Volume 11 Chapter 23 The Kijin Girl (Fake) Walks As She Pleases
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hmm, this local brew really is quite something.”1
A small girl strolled down the street—well, a road between towns—about three days’ carriage ride from the capital of the King of Maultasche. Her name was Tomoe, a member of the Kijin race, a rarity in this country. She looked no older than her early teens, but her level was well past eighty, and she walked with the reputation of a “Curse-Killing Oni.”
She wandered along, sake in one hand, completely at ease. She liked her booze, and she liked taking the scenic route. That was all the reason she needed. Aside from her appearance, in the rural areas of modern Japan, she might pass for a quirky local. Here, however, it was a display of utter eccentricity. In a world where even the roads between settlements weren’t exactly safe, no one walked outside the town gates alone. You either took a carriage with guards or, if forced to travel on foot, you hurried as fast as your legs could carry you.
”Now, for a snack… ah, you can’t go wrong with smoked cheese for this. Yes, yes, this is the good stuff.”
Tomoe ignored common sense, moving at her own pace. She was all smiles, enjoying her current favorite pairing. Such was the privilege of being absurdly strong.
She’d just spent a while in a village near a lake, where a joint operation by the Knight Order and Adventurers had recently taken place to deal with an overabundance of Water Elements. The village was famous for its sparkling brews and dairy.
Tomoe preferred clear, crisp drinks, but she was never one to turn down a local specialty. High-proof stuff provided a satisfying burn; carbonated drinks offered a refreshing zest. Sweet or bitter, she loved them all as long as they complemented her snacks. She’d bought a massive haul of that smoked cheese—it was perfect for travel. Occasionally, she’d run into a drink that wasn’t to her taste, but she considered that just another part of the adventure.
Fine booze, good snacks, and a peaceful view. She was in high spirits, whistling along as she drifted down the road.
”…Hmm. I’ve walked a fair bit now. Might be time for another little check.”
Tomoe wasn’t wandering aimlessly, though. She had a goal: to find a man she’d met in that village named Daisuke. According to her divination, following this road was the right path. He didn’t seem like the type to go wandering off on a whim, but he likely traveled for quests.
”Looks like this one went well. It didn’t react at all last time. To think he could slip past my divination… an interesting fellow, indeed.”
Tomoe was a master of the arcane arts, not just combat. She was curious how he’d evaded her, but she held no ill will. She just wanted to know where he was so she could go pay him a visit. Her divination was powerful enough to sway the fate of nations depending on the timing, but she was clearly wasting her talent here. Then again, Tomoe didn’t care. That’s just what happens when you combine an easygoing attitude with a lifespan of several centuries.
She’d had a hiccup when leaving the previous village—she couldn’t get a fix on him, so she’d delayed her departure by a day. She’d spent the whole day at an Izakaya, so it wasn’t exactly a hardship. It didn’t seem like his protection was always active, but she was genuinely intrigued by how he’d escaped a high-level skill.
She suspected some sort of Concealment or Cloaking, but knowing he possessed high-level Curse Resistance, it was almost certainly a unique skill or blessing. Even for a Transferee, having multiple high-level skills at such a young age was unheard of. Tomoe looked forward to discovering his secrets; after all, even after living this long, there was always something new to learn.
In her own mind, she was just taking a leisurely stroll, but she would occasionally dispose of monsters that attacked her as a side task, and at night, she would stay in towns or villages.
Sometimes, she would swat down rude people at an Izakaya who tried to shove their arms around her shoulders, but it never really became a problem. That was the level of social credit a high-rank Adventurer possessed.
The fool who, in his drunkenness, had called out to her ended up with a heavy injury—three fractures in his jaw, arm, and leg—but if anything, it was merciful that he hadn’t been killed. Incidentally, since the man was an Adventurer, he healed himself with his own potions.
One day, she heard voices of an argument coming from up ahead. Since she was near the top of a hill, she looked down and saw a carriage being attacked by a group of Goblins near a road junction.
Whether they were bandits or monsters, Tomoe would occasionally lend a hand to victims on a whim. Since this was on her path, she felt inclined to help. She jogged closer since they were a bit far, and unleashed a skill at a suitable distance.
”‘Fatal Curse.’ For a small-fry demon like you, this should do the trick.”
With the swing of her fan, the curse skill she released caused the Goblins to writhe in agony before dropping one by one. It was an instant kill. Furthermore, this curse attack was lethal even for mid-tier C-Rank Adventurers, let alone Goblins.
A normal curse skill wouldn’t produce such an effect. They would usually just inflict a stat penalty or a “Bad Luck” status ailment. Curse attacks that could actually kill the opponent required meticulous preparation or a medium, and were not something that could be used in the middle of combat. However, because Tomoe was the world’s greatest wielder of curses, boasting a skill level of eight, she had pulled it off easily.
Of course, curses were not all-powerful; they could be mitigated by resistance skills or if the opponent had a high MND stat. In other words, they were highly effective as long as the opponent lacked resistance skills or there wasn’t a huge gap in MND. Since the Goblins met these conditions, they died instantly.
Furthermore, because few people possessed curse skills, and monsters rarely used them, there were few people who held high-level resistance skills.
Daisuke had nearly nullified it, but it had been several hundred years—since her skill level was three—since a curse hadn’t worked on a human opponent. It was only natural that she would take an interest.
”Looks like you’re safe now.”
”I-I don’t know who you are, but thank you!”
”Heh heh, think nothing of it.”
Fortunately, the human man who had been attacked was unharmed.
She had defeated about ten Goblins with her surprise attack, but a large individual, likely the party leader, was visible in the back, and more than half of the swarm remained. In fact, their morale seemed to have increased now that they had a female in front of them.
”As always, you base, lecherous beasts. Since I’m in the mood for some exercise, why don’t you keep me company?”
If you travel enough, you encounter Goblins more than enough. Especially lately, she had seen them every single day. She had seen them enough to be sick of it, but their faces, which would twist obscenely in heat the moment they saw a woman, were always unpleasant.
She coated her body and fan in magical power and turned toward the group of Goblins. The fan Tomoe carried was not merely a decoration; it was a legitimate weapon. It was a masterpiece using rare materials, befitting a high-rank Adventurer. It possessed high performance as a weapon, but it also boasted intricate decorations—it wouldn’t be strange if it were a national treasure.
Tomoe, fan at the ready, closed in on the Goblins. She didn’t use sloppy movements relying on instantaneous power by stepping heavily enough to explode the ground; instead, she moved as if she were sliding across the earth.
Before they knew it, she was right in front of the Goblins. One that couldn’t react to Tomoe’s movement was cut in two with a diagonal slash. Before they could understand what had happened, two more, then three more were cut down.
When the party leader, who had regained his senses after she cut down five of them, shrieked something and tried to restart by surrounding Tomoe, his movements were far too slow—she wasn’t the kind of opponent he could stop in the first place.
Like a wind blowing through the Goblins, she couldn’t be caught by the eye, nor could they catch her if they reached out, and by the time they felt the breeze, their bodies had been divided by a flash of her fan. Within a minute, the entire swarm was wiped out.
”Well, for small-fry demons, this doesn’t even count as an appetizer, but it is what it is.”
”Thank… you.”
The merchant who had called for help was left speechless by the carnage, which was so one-sided it couldn’t even be called a fight. He had followed his intuition and run desperately to ask for help, but he hadn’t expected someone this strong. She had cut down forty Goblins, yet she hadn’t even been splashed with blood. He tightened his resolve to make sure he never upset her.
Incidentally, for Tomoe, Goblins were nothing more than small fry; she really didn’t care about them, so she refused his offer of money as a reward. Since the merchant felt his reputation would suffer if he were saved for free, he asked if there was anything she wanted, and she said she would like some liquor or snacks. She hadn’t carried much of the bulky liquor, but she was relieved when he was happy to provide the snacks.
Once things settled down, Tomoe asked the merchant, and he said he was headed to the Royal Capital of this country. Since Tomoe’s destination town was in that direction, she ended up riding with him to the Royal Capital.
Tomoe, who had climbed onto the carriage, kept drinking sake while eating the snacks she had given him as thanks. The merchant felt a nervous flutter at the young girl? drinking alcohol, but because the warnings from his Intuition skill were too intense, he tried not to look.
The noblewoman he had met just before was famous for being difficult, but this Ogress was on a level of dangerous that couldn’t even be compared. If it were a noble, he could manage by fleeing to another country, but this Ogress would likely kill him before he had time to run. While he found the Tomoe who continued to dispose of the intermittently attacking Goblins on the side to be dependable, the merchant remained constantly tense.
The journey of the merchant, whose nerves were subtly never allowed to rest, and the carefree Tomoe continued for several days. However, in the end, Tomoe didn’t ride all the way to the Royal Capital, but parted ways at a town along the way. The reason for that was also very typical of Tomoe.
”Hmm, this sake doesn’t just have a gorgeous aroma, it has body, too. It would be a loss not to search for a snack that matches this to enjoy it.”
She had encountered a liquor she liked when she stopped by a town famous for a certain local brew. Once this happened, she wouldn’t move for at least a week. Sometimes she would stay for several months if it were a long one.
Because of this, the journey, which would have taken about two weeks if she had walked normally, was smoothly delayed. By the time Tomoe arrived at the Royal Capital, even Daisuke had half-forgotten her.
—
Summary:
Tomoe, a powerful Kijin, leisurely travels the countryside seeking alcohol and snacks while searching for a man named Daisuke. She obliterates a group of Goblins with ease, terrifying the merchant she rescued along the way. Her journey is continually delayed by her habit of lingering in towns that offer exceptional local brews, leaving her arrival at the Royal Capital long overdue.
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Trivia:
Tomoe is a level 80+ “Curse-Killing Oni.”
The merchant Elmer possesses an “Intuition” skill that warns him Tomoe is mortally dangerous.
Tomoe’s “Fatal Curse” skill is level 8, making it world-class.
Tomoe’s fan is a high-ranking weapon made from rare materials.
Tomoe’s divination abilities are powerful enough to influence national trends.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Tomoe – An Oni woman known as the Curse-Killing Oni, with a petite, youthful, loli-like appearance suggesting early teens despite immense age and a level exceeding eighty. She has pale white skin, piercing red eyes, and long black hair, dressed in elegant kimono-style attire, often holding a fan. A master of hexes and exceptionally high-level traveler, she commands respect and fear from others, her serene demeanor masking deadly prowess in banishing curses and potent sex appeal concealing her true power.
• Daisuke – Daisuke, a 170cm Japanese reincarnate with tousled dark hair and amber eyes, is a cynical, analytical B-Rank solo adventurer who has reached Level 90. He utilizes wind/healing magic, a spear, and an infinite Item Box, bolstered by high-level skills including Intuition and High-Speed Thinking. Currently living in an Isekai world, he maintains equal bonds with multiple lovers including Regina, protectively navigating relationships within his slave party and harem. An interesting man from a village whom Tomoe intends to visit.
• Elmer – A portly, sunny-dispositioned merchant in his 40s residing in the Royal Capital. Head of the Beunemünde guild and holder of Intuition, he travels often for trade. He is observant, friendly, and employs slaves, serving as Daisuke’s master. He shares a history with Ilse, formerly owning her and now acting as her master who grants her rewards. He was previously saved by an acquaintance of Daisuke.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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