Chapter 195

And so, the three of them left Astram to take on a request.

On their way to the request’s target location.

To make use of the travel time, the three of them decided to introduce themselves.

After sharing basic information like names and ages, they began to explain why they had to take on this request.

“That’s why today, we’re going to hunt monsters to get one step closer to becoming Silver Rank Adventurers.”

However, upon hearing this explanation, Yuri simply looked at Liche with a doubtful expression.

“Huh? But that’s…”

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“But if we go by Liche’s logic, wouldn’t it be meaningless unless we defeat that adventurer through cooking? Even if we become Silver Rank Adventurers, we can’t truly say we’ve surpassed them unless we beat them in cooking.”

Yuri’s words struck at the core of the issue Liche had been avoiding.

Ultimately, the reason she felt defeated by Kurt was cooking.

Given that Liche, as a race, naturally possessed abilities superior to ordinary humans, it was only natural that she would eventually surpass Kurt in adventurer rank. But even if she achieved Silver Rank and surpassed him, it wouldn’t bring her true satisfaction.

In truth, Liche knew this too, but she had avoided it because she didn’t think she could create a dish that surpassed the taste of Kurt’s sous-vide steak.

Faced with the truth she had once avoided, Liche hesitated and dodged the question.

“Then, to truly defeat that adventurer, shouldn’t we focus on improving our cooking skills rather than just achieving Silver Rank?”

“That’s true… but we’ve already started the request. It’s too late to go back to the Adventurer Guild and cook now…”

“No, that’s not what I mean!”

“Then what do you mean?”

“Cooking and the request—we don’t have to choose between the two! If we use the monster we defeat as cooking ingredients, we can complete the request and drastically reduce the cost of cooking at the same time!”

“…!”

“There’s something an adventurer I admire once said: ‘If you hunt a monster, you should use every part of its body, from its bones to its fur, and treat it with respect. That’s the proper way to honor a life that once lived!’ That’s why I think we should absolutely use the meat of the monster we hunt in this request to cook!”

“W-Well, if that’s the case, then we can achieve both becoming Silver Rank and improving our cooking skills at the same time.”

Even Arisa, who had been silently listening, was convinced by Yuri’s words and let out an impressed sigh.

Seeing their positive reactions, Liche finally spoke up in a hesitant voice.

“…But can I really do it? Can I defeat that adventurer through cooking?”

“Whether it’s possible or not depends on your effort, Clarice! Don’t worry! If you want, I can help you taste-test your dishes anytime! Despite how I look, I come from a fairly wealthy family, so I have a good palate for food!”

“I-I’ll help too! I might not know much about fine cuisine, but I’ll do my best…!”

Yuri confidently promised to help, and Arisa, though awkwardly, also offered her assistance, her sincerity shining through her clumsiness.

“…Heh.”

With their encouragement, Liche regained her energy.

“*Chuckle*. Thank you so much. I feel motivated now. By the way, the idea of using every part of a monster’s body to honor its life… The adventurer Yuri admires must be a truly great person. Someone who says such things must be a good person, right?”

“*Giggle*! Yes! They’re truly an admirable and outstanding person! I hope you can improve your cooking skills quickly, Clarice, and defeat that evil adventurer who stole your place!”

And so, Liche and Yuri, praising each other, continued walking forward.

Unaware that the adventurer they were both criticizing and admiring was the same person.

.

.

.

As they chatted, the three of them soon arrived at the monster’s nest.

“This is the monster’s nest.”

“It’s a very desolate place for a typical monster’s nest.”

“I learned at the academy that this is probably due to the monster’s characteristics.”

At that moment, the monster seemed to notice them and rose to its feet.

The request the three had taken was one of the highest-ranked requests that adventurers of their rank could receive.

It was only natural.

After all, they had taken on this request with the serious goal of reaching Silver Rank, so they wouldn’t bother with half-hearted requests.

At that moment, the monster they had targeted let out a threatening cry upon spotting them.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!!”

Their request was to subjugate a Cockatrice.

The Cockatrice’s appearance was closer to a chicken or duck than a fearsome bird of prey, giving it a comical shape.

However, its size was comparable to that of an adult male.

It wasn’t as physically strong as a bird of prey, and while it was larger than ordinary birds, it wasn’t as massive as a true large monster. Its awkward size made it unable to fly, making it a chaotic mess of a monster.

That was the Cockatrice.

However, if the Cockatrice were merely a large bird-like monster, it wouldn’t be at the top of its rank.

The truly terrifying aspect of the Cockatrice was its Evil Eye, which could turn anything in its line of sight into stone.

While its Petrification Evil Eye was a step below that of a Basilisk, requiring it to stare at its target for a longer time, this single ability alone allowed the Cockatrice to dominate the area without needing to form a group.

With a comical cry reminiscent of a rooster’s crow, the Cockatrice glared at Arisa, who was charging toward it.

Even before the petrification fully took effect, Arisa felt her body tingling as the monster’s gaze fell upon her.

As Arisa’s body twitched and slowed for a moment.

The Cockatrice flapped its wings and lunged at her.

Although its attack was crude compared to a true bird of prey, it was still a significant threat to Arisa, whose movements were slowing due to the Evil Eye.

“Ugh!”

Arisa rolled to the ground, sacrificing her posture to avoid the Cockatrice’s attack.

But the Cockatrice had no intention of letting her escape and immediately pursued her, flapping its wings and slashing with its claws.

Arisa had no choice but to desperately roll across the ground several times to evade.

After creating enough distance, Arisa realized that fighting the Cockatrice was more challenging than she had anticipated.

“…This is tougher than I thought.”

She had planned to recover her posture and counterattack while avoiding the Evil Eye during the Cockatrice’s attacks or turns, but…

There was no opportunity to escape the monster’s gaze.

Even as it flapped its wings and charged, slashing with its claws, the Cockatrice’s gaze never left her, causing her body to grow heavier in real-time.

The petrification was progressing faster than she had expected.

Moreover, the distance between her and the Cockatrice had increased compared to the start, as she had to evade its attacks.

If this continued, petrification might begin before she could land a proper hit.

The reason Arisa was struggling more than expected against the Cockatrice.

It was due to the Cockatrice’s unique ability to fix its gaze, inherited from its bird-like origins.

Have you ever seen how, when you hold a chicken’s body and shake it, its head remains fixed in place as if nailed to the air?

Birds have narrow fields of vision and cannot move their pupils as freely as mammals.

Thus, birds have developed the ability to keep their heads fixed in the same position even while their bodies move violently, and the Cockatrice shared this trait.

So, even while moving violently, the Cockatrice used its gaze-fixing ability to keep Arisa in its line of sight, continuously stacking the effects of its Evil Eye.

Moreover, even if Arisa tried to use some obstacle to escape the Cockatrice’s gaze, the monster’s nest was an open space with nothing to hide behind.

The Cockatrice had likely chosen this open area as its nest to prevent intruders from hiding.

Just as Arisa began to feel that her chances of winning were slim.

“I won’t let that happen! Crimson Flame Arrow!”

“Clarice!”

To save Arisa from her predicament, Liche fired a flame arrow at the Cockatrice.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!!”

But the Cockatrice didn’t even try to dodge the magic, instead letting out an angry cry and glaring back.

Liche’s magic dissipated before even touching the Cockatrice’s body.

The Petrification Evil Eye could petrify not just living beings.

Even inanimate objects could be turned to stone, and while it couldn’t petrify magic itself, it could solidify the flow of mana that composed the magic, causing it to dissipate.

That’s why Liche hadn’t been able to actively use magic against it.

But in this moment, the magic she fired at the Cockatrice was merely a distraction to divert its gaze.

“The real deal is this! Rise, Earth Barrier!”

*Crash!*

Liche performed the acrobatic feat of dual-casting two spells at once, but instead of attacking the Cockatrice directly, she summoned an earthen wall to shield Arisa from its gaze.

And the earthen walls didn’t stop at one.

*Crash!*

*Crash!*

*Crash!*

*Crash!*

One after another, earthen walls rose from the ground.

The multiple walls formed a line stretching toward the Cockatrice, like a constellation.

Perhaps because it wasn’t a direct attack, the Cockatrice reacted slowly to Liche’s magic, only belatedly activating its Evil Eye to destroy the walls.

But by the time the monster had destroyed all the walls, Arisa had already hidden behind the closest one and was charging forward.

“Thank you, Clarice!”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!”

Feeling the threat, the Cockatrice, even at the risk of straining its eyes, increased the output of its Petrification Evil Eye and glared at Arisa.

The Cockatrice’s Petrification Evil Eye was one rank below that of a Basilisk, lacking instant effect.

But even so, Arisa had been continuously exposed to the Evil Eye throughout the battle.

In a little while, her limbs would begin to turn to stone!

And Arisa, through her increasingly sluggish body, was beginning to realize this.

Thus, the Dark Elf and the monster both understood that this moment was their life-or-death final showdown.

But in the end, would the goddess of victory smile upon the Cockatrice?

Arisa’s movements slowed significantly before she could reach the Cockatrice.

At this rate, it was clear that petrification would begin before she could even touch the monster.

No, even if she did reach the Cockatrice, her slowed body wouldn’t be able to subdue it.

Realizing this, the Cockatrice, despite being a monster, smiled as if it were human.

But at that moment.

Arisa refused to give up and pulled out her trump card, which she had kept hidden until the very end.

It was one of the artifacts she had obtained from the ruins of the ancient empire.

A knife that could cut through anything, as if clad in aura, and a necklace that glowed even in the dark.

What she pulled out was not the knife, but the glowing necklace.

Arisa activated the necklace at full power, and in an instant, the open space was engulfed in a blinding light.

*Flash!!!*

The Cockatrice let out a painful cry and writhed in agony under the intense light.

Having focused its gaze on Arisa to ensure her petrification, the Cockatrice was fully exposed to the necklace’s flash.

Temporarily blinded by the light, the Cockatrice lost its sight…

*Thud*

And in that moment, a dagger lodged itself in the Cockatrice’s neck.