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The next day.

“Alright. Should we get going?”

There was no need to wake up early, so I intentionally got up just before lunchtime today.

After finishing lunch at the inn, I was preparing to head to Jobun Plain? Narrow Plain? Either way, we were set to leave.

Clang! As I grabbed the sword leaning against the wall, that sound rang out.

“…You brought that sword after all.”

Luna, who always prepared a step ahead of me, remarked.

“Of course I did. It’s my right.”

It was the second sword I encountered yesterday when leaving the Academy, belonging to Visil.

I rightfully demanded compensation based on consumer rights.

Naturally, Visil struggled, insisting that it wasn’t possible, but in the battle between seller and consumer, the consumer naturally emerged victorious.

“…I’ve never heard of such a right existing.”

“Luna, how many times must I say this? It’s not me; it’s the world that’s wrong!”

Is there a world where the consumer suffers losses and the seller doesn’t provide compensation?

You have to reclaim your own rights.

“Enough of that talk. Let’s hurry up and leave.”

“You just need to get ready, Luke…”

“Ah ha.”

*

In this world, there are several means of transportation, but the most common one used by the general public is the cart.

There are teleportation and wyvern riding, but teleportation is rarely seen except by noble elites or when caught in traps later on, and wyvern riding is quite expensive, so we can’t afford to use that right now.

Even carts are divided into two types: one used for merchants transporting goods and another for carrying people, akin to taxis on Earth.

We were taking the latter cart to travel to Jobun Plain.

“My butt hurts…”

The rattling noise was an added bonus, and with the bumpy, unpaved road, it felt like the cart had a built-in butt massager; the ride was the worst.

As someone used to the cutting-edge invention that is the taxi, the reverse sensation was utterly jarring.

Of course, to the locals, Luna seemed perfectly fine… or rather.

“What’s that! That’s cheating, isn’t it!?”

“What do you mean?”

“That tail! It’s unfair! I want one too!”

She wasn’t just fine; she was pulling a fast one!

Sitting with her tail elegantly coiled beneath her, while her master was suffering in discomfort, she looked perfectly content.

“I should probably bring a cushion next time…”

Even though there were good things about crossing into this otherworld, many inconveniences persisted.

Naturally, the absence of a phone or a computer is to be expected. Moreover, this world is sorely lacking in entertainment.

So isn’t hunting monsters meant to be a form of entertainment?

And the most bothersome thing, to the point of causing irritation.

—Bzzz!

“Augh! Damn it! Stupid mosquito!”

The public enemy of all humankind.

I thought those annoying creatures only existed back on Earth, yet here they were!

The road from the Empire to Jobun Plain was an unpaved path made to allow carts and people to navigate while avoiding monsters in the forest.

At first, it was fine, but as time went on, mosquitoes started flying in from the woods and were now buzzing about, clearly after my blood.

I don’t know about their strength, but could these creatures be the fastest in the world?

That person who can annihilate everything in one go, even they couldn’t catch mosquitoes, right?

“Zzzt!”

“Calm down, Luke.”

“How can I calm down in this situation!?”

If Gandhi, the non-violence advocate, were in the same position as me, he’d probably end up capturing a mosquito and declaring that ‘violence is the way to go!’ while dismembering it with brutal cruelty.

“But how come you’re so fine, Luna?”

“Hehe… just watch me closely.”

What is she saying, simply sitting there like that?

Is she implying that because she’s pretty, the mosquitoes are saying, ‘Oh my! She’s too beautiful! I can’t possibly suck her blood!’?

“Princess complex, how horrid.”

“…I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but look around me.”

Oh, I see.

Saying it in a way that leaves room for misunderstanding.

I leaned toward Luna and glanced around her.

“What the heck is this?”

To confirm with my own eyes, I had to squint and look closely, and then I noticed the air swirling around her.

“I create a breeze around my body to keep mosquitoes at bay.”

What kind of scam technique is that!?

No need for bug repellents or mosquito spray.

Magic truly is the best! To chase away mosquitoes, something that even humans with advanced science couldn’t manage, that easily!

“But why are you using that alone?”

“Because you didn’t ask.”

Is she insane!?

As they say, a slave’s fortune is a fortunate fortune.

“…Just wait and see.”

I ground my teeth and started capturing mosquitoes, putting them in my pocket for later.

*

“5 copper, please.”

“Here you go.”

Upon arriving at Jobun Plain, we paid the driver for the fare.

Unlike Earth’s taxis that use gas and meters, this is based on the distance from the map between the current location and the destination, which makes for an interesting twist.

“Kiiiieeeeee!!!”

“…Why the sudden shout?”

“It’s the sound of stretching.”

“…?”

Leaving Luna, who looked at me like I was some kind of weirdo, I stepped forward to get a better view of Jobun Plain.

All around on the vast plain lay gray-colored Rhino Horns scattered everywhere.

Whether these creatures were really herbivorous monsters was up for debate, as they were chomping on the grass on the ground, but their appearance and behavior felt incongruent.

“Didn’t they say those would attack if we disturb them?”

“Yes… even herbivorous monsters have to have a means of survival.”

What was it called? The ecological pyramid?

Even a worm would wriggle if stepped on; these herbivorous monsters had developed a means of attack for survival, and that means must be those horns.

“They look like great weapon materials!”

Rhinos are known for their sharp horns and fierce charges, right?

And this Rhino Horn in front of me seemed to fit the bill, but the difference from a standard rhino was certainly that blunt horn.

A big, thick, rectangular horn.

It felt like I was looking at the unrefined version of the Greatsword I aimed to craft.

“Luna, do you think you can break that horn?”

“…It seems difficult.”

“As expected.”

I needed it, but how could I break something that hard?

The answer was simple.

“Let’s just chop off its head and take it. The uncle there will handle the rest.”

“Are you sure this time you’re just taking the head?”

“The uncle is way better at that disassembly show than I am, plus it’s not even a request, so why bring it to Adela?”

I pulled out a thick steel stake and hammer from my inventory.

Not just any stake, but a long, thick steel one.

And I began to drive it into the relatively flat ground.

With a hum of a tune, I wiggled my rear end while doing so.

“Despite no payment, you’re quite motivated.”

“Isn’t it obvious? There’s nothing more enjoyable than hunting.”

Sure, I complained about the lack of entertainment, but bashing monsters in this virtual reality that felt more real than life itself is the ultimate form of amusement.

Who needs a mobile game where cute daughters grow up if you just throw in money? None of that! Those shabby graphics! There’s no way those 2D heroines can compare to reality!

A VR game where characters follow your movements? No matter how well-made the virtual reality, it can’t get more lively than this!

Adela says there are few commissions because it doesn’t pay well, but to chase just money and overlook this joy is a shame.

I think they should experience a taste of immersion, too.

In their monster-filled world, there’s no science like on Earth.

“Enough dilly-dallying, Luna, help out.”

I tossed the thick wire rope over to Luna, who stood idly watching while I was working hard.

“Please connect the stakes with that.”

“Understood.”

Clang. Clang. Clang.

The sounds of the stakes and hammer clashed repeatedly.

“Ha! That’s done. Now, shall we draw them in?”

-MooOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just as I was about to lure them in, an unexpected roar pierced the quiet.

And then came a series of thundering footsteps.

I stood up from my crouched position and turned my gaze towards the plain.

“What is that?”

“A Named Monster… a mutated entity of monsters. It’s a monster that has evolved into a different form from the standard type.”

Thanks, Speedwagon, the meddlesome sidekick!

Upon hearing the term Named Monster, I recalled that there was such a setting in the novel.

However…

“Is that really a Named Monster?”

It looked like just a Rhino Horn with a different color slapped on.

To put it another way, it was like they couldn’t be bothered to design a new monster in an RPG and just changed the colors of an existing one.

The appearance lacked any effort at all.

But on the flip side…

“High-grade weapon material!?”

What a great opportunity to farm for better weapon materials!

 

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