It was a brief moment of respite during the march.
I found myself hunting some monsters that happened to be near the highway alongside Isis—Giant Buffalo.
As the name suggested, Giant Buffalo were massive water buffalo. A short distance away, several of them, each the size of an elephant, were sluggishly grazing on the grass.
(Cattle this massive are eating their fill... You'd think they would strip the entire country of its greenery, but I guess that’s just how a fantasy world works.)
The soil and vegetation in this world were suffused with mana and incredibly rich in nutrients. Even if a herd of Giant Buffalo were to graze an entire area bare, the grass would likely grow back to its original state within a few days.
(Giant Buffalo are often hunted for food. Apparently, they're far too large to domesticate, but I remember the meat being delicious.)
I didn't mind the task. In fact, I was already weary of the oppressive, gloomy atmosphere of the war effort. This would be a perfect change of pace.
"The Giant Buffalo's strength lies in their sheer bulk, as you can see. Be careful—unprepared adventurers have been trampled to death by them before," Isis cautioned.
"I'm aware, Isis-san," I replied with a nod.
I had fought Giant Buffalo in the past. There were about twenty in this herd, but even if they all charged at once, I was confident I could take them down. That was exactly why this felt like a pleasant diversion during our journey.
"All right then, let’s make it a competition. Let the hunt begin!"
"Hey, let me in on this too."
Wilhelm Lyubase—better known as the Woman-hating Sword Saint—called out to us. Behind him stood several knights and mages.
"Oh? You guys are joining in as well?"
"I was bored just walking. I was looking for a bit of a change of pace myself."
"Hello, Lyubase-kun. It's been a while since we spoke like—"
"Don't you dare talk to me!"
When Isis raised a friendly hand in greeting, Lyubase skidded backward with a violent rasp of his boots against the dirt. It was a backstep of incredible speed, leaving deep gouges in the ground.
"Don't come near me, woman! Don't touch me! Don't even look at me!"
"Um..."
"He’s just at that age. Please, just leave him be," I said, shrugging at the bewildered Isis.
"It's fine if they join us, right?"
"Ah, of course. A competition is always more exciting with more people."
Everyone took their stances. The knights and swordsmen gripped the hilts of their weapons while the mages began channeling their mana. There wasn't any particular prize for winning, but if we were going to do this, I had no intention of losing.
"Now then—start!"
At Isis’s signal, we all bolted forward at once.
Naturally, Lyubase was the first to dash out. His interpersonal skills with women might have been non-existent, but his physical abilities were second to none. He moved at a terrifying speed.
"As expected. He’s fast...!"
However, I pulled up alongside him in an instant. By triggering [Super Accelerator], I caught up to the leading Lyubase.
"Heh... Not bad!"
"That’s my line... To match the speed of magic through raw physical power alone... You're a monster."
"Hmph! That's why your physical conditioning is lacking—you rely too much on magic!"
As he spoke, Lyubase swung his sword. Even though there was still a significant distance between him and the Giant Buffalo, a shockwave of mana erupted from his blade. It flew through the air and tore through the head of a nearby beast.
"Bumooooooooh!"
"I see, they're tough!"
The skull of a Giant Buffalo was thick and incredibly hard. Even for a warrior like Lyubase, a single strike from a distance wasn't enough to kill it instantly. However, he immediately closed the gap, bringing his blade against the creature's neck.
"Hmph!"
With a sharp grunt, the massive head was severed from the body and went rolling across the ground.
"That’s one."
"I see... Then here’s mine!"
I had already caught another Giant Buffalo within my range.
"[Ice Bolt]!"
"Bumo!?"
A blast of frigid energy slammed into a different buffalo, snaring its life in an instant. The creature collapsed, its entire body frozen solid before it even hit the dirt.
"That's one for me too!"
"Bumooooooooh!"
Just as Lyubase and I had each finished off our first targets, the rest of the herd fell into a panic. Some began charging toward us in a frenzy, while others tried to stampede away.
"[Wind Cutter]!"
"Attack!"
That was when Isis and the rest of the group arrived. They unleashed a barrage of magic and swung their weapons, systematically taking down the Giant Buffalo one by one.
The advance force of the Foreign Tribes Subjugation Army successfully secured several thousand kilograms of meat, significantly bolstering their military provisions. While I ended up with the highest number of kills, Lyubase had taken down the largest individual specimen. Thus, the hunting contest concluded in a draw.