Episode 2
There was a woman pouring Holy Power into my battered body while mocking me.
“Pfft, you’re really weak. Getting hurt like this against low-level monsters, it’s just pitiful~♡ What would you have done without me?”
“…Didn’t you tell me to fight, Saint?”
“So, how long were you planning to live as a useless human? You need to get stronger to be of any help to me. Judging by your pathetic skills, you’ve still got a long way to go~♡”
This damn woman.
Ever since I met Saint Estelle and started this journey, it’s always been like this. When I asked her why we were going on this adventure, she said it was to defeat the Demon King, of course.
-Though with your weak skills, you probably couldn’t even touch the Demon King’s toes. So, you better work on improving that pathetic strength of yours~? You don’t want to be a useless hero, do you~?
Since then, as part of my training, the Saint has been luring monsters for me to fight. Every time I get hurt, she heals my wounds like this.
I have no idea where or how she’s luring these monsters. Is she spraying some kind of pheromone or something?
Still, the good thing is that she seems serious. Even though she keeps calling me useless, her actions show she genuinely wants me to grow.
At least she’s only bringing low-level monsters that are suitable for me to fight, so she’s not trying to kill me.
‘…But can’t she fix that way of speaking?’
I don’t know how a Saint ended up with such a sarcastic tone. Maybe she’s been reading too many novels…
Wait, she talks normally in front of others. Why does this crazy woman only act like this around me?
The Saint lightly slapped my arm and said.
“Alright, healing’s done. Time to go back to rolling around with your pathetic skills.”
“…Again?”
“Don’t tell me you were planning to live as trash forever~?”
“…Fine, I’ll do it.”
Damn woman. Just wait until I get stronger.
The Saint left me alone again and headed into the forest. This time, she brought back stronger reptilian-like monsters, Kobolds. For some reason, they were really pissed.
“Kweek! Get that woman! Let’s capture and have our way with her!!”
“Kyaa♡ Hero, if you get caught by those trashy Kobolds, they’ll have their way with you! Don’t just stand there like an idiot, help me!”
“…What the hell are you doing?”
There were about ten Kobolds.
I barely managed to defeat twenty Goblins while getting hurt. Can I really take on ten Kobolds now? As I was thinking, the Saint hid behind me.
“Come on, show me that idiot-level strength of yours, Hero♡”
“…Sigh.”
Well, she won’t let me die, right?
I gripped the Holy Sword firmly. The Saint told me that the Holy Sword is deadly against anything related to magic. So, a proper strike would be fatal to monsters.
And yet, here I am, barely able to handle Goblins with this Holy Sword. No wonder she keeps mocking me as useless.
I swung the sword at the first Kobold that charged at me. Even though it was just a graze, the Kobold screamed in pain and rolled on the ground.
“Kweek! It hurts! It hurts!”
“Kweek! That sword’s dangerous. Everyone, be careful!”
Kobolds are smarter than Goblins. That’s why they’re considered more dangerous. After sacrificing one, the Kobolds started to watch the Holy Sword carefully.
Of course, they’re still low-level monsters. Even if they’re cautious, their actions don’t change much. They just think about dodging the sword but don’t consider the weapon’s reach.
I swung the Holy Sword wide, and two more Kobolds lost their lives. The Kobolds let out strange cries and fired their crossbows.
“Ugh!”
I dodged most of the arrows, but one hit my shoulder. Damn, it hurts. I glanced back at the Saint, but she didn’t seem like she was going to heal me until the fight was over.
“Hmm… You still haven’t finished them off? You’re worse than a rookie adventurer. It’s a shame to even call you a Hero~.”
“…Damn, why is my luck like this?”
I’d rather be doing homework.
“Grr…”
I pulled the arrow out of my shoulder with force. I couldn’t swing the sword with the arrow stuck in me. Blood gushed out as the flesh tore.
Damn, it really hurts. In novels or webtoons, people keep moving even after getting hit by arrows. Are they all just crazy people who don’t feel pain?
I gritted my teeth, barely enduring the pain, and charged at the Kobolds. As they finished reloading their crossbows, I swung the Holy Sword again.
“Kweek!?”
“T-The crossbow’s broken!”
The Holy Sword shattered the Kobold’s crude crossbow in one strike, and I kicked its head. With a thud, the Kobold flew back, and the others roared in anger.
“Kweek! Kill him!”
“Kill him!”
The Kobolds with intact crossbows aimed at me. But my sword was a bit faster. As soon as the arrows were fired from their crude crossbows, both the crossbows and their stupid heads were smashed.
The arrow, deflected by the shattered crossbow, grazed my cheek instead of hitting me.
Now, only two were left.
“K-Kweek! Human, strong!”
“Run, run away!”
Seeing their comrades fall, the Kobolds dropped their crossbows and started to flee. I looked back at them.
“…What should I do?”
“Are you planning to leave the monsters alive? You really lack the mindset of a Hero~. Instead of asking such a stupid question, you should chase them down right now.”
“…Right.”
Regretting my question after her harsh words, I chased after the fleeing Kobolds into the forest. I found one and slashed it with the Holy Sword.
“Kweek!!!”
Leaving the screaming Kobold behind, I searched for the other one. After wandering around for a while, I still couldn’t find it.
“Where did it go?”
If I go back without catching it, I’ll definitely get an earful. My shoulder hurts from the arrow, so I want to finish this quickly.
“Grr…”
“Is it over there?”
The crying sound seemed different, but I thought maybe monster cries can change. So, I moved towards it. But what was there wasn’t a Kobold. To be precise, it was a wolf-like creature eating what used to be a Kobold with its two paws.
There was something.
“…Huh?”
“Grrr…”
Among the monsters the Saint had mentioned, there was one with that appearance. A Nol Chieftain, a mid-level monster with a bulky build, resembling a dog or wolf, part of the bipedal monsters called ‘Nol.’ It was a monster far stronger than low-level ones.
In other words, it was a monster I had no way of defeating in my current state. As that thought dominated my mind, my body stiffened.
“Krarak!”
The Nol Chieftain roared, threw aside the Kobold it was eating, and grabbed its axe.
“Ahhh!”
The Nol Chieftain’s massive axe came down toward my head. Seeing it, my mind was filled with the terror of impending death.
I don’t want to die. Why do I have to die here? Damn it, just let me go back home.
All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind as I instinctively closed my eyes tightly and swung the Holy Sword.
“…Huh?”
Time passed, but I felt no pain. I cautiously opened my eyes.
The Nol Chieftain’s axe had stopped mid-air above my head. Shocked, I quickly dodged to the side, and the massive body fell to the ground with a thud. Blood gushed from its body.
“…Did I kill it?”
Oh, damn. I took down a mid-level monster.
Maybe the Saint will acknowledge me now?
“Oh, Hero…”
She must have followed me into the forest, as she appeared behind me and spoke softly.
“Did you defeat the Nol Chieftain?”
“Huh? Yeah, somehow… I don’t even know how I did it.”
“Hmm, the useless Hero has improved quite a bit.”
“…More importantly, can you heal this wound for me?”
“You got hurt again? Losing to a mere Kobold, how pathetic. Fine, I’ll heal you~♡”
Despite her words, she diligently healed me. It’s no wonder she’s revered as a Saint. Even after repeatedly fighting, getting hurt, and being healed, she shows no signs of fatigue.
“But Saint, now that I’ve defeated the Nol Chieftain, can’t I take on stronger monsters?”
“Huh~~? You don’t even know how you defeated it. Are you getting carried away just because you accidentally took down a Nol Chieftain?”
“…I think I misspoke.”
Damn. I can’t say anything right.
#
‘I was surprised…’
I followed Abel into the forest, worried about him, and found him facing not a Kobold, but a Nol Chieftain. It was a monster he couldn’t handle with his current strength.
At the critical moment when the Nol Chieftain’s axe was about to strike Abel’s head, Estelle used her Sacred Artifact.
“Holy Sword.”
Abel, who had closed his eyes and swung his sword, didn’t see it, but a brilliant sword of light instantly sliced through the Nol Chieftain. Its power was enough to cut down a mid-level monster in one strike.
“Hero…”
Estelle, about to call out to Abel, hesitated.
‘Hmm…’
Thinking he deserved a little reward for his recent efforts, she decided to let him believe he had defeated the Nol Chieftain himself.
She waited for Abel to grasp the situation and then revealed herself at the right moment.
“Oh, Hero…”
And acted as if she had just arrived.
“Did you defeat the Nol Chieftain?”
When she asked, Abel answered as calmly as possible.
“Huh? Yeah, somehow… I don’t even know how I did it.”
But Estelle saw it. The slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. His joy at having defeated a mid-level monster was obvious.
‘Cute.’
Seeing him so happy made her feel she had done the right thing a hundred, no, a thousand times over. She got to see Abel’s adorable reaction.
“Hmm, the useless Hero has improved quite a bit.”
When she praised him, the corner of his mouth twitched upward. So cute. She never thought she’d be traveling with such a Hero. She was truly lucky. Maybe it was the grace of the Solaria Goddess.
Abel, with his slightly raised mouth, pointed to his shoulder and said.
“…More importantly, can you heal this wound for me?”
His shoulder, injured by an arrow earlier, was visible. Estelle was pleased that Abel was asking her for help, but her words came out sharp, contrary to her true feelings.
“You got hurt again? Losing to a mere Kobold, how pathetic.”
Abel flinched. He knew all too well how weak he was. Feeling a bit guilty, she quickly added.
“Fine, I’ll heal you~♥”
Still, she didn’t go too far with her teasing. Estelle wanted Abel to grow stronger more than anyone. She poured her Holy Power generously to heal his wounds.
‘Good, he’s not too hurt this time.’
Aside from the arrow wound on his shoulder, there were only a few scratches. Truly, the Hero was the Hero. His growth rate was exceptional.
Watching Estelle, who was secretly pleased with his growth, Abel spoke.
“But Saint, now that I’ve defeated the Nol Chieftain, can’t I take on stronger monsters?”
Estelle tilted her head at Abel’s statement. She hadn’t expected this side effect from letting him take credit for the kill.
So, Estelle gave him a realistic piece of advice. Of course, her tone was as sharp as ever.
“Huh~~? You don’t even know how you defeated it. Are you getting carried away just because you accidentally took down a Nol Chieftain?”
“…I think I misspoke.”
Abel’s expression turned gloomy. Seeing his face, Estelle felt she might have been too harsh.
‘He seems upset…’
Wondering how to fix it, Estelle let out a remark.
“But you’ve become a little more useful, you clumsy Hero~♥”
