A World Full of Adventurers, Criminals and Monsters! Volume 1: Chapter 1

This World Full of Adventurers, Criminals and Monsters!! Volume 1: Chapter 1 Experiences are a Must for these Children!  Part 1 Feel the mana flowing from my body to my hand... then to my palm. A warm sensation ran through my veins as I focused the mana to my palm that is emitting purple energy. Letting out the mana emitting from my palm to form a sphere.  Getting larger the more mana I transfer into it... not to mention it also getting heavier... This should be enough. As I was ready to release it, smirking, I said in a cool deep voice. "Arcanite Blast." In front of me was a wide river. I aimed it at the middle of the river then I fired off the purple sphere, then the moment it touched the surface of the water it made a big explosion. Even I who was standing by the river almost got blown away by it. "Heh. Not bad if I say so myself. Well, that's just expected of one who will soon become an adventurer." I said as I posed while covering my face with my hand then nodded, then the water unexpectedly came drizzling down from above also displaying a rainbow. In the middle of the river where my magic exploded left a space and the water around it occupied it with a big splash at the end. Cool! That was definitely cool of me! "Wah. How cool." I heard a girl's voice and instantly knew whose voice that was. I turned to look behind me where that voice came from and saw a girl with a blonde, shiny, and straight tailbone length hair. She has aquamarine-colored eyes. She wore a beanie and an alpaca turtleneck reaching to her thighs while holding a basket. “It would’ve been cooler if you haven't gotten wet like that though, Hiro.” Akemi! Did she see that? No. She definitely saw it. I can already sense her making fun of me in that mind of hers. "Akemi... Didn't notice you standing there. Were you here the entire time?" I waved my hand then she shook her head and replied. "No. I just got here." "...Really? That's alright then...” I still doubt her words. Well, it’s natural to think this way after you got caught doing something embarrassing. This girl, who might seem kind and composed to the eyes of others, but is actually cheeky, rude and judgmental when on the mood, like me, is Akemi. My friend who has a few interests similar to mine. "Ah. The ground is wet. Now we can't spread the blanket in here. If only Hiro didn’t use magic just to act cool do a pose." “Well, sorry for that… Wait, what did you say at the last part?” “Nothing.” “...You were here from the beginning, weren’t you!” “Was I? I saw you get drenched with water though.” “Be more direct with me.” But now that she mentioned it, it is getting kinda chilly all of a sudden. I didn’t notice how my clothes have gotten wet. Possibly it’s because I got too caught up in the moment earlier. Akemi searches for a dry spot on the ground. "...So? What are you doing here?" "I want to hang out and relax by the river. That’s if Hiro doesn't mind." I sighed and answered dejectedly,  "Not at all." “I'm only joking. What's with that reply? It's as if you're disappointed because I'm here to bother you. You have a problem with that? You want me to tell everybody what you just did?” "No, no, no, Akemi-san. I would never. What I meant was 'I don't mind at all' so don't mind me and relax. Ahahaha." I replied instantly in a pleasing voice and she showed a smug look.  "Hm. Can I also use this to blackmail Hiro?" "!!" This girl…  "I'm kidding, don't look so angry. I'll try to forget what I saw just now." "That would be really helpful for me." "I've brought our lunch so come and help me." "Oh. It's time for lunch already? Okay, then." I followed her while embracing myself and watching her look for a place that didn’t get wet by what I did earlier. “Okay. This spot seems fine.” She puts down her basket and takes out a blanket and lays it on the ground. I helped her fix it and spread the sides of the blanket. “Thank you, Hiro. Ah. Aren’t you cold like that?” “Hmm? Oh. Now that you mentioned it, I do feel cold.” Suddenly, the wind blew making me shiver. Cold! I should’ve taken my jacket with me. Seeing my reaction, the corner of her lips rose as she places the basket in the middle of the blanket and said, “You want me to dry you up? I can use wind magic you know.” “You can? Oh. Right, I remember. Thanks, but no thanks–!!” “Wind Breath.” ?! Before I finished speaking, she cast wind magic and a strong gust of wind blew from her open palm while grinning.  Cold!!! "H-Hey! Stop!" I covered my face and braced myself. Making me step back a few times, the wind almost carried me off the ground before it stopped.  “It’s f-f-freezing!! This is why I didn’t want you to do it!” I shouted and tightly hugged myself. “Hahaha! Sorry, sorry. I did my best to hold back.” “That was you holding back?! Someone with an ice affinity like you shouldn't go drying wet people. You'll freeze them to death!” Others' magic would be a bit better than Akemi’s. Her affinity for ice makes her magic icy cold. But thanks to what she did my clothes are up dried, though I still feel like I am freezing. I walked to where she is while shivering and I took of my sandals then sat down on the blanket and hugged my knees tightly while starting to feel warmer because of the sun.  I feel much better now that the sun has warmed me up a bit. “Are you feeling better now?” She sat down on the other side of the blanket and started taking out things from the basket between us.  I replied in a sarcastic manner,  “Yeah. Thanks to you.” "You're very welcome. Feel free to ask me to do it for you again." Obviously, I wouldn't dare to.  “By the way. Isn’t it hot wearing that in this time of day?” Bothered by her thick clothes, I decided to ask her about it. Wearing long sleeved clothes and tight leggings.  “Hm? Oh, this? My skin is a bit sensitive, so I wear long sleeves and tights. Also, my body temperature is a bit lower than average because of my affinity so it actually makes me feel warm. Though it would be warmer if I used more layers of clothing.” …Please don’t. People would be concerned if someone walked around the village wearing multiple layers of clothes under the sun… Maybe noticing what I'm thinking by the look in my face she added,  "I wear light clothing sometimes too, you know. I have resistance to cold temperatures so wearing them don't bother me much. Here." "Nn..." I took the sandwich she was handing over to me. "I used mayonnaise and added boiled egg and lettuce in the fillings.” "Eh… That's plain. Is this your first-time making sandwich?" "How rude. Well, it is my first time but I'm confident it will taste good since I was the one who made it. Compared to what you can make, this is a whole lot better." She said emphasizing 'I' and 'you' with an arrogant manner as if making fun of me.  A wanted to retort right away but that would mean her taking away the food and finishing it by herself.  "Hmph." "Good boy." I took a bite from the sandwich and the rich flavor of the egg and mayo filled my mouth.  ...It’s simple but it's flavorful, and it's very good.  “So? How is it, Hiro?” “What do you mean? Rate it yourself. You made it didn’t you?” “Eh. But I want you to say it. Come on now. Don’t be shy.” She repeatedly pokes at my shoulder with both her index fingers, then to my sides. “S-Stop it… Hey, stop- Guah! Alright. It’s good- Two stars. It’s very good–!! Cut it out, woman!” "Fufufu. Don't even try to compare yourself to me. It'd only lower your self-confidence." Snickering, Akemi stops poking me after I pushed her back and started to boast.  This girl… Just start eating, would you!  After saying 'Fufufu', she finally got into the mood to take out her own sandwich and started eating.  Looking at her like this is a lot better as if she's another character.  Really. If only she would just stay silent like this…  As mentioned earlier, we both have a few similar interests. One would be eating. The both of us love food, and since our parents are usually busy during lunch, we have no choice but to cook for ourselves. Having the same problem, we either eat at my house or hers, we even go to the restaurant if we have money.  Since I can't make a proper meal, or so Akemi says, she doesn't let me use the kitchen and suggested that I should be the one to buy the ingredient. Of course, I was hesitant at first, but thinking positively, I won't have to do anything, so I agreed in the end.  It has been like this for almost every day, we got completely used to it.  After taking a bite, Akemi started a conversation. “So, you also want to become an adventurer, Hiro?” “You… You heard that? Just how long were you watching me?” She just shrugged it off with a giggle. Sigh. Unconsciously, I took another sandwich from the basket and answered honestly. “Well… Yeah, I guess I want to. (Munch)” “I see. I guess all boys have the same aspirations, right?” “Who knows (munch, munch). I know a lot of our schoolmates who thinks the (munch, gulp) same as me. How are girls being any different than us?” "All I know is that most of the girls want to become magic casters either priests or mages." "Seriously? How boring. Well. Girls are girls after all(munch)." Akemi looked at me as if saying 'Hey, what do you mean by that' but I ignored her and kept eating.  Looking at the surface of the river, while eating nonstop, I thought to myself that I need to keep practicing so that I'd be able to adventure when I reach the minimum age requirement in about two years.  Money from quests, fighting different monsters, drinks with party members… No. Exclude that one. Travelling kingdoms would be better. Right.  "What are you thinking about? Your eyes are shining." “N-Nothing.” Just when I said that I heard someone screaming my name. We turned to look at the direction where it came from and saw two guys going down the slope then started running towards us. It's them. It’s going to get a lot noisier here. “Akemi. Let’s hurry up and finish these sandwiches.” “But there’s no more left. Hiro just ate them all, didn’t you?” She replied and showed me the inside of the box. … “…Oh. Right. I did. Sorry.” Part 2 “—Hiroki!” Yelling out my name, the silver haired boy, Alex, ran towards us followed by a brown-haired boy, Haruko, then started to slow down and stopped a few feet away from us.  “What a coincidence to see you here, huh, Hiroki.” Coincidence, my ass. You already know that I often come here during weekends. “Hah, hah. Hello there, Hiroki and Akemi. Sorry to disturb you. I tried to stop Alex but…” Behind Alex was Haruko, who was apologizing while panting. Don't be… And you didn’t disturb us or anything. We were just eating. “No problem. Though I apologize in advanced because Hiroki already finished our sandwiches.” “Hey.” Akemi showed them the empty basket and Alex smiled in response. “No problem. We have brought our own lunch and blanket.” Alex puts the large box he was holding and revealed its contents. A big lunch box, good for at least four people, and a blanket on top. He grabs a picnic blanket and spreads it on the ground beside ours then he puts his large lunch box in the middle. You're going to eat your lunch beside us? You? Is this a new way of tormenting people?  “…” 2x As the two fixes their blanket while talking or muttering something, Akemi and I stood up. She carried the basket then she wore her boots and I put on my slippers, folded our blanket then she puts it in her basket. “Alright. Now we can–?” “Well then. Excuse us. We’ll be leaving first.” Turning our backs on the stunned Alex, he shouted at us. “Hey! Why are you two leaving already?!” “Eh? What do you mean?” “Why? Well. We wouldn’t want someone to eat lunch beside us just as we finished ours.” “Wha–!” Akemi and I replied in a teasing manner. This guy believes others' words easily which makes him easy to fool. Seeing Alex's dumbfounded face, we were already laughing inside as we tried hard not to crack up. I guess both of us really are similar when we make fun of other people. Maybe noticing us making fun of him, Haruko spoke. “Now, you two. Please stop teasing him. You’re going to make him cry.” “Who will?!” Well, there’s also another reason for this. Alex may not look it but he’s from a rich family and his food is always cooked by proper chefs. I can’t stand by and just watch him eat delicious food right beside us. “Just ask them to join us, Alex.” “...But this isn't what I had planned at all… Fine then... We’ll share our lunch with you–” “Okay.” 2x We obediently sat down on their blanket just as he said that. There isn’t any reason to deny him, right? After all, inviting people is a much harder job which even I can't handle very well.  "Are you guys mocking me?!” “What do you mean? You said you’d share your food with us. Right, Akemi?” “That’s right, Alex. It can't be helped after all since you want us to stay. Right, Hiro?” I guess I wasn't the only one who wants to eat his lunch. Alex who was about to yell at us sighed and has stopped making arguments and Haruko who was calming him down also sighed in relief. “…Whatever. I don’t care anymore. Let’s just eat. G-Good thing I happened to bring extra spoons with me.” “As expected of Alex. Always ready for things like these." Pfft. You’re not fooling anyone.  It was clear to us that Alex brought these with him because he recently knew that I often come here during weekends. As the two of us lowered our heads and held back our laughter, he noticed our shoulders shaking. He glared at us and was about to say something but didn't continue and separated the stacked lunch box.  "T-This is it…" "How beautiful." There were a lot of varieties of food in there as we stared painted with an obvious astonishment in our faces.  “... By the way what were the two of you doing here?” Alex started a conversation while handing us spoons and plates. “Ah. Hear this. You see, I just came here to relax then I saw Hiro doing–” “Aaah!! I-I-I-I came here to practice my magic! Nothing else!” I interrupted Akemi who was about to expose something embarrassing. After filling my plate with fried rice, I carefully picked what to put in my plate. “Seriously? You should have called me if you were practicing– Hey! Only picking meat. Leave some for us as well! Where are your manners!” "Hey, Hiro. He told you to cut it out so cut it out. You should get some vegetables too. Aren't you concerned about how scrawny your body is?" "No, no. Why should my friend, Alex, say something like that? Obviously, he was directing that to you. How about you get yourself some vegetables too since all I see in your plate is meat otherwise, you'll get fat easily since you're just a girl. And I'm a healthy boy with a healthy body, I'm not scrawny!" "No, no, no. I'm saying that to both of you so you should both stop or else – Ah, hey! If that's how you want to play it then I'll–" "Umm. At least leave some rice for me. I would appreciate it if you did." Ignoring Alex and Haruko, we scooped a large piece of meat on our plates and ate it without hesitation. !!! “Delicious!” 2x “Hey. Manners.” “Hahaha. Just leave them alone, Alex. We might as well start eating before everything's finished.” Haruko laughed and Alex gave up then started eating.  “By the way, I saw some adventurers earlier at Haruko’s house.”  Munch munch. “Really? What were they doing there?” “I think they said something about watching over this town.” “Really? Maybe they’re just stopping over for a quest. Haruko, your house is a pub where adventurers mostly visit, right?” “Right. Also, I heard them say that this town needs to be watched over because of some monster sightings inside the town.” Monster sightings inside the town? Now that’s weird. We may not have walls or fences to keep monsters out of town, but I haven’t seen any monsters enter the village before. And if there were any, those would be the ones brought back here alive for the restaurants.  There are the hunters that hunt monsters in the plains, sometimes in the forest, and bring it back here for the meat. As for vegetables, the market never runs out of stock because most of the villagers are farmers who seems to enjoy farming for some reason. It sounds a bit weird but that's how things go here in Nordic.  “If the adventurers are here to take care of it then we wouldn’t have any problems, right?” “I guess that’s true.” Haruko agreed with Alex’s remark. We have seen monster being brought back to town by some of our people so it might not be a problem for adventurers who puts their lives on the line. I thought that and agreed to them as well. “Heh. Well, it’s no use bothering ourselves with it. If we were to encounter one, we’d be able to at least defend ourselves, right?” … Eh? Did I say something weird? “W-What’s wrong?” “…Hey, Hiroki... I think those kinds of statements are bad luck. Right, Haruko?” "…I think so as well. I read it in a book. I think they are called ‘flags’ or something...” Flags? Just when I thought of that, a shadow appeared in the middle of our blanket. Then Akemi, who was silent ever since we started eating, seemed to notice it as well. “Hmm? Hey, what is that–!!” Seeing her reaction, we followed her gaze which was upward and made the same reaction when we saw something big falling right to us. “!!!” 3x Is that a monster?!! “What the heck is that!!” “Move away!!” Hearing me scream, all of them jumped out of the blanket then a big monster fell right into where we were a second ago along with a loud crashing sound.… Part 3 “—Ouch!” How unlucky. To think that there was a rock where I landed. !! More importantly, how about the others. Were they able to move away in time?! “Are you guys alright?!!” “Ptchu! Phweh! Dithgusthing! Dirth ing my mouh! (Dirt in my mouth!)” “The blanket! I just bought that earlier!” …Guess I don’t have to worry about those two. What about Akemi–? “Kuh. How disappointing. Just when I was able to eat a luxurious meal…” Why isn’t there a single one of you asking about what fell down on us?! And I agree. That was kind of disappointing but…  Just when the dust was clearing away, a figure of a dragon-like creature appeared.  It stayed silent and still.  It's two-legged, and it has two wings and sharp claws. Is this a wyvern? “Be ready to cast magic if something happens, Hiro.” “Got it.” “…H-Hey, what is that? Is it still alive?” “This isn’t a dragon or a wyvern, right?” Slowly and quietly, we went closer to the monster and checked if it’s still alive. “Of course, it isn’t. If it were then we wouldn’t have been able to get away from it. This is just a Guivre. A smaller specie of a dragon. They can spew poison that can melt your skin in contact.” Alex explained as we were observing it’s features. "Scary!" "You sure know a lot…" "That's only natural. Unlike you, I have an intelligence that can be boasted at school." ...I want to wipe that smug look on his face but not right now… "Also, a Guivre can sense how strong its enemies are by the mana that comes from their body or the mana surrounding them. Therefore, it…" Ignoring Alex who is explaining things to himself, I observed the Guivre.  So, it’s called a Guivre, huh. Looking closely, it doesn’t have two claws on its finger joint, and its scales are less spiky like a wyvern’s. It's my first time seeing a monster this close. I've only seen some tied up by some of our villagers from a distance.  “How did this even fall down?” Just as Akemi asked that, I noticed an arrow in its throat. “There’s an arrow in its throat.” Maybe somebody nearby shot it down. I looked around to see if there are adventurers but there aren’t any. While I was thinking about it, the others were examining Guivre. “You’re right.” “That arrow might be enchanted with lightning magic. It might be from an adventurer.” The arrow that penetrated its throat was making electrical discharges at the Guivre’s scales. Maybe it's paralyzed… or not.  Since it isn't even making a slight movement.  …Now that I think about it if it tastes the same as a wyvern then… “…Hey. Can I take this home with me?” “?!!” 3x Hearing my suggestion, the other three looked at me in surprise. “Ha?! What are you talking about, you idiot? Can you even carry this home?!” “I don’t know if you can, Hiroki, but if it’s really adventurers who shot this down then we can’t do anything to it.” “Hiro, I think I know what you’re thinking. Stewed wyvern tail is your favorite but…” “F-Fine. Got it…” I was just asking, you know… "Also, those people over there are probably the ones who shot it down, right?" We followed Alex's gaze and saw some adventurers on their way here.  "Tch. What a waste." "Stop already…" "Hmm? Hey. I think they're shouting at us…" Feeling a bit uncomfortable, we stayed silent.  "Wait. I think I can understand what they're saying." Akemi, using wind magic to hear far away in the distance, said,  “'Get away from there! That thing is still alive!' Says one guy.” Changing her pitch as if to mimic the voice.  …What!? We looked at each other with a surprised expression and slowly walked away from the Guivre without bothering ourselves to look at it. "...Ehehehe. That's impossible. It should be dead. After all, it took an arrow in its throat. There's no way it's alive, right?" I convinced myself with my voice trembling without even looking back.  "...Hey. That's bad luck." "...Those statements are bad luck, Hiroki." Noticing a movement from behind us, we turned slowly to look. Then for a moment we saw the Guivre open its eyes and move its wings feebly. ...It's not my fault, right?  Spotting the four of us the Guivre forced itself to stand up and spread its wings, roars weirdly because of its injured neck.  It was only paralyzed after all!  The Guivre give us a glare, Haruko and Alex shouts,  “Gah! I-I knew it! It was still alive! And my blanket!” “Don’t move! It won’t attack you if you don’t move!” Really?! Then it’s best if we just stay–!? “Hey! Then why are you walking away, you bastard!?” Alex backs away with small steps as if to not alarm the Guivre.  “D-D-Don’t get the wrong idea. I-I-I’m only going to call for help.” “Help, my ass! You’re running away–! Hey! Hii!!” The Guivre suddenly screeched, lowering its body and showing its wings as if it’s on guard. Noticing this, all of us stood still, not moving a muscle. The others are also freaking out.  Scary! A monster up close it totally terrifying! I want to use magic now, but we'll get caught up in the explosion. Gah! I don't care! I'll do it! I will!  "Hey. Doesn't it look scared? I think it's trying to distance itself away from us." Akemi asks with a composed face as all of this is nothing.  "T-T-That's stupid. W-Why would it run away when it's two times larger than us–??" Noticing the Guivre step back as if it's afraid if something. It's keeping its eyes on each of us alternately while screeching.  Though it's still scary when I think that it might move suddenly and attack us.  "I-I-I can't take this. Hiroki, blast it away." "Ha?! Why should I be the one to–!" The Guivre tries to cough up something but it seems to fail.  Then something like a digestive fluid leaked out of its mouth, dissolving the grass on the ground upon contact with it.  Gross! Is that the poison that melts your skin?  "Ice Dagger." Appearing on Akemi's hand was a dagger made of ice. "Hey. What are you doing!" "Eh? I'm going to attack it, of course." "Don't even try it! Why do you say it like it's the most natural thing to do?!" Maybe surprised by my raised voice, the Guivre screeched, spreading its wing and flew off the ground.  "It flew!!" 3x Screeching again, we thought that it would dive and grab one of us or something. Instead, the Guivre flew away in the river's direction.  "Ah. There it goes. That monster was hurting and was terrified. Maybe it's because of the arrow in its throat." Akemi said while staring at the Guivre flying in the distance.  Are you pitying that monster? How about you? Weren't you scared at all? And how do you keep that composed face of yours in that situation?!  "Guess I won't be needing this…" The ice dagger shattered in pieces in Akemi's hand and disappeared into thin air.  ...She was the only one here who wasn't fazed by the Guivre earlier, right? And what were we boys doing…  "Whatever… I think I'm still trembling… Weren't we just eating so peacefully ten minutes ago? What's with that sudden development?" "Wasn't it supposed to attack us? It was quite scared, don't you think? Was that one a coward?" "Y-You two. We should just be grateful nothing happened to us." Haruko exclaimed.  "Hey! Are you kids alright?!" The three adventurers from earlier arrived finally. The one leading them was wearing light armor and a sheathed sword in his waist, a fencer. Behind him is an archer wearing a hood, covering half of his face and a fighter, wearing tight gloves with metal knuckles.  "Y-Yes!" 3x Adventurers! Up close!  As one who aspires to be an adventurer, of course I'd look at them with eyes of admiration. The same goes for Alex. Slightly for Haruko. It may be because he sees a lot of them in their pub when he works.  Sighing in relief, the three adventurers inhaled then exhaled. They are even sweating a lot, looking nervous. Are they that worried we might be hurt from earlier?  "That's good, that's good, sorry for that. We shot it down so it would be easier to kill it on land, but we didn't expect anyone to be here so we apologize for that. You kids did great to stay away from it." "Thank you very much, sir!" "We are honored, sir!" "Thank you for saving us, sir!" The three of us bowed our heads.  They're concerned with our wellbeing. What wonderful adventurers. The Guivre was the one staying away from us but never mind that. "No need, no need." "Well, it can't be helped if it escaped. What's important is that you kids are safe." So kindhearted. We are touched to hear those words.  "Where are your parents? They aren't with you? Is that young girl there your friend too?" The fighter one asked and pointed at Akemi who was looking at the broken lunchbox and tattered blanket. Squatted down and fixed her beat up basket.  …What is she doing...?   Alex and Haruko replied,  "Yes, sir." "We came here to eat lunch with our friends." "I see… So, it wasn't a coincidence that you came here after all." "S-Shut it, you!" Laughing, except for the archer who has half of his face covered with his hood, they seem to be happy with our argument.  "Well then. You kids seem alright. Things are kind of unusual in this town these days, so you'd better be careful now. Don't go outside town, okay?" The fencer who turned to leave and the other two followed him.  "Yes, sir!" 3x That made me nervous. Is speaking with real adventurers that hard?  "That made me nervous. Is speaking with real adventurers that hard?" Alex voiced out my thoughts.  "Good thing they arrived. Maybe the Guivre got scared because of those adventurers. They must be some skilled people." "Yeah. I remember Alex saying that Guivres can sense their enemy's mana, right?" "Yeah, I did. It spews poison to protect itself actually. But that one earlier, I guess it couldn't spew poison because of the arrow in its throat." So, it was trying to throw up digestive fluids?! We're lucky it didn't succeed.  "Well. I guess today isn't all bad after all. I thought it will end up me being traumatized or something." "That's impossible. I haven't heard anyone being traumatized by monsters." "I guess that's true." Alex replied and I agreed with him, then the three of us laughed.  By the way, what's with Akemi during a chance like that? She didn't even thank those adventurers. How ungrateful.  Looking back, I saw Akemi, carrying her fixed basket, walking towards us with stooped shoulders.  "Hiro, I'm going back for now." "Eh? Sure, I guess." Akemi said dejectedly and waved goodbye to us with a bit of a smile.  ...Is she that disappointed about the lunch? When it comes to food and recipes, she gets fired up for no reason… but who am I to judge.  "What's this? You two are that close?" "No! Are you mocking me?!" "Eh? You don't have to shout, you bastard. You looking for a fight?!" "Now, now. You two." Part 4 Early afternoon, after getting bored discussing what happened a while ago and playing water skipping by the riverside, we decided to roam around town to kill time before dusk.  The shops and stands here makes it a lively street, and the vendors and shopkeepers here are very nice to others. Most of them sell fruits, vegetables, meat, and street food. A few stores sell fashionable garments and attires, weapons and armor, and magic items. There are even those that sell awesome woodcrafts of monsters, popular among us boys. Right now, we stopped by a restaurant drinking iced tea in a table by the window. I have no money with me this time. Same goes for Haruko. So, the one treating us is none other than Alex who has a fat pocket.  "—Hey. I told you not to order too much, didn't I?" "Oh. Did you? I'm so sorry, my friend. I may not have heard it earlier." "Yes, I did. And don't speak like that! Ordering that much just because I'm paying the bill. Are you even planning to reimburse me for this? Hey! Are you listening?!" Alex slammed his hand on the table as I was sucking on the straw of my iced tea casually, staring outside the window.  Getting riled up over a few orders like that. You're disturbing the other costumers you know.  Beside him was Haruko who was quieting him down.  "You'd better pay up after this." "Yeah, yeah. No problem. Ah. Here it comes." The waitress followed by another waiter, put our orders on the table. Two large plates of fried rice with meat toppings, and three large bowls of curry, vegetable salad and whole roasted chicken.  Nice! Our lunch was spoiled by that monster, but to think that this would make up for it. Thank goodness I didn't get eaten earlier.  "P-Please enjoy the meal, dear costumers." —After that, we had Alex pay the bill amounting to 600 copper coins which equals to 12 silvers. Alex who was angry at me, You happily ate the same amount of food as I did so stop saying I ordered too much! Is what I'd like to say to him, but since he paid for it, I decided to just stay quiet.  After resting for a bit to digest, we left the restaurant and continued our stroll around town. We didn't have money with us, and Alex cried out that he won't pay for us anymore, so right now we can only enter shops and check out their merchandise.  "Which place should we check out?" I asked the two on my right and the one beside me, Alex, suggested,  "How about the armor shop." "That's fine with me." "Good idea. We might see something cool there." I agreed with them and entered the shop. Greeting us with a slight wave, the shopkeeper continued polishing the full-set armor on a stand. "Ah, this is quite nice." Haruko commented and I nodded. Surveying the shop, I saw that there are helmets, gauntlets, armors, leggings and boots in separate shelves.  "I'll go look for leggings." "We might find something useful in the future." Haruko went to the fourth shelve from here and Alex wandered around the shop, looking at the armor stands. "I thought your choice was to be a mage. Aren't you supposed to look for cloaks or something?" I asked him as he continued what he's doing.  "True. But since I trained harder with the sword, I couldn't just ignore it and focus on magic. With that in mind, when we're able to join a guild in the future, I decided to use both and start off as a swordsman who can cast magic. There's no rule saying that you can't do both, right?" "...I guess there isn't…" ...You've already thought that far? —After saying goodbye to the owner, we left the shop and continued our stroll around town.  "Which place should we check out next?" I asked the two on my right and the one beside me, Alex, suggested,  "How about the magic item shop?" "That's fine with me." "Good idea. We might see something useful there." I agreed with them and entered the shop.  Greeting us with a warm 'Welcome', the shopkeeper continued reading her book.  "Ah. This is quite nice." Haruko commented and I nodded. Surveying the shop, I noticed the magic orbs, staves, cloaks, herbs and other items.  "I'll go look for potions." "We might find something useful in the future." Haruko went to the second shelf from here and Alex looked for grimoires.  I randomly looked around and saw a spotted a necklace with the size of a finger. It has a cylindrical glass that stored red fluid and has metal dragon heads on each end.  Cool! I won't forget my pouch next time. I must buy this.  "Hmm? Hiroki, you'd better not buy that. I heard that this is top selling right now, but besides the design which makes it popular, that is a charm that attracts dragon-type monsters. The blood stored in it is still alive, or so I'm told. Though there are a few hunters wearing it when they go out hunting nowadays." Noticing me eyeing it, Haruko explained its downsides.  "Seriously? What a waste… But I’d still buy it, next time when I have money." "Ehehe... Well, I guess that's fine." —After saying goodbye to the shopkeeper, we left the shop and continued our stroll around town.  "Which place should we check out next?" I asked the two on my right and the one beside me, Alex, suggested,  "...That's the third time you asked that. Well, whatever. How about the weapon shop?" "That's fine with me." "And that's the third time you said that, Haruko." "I don't want to go to that place, but alright." I agreed with them and entered the shop.  Greeting us with a warm- No. A cold welcome, the shopkeeper sighed, not even trying to hide his betrayed expectations,  "Oh, it's just you three." After knowing it was us who entered, the owner, who looks like a guy in his thirties, and has the same black hair as Hiroki, continued to read his book.  "It's because you don't greet your costumers that the shop isn't flourishing." "Costumers, you say. I bet you're just here to kill time." This old man… "Your old man isn't so friendly, Hiroki. Just like you." Agreed. This father of mine does whatever he wants. Wait. What did he say in the end?  "Hey, Alex, stop that. Let's carry on." Haruko said and I nodded.  I surveyed the shop, even though I knew that there are different types of swords, daggers, axes, bows, and other weapons here that gives a coarse, rough sensation when you touch it.  "Man. Your dad has a lot of crappy weapons as usual, huh. By the way, aren't you going to tell him about that Guivre from earlier?" Saying that so casually, if I had a different father then I would've been annoyed by now…  "He wouldn't care about it even if I told him." "Really? ...I guess I can imagine that. How about your mom?" "Same. They won't even lift a finger if I'm in need of help. My parents aren't very dependable when I'm in trouble, so I have to face my own problems on my own, you see… Just like lunch. Yes. I can't cook anything good, so I have to rely on the restaurant or Akemi to eat proper food. How sad. Ah! How about I go to your place during lunch, Alex." "Absolutely no. Who knows what trouble you might cause? Seeing your actions earlier I'm not sure you could ever sit on a middle-class restaurant. Hm? What's wrong? Stop glaring at me like that." "Keh. You're so useless." "!!" Ignoring the inflamed Alex who started raising his voice and saying, 'What did you say?!' or something, I started circling around this box full of rough-edged swords while cupping my ears.  That's when the door opened and two guys who seems to be adventurers entered the shop.  Part 5 "—Welcome, dear costumers. If you're here to look around, look around all you want. If something interests you, feel free to ask me for anything." After the two guys entered and started to search for some weapons, the three of us stayed in a corner and observed them.  Alex asked in a voice only the three of us can hear,  "Whoa! Look at those adventurers. They must be vanguards, equipped with full sets of mithril equipment! Compared to that… Hey, Hiroki, is this place okay? I haven't seen any weapons worth buying in here. Does anyone even buy weapons in this store? I think this is just a waste of steel, I mean, even those mediocre sticks and bows that are made out of wood are passable compared to those lackluster, rough, unpleasant-to-touch weapons." “Alex, stop that! Hiroki’s dad might hear you! "You… You really say what's on your mind, huh… Well, let’s just watch. I never helped out in here before, so I don’t know what’s happening in this store." I doubt anyone would buy here too.  If somebody were to buy a weapon here, it would be those hunters who needs bows which is probably the only proper weapon here, and a few farmers who, for some reason, buys swords instead of sickles… I think I'll go watch those people sometimes.  As the two beside me started to talk, I noticed the faces of the two adventurers looking at the swords on the box. With an expression saying, ‘What the heck is  this?’ they shook their heads and looked at each other as if to convince one another that this is just the box of failures. They laughed it off with ‘T-The real one must be on the stands over there, right? Let’s go there.’ then proceeded to the shelves. …Somehow, I’m the one who feels ashamed of what’s happening right now…  Looking at the walls, the two adventurers were flabbergasted by the longswords and broadswords mounted there, astonished by the fact that my dad, the owner of the store, was able to put these roughly made weapons on display. “You’re looking quite troubled. Is there a problem, dear sirs? If you have something to ask, feel free to do so.” The owner said with a happy expression, which made it harder for the adventurers to complain. “Ah. Eh. W-Were looking for a replacement for my weapon, sir.” “D-Do you have anything for a swordsman?” “Well, yes of course. These are all swords for vanguards.” “Ah. No. What I mean is…” Hey, hey. Don’t make it harder for them. Your costumers are troubled because those swords look like it can’t even cut through a slime. “Or maybe you’d prefer something else.” “Y-Yes. That. We need something lighter, sharper, and stronger!” “I see. Then I have just the right weapon for you. How about the swords on this shelf?” The two followed the direction the owner pointed and walked towards the shelf. Those are sheathed katanas on a horizontal stand, standing out from the rest of the weapons on the shop. ““Amazing”” The two muttered with mouths agape, fascinated at the scabbard’s locket and chape with a wavy design. “Whoa, that’s cool! I didn’t notice that earlier.” Alex exclaimed and went for a closer look and we followed after him. Hey, I’m surprised as you are.  “I must say, I’m quite proud of these works myself. Ah. Hey, you kids, don’t obstruct my business!” As if saying ‘This is what I’m looking for’ the man who said to have lost his sword earlier reached  for the katana with a face full of anticipation. He gulped and our eyes shone with expectation, he unsheathed the katana halfway and – “““““……””””” – Returns the katana to its scabbard and puts it back on its stand. All of us made the same expressions, faces full of disappointment.  “I put my all on forging these weapons so I’m confident about the durability of my works. So, did you like it?” “Y-Yes. Are there any other swords here? If possible, a sword that looks strong, sharp, and shiny, one that has an even surface. I don’t care if it has a high price, just show us something, anything, that I can use to battle with monsters!” The man, whose high expectations turned into nothing, and is being held back by his companion, replied with a wry smile with his veins protruding in his temples trying hard to not let his emotions show on his face. I’m sorry, please forgive this stupid old man who sells nothing but garbage… “Shiny, huh…If you’d like to buy it, I have a few swords here that I made on a whim, something like a prototype, before displaying the final product.” Stop! Those would be trashier than these ones in this room, right? Your costumer's gonna lose his patience you know!  "Stop mocking me, geezer! You're a weapon shop dealer, right?! What's with this shop? I’d rather travel back to the southern kingdom buy a weapon. There isn't even a single…!" The man's voice lowered after seeing the owner uncovered a box of weapons.  Wha- You keep those hidden!? “T-These are…” Even the three of us were shocked by the weapons in the box, a longsword, claymore, flamberge, gladius, saber, even a hammer, axe, mace, all of them giving a black luster of the polished steel.  "I made these to serve as a model to my works, if you want these then I can sell them to you at a cheap price." Model? Cheap? Even I can tell these are pricey, very expensive, high-grade items, and you say these are cheap?! Are you doing this on purpose? There’s a limit to how stupid a person can be! Still dumbstruck, the two adventurers went for a closer look. “It has a fine edge, a sharp point, not to mention its lightness. This is no doubt the best sword I have ever seen in my whole life!” “E-Eh? Uh… I-If you want that then you can buy it for one gold coin.” The owner gave the price of the broadsword with a wry smile and an expression just like when somebody glorifies something you did easily on a whim, looking at us with a face saying, ‘Is there something wrong with this guy?’ Why are you acting so dumb all of a sudden? First, you show them something of low-quality with a smile reaching your ears, and then look stupefied when presenting them with super high-quality weapons, aren’t you the one who has a screw lose here? ““One gold coin!?”” Hearing the price of the sword, the two men sprung up in surprise. “Y-Yeah. Why, is it not cheap enough for you?” The owner replied in a wry smile. “No, no, no! It should be more expensive, owner-san. We can’t’ possibly buy this for just one gold coin!” “I wasn’t planning on buying a weapon, but I’ve changed my mind. Why didn’t you show us something like this earlier? Ah, were you perhaps testing our abilities to appraise weapons? What a splendid idea!” No, no, no, no. I’m pretty sure none of that is true. The faces of the owner and the costumers turned around. Now, the owner was the one looking bothered by the situation. “I’d like to buy this sword, right now. It will be my partner from this day forth. Please accept my wallet! What, is it not enough? Will my armor be enough for now?!” “Take my wallet as well! There should be enough money amounting to two mithril coins in here. It might not be enough, but I will surely pay it after I finish my mission!” “N-No need to go that far, dear costumers! Those are just something I made on a whim so I can’t accept that much money from you. Hey–! Don’t you dare strip your armor–” “…Hey, Hiroki. I think your dad might be an amazing person in the past.” “…I don’t know. I’ll try asking him about his past sometime.” In the end, the owner accepted their wallets to stop them from stripping off their equipment. Part 6 It was already dusk when we left the shop, and the stores in the shopping district are preparing to close their shops.  I was supposed to go home with my dad, but no, I don’t want to.  Another reason is that he said that the adults are having a meeting outside town tonight. Not that I care but it seems like I have to make dinner tonight. After leaving the shopping district, me, Alex, and Haruko went on our separate ways. I decided to go straight  home, to my room, and retire early in my bed that’s waiting for me to return. That’s right, instead of wasting ingredients, I’ll just go to bed. We have school tomorrow, so I need to wake up early. Nothing I can do about it. I sighed as I thought that and looked in the distance the I – “Don’t let it get away! Chase it down and kill it!” “Got it!” – Saw some adventurers swinging their swords and chasing a lizard, that is about the size of a grown dog. More adventurers! To think that I would meet a lot of them in just one day, is today my final day? I stood there and watched the three adventurers cornering the lizard.  Lizards, they’re harmless to humans, but they devour our livestock that are smaller than them, just like frogs. They settle in forests, and in dark places, and also it cooks well so it’s also source of food for adventurers when camping at night, and since they’re harmless to humans even my friends chase them around when they see one.  Except for me.  Those sneaky, speedy, agile-legged creatures, I hate them the most. It makes no expression, makes sudden movements, and just having one pass me by can give me a heart attack.  There was that one time when I was sleeping in the school’s comfort room, I heard a splat outside, and just when I was about to go out of the toilet that thing was guarding the door and was staring back at me with its sharp pupils.  When I took a step back and it started to suddenly move forward with that fast-stepping sound, surprising me I tried to turn away from it, but it tried to chase me inside the comfort room. After that, the restroom exploded because of me using magic. That incident back then traumatized me. Even since then, I started using nightlights.  Just thinking about it makes me tremble in horror.  I don’t want anything to do with that thing.  Also, I’ve been seeing adventurers a lot today, I wonder why. Could there be a quest that takes place in town? In addition to that, I heard that monsters have started appearing near the town.  I’d better go home before something unexpected happens.  “Ah, hey, kid! Out of the way!” Just when I started walking, one of the three adventurers wearing heavy armor, who was chasing the lizard, called out to me. I turned to look in their direction and to my surprise, saw the adventurers and – “Hii!! W-W-What the–!!” – And the lizard running towards me, reminding me of my past experience, I shrieked in surprise when my eyes met with the lizard’s, which is giving me the shivers with those fast-crawling movements and eyes as if glaring at a prey on sight. Scared by the lizard, I started to run in order to get out of its way, but, for some reason, it changed its course and followed behind me. “Iyaa!! Help! It’s following me! A lizard is following me!!” I started screaming for help but there was no one in the area except for me and the adventurers chasing the lizard.  Even though they’re shouting something, I don’t have the time to listen, so I just ignored them. There I was the roadway, running for my life, and back to the riverside where I practice my magic. Knowing that the roadside was grassy, I made a jump to the side. Rolling down the downward slope the riverside, I saw the lizard continued on its path. Still feeling the adrenaline rush, my heart was pounding hard, and I couldn’t stop breathing heavily. Why is this happening to me…? One of the adventurers came come down the slope and ran towards me who was sprawled down on the ground. “Kid, you alright?!” “Y-Y-Yes, Yessir!!” I sprung my upper body up and sat on my bottom. This one was wearing light armor and has a dagger in his waist. “That’s good. It’s already this late, what are you doing outside, kid?” “I was about to go home, sir, but then that lizard…” “I see. That can’t be helped then. A lot of dragon-type monsters are appearing near the town recently, and to think that even lizard from the forest came here, if left alone they might .” “Oi!” Hearing someone shouting, we followed the direction of the voice and saw the other adventurers still chasing it around, the lizard that was heading our way, and with two other friends. “There’s more of them!!” “Hmm? They’re just lizards, you don’t have to be that scared.” They’re lizards, that’s enough reason for me to be scared. “Those creatures like to chase people that are easily startled, maybe that’s why it’s targeting you. Just stay here for a bit, okay?” “Yessir!” The man stood up and took out his dagger, chanted a skill and charged forward with swift movements. Whoa! A thief skill! Cool! …If he has a skill like that then why didn’t he use it earlier? But then again, they’re adventurers, it must’ve been on purpose. I observed the movements he made since I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I clenched my fist and couldn’t help but be filled with anticipation. “Take this! Eargh–!!?” Just when he was about to slice up the first lizard, he tripped on the rock I landed on earlier and stumbled on the other adventurers in front of him with his inertia. Eh!? What happened? Did he just trip?! This isn’t time for comedic act! As questions formed in my head, the lizards continued to run my way agilely. Terrified by the sight in front, I… “Guah!! Arcanite Blast!!” – Out of terror, chanted my magic and released it at the lizards’ way regardless of the distance, thus resulted in getting blown away by the powerful winds made by the blast. Part 7 The sun had set for some time now, and in my neighborhood, along with the adventurers who witnessed my magic are seeing me off as they were giving me praises. “—Man, that really was a shock! To think that a kid at your age could cast magic that strong, I’m at a loss for words…” "Why don't you become an adventurer in the future? With your abilities, you should be more than qualified to become one. You'd instantly become famous after joining you know!" "If it's possible, asking you to become a party member would be a great idea!" "Really?! Right now, I'm twelve years old so it's still impossible for me to become an adventurer, but I want to become one in the future!" "Now that is something to look forward to!" Noticing the necklace on one of the adventurers who wore heavy armor, it was just like the one I saw at the magic item shop. “Hm? Ah, you like this necklace, kid? You want it?” “Eh? N-No need to do that, sir!” Seeing me eyeing it, he took it off his neck and offered it to me. “Don’t mind. I just picked it up in an alley surrounded by lizards this afternoon anyway. Here.” I accepted it from his hand and made a joyous expression. “T-Thank you very much, sir!” "This is your neighborhood, right? The adults are all busy, but you should be safe from here on. After this go straight home, okay?" "Be more wary of monsters from now on, kid." "Yessir! Thank you for seeing me off!" They left after bowing my head to them.  Now that their backs are facing me, I too started walking the other way.  I studied the necklace, its cylindrical shape, dragon heads at the ends, the red fluid inside. What wonderful people. They said I could become an adventurer, what a wonderful day it is!  With the joy I can't contain, I can't help but show a big smile on my face.  Whilst thinking about today's events, I didn't notice that I was already in front of the house.  Hmm? What is this smell? It’s alluring. And here I thought no one was coming back home tonight. This is the aroma of various spices wafting through the air. Entering the house, I left my slippers by the door and went straight to the kitchen to see who was cooking. It was Akemi, standing in front of the stove, wearing an apron with her blonde hair tied to a ponytail, humming a song. “Hmm? Ah. Welcome back, Hiro.” Noticing me enter the kitchen, Akemi greeted me with a  smile as she lifts the pot and puts it in the center of the table. “…What are you doing here?” “It’s supposed to be ‘I’m back, Akemi-san’. What’s with that reply? And here I was making dinner for you. Would you rather sleep early again without eating? You should be grateful a beautiful lady like me is doing this out of good will.” She puffed out her chest with her hand on her waist. If only she’d keep her mouth shut, she is beautiful. Yes, if only she’d keep her mouth shut that is. Since she knows I can’t cook, and our parents are going out of town tonight, she was probably concerned about me, right?  “By the way, after I went shopping for tonight’s dinner, but the door and the windows were locked when I got back. I didn’t have anywhere else to go to, and Kasumi wasn't at her house, so I decided to drop by here.” How stupid of me for thinking that she has concern for others. The dishes are already divided and prepared, it seems like I won’t have to do anything more. “Oh, well. At least I get to eat before going to bed. What did you cook tonight?” Having said that, I sighed with a smile to lighten the mood and sat on a chair, then replying in an arrogant manner, “Fu fu fu~  You’ll be surprised. Tonight’s main ingredient is lizard meat!” !!? Opening the lid, the aroma exploded from the pot and completely filled the air. Tonight's dinner is braised… braised lizard meat…  Right now, I'm sure my face is twitching, making complicated expressions, with my bad memories with this ingredient.  "...It smells good… I'd rather not eat such a terrifying creature due to that incident earlier, but…" "What are you saying all of a sudden? Ah, are you talking about this afternoon? That… uh, Gi, Gui,… What was it again?" "It was a Giver, a Giver alright? Seriously, don't you remember what Alex explained? And no, not that one. You see, I got chased by lizards earlier, can you believe that?" "Heh… No wonder why your back is so dusty." "Seriously? Ah, it's true. Why didn't you say it earlier?" "Hey, stop- You're getting dust all over the food! Really you… Just go wash your hands for now, otherwise the food will get cold if you go now." Getting angry all of a sudden, what are you, my mom?  After dinner, I took a bath and entered the bathtub, sighing in relaxation whilst stretching my hands.  —That Akemi, ordering me around like that. If I wasn't as composed as I am right now, she would've been bawling outside and pleading for me to let her inside the house right now.  Well, I'm not that much of a devil. As much as possible, I would avoid being on her bad side.  It's not like I'm afraid of her or something of the sort, it'd be bad if she puts dangerous things on the plate that's all. Soaking my shoulders in the water, feeling the fatigue leaving my body both physically and mentally, I let out a long sigh. "Fu…… Today sure was exhausting for some reason." This feels nice… How good would it be to just fall asleep right now? If only Akemi wasn't next in line, she even told me not to take too long.  I soaked myself in the hot bathtub for three more minutes before getting out.  "—Akemi, I'm done bathing. You can go next." As I was drying my hair with a towel, I called out to Akemi who is sprawled out on my bed, reading a novel she took from my bookshelf.  Even though she heard me, she stared at me, who was drying his hair, and then turned to the side and continued reading. This girl!  "Oi, did you hear me?! I said bath's ready!" I yelled at her, she then pulled up her upper body to sit up while spreading out her legs.  "I was just getting to the good part, why did you get out so early? I thought boys usually take longer baths." "You're the told me not to take too long in the bath… Also, get out of my bed, more like get out of my room, I'm about to sleep now. Dad said they won't return until tomorrow morning so if you're sleeping here then use the guest room- Oi, are you listening?! Stop reading that already!" Akemi continued to read while I was talking and turned to the side while ignoring my retort.  Walking towards her with an annoyed expression, I snatched the book she was holding.  "Ah! Why you, it was just getting good! ...Hmm? Hey, Hiro, what's that you're holding?" Akemi asked about the necklace I was holding in my hand, the necklace that one of the adventurers gave me.  "An adventurer gave me this when they saw me off, it was after I got chased by lizards… Hey, what's with that face you're making, you have a problem?" "So, it's true you got chased huh. I can't get the feeling that you might be lying, I thought you were just making things up earlier. I mean, who'd get so scared enough to get chased by lizards? Only a child or a coward would." ...I can somehow tell that she's doing that on purpose, she's just trying not to let it show. Studying the necklace that I handed over to her, she asked me,  "Why did they even give you something this expensive? Did you beg for it?" "Hey, I didn't beg for anything alright?! They said it was picked up anyway, so they just gave it to me! And what did you just say, this is expensive? I saw the same item at the magic item shop earlier but didn't ask for the price." "I remember this charm costs five gold coins because of its effectiveness. Just wearing it can attract dragon-type monsters but if you twist the top lid like this, you can open it then… There, you can dip your finger and wipe it somewhere on your clothes or armor to make it more effective." By twisting the dragon head attached to the chain, Akemi opened the necklace and dipped her fingertip in the so-called dragon's blood contained in the cylinder.  "You can open it?! Hey, don't dip your finger in it! Five gold coins? Five gold coins, you say. That's a week's worth of lunch for me. I thought it was only around twenty silver coins or something–!! Hey, stop wiping your finger with my blanket or it'll stain!" That means they just gave me something that amounts to two-hundred and fifty silver coins.  Well, they did say they just picked it up somewhere surrounded by lizards or something, maybe they didn't know its price, or maybe they didn't just care about it.  After all, there was that one adventurer who easily gave up two mithril coins which amounts to a hundred gold coins for a sword at the shop earlier.  "Stop complaining, you talk too much! And give me that book back, I was so close to the climax!" Akemi pounced at me and tried to take away the book back, but I clutched her face to stop her with my left hand while holding the book with my other hand, moving it away so she won't reach it.  What a pain this girl is!  "Let go of me! Alright, fine, I'll give it back, so get out already! Here!" "I'll put lots of salt on your lunch tomorrow!" Snatching the book from my hand, Akemi hugged it as if to protect it from me and walked out of the room, leaving me with words of scorn.  I’ll apologize to her tomorrow. After that, I went to sleep, and then it happened –