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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Finding Luna wasn’t difficult.
I didn’t have a “getting lost” passive skill, but I almost got lost again. Luckily, I followed a pungent, vinegary scent that led me straight to her.
She seemed to be doing well. Two War Wolf corpses lay on the ground.
I hid in the bushes and watched her fight.
Woof!
A War Wolf lunged at her. Luna, with a burst of speed from Wind Magic, moved behind it and, in one swift motion, pierced its neck with a dagger. The monster collapsed, bleeding from its mouth, dead instantly.
“Ooh~ nice.”
Was this really a rogue?
She was good.
My faith in her was restored.
Seeing its companion die, the other War Wolf charged. Luna, with another burst of speed, spun around, dodging the attack and simultaneously slashing the War Wolf’s side.
“Whoa… amazing!”
Her fighting style was elegant and efficient, the epitome of a rogue.
After she finished off the last one, I gave her a round of applause.
Clap clap clap.
Startled by the sound, she jumped and turned to face me.
“Luke…?”
“Bravo!”
My perception of rogues hadn’t changed entirely, but Luna had definitely earned my respect.
She walked towards me.
“You’re already done?”
“It didn’t take long to kill one measly wolf.”
“Then why didn’t you take on another one?”
“Trying to send your magicless master to his death?”
“…You seem stronger than me, even without magic.”
Of course he was.
He had a status window and the overpowered Inventory skill.
If she were stronger, he would have gladly let her carry him.
He had also wanted to see if he would gain experience from her kills, but he hadn’t leveled up at all. He either had to kill the monsters himself, or there was some other condition.
I’ll test it later.
He had plenty of time.
“Let’s pack up and go back.”
“Okay.”
He walked towards the War Wolf carcasses.
“What were we supposed to bring back as proof again?”
“I don’t think they told us.”
Had Adela forgotten?
He was planning to take everything anyway, but he might as well put on another dissection show.
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They returned to the guild.
“Welcome back, I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Yep.”
He gave Adela a curt reply.
“There were rumors of a stronger individual. How was it?”
“Oh, that. Here.”
Thud!
He dumped the War Wolf carcasses onto the reception desk, some tumbling to the floor.
“Ugh…! What’s that smell?!”
Oh, right. He had thrown a lot of vinegar bombs.
The smell hadn’t dissipated inside his inventory.
Luna hadn’t used the bottles much, so only the leader reeked of the pungent concoction.
“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I brought everything.”
“Just put them away!”
Adela yelled, so he put the carcasses back into his inventory.
She fanned the air and took a deep breath.
“Sigh… the rumors were true. I’m glad you’re alright, Luke.”
The Adela who had shrieked at the goblin dissection show was now unfazed by the sight and smell of monster corpses.
People adapt quickly.
Her reaction to the dissection show had been excessive anyway.
The other receptionists, however, were still making high-pitched noises.
“You didn’t tell me what to bring back, so I brought everything.”
“…Luke, I apologize for forgetting to tell you, but… did you not consider the inconvenience to others?”
“Hmm…”
He rolled his metaphorical conscience around in his mind.
It rolled smoothly, without a hitch.
“Nope.”
“…Luna, how do you even manage him?”
“I apologize for his behavior…”
“Stop talking behind my back!”
Adela was one thing, but Luna shouldn’t be doing this!
He was her master!
People said it was better to confront someone directly than talk behind their back, but he found being confronted to be much more unpleasant.
At least with gossip, he didn’t have to hear it.
Besides, this wasn’t his fault.
It was Adela’s negligence for forgetting to tell him. She should be thanking him for bringing back all the evidence.
Even he found it hurtful to be gossiped about by two beautiful women.
“So, what part of the War Wolf did you need?”
“The tail.”
“Okay, time for a dissection show.”
“…Please, I beg you, do it outside…”
“But it’s fun!”
“Luna, please…”
“Yes. Luke, come with me.”
“Aww, but it’s fun! You’re missing out!”
Like a child being dragged away from a toy store by his mother, he was pulled out of the guild by Luna.
“Tsk tsk… kids these days…”
“You’re young too…”
He squatted down near the entrance and started slicing off tails.
“I’m not the weird one. The world is weird.”
“Yes, yes. You’re right.”
He was right, but no one believed him.
“Sigh… I need a break after this.”
Like a grandma preparing vegetables, he meticulously sliced off each tail.
The leader’s tail was particularly tough.
It was smelly and annoying. He was about to just bite it off when Luna spoke.
“Luke? Your sword is… chipped.”
“Huh? It is.”
It must have happened during his sleep attack.
Well, he wasn’t a trained swordsman.
He just swung it with brute force. It was bound to happen.
That’s a shame.
It was a gift from his extra status.
He hadn’t even used it much, and it was already chipped.
He had thought it was a good sword, with its fancy inscription on the pommel, but it was just garbage.
Well, with an owner like the original Luke, it was no surprise.
He’d have to go back to the blacksmith.
“Such a hassle…”
“You can’t hunt with a chipped sword.”
“What are you talking about? I have these.”
He flexed his arms.
A true man like him could hunt with his bare hands, but a sword was… stylish.
“Are you serious?”
“I’m going to swing a sword with these strong arms.”
“…”
“Alright, I’m done. Let’s turn these in and go to the blacksmith.”
“Okay.”
He put the headless, tailless bodies into his inventory, took the five tails, and went back to the reception desk.
“All done?”
“I brought everything, but… don’t I get a bonus for the big one? You said it was a stronger individual.”
“The Guildmaster said to give you one silver coin for it.”
One silver coin?
Considering he had bought Luna’s entire equipment for two silver coins, this was a great deal.
The reward was generous compared to the effort involved.
“So, what about the rest of the bodies?”
“Useless monster remains are usually burned or left behind. If they have valuable materials, you can take them to a blacksmith.”
“Do War Wolves have anything valuable?”
“Besides the meat, I’m not sure.”
So, dog meat was a delicacy in this world too.
“Alright, we’ll be going now.”
“Okay. Have a good day.”
He knew just the blacksmith to go to.
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He returned to the blacksmith, now practically a regular.
“Hey, mister~”
“What is it, kid? Why are you here so often?”
“Is there a problem with me being here?”
“You’re the only lunatic I know who visits a blacksmith every day.”
“I haven’t bought any weapons from you.”
“That’s what makes you a lunatic.”
He was just browsing.
And the blacksmith had even given him a free item.
Tsundere men aren’t popular.
“That’s why your shop is so empty.”
“What did you say?!”
“Anyway, my sword is chipped, so I need a new one. Any recommendations?”
“All the swords are over there. Pick one you like.”
The blacksmith pointed to a rack of straight swords.
“Any greatswords?”
“You use greatswords? You look too scrawny for that.”
He might look scrawny, but thanks to his status window, he was much stronger than he looked.
Though, the blacksmith still looked stronger than him.
The blacksmith went to the back and returned with a large sword.
“How about this?”
“Hmm… anything bigger?”
It was bigger than a straight sword, but not big enough.
“If this isn’t a greatsword, then nothing is.”
He had seen bigger axes. Why not greatswords?
“Can you make me one then?”
“What do you mean?”
A true man’s weapon.
A man’s romance.
Big, thick, heavy, and beautiful.
“An ultra greatsword.”
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every berserk fan starting a playthrough in elden ring: