7 – Episode 7. When Five People Gather (2)
Life as an Earthling was not short-lived.
As a wandering ninja who traveled the world with the money diligently saved by my salaryman parents, I had seen many things.
The Grand Canyon, the ruins of Walonia’s mines, the Jukai Forest, and the Sedulek ossuary. I sought out places where ninjas might be hiding whenever I could.
Among them, the Jukai Forest had a feeling that it might be a village of yokai rather than ninjas.
There were mannequins hanging from trees, shaped like people, as if yokai had played pranks. But such third-rate tricks were merely laughable.
I had planned to spend a night there with just a sleeping bag for meditation, but I was too tired. I remember laying down as soon as it struck 12 and falling into a deep sleep.
– Why are you alone in this creepy forest? Iyakihiihii
Sometimes I heard strange noises, but I ignored them and slept. My condition was at its best that day, so it wasn’t really important.
I haven’t really sought out knowledge beyond being a ninja, so I can’t claim to know everything, but I have gained experiences by seeing things with my own eyes.
But I had never sworn to the Buddha or the Four Heavenly Kings and seen such creatures.
– Kkugege…
Those creatures, about the size of a Jindo dog, had beaks like birds.
I knew they were eggs, and they had claws on their legs.
The characteristics of ordinary birds. However, the plump creatures, sunbathing, had fur instead of feathers.
A bizarre four-legged beast with a bird’s beak, a mammal’s torso, and a flat tail.
I couldn’t help but be amazed at the sight that shattered all the order and common sense that humans had classified.
Is this… Is this the true form of yokai?! Have they been defying the cycle of life in this way until now?!
“We must exterminate them!”
Ocul, a subordinate of the Demon King, who completely denies the laws of nature.
Compared to this brat, Godpa was nothing more than a toothless turtle.
This is the reality of crossbreeding that Saten loves so much. Hybrids cause the extinction of natural species, taking only the advantages they possess and using them as a form of evolution.
These Ocul brats don’t come down to the village to find food.
They seek to surpass the limits of life by absorbing human genetic information through cannibalistic acts, becoming Shimmah (心魔) that transcends the physical body, and challenging the Maitreya Buddha!
“Wazabut!”
These brats can still be excited because there are no ninjas.
This world can still be saved because I have arrived. Today, I am Shinobin, the blade of annihilation.
Kuggek~
I blew away the mother in front of me with a jet kick and crushed all the eggs with a ninja shuffle dance.
The Ocul that woke up screamed in horror, their black eyes flickering without whites. There seem to be about 30 of them.
Kuggegegegegeg!
“Lord Robin! What will happen if you kill them all? You could sell them at the restaurant and make money! They could also be important reference materials for my masterpiece!”
Ignoring Saten’s words, I aimed my Aming Sword at them.
The Ocul horde, brainwashed by the flutist’s incantation, rushed towards their demise like the Pied Piper.
“Lord Robin! You shouldn’t rush out like that! It’s dangerous!”
Bonita, who had rushed over, joined in wielding her halberd.
Excited by the sight of the demons, the demon hunter, Bak, followed behind Saten, constantly drawing arrows while saying, “What should we do?”
Only Orphe, who had become familiar with ninja tactics, calmly pulled out her spear and walked forward.
When the mother Occult, with her formidable power, boarded the express train to Hell and slammed her head against the rock, those bastards had only 0.01 of her combat power.
Not even worth using any magic.
“-Helicopter Sword Technique.”
Whirrr!
My Aiming Sword, spinning like the rotors of a helicopter, tore through the bodies of the five vanguard Occults.
In martial arts novels, there are scenes where the master plays around with the inferior opponents, not killing them quickly.
That’s all for practicing new techniques. It’s like mad scientists who don’t refuse free test subjects.
The result is perfect. The Occults were terrified.
“-Those who work with their hands are adventurers. Those who work with their hands, brain, and heart are craftsmen. But those who work with their hands, brain, heart, and soul are artists!”
Seeing the Occults stepping back, their confidence shattered, the energetic Saten began to babble.
“Receive the Sword of the Great Gatekeeper!”
The fervent otaku, surpassing Bonita and Orpheus, rushed out to protect the two trash.
“Take this!”
Saten struck down the Occult’s head exactly as in a reverse position.
The short sword pierced through, coming out all the way to the chin, and at the same time, Saten’s thumb came off.
Idiot, you shouldn’t stab in a reverse position.
Intoxicated by the exhilaration of his first exorcism, Saten, who didn’t even notice, laughed and targeted the next enemy, trying to pull out the short sword.
However, it’s not an easy task for an ordinary person, even an expert, to pull out a sword that’s stuck firmly.
“hahahaha! Huh, huh? Why won’t it come out?”
A kid who has never even sliced pork belly at home can’t possibly perform a ninja massacre.
It was clear that this brat, who didn’t even have hands, a brain, or a nipple, was a being below an amoeba.
– Kyak!
As a yokai with exceptional ability to detect weakness, the ocules stretched their claws towards Setun.
“Hoet!”
Setun ran and dodged the yokai, but was surrounded and hit by their claw strikes.
In a situation where the archer’s protection was needed, Orpheus was wandering around to collect passing arrows.
“But Dad gave it to me… It’s precious…”
This is why you shouldn’t have children if you’re poor.
Orpheus, standing in for Bonita, who was guarding the pass with a disgusted expression, drove away the ocules who were assaulting Setun.
With his skilled movements, Orpheus proved himself as Candidate Number 2. Compared to them, Orpheus was like a fairy.
“…Ning ning.”
Though Setun was covered in mud from being trampled everywhere, he seemed fine as he made strange noises.
It’s fortunate that the ocules’ killing ability is significantly reduced. This must be why the rookie adventurers were recommended this quest.
They are definitely a difficult group from the perspective of ordinary farmers, as they have a large number and little fear.
Even on Earth, if just one wild boar appears, it causes a commotion, but if 3 to 40 ocules the size of adult dogs roam around, it’s almost a natural disaster.
Kwaget!
He caught the last ocule that was trying to escape.
It’s amusing to see them bouncing around even when trying to escape, as if they’re slowing down in the water. After confirming that the situation was under control, he wiped the blood off his sword.
It seems I’ve been swinging it too much; my arm feels sore. Today is a day when Orpheus will suffer a bit.
“Miss Robin, you’re strong. Among the guild-affiliated adventurers, there are few who fight as well as you.”
Bonita, who had been guarding my battle while only protecting the trolls, praised me.
If it was the wandering swordsman Robin instead of the runaway ninja Shinnobin, she might have screamed in surprise.
“Nin-nin. Bonita’s halberd dealing was also excellent.”
Bonita couldn’t enhance her body with mana, so she couldn’t use spells, but she had a solid foundation honed through practical experience.
With a body that seemed to be about 190cm tall, she could take a blow.
Perhaps due to the existence of mana, in this world, women also played a significant role in combat power, unlike on Earth.
I remembered hearing from Orphe that the number of female knights was greater than that of male knights.
There was some reason for that, but she didn’t explain it properly. Still, she did mention that the mixed-gender knights were the most numerous.
“Nining? What does that mean?”
“Robin often uses dialects because she is from the border of the kingdom. It doesn’t have a special meaning, just something like ‘I roughly understood, let’s do it like that.’ It’s like an interjection.”
“Oh, it was a dialect. I also know a few dialects from the border, but they seem to be from different regions.”
Orphe answered on behalf of Bonita, who was following along vaguely.
It seems like she made some annoying setting, but I couldn’t remember it well.
Well, if I stay quiet, it will be taken care of. Scratching my head, I checked on the two dung beetles.
It seemed like they were satisfied with collecting the passing arrows. The recovered Saten was already caressing the fur of the dead ocular with both hands, in perfect condition.
Pat, pat.
“Mmm… Oh… This feels nice.”
I wanted to show Saten how to make takoyaki right away, but I held back with superhuman patience.
There are still four chances left, so I’ll postpone Saten’s disposal. There is a saying that you can see Buddha’s face up to five times.
“Now, let’s start collecting the loot. I’ll handle the leather. Please remove the beaks, claws, and tails.”
Bonita drew a dagger from her waist and stripped the oculets’ leather. Saten, who was still petting the yokai, observed Orphe’s dark-circled eyes and smoothly detached her claws.
Her expression is terrifying. It’s there, but the speed is so slow that it’s not noticeable.
Prominent idiots and utterly useless idiots. It’s the duty of a runaway ninja to find the answer.
***
“Then let’s meet again at the guild during lunchtime in three days. Great job, everyone.”
Bonita left first as soon as they arrived in the city and finished various preparations. She seemed busy with her side job.
An upright personality that doesn’t show anger despite the likely rise in blood pressure due to the idiots. The composure of a warrior and salaryman. It’s something to aspire to.
“Ahem, how about we all have a meal together to celebrate our first successful quest and future success? There’s a decent chicken restaurant nearby. It’s only for parties of four or more. Luckily, our numbers are just right, aren’t they?”
Saten, the definitive professional group eater, wanted to take advantage of the group project to eat luxurious food.
Honestly, I can’t help but crave chicken. They headed to the restaurant without anyone opposing.
The sign had something written on it, but I didn’t know the characters, so I couldn’t interpret it.
But seeing a chick holding a chicken leg in the picture, it seemed like a chicken restaurant.
I should ask Orphe to teach me characters later. It seems like it’s hard to live without studying.
“Jumo! Four more bottles of beer here!”
After eating a moderate amount of food, Saten persuaded me to drink, so I just ordered it. I don’t know how old 567 is, but since I’m an adult, it’s not a problem, and I was curious about the taste of alcohol in this world.
Seeing Orphe drinking casually, I guess she’s an adult.
“-So the Hall of Artists has fallen into corruption. The typical, traditional, holistic, and secular mindset is ultimately closing off the paragraphs!”
From Noble mtl dot com
Damn it, this guy is really something. Saten, who was already drunk and shouting like a whale, had someone crying next to her.
“I have to succeed no matter what… Since last year, my father has been very ill… He’s the only family I have left… I know how hard he raised me alone since he was young… I almost got bitten by a dog when I was little, but my father…”
It was truly a collective soliloquy. No matter how patient I am, I can’t tolerate wasting time. I’m not a Buddha, but a runaway ninja. I quickly mentioned that I had something to do, placed money on the table, and left Orpheus behind.
“You all worked hard.”
Orpheus’s cheeks were red, perhaps from drinking. He walked strangely, and even his armor rattled.
“The people we rescued last time were probably like them, right? I remember someone saying that a runaway ninja is someone who specializes in that kind of thing.”
“It’s not ‘we,’ it’s just me. Runaway ninjas protect the people and stand against Yakuzas, Yokai, Samurai, and Corrupted Ninjas.”
Distorting the truth is a crime. I hope she understands my sincere efforts not to turn Orpheus into a lying Yakuza.
Orpheus let out a bitter laugh.
“Yeah, yeah. Yakuza and the rest. I don’t really know what they are, but they must be bad. But can a person go to such lengths? Without any benefits? It’s unrealistic.”
Mercenaries can’t understand human thoughts. Is she a mercenary too? It’s a bit disappointing.
“You remind me of the ancient warriors from the fairy tales I read when I was a child. It’s impressive.”
Fortunately, she wasn’t a mercenary. Damn, I believed it!
“If you have the ability, living like that might be okay. But as for me…”
Before Orpheus could finish her sentence, she collapsed on the floor. This is why people should know their limits. They should know their boundaries and understand moderation to break free from them.
As a limitless man, I couldn’t understand foolish mistakes. But still, since she didn’t mock my beliefs, I decided to carry her without complaining.
Thunk.
“Nin-nin.”
Damn, she’s heavy.