A Little Show of Dominance

I'm facing Gelt, the village chief's son, in the village square.

"If you lose, you'll do whatever I tell you!"

Gelt puffed out his chest, as if the thought of losing hadn't even crossed his mind.

It all started over something trivial.

As I was experimenting on Lisa as usual—no, playing with her—a rough voice called out from behind us.

"Hey, you guys! Become my lackeys!"

I had no idea why he was suddenly saying that.

"Why?"

"I'm the village chief's son! I'm older than you, and I'm the strongest person in the village!"

Gelt said it as if it were obvious.

Behind him, Mark and Tom, who were the same age as me, nodded smugly.

Lisa tilted her head in confusion.

"Why?"

"I'm the village chief's son! And I'm ten! You think you can defy your elders?"

Lisa gave my clothes a little tug.

"Does being older make you important?"

Before I could answer, Gelt declared proudly,

"Of course! There's no way a five-year-old can beat a ten-year-old!"

In that case, this was simple.

"So the strong are on top?"

I asked him.

"That's right."

"Then I'm stronger, so you should be my lackey."

I looked up at Gelt and grinned.

Mark and Tom exchanged glances.

"Hey, that kid..."

"He's talking back to Gelt..."

"Then let's settle it with a fight!"

Gelt's face turned bright red as he pointed at me.

"If I win, you'll be my lackey!"

"Then what if I win?"

Gelt shut his mouth, looking surprised.

He probably hadn't considered the possibility of losing.

"I-if you win... I'll become your lackey!"

He clenched his fist and spat out the words.

"...Gelt, are you sure?"

Tom couldn't help asking.

"Shut up!"

Gelt turned around.

"I made the rule! The strong are on top. That's my rule!"

Apparently, he had no intention of going back on a rule he'd made himself.

He was surprisingly conscientious.

"Okay, let's do it."

"O-okay!"

Gelt's eyes widened for a moment.

He was probably surprised that a five-year-old had accepted so readily.

"Noah, are you sure you won't lose? Gelt's so big!"

Lisa tugged on my sleeve.

"I'll be fine."

I answered, then secretly cast 'Enhance' on my brain.

"Here I come!"

Gelt charged.

He drew his arm back and rushed straight at me.

I could see every part of the movement clearly.

I could tell exactly where his fist would go and how to move so it wouldn't hit me.

I dodged the punch with the smallest movement possible.

The punch skimmed past my cheek, and Gelt's momentum carried him forward.

I hooked his leg and shoved him from behind.

It barely took any strength.

"Whoa!"

Gelt went tumbling to the ground with ease.

"No way..."

"A five-year-old beat Gelt..."

Amid the commotion, Lisa was the only one who ran over to me.

"Noah, that was amazing!"

Behind her, Gelt slowly got back to his feet.

"W-why...?"

He looked like he couldn't believe what had happened to him.

"...Again!"

Gelt stood up and charged at me again, this time with even more momentum.

But with 'Enhance' active, he was still slow enough for me to handle.

Before his fist could reach me, I shifted aside and punched him in the solar plexus as we passed.

"Guh..."

Gelt's body folded in half.

"Damn..."

He clutched his stomach, repeatedly trying to draw breath.

He tried to stand, but his breathing still hadn't returned to normal.

"...I lost."

At last, Gelt sprawled on his back on the ground.

"You're... strong..."

"Not really."

In truth, I probably couldn't beat Lisa.

Gelt was just an opponent I could still beat.

"...All right."

Gelt slowly stood up.

"You're the boss now."

"I don't need any sort of hierarchy."

Gelt looked straight at me.

"The strong are on top. That's my rule."

Mark and Tom started to say something.

"But, Gelt..."

"Shut up!"

Gelt turned to the two of them.

"I made the rule. Of course I'm going to follow it!"

Saying that, he turned to me.

"I'll follow you from now on."

"...Do what you want."

I shrugged.

The village chief's son had become my lackey.

Well, it wasn't bad.

He'd probably come in handy for all sorts of things.

Lisa ran over.

"Noah, that was really amazing!"

"I can't beat you, though, Lisa."

"Hehe."

Lisa smiled bashfully.

Gelt stared at her.

"Hey, could Lisa maybe...?"

Gelt ventured to ask.

"She's stronger than me."

I answered immediately.

"Seriously...?"

Gelt's face went pale.

Mark and Tom also began looking at Lisa differently.

Lisa smiled, completely unfazed.

"Lisa's one of us starting today, too. I'll show you the secret base."

Gelt declared, then took off toward the edge of the village.

Mark and Tom hurried after him.

"Hey, wait up, Gelt!"

"You're really showing them the secret base?"

Lisa promptly took my hand.

"A secret base! Let's go, Noah!"

"...Well, why not?"

I followed them.

When we reached the edge of the village, we saw the wooden palisade surrounding it.

The adults strictly forbade us from going beyond it.

There were monsters outside, so children weren't allowed to go out alone.

I'd heard that many times.

Gelt stopped in front of the palisade.

"Here."

Gelt pushed aside the grass.

Beneath it was a small hole leading through to the other side of the palisade.

"We can get outside the village through here."

Gelt said proudly.

"I found it six months ago."

"At first it was an animal burrow. We widened it ourselves."

Tom puffed out his chest.

"Don't tell the adults."

Mark held a finger to his lips.

"But it's dangerous outside."

Lisa looked up at me anxiously.

"It's fine. The forest starts right here, and I've never seen any monsters."

Gelt said as if it were nothing.

So there really were monsters.

But Gelt and the others had been coming and going through here for six months.

If nothing had happened in all that time, then dangerous monsters probably didn't come right up to the outskirts of the village.

"Let's go."

Gelt crawled through the hole.

Mark and Tom followed him.

Lisa looked at me.

"What about you, Noah?"

"Let's go."

I crawled through the hole, too.

Beyond the palisade, a forest stretched out before us. Maybe because the trees were so dense, it was much darker than inside the village.

So far, I couldn't see anything that looked dangerous.

"This way."

We followed Gelt into the forest.

After walking for a while, Gelt stopped at the base of a large tree.

"This is the secret base."

Between the roots was a space large enough for several children to fit.

They'd laid down wooden boards and cloth, making it just sheltered enough from the rain and dew.

"Wow! This is amazing! Who made it?"

Lisa exclaimed.

"We did."

Gelt puffed out his chest.

"The three of us—Mark, Tom, and me—spent six months building it."

I peered inside.

There were nuts stored there.

There was also a jar of water.

"The adults won't find this place. Don't tell anyone in the village."

"Why show it to us, then?"

"Because you're one of us now."

Gelt said gruffly.

Lisa smiled happily.

"Thanks, Gelt!"

"I-it's nothing..."

Gelt turned away, looking embarrassed.

"It's a nice place."

When I said that, Gelt turned around at once.

"Right?"

Gelt smiled happily.

I looked around the base once more.

It was out of sight, and we could train in magic here. That alone made it useful.

I gazed into the depths of the forest.

Grasshoppers and birds weren't enough to satisfy me anymore.

There were probably bigger creatures in the forest.

I didn't know what they were like yet, but there had to be monsters, too.

This was getting interesting.