Chapter 314 (1/2)

Chivalric Order Member Screening, the final selection.

Its start, was quite lonesome.

The nameless mountain that was near Kashnart, which would be reached after walking a bit away from the large main road, was a place that people normally wouldn’t enter. There was a small village on the way to the mountain, but even the villagers didn’t approach the mountain all that much.

The final selection that was being performed on such a mountain――the Goblin extermination was a so-called “the fastest one wins” competition.

They would defeat the Goblins that were in the mountain, cut off the body part that would count as proof of its defeat, and bring those back. Their ranks would be decided by the number of those. That was all there was to it.

The fact that the participants would be entering the mountain from their respective different directions was so that there wouldn’t be any Goblins that would escape. And then, at the same time, it was also a consideration so that the fellow participants wouldn’t obstruct each other as much as possible.

「……A mountain, huh.」

Kain advanced through the mountain where the grass had grown tall.

*Zaku zaku* His figure as he advanced while cutting the grass with his sword showed that he was quite an expert at it, but this was because this sort of technique was indispensable for an Adventurer.

If not for the fact that he had the inconvenience of needing to go through this route, he wouldn’t create what was basically a path in the mountain. It was because the mountain path had poor visibility, and was dangerous when compared to flatlands.

However, it was easy for bandits and Goblins to make strongholds in places where people’s hands wouldn’t reach. Eliminating those groups was an important job of Adventurers, therefore the 「ability to take action in the mountains」 became an indispensable ability for Adventurers.「Yo……tto!」

Cutting down a branch that blocked his way, Kain advanced.

In cases of advancing through a mountain path like this, one would usually a tool dedicated for such an occasion, but Kain swung his personal sword――the Hard Sword Tilnok without any signs of worrying about it. It was because he knew that his sword wouldn’t nick or chip from something of this level.

*Zaku zaku* Kain walked while firmly stepping on the ground, however, he made a bewildered expression.

「This is, strange……」

Before long, Kain muttered that.

Coming to a stop, he looked at the path he had come through up until now……and the place that he would be advancing to from now on.

In front of him, there was tall grass and tree branches. Behind him, there was the path that he opened up and hardened.

After that, he slowly surveyed the surroundings, and gazed at the trees and grass that rustled in the wind.

At a glance, it was a mountain scene that seemed normal. And that is why Kain commented that it was strange.

「Are there really Goblins, on this mountain?」

Muttering that, Kain looked at a branch that was ahead of where he was advancing towards.

A branch that was slightly lower than Kain’s gaze swayed as if to obstruct his path. That was truly a sign that this was an undeveloped land.

However, it wasn’t a land suitable for Goblins to live in. If Goblins were living here, it would be more――

Thinking that far, a *gasa gasa, baki baki* sound could be heard from Kain’s right.

Kain put himself on guard thinking that it might be a Goblin for a moment, but what came into his gaze was a gigantic body that was unbelievable for a Goblin to have.

「……Nna?」

「Ah……H, hello.」

Unconsciously, Kain returned a greeting.

It was a figure that had a well trained body that would cause fear for even Adventurers that were proud of their own physique, wore armor that was made of a material that felt different from metal, and carried a large sword.

Kain recognized that woman who was much burlier than the average male Adventurer.

That woman――Rosetta looked down at Kain, and nodded with an “ahh”.

「Erm……That’s right, if I remember correctly, yer the shitty brat who has the most experienced movements despite being the youngest. What was your name again?」

「It’s Kain. Hello, Rosetta-san.」

「Ou, good to see ya.」

After breaking and throwing away the branch that was in her way, Rosetta came up until she was right beside Kain.

「This is a bit sudden but. What do ya think?」

「What do I think……what do you mean by that?」

「Oi oi, you ain’t blockheaded enough to not notice, right?」

Hearing Rosetta’s words, Kain sharpened his gaze. It was because he understood that Rosetta held the same doubt that he did.

And that was why Kain gave a short reply without dodging the question.

「It’s strange. That is all I can say for sure.」

「Right. There probably ain’t any Goblins in the mountain.」