Bastard Swordsman

Guarding Lumbering Operations

As the cold season approached, the town began its preparations for winter.

It wasn't like the modern homes that perfectly sealed off outside air, nor were there efficient heating devices installed.

Winters in the Halperia Kingdom were endured with a large supply of firewood and coal.

It was the same here in Regor.

However, in recent years, the mysterious economic boom had caused an influx of immigrants to Regor, and the population rapidly increased. As a result, the demand for timber and firewood skyrocketed.

It was only natural that jobs related to lumbering continued without interruption.

At least it was fortunate that we were a major food-producing country. That alone was a relief.

***

「Just one Charge Deer, huh? You really hate the sound of lumbering, don't you?」

Forestry workers were gathered at the outskirts of the Balor Forest. Timber, thinned wood—Regor needed everything.

Even though the Count of Regor had been hesitant about reducing the forest size, it seemed he finally gave the go-ahead this year.

The forest's trees, though they were a species that grew at a ridiculous pace, would exhaust resources if we logged them without a plan. Until now, we had been gradually thinning from the inside, deceiving ourselves, but it looked like transportation costs were starting to catch up.

For those of us on-site, it was easier and more appreciated to start from the outside.

However, monsters appeared no matter where we worked.

In front of me now, a Charge Deer, representative of such creatures, silently watched us from beyond the trees.

This Charge Deer, with its violent horns well-suited for thrusting after charging, marked its territory by tapping or scratching the surface of trees to make sounds.

Apparently, for the Charge Deer, human logging was akin to picking a fight head-on. I don't quite get it, though.

But it would be troubling if they got upset over mere tree logging. You all seem to have severe value judgments akin to elves in a harsh fantasy world.

In this world, elves don't get angry over such things.

「Hey, shall we destroy this forest and make it a golf course?」

I taunted the Charge Deer by striking a nearby tree trunk with my bastard sword.

It was akin to being a beater. Normally, wild animals would run away from such provocation, but...

「Ki-yuuu!」

As soon as the Charge Deer heard the sound, it let out a high-pitched cry and charged towards me.

Its tolerance for provocation was way too low.

「Your face is all red.」

「!?」

I forcefully deflected the tip of its charging horn with my bastard sword.

What a tremendous impact. Even with a fair amount of effort, all I could do was slightly alter its trajectory.

However, thanks to that, the Charge Deer's sharp horn deeply embedded itself into the tree beside me. It felt reminiscent of a Diablos.

Now the Charge Deer was powerless. It had the strength to break free, but it wouldn't be instantaneous.

「Calling it a 'Diablos with a Kelbi's weakness and inability to escape' makes it sound so weak,」

I muttered, slicing the Charge Deer's throat.

A particularly high-pitched scream echoed throughout the forest.

***

「Wow, you took down a Charge Deer? That's helpful.」

「Oh? Really, man? That's a huge help. It's a hassle to run away every time we see them.」

「Don't worry about it, it's my job,」

I said, carrying the Charge Deer back to the worksite.

Here, the area was bustling with many men working early in the morning for the timber used in Regor.

I only did basic prep work like bloodletting and removing unnecessary entrails from the Charge Deer. I planned to do the detailed dissection here where there were lots of people and tools.

「Hey, man. If you're dissecting it, the guild members over there are handling them all together. You should take it to them.」

「Oh, so the Shield of the Earth is handling it. That's great. Thanks, old man.」

「Call us if anything else comes up!」

The Charge Deer were actively attacking in response to the lumbering sounds, making forestry in this world extremely hazardous.

Thus, it's customary to lumber in large groups, escorted by many guards like this.

And this time, the guild had dispatched some guards, with the core being the 『Shield of the Earth』.

They're a classic party excelling in close combat. With many veterans, they're reassuring.

***

As I walked to where the Shield of the Earth gathered, I saw a familiar face.

It was Alex.

「Oh, Mongrel. I was worried something happened since I didn't see you... Did you take down a Charge Deer by yourself?」

「Hey, Alex. Well, a solo guy like me can move freely. I've been hunting those coming from the back.」

Alex, who I often chatted with at the tavern, was also a member of the 『Shield of the Earth』.

When I lowered the Charge Deer I had taken down onto a stump, Alex began inspecting the corpse.

「A young male, huh?」

「It didn't fear the sword. An inexperienced individual.」

「Only a wound on the throat. The pelt looks like it'll fetch a good price.」

「It's light and easy to carry, right? They're doing the dissecting over there, right? Can I ask you to take care of it if I give you two front legs?」

「Really? That's a great help, but... Getting that much just for dissection seems like too much.」

「It's fine, it's a hassle for me. I'm satisfied as long as I can eat the liver, heart, and tongue.」

「You don't eat the meat...?」

「I do eat it. But I get tired of it, so I sell it.」

I do like game meat, but eating it consecutively can be tiresome.

The seasoning is also limited... In that sense, intestines and tongue are endlessly edible.

「Moreover, a Charge Deer will likely come again for a while. If I'm going to be full, I want to eat only the tasty parts.」

「I think the back meat isn't bad either.」

「Yeah, well...」

「That's a half-hearted response...」

Deer is fine, but inevitably, I compare it to beef.

「Hey, there're goblins! And there's a hob!」

While we were chatting, a voice called out from the distant woods.

It was a work signal. A hob indicates a few of them at least. We can't let any get away. While it's unlikely to be dangerous enough for someone to get hurt, we need to join in the support.

「Let's go.」

「Sheesh, I have to wash my sword after cutting goblins.」

「You really pay attention to those things, Mongrel.」

「I'm the cleanest guy you'll find in Halperia.」

「That's a peculiar trait...」

「You know, that's just an insult, too plain and simple.」

When Alex and I hurriedly made our way to the site, the Shield of the Earth's vanguard was already fighting a small group of goblins.

「Zei!」

A member of the group swung a longsword, cutting down a club-wielding goblin from outside the goblin's reach.

The size and weapon reach differences were blatantly clear in this kind of fight.

In the Halperia Kingdom, a longsword implies "the longest sword an individual can carry without much hassle.」

The minimum qualification to be called a swordsman is some ability to enhance one's body with magic power. That allows one to wield the longsword. With a physically enhanced fantasy power-infused body, it's only natural that the primary weapon, the sword, becomes large.

Conversely, to cut down the large monsters roaming throughout the country requires this long, sturdy longsword; otherwise, it's essentially impossible.

「It's one-sided... The 『Shield of the Earth』 is impressive.」

「Well, we don't struggle against goblins.」

While Alex laughed awkwardly, newer guild members wouldn't fare this smoothly. They would block with shields or find and exploit openings after narrowly avoiding attacks. During battles, they'd often devise numerous strategies.

It's clear that those who could one-sidedly kill from outside with long reach were several steps ahead.

「Well, I should get to work too.」

「Yeah.」

With that, Alex ran towards the goblin group.

Though he usually had a gentle demeanor, it's amusing how he suddenly became sharp and wielded his sword fiercely in a fight.

Women should really see him during these times, but alas, the Shield of the Earth is comprised mostly of men...

「Mongrel, just hold off those ones over there!」

As I casually mused over this, the scattered or rather "approaching" goblins got near us.

Why these goblins banded together or why they'd come to us when fleeing, I couldn't comprehend. It's pointless to think about it.

It's better not to dwell too much on these creatures' actions. Overanalyzing is futile.

「Oohhaahahahaha!」

「?!」

I shouted loudly and slammed my bastard sword against trees to intimidate them. I felt like a monkey.

When humans suddenly turned into monkeys, even goblins were taken aback, pausing momentarily. While they couldn't devise sophisticated plans, they could be overwhelmed by strange forces. Clear bluffs worked best for stalling.

「What kind of sound was that...?」

As Alex sighed, he swung his sword, decapitating two motionless goblins from behind.

「I was impersonating a big monkey.」

「You could just fight and hold them off normally...」

「No thanks; it would dirty my sword.」

「How particular about cleanliness can you get?」

I was tasked with stalling. And thus, stalled I did.

I could've just killed them, but if I didn't have to, I wouldn't.

「This is a hectic mission every year.」

「Nothing we can do. Especially this year, everyone is panicking over the lack of wood.」

「Do you think there'll be homes that freeze to death because they lack firewood?」

「I hope not... but it's likely in the slums... It's an annual occurrence.」

As Alex spoke, cutting a goblin's dirty nose.

It's truly filthy. There's snot running everywhere. I'm glad I didn't have to fight.

「......」

「Alex, calm down.」

Holding the dripping nose, Alex stepped closer to me.

「As a token for your help in stalling, would you like a goblin part? Here, take this.」

「No, seriously, it's fine.」

「Please, no need to be shy, here, here.」

「Stop, don't come closer! Stop—!」

This ridiculous game of tag among grown men ended when the vice-captain of the Shield of the Earth scolded us.

Thank you, vice-captain-san.