Chapter 14

"Whoa! That was close!!"

"Damn, they got away!!"

"Phew... Gufu... Ai!"

The sight of the three of them letting out sighs of relief out of the corner of my eye didn’t allow me to utter a word.

The horizon was just barely visible... Let's just say that's the sun.

Thanks to the faint light of the sun illuminating the forest, we managed to escape.

Although Jin-kun had given me the flashlight to light our path, the poor visibility made it almost impossible to notice the monsters approaching.

To make matters worse, the use of the flashlight seemed to have attracted an additional Horn Rabbit and a Goblin, which further delayed us.

When the Goblin suddenly appeared from the side, I was on the verge of losing my life.

But now, I'm in the grassland. I'm in the grassland.

The scenery in front of me, illuminated more brightly than in the forest, was mostly knee-high grass, with trees scattered here and there.

And in the distance, I could see the faint light of artificial structures.

Is that the town...

Ugh... We made it out alive!

We actually made it out!

I almost started crying again.

But I have to hold it in for now.

I can cry more comfortably when I get to town and bury my face in a pillow.

I don’t want to show my tearful face.

So, I’ll encourage the three who are still immersed in their relief.

"Let's all head to the town first and calm down. Is that light the town?"

"Yeah! That's the town of Bezart!"

"Got it... Finally. By the way, is there a possibility of monsters appearing on the way?"

"We'll use [Presence Detection] to be cautious, but it's almost safe. The area between the town and the forest is left uncultivated for safety."

"I see... So they keep it that way to prevent unnecessary exits from the forest."

"Yeah, the forest has more abundant food for monsters, so they rarely come out."

"Understood. I'll lend you the flashlight, so let's try to make as much progress as possible before the sun sets completely."

"Right, that's it! Potta! Just a little more! We can rest as much as we want once we get into the town!"

"If there's no need to worry about combat, I'll carry the basket. Come on, just a little more!"

"We'll get scolded by our mothers if we don't hurry!"

"Phew... Ai!"

Thus, without changing our formation, we continued our journey towards the town.

The three in front of us, though clearly exhausted, were moving much faster than in the forest.

I was barely keeping up with the weight of the basket, which was heavier than I imagined.

Of course, the difference in walking conditions was significant, but more importantly, the sight of the goal provided a sense of relief.

The anticipation of reaching the town and returning home was alleviating the fatigue.

After all, that's how I feel...

While thinking about this, I couldn't help but look up at the sky and take a deep breath.

Ah...

In the end, it all comes down to what I want in this world.

I thought it was just a matter of the growth system in this world.

But the results were the opposite of what I expected.

(This world is designed to favor the last attack...)

When I defeated the Furiemole, I immediately knew I had learned [Presence Detection] and [Earth Magic] from the announcement in my vision.

However, the skill experience points I gained were only for one of me.

I confirmed this when we left the forest.

The [Presence Detection] skill had only reached 3% at level 1.

The [Charge] skill had been increasing by 10% each time I defeated a Horn Rabbit after reaching level 1, which I knew.

Since both skills required 20% per monster to be learned, it's unlikely that the skill experience points would differ after reaching level 1.

So, that's what it means.

(Sigh... I was a little envious of party play and my companions...)

Last attack.

If this world is one where only the person who delivers the final blow to a monster gains skill experience points, the benefits of forming a party are greatly reduced.

Of course, it's effective to work together to defeat enemies that can't be taken down alone, and while the distribution of level experience points is unclear, it does increase to some extent.

Even for monsters I didn't touch at all.

This suggests that there is some kind of defined range for those who are acting together.

If you want skill experience points, you have to do everything solo, where everything counts as the last attack.

I can't possibly ask a party, "Can I have the last attack?" That would be too shameless.

If someone did that, I'd be confident in saying, "Are you kidding me?" and tapping them on the head.

In the end, I ended up calling myself 'Loki.' I named myself after that character who always aimed for strength.

I wanted to relive those fun times.

Then, I decided to try my best alone without wishing for companions...

I don't want to die without being able to defend myself.

"Hey! Jin, Potta, and Mei too! What were you doing out so late?!"

Suddenly, a rough, angry voice caught my attention. I turned to see a guard, probably protecting the town surrounded by a fence, shouting with a stern face and a spear in hand.

(Oh no, Jin and the others are going to get scolded...)

I thought, but since I'm not a resident, there's nothing I can do.

Jin, Mei, and Potta, who heard the voice, started running... Wait, Potta is... Wow, he's so fast!!

He had that kind of hidden strength!?

Is he an acting prodigy or something? I thought to myself as I walked towards the town entrance, and before I knew it, Mei was crying and clinging to the guard, and Potta was sitting down as if his legs had given out. Only Jin was explaining the situation with a relieved expression.

As expected of the oldest, he's surprisingly competent for a 12-year-old.

The guard then turned to me and bowed slightly.

"You helped these three and brought them to the town. Thank you very much. I appreciate it."

"No, no, it was just a coincidence, and I was lost too, so I was the one who benefited."

"Don't be so modest. I heard a sword-wielding Goblin appeared. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true. The sword Jin is holding is the one."

Jin showed the guard the sword, and the guard grunted upon seeing it.

"No rust... and almost no damage to the blade. It's relatively new... which means it was likely dropped recently..."

The guard seemed to be thinking, but then he quickly spoke up, realizing our situation.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting! Please come into the town!"

"Um, I'm a traveler, and I don't have any identification. Is that okay?"

"Of course! You saved these three, so it's only right. However, I'll need to inform the mayor about the Goblin incident. It's been about five years since we last saw a sword-wielding Goblin."

"Of course, that's fine."

"Then there's no problem! The town of Bezart welcomes you!"

With that, the guard opened the simple gate, and I finally stepped into the town.

---

Ah! Ah! Ahhhh!!

I can smell the scent of civilization!!

I might be going crazy, but I might already be crazy.

People are walking on the main street, and light is spilling out from the buildings on the sides, along with a delicious, mouth-watering smell.

After living on tasteless river fish and mostly water-filled fruits, I can't stay calm in this situation.

Ah... What a happy nose... I want my tongue to be happy too...

While I was in a dream-like state,

"Thank you so much!!"

The three of them thanked me in unison. The guard, who had been scolding them earlier, was now smiling.

"No, no, I was lost too, so I'm the one who should be grateful. Thank you."

I said, returning the basket to Potta.

"What are you talking about! If you hadn't helped us, we would have probably died. Even if we managed to escape the Goblin, we might not have made it out of the forest."

"Right! It was a monster that made Jin run!"

"I'm happy to be home. Thank you! Thank you!"

It's nice that they're all expressing their gratitude, but I'm the one who's truly grateful...

If we had followed the river as planned, I might have eventually reached the town on my own.

But Jin said it would be a detour.

So, reaching the town earlier than planned is thanks to Jin and the others.

And they taught me a lot of valuable information, which I can't say to their faces.

But...

"Come on, it's getting dark. Go home and reassure your families. They must be worried."

"First, we need to go to the Hunter's Guild... Here."

Jin handed me the flashlight and the Goblin's sword.

"I used the flashlight to lead the way, but since Loki defeated the monster, it belongs to him."

I took the flashlight but hesitated about the sword... It feels wrong to take it after getting so much information.

"I'll give it to you. It's a bit too long for me to handle well. Consider it a token of my gratitude!"

"No way! Why should we get both the help and the loot? I'm smaller than Loki, so I can't handle it either!"

That's a fair point...

I glanced at Potta, but it would be too much to ask him to take the sword, given his timid nature.

"Let's say I'll stay in town for a while, and we can sell it together and split the money four ways!"

"That's not right either... But if we stay, it will get late. Let's do that! In exchange, we'll split the contents of the basket four ways too!"

"Alright, alright. Go take care of your business and show your faces to your parents!"

"Got it. I'll just be holding onto it for now. Let me know if you see me!"

"Sure. I plan to visit the Hunter's Guild soon, so I think we'll see each other again!"

"Got it! See you later!"

"See you!"

I watched the three of them reluctantly walk away.

Phew.

We'll see each other again since we're in the same town.

I might as well become a Hunter, as that seems to be my only option.

And... I want to eat meat as soon as possible.

The delicious smell is making it hard for me to think.

I'll figure out the details later.

Alright, after seeing them off, I'll dash straight to the source of the smell!

I have [Language Understanding], so I won't make a mistake!

"Good evening! How much is this skewer?"

"Welcome! It's 400 Beke each!"

"400... Beke?... What language is this?"

"..."

"..."

I quickly turned back to where they were.

"Jin! Mei! Potta! Anyone! Can you lend me some money?!"

But they were already out of sight.

Starting today, Chapter 2: The Great Forest of Parmela.

Also, I decided to change the title, which was too casual before.

Old: "Where Will I End Up? A Hero or a Demon King? —The Chronicles of a Salesman in a Different World—"

New: "Where Will I End Up? A Hero or a Demon King? —The Chronicles of a Former Casual Player and Salesman in a Different World—"

I might change it again in the future, but it won't affect the content.