An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 86

An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 86   The hero is pushy

“Alright, let’s go!”

…

In the morning, when I opened the door to my house, there stood the hero. Blanversh.

“…Where are we going?”

“It’s already decided, isn’t it? We’re going hunting. Isn’t that your job? I’ll be with you all day today.”

“But I can’t possibly ask the esteemed hero of the kingdom to do something like this…”

“It’s absolutely fine. Besides, I want you to guide me to the Demon Lord’s shrine.”

“By any chance, Blanversh-san, are you of noble birth?”

“No, I come from a lineage of knights.”

This assertiveness, self-centeredness, obliviousness to the atmosphere, and yet lack of any malice. It reminds me of Lord Faal from the Topurus. Knowing that there’s no ill intent makes it all the more troublesome.

“In other words, you want to see exactly how I hunt, how I use my abilities to attack.”

“Of course. You crippled the Dino Dragon’s leg to immobilize it, didn’t you? What else is there?”

“As a Hunter, the techniques I use are considered a secret. It’s not something I reveal to others. Probing or divulging that information while working with other Hunters is a breach of our rules.”

“That’s an odd tradition. For us knights and heroes, our battles have meaning when witnessed by others. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to participate in tournaments. Fighting in secret and hiding one’s techniques serves no purpose.”

“But that secretive fighting is exactly what defines us as hunters…”

It’s astonishing how different our values are… The hero is truly formidable.

“I see. So that’s why Hunters don’t participate in tournaments.”

“Humans of such humble origins as Hunters are generally not allowed to participate.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Hmm, Blanversh tilts his head in thought.

“Even Hunters are often quite skilled, though.”

“…Have you seen Team Justice? They’re all first-class Hunters, you know?”

“…As much as it pains me to admit it, that explanation makes a lot of sense.”

Phew.

I glance back at Saran.

She’s giving me a sidelong look.

“That’s fine. I’m not good at keeping secrets or telling lies anyway. If you join us for the hunt, you’ll see for yourself what I can and can’t do. Please join us.”

“Absolutely!”

Yes, this brightness, this refreshing attitude. These are surely essential traits of a hero.

Saran, me, and Blanversh walk in a line.

“By the way, those clothes you’re wearing are amazing. The leaf patterns are dyed, right? That way, you’d blend in well and not be easily spotted by prey.”

“Yes, it’s camouflage.”

“We tend to stand out boldly when we fight, so I never thought about that approach. And Saran’s bow is incredible too. I’ve never seen someone carry such a large bow.”

“She’s skilled with it.”

“But I still can’t match up to my husband.”

Saran says that, and Blanversh is surprised.

“You’re a married couple?!”

… How many times have I seen this reaction? Why can’t people see us any other way?

“We always get reactions like that, you know? I’d love to hear what people actually thought of us.”

“In the capital city, there’s a rumor that human men captured by Elves become slaves.”

“No way, that can’t be true!”

Saran is furious.

“I didn’t believe it either. His Majesty the King even said it’s just sibling-like teasing… You know, older sister and younger brother stuff…”

“Is the King really that naive…”

“My bad, I’m sorry. Seriously, I’m sorry.”

Saran’s mood is at its worst.

How are you going to smooth things over, Hero-san?

“300 naaru (273 meters) ahead, there’s a deer.”

“I see it, Saran-san.”

“Well, it’s visible.”

“Oh wow! Saran-san, you’re amazing.”

Both of you are incredible. I haven’t developed that sense for the surroundings yet. Spotting prey through the thickets and trees has become a veteran’s skill. Even in the Hunters’ Association, I was nowhere near as good as the senior members in this regard. You’d think my eyesight would be better since I’m younger.

“Saran, let’s save that for later. It could be cumbersome to carry, so let’s head to the shrine first.”

“Good idea.”

“Hmm, too bad. I was hoping to see how skilled you are, Shin.”

And so, we make our way down the path towards the shrine. Exploring these shrines is also one of the hero’s duties. The shrines use their sealing power to suppress the revival of the Demon King. Confirming whether that seal’s strength has weakened is an important task for the hero. However, based on what the village chief said, even that seems dubious.

Creating things like this is likely just a way for the Hero’s Church to establish authority. In reality, these creatures referred to as “Demon Kings” might simply be the result of natural occurrences. I should really ask the Goddess Nanotesu about this next time.

…Come to think of it, there was that time when the witch was trying to undo the seal, and Nanotesu asked to stop her. Maybe there is some meaning behind it after all.

“Strange. Something feels off.”

“Yeah, there’s definitely something here…”

Of all times… Why does the hero have to show up now…

Wait, could it be that the hero planned this? No way, right?

There’s no way, right?

“Smells like orcs.”

…Saran-san, have you actually smelled orcs before?

“What kind of creature is an orc?”

“Pig-like. Ugly face with no fur, bigger than a human, and they have this gross, bulky body. About my size. Covered in short, dirty hair all over. They wear dirty animal skins around their waist, it’s really filthy.”

How disgustingly dirty can they get?

“…It’s their breeding season right about now. They must be targeting the Elf village and made it this far.”

“Breeding season?”

“Orcs are all males. They kidnap females of other species and impregnate them, then the orc offspring burst out of their bellies. No matter the species of the mother, the offspring will always be an orc male. They’re the worst kind of creatures, taking any female—Elves, humans, beastfolk, anything.”

What kind of potent DNA do they have?

There’s no way any of those creatures are getting into the Elf village.

“They’re probably gathering in front of the shrine.”

“Now what, Leader?”

“Since when did I become the leader?”

“Well, I want to see you fight.”

“Fine, then hurry back to Kopori Village alone and report.”

“Denied. We don’t have that kind of time.”

“Denied. I won’t leave Shin’s side, no matter what.”

“Can’t be helped then. Let’s take down as many as we can here, scatter them, and then head back for the report.”

“Agreed.”

“Disagreed. We should wipe them all out here. I’ll charge in. Shin-kun and Saran-san, provide support.”

“Are you sure?”

“Not a problem. It’s a breeze. I’ve taken on about twenty of them by myself plenty of times.”

…As expected of a hero.

“First, let’s move to a high vantage point where we can overlook the shrine. I want to assess their numbers.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, follow me.”

Following Saran through the thicket-covered hill, we ascend. Saran knows my range, my capabilities, and she’ll guide us to the best position. I can rely on her – my dependable wife.

“Huff… puff…”

I feel so weak. Truly pitiful.

“Thirsty?”

“Please.”

“Here.”

Saran conjures a water ball on her palm and lets me drink from it.

“Saran-san, me too.”

“No way.”

“…Why do you dislike me so much?”

Why is the hero so oblivious and lacking in sensitivity? It’s easy to figure out with just a bit of thought, but I suppose that’s a hero for you, after all.

Truly a hero. He deftly pulls out a water flask from seemingly thin air and takes a sip. Is that an item box? A skill unique to heroes, I suppose.

I didn’t want him snooping around my Magic Bag, so I’m carrying a rifle today. A Remington M700 in .308 Winchester. And I have a backpack too, more gear than usual. Huff… huff…

After a bit of a struggle, we finally reach the top of a small hill. Peeking discreetly, we observe the shrine. It’s about 150 meters away, I suppose.

…Disgusting.

Even worse than goblins, more unsettling than a Tyrannosaurus rex.

An intense feeling of repulsion sends shivers down my spine.

Truly, a swine-like face atop that grotesque body. Despite wrapping fur around its waist, its loins are already engorged, pushing against the fur.

Are they really planning to assault women and seed them one by one?

I’m starting to feel like we won’t be satisfied until we exterminate every last one of these creatures.

Their weapons are axes, swords, and clubs.

Given their intention to capture women, they’ve left behind those troublesome throwing spears.

Numbers… about thirty or so.

“…This is a full-blown war. Elves against orcs.”

“This is bad.”

“We can’t afford to let a single one escape. We’re going for total annihilation.”

I place my backpack in front of me and remove the cover from the Remington M700 rifle slung across my back. I line up as many .308 Winchester rounds as possible beside me and load them into the rifle. Of course, these are potent hollow-point rounds meant for hunting.

“So, that’s a gun.”

“Well, yes.”

“Can you attack from this distance!?”

“Yes.”

“How many do you think you can take down?”

“Well, around ten. More than that, and they might escape.”

“Understood. Then, Shin, take out a few of them first. After that, I’ll charge in and draw their attention, making sure not a single one escapes.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Piece of cake. Shin, feel free to keep shooting at the enemies even while I’m fighting. Just don’t hit me.”

“Of course.”

“Saran, I’m entrusting Shin’s protection to you. Got it?”

“Leave it to me.”

“Alright, let the attack begin.”

“It’s going to make a loud noise. Plug your ears.”

“Got it.”

“Go ahead.”

Bang!

The largest one’s head is blown apart!

Its eyeball flies out as its skull crumbles into a mushy mess!

Kasha-sha-ki!

Second shot!

Bang!

Kasha-sha-ki!

Continuing!

Bang!

Kasha-sha-ki!

Bang!

“Spectacular!!” exclaims Blanversh in amazement.

I’ve mastered rapid firing at this level.

My skills have definitely improved. I shoot through four heads in ten seconds.

The stunned orcs snap to attention, looking around in a panic.

Click, click, click, click.

I reload the magazine.

Four more rapid shots in succession!

Not a single one can escape!

Since they’ve started moving, I aim for their larger torsos instead of their heads.

Different from headshots, being shot in the abdomen won’t lead to instant death. But without fail, it will result in certain death.

There’s no way to survive. These are hunting-grade hollow-point rounds!

“Understood. Alright, I’m going in!” declares Blanversh.

With those words, Blanversh leaps towards the shrine, soaring through the air.

No, that’s more like flying!

It’s not just a jump’s height!

Is he really human?

Zooom! He hurtles down the mountain, kicking the ground and foliage as if bouncing, at an incredible speed. The bravery is astounding!

“Keep it up, Shin!”

No time to be amazed. I heed Saran’s call.

I need to keep firing.

Reloading the magazine is a hassle.

I grip a handful of rounds and individually load them into the chamber.

Bang!

Kasha-sha-ki!

Bang!

As promised, I’ve taken down at least ten of them.

“Uoooaahh!”

Blanversh lets out a fierce shout as he charges forward with his sword drawn!

Incredible courage…

I could never imitate that…