Chapter 28

After finishing lunch with the merchants, I walked until the sun set.

At night, I would wash everyone's feet to remove the dirt and fatigue.

"Tim, you two should get some sleep. We'll take turns keeping watch. If any monsters attack, we'll wake you up."

"Thank you! Lord Gilne, I'll take you up on that and get some rest!"

"Um, can Tim sleep alone? Are you okay? Don't feel lonely, do you?"

"Lord Gilne, I'm an adventurer now! I've never slept outdoors before, but I'll be fine!"

"Usually, when you sleep outdoors, you don't sleep in a bed..."

Standing in front of the large tent I had built, which resembled a nomadic yurt, Rock sighed with a wry smile.

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"Lord Gilne! I think I can take down that 'Slime'!"

"No, Tim, that's not a good idea! If Tim gets covered in the slime, I might lose my mind and attack you."

"Does slime have a disorienting effect!?"

"Lord Gilne! How about that 'Small Looper'! It doesn't seem very strong!"

"No way, Tim! If you get entangled by those tentacles, I'll be so distracted by you that I won't be able to move!"

"Can't move!? It has a paralyzing effect..."

The next morning, we continued our journey toward the Kingdom of Linhall.

Every time I spotted a monster, I suggested fighting it to Lord Gilne.

However, it seems I had underestimated the monsters.

Even the weaker ones had the power to potentially cause Lord Gilne to suffer from status ailments.

"Ugh... I'm sorry. In the end, I had to ask Lord Gilne to handle all the battles..."

"It's fine! The two we encountered earlier were types that would be difficult for Tim to handle, even with proper equipment! Still, Tim seems to attract a lot of monster attention?"

"Indeed, every monster seemed to head straight for me. Why is that?"

"Probably because Tim looks delicious... I can understand the feeling."

"Wh-What!? I need to get stronger quickly and be able to fight back..."

"Tim, there's no need to rush. Starting with gathering quests is fine."

"But! If I can't do anything without Lord Gilne—"

"'Without me'...? Tim, I'll always be here for you."

Lord Gilne tilted her head in confusion and answered me.

I blushed involuntarily.

If this continues, I'll keep relying on Lord Gilne.

That... is really nice, but...

Still, it's a bother for Lord Gilne...

And it's not very manly...

"Hey, everyone, are you tired from all the walking?"

I asked the merchants.

Rock spoke up on their behalf.

"Thanks to the 'Merchant's Boots' Tim made for us, we're not tired at all! They're great! At this rate, we'll arrive by tomorrow morning!"

Saying this, Rock showed me the green boots he was wearing.

These were the boots I had made for the merchants to reduce the strain on their feet.

The inside of the boots was filled with very soft shock-absorbing cotton created using my sewing skill.

"Let me know if you get tired! I'll do something about it!"

"Tim, are you okay? I can carry you on my back! Or in my arms, if you prefer!"

I blushed at Lord Gilne's offer.

"Lord Gilne... Please, no more. It was embarrassing."

"Then! How about Tim carrying me on your back?"

"Why would I do that!? It makes no sense at all!"

Rock laughed and calmly pointed out the absurdity.

Is Lord Gilne actually tired?

This is the moment to show my strength.

If I carry Lord Gilne...

With Lord Gilne clinging to my back...

"Lord Gilne, I'm sorry. I don't deserve to carry someone as wonderful as you—"

"Whoa! Tim, blood! You're bleeding from your nose again! Heal!"

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Despite some troubles, we finally arrived safely in the Kingdom of Linhall.

"Ugh... We made it..."

"I wanted to eat more of Tim's cooking."

"I wanted to sleep in that incredibly fluffy bed again..."

As soon as we arrived, the merchants started to feel sad.

Rock scolded them to pull themselves together.

Then, all the merchants lined up and bowed deeply to thank us.

One by one, they shook my hand and expressed their gratitude.

I almost started crying again.

When I took out the goods I had stored and the contents of the wagon, Rock made a suggestion.

"Even though we owe you our lives, this is too cheap. If there's anything you want, take it. If you need money, we'll gather all we have and give it to you."

"---No, no! You've lost your horses and will have a hard time ahead! I can't accept anything!"

"Truly, I doubt we'll ever meet such wonderful people again!"

Rock took off his ten-gallon hat, placed it over his heart, and bowed deeply.

To me, Rock was an incredible person.

As the leader of the merchants, he had kept everyone's spirits up.

Rock always had a smile on his face.

After being attacked by bandits, he must have felt despair.

No horses, no food, and the possibility that they might not all make it to Linhall safely.

Despite this, he immediately told everyone, "Just being alive is the best thing!" and laughed to keep everyone's spirits up.

He was very different from me, who was always negative.

"Hey! Tim!"

This time, the female merchants gathered around me.

"You were so reliable and cool!"

"You fixed our clothes when they tore, and we really appreciated it!"

"At first, I thought you were just a scrawny kid..."

"Thanks to you, not only did we survive, but we had a really fun and enriching journey!"

"Plus, Tim is so cute... Hey, if you want, why don't you—"

"Tim, let's go. We can't just rest here."

"Wh-What!? Lord Gilne!?"

Lord Gilne pulled on my arm.

Her cheeks were puffed out.

Was she angry because I wasn't moving?

"Hey, both of you! Don't go yet, at least let us show our gratitude!"

Rock called out to us as Lord Gilne tried to pull me away quickly.

"Both of you are going to be adventurers, right? If so, you should go to the 'Deflair' adventurer's guild in this country. They can perform a 'Status Assessment' using a magic device. It usually costs 8,000 sols, but I happen to have some free passes from a business deal. Take them if you want."

Rock handed us two tickets.

"Tim, a Status Assessment is useful. Since it's not something merchants need, we should gratefully accept it."

"Yes! Thank you! The 'D·S·C' and 'Merchant's Boots' I made for you are yours to use!"

Rock firmly shook my hand as I reached out to take the tickets.

"Tim, we can never thank you enough for what you've done. Right now, I'm just the leader of a small caravan, but I aim to become the greatest merchant spanning multiple countries. When the time comes, I want to help Tim and Gilne. If you ever need anything, come to me."

"Rock..."

The other merchants also waved to see us off.

"Thanks a lot! If you need anything, just let us know!"

"Quests in the Kingdom of Linhall can be tough! Be careful!"

"Good luck! Little adventurers!"

Hearing their cheers, I couldn't hold back my emotions.

"Lord Gilne! I finally became an adventurer!"

"Yes, in the Empire of Cynthia, I was a Guild Master, but in this country, I'm also a new, inexperienced adventurer like Tim. Let's start from scratch together!"

"Yes! Lord Gilne! Let's start with the Status Assessment!"

Hearing my response, Lord Gilne walked a step ahead of me with a satisfied look, turned back, and smiled.

"Come on, Tim. Let's go and surprise the world! With your true strength, which no one knows about yet. Let's rise as adventurers."

"Y-Yes! Haha!"

Despite the overly high expectations, I stood next to Lord Gilne.

For some reason, Lord Gilne has very high expectations for me, and I want to meet them.

---Even though I can't use swords or magic and only have 'Utility Skills'...

And my level is still 1...

(Still, I'll do it...!)

I clenched my fist tightly.

I'll rise in this world where strength is everything.

As an adventurer, and as a utility specialist...

Let's start! The rise of a utility specialist!

---And so, I set out on my journey as an adventurer.

This concludes the web version.

Thank you very much for reading.

The continuation of this story will be available in book and manga form. If you want to read more of Tim's exciting adventures, please order from your local bookstore or online retailers like Amazon!

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Currently, the first four volumes are available, and the manga is a new series!

My other works, such as 'The Class Outcast Who Is Actually the Popular Band's Vocalist,' have also been very popular and are available on Shousetsuka ni Narou. The manga is available on Nico Nico Seiga.

Additionally, 'Yamamoto-kun's Youthful Revenge' is in the planning stages!

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I have many more stories planned, so please look forward to them! <(_ _)>