Just the thought of a grown man being bullied to tears by a pig made Ur want to burst out laughing.
However, once he finished listening to the story from the short, chubby middle-aged man, Ur could no longer laugh.
"Wait, you're saying ten of you tried to capture that wild boar and still failed?"
"Yes! It even fell into the trap we'd dug, but to our shock, it jumped right out of a pit that was several meters deep! Not only did it escape our encirclement, it even injured several of us. If it weren't for that, we wouldn't have thought of turning to a mage for help!"
As the farmer recalled the event, a trace of fear crept onto his round face.
He'd dealt with wild boars before. Owning such a big farm, it wasn't unusual for one or two to sneak in from time to time—it was practically routine.
But this one?
This one was on a different level.
Ur's expression gradually turned serious.
According to the farmer, that wild boar could leap several meters in a single bound.
There was no way a normal pig could do that.
"Don't tell me… it's a monster?"
Ur's heart tensed with uncertainty.
If the wild boar were a monster, then this mission might be far beyond his current abilities.
Magic was a mysterious and powerful force.
If humans could use magic to strengthen themselves, then it stood to reason that non-human creatures could as well.
Creatures like that were called "monsters."
Monsters came in all shapes and power levels. There wasn't any universal standard.
But there was one rule of thumb. If a mission involved a monster, most guilds would assign at least a B-Class mage to handle it.
Not because all monsters were B-Class threats, but because monsters often possessed unpredictable traits, which made them far more dangerous than ordinary beasts. Even weak ones could pose a fatal threat to low-ranking mages.
"Besides that," Ur asked, brow furrowed, "was there anything else unusual about it? Like, did it seem really strong or fast?"
Ever since suspecting this thing might be a monster, Ur had felt a subtle wave of tension in his chest.
Back when he was watching the anime, monsters had never seemed like a big deal.
Usually, they'd get one-shotted.
But now that he was living in this world—
He knew better.
He understood how terrifying these so-called "monsters" could be.
"Hmm..."
The farmer tilted his head and thought hard. Then he shook it.
"Not really. Its strength and speed seemed pretty normal to me, same as any other wild boar." His voice wasn't loud, but his tone was confident.
While he had no experience with monsters, he had dealt with plenty of wild boars. He knew what he was talking about.
"I see…" Ur muttered under his breath, rubbing his forehead as he fell into thought.
Then he looked up again. "Do you think it'll show up again tonight?"
"Absolutely!"
The farmer replied immediately, face contorting again.
"Ever since that thing hurt one of us, it's been coming every night like clockwork. Sir Mage, I beg you, please get rid of that thing! If this keeps up, I won't survive this season!"
As he spoke, the man once again grabbed Ur's hands, tears welling up in his eyes, snot beginning to drip. Ur quickly stepped back in alarm.
"Okay! Okay! Let's calm down a bit."
"Don't worry, our guild always finishes the jobs we accept." Ur's voice was firm.
And he meant what he said.
Fairy Tail had a reputation to uphold.
Once a job was accepted, it had to be completed.
However, inside, Ur silently added a little footnote.
Whether I'm the one to finish this job, now that's still undecided.
Sure, he had a cheat-like system and believed in his future as a powerful mage, but that future depended on not dying first.
If he bit off more than he could chew and got himself killed. Well, no cheat system could help a corpse become the strongest.
Based on what the farmer had said, Ur finally decided he'd stick around for the night and observe the situation.
If that boar was some high-level monster, he'd immediately head back to the guild and have someone stronger sent in.
Guild reputation was important, sure. But his own life was worth a hell of a lot more.
Especially since Fairy Tail was never the kind of guild that treated "mission completion" as its highest priority anyway.
Of course, if the boar turned out to be just as the farmer described, nothing special, no real threat.
Then Ur wouldn't mind taking it on.
After all, he was curious to know what real magic combat felt like.
Night fell quickly.
Once darkness fully enveloped the land, the farmer led Ur out to patrol the fields. Under the faint glow of lanterns, Ur saw the full devastation the farm had suffered.
The majority of the crops were destroyed.
No wonder the poor man had been crying his eyes out.
According to him, ever since it had injured someone, the boar had gotten bolder and bolder. At first, it had just snuck in late at night to steal a few veggies.
But now?
It would charge in even if people were watching.
It didn't care about being seen, didn't care about being hit with sticks; it would only leave after eating its fill.
Honestly?
Ur's expression at this point could only be described as utterly dumbfounded.
He'd never seen, nor heard of, a pig this cocky before.
The farmer continued rambling while they patrolled.
Looking at the ruined fields, his nose twitched, and tears started to well up again.
Ur flinched on instinct, dreading another emotional breakdown.
Luckily, at that moment, a sound came from just outside the farm.
Rustle!
Ur squinted through the dark.
A shadowy figure, bouncing toward the farm in rhythmic hops, began to emerge from the blackness.