SWNOVELXO Ch50 - The Curse
Chapter 50: The Curse
Upon returning to Rachelle, Lena and her party headed straight for the Adventurer’s Guild. Avoiding the usual queue for the novice receptionist, they went directly to the veteran who had lent them the monster encyclopedia the day before.
“Oh? Welcome back, young lady.
Are you here to submit Goo-Goo Bird beaks?”
The receptionist, who had recommended the Goo-Goo Birds, addressed Lena kindly. Noticing Lena’s anxious demeanor, she maintained her usual friendly tone to put her at ease. Lena, relieved, began to speak in a subdued voice.
“No, the hunt was a failure…
We encountered a strange monster and came to report it.
We met a black boar in the forest, one that wasn’t in the encyclopedia you lent us. Its body was decaying, but it was moving normally and charged at us.
We think it might have been cursed…”
“…A cursed monster!? How terrible…
…Is that black boar still roaming around?”
“No, we defeated it.
We used a powerful attack, so we’re certain it’s dead.
However, it was large and covered in black mud and blood, so we couldn’t bring the carcass back… But we can lead you to the location.
What should we do?”
Hearing the boar was dead, the veteran receptionist’s tense expression relaxed. She offered words of comfort to the small beast tamer.
“I see…! Good work. It must have been frightening. You did well.
Thank you for the information.
If it truly was a cursed monster, we must act quickly… How did you determine it was cursed?”
“My familiar has the [All Status Ailment Immunity] Gift.
When it touched the boar, it told me it resisted a “Curse” effect.”
“That makes it highly credible.
…Understood. I’ll contact the Guild Master and the priest immediately.
Could you come with us and guide us to the cursed monster?
We’ll process the reward for the information after the emergency measures are taken.”
“Yes! Of course, we’ll cooperate. We don’t have any other plans, so we can leave immediately.”
“Thank you! That’s a great help!”
Those who reported emergencies that threatened the town to the guild received a reward from the city treasury. Unbeknownst to Lena, a substantial budget was allocated annually to encourage such reports. Once again, Lena’s wallet would be unexpectedly replenished.
“Then, we’ll be going.
Everyone, I’m leaving the reception desk to you. Please be careful not to make any mistakes.”
“「Understood! Be careful!」”
“Yes! Senpai, be careful!”
“「「………」」」
The novice receptionist, her eyes slightly teary, offered her farewells in a sweet voice. While some adventurers looked concerned upon hearing about the curse, most of the men in line simply ogled her, exclaiming, “So cute!” The senior receptionists massaged their temples wearily. They had plenty to say—about her unprofessional tone, about how she quickly averted her gaze from her seniors while saying, “I have watery eyes, I cry easily… It’s a problem, isn’t it?” clearly not concerned—but reprimanding her here would only lead to the men defending her, further disrupting their work. It was a losing battle.
Lena, slightly disturbed by the strange atmosphere, responded maturely, “We should hurry! I’ll do my best to guide you!” and led the veteran receptionist out of the guild. On the way, the receptionist apologized for making Lena deal with the situation, and Lena simply replied, “You’ve worked hard.”
They stopped by the church to inform the priest and then explained the situation to the Guild Master, who was in a meeting with the Lord. The four humans and four familiars then set off towards the black boar’s location at a brisk pace.
＊＊＊
When they arrived, the boar’s mangled body was mostly decomposed, its flesh reduced to black sludge that stained the ground. The ground within a two-meter radius was tainted by the curse and emitted a foul odor. Everyone grimaced.
“…It’s far worse than I imagined.
It’s afflicted with three curses: “Curse of Berserk,” “Curse of Decay,” and “Curse Contagion.”
The ability to cast such powerful curses suggests a highly skilled sorcerer.
What was their purpose in cursing this boar?
…It’s terrifying… I can’t fathom their motives.”
The priest, wincing at the sight of the boar, made the sign of the cross, knelt, and prayed, activating his cleric skills.
“All chains are broken… May you find peaceful, eternal rest… [Soul Purge].”
The grotesque carcass was enveloped in a soft, white light. Half of the light absorbed the curses, turning black before flashing brightly and disappearing. The remaining half lingered around the carcass before slowly ascending towards the heavens, dissolving into the sunlight. Captivated by the ethereal sight, Lena and her party momentarily forgot the gruesome scene and watched the white light disappear into the sky. The priest watched the girl and her familiars with kind eyes.
Then, his expression turning serious, he exchanged glances with the Guild Master and the receptionist, who also wore grave expressions.
“…If the land remains tainted, it may adversely affect Lady Sylphine. We’ll perform a purification ritual here immediately. Is that agreeable?
Also… it might be wise to check the condition of the Maiden’s Mistletoe.”
“By all means, Priest-sama. We’ll secure the perimeter while you perform the ritual.”
The Guild Master glanced at the receptionist, and she nodded firmly.
He continued.
“I’ll inform the Lord about checking the Mistletoe immediately.
Also… there might be other cursed creatures, so we’ll issue an emergency search quest from the Adventurer’s Guild.
Let’s hope there are no further incidents.
Young lady, could you tell us more about your encounter with the black boar?”
“Yes!”
Lena, slightly nervous under the Guild Master’s intense gaze, concisely explained the attack and how they repelled the boar.
How the black boar had been frantically chasing a flock of Goo-Goo Birds.
How it had quickly shifted its target from the delicious Goo-Goo Birds to Lena and her party.
How its eyes had glowed red.
How the boar, though alive, had already emitted a foul odor.
…The Guild Master, listening intently with his hand on his chin, noted that despite fighting such a formidable opponent, Lena and her party hadn’t leveled up. He stared at the boar’s skeletal remains. It was strange that none of them, all in their teens, had gained a level after fighting such a large, berserk monster.
“This boar wasn’t a monster, but an ordinary wild boar.”
That was the conclusion he reached, based on his vast experience.
“But it was so strong!?” Lena and her party exclaimed in surprise.
That was how dangerous the “Curse of Berserk” was.
“It takes decades of training for a sorcerer to cast mind-altering curses like ‘Berserk’ on intelligent monsters.
The fact that they cursed an ordinary boar suggests the sorcerer isn’t that experienced…
However, their ability to cast multiple curses is a serious threat.
Depending on what other cursed creatures we find… I believe the worst-case scenario, a sorcerer powerful enough to curse people, is unlikely.
What are your thoughts?”
“I agree.”
“I concur.”
The priest and receptionist immediately responded to the Guild Master’s question. Having dealt with dark practitioners in the past, they had reached the same conclusion.
The three adults smiled reassuringly at the small beast tamer, who looked unsure if she should also offer her opinion, telling her it was alright. The receptionist chuckled, “So diligent and serious!”
“If you see any more cursed monsters, report to the guild immediately.
If they seem strong, don’t fight them; run away.
Since it might be a sorcerer, don’t approach any suspicious individuals.
Think of this as a team effort with all the adventurers. You don’t have to carry this burden alone.”
“Understood!”
“Good.”
When Lena nodded obediently, the Guild Master ruffled her hair with his large hand. This elicited slightly annoyed looks from her familiars, but that was nothing new.
The priest planted his staff in the ground and chanted, summoning a large magic circle of light that encompassed the tainted area. He chanted another verse, paused, and then channeled magic into his staff. Sacred letters appeared within the magic circle, resonating with the staff’s power, and began to purify the surrounding ground. The priest meticulously performed the ritual, taking his time to cleanse the deep-seated taint.
Seeing that the ritual would take a while, the Guild Master offered Lena and her party a ride back to town, “Shall we return to Rachelle together? I’ll escort you to your inn.”
Though mesmerized by the beautiful display of light, Lena was also tired from the fight and the tense situation. She accepted his offer and returned to town.
＊＊＊
Several days after the cursed black boar incident, more and more decaying, cursed creatures were found in the forests around Rachelle. The Adventurer’s Guild was flooded with reports of black beasts. The receptionists worked busily, even the novice receptionist refraining from idle chatter as she diligently organized the incoming reports. While a few adventurers had hunted ferocious, cursed Great Boars, most of the cursed creatures were small, weak animals like wild rabbits.
Despite the numerous reports of cursed animals, there were no sightings of the sorcerer. It was frustrating; they had no concrete leads on who was spreading the curses or why. Unpleasant theories abounded, and the Guild Master and Lord grew increasingly irritated.
If the goal was simply to harm Rachelle, the culprit would have focused on cursing larger animals like boars with the “Curse of Berserk.” The deliberate cursing of prolific rabbits and rats to spread the taint suggested the goal was to defile the land itself by leaving the decaying carcasses to rot.
If that were the case, the situation was dire… It meant the culprit’s objective was to harm “Sylphine, Maiden of Wind and Water.”
Unfortunately, the high-ranking state mages who managed the barrier protecting the Maiden’s Mistletoe were currently stationed at a town on the opposite side of the Anees Kingdom, preparing for the Spirit Festival. Even if they set off immediately by carriage, it would take them over a week to arrive. No one could enter the heavily fortified barrier without them. The barrier protecting the precious Mistletoe was a powerful one, passed down through generations of mages for centuries.
While a distant observation of the area within the barrier showed no apparent abnormalities, closer inspection might reveal something. This thought weighed heavily on the minds of everyone in the Anees Kingdom.
The joyful pre-festival atmosphere had vanished. The people of Rachelle wore anxious expressions. Lena and her party, their faces clouded with worry, headed into the forest to investigate the curses. As the first to discover the cursed creature, they felt responsible and decided to stay involved until their planned departure date. They hoped for the best but prepared for the worst.
That day, they found a single, decaying rabbit carcass. Lena placed a “Notification Tag,” distributed to everyone undertaking the guild’s investigation quest, on the tainted ground. This would alert higher-ranked adventurers capable of basic purification magic to the location. She couldn’t help but sigh.
“Some people can be so cruel…”
『『Right? It’s not good to needlessly take lives for reasons other than food, leveling up, or pest control!』』
『Yeah! The culprit is so malicious! …Hmph!』
『Curse a beast, dig two graves. The culprit must be filled with resentment.
I hope they get caught soon.』
Speaking of resentment… the Dread Emperor’s red robe, now cleansed of its curse by the God of Fortune’s power, used to be a cursed item. Now it was simply a comfortable robe. “Curses are scary,” Lena thought, stating the obvious.
Curses didn’t exist in nature. They were a special kind of malice unique to humans and Majin with human-level intelligence. Aside from sorcerers, whose profession revolved around curses, only those who harbored intensely negative emotions at the moment of death could leave a curse behind. The current situation, with curses running rampant in the forest (a natural environment), was highly unusual and undoubtedly the work of a malicious sorcerer.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in the forest, it was now afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set. The trees cast long shadows, making some areas of the forest dark even at three in the afternoon. Lena addressed her familiars.
“Shall we head back? One-Eyed Rats become active at night.”
『『『『Yes!』』』』
“Everyone, do you remember what to watch out for with One-Eyed Rats?”
▽A helpful monster knowledge lesson began!
Lena read aloud from the Adventurer’s Guild’s monster encyclopedia. The slimes bounced excitedly.
『『One-Eyed Rats use the [Illusion] skill!
So, you might end up going around in circles in the forest! If you can’t find your way out, try a wide-range attack!』』
『And recently, they’ve been using illusions of beautiful Sylphines to lure adventurers and then attack them with electricity!』
『……Anything else?』
One of them had clearly not been paying attention.
“Yes, everyone remembered well, very good!
…Lily-chan, of course, you knew all that too, right?”
『……………Ehehe♡』
“So cute… But please try your best to remember important information, just in case.
Because you’re all precious to me. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
『Yes! I love Master!♡』
“Kuh!”
▽Lily has low initial intelligence (don’t forget).
▽Lena is smitten!
As they turned to leave after their lighthearted conversation, the black necklace around Lena’s neck suddenly floated into the air.
“…Huh?”
The long cord slipped over Lena’s head, and the necklace was swept away by an unnatural gust of wind!
This wasn’t just any necklace. It was “Mothra’s Whistle,” painstakingly crafted by Mothra himself.
Lena and her familiars’ eyes sharpened. They couldn’t let it be stolen.
“…I won’t let them steal my child’s proboscis!!”
『『『『Our little brother!!』』』』
Serious-san had flown the coop. Everyone’s character had instantly crumbled.
▽Chase the unnatural wind!
The wind, startled by their outburst, trembled slightly, the necklace dangling in the air, before fleeing deeper into the forest at a speed Lena and her party could barely keep up with. It occasionally paused and looked back, adjusting its speed.
…Was it leading them somewhere…?
Lena, puzzled by the wind’s strange behavior, continued to run, determined to retrieve her precious gift.
The wind led them to a small clearing and gently placed the necklace on a large rock before vanishing.
They had ventured quite deep into the forest. The surroundings were dim.
Panting heavily, Lena rushed to the necklace, relieved to find it undamaged, and clutched it to her chest. She felt a pang of guilt for letting her guard down. Her familiars, though relieved, remained vigilant, wary of the unnatural wind and its purpose in leading them here.
The forest was quiet, only the rustling of leaves occasionally breaking the silence. Then, the sound of running water reached Lena’s ears. She exchanged glances with her familiars.
Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a spring in the distance.
『……Ah!』
Lily gasped.
Everyone followed her gaze towards the spring.
–A figure, bathed in golden light, stood by the spring with its back to them.
The smooth, white skin and luxurious golden hair brought a certain image to mind. Lena’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…Could it be… a Sylphine created by [Illusion]?!
Everyone, be careful! …It might attack us with electricity!”
『『『Kyaaaah!?』』』
▽Lena’s innocent blunder!
“It is not.”
A soothing male tenor voice replied.
Lily burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. She could see the figure’s true identity through its soul.
『Ahahahaha! Ow, my stomach!』
“…It’s been a while… You’re as lively as ever, aren’t you?”
“!?! …Ah!”
Lena shouldn’t point at people in front of the children!
▽…A familiar golden monster appeared!