Chapter 31: Arrival of the Savage Rabbit (2)

I bend my head down and am somehow able to avoid it .

“Fuu, that was close .

“Are you alright? There are only animal trails in this area . We’ll slow down . ”

Lanfa seems to understand my condition and slows down her horse to wait .

“It’s hard, right? As expected when there are so many tree this densely packed it becomes difficult . ”

“Really? However, your handling of the magic beast is good . ”

Lanfa looks at popobumu .

“It’s because I’m ridden him plenty . ”

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“I see . It will be the ‘hill of the horned rabbit’ soon . After that is the eastern border to 【 Terramay Kingdom 】”

“The horned rabbit hill, are we already outside of elven territory?”

“Yes . ”

As Lanfa continues her silly talk I begin to focus more on the reins in my hand as the hill begins to slope steeply downward .

After about three hours pass .

As the sun looks dazzling shining in the grove of tree, the forest- suddenly opens up .

The giants tree feels like the gate of the Elven forest; I’ll be stepping outside the territory of the Elves .

I can see the horizon through the tree line, and a small hill right in front of me .

This seems to be the place called “horned rabbit hill . ”

Since it mentions horned rabbit so that mean a monster called horned rabbit appear?

“We are here . ”

“Lanfa-san, thank you for guiding me . ”

“Ah, un . ”

It looks like the first tie Lanfa was thanked by a human .

She is blushing red and judging by her short reply she seems to be having trouble coming up with an answer .

But, ma, she shakes her head and returns to her serious expression and says “Leave, Human . ” before quickly turning back to the forest .

“Are all Elves like this?”

A reply with the amiability from the Elf woman .

I get such a cold feeling .

There’s something I would still like to but, but ma, there is nothing to be done about it .

Pulling myself together, I look at the hill in front of me .

The view from here is good too .

I wouldn’t say I’m on a mountain top, I’ll aim for the hilltop .

I direct the popobumu to the top .

When I arrive on the hilltop, a panorama spreads out in front of me .

Gently rolling hills extend out .

I can see traces of a decaying fort .

The horizon continues to a forest of broadleaf trees .

The rippling grass and flowers sway back and forth in the wind like a living creature .

There is even a signpost directing from hill to hill .

When I look up at the sky sunlight leaks through the clouds . Beautiful flowers and green grass color the ground .

-It is magical .

I haven’t been there, but it looks like New Zealand .

Splendid scenery spreads out .

The natural sounds of the wind weaves through the air . The sound of the wind is beautiful poetry . (TL: 天籟てんらい)

All of the sounds and smells made by nature are shown on this abundant land .

The image couldn’t be capture in an image or photograph .

My body aches as the landscape sinks into my heart .

With that timing, I pull the reins and begins to go downhill .

I open the map on the back of the popobumu’s head while advancing slowly .

E〜to, I’m now to the east of Terramay kingdom . (TL: I’m confused, I thought she said they were in the eastern section of the Elven Kingdom, but somehow he’s now in the east of Terramay Kingdom?) If it is like this, then when I go east…I guess Terramay Kingdom is closest to here?

From here, I should see the Haym river if I go straight .

While I am looking at the map .

“Nya?”

Rollo makes a sound and poking her nose out from between my thighs she begins to look at the map .

Rollo stretches out one of her paws and presses her pads to a name on the map .

That is the place we should go now? I thought for a moment, but…

This time she begins to place both of her forefeet down at the same time .

Rollo plops her whole body down on top of the map .

“Nyaa”

She cries out in a small voice before calmly curling up on the map . She has occupied the map .

She is in the way, but it is kind of cute .

“O〜i, Rollo-kun . I can’t see the map?”

She slaps the map with her tail in response .

She is being cute, but there is no helping it .

“Does quality of the map paper feel good to touch? Ma, I want you to mind it . It seems like a really nice bed, but what happens when I put this map away?”

When I pull the map, Rollo moves her body, goes “N, Nya” and jumps onto my shoulder .

I put the map back in the saddle bag .

While smiling at the black cat Rollo who has returned to my shoulder, I move the reins and hasten the popobumu to hurry up . We come down from the gentle hill .

It may be called a hill, but grasses are growing here and there, and there are scattered trees growing here and there .

◇◇◇◇

After traveling for several hours, the sun sets and night falls .

Just at that time I discover a hollow under a rock shaped like a fist striking at the sky .

The ragged stone pillar standing in the middle throws a long shadow in the moonlight .

I will make camp here .

The popobumu also lowers its head and comes inside before folding up and settling down on the rocky floor .

“Is it okay?”

Hearing what I say it replies;

“Bubo”

It breathes out from its nostrils as a response .

While stroking the back of such a popobumu I takes down the back of the saddle, and remove the dried venison from the bags and feed the popobumu .

Rollo suddenly comes around the head of the popobumu, and raising her neck 『What do you do? 』turns her red eyes to the popobumu She seems interested in staring at the dust and hair on the popobumu as it eats its meat .

I am hungry too so I eat some jerk and hard bread .

There’s no wood for a fire so the only thing I can do for now is fill up with this . I tear off some of the jerky and hard bread before giving it to Rollo . After eating I take out a blanket from the back of the saddle and immediately sleep .

I remember the ancient golden coin Shisho gave me .

If I arrive at some town could I exchange it for some normal coins…They should be valuable .

◇◇◇◇

The next day, I am awoken by sounds of thunder . Thunder roars in the distance before the *biri* sound of lightning is mixed in too . (TL: I know thunder is the sound lightning makes, I considered changing it, but this is what the author wrote . ) Dull reddish night illuminates the dark night .

Then a spirit child appears from the edge of the rocky hollow with the lightning .

…Dangling from the ceiling .

“Dee…boon…chii…”

I see one for the first time in a while . The spirit child, debonchitchi .

But, compared to the ones I saw before, this one’s face is a little different . Its singing voice is quiet too .

Matching the roaring thunder and lightning, one, two, they keep appearing until there are five of them .

They are only a few of them . When I saw them before although they didn’t overflow .

Ma, maybe this is normal? This location isn’t as abundant with nature as the one in the vast forest . There also might be monsters here .

To such spirit children, Rollo looks like she wants to play .

But, the spirit children slip around her smoothly, and float up to the ceiling to taunt her .

“Rollo, they’re just spirits? It’s useless . They seem to be good luck so top pawing at them . ”

“Nyaa . ”

Rollo’s ears lay down a little . She looks back at me with an 『Understand, nya 』face, and returns to the back of the popobumu’s head .

While chewing jerky I look outside .

The morning sun hasn’t risen yet . The rain has decreased a little . Little by little, does it look the rain is letting up?

Good . The rain seems to stop .

The rain water flows into ditch…

There are some puddles at the bottom .

A face appears from the rock of the hollow and I wait for the rain to stop for a while…I understand when the morning sun climbs from the other side of the hill .

Then, the time is just right . The rain stops and the weather begins clearing up .

“Ooh…”

Suddenly my natural voice leaks out .

A rainbow appears over the hill .

A rainbow makes a bridge straddling two hills, I feel like crossing it .

It is a beautiful rainbow…

A few of the spirit children celebrate the appearance of the rain by dancing at the edge of the rock .

After being released from the gloomy shadow of the rain I feel better .

I depart while staring at the rainbow .

As I advance the undulations of the hills become smaller . But, it seemed to take a few days before I arrived at the river .

As I advance quietly, I hear a high-pitched voice .

The voice is coming from up in the sky?

While looking up at the dazzling sunlight I shield my eyes with my palm .

Several hundred birds are flying .

Hoaa, that is a lot . Nn? Don’t those look like cranes? Are they heading for the mountain range?

N? There is a bird similar to a hawk too .

“Na!? It’s huge!”

The great bird spreads its wings a little more than three meters across .

It resembles a goshawk and a golden eagle . Is it a raptor?

N? It seems to be extending the sharp talons on its feet .

-Uo, it is making a nose dive for me!

Hurrying, I take the spear out from the back of the saddle and have popobumu run .

The legs of the Steller’s eagle are descending on me and flapping its wings, its eight sharply hooked talons set on the ground .

The flank of the Steller’s eagle is abnormally swollen .

I thought it was an eagle, but is it different?

The wings resemble an eagle but its bear is incredibly sharp and abnormally big from the body to the neck .

As for its color a portion of its chest in unusually red . On that part only blood vessels and muscles are swelling .

There’s a lump of flesh to the left and right, and there’s a lot of small red muscles intertwined grossly stuck the it .

Such a fake Steller’s eagle rises again . It is circling in the sky .

Somehow or other, after making a circuit, it again comes boring down .

Rollo’s black hair is ruffled as she looks up at the sky following the movements of the Steller’s eagle, and hisses “Shaaaa” in a threatening voice .

Then, the fake Steller’s eagle swoops down not with its talons but with its beak in a nose dive .

I will meet its attack .

While riding on the popobumu I study the Steller’s eagle and prepare my black spear .

I stand up straight, and jump into the sky so we’ll meet .

I swing up with the black spear from below and flash in a vertical line-

After having its wing cut the false Steller’s eagle loses its balance and crashes head first into the ground .

Because I jumped from the popobumu my aim was a little off but I managed to cut off one of its wings in two .

I land on the ground while feeling good about my ability .

Good, I am approaching the goshawk I cut .

Blood gushes out from where the false goshawk was cut, and the body is twitching in convulsions .

Let’s dismantle this fellow . I take out a knife and thrust out .

-Dead .

A, I thought the lump of flesh on the false Steller’s eagle was a lump of flesh but it is different .

Let alone a lump of flesh, it is actually a big aggregate of red and pink eyeballs .

This is disgusting, does it become nourishment…

When I remove it I must keep it . Will it be good if I cook it? (TL: Why does that idea even come to mind . That sounds like a TERRIBLE idea . )

I suck some of the blood before draining its blood and dismantle the meat . (TL: Maybe he meant eating the rest of the bird . )

I tie up both talons with strings and soak them in ice with <life magic> before storing them in a bag . I pile up ice in the bag just to be safe .

Dinner tonight is Goetz . (TL: I don’t know . )

I can still see some false Steller’s eagles in the sky but they don’t come to attack me .

There’s a magical essence sign here-

It is quite small but there are multiple reactions in the area .

When I look the reason for the magic essence sign is a herd of rabbits .

The false Steller’s eagles seem to be aiming at them .

Rabbits… I remember the old black rabbits I used to eat when I lived underground . Several such horned rabbit notice me and attack one after another .

Are the rabbits in this world actually really cruel?

Its body length is bigger than a normal rabbit .

While having such a though I immediately react-

I thrust at a rabbit with the black tanza spear .

The rabbit lowers its head with its horn facing forward, but the black spear point skewers its body through the head . Shaking the rabbit stuck on my spear away, the rabbit is flung into the distance . Having shaken it off I rotate the black spear once- I use the butt end of the spear to deal with the nearby rabbit .

After connecting with its body rabbit immediately collapses to the ground .

Swinging the spear around to attack, all the rabbits around me stop moving .

Taking the chance, I use <Magic Though Guidance Hand>

I hold the Kukri sword in the air with <distorted mana hand> in order to protect popobumu .

After having fallen Rollo is sitting on the popobumu’s shoulder opposite from all the rabbits .

I enter the fight with the horned rabbits in earnest .

More than ten horned rabbits are in the area .

Saa, I will annihilate them .

I make the black spear revolve like a folding fan .

Once I cut down he rabbits surrounding me I drive them away . I spear the rabbits with the black spear multiple times as I continue advancing without rest .

Seeming to become excited halfway through the black cat jumps down from my shoulder to enjoy the hunting, I let some of the rabbits go on purpose and she runs after them and bites down on their necks to kill them . Like this I continue fighting the black rabbits until one last horned rabbit remains .

I’ll kill this fellow with a skill . -<Thrust>!

The black blade spirals toward the head of the charging horned rabbit . When the horn and black blade meet the back bone of the horned rabbit breaks at the skull and holds back . Meat and bones are all crushed .

The rabbit becomes minced meat strewn over the area .

I check the surroundings . There don’t seem to be anymore rabbit presences .

A weasel-like figure shows up in the distance but it does not approach after seeing fight between the rabbits and me and runs off . Do even rabbits have territorial disputes?

From that horned rabbit . Because they look nice could I sell them?

For now, I’ll harvest a little?

I choose a clean horn from one of the rabbit corpses rolling around and borrow it . When I tap the horn it makes a metallic *konkon* sound .

I also don’t forget to take the opportunity to suck some blood .

The soul can’t be absorbed once it dies, so the bodies are left behind . Rollo is also tasting the rabbits’ blood to get a taste of their meat .

Should I also keep this meat?

I begin dismantling the rabbit meat . I cut the meat into pieces and tie it together with a leather cord .

The gathered rabbit meat could be frozen like the hawk eat . I finish harvesting put everything away in the saddle bag and after stroking the popobumu’s head I climb into the saddle .

I begin to advance along the hill .

Oh, a grassy plain…

After I climb the hill I am able to check the surroundings and confirm that the scene to the left was different .

The hills full of undulating hills changes into a plain full of green, the change is too sudden .

Should I see the Haym river soon?

I see a herd that looks like wild horse in the distance .

I watch the wild horses moving around while I climb onto the popobumu and advance forwards .

Over the next day and a half, the scenery changes as I gradually advance .

I can see a big river, the Haym river .

Is it the Haym river? I check on the map .

Many branches gather from the Maheim mountain range and from one big river, the Haym river .

The Haym River is big great rive to the south of Maheim and when it is mixed with a tributary is stretches all the way across the Maheim continent .

The Haym river really leads to the sea .

Seen from where I am, if I follow the Haym river south I will appear in a delta of three countries .

I urged the popobumu forward while constantly consulting the map .

The delta is to the south, the north east is 【 Terramay Kingdom 】 and to the south east is 【 Samaria Kingdom 】 . Haym river leads to the Roderia sea beyond the continent .

The Haym river also leads west of the delta toward the Elven domain and 【Osberia Kingdom】 as well as 【 Fort Town Hector 】 and to the southwest is 【 Labyrinth City Pernette 】 . If I go south down the Haym river, I’ll come to 【Royal Capital Gurmuheim 】of 【 Osberia Kingdom 】and eventually Haym sea…

Where I am, is about here…I tap on an area of the map . My finger is pointing to the east of the Elven domain .

If I follow the river south, I’ll come to the Royal Capitol 【Fadyke】 of Terramay Kingdom .

Looking at the map, I advance alongside the river .