Volume 3 Chapter 21 I Need Some Help, But...
──The boy felt regret.
His mother had told him not to leave the house.
He had heard stories about monsters appearing outside the royal capital. But for him, who had always lived safely within the walls of the royal capital, monsters were both terrifying and fascinating.
It was the curiosity of a child, the desire to see something scary. His fear was mixed with excitement. And in such a situation, he couldn't help but go against his parents' words. It was that age when doing something bad felt 'cool.'
That's why the boy secretly left the house, stealing away from his mother's watchful eyes. Walking through the quiet streets of the city, which were usually bustling, ignited a sense of adventure within him.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
──But just moments ago, the exciting feeling of anticipation that he had been feeling had vanished.
He was chased by something he had never seen before, a "monster." He had never seen the real thing, but he could imagine what a creature called a Kobold might look like.
He had thought the royal capital was safe as he walked, but then, as he arrived at the nearby square, he witnessed a large number of monsters appearing in an instant.
He should have run away immediately, but the boy found himself unable to move right away. Instead, his legs froze, leaving him standing still.
The monster, keenly spotting him, let out a scream and lunged at him.
After finally hearing the monster's scream, the boy's legs started to move, but he knew he couldn't outrun it with a child's pace. It wasn't long before he was caught up to, with no time to spare.
"Ah!"
His feet tangled and he fell. Tears welled up in his eyes from the pain, but more than that, he remembered the reality. When he hurriedly turned around, a Kobold was about to leap at him with its exposed fangs and swinging claws.
──It's hopeless!
In that instant, he closed his eyes.
In his mind, regret for not obeying his mother's instructions and the desire to see her again came rushing in.
──But no matter how much time passed, nothing ever happened.
With fear and trepidation, he slowly opened his eyes and saw a man standing there.
He could tell he had the appearance of a mercenary since he had seen someone dressed similarly in the royal capital.
What caught his attention was the spear he held in his hand.
Since ancient times, the sword has been known as the weapon of men. Everyone longs for the existence of a Brave and wants to swing a toy sword at least once. He was one of those children.
But in that moment, the boy's eyes were captivated by the jet-black spear the man held in his hand.
And the man's back, with the spear in tow, was undeniably cool.
* * *
It was dangerous.
If I had been a little late, the child would have become a snack for the Kobold. It was really fortunate that I managed to intervene just in time.
Relieved that I made it in time, I turned to the boy.
──For some reason, he's looking at me with strangely sparkling eyes.
For a brief moment, I felt my momentum waver, but I quickly regained my composure. I swiftly changed the grip on my spear and poked the boy's head with the butt end.
"Ow!"
The once sparkling eyes now turned teary from the pain. I grabbed the boy's collar and lifted him up in one swift motion.
"What the hell are you doing, you little brat! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!"
The sound of my enraged voice made the boy's eyes widen in surprise. It seemed like he hadn't fully comprehended the situation yet. Speaking wouldn't be of any use.
So, I forcefully made the boy stand on the ground and turned his face in a certain direction.
In the boy's line of sight, there lay the lifeless body of a Kobold that I had just struck down. Its torso was split open, and organs and blood spilled out from the gaping wound.
If words wouldn't work, then I would make him accept the reality with his own eyes.
As I had anticipated, the boy's face turned pale with a mix of shock and disbelief. It was too intense for a child to witness such a vivid creature's corpse, but given the circumstances, there was no other choice. Forcing him to understand the situation quickly was the most efficient approach.
"If I hadn't arrived in time, it would have been you in that state. Do you understand?"
I wasn't sure if my voice reached him, but at the very least, I conveyed the bare minimum. The boy let out a sob and choked back tears.
I grabbed the boy by the collar once again and pounded on the door of a nearby house.
"Open up! If you don't open, I'll kick it down!!"
I knocked harder, and I could hear a creaking sound coming from the door. Whether it had any effect or not, I couldn't say, but after a moment, I heard noises from inside. I stepped back, and the door timidly opened.
From the crack in the door, I pushed the boy, his face covered in tears and snot, in front of the resident's eyes.
"Take care of him until the commotion settles. When it's over, please return him to his parents."
I said that while forcefully opening the door and throwing the boy into the house. Both the resident and the boy couldn't hide their confusion, but I quickly closed the door and left the scene.
"That was a close call── I want to say something about the 'aftermath', but there's no time. Tell me the location of the magic circle. We need to destroy it quickly before it becomes troublesome."
"Understood, partner."
──Shortly after that, I continuously destroyed the magic circle that summoned the Kobolds.
"This makes it the sixth one. How many more are there?"
"It's better to ask the other person about that."
I couldn't ask because my spear had already thrust into them before I could even ask.
"Well, at least make an effort to ask!"
"If there were other people helping, it wouldn't be a problem, but since I'm alone, I can't afford to waste time listening to their story."
Even while having a conversation with Gram, the summoning magic circle is steadily starting to activate. Just like the circle I destroyed earlier, some of them have already begun summoning monsters.
"Furthermore, there are no more demon figures since the fifth one. It feels like we're reaching the final stage of preparation."
"What would you do, partner?"
"I want to ask. It's not like I'm particularly good at intellectual work from the beginning."
My stamina isn't endless. If I keep running around the royal capital, I'll hit a limit eventually. But I don't have time to rest either.
"We're seriously short-handed here."
I muttered my complaints just then.
'Partner, I've got good news. A group of armed people is approaching our location.'
Gram switched to the telepathy channel and said. I could hear the footsteps of several people too.
Before long, a group equipped with coordinated armor and weapons appeared. It seems like the soldiers of the country have arrived.
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