm of a reincarnation cheat protagonist left me unsure. Ironically, this uncertainty drove my determination to learn.

「Footprints.」

「Where? Raina.」

「Here.」

As we continued walking, Raina first spotted traces left behind. Finding these footprints was challenging. The ground all looked the same. I still found even game trails suspicious.

「She's right. Good job, Raina.」

「Well done, Raina.」

「Hehehe.」

It was clear from seeing Raina get praised how she was treated in Artemis. I'd heard they got along well, and she was doted on like the youngest sibling. Good for her.

「... What are you looking at?」

「Nothing, really.」

She's probably at the age where she doesn't want to be seen like that. Though she may look small, Raina was sixteen and already an adult.

「... The footprints belong to a sizable Charge Deer, huh?」

Natasha, the usually silent mage, dipped her fingers into the footprints, gauging their depth. Judging the animal's weight through the soil's depression, I assumed.

For the record, a Charge Deer is a formidable deer-like monster with vicious horns, preferring a straightforward yet deadly charge as its mode of attack. Although its horns suggest a carnivorous nature, it's actually herbivorous; killing seems to be a hobby or instinct. It was a genuine nuisance, with the menace of a monster and the damage of a pest.

Many found them more bothersome than Mad Boars because of their long-reaching horns, and every year several experienced guild members met their end by their antlers.

However, hunting one was profitable; unlike Mad Boars, everything from its horns to its hide and meat could fetch a good price. I tended to break the horns, though.

「It doesn't look like a territory. It just passed through.」

「It's not heading to a water source either, right? What do you think, with everything stirred up by the newcomers?」

「The recent distribution in the forest is unreliable. It might be useless to think too deeply. Mongrel? Do you have any thoughts?」

Well, tossing that to me doesn't help much.

「I only kill what I find. I don't know the first thing about hunting. I just go to the places the guild points out and look around. My views might be too off the mark.」

「I see. Fair enough. Shall we move on?」

「Sure.」

Just demonstrating strength would be simple if a Charge Deer or Mad Boar showed up. If I could handle a beast of adequate strength, they'd accept my abilities. I'd like to try using the bow sword at first, too.

「Huh?」

「Gua?」

As I pondered, goblins trotted toward us from down the path. There were two of them. It was like encountering someone on a mountain trail.

Of course, saying "hello" wouldn't make them friendly.

「Goblins.」

「They've increased, huh? Maybe the ones hiding in fields have retreated to the forest?」

「Predicting goblins' behavior is pointless. Mongrel, can we leave this to you? I'll thin them with the bow first.」

「You can leave both to me. No way I'd struggle with tiny goblins.」

The goblins screamed as they tried to intimidate us. Ordinarily, they'd flee from a group like ours, but upon noticing Artemis were females, their fervor grew. Typical goblins.

「One arrow is enough. Why, you ask? Because with one, you can kill one.」

「Something's starting.」

With the bow sword, I nocked an arrow and pulled taut. The string creaked, ready to unleash on the goblins creeping with clubs raised.

「That posture's strange.」

「Don't laugh, Ulrika.」

「You have to bring it closer to your face, like this.」

My stemmed concentration blocked out the women's giggles, finally reaching its peak.

「Dissh!」

「Gwah?!」

The resulting projectile shot towards the goblin, missing and embedding itself into a nearby tree.

「Dissh, he said.」

「That was just embarrassing.」

「Don't laugh! Everyone starts somewhere.」

「Let me show what the bow sword can do!」

「Gyah?!」

While distracted by the missed arrow, I swiftly moved in on the goblins. The bow sword's blade, with its decent reach, slashed through the goblins' throats and hearts, removing any witness to my mishap from existence.

「Your archery leaves much to be desired, but your close combat is commendable.」

「Already putting that away, Mongrel?」

「Bows aren't my thing.」

「Aww, don't sulk.」

In the end, my trusty bastard sword was best. It handled almost anything. The bow could be a wall decoration at the inn.

「... You still wield that short sword.」

「Hm?」

Sheena eyed my bastard sword, pondering. I could understand why; it was nearly 20 cm shorter than the military-issue long swords.

「If I grip the hilt's end, it extends the reach enough. It's fine.」

「Why not just use a long sword?」

「Heh.」

「What's with that laugh?」

「You haven't yet seen the bastard sword's potential.」

Others looked skeptical, but I'd show them if a monster turned up.

「Mongrel, I appreciate your sword's strength.」

「Oh, Raina understands. You've seen it firsthand.」

「Yeah. Seeing it directly helped—no complaints.」

「I've heard Raina's stories, but is it true? Maybe you can have a mock duel with Gorriliana later?」

「I'd rather not...」

I'd like to show my worth, but facing Gorriliana was daunting.

I don't fear losing... but she's intimidating.

「Alright folks. Let's take a break. Lunchtime.」

Since then, we continued walking and took brief rests in open spots. We deactivated some traps and scared away minor monsters. Finally, as evening approached, we reached our destination: a work cabin.

「There's someone here.」

Apparently, the cabin had guests. It wasn't uncommon for lumberjacks or expedition parties to use this spot.

But...

「The question is whether they're legitimate users.」

「... True.」

A seriousness settled over our group, contrasting previous moments.

Yes, this cabin was also a prime spot for bandit lodgings.