Chapter 12

Led by Tao, I was half-forced to head towards the town.

"Hum♪ hum-hum-hum-hum♪ hum-hum, hum-hum♪"

"Tao, you're in quite a good mood, aren't you?"

"Just call me Tao. You can call me Roberto too. Besides, adventurers don't need to use formal language with each other."

Tao answered while humming a tune.

What is it? Could she be this kind and this cheerful to someone she just met?

Usually, strangers would be wary of each other...

Oh, it's because of my attire. I used my 'Mimic Form' with my usual appearance, so I'm still wearing the royal clothes.

Probably Tao thinks I'm a noble's son and is planning to help me for a hefty reward.

It wouldn't be fun if she resents me later, so I should set things straight.

"Um, Tao? Just so you know, I don't have any money."

"That doesn't matter. I don't intend to take money from Roberto."

Tao only tilted her head in response to my words.

Hmm, is she really not after the money?

Besides, Tao has been smiling the whole time.

"Hehe, I don't need money or strength. What I want is a handsome boyfriend. — Born into a dojo, I've never had a boyfriend and have been devoted to martial arts since I was young. At eighteen, I left the dojo to seek a boyfriend and became an adventurer. But the handsome guys only go for weak girls like priests and mages, and they never pay attention to someone like me. So I decided to reverse my thinking. If they won't come to me, I'll go to them! In other words, if I save a handsome guy in trouble and make him fall for me, I'll get my dream boyfriend! I won't let this chance slip away. Hehe, hehehehe..."

...That's a really evil face. Evil, but also silly.

Actually, her muttering is a bit scary.

She's completely in her own world.

Just as I was taken aback, Tao's eyes suddenly widened.

"Roberto, monsters!"

Tao stretched out her arms and legs as if jumping, then lowered her stance.

Is this the posture of a martial artist?

It looks like a beast about to pounce.

Tao glared around in this stance.

"Whoa!"

As she let out a short cry, a stone at Tao's feet jumped into the air.

In an instant, Tao's body spun like a whirlwind.

With a sharp sound, the stone flew far away and disappeared behind a rock.

"Ah!"

A scream. Then the sound of something falling.

"Got it!"

Tao made a small victory pose.

Soon, small figures emerged from behind the rock.

Their bodies were earth-colored, and they had small, goblin-like builds. They had small horns and large, eerie red eyes.

They held clubs and rusty knives.

Those must be goblins, right?

I think they're the weakest class of monsters.

However, it's written that they become quite dangerous when they gang up.

"You've shown yourselves, little brats. Come at me!"

In one step, Tao jumped into the midst of the goblins and delivered a flying kick.

A goblin was sent flying and crashed into the rock wall.

Tao's attack didn't stop there.

After a brief landing, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the panicked goblins.

Her small heels caught the goblins' heads, and one after another, they fell to the ground.

"Yah!"

A goblin tried to counterattack by swinging a club at Tao, but she was already gone.

Tao left an afterimage and had moved behind the goblin.

"—Too slow."

With a thud, her fist sank into the goblin, and it crumpled to the ground.

The goblins, trembling in fear, couldn't move as they watched Tao catch her breath.

—She's strong.

There's no way she could have that much power with just her bare hands.

Come to think of it, Tao's hair and eye color, and her face, are from a distant land.

I've read in some book that in foreign lands, they use 'ki' and fight with bare hands wrapped in it.

By circulating ki through their bodies with their breathing and training, they can exert tremendous power.

I was skeptical, but seeing it with my own eyes, I can't help but believe it.

Now that I think about it, she always had a unique way of breathing.

Is that it?

"Yah!" "Yah-yah!"

Turning around at the strange sounds from behind, I saw two goblins in front of me.

Whoa, I was startled. I was too engrossed in Tao's battle.

Of course, I have a magic barrier up, so there's no problem—

"Whoa-cho-cho-cho-cho-cho!"

Tao moved as if sliding and delivered palm strikes to the goblins' chests.

The goblins flew high into the air and crashed to the ground after a long fall.

"Yah-ah-ah-ah-ah!"

The goblins screamed in fear at the sight.

Fearing Tao's strength, they had disappeared without a trace.

"Thanks, Tao, you saved me."

"Hum, no need for thanks."

Tao stood with her back turned, in a warrior's stance.

...What's wrong? She's been in that stance the whole time.

And she keeps glancing at me as if she wants something. What could it be?

It's like she's waiting for something other than the thanks I already gave...

As I watched the fleeing goblins, I saw them run into a large hole.

Could that be... a dungeon!

A dungeon is a mysterious place filled with many monsters.

It's said that there are treasures inside, including valuable magical items and books.

"I can't just stand here!"

I started running without hesitation.

—Wind magic 'Dash,' my body, wrapped in wind, becomes as light as a feather, allowing for high-speed movement.

With a push off the ground, I ran as if flying.

"Hey! Roberto, where are you going! Don't forget to confess your love to me!?"

Tao shouted something from behind, but I couldn't hear it well over the wind.

More importantly, the dungeon.

I ran with all my might towards the dungeon.