Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter SS3

One Day 

Where did you get that?!” Lorraine asked as I returned to her house after finishing a job. 

Dangling from my back was a rabbit tied up with string. I had caught it this morning and had drained the blood, so it was still fresh. Not only that, but this variety of rabbit monster was rare and considered a delicacy. Not even skilled hunters caught one of these often. I would have kept it in my magic bag to hide it from thieves, but I took it out before I entered the house so I could brag to Lorraine. She reacted exactly how I had hoped. 

“Well, here’s the story,” I said with a chuckle. 

I was surrounded by dense foliage. Hardly any light shone through the leaves and branches of the great trees, but that was preferable for an undead man like myself. For ordinary humans, however, it was like the darkness of night. There was a path with faint footprints here, which left me with some questions. I could see no reason why someone would live in this inconvenient location, but I came from a village in the middle of nowhere, so maybe I’m not one to talk. I proceeded down the path, not out of curiosity but because of my job. My magic bag contained a letter meant for my target. 

I kept muttering to myself as I walked down the path. That was partially because I was lonely and partially because going too long without talking would make it hard to speak when necessary. There was always the possibility of passing somebody on even the most empty roads, and if you didn’t say something, they might take you for a ghost or monster and attack. Being ready to speak at a moment’s notice was something every adventurer practiced. 

At the end of the narrow path, I saw bright light. I gleefully ran toward it and exited the dark and oppressive forest, finding myself in a wide open space. The first thing that caught my attention was the glistening lake and then the grassy field around it. I further observed the area and saw a hut surrounded by a small garden with fresh vegetables. This was my destination. 

I walked straight up to the hut and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I knocked a few more times, and on the fifth attempt, the door jerked open. A weapon stabbed at me from the other side, but I frantically jumped out of the way. 

“Hm?! Oh, you aren’t a monster,” the bearish old man on the other side of the door muttered. He was tall and muscular for his age, like a martial artist. 

I remained wary of the old man as I approached. “I’m sorry for the sudden intrusion, but are you Jid Dalger? Father of Razzie Dalger?” I asked. 

“I am. Sorry about all that; I’ve been getting the occasional visit from gran bears lately, and they even knock. I thought you were one of them. I don’t exactly get many visitors, and if I do, it’s just my hunter friends.” 

Gran bears were a type of bear monster that were, of course, dangerous. They were easier to deal with than other bear monsters, so a group of Bronze-class adventurers was enough to handle one, but they weren’t something you wanted coming to visit, obviously. I didn’t know how he could mistake me for one of them, but given the location of this hut, maybe that was just the most sensible thing to expect. 

“In that case, I guess I can’t blame you,” I said. “This kind of thing happened at the hunter homes in my hometown too.” 

“You’re a hunter?” 

“No, an adventurer. I’m here to deliver this,” I said and handed the letter over. 

Jid’s eyes went wide when he saw the name of the sender. “I see. Well, come on in. You’ll have to tell me about this.” 

“Got it.” 

The greatest hunter in the village of Shigaon was Jid. He had an only son named Razzie who ran a mid-sized business in Maalt. Razzie was about fifty years old and had his own son. The letter said that Razzie’s son, Dat, was going to get married and he wanted Jid to attend the wedding. 

When Jid finished reading the letter, he smiled bitterly. “He left the village because he didn’t want to be a hunter and then refused to invite me to his own wedding. I guess his feelings have changed,” Jid said. 

Razzie told me that he and Jid had been antagonistic toward each other for a while, and from the way they acted, that seemed to be accurate. 

“Razzie’s an adult now. He probably understands how you felt then,” I offered. 

“Well, I get what you’re saying. I’m not against going to the wedding, Rentt, but there’s one thing I’d like to ask of you.” 

“What?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing much.” 

The wedding had tons of guests. For a wedding for the heir of a mid-sized company, it was unusual to see a self-serve buffet as the only option for food. But the quality was great, and the unique style of the party seemed to be well received. 

I felt just a bit out of place there, but I attended the wedding at the request of the family. Besides, it wasn’t all bad. All of the food was excellent, and the main course featured an extremely rare monster called an aurum rabbit. There was enough for all three hundred guests, and everyone was shocked to see it but delighted to eat it. I partook in it too, and while I wasn’t that impressed by any ordinary cooking anymore, I found it surprisingly tasty. These rabbits were caught by none other than Jid. His skills were apparently as magnificent as claimed. Not only that, but I got a whole rabbit as a gift. I couldn’t wait to bring it home to Lorraine. 

“Hey, Rentt, how do I look? I’m not too conspicuous, am I?” Jid asked. He no longer looked like the hunter I met by the lake in the forest, now wearing his wedding attire. It looked a bit tight simply because he was so brawny, but it was order-made, so it actually fit perfectly. His request had been for me to lead him around town and help him find new clothes for this occasion. He was from a small town, so he didn’t know what he was supposed to do, according to him. I’d accepted his request and introduced him to some stores. 

“Jid, you look fine. In fact, you look great,” I said. 

“I hope you’re right. This is my grandson’s big day. He doesn’t want his grandfather looking like a hunter.” 

“Come on, it doesn’t matter how you look. You’re a great grandfather, and a great father.” 

Jid not only went out of his way to get dressed up, but he acquired the rare ingredients needed for the main dish. For a mid-sized company employee to get this many aurum rabbits, Jid had to be incredibly generous. 

“I hope so. Anyway, thanks for the help. Make sure you get that rabbit home. Also, Rentt, tell me when you’re having a wedding. I can catch something even better for you.” 

“I don’t know when that’ll be happening, but I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“This is divine. Aurum rabbits live up to their reputation,” Lorraine said as she ate. Thankfully I seasoned it properly. 

As we ate and chatted, Lorraine suddenly said, “I doubt we’ll get the chance to eat a delicacy like this again in at least ten years, unfortunately.” 

“Well, there’s a way we could get some faster.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Jid said he could get something for us, next time there’s a chance.” 

“I see! I look forward to that.” 

He said it would specifically be for a wedding, but I left that part out.