An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 17

An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 17   A hunter’s original job

“Oh, you’re here!”

In the morning, when we went to check the Hunter’s Guild bulletin board, Bal-san was waiting there with a smirk, looking happy.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, there are a lot of jobs I want to ask you guys for.”

“I have a bad feeling about this…”

“I’d prefer to choose my jobs a little more…”

Well, at least for me, Saran is a top-tier hunter in this world, right?

We don’t want to take on any strange jobs… I’d rather decline them.

“Well, don’t say that.”

Saying that, Bal-san starts sticking request papers on the bulletin board one after another.

“The high-ranking hunters are busy dealing with big monster exterminations and rarely come back. The mid-tier ones are on merchant escort missions, going from west to east. The young rookies only dream of big-paying jobs and reject any menial tasks. The kind of work that hunters are actually meant to do, helping people, surprisingly isn’t popular.”

“Like pigeon extermination?”

“Yeah, exactly. You two were the first to take on such a job. It was a big help.”

…That’s true, right?

Being a hunter, even in Japan, isn’t a lucrative job.

Income is not a priority.

It’s a hobby… It’s volunteering.

“Hmm, but Shin, you want money, don’t you?”

The way Saran says it.

There’s no need for such blunt remarks…

“I’m still a fledgling hunter here. I believe it’s important to work diligently, build a track record, and become a trusted hunter. Being a hunter is a profession that is often misunderstood.”

“That’s right!!” “Exactly!”

Bal-san and the old man at the trading post raise their voices.

“Well, you understand it, huh? You’re impressive for your age… Our source of worry is exactly that. There are many hunters who are picky about their jobs, only want easy and profitable ones, and crave fame. They cause troubles everywhere and are greedy for money. There are plenty of guys who get arrogant just because they’re a little strong or have some recognition…”

“Hunters who refuse to take on such jobs, who refuse to do this and that, are starting to be seen as such by the citizens and farmers. There’s no getting rid of the image of being arrogant and condescending hunters.”

Yeah, it’s the same in Japan. Many people consider hunting associations as the lowest job, where countryside old folks swing guns and happily kill animals. But we work diligently, protect the fields of farmers, listen to their requests, and strive to be trusted by the local community in the countryside. However, with just one accident or mistake, that trust can quickly drop to zero. It’s a thankless job… Young people don’t want to do it, and it’s hard for city folks to understand.

It’s rare to see hunters in their twenties like me. I’m even envied by other branches of the hunting association.

But my role is just a simple job of dragging dead deer down from the mountains. It’s easy because I’m young. Yeah.

“That’s not the point!”

Bal-san points firmly at the bulletin board.

“The farm requests have been piling up! Can you guys take care of all of them?”

“…”

“Please, I’ll provide special rewards from the guild as well…”

“Well, Saran?”

“Yes.”

“For me…”

“You want to do it?”

“Yeah!”

“I guess there’s no helping it.”

Saran gives me a reassuring smile, and it makes me happy.

“There are so many squirrels! They’re everywhere!”

Squirrels, huh? They end up nibbling on the nuts.

Sure, it may not be a significant amount compared to what the squirrels eat, but it’s frustrating when they devour them right in front of you. They’re a major nuisance for the nut farmers.

We’ll shoot them down one by one with an air gun.

In Japan, hunting squirrels is prohibited.

It might sound outrageous to shoot adorable squirrels, but in America, squirrel hunting is one of the tasks for nut farmers. We shot down twenty-two of them and received a direct reward of two gold coins from the farmers.

…With so many squirrels, it might truly affect the farmers’ income…

We also received plenty of nuts.

They resemble cashew nuts. They’re delicious.

“Those prairie dogs are making a mess of the pasture!”

They’re rodent-like creatures about the size of a cat.

Hmm… They quickly retreat into their holes when you get closer, and they’re small targets and quite cautious…

The distance is over 100 meters. Neither a shotgun nor an air gun can reach them easily.

Even Saran’s bow won’t be effective, of course.

I want a .223 Remington varmint rifle or something similar. Hunting with a .22 caliber is prohibited in Japan, but in America, everyone uses small-caliber rifles to exterminate prairie dogs by the dozens in a single day.

A .223 Remington costs less than 50 cents per shot, and if it’s a .22 LR long rifle, it’s only 10 cents.

I’ll have to figure out a solution after listening to some advice.

“Coyotes are attacking the ranch’s cows and sheep.”

They are primarily nocturnal but seem to come out during the day as well. They’re also targets for rifles.

We’ll have to deal with it soon, so for now, I’ll just listen to their story.

“Deer are ravaging the fields!”

Leave that to me. My sabot slug rounds and Saran’s bow are more than sufficient.

Saran and I tracked them down in the nearby forest and captured three of them.

The farmer brought a wagon, collected the deer, and headed back, waving goodbye.

Since the Guild building is right there from the East Gate, we had someone from the Guild come over, load them up, and bought the entire haul from us.

Three gold coins for each deer. They buy them at three times the price in Japan. It’s quite a profit.

“Wolves are appearing. The children can’t play outside…”

We capture a deer, hang it from a tree, and then each climb a separate tree to wait.

The scent of blood lures them in, and they gather together, growling…

We shoot them down one by one with backshots and Saran’s bow.

They’re formidable enemies, attacking with bared teeth. They were probably the scariest we’ve encountered so far.

It would have been dangerous if we hadn’t climbed the trees.

You know, wolves are like… how should I put it? They’re like Siberian Huskies that have lost their class and turned into delinquents. They seem disenchanted. Reminds me of local high schoolers.

Wolf fur is durable, soft, and repels water, making it popular among farmers. Four silver coins for one wolf, and two and a half gold coins for eight wolves.

We can’t transport the deer all the way to the Guild, so we sell them directly to the farmers for one gold coin. They’ve been partially chewed by the wolves, so it can’t be helped.

In addition, we received two gold coins as a reward. It turned out to be quite a lucrative venture.

“Crows…”

Alright, alright. One gold coin.

Crows, you see, they snatch the planted seedlings and pull them out. Of course, the uprooted seedlings wither away.

Crows are well-known for their peculiar behavior of engaging in seemingly purposeless actions just for “fun.” They do it because it’s amusing, with no other explanation. They’re intelligent enough to harass humans by doing something that would be inconvenient for us. In Hokkaido, the damage to seedlings caused by crows amounts to several million yen in a single town. To prevent this, we shoot down any visible crows with air guns or shotguns and hang their corpses on poles.

We provided a large number of crows, which are not easily captured, to the farmers. They were grateful for that.

“Pigeons…”

Alright. Total destruction of the barn, one gold coin.

Foxes, you see…

Two silver coins for one… Since they’re nocturnal, we were only able to catch two that were wandering around during the day.

These are shotgun targets. We aimed for them as they approached hiding in the cattle sheds and such.

They’re omnivorous, so they come to eat livestock feed and grains. Corn is their favorite.

“There are crocodiles in the river.”

No way, that’s terrifying!

Look, they’re over 4 meters long!

It took five arrows from Saran and three slugs to finally bring one down.

Their skins fetch a high price, so the Guild bought them for ten gold coins.

I’ve heard the meat is delicious, but I have no desire to try it.

We waded into the swamp, placed ropes, and had horses pull them out.

Both of us were covered in mud…

It’s profitable, but I don’t really want to do this again…

After working like that for about a week, we managed to accumulate forty gold coins.

“You’ve done well! With this, we can regain the Guild’s trust, even if it’s a small change.”

“Everything takes time.”

“I’ll give you a reward as well. Count on me from now on.”

We received a hefty reward in a large leather bag.

Wait! It’s so much!!

…But it’s all silver coins inside.

Please stop winking, Bal-san. Even with that tough face, it just looks eerie when you wink.

Look, everyone’s staring…

Well, I guess that’s true.

Other hunters are eyeing us. It’s a way to show that we’re making a decent profit even with modest jobs.

It’s also a message to the young hunters around us to serve as good examples. I understand, Guild Master Buffalo Bal.

Sixty silver coins. In other words, a bonus of five gold coins.

“I’ll promote both of you to Rank 5. Hand over your cards.”

“It will likely lead to more challenging jobs, won’t it?”

“You’re able to hunt Lavalas crocodile. It’s only natural. The handling fee is waived under my recommendation.”

…I wish we didn’t have to hunt such crocodile.

Both of us were covered in mud and soaking wet.

We were met with astonishment at the inn. They allowed us to use their water source to clean up.

This is our only place of respite now. We collapse onto the soft bed of a decent inn.

Well, before going to sleep, there’s one thing we always do.

Sitting on the floor, I clean my beloved M870 shotgun.

“I wish I had a rifle…”

“A rifle?”

“Yeah, it’s an upgraded version of the firearm I’m using. It can hit targets even at 300 meters and is much more powerful.”

“300 meters?!”

“Imagine the distance being 300 times the length between you and me.”

I say while spreading my arms to about one meter.

“Well, I can see why you’d want that. But aren’t they expensive?”

“Yeah.”

They may be expensive, but in Japan, shotguns are only permitted after having a usage record of over ten years. Even if you get permission to own a shotgun at the age of twenty, the earliest you can have a rifle is when you turn thirty.

Well, that doesn’t matter in this otherworldly place, though…

“I should be able to buy a gun from the magic bag.”

“But there’s a chance I can’t.”

I won’t know until I try it out.

So far, I’ve only bought ammunition and hunting supplies. Buying a gun feels like a big deal, and I’m not sure if I can just rely on my imagination to make the purchase. It’s scary to think about losing all my money if I make a mistake.

“How much does it cost?”

“About twenty gold coins for the gun and scope… It’s expensive, right?”

“That’s fine.”

“Huh?”

“If you want it, you can use the money. We earned it together, and I don’t have any specific use for the money myself. I’ll be happy if it helps you fight stronger monsters, too. So go ahead and get what you want.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, but make sure we stay in a place with a comfortable bed.”

I jump onto the bed and sink into its softness.

Alright, next time I’ll buy the rifle!