“Ah, that person! Could it be the Dragon Hunter, Seigel?!”
Roel pointed towards a silver-haired man standing at the Guild counter, finishing up a request settlement. He was carrying a peculiar weapon that could only be described as a massive knife.
“Is there a cute girl calling for me… right over there?!”
Seigel struck an exaggerated pose, pointing at us. “Cute girl”—I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, but it seemed like he was the only one who used that term.
“Oh wow, and there are five of you! What’s this? Are you all fans of mine?! I’m flattered… I’d love to give you an autograph, but I don’t have any paper on hand. How about I sign that weapon of yours instead?”
“No, thank you.”
Ai swiftly shut down Seigel’s chatter with a single sentence. She was a reliable older sister who could clearly say what was unacceptable. I thought how reassuring it must be for her two younger sisters.
“So, you’re the Dragon Hunter, Seigel, right? I never expected you to be in Queemil.”
“Roel, is this person famous?”
“Of course he is! He’s been voted the most desired Adventurer for three consecutive years in Adventurer Communications! My interview article is even featured in the magazine Dungeon Diving Guy. There’s no way he’s not famous!”
“He’s the only one in the world who has defeated the Floor Monster ‘Dawn’s Explosive Dragon’ in the Giginga Volcano, which has a Danger Level over 60.”
I wondered if Roel was a fan of this guy. It was clear he was famous, but he also seemed quite full of himself.
“So, what kind of request is the cute girl party taking on? Ah, I’d love to give you a lecture, but unfortunately, I have plans. Sorry, don’t be disappointed!”
“We’re fine without it. Rua, Roel, how about this request?”
I admired Ai for completely ignoring Seigel and moving on with the usual proceedings. The request read:
“Please gather honey from the Terror Bees residing in Bees Forest. Tool Shop: Cynthia. Reward: 1100 G + additional.”
“Bees Forest, adjacent to Bears Forest. But I think the Danger Level is 5…”
“I know it’s a bit ambitious, but we want to become independent quickly.”
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
It wasn’t a casual agreement. I genuinely wanted to help these girls, so I accepted.
“Terror Bees, huh… I wonder if my arrows will hit.”
Mai looked worried as she held her bow. Mi encouraged her by gently patting her waist with her small hand.
“That’s right! Even without Mom and Dad, we promised to work together and do our best!”
Mi nodded vigorously, her short chestnut hair bouncing. It contrasted with Mai’s long hair that reached her waist. The three of us working together was heartwarming, and I felt even more moved.
“Bees Forest! The Terror Bees themselves aren’t too tough, but there are a lot of them. Plus, be careful of the Floor Monster ‘Honey Queen Mother’ over there. She’s the queen bee of the Terror Bees and rarely shows herself, but if you encounter her, run immediately. You won’t stand a chance.”
“Thank you very much.”
“No need for thanks. Let’s save that for when you return alive. For example, from Zenbei over there.”
“Rua, Roel, let’s go once we’re ready.”
Ai was sharp and led us with purpose. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Seigel.
///
Bees Forest was shallower than Bears Forest and felt more like a grove than a forest. The monsters here weren’t just Terror Bees.
【Wind Flying Squirrel x2 appeared! HP 34】
Suddenly, a squirrel dropped from a tree. While gliding, it cast a wind spell at us.
【Wind Flying Squirrel cast Wind Cutter!】
A blade of wind rushed towards Mai. There was no way it would reach her; I dispelled it with a gust of wind from one hand.
“Th-thank you…”
“I’ll definitely protect you, so stay calm and aim well at it, Mai.”
“Okay!”
Mai took a deep breath and focused on the gliding squirrel. As soon as it landed on a tree, she released her arrow.
【Mai’s attack! Dealt 25 damage to Wind Flying Squirrel!】
Without mercy, Ai slammed her axe down on the squirrel that fell from the tree, still impaled by the arrow.
【Ai’s attack! Dealt 52 damage to Wind Flying Squirrel! Wind Flying Squirrel was defeated! HP 0/34】
“We did it!”
“Not yet! Stay alert!”
Another squirrel charged at Ai, seeking revenge.
【Wind Flying Squirrel’s attack! Ai took 11 damage! HP 20/31】
“Ugh!”
As the fallen Ai was about to be attacked, the squirrel began chanting a wind spell. There was no way it could survive in such a vulnerable state, and I swiftly cut it down.
“Mi, heal your sister!”
Roel gently urged the flustered Mi, taking her small hand to cast Heal on Ai together.
“Yes, well done!”
Mi blushed at Roel’s praise.
“I’m sorry, Mi is naturally shy…”
“Everyone gets nervous around strangers when they’re kids. But Mi, your sister will listen to you, so don’t be shy. If anything happens, just shout, okay?”
“…Okay.”
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. But I could tell that was her best effort to express herself. Somehow, I felt that Roel would get along well with this girl.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for the trouble…”
Ai leaned against her axe, panting heavily, her sigh reflecting her embarrassment.
“But now you understand that if you stay calm in battle, you can manage. Just don’t let your guard down.”
“Yes.”
I encouraged her, but still, if the three of us were to fight here, we would need a fair amount of healing potions. Plus, against fast monsters like this, an axe wouldn’t cover all the bases. I couldn’t just tell her to stop being an Axe Fighter, so I wondered what to do.
As we pushed through the underbrush, we spotted a swarm of bees the size of human heads. Hanging from a tree deeper in was undoubtedly the Terror Bee nest. We had arrived at our destination, but it was clear that sending them against that many would be too much.
“Is that the Terror Bees? So many…”
Mai gulped nervously. I realized why the reward was so high. There might be some tricks to handling them, but there was no time to think about that. I charged straight for the nest.
【Terror Bee x20 appeared! HP 36】
The bees surged towards me all at once. Countless stingers aimed to pierce me, but just like the scorpions in the cave, they had no chance of hitting. I spun around, slicing through the surrounding bees. Without fear, they charged at me, only to be cut down or blown away by my spinning blades.
【Defeated Terror Bee x17!】
In mere seconds, the battle had reduced their numbers to about three. This was enough. They might have poison, but like the squirrels on the farm, one at a time wouldn’t be a problem.
“Alright, it’s your turn now!”
“Fay?! Oh, okay!”
Surprised by the sudden call, Mai bravely ran forward with her axe.
“Don’t swing wildly! They’ll come straight for you, so keep your distance and aim for them!”
Nodding silently, Ai focused intently on the approaching bees. She drew the killer bee in close, waiting until the last moment to swing her axe down. Though she grazed it, she missed the killer bee and inadvertently gave the Terror Bee a chance to counterattack.
An arrow struck the Terror Bee aiming for Ai.
【Mai’s attack! Dealt 36 damage to Terror Bee! Terror Bee was defeated! HP 0/36】
Ai drew the attention, and Mai finished it off with her bow. It was simple, but it suited our party perfectly. One of the remaining two bees flew straight towards Mai.
“Yikes! It’s coming this way!”
“Ai! Now!”
The Terror Bee, focused solely on Mai, was unaware of Ai sneaking up from behind. With a swift strike, Ai cleaved the bee in two. However, immediately after, she was stung in the back by the last remaining bee.
【Terror Bee’s attack! Ai took 6 damage! Ai is now poisoned! HP 25/31】
“Ah…”
Ai stumbled, her footing unsteady from the poison. It was Mi’s time to shine. But wait, she couldn’t use the detox spell yet.
“Come on!”
In a fit of desperation, Mai swung her bow at the bee. I was surprised she managed to hit it, but I thought that was a bold move. Though it didn’t defeat it, Ai’s axe struck the weakened bee directly.
【Terror Bee was defeated! HP 0/36】
“I-I won… We won…”
Mai collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Ai, panting, stared at the dead bees.
“Both of you are stronger than I expected… With this, we should be able to tackle the second floor of Avangarde Cave, right?”
“Thanks to you, Rua-san. Without your precise instructions, we would have been killed without being able to do anything.”
“Honestly, I was surprised. Rua-san, you’re that amazing, so why are you still a C-Rank?”
“I only just became an Adventurer recently, so I’m still figuring things out…”
My response turned vague due to the lengthy explanation behind it.
“I’ve been holding you back… I think if it were just you, Lua-chan, you would have already reached A-Rank.”
“That’s not true. I need Roel, and she’s saved me countless times. Plus, I’ve been leveling up at an incredible pace lately.”
I thought I was stating facts, but I was genuinely astonished by the leveling up. Just the other day, I was at Level 2, and now I’m at Level 10. I must have had some innate talent all along.
“Lua-chan…”
Roel smiled softly, her head slightly bowed, unsure if she was happy or embarrassed.
“Roel-san is also Level 10… We need to keep pushing ourselves.”
Ai was fired up, and Mai gripped her bow tightly. As for Mi…
Huh?
Where’s Mi?
“Hey, I can’t find Mi anywhere.”
The moment I said that, the atmosphere around us froze.
///
“Hey there, kid. What’s wrong?”
Seigel approached a child sitting by the roadside, crying. The child was sobbing and took a while to respond.
“Did someone make you cry?”
Seigel crouched down to speak at the same level as the child. Perhaps feeling reassured, the child began to talk.
“Some scary people came to my house with Dad and Mom… Our home… it’s broken… Waaa, hiccup…”
“Scary people…”
After a moment of thought, Seigel gently patted the child’s head.
“Don’t worry, kid. I’ll help you. Despite how I look, I’m an A-Rank Adventurer. A means I’m the best.”
He wanted to add that there were actually a group of S-Rank monsters, but he held back.
“Really? You, mister?”
“Yeah, I promise I’ll definitely help you!”
He emphasized the “mister” part. The child’s house, when they arrived, was not just destroyed but severed. The walls were in tatters, and the floors and walls were scattered in pieces. Strangely, there were no signs of furniture or belongings. The scene was so gruesome that both the first and second floors were visible at once. Near what must have been the entrance, the child’s parents were crying.
“What on earth happened here?”
“It’s all over. They’ve taken everything from us. I begged them to spare our home, but now look at it…”
Though the explanation was vague, I could sense what had happened. This was no ordinary robbery.
“Could it be a debt issue?”
“Y-you have no right to ask that!”
After such an incident, it was understandable that they wouldn’t want to share their troubles with a stranger. Seigel, having given up on that line of questioning, focused on what he had in mind.
“Gametz Trading Company.”
At those words, the parents trembled slightly. Gametz Trading Company was a notorious organization recently established by a man named Gametz in this town. In the city, skilled Adventurers gathered, and security was tight, so they must have set their sights on this rural area.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. Just wait a little bit, okay?”
“Huh…?”
It wasn’t just because the tear-streaked face of the mother was incredibly beautiful. Without any ulterior motives, Seigel dashed off toward Gametz Trading Company.
Monster Compendium
[Wind Flying Squirrel HP 34]
Watches Adventurers from the treetops, waiting for the right moment to swoop down and attack. It uses wind magic, which can catch beginner parties off guard and lead to unexpected struggles.