GILF Hunter

After a stealthy look around the vicinity, Rin discovered a small cave suitable for hiding.

Waiting and watching the surroundings carefully, she quickly moved the injured person to that spot as soon as a Stinger passed by.

’Phew... nothing’s following us, right?’

Rin poked her head out to check the sky one last time before returning inside the cave.

It was a narrow cave and somewhat uncomfortable, but it was just right for hiding in a situation like this.

It looked like a place where a beast or monster might have lived, but since this area had become Stinger territory, the previous inhabitant had likely already fled.

Rin pulled out the memo she had tucked in her bag and unfolded it. It was the coping mechanism Ian had written down for her in the morning in case she was chased by Stingers.

First... if she was alone, it said to just keep running.

Stingers had no ranged attacks, and because they flew, they couldn’t easily surround or block one’s path.

If she ran at full power, Stingers wouldn’t be able to catch up to her at their speed.

It was a very simple and likable method, but impossible right now. No matter how fast Rin was, she couldn’t run faster than a Stinger while carrying another person on her back.

Rin shifted her gaze to the longer sentence written below that.

If running away was impossible... there was an explanation to gather as much of a certain grass as possible, along with a drawing of what the grass looked like.

’Is it this one?’

Rin was able to find it quickly among the vegetation outside the cave.

It must not have been a particularly rare ingredient. It was a common grass scattered everywhere.

’Since this grass emits a scent Stingers hate, you should lightly singe it with fire and scatter it nearby.... Is it okay to light a fire?’

Rin started a small spark with the tools in her bag, prepared it according to the note, and scattered it near the cave entrance.

──.

’It really works...’

The buzzing sound of the Stinger wings circling nearby grew a little more distant.

The grass Rin gathered emitted a very bitter smell when it touched fire. The Stingers must have sensed it even more sensitively, as they wouldn’t come near.

’They won’t come close if they smell this, but be careful because they will attack if they see you.’

Rin tucked the note back into her bag after reading the final sentence. As long as she stayed hidden inside the cave, she wouldn’t be seen, so there wouldn’t be any worry about being discovered for a while.

Rin returned to the cave after finishing the task of deterring the Stingers.

Since she had gathered quite a bit of grass during her brief outing, she felt they could hold out for about a day.

’Uugh...’

’Ah.’

The mercenary she had laid down inside was letting out a small groan.

It seemed the paralysis was finally wearing off. Rin moved closer to the side of the lying mercenary.

It was a fairly tall mercenary with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Thanks to that, she had struggled quite a bit carrying him on her back.

’Are you conscious?’

’Ugh... where am I.’

The mercenary, who opened his eyes while forcing his still-stiff body to move, looked at Rin’s face as she watched him.

’A person?’

The mercenary lifted his head, flinching in surprise as he spoke urgently.

’Ugh, leave me behind. It’s dangerous here, inside the Stinger’s patrol zone.’

’The Stingers are...’

’Hurry. No matter what, you can’t get out of here with me.... Oh right, my last words are...’

’We’re already out of there, so it’s fine.’

’Eh...?’

The mercenary realized late that they were currently inside a cave.

’H-how...?’

’I carried you on my back and ran.’

Only then did the mercenary, having regained some clarity, recognize the B-rank mercenary he had greeted in the morning standing before him.

Can a B-rank really escape such a situation while carrying a person on their back...?

The mercenary, who had lifted his head, slumped his body back down, thinking he had wasted his energy speaking for no reason when he was already exhausted.

’Why did you go so deep? It was dangerous.’

’They said there’s a special bonus if you find the nest.... I thought the nest would be in the deepest part.’

’...’

It was the exact same reasoning as Rin, but it seemed he lacked the skill.

Does this person not value their life...?

Rin shook her head with an exasperated face after hearing the reason.

Well, I guess mercenary work is mostly like that.

In fact, looking back at what she had experienced so far, Rin felt there wasn’t much difference between him and herself.

’Can you move? The sun is about to set.... If we want to sneak out, it might be better to move once it’s dark.’

Rin asked while looking out at the bit of sky visible from the outside.

Normally, moving at night in a forest like this is dangerous, but because of the Stingers, there were no other dangerous monsters around.

It might actually be safer to escape at night when the number of active Stingers decreases.

But the lying mercenary suddenly sat up and shook his head upon hearing that.

Looking at him, it seemed the paralysis had almost completely worn off.

’Wait! We can’t go out now. The nest!’

’What are you talking about after nearly dying? We’ll find the nest slowly; for now, let’s head back and during the next scout...’

’No, I said I think I found the nest!’

’The nest?!’

Rin’s eyes widened.

However, perhaps because she had been tricked like this more than once or twice, Rin immediately caught the suspicious phrasing in those words.

’Not that you found it, but you ’think’ you found it?’

’The only place Stingers would swarm like that is the nest...’

’In other words, you didn’t actually see it?’

’Based on the circumstances, it’s certain.’

’So you have no evidence?’

’Stop talking nonsense and just listen!’

In the end, it meant he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

However, even to Rin, it was certainly plausible logic. In this forest, the place where Stingers swarmed the most would likely be where the nest was located.

No wonder he was being chased by such a massive number of them.

Rin contemplated for a moment before making a decision.

＊　＊　＊

Late at night.

The mercenaries of the subjugation force set up camp near the forest entrance and lit torches.

’How is it? See anything?’

’Like I’d see anything? It’s so dark I can’t even see right in front of me...’

One mercenary who was scanning the interior of the forest sighed and shook his head.

The mercenaries gathered there were waiting for the scouting party that had not yet returned.

There was a chance they were being chased out by Stingers, and the path from the forest back to the campsite was flat ground with no cover, posing a risk of discovery by monsters.

For that reason, they were waiting to escort the returning members of the scouting party... but even now, well past the scheduled return time, there were those who had not yet come back.

’At least those things aren’t attacking anymore, so that’s a relief...’

One mercenary muttered while looking up at the sky.

Since they were close to the forest, everyone was thoroughly prepared for combat, but the Stingers did not attack again.

Was it because of the previous battle? The Stingers also seemed wary of the mercenary group, not coming close but instead flying nearby in threatening patterns or just monitoring before returning.

If they had kept attacking, it would have been difficult to stay and wait like this.

After several shifts of waiting for the return of the scouts, it was now the second day.

Two of the scouting party had still not been heard from.

’...Phew.’

A mercenary standing next to Ian let out a deep sigh.

It was the vice-leader named Kiri, who had come as a proxy for the injured leader.

He belonged to the same mercenary group as the other mercenary who, along with Rin, had not yet returned.

Kiri looked at Ian and gave a cold assessment.

’It seems the interior is more dangerous than expected. At this rate, we might have to completely revise the plan.’

The mercenaries who went on the scout were all accustomed to this kind of work, yet two failed to return. One of them was even B-rank.

It meant the interior was far more dangerous than anticipated.

Kiri quietly recalled the face of that mercenary named Luca.

He was a friend who had said that once he made it big this time, he’d go back to his hometown, open a shop, and marry the childhood friend waiting for him there.

He was an energetic mercenary who blustered about whether he’d really die from something like this, and even asked if it would be okay to just wipe out the nest if he found it.

’...Leader Ian. Let’s head in now.’

A mercenary’s end is always like this.

Everyone lived as if the end would never come for them.

Kiri, with a heavy heart, spoke to Ian standing beside him. Waiting any longer was a waste of time.

’Wait a moment.’

Ian briefly rechecked the status window of the party he had been looking at until a moment ago.

Rin’s satiety gauge was rising slightly.

The recovery amount of the portable food Rin had taken was 40. But right now, it only rose by 20. It meant she had only eaten half.

When he had checked at a similar time on other days, Rin had also only eaten half her food.

Rin was not injured and was in a healthy state with no status ailments.

There was only one reason why Rin, who could leave the forest whenever she made up her mind, would bother staying in the forest while rationing her food by halves.

It meant she was sharing it with someone.

Rin was likely hiding with that mercenary who hadn’t returned. Since she couldn’t leave that mercenary behind, she was staying with him.

’...Hm?’

Ian saw Rin’s satiety gauge rising again.

Another 20.

Considering the number of food items Rin had taken, this must be the last of it.

It seemed she had agonized after eating one half and then just ate the rest.

Naturally, she would have been hungry... but she surely wouldn’t have eaten the last of her food out of hunger without some kind of plan.

Rin likely planned to come out of the forest within tomorrow.

Ian, having confirmed this, closed the party list and spoke.

’Let’s stay a little longer. She’ll probably return by tomorrow morning.’

’Leader Ian...’

Kiri, who was about to say something, hesitated and couldn’t bring himself to utter the words.

Ultimately, with an understanding face, he gave a bitter smile.

’Fine. Let’s wait just one more day until tomorrow.’

I suppose some people need more time.

Kiri sat quietly in front of the campfire and waited for the night to pass.