Reincarnated as a Genius Prodigy of a Prestigious Family - Chapter 259

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Reincarnated as a Legendary Talent Genius of a Noble Family Episode 259

168. Into the Jungle (4)

The jungle.

In one word, a massive wilderness.

A place still difficult for human hands to conquer, and sometimes far harsher than the northern frigid lands.

What we seek exists within there…

And something related to this is happening right now, at this very moment, inside the village.

Also, the man named Reutakera who will guide us inside must now save his son.

“It’s a simple plan. We save Reutake’s son, enter the jungle, and find that sorcerer. How about it?”

Only Ernest nodded at my proposal.

“Right. That’s Dane for you. Simple, isn’t it?”

Of course, the rest of the guys went through the process of being dumbfounded by such convenient decision-making.

“That’s because it’s you saying it so easily, Dane Sogress. We need to make detailed plans too, and if we mess up, we could turn the entire village against us.”

Altur, who hadn’t joined us long ago.

He was thankfully ‘rational.’

“Well, it is a bit ridiculous.”

“Hasn’t it always been like this?”

Altur nodded at the other guys’ agreement, but only briefly.

“But that is the most convenient method. Isn’t it?”

“Right. Leila, remember when we went to the Academy Restricted Area? It was the same then.”

“…”

Altur seemed rather dumbfounded by the others who readily accepted it.

And Ernest took care of Altur.

“This is how we originally are.”

“…You really move like this?”

“Yeah. But well, the results have always been good. No failures either.”

“Hah…”

Anyway, the rough plan is as follows.

“The ritual is performed once a year. We take the selected boy and girl children and bring them to a designated hut deep in the jungle. Then the sorcerer takes those children.”

“Don’t you know what he does after taking them?”

“That’s right. The children from the first ritual still haven’t returned…”

According to Reutake, that sorcerer fellow threatened the villagers with what was presumed to be magic.

Thanks to that, even the village residents who resisted at first gave up and are now offering children every year.

“That sorcerer guy, what could he be doing after taking the children?”

“If it’s been 10 years, he’s already taken 18 people… Using children means…”

A past memory suddenly came to mind.

While heading to the Habarosk Mountain Range, those heretic fellows we met in the Eliba Marquessate.

Those guys who believed that if they sacrificed children as offerings, the demon they served would resurrect and bring light to the world.

“Could it be their remnants?”

At Leila’s anxious question, I shook my head.

“The scale is too small for that.”

Those guys had kidnapped hundreds of children. If they followed their doctrine as is, 18 would be too few.

“We’ll know the reason when we see it.”

Heretics? Or… another reason?

I don’t really want to think about it, but a case of having unforgivable appetites?

Or perhaps there’s a completely different reason we don’t know about.

This place is practically outside the Empire’s control.

So there might be something I don’t know well about.

Whatever it is, we’ll have to find out to know the reason.

“Um… smoke is rising?”

In the midst of this, Jenna pointed toward the village.

Smoke was indeed rising.

“The ritual… has begun…”

Reutake’s dazed voice.

“It should have been tomorrow originally, but how is it a day early…”

Whether it’s a day early or not, what’s important is that the ritual has begun.

I asked him.

“What is the process of the ritual?”

“We light a fire on the altar, read the prayer text to offer to the sorcerer, then wait for the wind to blow. When the wind comes, we light one more fire, then the designated guide takes the children toward the jungle.”

“Heading toward the jungle…”

Then this worked out well.

Because there’s no set entrance to the jungle.

“Instead of entering the village, we should go to the jungle.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Rather than attacking the village, it’s easier to rescue the children when only the guide and children are left.”

“Ah…”

There’s no need to provoke an unavoidable fight. There’s a better method, and we didn’t come here to massacre.

They might get scared and run away if we show them magic once, but we must also consider unexpected resistance.

“I know the way to that hut.”

“Will your body be alright?”

“This is about saving my son. Even if both legs break and both hands fly off, I must go.”

Reutake nodded with an expression full of determination.

I wonder if all fathers’ hearts are like this.

“Let’s go.”

Thus, we finally set foot toward the jungle.

The jungle was a more dangerous environment than expected.

Naturally, there were no proper paths, and if you didn’t watch the ground carefully, you’d constantly trip over tree roots.

The chirping sounds of grass insects and unknown bird calls creating an eerie atmosphere was a bonus.

On top of this, vines or unidentified lush plants would frequently block the path ahead.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if we used fire-type magic?”

Altur said something like this.

But Reutake strongly discouraged it.

“Fire won’t do. This place is our home ground.”

Setting fires might be convenient, but as I said, we didn’t come to massacre or cause disturbances.

Well, disturbances often follow us even when we don’t want them.

Anyway, for that reason, I drew my arcanium sword.

Altur, who was about to cast wind magic to cut through the plants, tilted his head.

“You’re going to cut with a sword? The blade will get damaged.”

“This one won’t.”

Swish, rustle!

I took the lead and began cutting through the plants without hesitation.

Sorry to Bulbark, but the blade needs to cut well.

It rarely gets damaged anyway, so isn’t this the optimal use for such purposes?

“Using such a sword instead of a machete…”

It was Leila who explained to the dazed Altur.

“That’s an incredibly precious sword. Made from a mineral that’s the only one in the world.”

“…”

“By the way, those are also good for skewering and grilling?”

Since they even emit a green light, they’re perfect for illuminating the path.

No need to worry about exposure either.

We don’t even sense any gazes watching us right now.

Moreover, we were entering from a different direction than the entrance connected to the village, heading toward the hut.

“It’s about 2 hours to the hut from here… but if we cut a straight path like this, 1 hour should be more than enough…”

Reutake’s voice was full of admiration as a bonus.

Then a question came flying our way.

“Did you come from the Empire’s capital? I heard you talking about an expedition earlier…”

“To be precise, we came from the Academy.”

“The Academy… you say?”

It seems quite a long time has passed since contact was cut off. Otherwise, there’s no way they wouldn’t know about the Academy.

“You can think of it as the Empire’s educational institution.”

“Ah, I see. Like our village’s ‘Learning Hall’ then.”

“That’s an unusual name.”

“Is it? That’s where children who haven’t reached adulthood gather together to learn hunting methods and survival techniques.”

We moved forward while having various conversations.

Insects occasionally rushed at us, but thanks to the medicine we received from Viscount Otier, there were no major problems.

It wasn’t hot either since it was a pitch-black night. Thanks to the Arcanium sword, we had sufficient visibility too.

However, plants and tree roots weren’t the only things blocking our path.

“Grrrrr…”

As soon as I heard the low growling sound, I stopped the group and sheathed my sword.

“What’s wrong?”

“A beast. Or a magical creature.”

I immediately heightened my sensing ability, and mana flows began to appear within my field of vision.

The mana flows of plants and such only become visible when I raise my sensing ability considerably.

But humans and animals are different.

I asked Reutake.

“Are there many magical creatures here?”

“Magical creatures? Magical creatures… Ah, yes. There are.”

“What’s the most dangerous one?”

“That would obviously be the ‘Jabuer’ that lurks in trees and targets prey.”

Then that must be them.

Several beasts in the trees, watching us precisely.

Judging by their silhouettes, they’re definitely not human.

I turned my head toward Ernest.

“Ernest, time to show your skills.”

Ernest immediately took out his bow and nocked the bowstring.

“Right side, 120 degrees.”

Twang!

And the moment he released the bowstring—

Screech! Thud!

“Grrk!”

The sound of something piercing flesh, followed by a massive body falling from the tree.

“Hit.”

At the same time, the ones that had been silently watching us began moving toward us.

“Dorian, Leila.”

While the two people capable of close combat and I stepped forward.

Thwack!

Another arrow shot by Ernest flew out and hit the Jabuer that was charging toward us once more.

“Kraaaak!”

Three charging at us.

Three on our side too.

“Get ready.”

As each of us drew up our mana—

Slash, swoosh!

Thwack!

Two swords flew out, and heavy gauntlets created a sound of tearing air.

And the screams of three Jabuer echoed through the air.

A moment later.

“Can we skin these? Anyone who can skin Jabuer?”

“Wouldn’t Reutake be able to do it?”

We surrounded the corpses of one Jabuer that had fallen from the tree and four Jabuer that had charged at us, having a brief discussion.

“What are we going to process here. First, we need to put them in the refrigerated subspace.”

We don’t have time to skin them.

But it would be a waste to just leave them, so we decided to store them temporarily in the refrigerated subspace.

“To kill Jabuer in one strike… even our excellent warriors find it difficult to accomplish in one blow…”

Reutake’s dazed expression was a bonus.

He seemed genuinely surprised.

“Jabuer are the prey that all men in our village dream of during the coming-of-age ceremony. But eight out of ten men who challenge Jabuer don’t return, and one of the two who do return dies from wounds inflicted by the Jabuer.”

We caught quite an impressive creature.

By the way, Leila aside, Dorian and Ernest’s skills have improved quite a bit.

Ernest drew his bowstring twice and killed two Jabuer, and Dorian delivered a single blow with his gauntlets, bursting the insides of one Jabuer.

“Everyone’s improved quite a lot.”

Is this the result of training?

At this level, there are probably almost no first-year students other than us who could surpass these guys.

“I had no chance to be active again…”

Except for the dejected Altur, the atmosphere was very cheerful thanks to this.

“Let’s move again.”

But we don’t have time to just keep celebrating.

We headed toward the hut again with heightened tension, and after about 20 minutes, we were finally able to stop.

“There it is. The hut.”

I can see a roof woven from tree branches and leaves.

A window with faint light seeping out from underneath.

“It’s probably not time for the children to arrive yet.”

“Then either someone lit a fire in advance, or there’s someone inside.”

Then the conclusion is clear.

“How’s the inside?”

“There’s no one inside.”

Then we wait until the children come.

After that, we rescue the children and go meet the sorcerer.

Isn’t it really simple?

However, as always…

“Things are going to get complicated one after another.”

How is it that something always goes wrong on these damn expeditions?

Still, well, it’s not bad.

It’s more interesting this way.

Now then, shall I take a look at the face of this sorcerer fellow who’s taking the kids?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————