How to Spend My First Reward

With my detection skill, I sensed the movements of the Gray Wolves inside the cave. They were heading towards the exit. It seemed they had noticed Gonz and the others.

The moment a Gray Wolf leapt out of the cave, an arrow shot by Kimon pierced its eye. The precise shot struck the Gray Wolf’s eye perfectly.

With a yelp, the Gray Wolf froze in place.

“Now, die!” Gonz shouted as he swung his axe from the bottom up with all his might. Despite the massive swing, his flawless form was smooth and efficient, likely thanks to his skill.

The axe that had been swung upward cleaved into the Gray Wolf’s head, splitting it open as the wolf was blasted backward.

The Gray Wolf that was sent flying collided with another stationary Gray Wolf, and Gonz immediately brought the axe down on it.

With the full force of the downward swing, the Gray Wolf was decapitated in one blow. What incredible strength. Now I understood why everyone feared Gonz.

Though the weapon was meant to crush and cut with weight, Gonz used it to break through the wolf’s skull, sending it flying, and even knocking another wolf out of the way. It was chaotic, but effective.

However, after his huge attack, Gonz left himself wide open, and a Gray Wolf lunged at him.

That’s when Al, with his orthodox combination of a shield and one-handed sword, quickly positioned himself between Gonz and the wolf.

Al expertly used his shield, not just to block the Gray Wolf’s attack, but also to bash it with a shield bash. This guided the wolf’s landing position, and with perfect timing, he stabbed his sword into its front leg as it landed.

While covering Gonz’s opening, Al attacked the wolf’s legs and other weak points, effectively limiting its mobility. His movements were not flashy, but they were just as flawless, showing off a skill and precision that made me involuntarily admire him.

Kimon’s archery was also impressive. Though the Gray Wolves were fast, Kimon expertly targeted their weak points, like the muscles in the back legs or around the front paws, at just the right moments, slowing them down.

With their speed reduced, the Gray Wolves were killed one by one by Gonz’s overwhelming attacks.

With their mobility reduced and their numbers dwindling, the threat level was considered low. The group now had the luxury of taking care not to damage the pelts while finishing them off.

Gonz, with his incredible power, destroyed everything in his path. Al, with his wide view and precise orders, controlled the battle. Kimon, with his swift archery, shot down the eyes of the agile Gray Wolves with pinpoint accuracy.

The “strongest party in Rock Cliff” was truly something else.

Even after all the Gray Wolves were defeated, I kept searching the area, staying vigilant. My detection skill didn’t pick up even the slightest presence of smaller animals. The Gray Wolves must have eaten them.

“Big bro Gonz, your power was insane. Al’s moves were flawless too, and Kimon’s archery was on another level.”

“Hahaha! With me around, Gray Wolves are no challenge!”

“I didn’t do anything worthy of praise.”

“Your scouting skills are pretty impressive too.”

After I shared my thoughts on the battle, I got different responses from each of them.

I then reported that I didn’t sense any more threats in the area. The hunt was complete, but it wasn’t over yet. We needed to process the Gray Wolves, so we began hauling the carcasses.

We headed toward the river, as the village chief had advised, to begin the dissection.

My dissection skills were based on the somewhat incomplete knowledge I had before being reincarnated.

At one point, I had interacted with a hunter.

I helped him with the dissection of his catches in exchange for meat. It was a give-and-take relationship, as the elderly hunter was unable to carry heavy things, and I was glad to assist him.

Using those experiences, I had taught myself how to disassemble animals during my time as a wild man. Since the Gray Wolf pelts were valuable, I had to be careful to skin them properly.

I only knew how to dissect animals in my own way.

Since I wasn’t familiar with the proper way to skin pelts for sale, I asked Kimon, the hunter, for advice. He kindly agreed to teach me.

And now, for the first time, the skinning knife, my weapon bought from the weapon shop, makes its appearance! I didn’t have much money, and since scouts rarely get involved in direct combat, I opted for a knife.

I had once dreamed of wielding a sword or spear, but it couldn’t be helped.

Learning from Kimon, I carefully skinned the Gray Wolf. Unlike the dull stone knives I had used before, this one was razor-sharp, and I found myself being more precise than I expected. The risk of making a mistake was high due to its sharpness.

It took some time, but I managed to skin the pelts meticulously.

The meat of the Gray Wolf apparently wasn’t very tasty. Still, meat was valuable. The village chief had told me they would buy it at a cheap price if I wanted to sell it, so I processed the carcass into chunks and put it into a material backpack.

By the time all the processing was finished, it was evening. We hurried back to the village before the sun set. After some negotiations with Gonz and Al, they managed to arrange for us to stay in the village for free.

I wondered, “Is this one of those situations where a young village girl will come to visit me later… at night?” I was a little excited as I waited in a shabby bed covered with straw and sheets.

However, reality was cruel. No one came…

I spent the night alone, in my humble bed, waiting in vain.

The next day, I received a sign of completion from the village chief and set off for Rock Cliff. The distance wasn’t too far, and thanks to my speed, I arrived by midday.

I gazed up at the impressive castle walls of Rock Cliff. Even though I had only been gone for a day, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

I showed the wooden plaque to the guards, who let me through without delay. I bypassed the usual line to enter the town and was able to go through another entrance, avoiding any wait. Apparently, this was to prevent the materials from deteriorating. I was surprised at how well-organized even the guilds were, despite their rough appearance.

At the Adventurers Guild, I received my reward. My cut was 10%, while the rest was split evenly among Gonz and the others.

Even my 10% was enough to cover the equivalent of a week’s worth of earnings for a regular citizen. I wasn’t entitled to the pelt money, since I hadn’t participated in the skinning, but I had no complaints.

Gonz and the others said they’d rest today and go after more requests tomorrow.

“We’ll meet up at the Adventurers Guild tomorrow,” Gonz said, and then the group scattered around the town.

It seemed I had passed my test. So far, my skills as a scout were fine.

Kimon, being a hunter, said he could manage the basics. However, since he was more proficient with a bow, he hadn’t focused on improving his tracking skills.

The Gray Wolves had excellent noses, so they usually noticed us first, which made them troublesome. However, since we managed to strike first this time, it had been easier. Kimon mentioned that if they’d coordinated and attacked us in the forest, even Gonz and the others might have sustained injuries.

Though Gonz and the others had easily defeated the wolves, their movements were fast. From a distance, it seemed manageable, but up close, tracking them with just the eyes would have been quite a challenge.

I shuddered at the thought of suddenly being attacked by Gray Wolves in the forest. That’s something the team had to deal with regularly.

But Gonz assured me that even if they were injured, they would still be able to defeat the wolves. So, it seemed the “strongest party in Rock Cliff” was not just a boast.

I considered myself lucky. If I had become an adventurer without knowing anything, I would have likely been killed by a fellow adventurer or, worse, by a monster due to my lack of knowledge.

But now, I had the opportunity to learn from the strongest party. I would absorb as much of their skills and knowledge as I could.

Being an adventurer was life-or-death. After watching the battle with the monsters, I realized just how true that was. While some might grow accustomed to the danger, the mental strain was not to be underestimated.

I felt a quiet mental fatigue building up without even realizing it. I needed some sort of mental healing, but in the town, I couldn’t afford to relax, not even for a moment.

Despite the constant tension, I knew I had to find a way to unwind mentally.

With my first earnings as an adventurer, I thought about buying something as a keepsake. But I decided against it.

Instead, I chose to invest in something more practical, good food.

What I ate would become part of my flesh and blood, fueling me for the adventures ahead.

Rather than a keepsake, I chose to invest in my physical self. It was a very “muscle-headed” way of spending my first reward.

When I ordered food from the tavern owner, he gave me a skeptical look, as though asking, “Do you really have the money?” After all, he must have seen me collect the reward with Gonz and the others earlier.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his blunt approach to customer service that would be unthinkable in Japan. To convince him, I showed him the gold.

As the food was brought to me, I savored each bite, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for being able to join Gonz and his party, and for the fortune that had brought me to this point.