My First Hunt

Terradin Forest (North of Mildiesta), Hensberg Kingdom, Northern Continent.

I am currently in Terradin Forest, located in the northern part of Mildiesta. Today marks my first day working as an adventurer, hunting monsters!

This afternoon, I am walking alongside Ryuji-san, exploring the depths of Terradin Forest in search of direwolves.

Direwolves are a type of wolf with physical abilities superior to regular wolves. The body length of an adult direwolf ranges from two to three meters. They are large wolves excelling in physical strength, agility, and magic resistance. In short, direwolves are a significant threat to mages.

My hands are trembling slightly, and I feel the palms of my hands damp with sweat. I fully understand that I'm nervous right now. This is my first hunt, and our target is a direwolf. Of course, I'm nervous because my class is Priest—a mage specializing in light magic.

"Elena-san, are you nervous?"

Mr. Ryuji asked from behind, patting me on the shoulder.

"Hahahaha… a little!"

I turned my body and laughed awkwardly at him.

"Don't overthink it. I promise I'll protect you, okay?"

He said this while giving me a thumbs-up.

"Yes."

I replied with a thumbs-up of my own.

Yes, that's right. Calm yourself, Elena. You're not alone. Ryuji-san is here to help you. He's an S-Rank Swordmaster who singlehandedly defeated an Ogre-lord. What is there to be afraid of?

Perhaps the biggest source of my fear is the size of our party. Normally, an adventuring party consists of at least four members for hunting monsters and completing missions. Typically, a party includes two front-line fighters, one ranged fighter (a Ranger or Mage), and one support member, usually a Healer.

But right now, it's just the two of us—Ryuji-san, an S-Rank Swordmaster, and me, a C-Rank Priest. It's a troublesome pairing. You could say our party has plenty of weaknesses, most of which come from me. No matter how powerful Ryuji-san is, protecting me while fighting must be arduous.

However, adding more members isn't a feasible solution, at least for now, because we have a secret to keep: the fact that Ryuji-san isn't from this world.

If this fact were known, it would be incredibly troublesome. A hero summoned through the "Hero Summoning" spell is required to be under the supervision of the Hensberg Kingdom and act under royal orders.

This doesn't mean I'm selfish and want to keep Ryuji-san to myself (I mean by my side). It's just that Ryuji-san himself refuses to be bound by the kingdom's rules and authority.

Therefore, we decided to hunt direwolves in Terradin Forest with just the two of us.

The most dangerous thing in this forest isn't the direwolves—it's Fenrir. Fenrir is a ferocious wolf that has become the symbol of the Hensberg Kingdom. A tale passed down through generations on the Northern Continent, Fenrir is the wolf that killed the "God of Wisdom" and fled to this forest, hiding in its darkness.

"Elena-san, watch your step... now look ahead!"

Ryuji-san suddenly called out, pointing his right index finger forward.

When I looked in that direction, I could make out the faint outline of creatures walking calmly toward us. All of them had bodies over two meters long. Their sharp gray fangs gleamed, and their dark black fur appeared dense and thick. Their eyes stared at us with ferocity, as if they had already decided we'd be their next meal.

Yes… standing before Ryuji-san and me is a pack of direwolves ready to attack.

"Aauuuuwwww!"

With a deafening howl, the direwolves charged toward us. Ryuji-san pulled me back, signaling me to take cover behind him.

Moments later…

Three direwolves leaped at us from the front. However, with a single swing of his sword, Ryuji-san struck them all down instantly. It was the first time I had ever seen such a sword technique. Without even unsheathing his sword, Ryuji-san managed to slay the attacking direwolves in a single slash.

"Aaaauuuuuww… aaauuuwwww…"

One of the direwolves howled again, as if signaling the others, and the rest began to crawl forward slowly, surrounding us from all directions.

"O lucis domini! Da mihi praesidium tuum!"

("O Lords of Light! Grant me Your protection!")

Seeing that, I began chanting my spell.

"Aaauuuuwwww!"

At the sound of a howl, all the surrounding direwolves attacked at once.

"Clypeus Lucis!"

("Shield of Light!")

I completed the final verse of my spell, conjuring a shield of light that surrounded both Ryuji-san and me. The direwolves furiously clawed and bit at the barrier, trying to break through.

After observing the wolves for a while, Ryuji-san glanced sharply at me and spoke.

"Elena-san, can you let me out of here?"

I nodded in response.

I knew full well that we couldn't just hide behind the 'Shield of Light.' It was only a temporary measure to survive the direwolves' aggression. Thus, Ryuji-san needed to step out and fight while I remained protected within the shield.

"Alright… I'll count to three. Once I say three, open the shield and let me out. Get ready… one… two… three!"

I created an opening in the shield. As soon as I did, Ryuji-san darted out, immediately slashing through the direwolves one after another.

The direwolves circled him, taking turns lunging at him. But it became evident that Ryuji-san's sword slashes were much faster than their attacks. One by one, the direwolves fell to the ground. Some struggled to rise, but Ryuji-san quickly crush their heads or slash their throats without mercy.

It was a horrifying sight. This wasn't a battle or a hunt—it was a massacre. A slaughter carried out by Ryuji-san against the pack of direwolves.

The direwolves began retreating slowly, their aggression waning as they distanced themselves from the terrifying figure who had just decimated their ranks. Even I couldn't help but feel afraid of Ryuji-san at that moment. His body was soaked in blood, and the sharp smell of iron clung to the air around him.

Releasing my 'Shield of Light,' I approached Ryuji-san cautiously. But... suddenly he stepped forward toward the remaining direwolves. Instinctively, I grabbed his arm.

"Stop! Please stop this, Ryuji-san. That's enough! Look at them… they're terrified and backing off!"

I pointed at the remaining direwolves. Yes… of the more than twenty direwolves that had attacked us earlier, only four were left. One of them was the direwolf that had been howling as if giving commands.

"Aren't they just monsters?"

Ryuji-san asked, looking at me in confusion.

"Yes… but now look at yourself, Ryuji-san! Right now, you look more like a monster than they do."

Ryuji-san looked down at himself, noticing his body drenched in blood. His figure was soaked in red, reeking of a pungent metallic smell.

I then turned my gaze to one of the direwolves, the one I believed to be the leader of the pack. Raising my voice, I shouted loudly.

"Go! Get away from us!"

I wasn't sure if the direwolf understood my words, but it slowly lowered its head in acknowledgment. Then, it turned and began to walk away, the rest of its pack following closely behind, disappearing into the dense foliage of Terradin Forest.

†********************†

Hello, dear readers…

Thank you for following Elena Fearis's journey up to this point.

By the way, do you recall the spell Elena used in this chapter? Yes… it's the same spell she used to protect herself and the soldiers defending Toffa Village from the ogres' attack.

See you in the next chapter!