110 - Solo
――Inside the forest.
The boys who had stolen the village's money were counting their loot while staying alert to their surroundings.
In the dim light of the forest, the sound of birds singing felt eerie.
"Hurry it up!"
When one of them urged, the boy counting replied.
"Fifty silver coins. No mistake!"
It was money collected for the sake of the village. The boys had known where it was kept.
Having been blamed by the adults for carelessly hunting beasts and upsetting the balance of the forest, they had decided to head toward the urban areas.
To obtain the funds for that purpose, they had laid their hands on the village's money.
"Alright, with this much, we can get by even if we go to the city."
The city――they believed that once they reached an urban center, they would somehow manage.
"It's perfect for getting away from those noisy adults. Still, that outsider acting all high and mighty really pisses me off. Even though he's not even a great adventurer."
The outsider was likely the village chief.
From their perspective, the village chief was a loser who spent his retirement in the village. The adventurers they imagined were those who owned mansions in the city and lived elegant lives.
"My old man and big brother said it, that since the rank of the adventurers here is low, only a wimpy guy like that would come."
Complaining about the village chief, they held onto the money they had obtained and began to think about their future plans.
"Hey, how are we getting out of the village? Even if we have money, we don't have food or equipment."
The three boys looked at each other, and the same answer came to mind.
"Isn't it obvious? We'll 'borrow' some from a certain place."
They had no equipment for traveling.
The method they had thought of was to steal Liel and the others' equipment under the guise of borrowing it.
"I hate that guy, always bringing only women along. And the village chief, despite being ugly, he managed to get a beautiful wife. He definitely bought her with money."
As second and third sons who were usually in weak positions, they were disgusted with their stifling life in the village.
Occasionally, they would hear stories from traveling merchants about adventurers active in the city and dream that one day they would be like them.
However, reality was not so sweet.
While the people of Beim were relatively wealthy, there wasn't that much money available to help second or third sons become independent.
The three of them, having given up on clearing land to get their own fields from the start, only helped with farming as a formality and never put in any real effort.
With no fields or houses to inherit, being an adventurer was what they considered for their independence.
They possessed a baseless confidence that they would succeed if they became adventurers. Though, it was also true that many adventurers were as ignorant of reality as they were.
That was one of the reasons why reckless adventurers never decreased.
"Hey, what do we do once we get the equipment? It'll take two days on foot to reach the nearest village."
One boy deliberately lifted the bag filled with silver coins to eye level and shook it with a jingle.
"Once we get there, we can just buy food with money. If we can get a ride on a wagon while we're at it, the city will be right there."
The boys smiled, imagining themselves independent in the city.
"Then, let's sneak in when it becomes night. As long as we don't go deep into the forest, we should be fine."
The boys had noticed that since Liel and the others started entering the forest, the number of monsters near the entrance had decreased.
They thought that if they stayed hidden until night, they could manage.
"That means we'll be bored."
The three, who had brought bread and water bottles when they ran away, tore off pieces of bread and put them in their mouths. They chewed the hard bread slowly and looked at the weapons hanging from their waists.
"Hey, if we collect materials and magic stones, we can sell them once we reach the next village, right?"
When one said that, the other two looked at the bag filled with silver coins.
To them, it was a large sum of money, but if possible, they didn't want to touch it until they reached the city.
They would use this money to gather equipment as adventurers.
They wanted to save as much as possible to buy good equipment.
"...Since we're bored, let's earn at least enough for food."
The boys stepped deeper into the forest――.
Having received an additional request from the village chief, I finished checking my equipment, put it on, and prepared to enter the forest.
Miranda watched me enter the forest alone with an exasperated expression.
"You accepted the request, but you don't have to force yourself to go into the forest, do you?"
I checked the spare saber, short sword, and knife at my waist, then put a rope in my bag.
"They're loitering near the forest entrance, so I'll recover them quickly. It'll be a pain if they're discovered as corpses."
Miranda looked at me, as if calling me a soft-hearted fool.
"Take me or Eva with you."
The only ones who could move around in the forest were Miranda, Aria, and the elf Eva. However, it wasn't a situation that required bringing three people.
"If the three who ran away went deep into the forest, I'll turn back. Besides, I have skills."
When I showed her by gripping the Jewel Orb, Miranda spoke.
"...Don't overdo it. Also, tell us your secrets properly someday. I'll refrain from asking until Liel says it himself."
Looking at Miranda's back as she walked away, I thought.
(She's figured it out...)
I scratched my head and let go of the Jewel Orb, and the Fourth Generation spoke.
『Lying about trying to kiss a Kirin was meaningless, wasn't it? It would be better to prepare an environment where you can tell them someday.』
The Sixth Generation added.
『True. Well, it doesn't have to be right now.』
I didn't think there was any need to tell them, but thanks to Shannon, I now had to explain. The timing was bad, but I should create an environment where we could talk calmly.
I had to explain things in order so that no questions remained. And that the Jewel Orb I possessed was different from the one Celes had...
At that moment, I wondered.
(What is the difference between the Jewel Orb I have and the one Celes has? Celes said mine was a fake or a failure... isn't the true use of a Jewel Orb to memorize skills?)
Shaking my head, I headed toward the forest, thinking first about rescuing the three boys.
Having entered the forest alone, I was able to walk through it even by myself, thanks to Eva's guidance.
Though I wasn't used to it, with the use of skills, I proceeded deeper without getting lost and while avoiding monsters.
The three had gone deeper before I entered the forest.
"Looks like I can catch up somehow."
Since it seemed I could catch up without going too deep into the forest, I continued chasing the three.
With the map of the surroundings appearing in my head and the ability to know the reactions of both allies and enemies, I was likely suited for the work of an adventurer.
That was proof of how excellent the skills of the Fifth and Fourth Generations were.
While chasing the three, I saw a corpse discovered along the way.
It was a Grey Wolf, and it seemed they had given up on skinning it halfway, as only the magic stone had been recovered.
"How terrible."
Not that the monster had been torn to shreds, but that the stripping of materials was terrible. They seemed to lack basic knowledge.
"The pelt is more expensive."
In terms of purchase price, the pelt would be bought for more.
From my perspective, having become accustomed to the adventurer life, it felt like a waste. More than that, what concerned me now was...
"Why go deeper into the forest when they managed to take the village's money? No, in the first place, they probably didn't even prepare to run away."
Or, had they planned it from the start and hidden equipment in the forest? Thinking that far, I decided it was unlikely and continued through the forest.
Monsters began to gather around the boys. The boys, unaware, seemed to be surrounding something.
"Surrounding a beast? A trap!"
A beast had been there from the start, and I hadn't noticed that a trap had been set.
Starting to run, I took my short sword in hand and hurried forward, clearing away obstructing branches and grass.
Then――.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
Understanding the situation through my skill, I hurriedly increased my speed.
A voice of surprise was heard from within the Jewel Orb as well.
It was the Fifth Generation.
『Mei...』
――The boys who had surrounded the beast sighed as they looked at the lifeless creature.
"What the, no magic stone?"
The boy splattered with blood wiped his hands with a cloth, looking irritated.
The reason was that they had spent a lot of time but gained no results.
"I can't even tell the difference."
"I mean, why should we treat these things with care when they're the ones attacking us?"
The boys, who had happened to set a trap and leave it there previously, discovered a wolf there.
They had surrounded and killed the weakened wolf, but it had been more stubborn and time-consuming than a Grey Wolf.
"How much were two magic stones again?"
"Ah~, I think we could get about one large copper coin..."
Just as the three were about to leave the spot, a sudden bolt of lightning struck.
In addition to the ground shaking, a pale blue light illuminated the surroundings.
Looking up at the sky, the small patch of sky visible through the branches and leaves was a blue sky.
"What. What happened?"
"Hey, it's not like a dangerous monster appeared, right?"
"L-let's run!"
Did a monster that uses magic appear? Having reached that conclusion, the boys tried to flee in haste. However, within the circle of those boys, there was a small girl.
She was a girl who felt terribly surreal.
She wore clothes I had never seen before.
The white clothes were midriff-baring and off-the-shoulder. No, the chest, waist, and from the upper arms down were separate pieces of clothing.
The cloth around the chest and the waist were quite tight, showing the lines of her body. A toned waist and protruding large breasts.
Her buttocks were small.
Despite such clothing, the cloth on her arms was conversely so loose that her hands were invisible. On her feet were sandals, and something like mesh belts were wrapped around her legs up to just below the knees.
With short hair, she passed between the three while her short blonde hair swayed slightly, then she destroyed the trap digging into the wolf's leg and cradled the blood-stained wolf.
The three boys were unable to move their legs due to a sensation that they couldn't even breathe freely and a complex mix of emotions.
When they saw the girl, they thought she was beautiful.
At the same time, they thought it was impossible.
Growing from her hair, just above her ears, were two horns.
Looking at the girl with golden horns, the trio felt terror while thinking she was beautiful.
Because they had never heard of a demi-human race that had horns. Even if such a thing existed and they simply didn't know, the three were terrified of a being they were seeing for the first time.
Above all, the atmosphere was different.
One of them managed to squeeze out a voice.
"W-who are you? An adventurer who came to the village? I haven't seen you before..."
Then, the girl turned around; her eyes were blue and transparent, but at the same time, she was looking down on the three and glaring at them.
"Hie!"
When one surprised boy fell backward, the wolf's companions gathered around the girl. Ignoring the boys, they pressed their bodies against the girl's legs and sniffed for the scent of their companion.
The girl opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry I couldn't notice you... Now, it's time to say goodbye."
Saying that, the girl placed the wolf she was holding on the ground. When a companion wolf howled, a wolf cub pressed its forehead against the girl's leg and snuggled close.
The girl closed her eyes, and when she opened them, the body of the wolf that had become a corpse burst into flames.
As the pale blue flames flickered, the girl spoke.
"Now, go on."
After returning the wolves to the depths of the forest, she glared at the boys. Approaching the boys while avoiding the blazing flames, the girl said one thing.
"You see, I hate people like you. Ignorant, and arrogant... Yes, so that you never do it again, I'll have one of you disappear here. The other two will return to the nearby village and pass down the story of today. That will be the end of it this time."
As the girl spoke indifferently, the boys broke into a cold sweat, their faces turning pale as they looked at each other.
The girl asked.
"Who's going to disappear?"
Disappear. The girl said so, but the boys understood.
That one of them would be killed.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry, so please let us go."
When one said that, the girl tilted her head.
"What was it that you're sorry for? If you can say it, go ahead and try?"
The boys looked at each other.
"F-for killing the wolf."
When they said that, the girl began to laugh.
"Ahahaha, that's certainly true. Yes, you're not wrong. But you see..."
The girl changed her form in an instant.
The small girl transformed into a Kirin with white scales and a golden mane.
The two horns disappeared, and in their place, a single horn grew from her forehead.
It was an aggressive, sharp horn.
"I'm not saying 'don't kill living things.' I kill to survive too. To be clear, I wouldn't complain even if you enjoyed the killing. That's your problem. However..."
As she took one step forward, all the boys fell backward and landed on their buttocks. The boy who had fallen first was trying to get away on all fours.
The Kirin they were seeing for the first time was directing hostility toward them.
It was a divine figure, but at the same time, it hated them.
Knowing this, the boys wept and begged for forgiveness.
However, the Kirin seemed uninterested.
"Personally, I just don't like you. And you recklessly upset the balance of the forest. That is your crime. Now, who would like to be the one to disappear?"
It felt strange to hear the girl's voice coming from the large form of a Kirin.
But the boys cared more about their own lives than that.
"I said I don't want to! You're the one who invited me!"
"Don't screw with me! You were the one enjoying it the most!"
"I don't want to! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
The voices of the boys screaming and cursing each other could be heard. The Kirin listened to it, but――.
"So, who's going to disappear?"
The voices of the three begging for forgiveness did not seem to reach the Kirin.
However, the Kirin suddenly shifted its gaze away from the boys and turned around.
"It seems you've arrived. I've been waiting..."
What the boys saw was an adventurer with blue hair.
Perhaps because he had come in a hurry, there were branches and leaves in his hair. Out of breath, he switched the short sword in his right hand to his left, and the adventurer drew his saber.
Lowering his center of gravity and taking a stance, he glared at the Kirin.
Unlike them, he showed a posture of confronting the Kirin.
The Kirin raised its front leg high and leaped up, and by the time it landed, it was in human form.
Then, looking down at the sobbing boys.
"I've had enough. I've met the one I actually wanted. If you appear before me again, next time I'll make sure you disappear."
Threatened, the boys returned the way they had entered the forest.
Throwing away the luggage they held, they ran desperately toward the village――.