Chapter 2 · 10 min

Chapter 2

2. Career Concerns (1)

[Absorb? <Remaining slots: 3>]

A window embroidering the field of vision, just like a game.

As if entranced, he pressed the accept button, and the dagger with teeth missing in chunks evaporated like smoke and turned into light.

The light seemed to circle the air once before seeping into Benrik’s chest like a mirage.

[Sense: Crisis Sense (D) has been absorbed. <Remaining slots: 2>]

Along with that message, a strange memory that was neither of his past life nor his current life arose.

─We grew up in the same orphanage. We didn’t share blood, but you should see us as no different from brothers. What? Of course I’m the older brother.

─You have to put in heat to keep up. I hate falling behind. Especially against that guy.

The days when Demian struggled to stand side by side with Gerik, who was born with the monstrous strength of a barbarian warrior.

It was a more fantasy-like experience than anything the reincarnated Benrik had experienced.

***

Two years from then.

Benrik absorbed one more privilege besides that and filled a total of two slots.

<Edgar's Secret Hand (B)>

─The legendary pickpocket of the Dark City Northford was secretive even in death.

[Technique: Steal (B)]

Around four months before the youngest was born.

There had been an incident where a village dementia elder who always went around saying ‘Even looking like this, in my prime···’ went missing, and he obtained it after discovering his remains in a magical beast’s stomach.

‘I was lucky.’

This privilege classified under the ‘Technique’ category, unlike the Crisis Sense that activates regardless of Benrik’s will, could only be used by actively using his body.

When he tested it while skimming magical beast byproducts behind Gerik’s back, if he tried ten times, nine of them succeeded.

Recalling the dementia elder’s kind face, Benrik suddenly felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

‘He was a good person, though.’

Anyway, considering that Gerik’s senses were at a level superior to ordinary people, it could be seen that there was almost no chance of being caught.

Especially in a city swarming with people, it would be useful.

Truly, he was lucky.

It took 10 years to obtain the first privilege with the dagger Demian gave him. But to obtain the next privilege, the pickpocket privilege, it took only 2 years.

However, one thing, it was a bit bothersome that he still hadn’t figured out the conditions to acquire privileges.

‘I thought it was enough if it was a deceased’s keepsake, but it wasn’t.’

It is true that a deceased’s keepsake is one of the conditions, but that isn’t everything. He has some guesses of his own, but since there are only two samples, he couldn’t be sure.

Moreover, the fact that there are only 3 privilege slots was also on his mind.

‘Should I have delayed absorption a bit until I obtained a high grade?’

It was when such thoughts were chaining one after another.

“Benrik!”

The peddler Oswald looked for Benrik.

“Did you call?”

“Could you gather some firewood for me.”

“Firewood already? Isn’t it a bit early?”

Benrik tilted his head looking at the sun high in the sky.

“Is something the matter?”

Then Oswald gestured with his eyes over Benrik’s shoulder. It was the direction where the escort mercenary group was gathered.

“The mercenary group that went ahead says they discovered traces of a magical beast at the place we planned to camp.”

Traces of a magical beast.

At that moment, Benrik’s eyes gleamed.

Their destination is the border city Bromwood.

It is a place over a month’s journey from Benrik’s hometown, Logon Village, which is almost isolated. Because of that, Benrik had decided to cover travel expenses by helping with the group’s chores.

To save even a little of the dried rations that would run out if he endured about five days in the wild. Because there is no guarantee that an unexpected situation won’t occur at any time.

It was just a bit regrettable that it only reached the level of saving what he already had···.

‘If I do this well, it might become a way to earn money.’

Judging so, Benrik asked innocently.

“A magical beast? What kind of traces were they?”

“What does it matter what kind of traces?”

A huge man who suddenly appeared glared with displeasure.

“Just do as you’re told, why are you so curious about so many things?”

A fearsome face and a greatsword at his waist. The leader of the mercenary group employed by the procession, Jenkinson.

“Didn’t they say this guy’s father is a famous magical beast hunter. He might be of help.”

Jenkinson opened his mouth sullenly.

“···Hmph, the father is a hunter, is this guy a hunter?”

“Even if I can’t hunt, I can at least judge whether it’s a dangerous one or not.”

Benrik shrugged his shoulders and retorted.

Just as a rat and a tiger are not the same, magical beasts are also each their own.

There are ones that are treated at best similarly to wild animals, while there are also ones treated as irresistible disasters.

From what he’s heard, among the nobles of that city there is even a crazy one who raises magical beasts like pets.

“So, I’m saying there’s no need to confirm that. This little one. Because that was clearly the trace of a Yellow-Striped Fang.”

At the confident words, Benrik’s head tilted.

It has only been a week since they left the village. This forest was a place within the range of father and son’s activities.

‘Yellow-Striped Fang.’

At least he has no memory of seeing an individual active in the recent 4 years. After rummaging through his memory for a while, the child asked again.

“Was it really the trace of a Yellow-Striped Fang? There are plenty of magical beasts with similar habitat traces.”

Oswald, who noticed the child’s intention, pressed his forehead. It was a nuance as if deliberately stimulating Jenkinson. Immediately the hot-blooded mercenary’s eyebrows twitched.

“···Huh, do you think I, a veteran mercenary, wouldn’t know what you know?”

Benrik prided himself on knowing everything about the magical beasts inhabiting the vicinity.

At least more certainly than the pretentious outsider in front of him.

“Then shall we make a bet?”

Light stirred in Jenkinson’s eyes.

“A bet?”

A few mercenaries whistled and responded.

“Hmph, do you have something to bet?”

They say there’s no mercenary who dislikes gambling. They bite well and greedily at the bait set by a child.

Thinking so, he brought his hand to his waist.

─Thud

What the child held out boldly was a short sword.

Seeing it, Jenkinson burst into laughter as if dumbfounded.

“Isn’t this what your dad gave you?”

He knew because he had watched the entire tearful farewell at the village entrance.

What meaning that sword holds for the child.

“It’s the most valuable thing I have.”

Benrik, who said it bluntly, looked up as if saying ‘what will you bet’.

It would be natural to be scared. But the appearance of charging without yielding a single word somehow felt more pleasant than bad.

Jenkinson, who twisted up the corners of his mouth, rummaged in his bosom.

“I hear you’re covering travel expenses by helping with chores?”

What he held out was a coin.

A gold coin heavily stained with soot.

He laughs looking at Benrik, who was entranced by the golden light he was seeing for the first time in his life.

“It’s not the most valuable thing I have, but if it goes to you it will change. How about it?”

“Good. But what if a real magical beast appears? Won’t we all be in danger?”

“Don’t worry, something like a Striped Fang is enough even by myself.”

The Yellow-Striped Fang is a magical beast on the strong side enough that even that Gerik would click his tongue. Does he have confidence in his skills as much as his appearance?

When Benrik sent a gaze as if unexpected, Jenkinson twisted the corners of his mouth triumphantly.

“It’s not avoiding because I’m scared, but because it’s troublesome. You said you know well about magical beasts?”

Because there is such a thing as just in case, he confirmed it.

The blood and corpses of magical beasts have the characteristic of attracting the same magical beasts. The stronger the dead magical beast, the stronger the tendency becomes especially.

From what he’s heard, it seems they absorb by preying on the magical energy lingering in the corpse.

It was the reason travelers choose to avoid rather than confront magical beasts. Even if you can leave the place, the blood that splattered during the fight is not easy to deal with.

“Oh my, I didn’t know that.”

“······.”

Benrik, who turned his gaze from Jenkinson whose eyebrows were twitching, asked the standing Oswald.

“May I go?”

“···Yes. We’ll gather the firewood, so just do the cleanup after the meal.”

Thus the bet was established.

***

The two who left the group moved the place to an old shrine site.

“I hear your father was a mercenary in the old days.”

Jenkinson, who had been concentrating only on walking silently, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Yes, that’s what he said. He did it for 20 years.”

“He did it for that long? Hmm, that’s a rare thing.”

“What is?”

“A mercenary retiring with his body intact.”

Is that so? Thinking about it, it seems so.

The samples aren’t that many, but Demian also had a miserable appearance, and even Jenkinson in front of him and his companions are still active but full of wounds.

There were scars on most of the skin that the eyes reached.

“How many years have you done it, Mr. Jenkinson?”

“Me? Well, about 10 years?”

“What about the others?”

“Our guys? Well, it probably hasn’t been many years. I’ve done it the longest.”

Benrik nodded. It seemed that the longer the years, the deeper and more numerous the scars became.

Compared to that, certainly, Gerik had noticeably fewer scars. His impression already can’t be said to be good, and if he had many scars on top of that, he probably couldn’t have married.

“From what I’ve heard, in the city there are even things like potions that heal wounds without leaving scars.”

“Ha! If there was money to buy and drink potions, I wouldn’t have done mercenary work in the first place.”

It seems the money received as commission rewards is expensive enough that one can’t even think of it.

‘In short, mercenary is a job where it’s hard to retire with one’s body intact, and it’s dangerous and even low-paying.’

While Benrik was drawing thick lines over the word mercenary written on his mental preliminary job list, they arrived at the destination.

“Look carefully.”

Even before Jenkinson’s words with arms crossed fell, Benrik was already analyzing the magical beast traces one by one.

It was not a judgment made with the head, but a habit engraved in the senses.

‘It’s not one.’

He distinguishes the faint fishy smell piercing the nose, and with blue eyes takes in the traces carved on the stone wall. His extraordinary head accurately pointed out the differences from the memories dug out from the collapsed structure.

‘This is something I didn’t see when I came last time.’

A small but firmly callused hand traced the traces on the brick. Beneath the large traces, countless marks were felt. Depth and size were all different. Similar marks were overwritten several times on old traces.

It was a trace so fine that one wouldn’t notice unless concentrating, but Benrik noticed it by sweeping it once.

In the dented pit in front of it, yellow and black fur, the characteristic of the Yellow-Striped Fang, was mixed here and there.

“······.”

Benrik, who had been blankly looking at it, asked.

“Didn’t you say you stayed here when you stopped by the village too?”

“Yes. There was none then.”

It might not be that there was none, but that they didn’t see it, but he didn’t bother to open his mouth.

Instead, sensing the chill touching the nape of his neck, he grabbed Jenkinson’s hand and pulled.

“Let’s go back first.”

Saying so, he took something out of his pocket with the other hand and scattered it on the path. Jenkinson, who had been leisurely following behind the child, grinned.

“Why, are you scared now?”

Acting cheeky despite being small, and now finally a bit childlike. It was when Jenkinson was thinking that.

“It was the hideout of the Yellow-Striped Fang.”

“What did I say?”

“But not now.”

From now on, just quietly do as you’re told with that short sword of yours. Don’t cheekily imitate adults. ···No, wait a minute.

“What?”

He, who had been thinking of giving advice adult-like, asked back.

“I said not now, because it was eaten by a new owner.”