ALL NOVEL Ch17 - Let's Find the Sheep Monsters
Chapter 17: Let’s Find the Sheep Monsters
Ampong and his companions’ sturdy legs firmly pressed against the lush green earth as they walked. With each step, the relief of finally escaping the country threatened to overwhelm them, but they managed to keep moving forward.
The gentle light pouring down from the blue sky was so kind it almost brought tears to their eyes. No longer would they be pursued by their hunters… The simple fact of not having to live in fear of being caught every day felt overwhelmingly precious.
“…Haa…” Pawn exhaled a deep breath he’d been holding. The person walking next to him gave a tearful smile but said nothing, patting his shoulder lightly in encouragement.
For a while, the two continued walking in silence. The wind swept across the plains, gently caressing the rough, dark skin of the men. Though the gatekeeper no longer paid attention to them, they knew they should remain cautious. Until they had covered a safe distance, they planned to keep up the act of being mere travelers.
They walked until the gate was far in the distance. Scanning the area, Ampong led them to a secluded corner of the plains where no monsters lurked. There was a cluster of low trees, perfect for hiding. Arne fixed her gaze on Pawn and used telepathy.
“(…You’ve done well. I think it’s safe now. Should we call Lily?)”
“(Yes, please…!)”
Pawn still looked pale from the tension. He probably wouldn’t feel completely at ease until all their companions were reunited. His eagerness to see his familiar was clear as he drew a deep breath and, with a slightly trembling voice, activated his skill.
“—Skill [Herald]. Lily, we’ve safely crossed the border… Thanks to your hard work. Thank you so much, and well done. Please come over now.”
With anxious hearts, four fugitives from the Galalarjule Kingdom stared intently at the border wall.
Pawn’s form had shifted from that of a muscular, filthy man into a delicate girl’s without anyone noticing. It was a thoughtful gesture by the slimes, who adored Lena and knew how much Lily loved her. After all, Lily would certainly prefer seeing her beautiful girl form rather than the rough appearance of the man.
Indeed, the slimes’ considerate transformation was spot on, and Lily would later thank them profusely for it.
A tiny, unseen hand touched Lena’s neck, bringing a faint warmth. It was probably Lily standing right in front of her. Staying still, Lena waited, and soon enough, she was hugged tightly.
“Lily…!”
‘…Masterrrr…!’
Called by her master, Lena embraced the “empty space” in front of her, returning Lily’s hug. She had been waiting until Lily was ready to show her true feelings.
A 50 cm tall, radiant fairy appeared gently in the meadow, like a scene out of a fairy tale.
Having stayed behind in the kingdom and kept up [Illusion], Lily must have been anxious the entire time. Her blue eyes were filled with tears, ready to spill over at any moment.
Lena, too, had tears welling up, her fairy contract mark having vanished. She was struggling to hold back her emotions, determined to express her gratitude to everyone before breaking down into tears. Though she tried to smile, a single tear fell, which the slimes on her shoulder quickly absorbed. Lena blushed, smiling gratefully as she realized just how lucky she was.
They rubbed their faces together, repeatedly reassuring each other that they were safe.
“…Everyone. Thank you so much for helping me. If it weren’t for you all, I wouldn’t have succeeded in escaping. I owe my safety to all of you. Luka, too. I can’t thank you enough for all your help. Now, at last, we can travel with a little more peace of mind.”
“Yeah. You and everyone else have worked so hard for so long… It feels like a dream to have really escaped. The fact that the fairy contract mark disappeared means that the world has acknowledged our successful escape. I think we can finally feel truly safe now. Thank you, everyone…! I’ve dreamed of this day for as long as I can remember, and it’s an amazing feeling. I’m deeply grateful to all of you too. There’s no way I could’ve done it alone. I’m really, really happy…”
‘Master and Luka are cryinggg?!’
‘But they’re smiling too…’
The familiars blinked up at the two humans, who were simultaneously crying and smiling. It was at that moment that the monsters learned what it meant to cry tears of happiness.
They exchanged glances, laughing softly, and proudly puffed out their chests.
‘Heh! That’s the power of monsters for ya!’
‘We’ve received all your gratitude! But we’re thankful too, you know!’
‘Traveling together was so much fun, and we got to mess with those bad guys. Felt great! …Hehe.’
“Hahaha!”
Everyone laughed heartily, clutching their stomachs with glee. The slimes quivered joyfully, and Lily let her tears fall freely.
The escape from the country had been a success! Lena, Kureha, Izumi, Lily, and Luka had secured a future where they were no longer bound by anyone.
They smiled, but in the back of their minds, the lessons they had learned from the Galalarjule Kingdom were firmly etched. They would turn this difficult experience into strength as they embarked on their journey across the land of Lanache, stronger and braver than ever before.
The first “Fairy Contract Mark” had disappeared, signaling their successful escape.
The second mark would vanish when Lena returned the [Physical Ability Boost] skill to Luka. Their kindly teacher had agreed to lend it to her until the next monster taming was completed.
“I wouldn’t want you to lose the skill suddenly and fail to tame something. That would be a shame,” he had said with a smile. Lena, deeply moved, had bowed her head in gratitude, acknowledging her own worries about her physical abilities.
The group headed toward the center of the plains, where the herbivorous monsters lived.
▽Escape Successful!
▽Let’s tame a sheep monster!
The plains just beyond the Galalarjule Kingdom were home to many relatively docile herbivorous monsters. Rabbit-types and sheep-types were common, while carnivores and omnivores such as snakes, rats, dogs, and slimes also inhabited the area.
The sheep monsters Lena and her group were aiming to tame could be one of three types: “Napping Sheep,” “Round Sheep,” or “Stealth Sheep.” The names “Sheep” and “Sheep” were used interchangeably, depending on who discovered them first, with no deeper meaning behind the distinction. Although the language of the Lanache world was now unified, in the past, there were several different languages. As a result, even for something as simple as “rabbit,” there were various terms like “rabbit,” “bunny,” “兎,” and “rabbit,” reflecting that history.
Lena spotted a white sheep grazing in a corner of the plains and asked Luka about it.
“How about that one?”
Luka used his magic eye to examine the sheep, but it didn’t seem to have the skills they were hoping for. He shook his head.
“It’s a female Round Sheep, level 2. It has the skills [Healing] and [Step], but no gift.”
“Aw, it doesn’t have a growth skill. Too bad! It might take some time to find the ideal one.”
Lena’s remark made Luka chuckle.
“Normally, you wouldn’t be able to sift through such a wide variety of skills. But with your luck, I think you can do it.”
“What?! That’s a lot of pressure…!”
‘Lena! Lena!’
“Hey! Don’t pile on like that!”
“Ahaha—♪” “Hehe”
“They’re really a lively bunch, aren’t they?”
“Well, Luca, your teasing is quite something too…”
“Want more?”
“I’m sorry!”
Maybe it was the release from the tension at the border gate, but the atmosphere as they journeyed through the plains was soft and joyful. The playful banter never seemed to end, with everyone chuckling at each other’s jokes.
Of course, they kept scouting for any monsters lurking around while searching for the sheep monsters.
The sheep had mostly white wool, though sometimes they spotted black or beige ones. The color of the wool didn’t seem to depend on the species of the monster, but rather varied by individual. At one point, they encountered a sheep with blue wool. Everyone got excited, but when it charged at them, they had to flee. It turned out to be a rare carnivorous “Assault Sheep,” which, in a way, was a jackpot encounter.
While avoiding snakes and bugs, they continued identifying sheep. And then, the meeting they had been hoping for finally happened! It was about four hours into their search—a quick success. Such incredible luck, master!
Even though it hadn’t been that long, they managed to find an ideal individual, leaving everyone staring at Lena in amazement.
“Um, can you all stop looking at me like that?”
She looked a bit troubled. Lena’s absurd luck seemed maxed out ever since she arrived in this other world, though it wasn’t as if she’d worked for it. The stares she received made her feel awkward… It definitely wasn’t because of Luca-sensei’s judgmental look! She’s just teasing, after all.
“Could you tell me the detailed stats of that one?”
“Sure… You won’t believe it! It’s a male ‘Sleepy Sheep,’ level 6. It has an affinity for dark magic. Its skills are [Body Shape Shift], [Dash], [Deep Sleep], and [Aura Effect]. It has a 5-star gift: 【Thick-Skinned】. It has high intelligence and luck stats, and its personality seems pretty laid-back.”
“Whoa! Those are some impressive stats… What an ideal sheep for a bed.”
“Your luck is amazing!”
“Judging look!”
“Is that one joining us?” “Hmm… A sheep with that much fluff looks like it’ll be quite satisfying to pet!” “A living bed… drool”
Lily was showing no restraint, but it was probably her own way of joking…
The sheep was peacefully sleeping in the shade of a tree. Its wool was a standard pure white. It seemed to be in such a deep sleep that it hadn’t even noticed the leaves piling up on its head.
As laid-back as this sheep seemed, Lena couldn’t help but worry a bit… But thinking back, all the monsters she had tamed so far had extremely unique personalities. This one was probably no different, she thought, and her worries disappeared. She was becoming quite the doting parent. The flaws of her familiars were adorable, and when they acted needy, it melted her heart!
In any case, they had found the monster they wanted to add to the group, so they started discussing their plan.
“I’ll act as the decoy.”
“…With [Dash] as one of its skills, that’s dangerous! If there’s a way to stop it, that’s one thing. Should we use [Charm]?”
“I don’t think it’s interested in beauty or romance, and its 【Thick-Skinned】 gift reinforces that. I doubt it’ll work. The gift is high-level too, so think of it as ‘super thick-skinned.’ The gift makes it resistant to pain and strengthens its mental resilience. But if its mental state is broken, it will fall into confusion as a backlash.”
“Oh my, do you need some [Melting] perhaps?”
“Nooo! You’ll kill the poor sheep!”
“Hmm. It’s frustrating that only the tamer can participate in the capture. No outside help is allowed.”
The group began to worry. If Lena wanted to tame the sheep, she and her familiars had to defeat it alone. They couldn’t ask Luca for help, and using the slime’s [Melting] skill would result in a complete kill…
The stronger the monster’s skills, the harder it was to subjugate them, which was the unfortunate fate of a tamer. The only reason Lena had managed so far was thanks to her exceptional gift. Normally, taming even weak monsters would be difficult, and raising them would be a painstaking task.
But with her luck, Lena suddenly came up with a plan. She turned to her familiars and asked about their magic skills.
“What kind of magic can you all use?”
Her familiars responded eagerly.
“Ku can use Flame!” “Iz can use Aqua!” “Hmm… I still can’t use magic.”
“I see, thank you. I think we can do this. Lily, I’ll need your help with the [Illusion] skill.”
“! Leave it to me!”
“If you want to check your learned magic, tap the ‘magic affinity’ section of your guild card.”
“Oh, you’re right. I’ll do that from now on, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I only explained it briefly last time, so there are still things I haven’t taught you.”
Luca-sensei explained how magic worked, which Lena hadn’t really used much before.
Both magic and skills require mana to activate, but magic generally consumes more mana and requires greater concentration. If you’re aiming for similar power, it’s better to use skills since they’re more efficient. The advantage of magic, however, is its versatility and flexibility. That’s why Izumi can use the Aqua spell for cooling down or creating water.
Basically, magic is the original technique, while skills are a shortcut or simplified version of those techniques. It’s easier to think of it that way.
Humans with the “Wizard” profession are capable of overcoming the inefficiencies of magic, allowing them to freely use custom spells. However, they rarely learn skills, and their stamina stats don’t grow much. Wizards need focus, so adventuring without a party is almost impossible. Each profession has its strengths and weaknesses to maintain balance. There’s no profession that automatically makes you overpowered.
Lena whispered the plan to her familiars, who widened their eyes in surprise.
For this plan, they’d use the magic “Flame” and “Aqua,” along with the [Illusion] skill. Lena’s acting skills would also be key.
Listening in, Luca-sensei was impressed.
“You come up with such bizarre plans one after another… It’s incredible.”
“Well, I grew up in a place filled with entertainment. Maybe that influenced me.”
“I see. I’d love to hear more about your hometown sometime.”
“Sure. But really, you don’t need to be so concerned about me, I’m fine.”
“Ahh, Lena, give us a smile toooo!” “…Shall we prepare?”
“Hmm, do Ku and Izumi want some attention too? Hehe. But yeah, we should start preparing. Will you all help?”
“Yeeees!”
“So, you’re preparing to roast a sheep alive? That’s terrifying…”
Wait… Roasting it alive? What kind of plan has Lena come up with?
Ku and Izumi began making slime gel, while Lily gathered leaves. Lena, holding a whip, smiled mischievously…
Next! Corner the sheep monster in an instant! Execute the plan that strikes deep into the mind!