The Island-Banished Noblewoman - Chapter 15 (Patreon)

Hunting (3)
Even though Marylia has decided to hunt and eat the Peryton, it's clear that defeating it wouldn’t be easy given her current circumstances.

First of all, Marylia's equipment was rather lacking.

If she were clad in full armor and wielding a halberd, she might have been able to intimidate the Peryton. Alternatively, if she had a large number of golems at her disposal, sheer numbers could have overwhelmed the beast. After all, there is strength in numbers.

… However, Marylia's current arsenal consisted of a stone axe, a knife, and a single Terracotta Golem.

With such limited resources, defeating a Peryton was certainly a daunting task.

… A daunting task, but not an impossible one.

"Well, it's one against two. And besides... hehe.”

Marylia chuckled and commanded the golem.

"Alright, golem, here's your order. Chase that Peryton relentlessly and pelt it with stones."

The golem moved. Lacking fear or hesitation, the golem charged straight at the Peryton, intent on fulfilling Marylia's command.

Naturally, the Peryton was on high alert. Lowering its stag-like head and scraping the ground with its hooves, it prepared to charge at the Terracotta Golem, its antlers aimed for a deadly strike.

But Marylia wasn't idle.

… And neither was her companion!

"Go on, come out~!"

Marylia shouted as she hurled a slime at the Peryton's face.

Splat.

… With a strange squelching sound, the slime adhered to the Peryton's face. Now, the Peryton was truly disoriented.

It knew the Terracotta Golem was closing in. It was aware of Marylia's presence. But with its face covered by the slime, it couldn't see what was happening around it!

As the Peryton floundered in confusion, Marylia moved in closer, approaching from a different direction than the golem. The Peryton likely had some idea of Marylia's position from the sounds she made, but it couldn't react quickly. After all, the golem was still advancing on it from the other side.

The Peryton should have acted sooner instead of hesitating. That moment of indecision would be its downfall.

While the Peryton was still trying to make up its mind, Marylia had already closed the distance. Now that she was so close, the Peryton couldn't use its prized antlers for a charge—the necessary distance to build up momentum was gone. Not that it could have managed such an attack with the slime still covering its face.

… And then.

"Gotcha!"

Marylia brought her stone axe down hard on the Peryton's leg.

The blow caused the skin to tear and blood to flow, but it was unclear how deep the wound was.

… But that didn't matter. Marylia hadn't expected to take it down in one hit.

Her goal was to weaken the Peryton, to put it on the defensive. Or better yet... to make it realize it was outmatched.

In short, she just needed to scare it.

"Alright, it's working,"

By the time the Peryton managed to shake off the slime, the Terracotta Golem had already pelted it with several stones, striking its body and head. Meanwhile, Marylia had landed another blow on the same leg with her stone axe.

… But now, time was up. The Peryton was finally on the move.

However, instead of charging at Marylia, the golem, or the slime, the Peryton chose to flee. It had realized it was at a disadvantage.

"Oh my, running away? Good boy.”

The Peryton, its injured leg slowing it down, took off as fast as it could.

… If Marylia let it go, she would be safe. But she had no intention of doing so. Of course not. She had come this far, and she was going to finish what she started. That Peryton was going to be her meal.

"Let the chase begin~ Ehehe, I haven't played tag in ages."

And so, Marylia picked up the slime, gathered her golem, and began to chase the fleeing Peryton!

Now, it's worth noting that many creatures, both magic and mundane, possess exceptional physical abilities.

Some beasts can run faster than any human, while others can soar through the skies. The Peryton that Marylia was pursuing was one such creature. It was faster, larger, and heavier than any human. It also had sharp hooves and antlers, making it even more formidable. And it could fly.

… Yet, despite all that, there were certain things Marylia and her Terracotta Golem could do to defeat such a creature.

One of those things was strategy. The ability to think and plan is humanity's greatest weapon.

Another advantage was dexterity. The ability to craft and effectively use tools like her stone axe was a key strength.

… But even without these advantages, there was one area where humans could physically surpass many beasts and monsters.

"Ehehe, what's wrong? Are you already tired? I'm still good to go~ Ehehe, ehehehe."

Marylia relentlessly continued to chase the Peryton. No matter how far it tried to flee, she was always right behind it.

It had turned into a marathon, but she kept pursuing it. And, as expected, the golem, being a golem, showed no signs of fatigue and kept chasing the Peryton tirelessly. The slime had attached itself to Marylia's neck, helping to cool her down, which was precisely why she had used it.

… That's right.

The one area where humans can surpass many other creatures is in their endurance!

In nature, there aren't many predators that will pursue their prey this persistently. Sure, there are certain monsters, like ghosts, known for their relentless pursuit, but the Peryton likely had never encountered anything like this before.

The Peryton, nursing its injured leg, kept glancing back to check if Marylia and her golem were still following. It was doing its best to escape, but it was no longer moving at the same speed as it had in the beginning. Now, it was reduced to a desperate, hurried walk!

"My, oh my, is this the end for you?"

Marylia continued to chase the exhausted Peryton with ease, despite sweating and breathing heavily. She was still fine, though. After all, her time in the military had involved far more grueling marches. This was nothing in comparison. After all, Marylia was human.

"Come on, if you don't run, I'm going to eat you. Ehehe."

With those words, she guided the Peryton toward the outer edges of the island, relentlessly wearing it down.

The Peryton, despite its best efforts to protect its injured leg, eventually exhausted all its energy in the attempt to flee.

And then—

"My goodness! I did it~ Now I won't have to worry about food for a while. Hehe..."

The Peryton, having run desperately until the base was nearly in sight, finally collapsed, completely spent.

… And so.

"Haah... I'm so glad I managed to bring it down near the water."

Marylia swiftly cut the Peryton's throat with her knife, and with the help of her golem, hung the creature by a tree branch to drain its blood.

The blood collected in a jar she had placed underneath. In this environment, even blood was a valuable resource, and she intended to use it gratefully.

Fortunately, during the chase, Marylia had managed to bring down the Peryton near the river close to her base. This made the task of butchering the Peryton much easier. Having water readily available would make the dismantling process more efficient, and since she was close to her base, transporting the meat and bones would be simpler too.

"Hehehe, tomorrow's going to be a fun day of butchering."

No matter what, today's results were significant. With the meat from an entire Peryton, she wouldn't have to worry about food for some time.

Sure, her diet might become somewhat meat-heavy, but she could balance it out with the apricots, berries, and wild greens she had foraged.

And...

"I'm so glad it was a Peryton. I'll get antlers, hide, and even feathers!"

The fact that the creature she had hunted was a Peryton was a major win.

Its head and legs were that of a deer, while its body and wings were bird-like… The resources she could harvest from it were diverse!

The deer's antlers could be carved into sewing needles or fishhooks. While Marylia had brought sewing needles with her, she didn't have any fishhooks. It might be worth making some.

The bird's feathers could be shaved down into quill pens. With some skill, she could also use the tail feathers to make arrows. And, most importantly, the fluffy breast feathers were perfect for making a feather bed!

"The meat is a bonus, with venison and breast meat, I'll never get bored. Plus, there's the wings and drumsticks..."

Marylia smiled brightly, thinking, "Perytons are such useful creatures."

That night, she went to bed early. She had handed a stone to the golem with the instruction, "Polish this for me," so by morning, she would have another polished stone tool ready.

After a day of hard work and exertion, Marylia finished her dinner with the fruit she had gathered and quickly lay down in her bed.

It seemed that the battle with the Peryton had worn her out more than she had realized. Then again, she had been running around constantly while chasing the Peryton, so it was only natural.

With a contented smile, thinking about the meal she would enjoy tomorrow, Marylia drifted off into a happy sleep.

… And so, the next morning.

"Haah... hehehe, it wasn't a dream."

As soon as she woke up, Marylia looked at the hung Peryton and smiled. No more blood was dripping from it; the bleeding process was complete.

"Well then, let's get started on the butchering!"

Marylia leaped out of bed and immediately set to work on dismantling the Peryton!

Next: https://www.patreon.com/posts/110050540