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Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 24: Future Plans
“What? There’s a monster stronger than the one we just fought up there?”
“Yeah. I think it ran away from a stronger monster.”
We had just finished dismantling the defeated monster and were having dinner.
Our meal was a steak made from the meat of the gorilla-like monster we had just killed, along with some soup and bread.
Of course, since I, the villainous Lloyd who usually ate discounted supermarket bento boxes, couldn’t cook, Lilina prepared the meal for us.
Eating a meal prepared by the heroine from my favorite anime felt like quite the luxury.
I knew from the anime that Lilina was good at cooking, but actually tasting it was an entirely different experience—it was incredible.
…Lilina could probably make a living as a chef.
After savoring Lilina’s cooking, I cleared my throat.
It’s not just about being moved by the food; we need to discuss our next steps.
“The monster we fought is usually found upstream. The fact that it came downstream suggests it’s either due to a food shortage or it lost a territorial fight.”
“Oh, and is that why there were so many monsters on the way here?”
“Probably. In the worst-case scenario, there could be multiple monsters stronger than the one we just fought occupying the upstream area.”
We’ve fought many monsters to get here.
If there was only one monster stronger than the one we just defeated, it wouldn’t make sense for so many monsters to have come downstream.
It’s more likely that the monsters originally upstream were driven to the midstream, causing others to be pushed further down.
If that’s the case, just how many powerful monsters are there upstream?
…Honestly, I don’t want to think about it.
“Could it really be that bad? Should we go back?”
“No, we’re not going back. If we do, we might miss our chance to get the elixir.”
If the current situation is reported to the Adventurer’s Guild, they might not let anyone enter the forest for a while.
Maybe a high-ranking adventurer would be an exception, but I’m only a C-rank adventurer.
It’s a rather awkward position.
“Besides, even if we report it, we need more information. Without it, the Adventurer’s Guild won’t know how to respond.”
I looked at Lilina, who was nodding in agreement, and continued.
“But we can’t keep fighting strong monsters one after another. So from now on, we’ll avoid combat as much as possible. We’ll use the ‘Stealth’ skill to move quickly upstream. Once we find the elixir, we’ll pick it and head straight out of the forest.”
This plan seems best in many ways.
We can conserve our energy while collecting the elixir and gather some information about the anomalies.
The only concern is whether C-rank adventurer Lloyd can handle it… but we’ll have to rely on Lloyd’s ‘Steal’ skill.
…If he can steal strong skills from the monsters as we go, Lloyd should manage.
“Understood! I’m glad I learned the ‘Stealth’ skill!”
“Yeah. I’m counting on you, Lilina.”
When I said that, Lilina smiled warmly.
“Hehe.”
Then, she twitched her ears happily and looked at me intently.
I wondered what she was thinking when she suddenly gave me a sparkling smile.
“Lloyd-sama, you seem just like the protagonist of a story.”
“Protagonist? Me?”
I tilted my head in confusion at her unexpected words.
No, no, I’m definitely the villain here. The kind that gets his comeuppance from the hero.
Lilina, still blushing slightly, continued.
“Yes! You saved me when we first met, you’re trying to help my mother, and now you’re trying to save everyone in the town. …You’re really cool, Lloyd-sama.”
“I’m not cool. I wasn’t specifically trying to help the people in town.”
“Entering the dangerous forest to report the current situation to the Adventurer’s Guild is for the sake of the town, right?”
“Well, indirectly, maybe.”
“You’re cool, Lloyd-sama.”
Lilina gazed at me with an enchanted expression as I stammered.
No, really, Lloyd isn’t that kind of guy!
I thought about explaining myself, but it felt pointless to say anything to Lilina in her current state, so I swallowed my words.
…This is embarrassing.
As I considered this, I recalled what Lilina had said earlier.
Objectively speaking, excluding his past misdeeds, Lloyd’s actions might indeed resemble those of a protagonist.
Indeed, it’s behavior uncharacteristic of the villain Lloyd.
As I pondered this, I couldn’t help but let a slight smile form on my face.