Interlude 1: Fyodor the Village Chief

Ryuu Ardren, age twelve. On a certain day.

Today, Ryuu had been deep in the forest since early morning. He strode down a path dappled with sunlight and echoing with the chirping of small birds, a live blade gripped in one hand. After walking for about an hour, he reached the furthest point he had ever ventured into these woods.

It’s been a month since I started coming here. I’ve learned that only E-rank monsters like slimes live near the settlements. If I want to hunt D-rank or higher monsters to supplement our food supply, I have to step deeper into the brush... Should I finally ask someone knowledgeable for help?

As Ryuu stood there with his arms crossed, weighing his options—

“It’s pretty rare to see someone out this far~”

“Who are you...? A hunter?”

“Bingo. Though, dressed like this, it’d be harder to get it wrong, wouldn’t it? Ahaha...”

The man, who looked somewhat weary and every bit the hunter, scratched his cheek sheepishly.

“Is this your usual stomping ground?” Ryuu asked.

“I work around here sometimes, but my 'office'—or rather, my range—is a lot bigger than this. Our hunting grounds are probably ten times the size of this forest, at least.”

“Our”? Does that mean this man belongs to some kind of group or organization? Judging by his range, his accent, and his features, he’s likely a local.

“I see. I suppose a professional operates on a different level. ...Your name?” Ryuu asked, slipping into his habits as a territory manager.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t really say. If you tell me your name and why you’re here first, though, I might be willing to share mine.”

“...My name is Ryuu. To be honest, my family is in a bit of a tight spot due to various circumstances. I was wandering the forest hoping to hunt some monsters to help with the grocery bill. I don’t have any proof, so whether you believe me or not is up to you.”

“Ahahaha, how bold! Fine, I’ll believe you. I’m the chief of a small farming village near the northern canyon.”

Ryuu knew of that village. In fact, as the acting manager of the territory, it would have been a problem if he didn’t.

If I recall, there was a village near the canyon that subsists mainly on farming and hunting. It doesn’t seem like he’s lying.

“The villagers usually just call me 'Chief,' by the way. But my name is Fyodor.”

“Then I shall call you Fyodor.”

“And I’ll call you Ryuu-kun, then.”

After that, Ryuu and Fyodor hit it off remarkably well, and the hunter ended up giving Ryuu a tour of the surrounding woods.

For Ryuu, this was the first person outside of the Baron Ardren household he had truly befriended, so the conversation flowed with plenty of enthusiasm.

“It’s impressive, going into a monster-infested forest for your family at your age~ Let’s see, you look about sixteen? Did you just graduate from some academy?”

“No. I only recently turned twelve.”

“Wait, what?! You’re way too mature in looks and speech for a twelve-year-old?!”

“I get that a lot. But you’re quite young yourself, Fyodor, for someone who leads a village.”

“Well~, in our village, hunting skill is the main metric for evaluation.”

“In other words, the Chief is the strongest and the primary breadwinner...”

“That’s about it~”

Though surprised by each other’s ages, the two continued their exploration.

“Ryuu-kun. This is the habitat for D-rank Big Boars. See those scarred trees over there? Big Boars have a habit of marking their territory like that. If you’re lucky—or unlucky—the alpha of this area will come by on patrol if we just wait here.”

“I didn’t know they had such habits... I knew the name and the rank, but not the specifics. This is very educational. When it comes to the forest, I suppose I’m still less than a fledgling.”

“Everyone starts somewhere. Let’s skip the waiting this time and go looking for him. The marks on the trees look relatively fresh, so we should find him quickly if we track the footprints.”

Tracking required its own set of tricks. When the trail went cold, the Chief relied on his sense of smell to determine the direction. A few dozen minutes later—

“Oh, found one already~”

In the direction they were looking, their target was rubbing its long tusks against a tree.

“Listen closely, Ryuu-kun. Big Boars use those big, sharp tusks to duel other males or take down prey. They also use them to dig up plant roots. They’re omnivores, you see. Their main weapons are the tusks, but a charge alone has enough power to send an armored knight flying, and they’re good at back-kicking too. Basically, I recommend a side-swipe or a brain-shot with an arrow. Watch me first.”

The Chief leaped out in front of the prey. He didn’t seem to be using the bow on his back; instead, he drew a short sword.

All right then. Since I’m in front of a friend, I’d better make this look cool.

The Big Boar twitched its snout, catching the Chief in its sights. Silence fell over the area, and what was once a peaceful forest transformed into a battlefield.

The Boar moved first.

“BWAAAAAAAGH!!!!”

It thundered across the ground with incredible momentum, aiming to impale its foe on its twin tusks. But the Chief didn't move an inch.

Thinking its enemy was paralyzed with fear, the Boar’s eyes glowed red as it reached its maximum speed. But just before impact, the Chief twisted his body as light as a sheet of paper, dodging perfectly.

He didn’t stop there.

“Yeah, this is the spot.”

The Chief thrust his short sword into the Boar’s flank. Just a simple thrust. That was all.

Normally, that would only weaken a Boar, leaving it plenty of fight. Yet, for some reason, it stopped dead in its tracks and collapsed sideways. A heavy thud echoed, shaking the nearby trees.

Ryuu was impressed. It was an exchange of life so beautiful he almost felt like applauding.

“...Did you aim for the heart?”

“That’s right. I mentioned side-swipes and such earlier, but once you get better, this is much more efficient. Fewer wounds mean less wasted meat, and the hide sells for more too~ Anyway, come on! Let's get the head off and bleed it out! Speed is everything with bleeding! Otherwise, the quality of the meat drops. Ryuu-kun, can you take the head off with that sword? Or is it still a bit much for you?”

“No. I can handle this much.”

Ryuu drew his sword and unleashed a beautiful vertical flash, separating the head from the body in one fluid motion. Decapitating a Boar was child's play for him.

The Chief was a warrior as much as he was a hunter. He could gauge Ryuu's skill with a single glance at that movement.

Whoops. Maybe I didn't even need to fight? Now I’m starting to feel a bit embarrassed.

By the time they finished waiting for the blood to drain, the sun was directly overhead.

“It’s about lunchtime. Let’s head back. Oh, by the way, you can have that Boar, Ryuu-kun.”

“Are you sure? I didn’t do anything...”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! Consider it a gesture for our future friendship! Just be nice to me if we happen to run into each other in the woods again. As fellow monster hunters, you know?”

“...I’m in your debt. I’m sure my family will be happy.”

“Can you carry it alone?”

“This much is easy.” Ryuu hoisted the massive carcass of the boar onto his shoulders with a grunt.

“Uh... honestly, I was planning to help you carry it to your house. Are you really okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll consider it part of my training. My house isn't that far, anyway.”

“All right. But at least let me help you to the edge of the forest~”

In the end, Fyodor carried the head while Ryuu carried the body.

This forest was a den of monsters. They were particularly sensitive to the smell of blood. Carrying the remains of a large monster like a Boar was bound to draw attention.

This time, it was a pack of Goblins. However...

“Thunderbird.”

The lightning magic Ryuu unleashed struck them directly, incinerating them in an instant.

“Whoa?! Ryuu-kun, you can use magic?!”

“I can, actually. I know a few others, but lightning is my specialty.”

“Just who are you...? Is your family super loaded or something?”

While most people in this world possessed mana, those who could actually wield magic were few. Magic was a privilege for the wealthy few who could pass academy entrance exams and study the craft.

In Ryuu’s case, he had lost his ability to use magic once for a certain reason, but he was slowly regaining that power through his own sheer effort.

“I’d rather not say much about my family yet. Sorry.”

“Fair enough. I won’t pry. Everyone’s got their own baggage, after all.”

At twelve years old, he has this much strength and a mind that sharp. Given his interest in the monsters of the forest, Ryuu-kun probably has some deep secrets he can’t tell anyone. I’ll just have to cheer him on.

From the outside, it might have looked like a superficial relationship, but through this day, the two had become true friends. One can never have too many connections, after all.

“Well, this is as far as I go. One last thing—the Boar’s head isn’t just for meat. The eyes are medicinal ingredients, and the tusks can be used for weapons, armor, or jewelry, so make sure you sell everything properly. Also, there’s a mana stone near the heart, so don’t forget that. If you’re really stuck, just sell the whole thing to the Commerce Guild. They’ll take a cut as a fee, but it’s better than getting ripped off by some shady merchant. Well, that’s about it.”

“I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”

He really is overprotective... I’m glad my 'Friend No. 1' is Fyodor.

Ryuu planned to dump the actual processing on Sebas, but he was deeply impressed by Fyodor’s kindness.

After that, they returned to their respective homes. The head chef was genuinely delighted with Ryuu’s haul, and the family and servants who ate it were full of praise, strengthening Ryuu’s resolve to keep working hard.

In the days that followed, he occasionally bumped into Fyodor in the forest. Every time they met, they hunted together and shared idle conversation.

Hunting in the forest made Ryuu grow even further.