Chapter 10 Wyvern Battle
{TL: By Creed}
Aizen showed me a certain request form.
The content is to defeat ten Liger Boars, a type of monster.
"What's this?"
"I'll be conducting three tests. This is the first one. Liger Boars are E-rank monsters, but they can be quite troublesome. They always move in groups, leaving little room for error. They're powerful and can even break through steel at times. I'll be assessing your potential as an adventurer, your combat judgment, and more through this task."
"Understood."
"Since it's not an easy test, retreat immediately if you ever feel it's too dangerous. Got it? Never push yourself too hard. Liger Boars have simple minds, so as long as you focus on escaping, you should be able to get away without any issues."
"I understand. Thank you for your concern."
"Well, then, shall we go, Fate?"
"Wait a moment. What are you doing, just going along naturally? Ascart's assistance is prohibited. It won't count as a test unless you do it on your own."
"Ugh..."
Sofia looked very disappointed.
"A little help won't hurt, will it?"
"The 'little help' from the Sword Saint would likely be at an extraordinary level."
"You're being mean."
"It won't count as a test..."
"Sofia, I'll be fine. I promise to pass and adventure together with you."
"Fate... Yes, I'll be cheering for you. But please be very careful, okay?"
"Sure. I'll do my best to pass without fail."
――――――――――
Three people used magic secretly to eavesdrop on a conversation.
"What's with that guy... turning down our invitation and trying to become an adventurer with someone else? Quite cheeky, isn't he?"
"Tch. If that Sword Saint weren't around, we could have somehow enslaved him and used him as a pawn..."
"However, that Useless one declined our invitation. Despite showing a somewhat useful attitude, as long as he exhibits arrogance, he's unnecessary in our party."
"That's true, but that 'I don't care anymore' attitude is annoying. Damn it, I want to make him suffer."
"Well, then, it's going as expected. He's going to die soon."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Didn't we pay the guild staff some money to inquire about this beforehand? So, I tampered with the request form a bit. I changed the habitat of the Liger Boars from the eastern plains to the southern mountainous region."
"Wait a minute. Speaking of the southern mountainous region, not only Liger Boars live there, but it's also the nesting ground of Wyverns, A-rank monsters. Even we would struggle with them, right?"
"That's the point. I changed it for that reason. Encountering a Wyvern, that Useless one will die. Doesn't it feel refreshing to think that we won't have to see the face of that annoying Useless anymore?"
"Haha, that's a nice idea. Well done, Mira."
"Yes, her ideas are truly remarkable. Should we raise a toast tonight to celebrate the demise of the Useless?"
――――――――――
I arrived at the mountainous region where the Liger Boars were said to inhabit, as indicated on the request form.
I checked the sword hanging at my waist.
For this particular test, I received it from Sofia. It's one of her collections. Its sharpness is average, but it's exceptionally durable. It seems that even if Sofia uses it roughly, it won't break.
I think this sword is perfect for me.
"Now, where can I find the Liger Boars?"
I walked through the mountainous terrain, searching for my target. I've never seen a Liger Boar, but I've encountered a derivative species called Horn Boars before. I'll probably recognize them when I see them.
"Grrruuu."
After about thirty minutes of walking, a large boar with lightning-like patterns on its fur, about two meters in size, appeared. This creature should be the Liger Boar.
"All right, here we go."
I'm determined to pass this test no matter what. I drew my sword with a sense of purpose and confronted the Liger Boar.
"Guaah!"
With a roar, the Liger Boar charged at me. It was surprisingly fast, and it caught me off guard.
However, I needed to stay calm in such situations. I recalled Sofia's advice.
"Are you okay, Fate? Your physical abilities are on par with mine. With those abilities, Liger Boars are no match for you. Just watch their movements carefully, think thoroughly, and act decisively. If you do that, you should win without any problems. The most important thing is not to let your emotions get in the way."
I closely observed the movements of the Liger Boar. It was fast, but not blindingly so. In fact, when I focused on it, its movements appeared slow, almost like slow motion.
"Yeah, it's not that difficult."
I sidestepped, avoiding the Liger Boar's charge, and simultaneously swung my sword.
Although the sword's sharpness was average, I compensated with my strength, delivering a powerful blow, driving it into the creature.
"Gwaooon!?"
The Liger Boar let out a final, agonizing scream and collapsed. As proof of its defeat, I extracted one of its fangs.
"All right, nine more to go. Let's do this."
With renewed determination, the second Liger Boar appeared at just the right moment.
"Grrruuu..."
"Guaah!"
Then, a third and fourth Liger Boar appeared. I remembered that they were said to travel in packs.
While most people might consider this situation perilous, I felt no sense of urgency at all. When I was Sigurd's slave, I had been used as bait in much worse conditions numerous times. Perhaps because of that, I was completely calm.
Instead, I felt a surge of confidence, thinking that I could handle this situation.
"But, I mustn't get careless. After all, I used to be a slave and I can't do anything extraordinary. Let's handle this cautiously, meticulously, and competently, just as Sofia advised."
As I firmly gripped the hilt of my sword,
"Gyaaaaahhhh!"
"!?"
Suddenly, a massive shadow descended from the sky. I jumped back instinctively. Unfortunately, the Liger Boars couldn't react in time and were swallowed by the enormous shadow.
"A Wyvern...?"
The enormous shadow turned out to be an A-rank monster, a Wyvern. It's a subspecies of dragons and boasts overwhelming combat power. It's said that if you're targeted by a Wyvern, there's no way you'll return alive, making it a formidable enemy.
"What rotten luck..."
I broke into a cold sweat and immediately considered retreating.
But then, I had second thoughts.
If I fled here, would I be considered a failure in the test? No, that didn't matter.
What if I left this Wyvern behind, and it attacked someone else?
I couldn't allow that.
I had to do something.
"Besides... running away without doing anything is not an option. Even if I can't defeat it, I should at least do what I can. I won't get anywhere without trying. I'm free now, and that means I can challenge anything, so I have to do it!"
With renewed determination, I stopped retreating.
I readied my sword and faced the Wyvern.
"Grrruuu..."
The Wyvern growled, almost as if it were asking, "What's this?" It didn't immediately attack. It spread its wings, issued a warning, and feigned an assault but didn't initiate an attack right away.
"Hmm?"
Upon closer inspection, it didn't seem as intimidating as I expected. It had a significant presence, especially when compared to the Liger Boars, but it wasn't unbearable.
Calm down.
Don't let your emotions get the best of you.
Watch it closely.
"..."
My mind naturally sharpened, and I felt a peculiar sensation, as if another world were opening up inside me.
I quietly positioned my sword directly in front of me.
"Divine Dragon Sword Style - First Strike..."
"Gruuuuuaaaaa!"
The Wyvern leaped into the sky and then descended rapidly.
Its massive body loomed before me.
But my mind was clear.
I blended my sword and my heart as one, swinging the sword with a clear mind.
"Mountain Breaker!"
The Wyvern's colossal body passed by. Its fangs never reached me. Instead, my sword did. The massive body was sliced vertically into two pieces.
"...All right!"
It was a close call, but I managed.
I celebrated my victory with a triumphant pose.
――――――――――
"...Is this for real?"
Sofia, who had been discreetly observing from the shadows, was left dumbfounded by Fate's act of slicing the Wyvern in half.
Although she had been prohibited from providing assistance, her curiosity got the best of her. She had been following him discreetly, ready to step in if something went awry. However, her surprise overwhelmed her, and she forgot about her contingency plan.
"Well, this result is far beyond unexpected..."
She had believed that he had somewhat absurd physical abilities and talent with the sword. But she never expected him to defeat a Wyvern with a single strike, especially on his first encounter.
Even Sofia, who had eventually become the Sword Saint, managed to single-handedly slay a Wyvern a year after she started practicing her sword skills. It had taken her that long to achieve such a feat.
And yet, Fate had accomplished it in just one day, wielding a sword.
"It's truly unbelievable... But that's Fate for you."
Sofia, envisioning the possibility that her childhood friend might surpass her and reach the status of "Sword God," couldn't help but wear a genuinely delighted smile.
TL Note: A Sword God in the making. If readers enjoy the novel they can drop a review on the Novelupdates it would boost the novel's popularity and more people will know about Fate and Sofia's adventure.
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