novelraw Chapter 122 : The Young Must Harbor Ambition
Chapter 122 : The Young Must Harbor Ambition
Chapter 122: The Young Must Harbor Ambition
In the middle of the night, the figures of uninvited guests revealed themselves.
Five humans.
John stared at them for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“Whatever brings you here.”
“John, fancy meeting you here.”
They seemed to recognize one another.
The one who appeared to be the leader of the five spoke.
“We’re looking for a place to sleep.”
“As you can see, we already have occupants. Look elsewhere.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
The distance between John and the five was about five meters.
They did not come any closer.
Robin narrowed his eyes and examined the five.
Three close-combat fighters and two archers.
A fairly standard composition.
“I don’t recognize you. Are you beginners?”
“That’s right.”
“Looks like you’re acting as their guide.”
With John’s nod as the last exchange, they quietly turned and left.
John did not relax his guard until their footsteps could no longer be heard.
‘Just passing adventurers?’
The clash he had half expected did not occur.
John returned to his spot and sat down at ease.
His gaze turned toward Robin.
‘Did he notice me watching?’
Was he sharp enough to notice that Robin had been pretending to sleep with his eyes half open?
Even if he had been noticed, it did not matter.
No wrong had been committed.
It was better than falling asleep while unidentified people approached.
“Sleeping well, I see.”
John chuckled softly and muttered to himself.
After that, nothing noteworthy happened until it was time to switch with Sigbard.
“Sigbard, wake up.”
“Drrrrrrrgh.”
“Sigbard!”
“Khuh! What is it?”
Robin listened closely to their exchange.
‘So he really was asleep.’
John emphasized to the groggy Sigbard that he must not fall asleep.
“Got it. I’ll take over now, so sleep.”
“…I’m still uneasy.”
“If something approaches, you can just wake us, right?”
“That’s true.”
John, looking unconvinced, added several more explanations.
If there was any need to wake the group, do so as quietly as possible.
If drowsiness became unbearable, wake him up.
All common-sense instructions.
“But what if it’s a monster I can handle alone?”
“Even then, wake us.”
“Even if it’s just a single goblin?”
At Sigbard’s thoughtless question, John opened his mouth.
“Actually, during my shift, five adventurers passed by.”
“Isn’t that different from what you told me?”
“They were people I’ve known for a long time. I judged there was no need to wake you, and nothing happened.”
‘He’s telling the truth.’
If John had lied here, suspicion would only have deepened.
John threw his last words at Sigbard and lay down.
“I’ll leave the judgment to you. If it’s something trivial enough for you to handle alone, there’s no need to wake us.”
“The standard is vague.”
“Then just inform us about anything at all.”
Seeing Sigbard nod, John closed his eyes.
Before long, the sound of steady breathing told that he had fallen asleep.
His face, showing no trace of vigilance, was carefree.
‘It’s Sigbard’s turn, so I should get at least a little sleep.’
Robin closed his eyes for a moment.
Not long after, Sigbard woke Robin.
“Robin.”
Wondering what was going on, he grabbed his sword first.
“It’s time to get up.”
“…Already?”
Indeed, dawn was faintly breaking.
He closed his eyes and opened them again to find that two hours had passed.
He had not realized it, but fatigue had accumulated.
Keeping a close watch on John had been more mentally draining than expected.
“Did everyone sleep well last night?”
“Nothing happened.”
John, freshly awake, prepared breakfast with a refreshed expression.
Sigbard also rummaged through his pack and pulled out food.
Water, hardtack, and jerky.
“If we’re walking all day, we should fill up properly.”
While chewing on hardtack, Robin looked around.
Without being asked, John spoke.
He mentioned that five adventurers had passed by during his watch.
“Next time, wake us no matter what.”
“Understood.”
He accepted it cleanly, leaving nothing more to say.
Normally, even a single person approaching should warrant waking the others.
John knew that as well, but since he said it was to ease the party’s fatigue, it was hard to press the matter further.
“This is how you get in sync with each other.”
John said cheerfully as he packed up.
‘Let’s watch a little longer.’
The second day of the expedition.
They found one more Rainbow Flower, and there was a battle in the process.
Robin and Sigbard floundered as if they lacked combat experience.
Ten ratmen.
John’s spear pierced straight through a ratman’s head, and there was no major damage.
“Do your best not to stray from behind me.”
He gently advised the two who were not of much help.
An experienced adventurer guiding beginners was an ideal sight.
The expedition with John proceeded without incident.
The three came down from the mountain.
Having collected three Rainbow Flowers, John kept his promise.
“At this place, you should be able to hunt without too much difficulty.”
The hunting ground John pointed out was a dire wolf habitat.
They traveled in packs, making them difficult monsters for beginners to handle.
“If you use ratmen as bait, you can lure out weaker individuals.”
John had brought along chunks of ratman flesh encountered in the mountains.
He casually threw the meat and then sprinkled a white powder over it.
“Are you seasoning it or something.”
“As if. This is poison bait. It’s made with components they can’t detect.”
“It looks like salt.”
“Care to have a taste?”
At the joke he tossed out, Sigbard actually stuck out his tongue.
John yelped in shock and hurriedly closed the bottle.
“It’s poison bait that’s dangerous even if humans eat it.”
“Sounds perfect for poisoning. I won’t eat any meals you prepare from now on.”
“Hahaha! That’s a good attitude. An adventurer should always be cautious!”
Trading jokes with Sigbard, John finished his preparations.
The three leaned against a tree fifty meters away and waited at ease.
Crrk! Crrk!
More than ten dire wolves, nearly two meters in body length, appeared.
Among them, the smallest one brought its nose close to the meat.
The creature sniffed repeatedly, then put the meat into its mouth.
“What are the others doing?”
“They’re sending the weakest one to check if it’s safe.”
“That’s cruel. It looks the youngest.”
“Such sentiments are a luxury when it comes to monsters.”
That was true.
Pity toward prey was an unnecessary emotion.
“The intelligence of dire wolves is higher than I thought.”
“It’s a hunting method adventurers use often. They adapted to it.”
The dire wolf that had torn into the meat froze in place.
Its mouth twitched spasmodically, then it collapsed sideways.
The pack that witnessed it turned their bodies away without a moment’s hesitation.
“They’ve eaten poison, so they don’t even spare it a glance. It ended easily.”
“So we can’t take the meat.”
The purpose of monster hunting was money.
Their hides became money.
After confirming that no one was around, John approached the fallen dire wolf.
Thud.
John’s skinning was fast and precise.
After sprinkling chemicals over the unblemished hide, he finished the work swiftly.
“We’ll move to the next spot.”
John’s guidance was efficient and free of excess.
Monster byproducts steadily increased.
The heavier the packs became, the wider John’s smile grew.
“You two are lucky as well. It’s not like you never come back empty-handed.”
“It’s thanks to you, John.”
It had been a week since they entered unexplored territory following John.
The three packs had grown considerably heavy.
‘At this rate, it’ll exceed ten silver.’
A rough calculation showed that Robin had reached his target amount.
If they returned to the city and sold everything at a fair price, it would cover living expenses for a while.
“John, how about stopping by a guild rest stop?”
“Are you already thinking of returning to the city?”
“No. The packs are getting heavy, so I thought it’d be better to sell things off and continue hunting.”
John took out a map and gauged their position.
“It’ll be hard to arrive today.”
“There’s no need to force it.”
“No. I was thinking it’d be good to rest as well.”
John pointed east.
“If we move diligently, we can arrive tomorrow.”
“Sigbard, it’s fine to stop by the rest stop, right?”
With Sigbard agreeing as well, a new destination was set.
The mountain where they had found the Rainbow Flower.
It overlapped with the route to the rest stop.
The three finished preparing camp nearby.
“Robin, isn’t it time you stopped doubting.”
While John went off to take care of business, Sigbard muttered bluntly.
“We’ve traveled together for a week. Is there really a need to watch him more?”
Because of Robin’s hints, Sigbard felt restless.
Even when facing monsters, they had not fought properly.
‘Am I suffering from too much distrust toward humans?’
Doubt crept in as to whether he was doing the right thing.
The incidents he had witnessed before were so intense that it was hard to trust anyone easily.
“If John knew how we were acting, he’d be hurt.”
“Alright. Once we reach the rest stop, I’ll drop my suspicion.”
“Then after that, we can actively join the fights?”
After confirming Robin’s nod, Sigbard grinned broadly.
“What are you two talking about so seriously.”
“Just trivial talk.”
“How dull.”
John chuckled softly and sat down.
As they ate dinner, conversation flowed naturally.
“When do you think the guild will be back to normal?”
“No one knows that.”
“I want to register as soon as possible.”
“That sounds like you want to part ways with me.”
When Robin said nothing, John burst out laughing.
“I’m joking.”
“It’s not entirely wrong. I’m planning to go as far as the Demon Realm.”
John stopped laughing and looked at Robin with interest.
“Do you know how few adventurers in this age have gone as far as the Demon Realm?”
“It doesn’t matter. No matter how long it takes, I’ll cross it.”
“Exactly! The young must harbor ambition.”
John laughed as he encouraged him, but Robin saw it.
For just a moment, bitterness flickered across John’s expression.
An adventurer who had worked in Narvik for five years.
Judging by the fact that he still remained at a bronze rank after five years, it was not hard to guess John’s limits.
‘Did he lack the resolve to go into dangerous regions.’
It was understandable.
Once you went beyond areas classified as safe, the level of danger skyrocketed absurdly.
Most adventurers remained at bronze rank, so it was nothing to be ashamed of.
Even so, there was something regretful in John’s smile.
“If you’re done eating, I’ll clean up.”
“Let’s do it together.”
“No, seeing you two reminds me of the old days.”
Before Robin and Sigbard could stop him, John disappeared to wash the dishes.
He said he’d be going to a small pond nearby.
“John is a good adventurer.”
“I agree.”
John returned after some time and, as usual, set the watch order.
“Robin first watch, Sigbard second watch, and I’ll take the last.”
“Get some sleep first.”
“If anything happens, wake me.”
The two fell asleep quickly.
Robin stared at the mountain and reflected on John’s words and actions.
Enough strength to protect himself.
Knowledge accumulated through long experience.
The composed conduct of an elder.
‘Was I viewing him too negatively.’
A slight sense of guilt arose.
Though he hadn’t said it aloud, John must have sensed the distance.
‘Tomorrow morning, I’ll do the dishes.’
Nothing unusual happened during the watch.
After switching with Sigbard, Robin fell asleep.
“John, wake up.”
“It’s my turn, then. Good work.”
Before falling asleep, Sigbard lightly tapped the tip of Robin’s foot.
Robin closed his eyes and steadied his mind.
About an hour after John’s turn began.
Step. Step.
The sound of human footsteps approached quickly.
The direction was the mountain slope.
Once again, John did not wake the other two.
‘He’d better not disappoint me.’
Five humans stopped in front of John.
“It’s been a while.”
“Can you really call a week a long while?”
“You must’ve had a hard time tailing us.”
John naturally joined the five.
“What about the backing of those two?”
“None. They’re greenhorns with no skill and no connections.”
“In that case, there’s nothing to hold back.”
Creak, creak.
The two archers strung their bows.
‘I can hear everything.’
Robin sighed inwardly and reached for his sword.
‘Huh?’
The sword did not come into his hand.
“Shoot.”
An arrow flew.