Chapter 9

The next morning, Lei woke up before dawn.

He had gone to bed earlier than expected last night, but the tension of his first job today also seemed to have contributed to his early awakening.

(What time is it now? It's inconvenient without a clock. It's still dark outside, so it might be the middle of the night. But I don't think I can go back to sleep.)

He began to prepare as quietly as possible.

He used storage magic to retrieve the armor he had put away yesterday.

On the item box list, the names "Nyx Vestis" were next to the armor, and "Alb Cornu" were next to the spear.

(They really are named weapons... Still, "Nyx Vestis" means "Snowy Garment," and "Alb Cornu" means "White Horn"... How do I know the meaning? I'd rather know the performance, like attack and defense stats, but even the weight isn't listed... That's not very helpful...)

While thinking such things, he took out "Nyx Vestis" and put it on. Then, he took out "Alb Cornu" last.

By the time he was ready, the eastern sky was beginning to lighten. It didn't seem to be that late when he woke up.

He decided to use the time before breakfast to practice with his spear outside.

(I can't relax if I don't do something. I'll practice quietly in the backyard so I don't bother anyone.)

He went to the backyard and started practicing near the stable.

His movements were better than the morning before, and his spear and sword were moving as he intended.

(I'd like to do some mock battles to sharpen my skills, but this is the limit for one person. I'd like to practice magic too, but it's not possible here...)

When the sun rose, Ashley came to the backyard.

"Good morning, you're up early. Hmm, you're motivated?"

"Good morning. Not really... I just can't settle down if I don't move my body..."

They did a light sparring session, and after breakfast, they received a bento and headed to the guild.

It was 8:00 AM.

The clock rings every two hours, so you can tell the time by listening to it, but Lei hadn't noticed that yesterday.

When they entered the guild building, it was bustling with adventurers.

There was a crowd around the bulletin board where the request slips were posted, and the good requests were being torn off like they were being fought over.

"Did we start late?" he asked.

"No, the request we're aiming for isn't popular. It should be fine."

She slowly went to the bulletin board and picked up one of the request slips.

The request slip read, "Eliminate Lizardmen in and around Dramenie Lake and Cruunie Lake: Reward 10C per kill."

Lizardmen are bipedal lizard-like humanoids.

They have low intelligence but act in groups and use simple tools. They attack fishermen, so they are treated as monsters.

"Lizardmen? Are we taking this one?"

"Yeah, the Lizardman elimination isn't popular. The reward isn't great, and their tough skin can damage weapons. My sword and your weapon should be fine, but people with cheap weapons avoid it. On the other hand, people with good weapons take more profitable requests. So, it's not popular and always left over. However, they don't have much defense and don't use complicated attacks, making them good for training."

Lizardmen are covered in hard, scaly skin that can deflect weak slashes. They use crude weapons like clubs but have sharp claws and teeth, making them formidable. However, their attacks are monotonous and they don't coordinate well, so they aren't much of a challenge for skilled fighters.

The reward isn't great because the requests are made by fishermen, and the impact on their catch is minimal, with little risk to life, leading to lower rewards.

Lei and Ashley took the request slip to the reception counter.

After handing the slip to the receptionist, they used an orb to complete the registration.

Dramenie Lake and Cruunie Lake are located 10 km east of the town of Moulton. The two lakes are connected in a gourd shape, with a fishing village called Ratley at the narrow part.

First, they decided to go to Ratley village, gather information from the fishermen, and then head to the elimination site.

Since it was 10 km away, they borrowed horses and arrived at the village just after 9:00 AM.

Ratley village was a small village that combined farming and fishing, with about thirty small houses.

When they entered the village, they could smell the fishy odor typical of a fishing village, and small children were helping their parents mend nets.

Upon closer inspection, they had cat ears, making it a village of cat people, a sub-race of beastmen.

There were also beastmen in the town of Moulton, but Lei rarely saw small children, so he was a bit excited.

(Cat-eared children... They're so cute... This is really a fantasy world...)

Ashley tilted her head at Lei's expression but quickly found the village chief's house and called out, "Let's go," before entering.

The village chief's house was only slightly larger than the others, but it was probably the right size for the small cat people. The furnishings inside were not shabby, indicating a reasonably prosperous village.

A man in his fifties with cat ears appeared.

"I am Kieran, the village chief of Ratley. I have sent someone to call someone who knows the details..."

Lei looked at Kieran's face and thought,

(He doesn't add "nya" at the end of his sentences... Of course. It would be a bit awkward if a middle-aged man added "nya"... But I'd welcome it if a cute girl did...)

He was thinking about things unrelated to the request, but it was because he was so nervous that his legs were shaking and he couldn't move.

Ashley, who was unaware of his nervousness, looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression, but since it was his first request, she assumed he was just excited.

Three fishermen in their thirties soon arrived to explain.

According to their story, they had found five Lizardmen on the west side of Dramenie Lake, and the Lizardmen were stealing all the fish from the nets they had set up.

They said it would take about ten minutes to reach the location by boat, and one of the fishermen, Corder, would guide them to the spot.

Lei, Ashley, and the fisherman Corder boarded his small boat and crossed Dramenie Lake.

The lakeside was lined with reeds, and much of it was marshy, but the wind blowing across the lake was refreshing, and the peaceful scenery made it hard to believe there were monsters.

After about thirty minutes on the boat, they arrived at the opposite shore.

The opposite shore had only a small stretch of reeds, and beyond that, it quickly turned into a forest with poor visibility.

Since the Lizardmen were said to be in the forest, they agreed to meet Corder again in three hours and set out to explore the forest.

Lei, holding his spear, spoke to Ashley nervously.

"How do we find them? We're not just going to wander around, right?"

"Yeah, first we'll look for footprints by the water. Then we'll follow those footprints to find them."

After searching the water's edge for twenty minutes, they found a trail of trampled reeds.

"Here. The claw marks mean it's definitely Lizardmen. Let's follow the footprints carefully."

Lei simply replied, "Understood," and followed her.

The footprints led deeper into the forest, and even a novice like him could tell there were multiple creatures.

(There seem to be more than five. Will we be okay? Ashley can probably handle several on her own, but I... No, I'm getting nervous. Maybe I'm starting to feel scared...)

He was afraid of the Lizardmen, an enemy he had never seen before.

The Lizardmen in his memory were from games and anime, where they wore leather armor and carried spears, looking fierce. Ashley had said they only had clubs and no armor, but the image in his head was hard to shake.

After walking for a while, Ashley crouched down and signaled for him to do the same with her left hand.

He almost said, "What is it?" but held it back at the last moment and crouched in the grass like her.

"There they are. Seven of them."

About thirty meters ahead, they could see several reptiles with green scales, which were likely Lizardmen.

Ashley looked at him and smiled.

"Lei, can you use magic for a preemptive strike?"

"Huh! Magic... I'll try, but I'm not confident... Which one should I aim for?"

He was surprised by the sudden request, but he steeled himself and asked for a target.

She pointed to a Lizardman with its back turned and said, "Aim for the one in front with its back to us."

He decided to use the light magic, the spear of light, he had thought about the night before.

He took a deep breath, visualized gathering light particles in his mind, and made a spear of light appear in his left hand.

He mentally shouted, "I did it!" and threw the spear of light at the target she indicated.

The silent spear of light, though not as fast as he had expected, hit the target with its back turned perfectly.

The Lizardman let out a cry of "Giaa!" and fell.

Seeing this, the other Lizardmen looked around, spotted them, and charged with cries.

"They're coming! Lei, can you do another one? If not, come to my right side!"

Ashley's instructions came, but Lei, seeing the Lizardmen, about two meters tall with green scales, coming to kill him, panicked.

"I can't! Let's run! There are too many!"

"Not now! Quickly, get your spear ready! If you don't want to die, fight!"

He forced his trembling body to move and awkwardly readied his spear.

"Remember your training! They just charge straight at you! If you watch carefully, it's easy to avoid!"

He didn't hear her at all. His mind was focused on the green demons, the Lizardmen, coming to kill him.

His sense of time was off, and it felt like they were taking a long time to approach, or they were coming closer in an instant.

(I can't do it! I shouldn't have become an adventurer... I shouldn't have relied on Ashley... I'm going to die here...)

He pointed his spear forward, eyes wide open, and froze.

"Lei! They're coming! If you don't want to die, fight!"

She gave him a cold look at his pitiful state.

(No good... I didn't expect him to be so spineless... But I can't abandon him... This is a bad situation...)

She had thought he would be able to move a bit more, even on his first mission.

She could handle six Lizardmen alone, but protecting him while he couldn't move changed the situation.

She was angry with him, and even more so with herself for misjudging him.

(Understanding your companion's abilities is basic for a mercenary. How could I forget that... Was I just too excited? I will survive. I will survive...)

She slashed a Lizardman approaching her with a raised club with her large two-handed sword.

The Lizardman let out a death cry and fell beside her, but another enemy was already approaching.

On the side, Lei, who had been in a daze, finally recovered and was using his spear to keep the Lizardmen at bay, albeit awkwardly.

The next Lizardman raised a club like the first but didn't charge recklessly, staying about three meters away, making a hissing sound, and watching her movements.

"Smart for a Lizardman!" she shouted, then closed the distance with a sharp step and thrust her sword into the enemy's throat.

The Lizardman, unable to keep up with her movement, was cut across the throat with its club raised, spraying red blood as it fell.

Two more enemies appeared, surrounding her, and she took a step back to face them again.

Lei had resigned himself to death and was about to give up.

But when he saw Ashley's contemptuous look, he decided to fight to survive.

(Being looked at like that... It's really pathetic... Ashley has done a lot for me. Whose fault is it that she's in trouble? At the very least, I need to give her a chance to escape...)

He started to swing his spear, albeit awkwardly.

Fortunately, the Lizardman approaching him was wary of the spear's range and stopped at a distance. If it had charged, he would probably be dead. However, its hesitation gave him a brief moment to recover.

He forgot his training and just thrust wildly, missing the enemy completely.

Still, his spear was sharp, and the cross-shaped blades on the sides prevented the Lizardman from getting too close.

As the fight continued, he gradually regained his composure.

(I can do it! They're afraid of me too. Stay calm! What did Ashley say? Remember your training!)

He shouted, "Yaaah!" and thrust sharply, then immediately swept the enemy's neck when the thrust was dodged.

The sharp thirty-centimeter blade cut the Lizardman's neck.

Though it wasn't a deep wound, the sight gave him hope.

(I hit! If I stay calm and attack, I can hit and it's effective. Next, a double thrust, then...)

He quickly checked his surroundings, identifying Ashley's and the enemy's positions.

Seeing no enemy to his side and Ashley slightly behind, he thrust twice at the enemy in front and then swept its feet.

The Lizardman, hit by the double thrust and then swept, fell, exposing its unprotected side to the Lizardman on Ashley's right. He thrust into the Lizardman's side.

The wounded enemy cried out and retreated, and Ashley took the opportunity to cut off another enemy's arm.

Seeing this, Lei let his guard down a bit.

The last Lizardman took advantage of the opening and charged at him.

The Lizardman's attack was more like a body slam than a club strike due to its size, and he was hit and thrown back.

He gasped for air, his vision blurring, and was hit again by the club.

The club grazed his helmet near his right ear and hit his shoulder. However, his sturdy shoulder guard was undamaged.

(Painful! My ear hurts more than my shoulder. Even with armor, it hurts this much... Damn! The distance is too close to use my spear... I can't even draw my sword...)

The Lizardman's movement suddenly stopped, a silver blade protruding from its abdomen.

Ashley had stabbed the Lizardman attacking him from behind.

The wounded Lizardmen were losing their will to fight, but Ashley pulled out her sword, approached casually, and finished them off.

After defeating all the Lizardmen, she sat down, breathing heavily.

(We barely made it... Lei did better at the end. What should we do now... I was wrong to throw him into battle so suddenly. Should I observe him more... But can I remain objective about him...?)

"Lei! What was that fight? We're going to do extra training when we get back! Let's collect the magic crystals and go back!"

He didn't understand her words. Her look clearly showed she had given up on him.

"Are you still staying with me? Even after such a pathetic performance..."

"Never again! You will fight properly next time. If you want to stand by my side, be prepared!"

After saying this, she suddenly felt embarrassed.

(If you want to stand by my side... What am I saying? Being with Lei throws me off...)

She stood up silently and checked his injuries.

"You're not seriously hurt. Your ear is probably painful, but it's just red and swollen. Your shoulder should be fine thanks to the armor. But to not even be scratched by that blow..."

He thanked her and asked if she was hurt, but she replied,

"I won't make such a mistake to be injured by a Lizardman."

Then she added,

"If you can stand, let's collect the magic crystals and leave. The smell of blood might attract other monsters."

He stood up, using his spear to support his tired body.