Ultimate Porter ~The Weakest Man Aspires to be an Adventurer~ Chapter 21

4 days have pa.s.sed since I met Jean.

Early in the morning, the subjugation group gathered outside the main gate.

56 combat members attended by 45 porters and 1 healer. It’s unusual to have a healer come along.

It turns out he’s a military doctor called Captain Larry Hops.

He looks like a military man with his rigid stance and grim face.

It seems he’s been dispatched as a special a.s.signment since this is a request from the kingdom.

He’s not supposed to fight but stay back with the porters.

Let’s hope we don’t need a field hospital.

On the 1st day the subjugation group moved very fast. The plan was to set up camp in Levi’s fountain by the end of the day.

We didn’t collect parts from the defeated demons only the demon stones to save time.

Rushing through the 1st ward we arrived at Levis’ fountain.

Everyone’s face was showing signs of the forced march with fatigue clearly visible.

“Are you tired as well Meg?” I ask her as she rubs her calf.

“I’m fine. I’ve already been in the labyrinth a few times. My body seems to have adapted.”

Unun. You’re in your growth period after all.

I’m not looking with lewd eyes! Anyone under 18 is out of range.

Let’s give a honey and lemon candy to Meg who’s tired.

“Ah, unfair. Why only Meg?”

Jean’s being noisy.

Well, to be fair he did follow through and get me this job.  Should I give him a candy?

“Ossan’s tough despite his appearance. You’ve got no muscle at all.”

I’ve been secretly using recovery magic on myself. I couldn’t have kept up with the group if I didn’t.

“Is that a little bit of respect there?”

“Keh! You’ve got Gobu carrying your bags!”

Ah, he noticed.

The next day we pa.s.sed through the 3rd ward where I came as a porter

with [sand of the star] and arrived at the entrance to the 6th ward.

The number of demons increased sharply as we entered the 6th ward.

The number of injured people carried to Captain Hops continued to increase.

It’s only minor cuts and bruises but the number continues to rise.

The fighting on the front line is quite intense.

Us porters have become busy as well.

Priority was given to speed when we set off but now we’re busy collecting parts from the demons.

I’m currently collecting the tusks of a huge boar called [red boar] which weighs more than 200 kilos.

Red boar meat is edible and very tasty but due to its huge size butchering it is a ch.o.r.e.

I was instructed to only get its fangs since there would be too much meat to bring back with us.

It’s a shame to leave all this meat just because it would be troublesome. I’d like to eat some.

Using a mixture of material refining, cooking skills and life magic I drain its blood, remove the organs and bones and skin the meat.

If I did it the correct way it would take over 4 hours but using my way it took just 20 minutes.

Those in the rear are preparing the camp and because there are 102 of us, preparing food is a serious business.

We started a fire and began baking the red boar meat.

Jean was in high spirits and was giving instructions to everyone.

He’s one of those. A so-called pot magistrate. (TN. Pot magistrate usually refers to nabe/hotpots but is someone who takes over the cooking and is overbearing with it. Tofugu wrote an article on it if you want to know more.)

The way Meg was looking at the meat was so serious it was scary.

Oil from the meat dripped on

on the fire and made a mouthwatering smell.

“Ooh! It’s red boar yakiniku tonight!!”

“Such an appetising smell”

The camp was getting noisy as all the subjugation members returned.

It was going to be a noisy meal.

The meat was simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

This type of cooking suits the rustic beauty of where we are much better than a fancy meal would.

Because there were 100 adventurers the meat was gone in an instant.

Because there wasn’t enough meat I quickly butchered another red boar.

The yakiniku was incredibly popular.

After the dinner I was invited to a party.

The story that those with life magic were given preferential treatment was true.

What really surprised me was Captain Hops invited me to join the army as a captains aide but I politely refused.

As expected, soldiers are scary. It’s impossible.

“Haaa…….red boar…….. is delicious….” Meg earnestly says while cleaning up.

She seems to love meat.

By the way, I like girls who enjoy meat.

“This is the first time I’ve eaten so much meat. Aah. So happy. I’m glad I became an adventurer.”

If she likes meat that much I’ll give her some dried red boar meat I made earlier with material refining.

“Actually, I secretly dried some of the meat. I’ll share it with Meg later.”

“!! Thank you!”

Meg hugged me with joy.

Un. I only feel the armour.

I knew she’d do this.

Meg…….children are a crime……

“Ah, unfair. Only Meg”

It’s only Jean.

“I get it, I get it. I’ll give you some too.”

After cleaning up I removed the yakiniku smell from my hair and went to bed.

Life magic is really convenient.

On the next day, the subjugation group continued the cull of the 6th ward.

We thought the subjugation was progressing smoothly. There were no serious injuries and morale was high.

The labyrinth was not as kind as we thought.

It was about time for

time for lunch back at base camp. Everyone is busy. Some of the porters are preparing the meals and some are collecting the parts from the demons.

Me, Jean and Meg were boiling water in a large cauldron.

Because we had a healer with us in the camp 3 veteran adventures were guarding him.

One of the guards heard a sharp wind noise *hyun*

“What’s that sound?”

One of the bodyguards turned to his companion but it was already too late. The top half of his body was missing.

A huge monster mantis had attacked the guard.

Its total length was over 6 meters.

Before he could make a sound the mantis took the head off another guard with its sharp sickle.

Other demons are appearing from behind the mantis. Drawn by the smell of the dead red boars.

“Enemy raid!!”

Screams and angry voices break out throughout the camp.

The 3rd guard managed to block the mantis’ sickle but was sent flying crashing into a wall.

With the 3rd guard down the porter’s chain of command shattered.

It became a confused fight with multiple fights breaking out all over the camp.

“Uga!”

Hearing a terrible sound I spun around to see Gobu block an attack from a huge ant with his tower shield.

I quickly pulled my gun out its holster but Meg was even quicker sinking her mace into the huge ants body, however, before she can react another huge ant bites her shoulder.

I open fire on the huge ant from point-blank range driving bullets into its body.

“Meg!”

Jean rushes in and picks Meg up

She seems to have lost consciousness from her injury but she’s not dead.

Huge ants are coming one after the other.

“I can’t treat her here. Me and Gobu will hold them off. Let’s retreat at once”

“Got it!”

Jean was easily carrying the armoured Meg.

As expected.

I couldn’t do expected.

I couldn’t do that.

We retreat with Gobu covering us with his shield and me firing at the enemy from the cover of his shield.

Just as I was about to run out of ammo the enemy stopped pursuing us.

Quickly checking I see I have 2 bullets left. Dangerous.

Moving quickly I check on Megs wound.

She’s bleeding a lot.

I take out a life potion and empty it on Megs wound.

“What’s that ossan?”

“Its a life potion.”

Megs wound healed in the blink of an eye.

“You even had such an expensive thing.”

Meg returned to consciousnesses after a while.

“Eh? What am I?”

“I’ve given you a recovery potion but hows your wound?”

“I’m sorry! Using such an expensive thing…..”

“It’s fine. Meg saved my life after all.”

It’s not a big deal.

Even if it was expensive, Meg’s life is more precious.

We retreat a bit more.

We could still hear sounds of fighting but we can’t afford to go back and help.

I can only pray they survive somehow.

I check our current position on the map. The very first thing I learnt on my beginner course.

Were in a wide corridor at the moment. We could be attacked by a demon at any time in such a place.

There’s a small room nearby that could offer us safety so we moved there.

It took us 15 minutes to arrive but we didn’t open the door immediately. This was also on the course.

We check for traps and listen for sounds coming from the room.

I can’t hear anything.

“Gobu, please.”

Gobu moves his shield by the door as I open it.

Jean and Meg are behind me ready to attack if needed.

I have 1 bullet left.

The door opened with a creak of iron to reveal an empty room.

We wrap red cloth around the handle, seal the door and breath a big sigh of relief.