As we take apart the wolves we took down, Dalton and the other merchants discuss with Siphon what to do next.
The problem is the tigerwolf that ran away. We let it get away, but they say itās strange that it came so close to the road in the first place.
āLetās advance as much as we can today. Please be aware that means moving forward as far as we can even after the sun has gone down.ā
We will have the horses run as fast as they can, to put as much distance as possible between us and the forest.
Dalton gives the command, and the wagons start moving again.
āIt really is strange for a tigerwolf to come to the outer edge of a forest. If it ran away after losing a turf war, that means something even more threatening is in the forest. And if it came here because it wasnāt finding prey, that means the forestās ecosystem is crumbling.ā
According to what I read before, tigerwolves are usually sighted deep inside the forest. They are pretty smart, and make the decision to run away when they realize they are at a disadvantage, so theyāre said to be monsters that are difficult to hunt. Of course, thatās also because theyāre strong. Because of this, their fur sells at high prices to rich people looking for luxury items. I guess those patterns and colors really do look nice.
Today weāre advancing for a while longer even after the sun has set. We end up making camp when the horses stop moving.
We take care of the horses, quickly prepare our dinner and eat, and decide to have more people keeping watch. Worst case scenario, people will have to sleep while weāre on the move again tomorrow.
We can hear howling in the distance from time to time, and I see some people flinch when it happens, but it canāt be helped. And me? I rest well, probably because I have Presence Detection. It seems people are split between thinking Iām brave or stupid.
My excuse is that Iām tired because seeing a tigerwolf for the first time made me so nervous.
After a night shrouded with tension, we silently eat breakfast and leave.
Some people have bags under their eyes because they couldnāt rest well.
Rurika and Chris are used to traveling, but they also look tired, so I tell them to rest. Iām going on top of the canopy today.
I feel more wind than usual, and it feels like the clouds are passing by us more quickly. I can see black clouds in the distance.
Iām just now noticing that it hasnāt rained since I came to this world. Is this a region where it doesnāt rain a lot? Is it not a rainy season? Does it just not rain at all? I donāt know, but the fact that Iām just now noticing something that wasnāt on my mind at all makes me realize I probably had more on my mind than I thought.
Iām probably missing a lot of things that are common sense in this world, but I canāt just casually ask either. Iām sure if I do, people will just ask me what Iām talking about.
Half a day passes, and so does the heavy mood, as we can clearly see some distance between us and the forest. It feels liberating.
āBut still, a tigerwolfā¦ We should report this when we get to town. There was a pack of wolves near the capital too, so this could all be an omen.ā
āThere hasnāt been a demon attack in a while. Do you think that could be related?ā
āI donāt know, but you can never be too careful. We should at least form a reconnaissance team.
It would be great if we could hunt it, but we need to at least push it back or we wonāt feel safe crossing through here. Whatās worse is the idea that there could be something that pushed the tigerwolf all the way here.ā
āWorst case scenario, we have to go back to the capital through an alternate route.ā
I listen to Siphon and the others talking.
We managed to fight the monster back because we have the numbers and everyone handled it well, but weāre told that if we were to encounter it while on our own, we should immediately run away as fast as we can.
Tigerwolf hunting quests can be accepted by C ranked parties and above, but itās customary to only go after it after making thorough advanced preparations. Normally, people make use of traps and magic to make sure it canāt get away during their fight, especially since failure to hunt it after accepting the quest results in a penalty.
This means people who donāt look into what a tigerwolf is like beforehand, often end up failing their quest.
āWe probably wouldnāt hunt a tigerwolf. Itās not like weāre working as adventurers to become known. It would be profitable, but itās best to have a more reliable source of income.ā
Says Rurika.
Because of our forced march after encountering the tigerwolf, the distance we cover in a single day has gone down drastically.
We only reach the town at night, two days later than we anticipated.