Volume 3 Chapter 1 Hunting The Giant Lizards
To the south of the frontier city of Lester, the Holden River stretches wide, expanding over 100 meters (about 328 feet) during the rainy season. The river flows from the southwest, where the Barbarians live, and heads straight toward Lester. When it reaches the hilly area near the city, it makes a sharp turn and flows into the sea to the southeast.
The riverbank is covered in thick grass and short trees, making it a great hiding spot for both Barbarians and magical creatures. There are also areas with soft mud that form dangerous swamps, trapping anyone who doesn't know the land well. Goblins and lizardmen, creatures that like wet places, live here too. But the most feared creature by adventurers is the Big-Mouthed Lizard.
These lizards grow to about 5 meters (around 16 feet) in length. They have large jaws, eyes on the sides of their heads, long bodies, and six short legs. They look like giant crocodiles with two extra legs. Their name comes from their huge mouths, which take up about one-fifth of their body length.
One day in July, Al and Orson were walking down a path heading southeast from the city. Behind them, a mule pulled a cart, driven by a boy around 12 or 13 years old. His name was Lippi, a porter Orson often hired. With his wavy red hair and bright, round eyes, Lippi was a cheerful boy who always had something to say.
On the cart, there was a bundle of rods with joints, about as big as a person could hug, and one dead goblin. Some of the rods had strings tied to the ends. The road they were on was narrow, just wide enough for the cart, winding through hills and occasionally getting stuck in the mud. After a while, they finally reached a spot where the river came into view.
Orson stopped and raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt. Lippi quickly pulled the reins, bringing the cart to a stop, and stood up on the driver's seat. He shaded his eyes with one hand and looked out toward the river.
"Have you found it yet, Mr. Orson?"
"No, not yet. But let's start looking around here. You stay with the mule and wait. If any goblins show up, blow the whistle to let me know."
Today, they were out to hunt the dangerous Big-Mouthed Lizard. The largest ones, however, weighed over a ton, far too heavy to fit on their wagon. Instead, they were aiming for a smaller one, about 3 meters long. Even at that size, the lizard's skin was considered a luxury, and they could also sell the meat, skull, and fangs. If they were in good condition, these parts could fetch up to 3 gold coins. Orson, with his years of experience, knew that the lizards would start getting bigger as the rainy season drew near.
"If we catch it well, make sure to give me a tip too."
As Orson took a long rod from the wagon's cargo, he gave Lippi a thumbs up and said, "Of course."
"Mr. Orson, how do you use that?"
"Huh? This? I'm going to use this to fish for the large-mouthed lizard."
At Al's question, Orson used a knife to cut meat from the goblin's corpse and tied it to the end of a stick with a piece of wood as a float. He handed it to Al. Then, he wrapped a rope around one of the remaining goblin's legs and lowered it from the cart.
"Use the stick to throw the meat attached to the wood into the water where the big lizards might be. They have good eyesight and smell. When they catch the scent of blood in the water, they'll swim up quietly. Once you see that, lift the stick and pull the meat back towards you. Be careful, they can jump out of the water, so try not to let them eat it all."
"I see. What should I do if the bait gets eaten?"
Al connected several sticks to make it longer, holding it in one hand while checking how it felt as he asked.
"If that happens, it's a failure. The lizard will try to pull it into the water, so let go of the stick immediately. Don't try to fight it. If you fall into the river, you'll die."
Al was surprised by Orson's serious explanation. But seeing his expression, he realized Orson was not joking, so he nodded seriously. Seeing this, Orson continued explaining.
"I'll place the goblin's corpse about 20 meters (� 65.6 feet) upriver. Use the meat on the stick to lure the lizard there. While you're doing that, I'll secure the area and keep it from escaping. When it bites the corpse, I'll strike, and you can back me up with magic."
Al nodded. He probably brought several sticks just in case he failed.
"But the big-mouthed lizard is a magic beast, right? If it sees me, won't it come after me?"
"True, magic beasts see humans as enemies, but if there's food in front of them, they'll go for that first. After eating, though, things change. The Big-Mouthed Lizard swims fast and can move on land at nearly our running speed, so be cautious. It can also see directly behind it, so don�t let your guard down. And definitely avoid standing in front of it to prevent getting bitten."
"Got it."
"--Can I watch from nearby?"
Lippi asked from the side. However, Orson tilted his head, frowned in thought, and then shook his head while staring at Lippi's face.
"If you come to watch, who's going to take care of the carriage? If something happens and the precious mule gets eaten by goblins or something, I won't be responsible."
"Rosinante is smart, so it'll be fine. If something suspicious comes, it will let me know. Come on, it's okay, right? When I'm as old as Al, I want to be an adventurer and earn a lot. I want to see a lot of things before that."
It seems Rosinante is the name of the mule. Orson crossed his arms and thought for a moment, but then shook his head again.
"No, that's still not okay. Al isn't used to this hunt yet, so it's too dangerous. For now, just give up and stay close to the carriage, watching from a distance. If there's another chance, we'll think about it then."
Lippi pleaded a few times, but Orson shook his head each time. Lippi reluctantly gave up.
"Look forward to the tips!"
Al lightly tapped Lippi's shoulder before jogging toward the river with a fishing rod in one hand. Behind him, Orson carefully checked his footing, carrying a bundle of prepared rods in his right hand while dragging the goblin's corpse with his left. Lippi sighed, realizing there was nothing he could do but watch them go.
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