Chapter 19

With her cheeks flushed and pouting, she glared at him with slightly teary eyes... What is this adorable creature?

Pouting her cherry-colored lips, "A kiss? Manon, do you want to kiss me?"

"Stupid Kent..."

"Ugh... I'm sorry..."

Even if I'm called stupid, I can't help but smile in this situation, can I?

After getting out of the bath, we gathered around the dinner table at Oren's house, but right now, I'm in the middle of a lecture from Manon, a reward in the form of a scolding, and I'm being made to wait before the delicious food.

"What are you smiling about... Pervert..."

"Ugh... I'm sorry..."

When you say things like that, I can't help but remember the scene I saw just now.

"Entering the bath when a girl is already in there... I can't believe it..."

"That's true..."

"Besides, not even noticing that I'm a girl is rude, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you're right..."

But Manon always wears large shirts, and you can't tell at all just by looking.

"Sure, I might be small..."

"You're right... No, no, that's not what I meant..."

"Kento..."

"No, it's different! I can feel a slight bulge, though..."

"Don't say 'slight'!"

"Ugh... I'm sorry!"

"Hahaha, Manon, let it go. Kent didn't do it with bad intentions, and the food will get cold."

"I understand... You better reflect on it, Kent."

"Yes, I'm already reflecting, Manon."

"Really?"

I'm sorry, but I was enjoying the scolding more than reflecting, hehe.

By the way, Oren didn't think Manon was a girl either, did he? He even suggested we go in the bath together... Well, I got a little taste of something good, so I won't pursue it.

Thanks to Oren's intervention, we can finally start eating. I divided the sausages and pasta on the large plate and started eating right away.

"Wow, these sausages are delicious!"

The sausages, lightly grilled, have a perfect balance of herbs that enhance the flavor of the meat.

"Oh, you seem to like it... Don't hold back, eat as much as you want."

"Yes, thank you."

In Volzard, many households make their own sausages, and each household has a different blend of herbs, resulting in different flavors. Oren's wife is a great cook, and her seasoning for stews and other dishes is fantastic, making it hard to stop eating.

I noticed Manon looking at me with a bewildered expression.

"Kent, you eat a lot... Where does it all go in your body?"

"Huh... But Manon, you don't seem to be eating much..."

"No, I'm just overwhelmed by how you eat..."

"But if you don't eat properly, you won't grow... No, you won't get stronger."

"Kento..."

"Ugh, I'm sorry... But eating is the foundation of building a strong body. If you don't eat well, you won't recover from fatigue or gain strength."

Oren nodded in agreement with my words.

"Kent is right. Both of you are still in the growing stage, so you need to eat a lot to grow. Come on, don't hold back, eat up!"

"Yes, I will."

Manon regained her composure and resumed eating. Indeed, good food makes people feel better.

After that, Oren told us about his work as a gardener and the plants that grow in the outskirts of Volzard.

If you get a higher rank in the guild, you can take on jobs like gathering herbs and materials in the forest, but without knowledge, you can't collect them efficiently. You need to build up your knowledge while training your physical strength. In novels and games, gathering herbs is often portrayed as something anyone can do, but you can't even collect them if you don't know the types of herbs and where they grow.

"Oren, where can I study such things?"

"Of course, at the guild."

"Really? They have classes for that?"

"Yes, for crafts, it's better to go to an actual craftsman, but for herb gathering, it's basically an adventurer's job, so the guild is the only place that will teach you for free."

"I see..."

Once I'm free from Donovan's curse, I'll consider taking the class. After hearing various stories and enjoying a feast, it got a bit late.

"Manon, since it's late, I'll walk you home."

"Huh... But my house is in the fourth district, the opposite direction from your boarding house."

"Yeah, it's fine... Wait, did I tell you where my boarding house is?"

"Huh? Yeah, I think it was during the lunch break of the first class... I remember hearing it..."

Hehe, Manon is so flustered, she's so cute. Of course, I didn't tell her where my boarding house is, and I was following her the other day and noticed it.

"Well, that's fine... Walking alone as a girl can be dangerous, so I'll walk you home, even though I'm not very reliable..."

"By the way, isn't the one who's walking you home the most dangerous?"

"What are you saying, Oren? I'm basically a gentleman."

"Hmm, then make sure to walk Manon home properly."

"Yes, I understand."

How rude, I only have about 80% ulterior motives for walking her home. Just kidding, I'll walk her home properly. Once I walk her home, I can always use shadow travel to peek... No, no, I won't do that, really.

On the way to Manon's house, she asked me directly.

"Hey... Why did you get so strong so quickly, Kent?"

"Huh? Well, it's because... I trained with Gerrick..."

"Huh, Gerrick, the Gerrick?"

"I don't know if there are other Gerrick's, but probably the one you're thinking of."

"Wow, why would Gerrick train you?"

From Manon's tone, it seems Gerrick is a mysterious and respected figure. I told her about what happened last week.

"Wow... So that's why you got stronger, huh..."

"Ah! That's right!"

"What is it, Kent?"

"Maybe he'll train you tomorrow."

"Huh? Why?"

Tomorrow is the day of light, so Muell might take a class to get a higher rank. If that happens, the chances of Gerrick, the Peeping Dog, showing up at the training ground are quite high. When I told her this, Manon nodded in agreement.

"Probably, if Donovan sees Gerrick and me together, he'll tell us to train."

"I see..."

"Do you want to join, Manon?"

"Wh-What? Me?"

"Don't you want to get stronger?"

"Ugh... Well, that's true, but..."

"You might be able to catch up to Lidenel and the others."

"Ah... Hmm... Yeah, I'll try!"

"Then let's meet at the guild at the same time as yesterday."

"Okay, thanks, Kent."

We arrived at Manon's house, so we parted ways, and I returned to my boarding house. Of course, I didn't walk back honestly; I hid in the shadows of a back alley and moved quickly to near my boarding house.

"Master Kent, you thought it through quite well."

"Yeah, yeah, by making it look like the results of training with Gerrick, I don't have to reveal my training with Reinhardt."

Back at the boarding house, I briefly reported the day's events to Amanda and headed to my room. After tidying up my bed so I can return anytime, I headed to the training ground in the Demon Forest. Despite the fatigue from the gardener's work, I can't help but train, as I might face Gerrick again tomorrow.

I practiced sparring with Reinhardt, who is pretending to be Gerrick. Even though he's holding back a lot, I can only defend and can't find a way to counterattack, but I don't give up. No matter how many times I get hit, stabbed, or knocked down, I stand up and keep going with self-healing and determination. In the end, I couldn't land a single effective hit this night either. After practicing magic, I'll head back.

"Still, this is the Demon Forest, but not many monsters appear, huh?"

"That's because I'm emitting a presence."

"I see, so goblins and kobolds are scared away."

"Exactly."

Indeed, if Reinhardt doesn't hide his presence, even weak monsters wouldn't dare to come near. So, the ones that do come are limited. A Rock Ogres appeared again.

"One, two... six, seven, more than last time... I'll take three, and the rest to Reinhardt and Bastian, okay?"

"We play while you sleep, so feel free to take them all if you want."

"Okay, I'll leave the ones I miss to you... Let's go."

Last time, it took me about three seconds to cast a light attack spell, but with practice, I can now cast it in one second.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, this is the last one!"

"Excellent! We don't need to do anything... Wow, what a powerful attack."

"Hmm... But I think there's still room for improvement..."

"More improvements?"

"Yeah, like increasing the rate of fire, adjusting the power, or extending the duration of the attack..."

"Indeed, Master Kent, your dedication is admirable."

"Well, since I finally have this power, I want to use it well."

Actually, this power wasn't something I worked hard to get, but rather a gift. As Donovan said, if I can't use it properly, I can't truly say I'm strong.

"Master Kent, we'll collect the magic stones, so you can rest and prepare for tomorrow."

"Thanks, I'll do that."

The river water is cold, but with self-healing, I can warm up my body. When I return to the boarding house and get into bed, morning comes before I know it.

"Master Kent, it's time to wake up."

"Mmm... Umm... Mmm..."

I've gotten used to the training life, so I don't have to make eerie groans in the morning. After my usual morning routine and breakfast, I head to the guild. Today, I'll finally get to strike a blow at that annoying Gerrick.

When I arrive at the guild, Manon is already there waiting.

"Good morning, Kent!"

"O-Oh, good morning, Manon."

Ugh... Now that I know Manon is a girl, I can't help but be more aware of her. She has a slight bust, but she's definitely a beautiful girl.

"Huh? What's wrong, Kent?"

"Eh, n-no... Just that... you look cute today, Manon..."

"What! What are you saying? I'm not cute... That's..."

Oh? Is she not used to being called cute because she's a tomboy? She's blushing and flustered... What a cute creature, can I kiss her, kiss, kiss... No, that's not right.

The board with the requests is as crowded as usual this morning, and looking closely, Lidenel and the others are being jostled around again. Is it the same psychology as when you see a queue and want to join it? Or do they just want to save money as soon as possible? And there, leaning against the wall, is the dog with a drooping tail.

"Good morning, Gerrick."

"Huh? Oh, it's you, kid..."

"Is Muell taking a class?"

"What? So what if she is?"

"Nothing, just asking. I'll be going now..."

"Wait!"

I tried to bow and walk towards the training ground, but as expected, my collar was grabbed.

"I'm going with you... to make sure you don't interfere with Muell's class."

"But I didn't... Ugh... My neck..."

Damn, I've said it many times, but I'm not a kitten, so don't grab me by the collar. Ah, I'm even getting warm looks from the ladies at the counter. Gerrick dragged me to the training ground and stopped outside the door.

"Good morning, Donovan."

"Hey, Kent, what's this, another training session with Gerrick?"

"No, he insisted..."

"You, you're plotting something!"

Hehehe, it's too late to realize it now. I