kscans

Chapter 20 - After Something Bad, Something Good Happens... That's Life

After reaching level 4, I continued my exploration, hunting Skeletons.

I stopped using magic with my Magic Wand and started fighting with my sword, but I had no trouble. I was worried that cutting bones might damage the sword, but that was a needless concern.

As expected of a short sword that costs one million yen. Its sharpness was not bad, and the blade was not chipped.

I smoothly hunted down Skeletons.

Incidentally, in these Kunaar Ruins, only Skeletons appear during the day. However, at night, it seems zombies and ghosts appear.

Therefore, few adventurers come here at night. Because it's scary. I don't want to either.

During the day, it's only Skeletons, so it's easy to prepare for, but at night it turns into a haunted house. Who would willingly go there?

That's probably another reason why I see other adventurers on a weekday afternoon.

I proceeded down a path between the ruined buildings. And then, I turned at an intersection for no particular reason. I could see other adventurers fighting Skeletons in a plaza at the end of the path.

Those adventurers were a party of four, two men and two women. But there were five Skeletons...

Five of them... What an unlucky bunch.

I felt a bit of pity for them, but I observed their fight, and honestly, it looked dangerous. I thought they were just Skeletons, but Skeletons have swords. Moreover, the four adventurers were young, and their equipment was that of beginners. They barely had weapons and light-looking breastplates.

Are those students? College... no, high school students, probably. But their guardian is nowhere to be seen...

Anyone under 18 is supposed to have a D-rank or higher escort. Either they died, ran away, or they just look young but are over 18.

But what should I do? They're clearly in a pinch. I should help them. But according to the beginner's guide on the online strategy site I often read, adventurers are responsible for themselves, so it's better not to help adventurers who are in trouble.

Is ignoring them the right call? But they're just kids...

As I was deliberating, one of the girls in the group of four fell. Her legs got tangled as she tried to turn.

Tch!

I put my Magic Wand in my bag, took out my short sword instead, and ran.

"Get out of the way!"

I shouted instructions to the four as I ran, and the two boys distanced themselves from the Skeletons. But one girl was still on the ground, and the other girl was trying to help her up. And a Skeleton raised its sword towards those two girls.

"Too slow!"

Before the Skeleton could swing its sword down, I stepped forward with my right foot and thrust at the Skeleton's head. The Skeleton's head shattered, and it turned into smoke and disappeared.

I then swung my sword at the remaining four around me. The torsos of two Skeletons split in two and crumbled.

I then beheaded one of the sluggish Skeletons and cleaved the last one diagonally from the shoulder.

In an instant, all the Skeletons disappeared, leaving only five swords behind.

I'm too strong! Well, the Skeletons being weak and the one million yen short sword helped.

I put my short sword back in my bag, ignored the four who were staring blankly, and crouched down to look at the fallen girl's leg.

Of course, it wasn't for any perverted reason. It was because the fallen girl's leg was bent in a strange direction.

It's broken.

I think it's strange to break it just by twisting it, but apparently, this kind of thing happens in the Frontier. In short, it's a side effect of one's physical abilities being enhanced by the blessing of magical power, causing one to misjudge their strength.

"Do you have a potion?"

I looked up at the girl who was standing nearby and asked.

"N, no, I don't."

"Are you students? Where's your escort?"

"Ah, well, he's here, but he went to the bathroom."

They were attacked while waiting for someone to use the bathroom? They're really unlucky.

"Is the escort a relative? Or did you hire them?"

"We hired him."

Then he won't share his potion even if he has one. There's no way he'd use a 500,000 yen potion.

This fallen girl is quiet now because of adrenaline and confusion, but she'll start making a fuss soon. Because it's broken. It must hurt a lot.

It can't be helped... Well, I have plenty, and it's my way of sharing some of the fortune I've come into.

I took a Healing Potion out of my bag and poured it directly onto the fallen girl's leg.

"That's cold! Wait, huh!?"

The girl was surprised by the sudden application of the Healing Potion, but she seemed even more surprised when she looked at her own leg. Of course she was. It was bent.

But the leg that had been bent in a strange direction immediately returned to its original shape after the potion was applied.

"Is it painful?"

"Huh? Huh?"

"Is. It. Pain. Ful?"

"Ah, it doesn't hurt."

Then it's fine. As expected of a potion I made. It's high quality. (Compared to our company's products, this is just my personal opinion.)

I stood up smoothly and began to pick up the fallen swords.

"H, hey, wait! Those are ours!"

One of the two boys who had been keeping their distance raised his voice.

What is this kid talking about?

"I'm the one who defeated them, you know?"

"We didn't ask you to. This is hyena-ing."

Hyena is an online gaming term. In short, he's saying that I delivered the final blow after they had worked hard to deal damage and weaken them.

Is this brat serious? If this girl had died, you guys would have been next.

Ah... so this is what the beginner's guide on the strategy site was talking about. Even if you help, you won't necessarily be thanked. In fact, you get people picking fights with you like this. It's certainly a pain, and it's unpleasant.

But I'm an adult!

"I see... Then fine."

I stopped picking up the swords. I didn't want them that badly anyway. A 5,000 yen Skeleton sword is small change to me, who just made 25 million. This must be the price of a lesson.

"Ah, um..."

The girl whose leg I had healed tried to stand up.

"You should rest a little longer. Your escort should be back soon."

But he's taking a while to come back. He must be taking a dump.

I decided to leave, as staying here any longer would only be unpleasant.

"I'm not gonna thank you. We could've done it ourselves, and you stole our experience points."

As I was walking away, I heard a very unpleasant parting shot from behind me.

....................

"I see... I'm sorry about that."

I'm an adult! A super adult!

I quickened my pace a little and left the place.

"Ah..."

As I was retracing my steps, I passed by a man about my age who was clutching his stomach. It seemed he really was taking a dump.

I'm an adult. A 26-year-old adult. I'm magnanimous.

Smile, smile...

◆◇◆

"And that's what happened, Kaede-chan! I seriously wanted to tell them to go die!"

I chugged a beer at a famously high-end yakiniku restaurant and complained to Kaede-chan sitting across from me.

"Ah, you ran into some unpleasant ones. That's rough."

Kaede-chan agreed as she grilled some green onion and salted tongue.

"I saved her life and used a 500,000 yen potion, so why did I have to get talked to like that!"

"I know, I know, there really are people like that. Oh, senpai, do you want a refill?"

"Yes, yes. Kaede-chan, you're such a good kid. I can't believe those brats and that crap-head are the same species."

"Senpai, we're eating."

"Ah, sorry."

Calling him a crap-head was uncalled for.

"But it's really like that all the time. That's why people think it's better not to get involved."

"I learned that the hard way. All I wanted to do was say, 'Hmph, I am not one to give my name'!"

"How lame... Senpai, the green onion tongue is ready. Here you go, here you go."

After making a look of utter exasperation for a moment, Kaede-chan, with a lovely smile back on her face, urged me to take the green onion tongue, so I did and ate it.

"This is delicious. It's been a really long time since I've had yakiniku."

"Me too. This is delicious."

After that incident, I immediately returned and invited Kaede-chan to dinner. Since Kaede-chan had the day off tomorrow, we decided to go for the yakiniku she had mentioned before. Of course, I had changed back into a man.

"But you had fun in the Kunaar Ruins, right?"

"Well, yeah."

In fact, aside from those guys, it was fun.

"That place is popular because only moderately weak Skeletons appear. And the dropped swords sell for a decent price, too."

The sword dropped by a Skeleton sold for 5,000 yen. It's indeed a decent way to make money.

"The internet said it's the place to go after you graduate from being a beginner, and it's true. It's a really good spot."

The Skeletons aren't fast, and there are no surprise attacks like with the Wolves. If you prepare properly, you shouldn't be in any danger. Well, there were some who were, though. Idiots.

"It really is a good spot. If I had to point out a downside, it would be that because it's popular, there are a lot of people. And when there are a lot of people, the number of low-quality adventurers increases. You know?"

"It's true. They stare at me every time I pass by."

"Well, anyone would stare if they saw someone dressed like that, all by themselves."

Well, yeah. I'd probably stare too.

"Ah, so annoying."

"You're really worked up. Here, drink up, drink up. Eat up, eat up."

"Yeah. Oh, Kaede-chan, that kalbi... never mind."

I was about to say it was her fourth piece, but I stopped myself midway.

"Senpai, please stop that habit of counting. You're rich, aren't you?"

See, she called me out.

"Well, I am, but..."

"You should just order more."

"Well, yeah. Then, Kaede-chan, should we try ordering this misuji? I don't really know what it is, but it's expensive."

I have the money!

"This is a classic example of what happens when a commoner gets money."

"Then let's get harami instead."

Harami isn't cheap either, though.

"Let's order it. I'm a commoner too. Let's get the special select kalbi while we're at it. Oh, want a refill?"

"Yes, please."

We ate, drank, and had a good time. And then we went to karaoke to blow off steam.

We're so young!