This time, I headed east from Roxanne toward the forest’s edge, but I had felt someone watching me ever since I joined the line at the city gate.
There was no killing intent, but the gaze was unpleasant and clinging, as though it were crawling over my entire body.
Even after I left the highway and crossed the grasslands toward the forest boundary, the disgusting stare didn’t disappear.
Whoever it was stayed outside the range of Detection, but since they seemed so interested in me, I decided to greet them.
I chose a patch without undergrowth and formed a cylindrical barrier about a meter across—my newly renamed [Shelter!]—then waited.
It was colorless and transparent, and I had taken care not to stir up any dust, so I doubted anyone would notice it.
I continued staring toward the source of the gaze. Whoever was watching realized I was waiting for them and finally stepped into view.
The approaching men were familiar: the big-game hunters I had seen before.
“Do you need something?” I asked.
“Breeze, Olga said you were fairly capable, but it still takes nerve to walk the plains alone.”
“Your Detection seems decent too,” another man added.
“If you went into the forest with Strongarm, why not work with us as well?”
“You can handle the birds and small prey while we take the big game. Hunting would be easier for everyone.”
“Sorry,” I said flatly.
“I don’t work with people whose names I don’t even know, especially people who have been staring at me like creeps since the city gate.”
“You’re just a lone mage—what’ll you do if something happens?”
“If you want to know who we’re, we’re Roxanne’s Blood Spear, a party with some reputation around here.”
“We split the earnings evenly, even with newcomers. You’d lose nothing joining us.”
“If you could manage with Olga’s muscleheads, you should be able to hunt alongside us.”
“Interesting,” I said.
“Then show me your killing intent. If you’re anywhere near Strongarm’s level, I’ll consider joining you for one trial hunt.”
“Hey, Breeze! Don’t get arrogant just because we were speaking politely.”
“This isn’t the guild hall, and Olga isn’t here to protect you.”
“We tried being gentle because you have a pretty face, but you’re asking for trouble.”
“Looks like you’ve got cat or elf blood in you—yet you’re wasting it on wind magic? Pathetic.”
“Oh? I thought you came to recruit me, but it seems you just came to pick a fight.”
“If you won’t join us, we’ll settle what happened at the guild right here.”
“Your grudge is against Strongarm. I only happened to be standing there when you interrupted us.”
“No. Strongarm only interfered because you defied us, so you come first.”
“And Olga isn’t here now.”
“Maybe I’ll make you my little plaything instead.”
So that man had been responsible for the revolting stare.
I had no interest in his idea of entertainment, and they plainly intended to take revenge for the humiliation Olga had dealt them.
“Sorry,” I said coldly.
“I won’t be your outlet for frustration, and I have no intention of playing with a creep. Leave before this gets uglier.”
“‘Disappear,’ he says! Thinks he can take us, does he?”
“At this distance, you won’t even have time to stir up a breeze. Come here, pretty boy—what the hell?”
One of them lunged for my collar and slammed into the invisible wall of [Shelter!]. He froze in astonishment.
A single Shield could be vulnerable against multiple attackers, but [Shelter!] protected me from every direction.
“So we’re going straight to violence? Fine by me.”
“What the hell’s that attitude? Smash him!”
“Wait, what’s this weird thing here?”
“You little—huh? What’s this—?!”
Before they could react, I wrapped all six in a broad [Whirlwind!], gathered them together, and tipped the vortex onto its side.
They tumbled through it like the contents of a concrete mixer.
I kept the rotation slow enough to avoid spraying blood everywhere, but they repeatedly fell into and collided with one another as they spun.
“We’re sorry! Stop!” “I’m going to vomit!” “Please, have mercy!” “Stop, or we’ll report you to the guild!”
“So you pick a fight when things don’t go your way, then threaten to report your victim once you lose. What a charming way of thinking.”
I threw a rock the size of a human head into the rotating vortex.
“Stop! Are you trying to kill us?!” “Gyaaaah!” “We’re sorry!” “Murderer!” “Please stop!”
Their cries weakened as the rock struck bodies and their groans blended with the dull impacts.
If I stopped halfway, they might report me, and I could end up sentenced to criminal slavery for assault.
Some of them might even be noble sons like the count’s sixth son. Better to silence them properly.
As their apologies and screams faded, six limp bodies continued revolving like dolls.
It wasn’t a pleasant sight, so I transformed the [Whirlwind!] into a [Tornado!] and flung them far away.
Detection found no one nearby, so I didn’t think I had been seen. Even so, the encounter left me disgusted, and I returned to the city for a drink to clear my head.
The next day, I changed direction slightly and walked along the forest’s edge in search of birds.
I caught five Runner Birds and three Chikki-Chikki Birds, but my worn boots had become uncomfortable, so I decided to return to the city.
On the way back, Detection picked up something suspicious.
After changing course and approaching carefully, I found a group fighting goblins while completely neglecting its surroundings.
Watching someone die right in front of me would ruin my mood, so I decided to lend a little help.
There were too many enemies for a simple intervention, so I decided to use Shotgun.
First, I wrapped the six goblins fighting closest to me in [Whirlwind!] and spun them away, then ran toward the adventurers.
“A pack of Horn Dogs is coming! Gather in one place!”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Did you say Horn Dogs?!”
“Haven’t you heard their barking yet? Hurry and form up for defense!”
They froze even as the barking drew nearer, so I abandoned the idea of organizing them and prepared Shotgun with [Ring: Vertical Rotation!].
I took out a pouch filled with fist-sized stones and aimed toward the approaching Horn Dog pack.
The first animals burst from the grass, and I left them to the adventurers while targeting the group behind. I turned the pouch upside down and poured smaller stones into the vertically rotating ring, which launched them like shotgun pellets.
As I swept the rotating ring from side to side, shrubs snapped and grass was mown down in its path.
A chorus of yelps followed, and the excited barking abruptly stopped. The cries of the leading animals frightened the rest into halting. Although they were farther away, I fired a second Shotgun burst, and the survivors fled, whining and yelping.
A few wounded Horn Dogs staggered away while others lay on the ground coughing blood, not yet dead. When I turned around, six adventurers were furiously beating two Horn Dogs and hadn’t even noticed that the animals were already dead.
Approaching a panicked group was dangerous, so I wrapped the men in a gentle [Whirlwind!] to cool their heads. I withdrew the mana immediately, but seven or eight revolutions were enough to leave them swaying.
When I called, “Calm down,” they finally noticed that the Horn Dogs in front of them were already corpses.
They were an eight-man party who looked no higher than Iron or Bronze First Class.
“Who are you?” one asked.
“Just a passerby,” I replied.
“You became so absorbed in the goblin fight that you forgot to watch your surroundings.”
“Ah, you saved us. Thanks.”
“Looked like a huge pack for a second there…”
“Don’t act so high and mighty over a few Horn Dogs.”
“Getz, watch your mouth! Look behind him!”
The man who thanked me scolded the rude one, and the others, staring past me, suddenly looked shocked.
“Weren’t you with Strongarm the other day?”
“Yes, I went into the forest with Olga’s group. Have we met?”
“You gave us those goblins back then. Even those goblins were staggering like this.”
Ah, so it’s that party from before. I barely remembered their faces at the time.
If they’re saying the goblins had been wobbling, they must’ve realized the ones at their feet met the same fate—from my magic.
“We heard that the wind mage known as the Breeze had gone into the forest with Olga and Strongarm,” one of them said.
Wonderful. So people were calling me “the Breeze” now? That pompous fool must have spread the nickname. The next time I saw him, I would spin him until he coughed blood.
“The Horn Dogs here and the ones lying farther ahead are all yours.”
“That’s generous, but we don’t own a Magic Pouch, and several of us are injured…”
Their makeshift bandages were soaked through, the cloth around one man’s leg blackened with blood, and two others had wounded arms.
No Magic Pouch and several wounded men—of course they would have to abandon the carcasses.
“Do you have any potions?”
I asked.
“We’re a low-rank, broke lot. What do you think?”
“Ignore Getz—he’s got a foul mouth, but he cares about us.”
“It’s fine,”
I said.
“I’m returning to the city anyway. I’ll carry the carcasses for you, and you can sell them to buy potions. Make sure you remove the goblins’ magic stones first.”
I finished off the surviving Horn Dogs and placed them in my Magic Pouch, noting how effective Shotgun had been.
Even fist-sized stones launched at that speed had crushed skulls and caved in bodies. The damage demonstrated Shotgun’s power clearly enough.
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