I couldn't blame the bear for being scared; giant snake monsters lurked in the center of the forest. I'd heard that there have been a lot more of this type of mutation recently, due to the influence of bad mana.

If left alone, it would cause damage to nearby villages. I put down the girl and the luggage, took a sip of tonic, drew my blade imbued with vibration magic, and brought the snake monster down. I noticed I'd incurred a light wound, but it would cause no issues for travelling, so I hurried on ahead