Chapter 22

I was feeling a bit unwell, but I'm resuming my posts.

I changed Amel's rank from D to C.

In the forest at the center of the Demon Continent, a village was being attacked by a certain terror.

"――――! Switch!!"

"Got it!!"

"Gryaaaaa!!"

A sturdy man in armor stepped back as directed, and another soldier leaped in to intercept the monstrous sword that was screaming in front of him. The blow was heavy, and the soldier almost bent his knees.

Behind the monster, a line of similar creatures was forming. These creatures were known as Lizardmen, B-rank monsters that guard the dragon's nest. They stood about two and a half meters tall, with thick arms extending from their scaly bodies, gripping curved swords. Their heads were truly those of dragons, with sharp teeth dripping saliva.

The Lizardmen were currently attacking a village. However, due to the quick response of an A-rank adventurer in the village, they were unable to advance. The response involved narrowing the entrance with earth magic. The village, like the one Setsu and the others visited a few days ago, was surrounded by walls. The residents were skilled, and the walls were strong. The only entrance was the main gate at the front of the village. In other words, as long as that entrance was secured, the village could be defended.

"Stay still, Ramele!!"

"Ah! Arize!"

While on his knees, the young man called Ramele continued to hold back the Lizardman's blow. A woman with a rapier approached from behind and called out to him. Ramele stopped moving as instructed, and the woman, called Arize, began to chant while increasing her magic power.

"Scorch the enemy with the raging flames of wrath!! <Flame Spear>!!"

A massive spear of fire shot from her outstretched hand, piercing the Lizardman's head and the others behind it.

"Great job, Arize!!"

"Thanks, but now's not the time for compliments!! I need your support!!"

"Got it!!"

Arize, the village's only A-rank adventurer and dedicated soldier, dispatched the Lizardmen with her silver rapier. She used fire magic to reduce their numbers, striking them down one by one.

For the Lizardmen, the time when Arize appeared to defend was a time of despair.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Take that!"

"Gii!!"

Amel's dagger caught the temple of a Goblin, an E-rank monster, and killed it. As a C-rank adventurer, her movements were quite agile. Her skill with the dagger made her movements look smooth and enjoyable to watch.

"Your dagger skills are impressive."

"Phew... thanks."

I called out to Amel, who was taking a breather. We had been traveling for two days since leaving the city, and she had become quite comfortable with us. She had stopped using overly formal language and was now speaking more casually.

We were currently making our way through a dense forest. It would take about three days to reach Amel's village, but if we hurried, it would take just over two days. Fortunately, the monsters we encountered were not very strong, so Amel alone was sufficient.

Because of our smooth progress, our destination was now in sight.

"Wait for me, honey wine. I'll come to your rescue soon."

"You're always talking about that..."

Don't be so exasperated, Levi. You'll probably get hooked on it too once you try it.

"I hope the village is safe..."

"It should be fine with the defenses they have."

According to Amel, the village was surrounded by walls, with only one entrance at the front. The entrance was narrowed with earth magic to the size of a single Lizardman. The Lizardmen's intelligence was not high, so if there was a hole they could pass through, they wouldn't try to break down the surrounding walls. If the entire area was enclosed, they would break it to get in. This was a plan devised by Arize, the village's former A-rank adventurer, and it was quite effective.

But the name Arize... I feel like I've heard it somewhere before...

"Hey, what's this Arize like?"

"Hmm, she has bright red hair, is beautiful, wields a rapier, and is skilled in fire magic..."

――――――She seems familiar...

"She's very kind, cool, dignified, and modest... I really look up to her."

――――――Hmm? It doesn't seem to be the Arize I know. The Arize I know was a violent and cheeky girl, and she wasn't just A-rank. I hope she's doing well.

"Hey, I can see it. That's my village."

We saw a wall of earth in the forest, a typical sight in villages on the Demon Continent. We quickened our pace and headed towards the front of the village.

As we got closer to the front, we could see the monsters attacking the village clearly.

"They're swarming like ants... Well, let's secure the village's safety first."

"Huh?"

When I said that, Amel turned to me with a puzzled look. She might have wanted to head straight to the dragon's nest, but I couldn't let the village be destroyed while I was fighting. Then there would be no honey wine to drink.

I pulled out a black sphere from my magic bag and charged at the Lizardmen, overtaking Amel.

"Time to take out the lizards!!"

I started cutting down the Lizardmen who noticed me. Their scales were no match for the black sphere, and with one swing, I decapitated several of them.

"Gyao!!"

The Lizardman's curved sword, swung down, missed and cut through the air. In the next moment, it was sliced in half and killed. After a while, the monsters around me were gone.

"――――――W-What is this...?"

After dealing with the nearby Lizardmen, a young man walked over from the village, looking stunned. A woman with wavy red hair followed behind him.

"Brother!"

"Whoa!? Ah, Amel!?"

Amel, who had finally caught up to me, tackled the young man. He stumbled but caught her, looking surprised. From the word "brother," it seemed they were siblings. Their faces also looked similar.

"Did you take care of those Lizardmen?"

"Yeah."

The woman with red hair spoke to me.

――――――I feel like I know this person...

"I see, so you're the adventurer Amel was looking for. From the battle just now, you seem to have S-rank or higher strength."

"Sure. And you... are you the crybaby Arize?"

When I asked, the woman's face turned bright red, and she raised her rapier.

"Y-You... Where did you hear that name from?!"

"Whoa!? Arize!?"

The dignified air from before was gone, replaced by a rage that made her hair stand on end. Arize lunged forward with a powerful thrust.

"Whoa"

I caught her thrust with my left hand and deflected it to the side. I swept her feet out from under her, and she fell to the ground. I then sat on her as she tried to get up.

"You!! How can you just humiliate me like this and get away with it――――"

"When did you start being able to point a sword at your master, crybaby?"

"Ugh... You said that name again...? Wait, master?"

"Before, you used to swing your rapier at anything and everything, causing trouble. When I scolded you, you'd start crying, and when I praised you, you'd cry tears of joy... Really."

"Y-You can't be... Master Setsu?"

I stood up and showed her the black sphere.

"I'm SSS-rank adventurer Setsu. Nice to meet you, A-rank adventurer Arize?"

"Y-Yes, nice to meet you... Master."

Arize, my former disciple, called me by the name she used to call me, showing a rare look of fear and tears, while I smiled in a way that was probably not very respectful.

◇ ◇ ◇

When I was traveling with those three on the Demon Continent...

At a certain adventurer guild, we were looking for jobs to raise funds when a very cheeky red-haired girl barged in. Her long red hair was loosely wavy, and the armor she wore was almost new, with her sword's handle showing no signs of use.

This obviously new adventurer girl pushed her way in front of us and tried to take an S-rank quest. Of course, she was turned away at the reception, but she started throwing a tantrum, shouting, "I'm strong, I can handle this!!" Her cheekiness was so extreme that the rough adventurers in the room were about to intervene, so I approached her and said,

"If you beat me, I'll let you take that S-rank quest."

The girl stopped throwing a tantrum and, with a delighted smile, accepted the challenge.

"I won't lose to a scrawny guy like you!!"

Her provocative words made me a bit angry, and I decided to teach her a lesson—no, to show her the difference in our abilities. At the time, I was SSS-rank, and I held back, making it clear that I was toying with her as I beat her up.

Beaten to a pulp, she started crying in pain. I cast a healing spell on her and threw her out, and that was the end of the day's big event.

The next day, she showed up at the guild again.

"Please!! Make me your disciple! No, please!!"

We were surprised when she showed up to report the completion of a quest. Of course, we found it troublesome and refused, but she kept begging. She said she wanted to become strong to protect her village, and she clung to us, which was really annoying and troublesome. But I realized that if I didn't take her as a disciple, the trouble would continue.

"Master Setsu, please make me your disciple!!"

"Y-Yes, please!!"

"I agree."

Even my companions eventually gave in and started begging me. Even at night, when we were staying at an inn, she would kneel outside our room and beg.

So, I decided to take her as a disciple, and the girl joined our journey for a while.

――――――That girl was Arize Ifrill.

Next, to the dragon's nest.