The Goddess Granted Me the [Hatching] Skill and Somehow I Became the Strongest Tamer, Commanding Mythical and Divine Beasts - 15

Two weeks had passed since I arrived in the royal capital.

During that time, I had been leaving through the north gate every day, hunting monsters across the plains—goblins, kobolds, and orcs, all falling to my blade.

Thanks to this, my fighting skills had improved gradually, and now I could slay monsters as easily as breathing.

With this confidence, I thought I could handle a troll without any issues…

“Still no sign of a troll anywhere.”

Whether it was bad scouting spots or just bad luck, I hadn’t encountered a troll at all.

“Here’s today’s reward.”

I collected my reward at the adventurer’s guild. Despite it being low-rank monster subjugation, the number was substantial enough for a decent reward.

Back in my hometown, someone might have eyed me suspiciously, maybe even Zeke would have tried to extort me, but adventurers in the capital seemed less inclined to such petty behavior.

To continue as an adventurer here, one needed considerable strength. It was probably faster to take on jobs myself than deal with such trivial actions.

Thanks to this, I could concentrate on obtaining qualifications without any worries…

“Maybe I should change my hunting grounds a bit?”

If I couldn’t encounter a troll after two weeks of hunting, maybe there weren’t as many as I thought?

“I think I’ll switch my focus to other C-rank monsters.”

Though I had decided to hunt trolls based on my combat experience, I felt I had grown considerably stronger through daily adventures, so I decided to avoid wasting time fixating on trolls.

“Excuse me, I’m taking the national adventurer qualification exam.”

“Yes.”

“What are the other C-rank monsters I can subjugate around here besides trolls?”

“Well… How about Direwolves in the forest just outside the north gate, Poison Toads in the swamp a bit past the west gate, or Golems in the mine several days’ journey from the east gate?”

The receptionist covered her mouth with her hand and listed the places and monster names.

“I see. For now, the mine is too far, and poison is a bit scary, so Direwolves seem safe, right?”

“Yes, Klaus-san has been adventuring solo until now, so it’s probably the best considering possible emergencies.”

Ideally, it would be better to form a party, but once you formed one, you had to accommodate everyone’s schedules.

For me, who wanted to prioritize the qualifications needed for the qualification, and for adventurers who wanted to prioritize daily earnings, our opinions were unlikely to align.

Plus, there was the ability I received from the goddess Muse.

I hadn’t paid much attention to it until now, but probably thanks to the given power, I was becoming easier to grow.

It was just my perception, but what would take an ordinary adventurer a year, I was clearing in three months… and in some cases, even within a month.

If I formed a party in such a situation, I would naturally be suspected, and I couldn’t easily use my skills.

That’s why I was acting alone like this.

“For now, I’ve been close to the forest outside the north gate several times, so I’ll go check it out. By the way, are there any good requests?”

“Well… There are two, but one of them, the Cockatrice subjugation request in the forest, seems quite challenging for you right now.”

“Cockatrice, the bird-like monster with a snake tail, right?”

I recalled it was a dangerous opponent with a special attack that could petrify those it touched, so it was risky to fight without proper precautions.

“Yes, in a way, it’s more troublesome than Poison Toads and can be fatal.”

For a moment, I considered giving up on entering the forest, but if I did, I would have to go to the mine, which would take at least a week.

Since Cockatrices weren’t fast on their feet, if I encountered one, I could escape at full speed.

“What’s the other one?”

I confirmed the other request with the receptionist.

“The other one is a delivery request for Direwolf fur.”

Apparently, a certain wealthy person wanted to make a coat out of Direwolf fur and was collecting materials.

This aligned with what I wanted to do.

When I accepted the direwolf fur collection request, I headed into the forest.

Several days passed since I entered the woods.

During this time, I lived within the forest without returning to the capital.

Unlike the plains, progress slows down in the forest. Though I’m used to entering for herb gathering, this forest is different from my homeland’s, with a wider range of trees and various creatures inhabiting it.

Monsters like direwolves reside deep in the forest, especially as their rank increases, requiring a significant delve to hunt them.

So, I’ve been exploring the forest for several days now…

“Finally found you.”

I hear movement in the thickets. It’s a monster resembling a large dog with silver fur, enlarged.

The direwolf seems distracted, feeding on something. There lies the corpse of a horned rabbit on the ground.

Perfect timing if it’s distracted. Silencing my presence completely, I approach the direwolf from behind.

“…Grr?”

It senses keenly; as I draw near, the direwolf raises its head. Its mouth is smeared with horned rabbit flesh, and its nose is wet with blood.

“Damn!”

Can’t proceed like this. I decide quickly. If I can catch it off guard even a little, it’ll be a gain. I leap out of the bushes and attack the direwolf.

“Grrrr!”

The direwolf immediately takes a fighting stance, ceasing its meal and charging at me.

—Crash!—

“Ugh! Heavy…!”

A beast clearly heavier than me charges. I manage to shift its charge slightly and fend off its attack.

“As expected of a C-rank monster. Quite a step up from before.”

I felt orc attacks were lukewarm, but just one rank up makes it this strong…

“Grrrrrr!”

But I wouldn’t challenge a strong opponent without preparation.

I take out a leather pouch again, scatter its contents as the direwolf charges again.

“Gaah!?!”

I narrow my eyes, holding my breath, watching the direwolf’s movements.

What I scattered now is powdered spices like chili sold in the market.

Since direwolves have a keen sense of smell, inhaling this would cause considerable discomfort.

I learned this from a Tamer Guild staff member, so I plan to treat her to a drink later.

The direwolf writhes on the ground in agony. Normally, even I would struggle against a C-rank equivalent, but exposing such a vulnerability makes strength irrelevant.

“Here goes!”

I swing my sword and reap the direwolf’s life.