Chapter 56: A Matter of Feelings 4

I was outside the city for the first time in a while.

Noticing how different the air felt, I headed toward the forest.

“The road has been improved since the last time I came.”

A road that hadn’t existed before now extended toward the forest.

When I arrived, I found that trees had been felled to create a path leading to the dungeon.

“I’m not going to the dungeon, so this is my way.”

I left the road and went toward the area where I’d previously hunted slimes.

Using the magical tool Cain had given me, I searched for signs of nearby monsters.

I looked for an isolated specimen but couldn’t find one easily.

After walking around for about ten minutes, I discovered two slimes.

“…Let’s do this.”

This would be my first battle against multiple enemies.

I gave up on finding a lone specimen and chose those two slimes as my targets.

The pair were quivering, perhaps playing with each other.

“—!”

They hadn’t noticed me.

After making that judgment, I attacked the first slime and aimed for its core.

My strike destroyed it.

The second slime noticed me after I attacked and seemed enraged that I’d killed its companion.

“Kuh. Even if they’re only slimes, they’re still monsters.”

Having identified me as an enemy, the slime charged.

I raised my shield to block it, but the impact left my arm slightly numb.

However, I couldn’t let something like that frighten me.

I rushed forward and swung my sword down at the core of the slime before me.

The blade struck it directly.

The slime collapsed on the spot, ending my first battle against multiple enemies.

“That went better than I expected.”

That was my impression.

Perhaps I’d been needlessly afraid, but caution was a virtue for an adventurer.

Just because this attempt succeeded didn’t mean every battle would go well.

“Still, this may have given me a little confidence.”

The achievement of defeating multiple enemies made me feel that I’d grown somewhat.

I moved on and searched for more monsters.

The next group I found consisted of three slimes.

There were more than before, but part of me wanted to test myself.

I watched for an opening and destroyed the first slime’s core.

“!”

The other two recognized me as an enemy and attacked.

Because I’d turned my shield toward the first one’s movement, the other struck me directly in the abdomen.

It hurt a little, but my equipment protected me from injury.

I destroyed the second core, then chased the slime trying to put distance between us and destroyed its core too.

“…Phew. That revealed something I need to improve. I must pay closer attention to my enemies’ movements.”

With a shield, I could somehow manage two enemies.

Against three, however, I was struck whenever they attacked simultaneously.

That was acceptable against slimes, but if they’d been goblins, I would’ve been injured.

“Is that the limit of what I can do alone?”

Adventurers grew together with their companions.

Cain had told me that he’d grown alongside his companions until he attained his present strength.

Apparently, he acted alone more frequently now, but he still went on adventures with those companions.

“Companions…”

I didn’t need them immediately.

However, there was no guarantee I’d find them when I did.

That was another difficulty of being an adventurer.

“…Come to think of it, did Alan ever become an adventurer?”

I remembered Alan, who’d traveled to the capital with me on the day we left our villages.

He’d said that he would spend some time studying after arriving, but I hadn’t asked how long that would continue.

“Well, we promised to go on a request together, but we never said we’d form a party…”

While thinking about that, I continued hunting slimes in the forest.

◇

A monster has been defeated.

1 EXP acquired.

EXP until next level: 91/100.

◇

It was my first time outside the city in a while, but after resolving to fight multiple enemies, I gained a considerable amount of EXP.

Three remained my limit, however, and I didn’t challenge a group of four slimes.

I’d fought groups of three twice and failed to avoid every attack on both occasions.

After finishing the hunt, I returned to the capital.

“You look exhausted, Erik.”

“It was my first time fighting monsters in a while, so I got a little carried away. I defeated many of them, though.”

I presented the slime parts that served as proof of subjugation.

“That’s impressive. You’re certainly a Copper-rank adventurer now.”

“Hee hee.”

I smiled at Reina’s praise.

After she processed the request, I accepted the reward and returned to the inn.

“My goodness, you’re quite dirty today.”

“I went outside the city for the first time in a while. I’m starving.”

“Hee hee. Dinner is already prepared. Eat as much as you like.”

“I will!”

After speaking with Amanda, I entered the dining hall and ate dinner.

I bathed afterward. Once I reached my room, I maintained my equipment before going to sleep.

Repeated battles with slimes had left it considerably dirty.

I used proper maintenance tools, and the dirt came away.

“All right. Now I can use it again tomorrow.”

Satisfied by the clean equipment, I lay down in bed and fell asleep.