Chapter 5
By the time we returned to town, the sun was beginning to set.
Felicia and I headed straight to the Adventurers' Guild.
"Oh, you're back."
The receptionist who had introduced us to the request noticed us.
"How did it go?"
"We defeated all three."
When we set the horns we'd brought back on the counter, the receptionist checked them one by one.
"These are definitely Horned Rabbit horns. You have three of them."
That meant we'd completed the request.
"Are either of you hurt?"
"I'm fine."
"I'm fine, too."
"That's good. Your reward is six thousand Jenny."
"Six thousand Jenny."
We'd taken the request together.
"We can split it evenly, right?"
I looked at Felicia.
"Huh? But you were the one fighting up front, Allen-san…"
"You took down two of them, too, Felicia-san."
"That's true, but…"
"We took the request together, so we can split it evenly."
"…All right."
The receptionist divided the reward.
"Then that's three thousand Jenny each."
I took my coins.
Adding that to the eight thousand Jenny I'd earned in the morning, I'd made eleven thousand Jenny today.
That was plenty for my first day as an adventurer.
Just then,
【Request completion confirmed】
【You completed the F-rank request: Horned Rabbit Extermination】
【You acquired 30P】
【Your points: 225P】
"…Good."
"Did you say something?"
"No."
That confirmed it: completing requests increased my P. My points had now risen to 225.
"Allen-san."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you hungry?"
Her question reminded me.
I hadn't eaten anything substantial since breakfast.
"I am, actually."
"The cafeteria here is pretty good."
"The guild has a cafeteria?"
"It's in the back."
I followed Felicia and found several wooden tables lined up in the back of the guild.
Adventurers were drinking and eating.
"What would you like?"
I looked at the menu hanging on the wall.
Meat and vegetable soup, bread, and grilled sausage. It was eight hundred Jenny for everything.
"I'll have this."
"Me, too."
We ordered the same thing, and after a little while, our food arrived.
I tore off a piece of bread, dipped it in the soup, and brought it to my mouth.
"It's delicious!"
"Right?"
Maybe because I'd completed two requests since morning, the warm food tasted even better.
"This isn't bad."
"What's that?"
"Having a meal after finishing work."
"…………"
Felicia smiled a little.
"It's been a while for me, too."
"What's been a while?"
"Going on a request with someone, then having a meal together afterward."
"Oh…"
She'd told me that she hadn't been able to join a party, and had recently been taking gathering requests on her own.
"Are you taking a request tomorrow, too?"
"I am."
Felicia answered immediately.
"Then would you like to work together again tomorrow?"
"Is that all right?"
"Of course."
"Yes!"
She nodded happily.
"I look forward to it."
"Likewise."
And so, we decided to take another request together the next day.
◇
After parting with Felicia outside the guild, I returned to the same cheap inn as last night.
It cost three thousand Jenny a night. The room was small, but good enough for sleeping.
I sat on the bed and opened Membership.
【Membership Rank: Bronze】
【Your points: 225P】
【Strength Enhancement: 30P】
【Endurance Enhancement: 30P】
【Agility Enhancement: 30P】
【Recovery: 50P】
Up until now, I'd wanted to keep plenty of P in reserve, since I didn't know what might happen.
But today, I'd learned that I gained P both by defeating monsters and by completing requests.
As long as I continued adventuring, I'd have opportunities to earn P.
"In that case, it'd be a waste not to use it."
I'd keep at least fifty P so I could use Recovery once. Aside from that, I'd try using as much as I could.
I brought up my current abilities.
【Strength: 30】
【Endurance: 30】
【Agility: 30】
【Magic: 18】
【Average adult: 10】
"Let's start with Strength."
【Purchase Strength Enhancement?】
【Required: 30P】
"Buy it."
【Strength: 30 → 40】
【Your points: 195P】
"…!"
Heat welled up from deep within my body.
Not just my arms. Strength filled my entire body, from my shoulders and back to my hips and legs.
When I clenched my fist, my nails dug into my palm, even though I hadn't meant to squeeze that hard.
"So this is forty…"
I could still do more.
"One more time."
【Strength: 40 → 50】
【Your points: 165P】
My body grew hot again.
This time, the feeling was stronger than before.
I reached for the wooden chair beside the bed, grabbed its back, and tried lifting it with one hand.
"…It's light."
Yesterday, I'd felt the chair's weight as usual.
Now, I could hold it at arm's length with almost no effort.
I tried slowly raising and lowering it. My arm barely grew tired.
"That's amazing…"
It wasn't just that the number had gone up. My body itself had clearly changed.
If I swung my sword with this strength, it would hit much harder than yesterday.
I quietly put the chair back. If I kept testing things and broke it, I'd have to pay the innkeeper for it.
"Next, Endurance."
【Endurance: 30 → 40】
【Your points: 135P】
Unlike Strength, this felt as if my whole body had grown firmer beneath my skin.
I pinched my arm hard.
"…It's not like it doesn't hurt."
It just felt much less painful than before.
Last was Agility.
【Agility: 30 → 40】
【Your points: 105P】
My body felt lighter.
Of course, my weight hadn't actually changed.
The moment I decided to move, my body followed right away.
"One more time."
【Agility: 40 → 50】
【Your points: 75P】
I stood up from the bed.
"Whoa!"
Before I knew it, I'd moved two steps forward.
I hurriedly stopped.
There was a wall right in front of me. If I'd taken one more step, I would've crashed straight into it.
"What is this…?"
As far as I knew, I'd stood up just as I always did.
And yet, my body had carried me much farther than I'd expected.
I tried moving one step to the right.
Then to the left.
"I'm fast."
It wasn't that my body followed after I moved my feet.
The moment I decided to move, my body was already in motion.
I'd noticed a difference the first time I bought Agility Enhancement, but this was on another level.
I was afraid to move at full speed in such a small room.
I checked my abilities once more.
【Strength: 50】
【Endurance: 40】
【Agility: 50】
【Magic: 18】
【Your points: 75P】
"I'll try it outside tomorrow."
I couldn't wait to find out just how much stronger I'd become.
◇
The next morning, when I went to the guild, Felicia was already waiting.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning."
"Let's do our best again today."
"Yes."
When we headed to the counter, the receptionist saw us and took out a request form.
"How about this one for the two of you?"
【Exterminate three Gray Wolves】
"Gray Wolves…"
"They've been spotted near the forest south of town. They're stronger monsters than Horned Rabbits."
"Three of them?"
"Yes. The reward is nine thousand Jenny."
It was a little higher than yesterday's. That meant it was probably more dangerous.
"What do you think?"
I looked at Felicia.
"Let's do it."
"I was thinking the same thing."
We accepted the request and left town.
◇
We found the Gray Wolves about an hour later.
"There are three of them."
Felicia said in a low voice.
They were wolf-like monsters with gray fur.
They were larger than Horned Rabbits, and sharp fangs showed from their mouths.
One of them noticed us.
It growled low.
"They're coming!"
The Gray Wolf kicked off the ground.
Fast.
It was clearly faster than the Horned Rabbits from yesterday.
It lowered its body and closed the distance in an instant.
Its forelegs pushed off the ground.
Dirt flew up.
I saw its fangs.
And yet,
"…I can see it."
Yesterday, I'd moved only after seeing the monster leap at me.
Now it was different.
The Gray Wolf's shoulder dipped.
Its hind legs tensed.
I knew what it would do next.
And before it could leap, my body was already moving.
"Hah!"
I surged forward.
"Huh?"
Felicia cried out behind me.
Even I was surprised by how fast I was.
I took just one step, and the distance between me and the Gray Wolf vanished in an instant.
My sword reached it before it could pounce.
"Hah!"
I swung through.
Whoosh!
"Yelp!"
The impact felt different from anything I'd experienced before.
My sword bit into its fur and kept going without stopping.
The Gray Wolf was knocked sideways and rolled across the ground.
【You defeated a Gray Wolf】
【You acquired 15P】
"…………"
One blow.
I'd defeated a monster stronger than yesterday's Horned Rabbit in a single strike.
"Allen-san!"
The second one was coming.
It was circling around to my right.
This time, I ran toward it first.
I kicked off the ground.
"!"
My body shot forward.
One step.
Two steps.
The scenery rushed past me.
The Gray Wolf swung its head as if it had lost sight of me.
I circled around its side.
"There!"
I brought my sword down.
"Yelp!"
The second one sank to the ground, too.
【You defeated a Gray Wolf】
【You acquired 15P】
I looked behind me.
Felicia stood there with her staff raised, her mouth hanging open.
"Felicia-san?"
"…That was fast."
"Huh?"
"You were incredibly fast just now!"
But this wasn't the time to talk.
The last one was growling.
"There's one more!"
"O-oh, right!"
The Gray Wolf ran sideways.
Felicia pointed her staff at it.
"Magic Bullet!"
Smack!
It hit its shoulder.
"Magic Bullet!"
The second shot.
After a short pause, she fired a third.
"Magic Bullet!"
Every shot hit the same spot.
"Yelp!"
The last Gray Wolf fell, too.
"We did it!"
"Yes."
I checked our surroundings.
All three had stopped moving.
I gained thirty P from the two I'd defeated, but nothing appeared when Felicia took down the third.
For now, it seemed only monsters I defeated myself counted.
"Allen-san."
"Yes?"
"Haven't you gotten stronger since yesterday?"
"…………"
"You have, right?"
Felicia looked back and forth between me and the fallen Gray Wolves.
"Yesterday, you dodged the Horned Rabbit's charge before cutting it down, didn't you?"
"That's right."
"Just now, you went to cut the Gray Wolf before it even pounced, didn't you?"
"I did."
"Gray Wolves are faster, you know?"
"Are they?"
"They are!"
Felicia raised her voice.
"And you took both of them down in one hit!"
"My strength went up a little, too."
"When?"
"Last night."
"In one night?!"
"I did a little training."
"What kind of training makes you that strong in one night?!"
"It's a secret."
"There's definitely something strange going on…"
She gave me a suspicious look.
Well, that was only natural. If our positions were reversed, I'd think the same thing.
◇
We completed that day's request without any problems, too.
【Request completion confirmed】
【You acquired 40P】
【Your points: 145P】
After returning to the inn, I opened Membership again.
"I should be fine as long as I keep at least fifty P."
I spent it without hesitation.
【Endurance: 40 → 50】
【Agility: 50 → 60】
【Your points: 85P】
The next day, Felicia and I took another request.
This time, it was to exterminate five Goblins that had appeared near the road.
I'd gotten more used to moving in my new body than I had yesterday.
How far I'd go with one step, how much force to put into a sword swing, and how quickly I could stop.
Little by little, I was getting a feel for my new body.
A Goblin raised its sword.
Before, I'd waited to see its attack before dodging.
Now, I could get inside its guard before it brought its sword down.
"Hah!"
The first one.
I turned and struck the second.
The moment I kicked off the dirt, I closed the distance to the third, too.
I swung my sword horizontally.
"Yelp!"
The third one fell.
It felt hard to believe that just a few days ago, I'd been nervous at the sight of my first Goblin.
And I wasn't the only one improving.
"Magic Bullet!"
Smack!
"Magic Bullet!"
She was taking less time to fire her second shot than before.
Felicia had been working on it, too.
She fired Magic Bullet at the two remaining Goblins, hitting the same spot with pinpoint accuracy until they fell.
Apparently, she also practiced Magic Bullet over and over at the training ground behind the guild after we returned from requests.
She said she chose a target, fired repeatedly at the same spot, and tried to do it with as little time between shots as possible.
"Aren't you faster than before?"
"You can tell?"
"Of course I can."
"I practiced all day yesterday."
She smiled, looking a little proud.
"It wouldn't be fair if only you got stronger, Allen-san."
"Were you competing with me?"
"Can't I, just a little?"
"I don't mind."
I took down three of the five Goblins.
【You acquired 30P】
We completed the request without incident, too.
【Request completion confirmed】
【You acquired 40P】
【Your points: 155P】
That night, too, I saved enough for Recovery and used the rest of my P to enhance myself.
【Strength: 50 → 60】
【Endurance: 50 → 60】
【Agility: 60 → 70】
【Your points: 65P】
My body changed every day.
I'd gotten used to movements that had felt too fast at first, and could now cover in one step a distance that had taken two the day before.
My balance held steady after a sword swing, and even the sword that had once felt heavy seemed lighter and lighter.
Then came the fifth request since I'd become an adventurer.
We were to hunt a Fanged Boar that had appeared near farmland.
◇
"Bwooooh!"
A low cry rang out.
Its huge body weighed far more than I did.
It had enormous tusks.
Its front legs scraped the ground.
And then,
the Fanged Boar charged.
"Allen-san, dodge!"
Felicia shouted.
If this had happened before, I would've done that.
There was no need to take it head-on.
But,
"Now…"
How much could I do?
I wanted to find out.
I gripped my sword with both hands.
I spread my feet and lowered my stance.
"Allen-san?!"
The Fanged Boar came rushing toward me.
Its heavy footsteps thundered, thud-thud-thud.
Dirt flew up.
Vibrations traveled up from the ground.
From the front, it looked like a wall charging at me.
I was scared.
Even so, I didn't run.
"Come on!"
Just before its tusks reached me,
I shifted half a step to the side.
My body moved exactly as I wanted it to.
And then,
"Haaah!"
I swung my sword with all my strength behind it.
Thud!
"Bwoah?!"
A heavy impact.
But I wasn't overpowered.
My sword sank into the Fanged Boar's shoulder, and its huge body lurched sideways.
All four legs slid across the ground.
One step.
Two steps.
Its massive body was shoved sideways.
"Huh…?"
I heard Felicia's voice.
I was the most surprised of all.
"I stopped it…"
I had thrown off a monster that had charged at me with all that force with a single blow.
Blood ran from its shoulder.
"Felicia-san!"
"Y-yes!"
She raised her staff.
"Magic Bullet!"
Smack!
It hit the wound I'd made.
The Fanged Boar thrashed.
"Magic Bullet!"
The second shot.
The same wound.
She was clearly faster than before.
"Magic Bullet!"
The third shot.
"Bwooooh!"
The huge body staggered.
"Allen-san!"
"Yes!"
I kicked off the ground.
I closed in on it in an instant.
I swung through with my sword.
"Hah!"
"Bwoah…!"
The Fanged Boar's huge body tilted.
With a thud that reverberated in my stomach, it fell to the ground.
【You defeated a Fanged Boar】
【You acquired 20P】
It was nothing like when I'd defeated my first Goblin.
Back then, I'd been desperate just to dodge its attacks and land a hit with my sword.
Now, I'd thrown off the charge of a monster far heavier than me and defeated it head-on.
I looked at the hand gripping my sword.
"I'm getting stronger…"
It wasn't just the numbers.
I could feel it clearly.
"Allen-san…"
Felicia came over.
"Yes?"
"Have you gotten stronger again?"
"Probably."
"There's no probably about it!"
Felicia pointed at the Fanged Boar.
"That's a Fanged Boar!"
"Yes."
"You just stopped its charge, didn't you?!"
"I only knocked it off to the side."
"That's not the point!"
Felicia clutched her head.
"You're like a completely different person from a few days ago!"
"I've been training every day."
"That's not what I mean!"
She leaned in close.
"What kind of training makes you like this in just a few days?!"
"…………"
I couldn't exactly explain it.
"It's a secret."
"You're definitely hiding something, aren't you?!"
She was right.
◇
In the evening, we returned to the guild.
We presented proof of the Fanged Boar's defeat at the counter.
"All right. Everything's in order. You've completed the request."
At that moment,
【Request completion confirmed】
【You acquired 50P】
【Your points: 135P】
My P had increased again. I should be able to enhance myself further tomorrow night.
"And also—"
The receptionist looked at us.
"Allen-san, Felicia-san, please wait a moment."
"?"
The receptionist headed to the back, then returned a little while later with two cards.
"These are your new guild cards."
"New ones?"
I took mine.
I looked at the writing on it.
【Allen Valdis】
【Adventurer Rank: E】
"…E?"
I looked to the side. Felicia's card had the same letter on it.
"Huh?!"
"Starting today, you're both E-rank."
"Already?"
It had only been a few days since we'd become adventurers.
"F-rank is also a rank for assessing new adventurers' aptitude."
The receptionist explained.
"Allen-san, you've completed five requests in a row. You've also shown sufficient ability on extermination requests."
"Five requests…"
Gathering medicinal herbs, Horned Rabbits, Gray Wolves, Goblins, and a Fanged Boar.
That was five, all right.
"Felicia-san already had a record of completing gathering requests, and she's also completed extermination requests without difficulty over the past few days."
"So…"
Felicia looked at her card.
"I'm E-rank, too?"
"Yes. Congratulations."
"…!"
Felicia's face brightened at once.
"I did it…!"
She held the card in both hands.
I looked at my own card, too.
E-rank was still only the second-lowest rank.
Even so, just a few days ago, I'd been driven out of my home and had no idea what to do as I walked alone along the road.
Now I was working for myself and earning my own money. I was getting stronger little by little, had found a companion, and advanced to the next rank.
"Allen-san!"
"Yes?"
Felicia happily held up her card for me to see.
"We're E-rank!"
"We are."
I couldn't help smiling.
"We can take E-rank requests starting tomorrow, then."
"Yes. But there will be more dangerous jobs than F-rank requests, too."
The receptionist's expression grew a little serious.
"Don't push yourselves too hard."
"Understood."
I looked once more at my card, marked E-rank.
I wonder what kinds of requests we'll get next.
If I defeated more monsters and completed more requests, I could earn P. And if I used that P, I could become even stronger.
"Felicia-san."
"Yes?"
"Are you going tomorrow, too?"
Felicia didn't hesitate for a moment.
"Of course!"
We looked at each other and smiled before heading off together. [Correction: source says only that they looked at each other and smiled.]