Keen Scent

The others turned to look.

"Hmm? What is it, Fabian?" Leia examined the vest but saw nothing unusual. She couldn't help asking.

"This leather vest wasn't made by a Boarfolk clan. Captain, look at the needle holes along the seams."

Rain narrowed his eyes and took a closer look.

In truth, one glance was enough to tell him Fabian was right.

The needle holes were fine and evenly spaced, nothing like the leather armor the burly Boarfolk made with bone needles.

"What's so strange about that? Maybe this Boarfolk Warrior killed some unlucky Adventurer and put it on afterward," Chris said dismissively.

"All right, Chris. Then explain the size. It would only fit an Adventurer with orc blood or a barbarian's build."

"And if it belonged to an orc-blooded Adventurer or a barbarian, they probably wouldn't have been weak."

Rain nodded. Fabian's reasoning was sound.

But if that was true, what it suggested was...

"Fabian, you mean a Sewing Machine probably made this vest, and someone supplied it to the Stillwater Boarman through some channel?" A grave look crossed Leia's face.

"Yes, Captain."

"But one leather vest alone isn't enough to make the case," Leia said quietly with a nod.

Just then, Rain's gaze swept over the Boarfolk Warrior, whose upper body Fabian had stripped bare. He paused.

"Look at the wounds on the Boarfolk Warrior," Rain said, pointing.

The others followed his finger.

Despite the Boarfolk's thick brown fur, they could make out clear indentations in the flesh on both sides of its ribs, as though something heavy had struck it hard.

But neither Grand nor Chris had used a heavy weapon in the fight.

"Probably wounds from a warhammer," Fabian said after a careful examination. "They're fairly fresh, and serious too. I'd say they were inflicted within the last week or two."

"A warhammer? That's the Boarfolk's favorite weapon," Chris said, puzzled.

"Could the Boarfolk Warrior just have been picking fights?"

"No, I think there was infighting among the Boarfolk," Leia said.

"My guess is that something happened within the Boarfolk clan in Deadwater Valley."

"Otherwise, why would a Boarfolk Warrior be driven out of its clan? And this armor doesn't add up either... I wonder what happened." Fabian shook his head.

"Whatever happened, it has little to do with us, and it isn't something we can handle."

"Put the Boarfolk Warrior on the back of the wagon. We'll report what we found to the association and leave the rest to them and the Black Iron Adventurers."

Rain nodded as he listened.

Leia and Fabian's deductions made sense.

So this Boarfolk Warrior, with a Challenge Rating of two, had been fighting before its injuries healed.

Rain still didn't know what had happened within the Deadwater Clan, but it wasn't something he could get involved in right now. Nor did he need to.

Half an hour later.

After collecting the ordinary Boarfolk's tusks and the Boarfolk Warrior, Rain and the others climbed back into their hired covered wagon and headed swiftly for Mill Town.

Rain still hadn't had a chance to test the effects of the Boarfolk Warrior's bloodline. All he could do was occasionally glance at its icon, resting quietly in his sixteen-slot inventory.

For now, though, the wagon ride gave him time to examine the three bloodline talents he had obtained from the ordinary Boarfolk.

First were Brute Strength lv1 and Thick Hide lv1.

Brute Strength lv1. Effect: Strength +2. (Note: Based on current physical condition.)

Thick Hide lv1. Effect: Constitution +2; increases poison resistance and defense against piercing attacks by an additional 20%. (Note: Based on current physical condition.)

That explained why his combat strength had jumped so sharply as soon as he received the boosts.

The importance of strength in close combat went without saying.

The increase in constitution had also restored Rain's stamina quickly.

So Thick Hide doesn't just increase constitution. It also boosts poison resistance and defense against piercing attacks. No wonder the Boarfolk held up so well against poisoned crossbow bolts.

But what interested Rain most was Keen Scent lv2.

Keen Scent lv2. Effect: Your sense of smell improves, allowing you to clearly distinguish lingering scents within a radius of approximately fifty meters.

At first, Rain wondered why Keen Scent was lv2 rather than lv1.

After some thought, he guessed it was because pigs had one of the keenest senses of smell among animals, surpassing even most dogs.

Did the same hold true for Boarfolk?

"Rain, I only just noticed how solidly built you are!" Chris said, squeezing Rain's bulging trapezius muscle with his uninjured right hand.

"Compared to that, your weapon is... awfully plain."

"Heh." Rain smiled, unsure how to answer.

Could he tell Chris his muscles had only just grown?

"Rain, are you planning to become an Arcane Knight?" Leia asked with a smile.

"An Arcane Knight?" Rain gave her a curious look.

It was the first time he had heard of the profession.

"Huh? You don't know? An Arcane Knight is a special advanced profession that combines a warrior's abilities with some spellcasting," Leia said in surprise.

"I thought that was what you were aiming for."

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet," Rain said with a smile.

In truth, Rain himself had no clear idea what path he wanted to take. How could he answer her?

"Fair enough. Become a Professional first. You can think about an advanced class later." Leia nodded with a smile.

Then Rain's nostrils twitched. He turned to Leia, looking a little puzzled.

"Leia, are you sure you aren't hurt? Why can I smell blood on you?"

"Of course I'm not." Leia blinked, confused.

A moment later, realization seemed to strike. A blush spread across her beautiful face. She shot Rain a look, then turned toward the window.

Huh?

Rain shook his head in confusion.

Several seconds later, it dawned on him.

He, too, looked awkwardly out the window.

For the rest of the journey, Rain tried to work out how to ignore the bewildering variety of smells reaching him when he wasn't in combat.

It was a passive ability, so shutting it off completely was impossible.

But it was much like sight. People unconsciously ignored most of what they saw and focused on particular things.

Pigs were another example. Despite their keen sense of smell, they lived in stinking pens without being overwhelmed, because they instinctively tuned out the odor.

Rain was learning to adjust in the same way.

Warm afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the wagon's cover. As his excitement faded, the exhausted Rain gradually let his eyes fall half-closed.