CDWR Vol.01 Chapter 23

About ten days had passed since the completion of my first quest. I had been completing quests at a fairly steady pace every day. Although I had only taken on local quests, I had managed to raise my adventurer rank to D-rank.

“Eleanor has become a bit stronger too. Maybe it’s about time to head to Midgar’s royal capital, Midoria. I wanted to increase my rank a bit more, but maybe I’ll do that after we get there.”

“We’re going to Midoria?! We’ll surely reunite with Airi-san and Lisa-san safely!”

“Well, I hope so. But there’s very little information about Airi and Lisa; we only know they’re probably in Midoria. They likely won’t recognize me in my current form. Besides, they shouldn’t know when exactly I’ll be arriving. If we meet them, I’ll introduce you to Eleanor.”

Looking at the abilities of the weapons and armor I crafted, I believe Eleanor has reached the lower ranks of B-class in terms of capability. Her skill level is still low, but it should rise thanks to the <Enhanced Skill Growth>. I’ve also transferred <Status Enhancement>, so she should become increasingly stronger. As the skill level of my <Craft Master> increases, I should be able to create even better weapons, armor, and accessories.

Our prepaid lodging ends today, so I’ve decided not to take on any more quests and to leave Sumeria. After buying some necessities like consumables and skewers for quick meals on the road, we head out of the town. For reference, here’s Eleanor’s current status:

+++

Name: Eleanor  

Gender: Female,  Age: 15,  Race: Beastmen,  Level: 26, Title: Big Appetite Dog Beastgirl  

HP: 1865/1865  MP: 1320/1320  

Strength: 495  Endurance: 373  Agility: 424  Dexterity: 225  Magic: 122  Spirit: 132 

Skills 

Skills: Status Enhancement Lv1, Enhanced Skill Growth Lv1, Enhanced Status Growth Lv1

Weapon & Physical Skills: Short Sword Lv5, Archery Lv3

Other Skills: Danger Perception Lv2, Intuition Lv3, Detection Lv3, Dismantling Lv4, Service Lv3, Domestic Magic  

Equipment

Mithril Shortsword (Strength +50, Agility +30)  

Trent Longbow (Dexterity +30, Agility +30)  

Manticore Gauntlets (Endurance +50, Dexterity +30)  

Manticore Chestplate (Endurance +70)  

Manticore Shin Guards (Endurance +50, Agility +30)**

***

After resuming our journey, we had already entered the kingdom of Midgar and passed through several small villages and towns. So far, no trouble has arisen. Along the way, I was training Eleanor as we moved forward.

Initially, I had planned to buy a carriage before departing from Sumeria. However, there was a bulk order recently, and they were out of stock. Therefore, we had to give up on the carriage idea. Now we were walking along the highway, with the forest to our left.

As we strolled through the peaceful landscape, sounds of people quarreling and fighting could be heard from the distance. We speed up a bit and soon see a group of monsters—Orc Generals, Orc Leaders, Orcs, Ogre Generals, Ogre Leaders, and Ogres—fighting against what seemed like a group of knights. 

Upon closer inspection, the knights were arranged in a formation surrounding an expensive-looking carriage. Their focus on defending the carriage was making it difficult to eliminate the monsters quickly. The knights also seemed to be suffering significant casualties, and some appeared to be out of stamina.

I had a distaste for nobility due to my past experience with Alfred, so I decided not to help. I passed by but decided to observe the situation from about 20 meters away.

“Master, are we going to help them? Or should we ignore them?” Eleanor asked.

“Hmm, for now, I’m just observing. But those monsters… they seem strange, don’t they? They aren’t coming towards us.”

“Indeed, they seem solely focused on attacking the carriage.”

“I used 〈Appraisal〉 on the Ogres just now. They appear to be in a 〈Tamed〉 state, meaning there must be a Tamer controlling them. And that Tamer must be behind the attack.”

As I was talking to myself, I heard Eleanor’s voice beside me.

“What do you mean by 〈Tamed〉 and Tamer, Master?”

Ah, considering her upbringing, it’s natural she wouldn’t know. So I explained.

“I learned this from a library. There’s a skill that allows you to tame monsters and make them obey you. I haven’t developed it since I’m not interested.”

“So there’s such a skill?”

“Yes, that skill is called 〈Tame〉. Monsters under its effect are said to be in a 〈Tamed〉 state. People who regularly use this skill are collectively referred to as Tamers. There are various restrictions to 〈Tame〉, but let’s not get into that now.”

“I’ve learned something new!”

While Eleanor and I were talking, a particularly large man from the knights ran over to us, leaving the battle to others. He then addressed us loudly, but politely.

“Pardon my intrusion. I am Mayer, the captain of the private knight order serving Duke Campbell’s family from the Midgar Kingdom. I humbly request your assistance. We will, of course, offer a reward. As it stands, we can fend off our enemies, but the losses will be great. You emanate an aura of a powerful individual. I believe you could easily defeat these foes.”

Aura of a strong person, eh? And he’s from a Duke’s family. What should I do?

“Hmm, those monsters appear to be in a 〈Tamed〉 state, meaning someone must be controlling them. Is this an internal power struggle or some sort of conflict of interests? I don’t know either side’s situation, so I’d have to consider it carefully before taking sides.”

“You make a valid point… Each side may have its own justifications. I can’t disclose details, but I can assure you that we are not at fault. I wish I could tell you more, but unfortunately, I can’t…”

Hmm, what should I do? The attackers are monsters, and though I can’t see them yet, I do have a grudge against the Ogre General. Should I go for it? This captain seems pretty courteous.

“Alright, I’ll take care of it from now on. Have the other knights step back a little and just defend. Eleanor, you’re still not a match for the Ogre General. Stay near the carriage with the captain.”

“I understand! I also want to be able to fight better soon!”

“Really!? That’s much appreciated! Thank you for your kindness!”

These enemies are no problem at all, so I’ll just quickly finish them off.

First, to take down the leading Ogre General and Orc General, I’d hit the other monsters with [Downburst] to slow them down.

Next, I aimed an [Air Thrust] at the Orc General, instantly killing him.

At the same time, using a combination of <Instant Step> and <Sky Step>, I delivered a triangle jump kick in the air to the Ogre General, breaking his neck.

After defeating the generals of both the ogres and orcs, the remaining monsters became disorganized, so I proceeded to swiftly eliminate them.

I also confirmed that there were no casualties in the rear.

In my field of view, I could see Eleanor, who looked satisfied, and the knights who seemed astonished.

Since there was no issue in the rear, I increased my speed and continued to kill off the remaining monsters.

Even after I had taken down all the monsters, there was no sign of the Tamer who might have set them on us.

Feeling that the battle is over, I quickly stored the defeated monsters in my [Item Box].

Afterward, I headed towards Eleanor and the captain.