The weakest tamer, who was expelled because they could only tame the lowest-ranked trash monsters, awakens the "Breeder" ability. Eventually, they become a hero commanding extraordinary divine beasts and mythical creatures. - Chapter 56
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- The weakest tamer, who was expelled because they could only tame the lowest-ranked trash monsters, awakens the "Breeder" ability. Eventually, they become a hero commanding extraordinary divine beasts and mythical creatures.
- Chapter 56 - Episode 056: Recruitment and Mountain Pass Crossing
**Episode 056: Recruitment and Mountain Pass Crossing**
The distance to the town has changed.
■■■
The next day, we stopped at a village along the way to procure supplies. In the village, we had temporary freedom.
“Again…?”
“Not the other day…”
“It’s been a while…”
As I looked around, I noticed the villagers talking anxiously about something. I couldn’t hear the details, but something seemed to have happened. Despite my curiosity, I returned to the meeting point.
“Today, we’ll be crossing the mountain pass, so stay alert.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Yeah.”
Apparently, the mountain pass ahead was known for being infested with monsters, and victims were often claimed. It was even called “Cannibal Pass.” Despite periodic efforts by the knights to clear it, new monsters always seemed to settle in after a while, creating a perpetual cycle.
“It’s quite a troublesome place.”
“Indeed. However, there seems to have been a recent patrol by the knights, so I think we’ll be fine. Just keep it in the back of your mind as a precaution.”
“Understood.”
If the knights had recently patrolled, we should be safe, but it wouldn’t hurt to remember just in case. After finishing our resupply, we left the village.
“They went that way!”
“Leave it to me!”
Although El and Keith usually bickered, during battles, they were perfectly in sync. We efficiently dealt with the monsters we had ambushed.
“It’s so much easier when there’s a flying-type monster.”
“I can’t guarantee it, but in places where we have a view from the sky, we can usually take the initiative.”
“After the Orc subjugation, we tried taming again, but it didn’t work…”
After the battle, El sighed disappointingly. Taming monsters depended a lot on innate ability. The capacity for taming monsters was said to increase until around the age of 20, but the rate of increase varied.
“Hey, Ilk. How about joining our party?”
“…”
Suddenly being invited, I was taken aback. The offer was genuinely heartwarming for someone like me who had been scorned by everyone during my academy days. However, I had a big secret. Even if I talked about the proxy contract later, there were many things I couldn’t say or show.
Considering that, currently, it was best for me to operate alone.
“Thank you. I appreciate the invitation, but sorry, I plan to go solo for a while.”
“I see. Got it. Let us know if you change your mind. We’ll always welcome you.”
Keith and Chris also nodded in agreement with El’s words.
“Oh, and when that time comes, count on us.”
They were genuinely good people. If I ever needed the help of others, I planned to reach out to them first.
“By the way, Ilk. Have you gotten considerably stronger since the Orc subjugation?”
“There have been various things in the past few months. It’s a long story.”
Changing the atmosphere, Keith brought up the topic, prompting me to deflect the conversation.
“Ah, well. Forget it. Let’s spar when we get to that town.”
“Got it.”
Perhaps sensing that, he didn’t press further.
“We’re entering the pass. Stay vigilant!”
“Understood!”
A few hours later, we finally reached the mountain pass. Following El’s words, we heightened our awareness and remained cautious of our surroundings.
“Nothing happened.”
“Yeah, but don’t let your guard down until we pass the pass.”
“That’s right.”
However, whether you’d call it anticlimactic or not, we were not attacked by monsters until we reached the rest area near the summit. We decided to camp here for the night.
“Well then, may I take a rest?”
“Yes, leave the guard duty to us.”
“Thank you very much.”
After enduring the tough times with preserved food, Pedro-san went to sleep in the carriage bed. We took turns keeping watch, one person at a time, along with our familiars.
The order was El, Keith, me, and then Chris. We immediately lay down to avoid getting sleepy later.
“Hey, Ilk, wake up.”
“…It’s my turn for watch duty. Understood.”
Woken up by Keith, I took over the watch duty. While playing with Lily, I remained vigilant of the surroundings. Time passed without anything particular happening.
It was almost time for the next shift, but I didn’t sense any monster presence around. I suddenly looked up at the sky.
“Phew, it’s beautiful.”
“Tchii.”
Today, the weather was good, and a round moon shone in the sky, providing clear visibility.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
Relaxing a bit and gazing at the moon, something crossed my field of vision, momentarily blocking the moonlight. I followed that shadow, squinting my eyes.
With my current abilities, I could see quite far even at night if I wanted to.
“What is that!?”
What I caught sight of in my field of view was a humanoid figure floating in the sky. There was only one such existence.
“Harpy!!”
It was a monster with an ugly, distorted face and a torso resembling a woman, with bird-like wings for arms and legs. Harpies were nocturnal and had a taste for human flesh.
“Everyone, wake up!! It’s a Harpy attack!!”
“Tchiiiiii!!”
Lily and I shouted loudly to wake everyone up.