Chapter 81 - Bear Hunting
The second day of the training camp in the forbidden zone involved rowing out onto the lake for a long-distance excursion.
This was to reach a place further than the bear's territory we visited yesterday.
The boat belonged to the Waterworks Management Office and was the same size as the ten-person riverboats that traveled the Nakanohara River. Since it had two oars on each side, Paul-san and Robinson-san took the back, while we, the Class of 175, took turns rowing in the front.
Since I eventually intend to build a mountain hut or something on the lakeshore to serve as a base for the goblins, this also served as a selection process for a candidate site. Somewhere near a shore where a boat can be pulled up is good. If anything happens, we can escape to the lake.
A range of at most half a day's rowing from the shore where the goblin nest is located is just right. For now, except for where the river flows in, I can only see places where trees overhang or where there are cliffs.
"Hey, row properly! We have four oars, but we're not moving at all!"
Paul-san was egging Beatrix on.
"Even if you say that, it's my first time rowing!"
"Bonnie is rowing just fine, isn't she?"
"Thank you very much~"
"That's because Bonnie was taught by her hunter parents. I've been in the orphanage since I was little, so it's not that easy!"
It was a struggle, to say the least. You put the tip of the oar in the water and pull it toward you, but it hardly moves. Beatrix and I took turns rowing, but for every stroke we made, Paul-san made about four.
"How much further are we rowing?"
"To the northeast end. If you're giving up now, we'll never get there. Lyudmila. You help out too."
"Understood. Um, where do I sit?"
"What, do I have to start from there?"
It was impossible alone. Three of us grabbed onto one oar to row.
After rowing for about three hours while resting along the lakeshore, we found a flat area.
"Let's land there. The skin on my hands is about to peel off."
"What do you think, Robinson?"
"It looks good. Let's pull in there. There won't be a place to dock the boat for a while after that."
Thank goodness. I can finally rest. My hands are already bright red.
We landed in the northeastern part of the lake. Since the goblin nest is in the south, we moved nearly halfway around.
I heard it takes more than five days to walk around the lake. If it takes five days at a hunter's pace, it would take us more than ten.
In the middle of the flatlands, a meandering stream flowed, splitting into several branches near the mouth. It seemed to be a wetland, and the thick, brownish reeds rustled every time the wind blew. It was a small delta.
Looking further up the stream, the slopes on both sides gradually narrowed as they moved away from the lake. Beyond that, it became a valley, eventually connecting to a pass between the mountains.
"It seems the scouting is finished."
The bird Robinson-san had released during the water transit returned.
When Beatrix showed it the drawings, it pecked the bear once.
"Alright. It looks like there's a bear. Let's do our best to exterminate it."
"Master~. We're going to defeat the bear by ourselves today~."
"Oh, what's this? You're motivated, aren't you?"
"Lyudmila came up with a strategy. Just watch."
For now, it's a stew again today.
Since it came yesterday, it will probably come today too.
Even if it doesn't come, we can just eat it ourselves.
To prevent the smell from spreading as much as possible, we advanced to a point away from the lake where the slopes on both sides closed in.
We dug a hole and set the pot. Since there were few places to hide this time, we split into two groups. One group was the goblin scout team led by Robinson-san. The other group was us. Since only one group would be using wind magic to mask the scent this time, we had Robinson-san and the others wait a bit further away.
We knew the bear was there thanks to the bird's scouting.
The weather was good, and a gentle breeze was blowing from the lake.
It should work. We decided to wait, wrapping grass around our bodies to pretend to be bushes.
After waiting for an hour, the bear did indeed come.
As usual, it approached slowly, as if checking the safety of its surroundings.
After being cautious for a while, the bear stuck its head into the hole to try and eat the stew in the pot.
It's hooked!
Lyudmila and Beatrix stood up and chanted magic. Lyudmila used [Water], and Beatrix used [Freeze] to freeze that water. Just to be sure, they fired two shots each at full power.
Bonnie and I ran toward the bear.
To aim accurately, we had to close the distance as much as possible.
The bear, which had been thrashing with its head stuck in the hole, eventually pulled its frozen head out of the hole with the pot stuck to the tip.
"[Defend]!"
I hardened the ice. This was to suffocate the bear and tire it out.
I moved directly in front of the bear. Beatrix and Lyudmila moved to the opposite side... behind the bear.
The bear must have been suffering because it couldn't breathe; it was slamming its head against the ground like crazy.
The pot was sent flying somewhere.
Just when I thought the bear was reaching its limit, the ice finally shattered and its head emerged.
It was shaking its head while wheezing, but it seemed to notice us. It looked our way.
As expected, it was furious. It stood up right in front of me, raised both paws, and roared.
I was waiting for this.
When a bear intimidates an enemy, its front is wide open.
Even if I look like this, I fought a Fenrir. I won't be scared by a bear's roar!
"[Holy]!"
I thrust out both hands and released it at full power. I aimed for the heart.
When it hit, its body shuddered violently.
When Beatrix released lightning magic, its fur stood on end.
The bear stopped moving for a moment after taking two hits.
Without missing a beat, Bonnie fired a holy water arrow aimed right between its eyes.
It was at point-blank range. She had been learning from her parents since she was a child, and from Amy-sensei since coming to the orphanage. She wouldn't miss a target that had stopped moving.
The bear, having taken an arrow between the eyes, tried to take a step forward but collapsed face-first just like that.
We defeated it!
The three of us used our full power, but even so, we only used seven shots.
"We did it!"
The four of us formed a circle.
The goblin scout team came running and joined the circle while cheering.
"You can do it if you try, can't you?"
Paul-san's smile made me happy.
After sending the bear back with [Teleport], we decided that since we were already here, we might as well go to the edge of the flatlands.
Because it was flat, it was easy. In about an hour, we reached the end, surrounded by mountains on three sides, and had lunch. Since the mountains were close, we were able to get edible wild plants, mushrooms, and fruit.
"What's beyond here?"
The wizard who is interested in everything asked Robinson-san.
"If you climb up along the ridge for about two hours, you'll come out on top of the pass without much trouble. Up to there is the forbidden zone. You can look out over the plains of the Higashi-Nakanohara district."
Without much trouble, huh? Then, it's safe.
"Then, why don't we try our best to climb up?"
Since we were here, I tried suggesting it.
We were riding the momentum from defeating the bear. It was a unanimous agreement.
However, while actually climbing the pass, I soon regretted getting carried away.
"Now that I think about it, there was no path."
"Exactly. I forgot that Beowulf and Will aren't here."
Usually, those two would carry us on their backs or pull us up. Today, following Paul-san's policy, we were climbing up and down on our own.
Grabbing onto the rope dropped by the goblins who were ahead, we scrambled up the slope by stepping on grass roots.
Because I slipped many times, my feet were covered in mud.
I had underestimated the words of a man who had lived in the forest for years saying he could climb without much trouble.
"Why do Bonnie and Lyudmila climb cliffs so easily? I can't believe it."
"Bonnie is a hunter. She's probably used to climbing trees all the time."
Lyudmila was climbing energetically despite carrying the pot on her back.
"Children are energetic. Besides, she's been strengthened by farm work, hasn't she?"
She spent most of her apprenticeship helping out at a farm. Her endurance must be different.
Beatrix and I climbed while wheezing.
After taking several breaks along the way, we finally arrived at what seemed to be the top.
After drinking water and taking a breath, we all climbed a tree.
Paul-san cleared the branches in front of us with wind magic.
The area around the lake is one level higher than the surroundings. Since the sun was still high, we could see quite far.
"That shining thing is the river. The one flowing east to west is the Nakanohara River, and there's a settlement where it meets the tributary flowing north to south. That's Higashi-Nakanohara, where we stayed the other night."
Paul-san gave us a guided tour.
Speaking of Higashi-Nakanohara, that's the village where I soaked in the open-air bath and ate catfish with Mabel-san and Lowry-san.
"Follow the tributary north with your eyes. It goes into the mountains, but there's a place that looks like a break in the forest. That break is the mountain stream."
The break turned toward us—that is, to the west—midway through and continued toward the north of the lake.
Beyond the mountain stream was undulating mountainous terrain, and far beyond that towered truly high mountains covered in perennial snow.
The goblins started making a fuss, pointing at a corner of the break. It seemed they had found their former home.
In one of those places, we had unilaterally attacked and slaughtered the goblins. There had been no demand for surrender or anything. I, too, had thought it was only natural to exterminate them.
At that time, I heard that the reason they didn't stop resisting until the end was to halt our exploration by being wiped out, thereby protecting the children and mothers back at the base.
The goblins were looking somber. They were surely remembering their fallen comrades.
Thinking back now, there was no need to fight.
Powerlessness is a miserable thing. If I had as much power as the Headmistress, I should have been able to knock them unconscious without killing them and hear their story even if I had to tie Robinson-san up.
"Is it okay if I speak for a moment?" Robinson-san approached me.
"The goblins want to know about their comrades from that time..."
The goblins were glancing at me as if gauging my reaction.
"They were brave. They fought to the very end. That's why another priest and I properly mourned and buried them as warriors."
When I told them that, they were happy.
Perhaps sensing the quiet atmosphere, Paul-san suggested we look at the lake.
We all climbed the trees on the west side.
The lake was holding its water quietly as always.
The middle part was shrouded in mist, also as always.
According to Paul-san, it's the Primal Ruins, or a fake one.
"Since we have a boat, let's try going there next time."
The fearless wizard spoke up.
"You can go, but it'll just be a repeat of the same thing."
Apparently, boats that head toward the center of the mist find themselves turned around and back at the original location before they know it.
"Have you been there?"
"I've gone several times, but I always ended up coming back midway."
I see, so it was based on actual experience.
"I want to go!"
Lyudmila was pestering Paul-san by shaking him. Once it gets to this point, it's only a matter of time.