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Null Poison Ch28
Accompanying
(T/N note; Ralf’s injury is a Knee injury not a thigh injury. “Hiza” can be used for both hence my confusion.)
“Chris-san, please wake up.”
I open my eyes, being awakened by Esta.
Hasn’t the sun only just begun to rise? But then again these two are usually already gone by the time I wake up.
Taking a big yawn, I forced myself out of my blanket.
“Good morning. It’s almost time to leave for the hunt so you should also get ready, Chris-san.”
“Yeah.”
At Esta’s urging, I began preparing quickly. This time, the main characters are Ralf and Esta so I just took my sword and water and kept it light.
I’m hardly going to be in too much danger from goblin’s am I?
And with prep done, we left the inn and headed for our destination.
Ralf was waiting outside the inn, with the quest already taken at the guild in advance apparently.
As expected of the two long time partners in crime and theft, everything was well planned out and moving along smoothly.
When I’m alone, there’s a lot more time spent on the mundane stuff, and never this quick or smooth.
While feeling a merit of having a Party that I hadn’t really considered, we headed towards the southwest forest; our destination.
“So why exactly do you two leave so early again?”
“Purely because of me. Takes time and effort to move long distances after all.”
“……..aah right, the knee injury, of course.”
“Exactly. Not only does it take more time itself, the actual hunting itself also takes a lot more time as well.”
No wonder they were at wits end just from goblin hunting.
Here I thought Esta might be the issue but I guess it was Ralf that was the problem.
“Want me to carry you on my back? I have other things to do as well and rather not spend too much time here.”
“Hell no! I’ll walk on my own.”
“Well, if your pace falls even a bit I’m gonna pick you up regardless tho.”
From then on, Ralf tried to maintain a fast pace while using his sword as a walking stick but the pain must be increasing as sweat started appearing on his forehead.
Esta seemed to be worrying from him as well, making me feel bad for making him hurry like that.
“too slow. As I warned, I’m carrying you from here onwards. Get on my back.”
“I’m fine. I can still go faster.”
“Enough with that. I cant watch this anymore so get on my back right now. If you can’t even be considerate of others and cooperate, I’ll take back my offer of making a Party.”
My threat made him finally give up and he got on my back unwillingly.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise having carried an entire Orc on my back, Ralf’s weight was barely noticeable.
Now we could move at a pace far faster than before, and soon reached our destination; the southwest forest.
“Sorry. For making you carry me.”
“I’m gonna be only watching from here on so don’t worry about it. Anyway enough talk, let’s get on with the goblin hunting.”
“Yeah yeah.”
Now then, how will a guy that can barely walk and a magician that can’t use magic hunt goblins.
Honestly, I have no idea what to expect so I’m kind of excited.
“Ralf, let’s go with the usual.”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
The two had a quick chat and slowly began to move.
They didn’t walk side by side. Esta stayed upfront and Ralf walked a couple meters behind her. And I followed them, another couple meters behind Ralf.
And so us 3 walked through the forest in a frankly odd formation.
Having found a goblin, Esta gave a hand sign as signal and the crouched over.
Ralf pulled out his sword, and stood exactly where he was.
Esta crouched slowly towards the goblin and used the wooden stick in her hand to smack its head and then quickly turned and ran back.
The goblin, seeing the enemy to be only one girl, chased after Esta with a vulgar laugh.
Esta continued running and passed by Ralf, and left Ralf to face the goblin head on.
The goblin was too focused on Esta but Ralf only had eyes on the goblin.
Perhaps there was a clear difference in strength, his first strike slashed through the goblin’s chest and overwhelmed the goblin’s counter attack attempt and comfortably put an end to its life.
“Chris-san, how was that? Not the smoothest way perhaps but we are killing goblins like this ‘with ease’ as you asked..”
“A tactic built around utilizing Ralf’s inability to move properly eh. Not bad. I guess you are doing it properly after all…………Very well, let’s form a Party.”
“YAY! We passed Ralf!”
“…….seriously why do we even need to party now that I can hunt—–“
“You’re talking nonsense again! Do you want to spend your entire life as a rookie adventurer? Huh??”
“…………It was a joke! Chris, we’ll be in your care.”
Having finished the hunt, I congratulated Ralf as he walked back and we decided to finally, officially form a Party.
Basically, it’s a deal designed more to take advantage of each other rather than to make friends if I’m being honest.
Well, there’s not much use I can get from Ralf and Esta as they are now so it’ll be mostly me ‘giving’ and carrying them for a while.
But if we’re going by potential, they both might even surpass me one day.
If one day they can help me fight Klaus, it’s not a bad idea for me to help them right now I believe.
“Aah, I’ll be in both of your care as well. Now then, I’ll go back first. Let’s talk out the details later at the [Shangri-la hotel].”
“Of course. We’ll see you at night.”
I did think about helping them out with Goblin hunting since we are making a party and all……..but really, I have more important things to do as well unfortunately.
If anything, the things I have to do now that we’ve made a party have increased so I should focus on doing what only I can do.
“And thus I left the two in the forest and returned back to Realzard ahead of them.