I was Betrayed then Reincarnated as a Kitsune

Chapter 55: Camping Out and an Attack

[Luna POV]

Weve been on the road for a week now and nothing eventful has happened so far.  I know that this is a good thing, but I cant help but feel a bit disappointed.  The sun was going down and we were setting up camp, I was on cooking duty today, much to everyones happiness.  It turns out that, with the exception of Gief, no one else could cook well.

Lass, can I ask you to let Gief help out over here so he can get on your level? (Jarl)

I dont mind. (Luna)

Thanks, Ill buy you a drink when we get to the kingdom for this. (Jarl)

As long as its only one, then Ill accept your offer. (Luna)

Gahahaha.  Gief come here, the lass will let you help today. (Jarl)

! (Gief)

He was quite excited to help and learn from me it seems.  He came over and we started preparing the food, I gave him some pointers on where he could improve, and he absorbed it like a sponge.  When we were done, we had a big pot of stew that we could all eat and still have some for breakfast.

Oi!  Cookings done, if you want some, come and get it! (Luna)

No need to yell, we can all hear you. (Velvet)

I know, but it sets the mood. (Luna)

It smells great today. (Apollo)

You can thank Gief for that, he found some fragrant herbs and used them. (Luna)

!!? (Zan)

!!! (Gief)

Zan and Gief were having what seemed like a conversation using gestures.

I wonder what theyre saying? (Velvet)

Zan is asking if Gief enjoyed learning from you and praising the effort he put into cooking, and Gief is saying how good of a teacher you are and how he feels like he can finally get over the wall in his cooking growth. (Jarl)

You got all of that from just gestures? (Luna)

I dont get how he does it either, he just started trying to interpret for them one day and succeeded somehow. (Apollo)

I like to think that its because Ive survived a lot of life and death situations with them and we have a good amount of trust with each other. (Jarl)

I wonder if they would be able to talk if they had telepathy? (Luna)

I brought that up when I first joined this group and learned that those two dont have enough mana to use that skill and any item that would allow for the use of that skill is too expensive for us to buy. (Apollo)

If only the skill wasnt one-way. (Luna)

You have the skill? (Jarl)

Yeah, Im a kitsune, I have a skill that lets me turn into a fox form.  I got the skill the first time I transformed since I cant talk normally in that form. (Luna)

I knew kitsune could do that, but I never knew that they got the telepathy skill as well. (Apollo)

I think its only natural that we should get it.  If we didnt, wed have to learn how to do a partial transformation.  How weird would you find a fox walking around with a human head? (Luna)

Pffft.  Thats a funny image. (Velvet)

Hahaha, it truly is.  Now, on a serious note, who will take first watch tonight? (Jarl)

Ill take it. (Luna)

You sure, lass? (Jarl)

Yeah, its not like Ill get tired anyway, so why not? (Luna)

Ill join you, Luna.  You dont want to be bored all night talking to yourself, right? (Velvet)

Then well leave first watch to the two of you, wake me and Apollo up at midnight and well switch out. (Jarl)

Got it. (Velvet)

After deciding on the watch order, Jarl and his party went to bed and me and Velvet were left alone by the campfire.

This party of people are quite fun to travel with, dont you think Luna?

They are.  I wonder if our party will be like this when we fill it?

Aside from Soleil, how many other people do you want to join?

I dont know, I feel like four people in total would be good, but Im not opposed to the full six if needed.

I think four would be enough, I mean you are already as strong as a battalion of trained soldiers so I think six would be overkill.

I guess youre right.  On a different note, do you think well meet an S-rank adventurer in the Celestia Kingdom?

A bit of a random question but Im not sure, from what I know of S-ranks, they move around a lot.  The last one I heard about was Skadi the Abyssal Hunter.

Do I need to worry about fighting her if we ever meet?

No, her title has something to do with her penchant for fighting monsters from deep in the sea.  What I heard about her is that she went off to fight some weird plant-like creatures in a seaside town in the Demon Empire.

What kind of weapon does she use?

A two-handed greatsword.

Interesting.

Since we hit a lull in the conversation, I looked up to the sky and watched the moon.  It was a little less than halfway full so my next meeting with Tamamo was still a ways away.  I was about to start talking with Tamamo when I heard a faint sound.

I didnt know what was making it yet, but it was slowly getting closer to our location.

Velvet, something is coming, I dont know what it is, but its coming from the direction of the tall grass over there.

I pointed in the direction that the faint sound was coming from, and Velvet got ready for a fight.  I also readied my throwing knives and we waited.  After about five minutes I could smell some kind of beast.  It started to try and circle around where the light of the campfire reached so it could stay out of sight.  As it went, it got closer and closer to where the horses were tied up for the night.

I think its going for the horses since it cant really sneak up on us, Ill distract it while you go get Jarl and the others, I dont know if this is the only one of whatever this is.

Velvet nodded and we went to follow my plan.  I stepped out of the lights range and activated my stealth and night vision.  When I did that, I could clearly see what we were up against.  It looked like a black panther from my previous world with the only difference being a scorpion-like tail swinging around.

I shot a small ice arrow at it to grab its attention and it pierced the end of its tail.  Upon feeling pain coming from behind it, it turned around and bared its teeth at me.  I guess I enraged it because it then charged at me making me jump back to avoid its attack.  It was easy since I had such high Agi, but it was relentless in its attacks.

In the middle of me dodging its claws, I heard the sound of a bow being drawn and an arrow being released.  It flew past me and landed right between the panther things eyes.

Nice shot, Apollo. (Luna)

Thanks, and good job keeping it distracted. (Apollo)

I dragged the thing closer to the fire so that those of us that werent able to see in the dark could see what came here.

A scorpanther eh?  I havent hunted one of these since I was a D-rank. (Jarl)

Do you think more will come here? (Velvet)

No, these live and hunt alone. (Jarl)

Anything useful we can take from it? (Luna)

Normally, you could take the poison from the tail and dilute it to make a sleeping poison, but it looks like you froze its tail solid, girlie. (Apollo)

Sorry about that, I didnt know about it and aimed for the tail first. (Luna)

Its fine lass, not like you knew any better and besides, the diluted stuff you could make from it isnt that good in the first place.  Well take over the watch from here, you two get some sleep. (Jarl)

Got it. (Velvet, Luna)

Listening to Jarl, me and Velvet went to our spots and went to sleep until morning.

Author's Note:

I have come to the realization that I suck at naming things that aren't people.  Thanks for reading.