Chapter 7

Rabbit heads popped out from the grass.

Seeing this, the kobold approached cautiously. Even as a monster, it had to eat to survive.

The kobold had a preference for meat.

The dog-faced creature growled, peering into the grass to see where the rabbit had gone.

And there, as if trying to hide, were the rabbit's hind legs and rear sticking out from the grass.

"Grgege..."

The kobold, drooling, moved closer.

It had completely lost its caution.

(He took the bait!)

Fonsie, who had been watching the kobold from a blind spot, sprang out.

Before the kobold could realize what was happening, Fonsie pinned it down and pressed it to the ground.

Fonsie, who was holding the kobold down, tightened his grip on its neck.

The defenseless kobold was firmly restrained, and with its torso also pinned, there was no way it could escape.

As he applied more weight, the kobold lost all its strength.

(Combat skills can be useful in situations like this too.)

It was a good method for taking down an opponent without making a sound or leaving a scent. However, the feeling left in his hands was unpleasant.

Fonsie collected the kobold's magic stone and, taking the broken rabbit that had been left nearby, began to move.

Repeating this process, the number of kobolds decreased.

When the remaining kobolds suddenly disappeared, the kobold leader let out a shrill scream.

(...He noticed. But there are only a few left to take down!)

There were about five kobolds left.

As long as he was careful with the kobold leader, he shouldn't suffer any fatal injuries from the kobolds.

Fonsie leaped from behind the kobold leader.

The kobolds around him shouted when they saw him, but it was too late!

"Take this!"

Swinging a fireball he had created with a fire spell, he threw it.

By throwing it physically rather than using magic, he aimed to improve his accuracy.

However, because he was not used to it, the fireball hit the kobold leader but exploded on his chest, missing the intended target.

"Kyyyyaaaaa!"

As the kobold leader roared, Fonsie charged forward.

The enemy's body seemed larger as he approached, but he suppressed his fear and pressed on.

The kobold leader, though confused, still held his spear.

Seeing this, Fonsie cut down the foolish kobold that was staring at the leader in a panic.

One, two.

The kobolds fell without resistance, and as Fonsie beheaded the third one, the kobold leader leaped and thrust his spear.

Fonsie dodged, but the enemy came at him with crushing force.

If he didn't do something, he would be overwhelmed!

"Take this one too!"

Fonsie quickly cast a fire spell, aiming it at the kobold leader's face.

"Kyyyyaaaaa!"

The enemy's scream was drowned out by the explosion at close range, and Fonsie was thrown back.

He quickly got up, and the kobold leader, though on his knees, was still moving his mangled face, searching for Fonsie.

Taking advantage of this, Fonsie darted into the shadows and disappeared.

He tried to control his breathing and calm down. His body ached from the impact.

(But he must be in even worse shape.)

The kobold leader, hit in the face, was probably staggering from the damage.

Fonsie had the cleric skill "Healing Power." As he felt his magic power draining, his wounds slowly healed.

The pain remained, and the effect was minimal, but his body was still functional. So there was no problem.

(Alright, I won't lose in a strength contest!)

His magic power was depleted, and he could only swing his sword.

Moreover, there were still two kobolds left.

But his will was strong. His determination was unshaken.

Picking up a nearby pebble, he threw it twice in quick succession. Taking advantage of the moment when the kobold leader was distracted, he emerged from the other side and cut down a kobold.

After taking down the remaining kobolds, Fonsie readied his sword.

"Alright, you're the last one!"

As he taunted, the kobold leader distorted his face in anger and charged.

But it was a foolish move. The spear's reach was wasted.

Fonsie deflected the spear with his sword and approached the kobold leader.

He struck the leader's burned and charred torso with his sword.

"Kyyyyaaaaa!"

Blood gushed from the horizontal wound.

"Your evil deeds end here!"

While the enemy was stunned, Fonsie swung his sword in a diagonal slash, creating a cross-shaped wound from the leader's neck to his chest.

Bathed in the gushing blood, Fonsie kicked the kobold leader to finish him off.

The body slowly fell backward and eventually hit the ground.

Fonsie, looking at the fallen monster, took a deep breath.

(...Even if I'm just a villager. I can become stronger. I can fight like this!)

The kobold leader's body disappeared, leaving behind a magic stone and an arm.

Fonsie picked them up and quickly stored them, then collected the remaining kobold magic stones.

There might still be some kobolds left, but he had taken care of the target, the kobold leader.

Now, if he returned, no one would complain.

As he made his way back through the forest, he continued to take down any remaining kobolds.

He was exhausted, and he wanted to go back to the inn and sleep as soon as he finished the procedures.

By the time he could see the city, the sun was already setting, and it seemed that the farmers had returned to their homes, as there was no one outside.

When he tried to enter the city, the gatekeeper looked at the tattered Fonsie with a puzzled expression.

He had entered covered in blood earlier, cleaned up, and now returned covered in mud.

(...I should buy a cloak. It's a hassle to go back to the chapel to wash my clothes every time.)

With this thought, he returned to the inn, changed, and headed to the Citizen's Guild.

Once inside, Fonsie immediately went to the reception and placed the kobold leader's arm.

"I have completed the request to defeat the kobold leader. Can you please confirm it?"

"Yes, just a moment. Please wait a moment."

Someone was called from the back, and the evaluation was carried out.

It was obvious that it was a kobold, but they confirmed that it had been defeated that day, and the payment was quickly made.

Perhaps the level of investigation varied depending on the reward for the task.

In any case, he had successfully obtained the money.

Fonsie felt good and thought,

(What should I buy with this money? First, a cloak. I want a sword too, but I'll have to wait until I have enough for the inn.)

He looked at the requests, planning to use the city as his base.

As he did so, he overheard a conversation from a group of adventurers relaxing in the chairs.

"Hey, have you heard about the new hero?"

"Yeah. They say he's really good with a sword. And it's said that he's being trained by Duke Dysis in the capital!"

"Wow! Duke Dysis, the Duke Dysis! I admire him so much!"

"Idiot. He'd rather talk to a pebble on the road than someone like you."

"You're asking for it, aren't you!"

Their young voices were full of energy.

Fonsie listened to their conversation and thought,

(Tia must be working hard. Still... the capital. It must be quite impressive. She probably doesn't look as shabby as I do.)

Somehow, he felt proud, even though it wasn't his own achievement.

Fonsie, who had been feeling rather elated, suddenly froze at the next words he heard.

"But... that kid is apparently a beastkin. I wonder if he's a good match for Duke Dysis?"

"Is that rumor true? I thought he was a fair and just person."

"Who knows. It's none of our business. Come on, let's go."

They left at a rather intriguing point.

Fonsie looked at them, but could only see their backs as they left the building.

(Well, Tia will manage.)

He had such trust in her.

So, instead of dwelling on it, he decided to focus on what he needed to do.

Despite being exhausted when he returned, he still felt he could move.