Chapter 4

Seeing the strange purplish-red light,

I heard what sounded like a scream and ran in that direction.

"What... is that?"

Turning the corner, I saw a massive creature standing at the entrance of the labyrinth.

A giant cow standing on two legs.

That was my first impression.

But I had never seen a cow like that before.

Its body was as tall as the roof of a house.

It wielded a massive metal axe, larger than its own body, swinging it around.

Several figures surrounded it.

Some held swords, others spears, and they wore silver armor.

I had seen that attire before.

They were surely the capital's guards.

The guards formed a formation and stood in front of the cow.

The cow swung its massive axe at them.

Dangerous—

At the same moment I thought that, several guards were blown apart.

The massive axe, with its tremendous weight, left no room for error.

The blood splattered as they scattered, and behind them, I saw the figure of a young girl who hadn't even reached her teens.

If she stayed there, she would be in danger.

But she was looking up at the cow, sitting on the ground in a daze.

The guards seemed to be trying to protect her.

But with each swing of the cow's axe, the guards were brutally cut down one by one.

"–! Protect–!"

The guards were shouting something, but in the meantime, the cow's axe was swung again, and one by one, they lost their lives.

A guard's sword, which had been torn from his body along with his armor, flew to my feet.

The guards, who were supposed to be on duty, moved like amateurs.

Even to me, they seemed quite slow.

They must have been new recruits who hadn't received much training.

By the time I realized this, the last guard had fallen.

The cow raised its axe high above its head, ready to crush the girl in front of it.

"Dangerous"

I picked up the guard's sword from the ground and ran with all my might. As I ran, I picked up a small stone from the ground and flicked it with my fingers.

"Stone Throw"

I used the skill I had learned when I failed to become a hunter.

The stone I threw cut through the air and hit the cow's eye as I had intended.

The cow was taken aback by the sudden attack but, of course, it didn't take any damage,

"GUUUUUUUU!!!"

It only made it angry.

A roar like an earthquake echoed around, and the cow's attention shifted from the girl to me.

But—yes, that's fine.

If I could draw the cow's hostility and guide it towards me, the girl's life would be saved for the moment.

I could only hope that she would manage to escape while I distracted it.

The rest was up to me to deal with this cow—

The cow raised its axe again and charged at me, smashing the ground as it tried to strike me with all its might.

As expected, it was fast, given its apparent strength.

In no time, it closed the distance, and the massive axe, towering over me, was brought down.

If it hit me, I would surely be reduced to a pile of meat.

But—

"Parry"

I used my only sword skill, "Parry," to deflect the cow's axe, which was falling towards me, with a horizontal slash.

Instantly, sparks flew.

With a dull metallic sound, the heavy axe fell to the cobblestones, shattering them like candy.

The impact sent a violent vibration through my legs, and I almost stumbled.

The cow's axe was deeply embedded in the ground.

"GUUUUUUUU!!!"

But the cow pulled the axe out of the cobblestones with all its might and swung it horizontally at me again, trying to kill me.

The blade of the massive axe, which was larger than a person, came straight at my torso.

Just looking at the black axe, I could tell it had an incredible mass.

If it touched me, my body would be torn apart.

I would die, with my insides blown out, just like the guards.

But—I swung my sword vertically this time to deflect the axe.

"Parry"

Sparks flew even more intensely than before, and the massive axe, which had been deflected, cut through the air and flew over my head.

A strong wind hit my face a moment later.

It was an incredible force.

I had trained a lot in a mountain hut, but my arms were already numb.

And the massive axe kept coming, one after another.

It never ended.

"—Really, it's terrifying"

Each time I deflected the cow's attack, I was reminded of my own ignorance and naivety.

This cow looks quite strong, but it's probably not even a monster.

It's in the middle of a city that is considered relatively safe.

This cow, which is a threat to ordinary citizens and unfortunate soldiers who hadn't received much training, would surely be easily defeated by seasoned adventurers.

I am so lacking in strength that I struggle against such an opponent.

How many powerful creatures are there in the outside world?

—I can't even imagine.

Perhaps it's understandable that the old man at the adventurer's guild tried to discourage me from becoming an adventurer.

I was just a frog in a well.

Each time I deflected the cow's attacks, I thought this.

"—The world is vast"

I was reminded of this.

I thought I had become a little stronger.

But the reality is—

Even the creatures in the nearest city to where I grew up were a threat to me.

"GUUUUUUUU!!!"

The cow, oblivious to my reflections, swung its axe and charged at me.

Each attack was incredibly heavy and fast.

The cow swung its axe down at me, one after another, in a mad frenzy.

There was no chance for a counterattack.

But if I could find an opening—

—No, that's not right.

Even if there was an opening.

I wouldn't stand a one in ten thousand chance.

I have no means of attack.

I don't have the crucial skills for combat.

"Perhaps it was reckless"

I thought this while deflecting the cow's attacks, which would surely be fatal if they hit.

This battle with the cow might have been unwinnable from the start.

I have no talent.

Even with effort, I didn't gain the necessary strength.

For someone like me to try to help someone else.

Perhaps I was overestimating myself.

But, even so—

"Parry"

Even if I can't become a hero.

I at least want to protect the girl who is sitting and trembling in front of me.

Because, in any situation, to protect the weak with one's own body—

That is the image of the adventurer I admired.

I want to become someone like that, no matter how long it takes.

If I abandon her here, how will I ever achieve that dream?

I deflected the cow's attacks one after another.

That was all I could do at the moment.

"GUUUUUUUU!!!"

The cow swung its axe again.

But this time, not at me.

The girl hadn't moved from where she was.

She was just staring at me in a daze.

It seemed she didn't even have the energy to run.

The cow must have noticed and decided to crush her.

The axe was brought down straight, avoiding the troublesome me, aiming to crush the girl alone.

But—

"Parry"

I slid in front of the girl and deflected the cow's axe again.

I just made it in time.

The axe was thrown high, and the cow stumbled a little.

"GUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!"

The cow was enraged.

It must have seen me as a troublesome obstacle.

The force of its axe swings became even more intense.

The anger and excitement were palpable in each swing.

Each strike was much heavier than before.

My arms, which held the sword, were already screaming in pain.

But, no matter how many times it came.

I would deflect it every time.

I would never let it strike.

As long as I was alive, I would deflect it every time.

Even if I couldn't win, I would at least protect this girl until I died.

That was my intention.

—But the limit came quickly.

The sword in my hand was the first to break.

The guard's sword was much better than the wooden sword I used for training in the mountains, but compared to the cow's axe, the difference in mass was obvious.

With a crack, the sword shattered into pieces.

Seizing this opportunity, the cow's axe was brought down straight at my neck.

If I took this hit, I would be crushed along with the girl behind me.

—But.

"Not yet"

There was still a bit of the hilt and blade left on the sword.

With this part, I could deflect the axe one more time.

This would be the last time I could deflect the axe with this sword.

I focused my mind to the extreme and, in this moment, poured all my strength into deflecting the cow's axe—aiming to alter its trajectory to the spot I targeted.

"Parry"

The axe I deflected spun and, losing its grip, flew straight into the cow's neck.

The blade passed through the cow's neck and embedded itself in the building behind it.

The cow, having lost its axe, stood still in the spot.

A moment of silence.

Then, after a while, the cow's head fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"—Did it work?"

I sighed in relief, confirming that the cow wouldn't get up.

The sword in my hand shattered at the base with that last strike.

The handle was gone, shattered into pieces.

That was truly the last strike.

"Close call"

No, it wasn't just the sword.

My body was already at its limit.

I realized that both my arms and legs, my entire body, were screaming in pain.

I was so exhausted that I felt dizzy.

—Really pathetic.

This is what I look like against a cow in the city.

It's ridiculous to dream of traveling the world and adventuring with this level of strength.

"…Thank you, I was saved—um, who are you—"

The girl, wobbling, stood up and thanked me.

I'm glad she's safe.

I could see guards running towards us from behind her.

"—I still need a lot of training—"

Embarrassed to introduce myself, I left the rest to the guards and hurried to the adventurer's guild to report the completion of the construction site request.