Chapter 16 - Glasses-kun Solves the Mystery of the Numbers
Ore Megane - Chapter 16
Chapter 16 - Glasses-kun Solves the Mystery of the Numbers
Numbers were on my mind, but first, I had to take down the Red Bear.
If my prediction was correct, the numbers should start rising from here.
I nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring.
—First, seal its offensive.
"GROOOOAR!!"
The bear reared up and swung its entire body down—a heavy right-handed strike loaded with its full weight.
The moment it raised its arm and brought it crashing toward me, my arrow flew.
"GYAAAGH!?"
The arrow struck true, piercing clean through the palm of its right foreleg.
—Second, immobilize it.
With the Red Bear halted mid-attack by the pain, I readied my second arrow.
My target: the knee of its left hind leg, now awkwardly supporting its unbalanced stance.
"GRUUH!?"
—Third… well, maybe I don’t need it.
The arrow tore through its knee, causing its upper body to buckle forward as the bear’s head dropped low.
There was no distance between us now.
At point-blank range—close enough to touch its nose—I already had my third arrow aimed.
Rage, panic, and then fear.
The emotions flickered through the Red Bear’s eyes, now level with mine, in an instant.
It sensed its own death.
The moment it realized it had lost, my iron arrow pierced its right eye—and through its skull.
"...Alright, done."
By the time I loosed the third arrow, the number above its head had changed to "100."
Then, as the Red Bear slowly collapsed, the number vanished.
I think those numbers were probably win rates.
I don’t know how they’re calculated, but that’s my guess.
Every time—when I nocked a wooden arrow, when it spotted me, when we faced off—the numbers shifted with the bear’s movements.
If I think about it that way, it makes sense.
Until now, the only person I’d seen numbers above was Lorobel. That’s because, these past few days, she was the only one I’d considered an enemy and kept my guard up around.
Lorobel is strong.
From the moment we first met, I knew she was stronger than me.
So I stayed wary, gauging whether I could win.
That’s when the numbers appeared.
At first, when she sat beside me, the number was "52."
That must’ve been the "chance of winning if I ambushed her."
In other words, even with a sneak attack, my odds were less than half. My instincts told me the same.
Against Lorobel, I didn’t think I could win even with an ambush.
And back then, I don’t think she was even seriously on guard. Even then, my odds were 50-50. In a fair fight, I’d stand no chance.
Next was when she came to my room.
The number above Lorobel, sitting on the bed next to Laila, was "31," I think.
Simply because we were face-to-face.
The lower win rate compared to when she was beside me was likely because she was right in front of me—any suspicious moves would’ve been obvious.
And finally, the moment I gave her the glasses.
The number jumped to "74."
Logically, she must’ve let her guard down—happy about receiving the glasses, her attention diverted from me.
It all adds up.
—After all, when I consciously looked at Laila after she climbed down from the tree, the number above her head was "99."
Yeah.
I’m confident I could beat Laila no matter the circumstances.
It seems the numbers don’t appear for those I don’t perceive as enemies, but if I focus, maybe I can see them for any living thing.
"H-Hey! Listen! I’m really good at ‘Fireball,’ okay? It’s just… if that’s all you judge me by, it’s kinda… you know… weird!"
Laila started rambling about something.
I’ll put the numbers aside for now—I’ll test them more later.
"Yeah, got it. Wanna help butcher this?"
"No, say something! Give me your thoughts!"
I don’t really have any thoughts, though.
"You’re amazing for being able to use magic."
"If I just heard the words, that’d sound super sarcastic! But the complete lack of emotion means you’re just saying it to shut me up, right!?"
"What a waste of good fur."
"Listen to me! Show some interest! At this point, I’ll take even sarcasm!"
Red Bear fur, when properly washed, tanned, and softened with fabric conditioner, ends up so fluffy it’s gentle enough for a baby’s skin—despite being tough enough to repel blades. It’s the most valuable part.
But with the fur hacked up so meaninglessly and randomly, its resale value would definitely drop. What a waste.
"...Y’know, even though things turned out like this… I’m glad I came."
Behind me, as I started butchering the bear with my knife, Laila muttered something.
"See, the people in my party… they’re really strong. They can take down a Red Bear with a single swing of their sword. And monsters supposedly stronger than that? They handle those easily too.
Because of that, I always thought Red Bears were weak monsters. But no. They’re actually really strong."
Huh. Okay.
"If you learned something, that’s good."
More importantly, I’d appreciate help with the butchering.
"I shouldn’t team up with strong people yet. I’m not even at that level."
Hmm. Could you go fetch some water?
"S-So… those glasses are strong, huh?"
Ah, yeah.
"‘These glasses’ are amazing."
"...?"
Saying it out loud might’ve sounded unnatural, but she doesn’t need to understand.
With "these glasses," I might really be able to do anything.
Hell, I might even become a world-renowned hero.
Not that I’d want to. Too much trouble.
Working efficiently, I skinned the Red Bear and extracted the magic core from its heart—standard for any monster. These two parts fetch the highest price.
Next, I carved out the choicest cuts of meat—also for sale.
Given the weight, Laila and I couldn’t carry everything back.
The unsellable parts—or those worth only pocket change—had to be left behind.
Then—oh, right. Almost forgot.
"Ever heard of ‘minced meat patties’?"
Lyra, who’d been muttering to herself, finally joined in the butchering. Once we finished, we were left with a grotesque scene: a massive pile of meat and organs. We couldn’t just leave it—the blood might attract predators. We’d have to dig a hole and bury it.
But first—
"Minced meat patties? What’s that?"
"You chop up meat, mix it, shape it, and grill it."
"...Nope, never heard of it."
She seemed to try imagining it but couldn’t recall any dish that matched.
"I see."
Guess it really was Master’s original recipe.
He’d proudly explained how to make it, boasting, "I invented this, ya know." I never really believed him, though. His bragging always felt sketchy.
Well, regardless of the truth, it’d been a while since I last had minced meat patties. After hunting a Red Bear, this was a must.
"Wanna eat some?"
"I don’t really get what we’re eating, but… free meal, I guess?"
"Pretty much."
"Then sure."
Great, two portions it is.
I scraped the red meat from one of the Red Bear’s ribs—the softest part, as I’d been taught. Every other part of its meat was tough.
After portioning out enough for two, I wrapped it in leaves that neutralized the gamey smell. Perfect.
Then, I buried the remaining bones and organs before leaving the area.
Once we reached the river where I usually hunted, I washed the blood off my hands, knife, and the rib meat.
It was just past noon. Might as well eat here.
"Can you boil some water?"
"Oh, sure."
Even a small cooking set is essential for adventurers, apparently. I had mine, but Laila used her own pot to boil river water.
Meanwhile, I prepped the food.
I finely chopped the rib meat, the odor-neutralizing leaves, and the green onions I’d brought, mixed them with salt, and kneaded it all together. The key was to mix well but not overwork it.
One patty per person. After shaping them into flat rounds, I dropped them into the boiling water—then immediately dumped the water out.
"Wait, you’re throwing it away?"
"Yeah. Just need to remove some of the fat."
I patted the patties dry with a cloth and then grilled them properly. The smell of melting fat was already mouthwatering.
"There’s bread too."
Sandwiching the patty in it would taste great.
"You’re really prepared… even though you couldn’t care less about me."
That’s unrelated. I just wanted to eat good meat.
"Red Bear meat, huh… I’m not really a fan. Too gamey."
"Yeah, I get that. I used to feel the same."
I sandwiched the perfectly seared patty in bread and handed it to Lyra first. Mine would take a bit longer—the small pan couldn’t fit two at once.
"Not expecting much but… huh? Woah, this is good!? Wait, this is Red Bear meat!?"
That’s right.
Surprised?
I was too, the first time I ate it.
I heard it tastes great when properly cooked by a skilled chef, but our village never had such fancy methods.
As a kid, Red Bear meat was just tough and smelly—nothing but bad memories. But this minced patty recipe Master taught me? Delicious.
"Letting it sit a bit longer removes even more of the gamey taste."
"Yeah, it’s faint but barely noticeable! You can really taste the meat! This is amazing!"
Good. Glad you like it.
Now, my turn.
And so, the Red Bear hunt was complete.
As for those numbers—I’ll keep investigating them further.