14 First Job and Magic
"This spot looks good."
In a forest slightly away from the village that gave us the request, Lucia stopped in a clearing that suddenly appeared amidst the dense trees.
Lucia, carrying a greatsword, clad in a black bodysuit with gauntlets, greaves, and a white cloak, exuded the air of a top-tier mage.
Her lascivious demeanor from earlier seemed like a lie.
"Are we supposed to wait here for it to appear?"
"Yes, I think it will attack as soon as it senses our presence."
I gripped my sword's handle tightly; I was getting nervous for my first job.
"By the way, what kind of creature is this 'Varnus Foon' we're to subjugate?"
I had lived for thirty-six years, including my past life, but I had never heard of this creature. Since it was called a C-rank quest, it must be quite formidable.
"It's a creature with high nutritional value like walnuts and tastes like chicken. Originally, they were livestock raised for meat, but now they've gone wild, leading to this subjugation request. It seems there are about ten of them around here."
"I see, sounds delicious."
Walnut Varnus, Chicken Foon, huh? That piqued my interest a bit.
To confess, I adore chicken; I definitely want to try eating this. Do we get to keep what we subjugate?
"Yes, but be careful. They have hard bodies like walnuts and sharp beaks like chickens. They've become wild and aggressive."
"That sounds troublesome, but they're still chickens, right?"
In the end, they shouldn't be much larger than something you can hold with both hands; this subjugation seems a bit exaggerated.
"Yes, they're chickens, but they grow to nearly three meters in length."
"Eh?"
"Hmm... here it comes."
Lucia sniffed, turning her gaze into the forest; she must have caught their scent.
From the direction she was looking, the bushes rustled, and a large shadow emerged.
I was taken aback when a chicken's face peeked out; it was the first time I had looked up at a chicken.
The eyes of the giant chicken, which appeared from the bushes, glared at us.
It shook its bright red comb, its yellow beak gleaming, covered not in feathers but with a hard shell reminiscent of a walnut.
Its legs, as thick as my body, looked powerful, each of its five toes ending in sharp claws.
Compared to this, the wolves or bears I saw near my hometown village seemed cute.
My heart raced at the sight of my first real monster, making me realize once more that I was living in another world.
"Lucia, don't interfere."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Lucia trained me since I was young, after all."
I need to clear this "tutorial" on my own.
Shh...
I drew my new sword, a real blade different from the bamboo swords or wooden practice swords I used in my past life.
Thinking about battling monsters with this real sword made my grip tighten with excitement...
I readied my sword towards the chicken, which was looking at me with piercing eyes.
I placed my right foot forward and my left foot back, holding the sword firmly with both hands, the tip aimed at the creature's forehead. Basics are important; you must keep your stance solid.
My hands were sweating from the thrill of my first monster hunt, and I was starting to enjoy it.
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It had been a while since I last saw Maul's stance, an unusual one with both toes pointing forward and heels slightly raised.
Since coming to the capital, I've seen various sword styles, but Maul's stance was unlike any of them, as if it were from another country... another world.
Thud!
Varnus Foon thrust its beak down at Maul. With its three-meter-long body, the beak could easily shatter the ground, but for some reason, I wasn't worried.
Its hard, sharp beak came at a terrifying speed, something a novice mage couldn't block or even dodge, but Maul evaded it all effortlessly, with movements so clean they were mesmerizing... magnificent...
He had a cute smile on his face; he seemed to still have plenty of room to spare.
Slash!
The moment the chicken's beak futilely gouged the earth, Maul swung his sword, severing the beak. Then, using the return swing, he cut off the now-exposed neck. It was an impressive strike, truly captivating.
The headless body of the chicken collapsed, raising a cloud of dust.
Maul had subjugated it in no time with no wasted movement. As expected, Maul is strong... just like in the past.
I've never felt like I won against Maul in sword training because his every move was meant to train me.
Training ended when Maul would lie down exhausted on the ground, but I never managed to wear him out or deliver a decisive blow.
Because Maul was always so much stronger than me...
Maul... you're still so cool... I'm falling for you all over again...
"Hah..."
Maul took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and his scent drifted over... it smelled good...
I want that handkerchief...
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"Hah..."
I managed to take down one. It was easier than I thought to swing a sword and cut a living creature, though it didn't feel great.
Since I've decided to live in this world, I need to get used to it; I need to earn money too.
I didn't move much, but perhaps due to the tension, I was sweating profusely, my handkerchief now soaked.
Lucia watched me with sharp eyes as I dealt with the chicken. Even her scent fetish seemed to turn serious during work.
"Hey, Lucia..."
Lucia looked at me with melting eyes; she must have sniffed my sweat.
The gesture of her biting her little finger with desire was incredibly erotic.
Rustle...
"Growl!"
Three chickens emerged from the bushes behind Lucia, all attacking her with sharp beaks simultaneously.
"Ah! Luci..."
I tried to rush over but knew I wouldn't make it in time... but in that instant, Lucia spun her body at incredible speed, drawing her sword.
The chickens turned into huge ice blocks in the blink of an eye, the surrounding air growing cold, almost painfully so.
"What's wrong? Maul."
Lucia looked at me as if nothing had happened.
"Oh, nothing... just..."
"Why the formal speech?"
Indeed, Lucia is very strong; the moniker "Green-Haired Ice Blade" isn't just for show.
She was charmed by my scent but switched to a swordsman's face when she sensed the chickens' killing intent. She perfectly toggles between on and off.
Wow, my Lucia is so cool... I'm falling for her all over again.
However, the power of her magic was incredible; the three chickens were perfectly dead within the ice.
Magic... maybe I should try it too, but I'm hesitant to use it next to Lucia.
"Growl!"
With a loud cry, six more chickens appeared, not immediately attacking but observing us, perhaps cautious after seeing their comrades defeated. Their eyes were bloodshot, glaring at me.
"There are quite a few of them. Maul, why don't you try using magic?"
Lucia, who had somehow come to my side, looked at me with expectant eyes.
"Well, that's a bit..."
"We're going to form a party, so I need to see it to know how to react in emergencies... right?"
Lucia whispered in my ear, her breath making me shiver... her hair carried a sweet fragrance.
"...Alright."
I gave in; there's no way I could refuse when Lucia asks like that.
"Thank you."
"Then, stay away from me, it's dangerous."
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I moved away from Maul; I was finally going to see Maul's "magic" that he's never shown me before... I'm excited.
Sorry for being a bit selfish...
Maul, after making sure I was at a safe distance, raised his left hand high.
"Eh?"
The smell around us changed; the air felt moist.
Suddenly, shadows spread around us... looking up, the sky that was clear just moments ago was now covered with thick clouds hiding the sun.
The chickens seemed scared by the sudden black cloud above them, trembling with instinctual fear.
Rumble, rumble...
A low, echoing sound, light visible within the clouds... purple light...
Maul's left hand was also glowing purple, making my skin tingle.
Maul aimed his left hand at the monsters, looking like he was aiming with an open palm.
"...Lightning Blitz..."
Boom!
The moment Maul clenched his fist, a blinding light accompanied by a thunderous roar spread out, the air vibrating.
When I slowly opened my eyes, dazzled by the flash, the monsters were charred black, but the surrounding grass was untouched. It seemed like the lightning had struck only the monsters.
"Amazing..."
Magic indeed manipulates nature, but what Maul controlled was "the weather itself." I've never heard of such a thing.
Maul... you're so cool... my heart just skipped a beat.
Maul turned to look at me, his face turning pale.
"Lucia?!"
Maul ran over to me, looking frantic.
"I-I'm fine, I'm not hurt..."
"Ah... Lucia's hair..."
"Eh?"
Maul, looking like he might cry, pulled out a mirror from his pocket and held it up to me. My hair in the mirror was standing on end.
"Ah, Lucia's hair, ah... what do I do..."
Maul took out a comb from his pocket and started to gently comb my hair from behind.
"Mmm... ah♡"
Just having Maul comb my hair felt so good; I wanted more...
He panicked so much just because my hair was messed up... how cute.
"Ah♡"
Oh, my heart is fluttering...
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