Other World Assassin Life of a Man who was a Shut-in Chapter 97-101

[Shingu, this time there are 8 of them, can you handle it?]
 [It's them again Nii-chan?. It won’t really be that big of a problem no matter how many of them are there. But aren’t there are little too many of them coming out for a while now?]

It’s true that there are certainly too many of these monsters.
It’s only been a while since we entered Barris forest but the number of Rabbitsu that we have already taken care of already surpassed 50.
Zonga-san told me that there were only about 30 of them but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
But as Shingu said, it really wouldn’t matter no matter how many of these monster come.
Since monsters of this degree don't pose any problems for us.
While I was thinking about these things, Shingu had already finished the battle.

 [I’m done, Nii-chan]
 [Aa. Good job. It was a good fight.]
 [Ee~, no matter how many of these monsters it won’t matter, they are no match for me.]

Shingu said pridefully.
Acha[1], Shingu-kun is getting a little carried away.
It’s certainly true that children should be spoiled but I'm uneasy about continuing with it.
Just to be sure, I should tone it down a little.

 [Shingu, being confident is a good thing. But, excessive self-confidence can lead to carelessness and in a real battle, just a small miscue could result in death. This something that you should remember.]
 [.....Yes, I will.]

It seems that he understood what I was saying.
But, he wasn’t able to hide his unhappy expression.
Perhaps, he thought that he would get praised, so was disappointed that I gave him a small lecture. But this cannot be avoided.

 [Alright, let’s go ahead then, and as I said earlier. It really was a good fight, so don't let it get to your heart.]
 [..... Ah, Yes! Leave it to me Nii-chan!]

When I made a proper follow-up, Shingu smiled happily.
Occasionally I feel a strange desperation emanating from Shingu.
It screamed that he was hungry for approval and interaction with others…..

 [Oi, Nii-chan I'll leave you behind yo-]
 [......Aa, I'm coming.]

Well, it’s fine,
Leaving my thoughts behind, Shingu and I headed further into the forest.
A few minutes later,
When we were just about to have lunch, 
I came across a nostalgic place.

 [This is really nostalgic]
 [Nii-chan do you know this place?]
 [Ahh, yeah when I first came to this forest, I stayed for the night]

That’s right, what was in front of me was the cave that I had previously slept through the night.
At that time, if I did not find this cave then I might not have survived.
For me, it's an important place in my heart.
I did not expect that I would come here again.
Therefore, this cave should have no monsters, let's take a rest here.

 [Alright, let's take a break here for now.]

When I sad that, Shingu was discouraged,

 [Eh~, I can still go on! I don’t need a break.]
 [You have been fighting for quite some time now. If you don’t fill your stomach then you won’t be able to fight]
 [What are you talking about Nii-chan, I have never heard of such a thing!]

Ah, come to think of it.
I tend to forget sometimes, but this was a different world.

 [Weeell, to put it simply, if you're hungry, you cannot fight in your peak condition. So let’s have something to eat first and restore some of our strength, and it’s also almost time for lunch. Aren't you hungry?]

Just as I said so, I heard a sound emanate from Shingu’s stomach.
Well, it’s obvious that you're hungry.

 [Well, as I thought, you're hungry. Let's have a meal and recuperate. Moreover, I have Maria-san's special lunchbox, shall we?]

The moment I said that the lunchbox was made by Maria-san,
Shingu's demeanour of suppressing his hunger he'd been showing until now completely changed.

 [What! The lunch box was made by Maria-san? Nii-chan come on let’s have a rest right now!]

Shingu immediately ran into the cave.
Hmm, From the situation, it seems that Shingu and Maria-san do know each other. Well if you think about it Shingu’s father, Jiruga-san, and Gantt-san were best friends. In that case, it is no big surprise that Maria-san, who's Gantt-san’s wife, and Shingu would know each other. It’s quite natural.

Well, it would be bad to keep an excited Shingu waiting. I should hurry up and go.
And so I went into the cave.
Yup, the inside of the cave had not changed even a bit.
There don't seem to be any signs of monsters living here.
Thinking so, I quickly took out the two lunch boxes from the Item Box and handed one over to Shingu.

 [Ooh, I got it, I got it! I got a lunch box made by Aunty Maria after such a long time!]
 [Shingu, I know that your quite hungry but eat slowly. Don’t eat so quickly, because it would be a problem if your throat got clogged.]
 [I know Nii-chan, don’t treat me like a child!]

Despite saying such, Shingu kept eating childishly. His appearance was that of a child, in every sense of the word.

Well then, I guess should eat some as well.
Then Shingu and I finished eating the Special Maria-san Lunchbox.

 [Absolutely delicious, Aunty Maria's dishes are the best in the whole village!]

Certainly, Maria-sans cooking is quite impressive.
But it doesn’t compare to Sari!!

 [Come to think of it, you said that it's been a long time since you had Maria-san’s bento?]
 [Yes, that’s right. When dad had still not formally established the party, we often used to go out, Dad, Uncle Gantt and three of my friends. In those days Aunty Maria always made a lunch box for us!]

Indeed, so it's similar to the excursions from Japan.

 [Even after Dad formed the party Blue Wolves, from time to time, aunty would make it for us; it was even popular with the Blue Wolves! Everyone said that it was delicious!]
 [.......]
 [In those days, Dad and everyone was having fun every single day! I was also talking and playing until late into the night! All the members of the Blue wolves were really good people. They used to play around with me even though I was still a child. It was really fun in those days!]

Shingu spoke happily about those days.
But from his eyes, I saw tears flowing out.

 [......Hey, Shingu]
 [And then, And then! What is it Nii-chan!?]
 [You, you really want to go back to how it was in the old days…..]

As soon as I said those words, a silence descended as if the time had stopped.

Shingu, who was talking happily about the old days until now, was trying to reply to my words. But it didn’t seem like he had any words to say.
And finally, words came out from his mouth.

 [Wh, wh wh What are you talking about Nii-chan. I want to go back to those days? Return to those days you say? I don’t think about such things at all……..]

Stop, just stop.
Your face completely betrays what you really want to say……..

 [Shingu. It’s alright. It’s fine if you want to show your true feelings. Fortunately, there is no one else in this place. I promise that I won't say anything to the villagers. So if you want to speak what’s really in your heart, I am here for you.]

When I said so, Shingu quietens down and goes silent.
Still, I did not give up and continued to stare at him in silence.
Then, as if Shingu had made up his mind, Shingu began to let out what he kept in his heart.

 [......I want to return. If I really can return, then I want to return to the old days, but just how can I go back now! Nii-chan may not know about this but my when my Dad died. I said terrible things to the people that worried about me, to the Villagers and to Jii-chan. I said such terrible things that it's become irreparable. How can I return now that it's like that, I don't know. Since it's like that, it would be easier to just stay alone, that’s why. ]

So these are Shingu’s true thoughts .
Good thing I heard them. As I thought, Shingu and I are similar. But Shingu, I won’t allow him to turn out like me.

 [Oy Shingu, The lone wolf way that you are trying to go might seem comfortably right now, but you will definitely regret it later down the road.]
 [why, just why would you know that it will happen!?]
 [I know. Why? because it's the same path that I've walked before.]
 [.........Ehh?]
 [Well, the circumstances are completely different from yours. Since in my case, it was self-inflicted. Still, it's true that there's only regret, since I am still experiencing it, there is no mistake that this is what will happen.]

When I said so, Shingu’s face falls further. And then his body starts to tremble. Sorry about this. But I didn't mean to scare you. I gently stroked Shingu's head with my hand.

 [Shingu, you do not have to be afraid. As I said a moment ago, your circumstances are different from mine. You can still try again. Perhaps, right now, all that’s missing in you is, only a little courage.]

When I said so,
Shingu raised his head a little,

 [.....Courage?]
 [Aa, yes, as I said you need only a little. Get some courage together and talk to the Villagers and to Zonga-san, everyone back there is waiting for you.]

When I said those words, Shingu was puzzled for a moment, but immediately after he raised his face.

 [I understand Nii-chan. I, I will make sure do my best.]

Just as he said it, Shingu's face, somehow seemed a little more mature.

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[1] EN: an exclamation that's something like 'oh no' or 'uh oh' (so basically an exclamation of the realisation of a bad situation)

A few hours after we had lunch in the cave.
Shingu and I returned to scouring the forest in search of the Guros Rabbitsu.
In any case, I was able to listen to Shingu's true feelings. I don’t know if it’s fine but since then a change has emerged in Shingu's attitude towards me.
Until now he used to speak with a mature tone. But now I can feel that Shingu has now become a little softer. In other words, he has gone back to how kids really behave with their child-like attitude. Now he actually resembles his age.
This is indeed something that I am happy about. As matter of fact, children really should have a child-like attitude is what I thought, so I was pleased at first. But now I regret it quite a bit; the reason is……….

 [Hey hey Nii-chan are you listening!? I definitely think that Minarisu-san is the most exceptional among all the other S-rank Adventurers! Her strength is really amazing and she is even actively playing as an S-rank Adventurer for so many years!]
[That’s right. I have met with Minarisu-san before and she is definitely a wonderful person]

At this point, Minarisu-san is the only person that I have met with whom Appraisal did not work. I feel that I am considerably stronger than before but still, in front of Minarisu-san, it might be absolutely nothing. She is the person who is my immediate goal.
And when I told Shingu that I had spoken with Minarisu-san previously,
Shingu who was right next to me, started rhapsodizing with his eyes literally shining.

 [WOW, I did not know that Nii-chan had already met with Minarisu-san. Nii-chan I hope that I can meet with Minarisu-san someday and talk about various adventurer stories! Then then, the next most exceptional S-rank adventurer is Revunanto-san!]

Eh?, who is this Revunanto-san, I haven’t heard of him before.
After listening to this much, I think I understand now, Shingu is an Adventurer Otaku.
Even several hours after leaving the cave, Shingu is still talking about all the amazing adventurers. Also, this is the third time Minarisu-san’s story has come up…….

 [Surely Revunanto-san is extremely young compared to Minarisu-san, but of all the S-rank Adventurers, his speed is definitely nonpareil. Hey Nii-chan are you listening!?]

Shingu asked while showing a dismal expression.
To be honest, I am tired of Shingu who keeps on boasting about the adventurers, but I can't say that to Shingu who's having so much fun talking to me.

 [..........Aa, I'm listening, so it’s okay Shingu]
 [Then that’s good. Then the next story is about Kurue-san who is an S-rank adventurer, and his Swordsmanship skills are really amazing. it's almost as if he can see the future…..]

And then after that, Shingu continued speaking about other adventurers,
A few minutes later, a story that I was actually interested in came out Shingu’s mouth.

 [But even after all these people, the adventurer who is the most famous is that person, why that's because he was the one who took down the Demon King!]

……..hm, Demon King? When I was in Japan, indeed such themes in anime appeared.
So there was a Demon King in this world as well. I am interested in this a bit now.

 [Shingu, can you tell me more about this Demon king that you mentioned?]

When I asked of Shingu about this, Shingu looks at me with a surprised face.

 [Nii-chan, you don't know about the Demon King, that’s quite unusual.
Well, if you don’t it’s alright, I'll tell you all about it!!]

Thus the explanation about the Demon King began.

 [First of all, the Demon King is said to have existed hundreds of years ago.]

It has been hundreds of years since the last Demon King existed.
Well, how did Shingu even know that the Demon King existed, was it by books?
If there really exists such types of books, I would like to read them.

 [During that time, the demons were very active; the Demon King along with many different kinds of demons, attacked and terrorized many villages and towns.]

Hmmm, then regardless of the existence of the Demon Kingdom, the existence of the Demon King was a monster.
There are really a lot of things that I still don’t yet know about this world.

 [Then when the Demon King finally attacked this continent, only one adventurer stood in the path of the Demon King!!]

From the story, I can understand that the Demon King had quite the considerable strength.
It is quite amazing that there was a person who could stand against the Demon King alone.
I decided to ask a question about the Adventurer's name as I was a little interested.

 [Shingu, can you please tell what the name of the adventurer?]
 [Aa, sure, the name of that adventurer was Kuroda-san]

It was someone I knew aaaaaahhhh! No, wait wait; it might be someone with a similar name!

 [Hey, Shingu, that Kuroda-san person, by any chance, do you know what he looked like?]
 [Umm, his looks, he had black hair and black eyes, it was completely unusual as said by the book.]

Aah, it's confirmed.
Kuroda-san is the same person who Shingu is talking about; the person who took down the Demon King,
But why did Kuroda-san fight against the Demon King?
Was it to protect the people?
No that's wrong; my intuition tells it was not just because of that.

 [Shingu, by any chance, do you know for what reason did Kuroda-san fight against the Demon King?]
 [Well I don’t really know about this in detail, but it seems that Kuroda-san had a certain purpose for doing so, but even so, no-one really knows about this purpose. ]

Kuroda-san's purpose, perhaps was returning to Japan.
Was it the Demon King who got in his way.
No, I don’t think that the Demon King would know about his purpose at any point.
I suppose it is time for me to ask Minarisu-san about this.

 [Thank you Shingu, I now know about the Demon King.So what happened to the Demon King and the demons that followed it?]
 [Well the Demon King was annihilated on the spot and all the demons immediately surrendered at that time. They lost the Demon Kingdom and they returned to the continent where they came from.]

What, if that story is true then the demons escaped.
Is it not a bit dangerous, I mean if they start a battle again.
When I asked Shingu that,

 [Don’t worry too much about this. Apparently, the demons cannot show their true power unless a Demon King exists.]

I see, so that’s why the survivors were allowed to return when the Demon King was destroyed. Well, I guess there is no need to worry about them anymore since the Demon King is already dead.

 [Ok. Shingu, thank you for this valuable information]

Then I gently stroked Shingu’s head while thanking him.
Previously, he was embarrassed when I stroked his head, but now his face was full of smiles.

 

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

 

 

After listening to Shingu speaking about the Demon King for about another hour,
Shingu and I headed deeper into the forest, eventually finding our target Monster.
Currently, Shingu and I were hidden behind a grassy foliage.
And in our sight, was a monster of overwhelming size.
Is that, the Guros Rabbitsu.
This monster looked nothing like the other Rabbitsu around.
The size of the monster could even exceed that of a Cyclops. No, it definitely does.
And a huge horn was growing at the top of its head, which was quite intimidating in and of itself. Ok, for now, let's appraise it.
[Appraisal] Activate

Guros Rabbitsu level 67
Power 145
Endurance 123
Agility 98
Luck 97
[Skill] None
[Title] None

Indeed, it is as Grace-san said, it has the strength of an A-Rank monster.
Perhaps its strength lies in between that of an Orc King and that of Goritorisu. [1]
The power and endurance are equal to that of an Orc king but the speed is overwhelmingly greater than an Orc King's,
This is certainly quite troublesome, but the good thing about all this is that it does not possess any special skills.
Well, the real question right now is whether Shingu can defeat this monster or not.
As far as I can see from the status screen, it looks like Shingu has almost zero or no chance of winning this battle.
However, status alone cannot determine victory and defeat in a battle.
In fact, Shingu has sword talent that can more than compensate for the difference in stats easily.
Also, according to the information that Zonga-san provided, the Guros Rabbitsu seems to be suffering from an injury on its left leg. If Shingu can successfully exploit that injury, he should be able to get a victory somehow.
Well no matter how much I think on this, only Shingu can decide about it in the end.
Thinking such, I looked at Shingu who was crouching next to me. And then,

 [Ni- Nii-chan…..]

Shingu who was crouching beside me, was trembling slightly.
I see, so this is what happens when the status difference is high
Shingu probably feels terrified by the Guros Rabbitsu.
I spoke gently to Shingu who was trembling beside me.

 [Shingu, does the Guros Rabbitsu look terrifying?]

To my question, Shingu tried to force a smile.

 [I-I’m not scared. I was just preparing myself…..]
 [Shingu, you seem to be misunderstanding something, feeling scared is not a bad thing.]
 [.......what do you mean?]
 [The fear that you are currently experiencing is very important to human beings like ourselves. Since humans are fragile beings, they will die from the simplest of things. Therefore, this feeling is absolutely necessary for us humans. So that we don’t die.] [2]
 [th-then, what should I do if feel fear]
 [If I was currently in Shingu’s place, I would have definitely run away.]
 [That’s right, so I should run awa-…eh?]

Did he not expect me to say something like that.
Shingu’s face was depicted his astonishment.
Even if he does make such a face, it cannot be helped since that was what I honestly felt.

 [Don’t look so surprised Shingu. I am a human as well, and I also feel the fear of dying. If you meet an opponent who makes you feel real fear, then I think that the best way of confronting that would be running away.]
 [Then is running away, the right option?]
 [That's it. So Shingu, if you fear the Guros Rabbitsu right now, it’s alright. You do not have to fight, I'll clean up everything for you. That’s all there is to it,]

When is said so, Shingu looks down and pondered about something.
Then, when he looked up again, the emotion in his eyes was different from before.

 [No, Nii-chan, I shall be the one to defeat the Guros Rabbitsu, I feel like I will never be able to go forward on my path if I am not the one to do it.]

Even so, his body's trembles seem to have not stopped.However, the look in his eyes said something else entirely.

 [Is that, your final answer?]
 [Yes!, I will be the one to defeat him. I know that Nii-chan can defeat him easily. But even so, I wish to be the one to do it. I’m sorry for being selfish about this Nii-chan…]

Hahaha, the brave face that he tried to put up ended up being messed up.
I spoke up while slowly stroking Shingu’s head.

[If that is your answer, I will help you with all the power that I have so that you shall only take on the Guros Rabbitsu, I'll take care of all the other garbage on the side. And if it gets really dangerous then I might just help out a little bit, then are you fine with this?]

When I said so while stroking Shingu’s head,
Shingu raised his head with a huge smile on his face.

 [Thank you Nii-chan. I WILL, definitely defeat him.]

Shingu showed that he was completely prepared to defeat the Guros Rabbitsu.
He neither trembled nor revealed any fear when he spoke those words.

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TL: I mean come on, just imagine if Shingu was a female loli and she ended up defeating Guros Rabbitsu. Yuuma would easily obtain a sword loli. *tch*
ED: …tbh, sword lolis are actually pretty cool (IMHO)

 

 

[1] TN: the upgraded version of the Cockatrice
[2] EN: HE EXPLAINED NOTHING!! WTH was that paragraph?

I couldn't see a single trace of fear in Shingu's eyes.
His eyes were composed while he looked back at me, those eyes cried that he was ready for the battle; which was completely unlike his previous demeanour of trembling legs and stuttering voice.
However, his fear hadn't completely dissipated.
I can feel that deep down in his heart, Shingu's scared.
But, he is overcoming that fear through sheer willpower and heart. It's quite incredible.

 [Shingu, I feel your resolve and hope you're prepared for the battle. Now then, let's go battle]

When I spoke to Shingu with a serious expression,
He nodded slightly albeit with a little stiffly.

 [First of all, the Guros Rabbitsu is definitely stronger than you]

This might be the wrong time to say these words; I thought that his heart might waver when I said those words, but surprisingly betraying my expectation, Shingu stood calm and composed.

 [Un, I know this Nii-chan. Just by looking at it, I can feel that it is overwhelmingly stronger than I am.]

As Shingu admitted that the Guros Rabbitsu was stronger there was no wavering in his voice.
Therefore, I started speaking from where I left off.

 [Good, since you know that you're not its match. Then you have to find a way to win against it, one of which is finding its weakness.]
 [Does it, have a weak point?]
 [That's right. Since it has such a huge body then it definitely has a weak point but before I point it out to you, you should try searching for it yourself once]

When I said so, Shingu squints and desperately tries to find its weak points. And soon as if he found it, he looked at me with a smile.

 [Nii-chan, he seems to have injured his left foot!]
 [Correct answer, Shingu. That injury was the result of the people in the village who tried hard to fend it off during the assault. When you start fighting, exploit that weakness right, then you will definitely be able to win against it]
 [The people of Barris village….. understood Nii-chan, I will try hard for everyone]

Hearing the Barris village being mentioned had riled up Shingu.
It seems Barris Village is definitely a special existence to him.

 [Good. lastly, one more thing, Shingu. Make sure to definitely avoid the attacks of the Guros Rabbitsu. And not take it head-on. Understood, no matter what happens make sure to avoid its attack at all costs]
 [Eh? Make sure to avoid all its attacks, then that means that I can't even take a single hit……]
 [If you try to take it on, then you will definitely die]

Not expecting that I would say such a thing, Shingu looks at me in surprise.
Even if you make such a surprised expression a fact is still a fact. It would be good if he could understand this clearly.

 [Shingu, think about it a little bit. Do you really think that you can take its attack head on?]
 [Th-that is…..]
 [I'll make this clear to you, once again. You cannot take the attack of a Guros Rabbitsu in your current state head-on. If you do then you would be insta-killed]
[........]

My words seem to have shaken Shingu at his core.
But my advice isn't complete yet.
I gently patted Shingu's head who was a little depressed.

 [Oops. Don't misunderstand me, Shingu. I'm telling you all this because I know that you can do this.]
[Do you really believe, that I can do it?]
[Yes. Although I only saw only a certain amount of your sword skills I definitely believe that you can do it.]

Well, actually, I peeked at your status through appraisal.
But that's a secret.

[Because I can see through people like you. That how I know and why I believe in you]

When I said that, Shingu finally regained his motivation and looked up.

And he clenched his fist and looked me in the eye.

 [Nii-chan, if you go that far……… Yes, I will definitely be able to do it.]

Ok. Alright, it seems that Shingu has been motivated.
Although it hurts my heart to be this strict, in this case, it cannot be helped.

 [Shingu, I have told you all that I had to say, and the pre-battle talk is over. Now the real battle will start. Are you ready for this?]
 [Un, I am ready any time]
 [Then after 10 seconds, we will jump out together]

I took out the demon ripper from the item box and held it in my right hand,
While Shingu put his hands on the sword at his waist.
And exactly ten seconds later, Shingu and I both leapt out the bushes and charged towards the Guros Rabbitsu.

Well, my job was just cleaning the garbage.
Since I had a much higher Agility stat than Shingu, I naturally arrived earlier in front of the Guros Rabbitsu and then started to take care of the Mobs.

First off, I was to take care of all the Mob Rabbitsu around the Guros Rabbitsu as fast as possible.
And as I expected, they were monsters of the lowest class, just a slight scratch from the Demon Ripper tore their heads apart with a *bassari bassari*[1] and with such prowess cleaning all the mobs near the Guros Rabbitsu was finished. Collecting all their corpses into the item box, I moved to the top of a big tree nearby. I could have a clear view of the fight from here, and most of all, I would not disturb Shingu's battle.

The Guros Rabbitsu looked at me with hostility in its eyes.
Oy oy, are you fine with looking at me like that.
The enemy is closing in right behind you.

 [Ooooooooooooooooooooooo!!]
 [Gigiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!?]

While I was clearing up the mobs, Shingu slashed at the Guros Rabbitsu with full force. No matter how I looked at it, the blow was brilliant. If it was any other time, then the game would have been decided by this. But the reality was never so sweet.

[Gigigiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!]

It raised a stentorian voice as if to say that the attack was nothing more than a sting. By the way, it was definitely not a skill to make someone's body to go stiff. But when Shingu heard the Guros Rabbitsu's voice at the moment, it completely surprised him, causing him to stiffen and curse.

 [DAMN~, did my attack not work? No, there certainly was a response.]

Yes. Just as Shingu inferred, the blow that he gave did cause the Guros Rabbitsu some damage. Even now, the blood that was flowing from his neck was more than enough evidence.

Probably, the scream that Guros Rabbitsu gave out a while ago was not for the purpose of intimidation, but its goal was to keep Shingu away from a certain place. And Shingu moved according to the Guros Rabbitsu's expectation.

 [Gigigiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!]

The Guros Rabbitsu glared at Shingu while vociferating. Apparently, it seems to have decided that Shingu is an enemy that it must defeat. I guess with that the element of surprise is gone.
Although Shingu was looking at Guros Rabbitsu from so close, it seems that even so there was a small grin creeping up on his face.

 [It is a demon that even Dad could not defeat. I was already prepared for such a scenario.]

Shingu gripped the sword with both hands and glared right back at the Guros Rabbitsu.

 [To defeat you, no matter how many times I have to, I'll attack you again and again!! ]

And then Shingu ran towards the Guros Rabbitsu in a straight line.
Oy, Shingu, don’t tell me that you already forgot what I told you.
The Guros Rabbitsu was ready to counter Shingu’s thrust.
This is bad! This is really bad! really Really BAD!
At the next moment when I had tried to move, Shingu's centre of gravity immediately shifted his feet sunk further in and with the same momentum he slashed at the Guros Rabbitsu left foot with his sword.

 [Giaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!]

The Guros Rabbitsu's scream rang out with the slash when its left foot was attacked.
That scream was more than enough evidence that the attack was working.
Shingu kept slashing at the same place again and again. Eventually, the Guros Rabbitsu was unable to withstand his attacks and tried to forcibly rotate its body and tried to attack Shingu while trying to keep him away from itself.
However Shingu seemed to have predicted this from the Guros Rabbitsu's movements, he fell a little behind and bowed down from its reckless attack and the restarted his attack again while sticking near to the huge body of the Guros Rabbitsu.

 [This is, certainly surprising…..]

I continued to watch the battle from the huge tree.
I was surprised at the first blow to the Guros Rabbitsu foot but the problem would come after that. But he was able to predict its movements and dodge the rotational attack with just a small shift.
Shingu is frighteningly calm even though it's his first battle with his enemy, with his father’s enemy right before his eyes.
If Shingu walks on the same path of the adventurer like his father, then he is likely to become a great adventurer. He might just be able to even surpass me with time. [2]

 [Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]

While I was contemplating such things, Shingu continued to attack, and soon the huge body of the Guros Rabbitsu finally collapsed, being unable to endure the pain.

 [With this, it is the end!!!]

Shingu saw that this was his prime opportunity and slashed at the huge neck of Guros Rabbitsu with all his might, this single attack tore at the Guros Rabbitsu's neck and caused many other superficial wounds along with a fatal wound. But then Shingu made a fatal mistake.

 [I have defeated it!? I have defeated it! I have defeated dad’s enemy!! ]

The joy of defeating the Guros Rabbitsu dominated Shingu’s whole body, his feelings overwhelmed him and he turned his eyes away from the Guros Rabbitsu that lay before him and looked towards my direction. His expression was full of joy.
I desperately called out to Shingu. 

 [Shingu look in front!! The battle is not over yet!!]
 [Eh, the Guros Rabbitsu has already been defeated…...guaaaaaaaaaa]

Shingu's unprotected small body was struck from the side by the Guros Rabbitsu's huge arm.

 [Ge-hu!!]

Shingu flew off at the speed of a bullet, before coming to a stop after crashing into a big tree.
But the damage done was immeasurable.
Shingu desperately tried to stand trying to use his sword as a cane, but he was unable to.
It was unfortunate, but even though Shingu was talented with the sword, his level itself was low.
His limit has been reached, and so I rushed towards Shingu to save him.

 [Ni-Nii-chan. I am alright, that’s why, I will be the one to defeat him……..]

While saying that, Shingu finally managed to stand up.
However, I can hardly feel any power from his current form.
Nevertheless, Shingu used the last bit of strength he had and started to run towards the Guros Rabbitsu.

 [Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

In contrast to Shingu, the Guros Rabbitsu almost had no power remaining from his previous blow to Shingu. The Guros Rabbitsu desperately tried to move its head. While Shingu was running towards it while the Guros Rabbitsu tried to desperately to counter-attack using its huge body.

Don’t do it! Shingu did not have enough juice left in him to end it!
With that thought, I rushed to Shingu, but Shingu did something way beyond my imagination.

 [ooooooooooooooo!!]

OMG, Shingu used the corner of the Guros Rabbitsu's huge body as a foothold and leapt up!
Then, using the power of fall, he sliced the Guros Rabbitsu’s neck, to the same place that he dealt the fatal blow and pierced his sword through it without any deviation.

 [gigiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii……..]

The Guros Rabbitsu raised a scream like before.
However, this time this was shout indicating its' end.
I caught the Shingu's body was slowly falling, softly catching him with both hands. Shingu in my hands really looked like he had used too much of his power and was struggling to maintain his consciousness.

But still, he fought it and asked me a single question before he lost consciousness.

 [Ne~ Nii-chan, did I, defeat dad’s enemy?]
 [Ah, there is no doubt it, the battle this time was definitely his win. And it was truly amazing, leave it to me and rest for now.]

When I said that, Shingu closed his and eyes went to sleep relieved.
With a calm look, from which one could not even infer that he had been in such a dangerous fight…….

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[1] TN: sfx for metal cutting flesh
[2] ED: this is just completely spurious statement…

He honestly fought really well. I give my heartfelt praises to Shingu who was sleeping in my arms.
To be honest, I thought that he was done the moment that Shingu got attacked since it was impossible to stand after that attack.
But Shingu never gave up. In order to defend everyone in the Barris Village, his desire made him attain victory and triumph over the enemy of his deceased father.
I don’t really believe in the power of will theory, therefore, I think that this will be the only time that this will happen.
Now then, it’s better to stop thinking about all these things for now and to first treat Shingu’s injury.
And so, after resting Shingu's body on a nearby tree trunk, I cast recovery Magic.

 [[Heal]]

When I cast the magic, A pale blue light emerged and wrapped around Shingu’s body and his body started to visibly heal its wounds. And when the light dimmed, the injury which was causing Shingu a painful sleep slowly changed and became a gentle slumber.
It seems like the treatment worked.

 [Alright, this much should be alright. All that’s left is to get back to the Barris Village. But there is something that I should do before that.]

I picked up Shingu again and my eyes turned towards the corpse of the Guros Rabbitsu; I couldn’t leave it behind since It was the game that Shingu had taken down. And so I stored the corpse of the Guros Rabbitsu in the item box.
Well, I guess the job in the Barris forest is complete.
I suppose I should quickly get back to the village.
And so Yuuma, with Shingu on his back, walked towards Barris Village's exit.

 

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

 

After several minutes, I kept moving smoothly without encountering any monsters.
As a result, we were able to easily pass through Barris Forest and came back to our initial departure site.
We headed towards Barris village.
Now then, since we are about to arrive soon I guess Shingu should wake up now.
Just when I was about to wake him up, Shingu who was asleep on my back woke up.

 [......huh, where is this Nii-chan?]
 [You seem to have finally woken up. How does your body feel? I applied Recovery magic to your body so I think that it might be fine.]
 [Un, I don’t seem to have any problems with my body. But you can use recovery magic Nii-chan? Dad told me that there are not many people who can use recovery magic though! ]
 [Well, I just learned it recently. More importantly, we will arrive at the Barris village soon, so do you want to walk the rest of the way?]

This is because I felt that it would be embarrassing for Shingu. So taking his age into consideration, I asked him the question.Well, this question might not have been necessary. But Shingu shook his head and told me that he wanted to stay like this for a while.
I instantly understood what he wanted from his response. Shingu reminded me of my past self; the time when I was with my father. To add to that deduction, Shingu muttered words about his dad while he was on my back. I did not have the heart to say no to Shingu, so I kept quiet and walked towards Barris village.

And when we came near enough to see Barris village's gate, I noticed that something was different. There were dozens of people gathered in front of the entrance of the village gate.Among them were Gantt-san and Maria-san. Even Zonga-san, who is the village chief and also Shingu’s grandfather, was standing at the head of the group.
Shingu who was watching the scene in front of him was trembling. He made his body even smaller and hid behind my back.
I spoke to him in a gentle tone.

 [Hey Shingu. It’s alright to remember the old days. It’s okay to miss the old days as well, but that shouldn’t be the only thing that you do. I think that it’s time for you to go forward now, what do you say?]
 [I’m sorry Nii-chan, but as I thought; I am still afraid…..]
 [I understand Shingu. I know that you feel that everyone in the village might reject you but I assure you that, that is not the case. There is no doubt that everyone in the village of Barris is concerned about you.]
 [Something like that, I can’t believe it…….]
 [I know you feel that this is definitely a lie. But just look at their faces and you can see how deeply worried they are about you. You can see that I am speaking the truth.]

When I said so, Shingu slowly stretched over my back.
Then, he looked at the expressions of all the people in the Barris village and said a few words.

 [Everyone, looks deeply worried…..]
 [Well, all of them were waiting for you. And then there are some, who were waiting very anxiously for you.]
 [Ojii-chan’s expression is really terrible. It almost looks like he might cry at any time]
[Oh, Zonga-san. He must have been really worried about you. The grandchild who went to subjugate a monster was brought back on my back and so he might be anxious thinking that you might have sustained an injury. Is what I think is going on in his head]
 [Ojii-chan, and everyone too, they are all worried about me….]
 [Yes, that’s right. I told you this before in the cave, everyone is waiting for you. Are you still afraid now?]

To my question, Shingu shook his small head sideways.I was satisfied his answer, and gently dropped Shingu down from my back to the ground and tapped Shingu’s back a little strongly with gusto.

 [Go ahead Shingu. Don’t let them wait any more than they have to.]
 [Un, I am going now Nii-chan!]

As soon as he said so, Shingu ran towards everyone in the village and was embraced by Zonga-san first while apologizing for various things with tears in his eyes.
To which, Zonga-san responded by hugged Shingu as he cried as if he could not control it anymore. And the people around them were even more so. He apologized to everyone saying that he was sorry and about ignoring them for such a long time.

And it seems like there is nothing to be worried about anymore.

 

Either way, this sight was a sight to behold. The gathering here had almost every inhabitant of the Barris village; of which most of them were in the midst of crying. It seems that it will be quite some time before they gather themselves. Thinking so I let out a sigh, but it was still a day that was well spent.

I was currently worn-out and resting at the inn that Maria-san ran.
Even saying that I was worn-out would be an understatement, I am not really that tired physically, rather, it was mental exhaustion. And the cause of the fatigue was definitely due to the events a few hours ago.
A few hours earlier, Shingu who had returned to the village was able to reconcile with all the people in the village without any real problems. It was a good thing in itself, but after that, it became really hard. Why? Well, they kept crying for more than an hour; and It was on quite a huge scale since most of the inhabitants of the Barris village was gathered there.
At first, I thought it was something that could be avoided, but when I was about to leave, they were like the monsters from the forest stampeding towards me as they all came for me. Thankfully, they stopped as soon as they reached me, but the trouble that came about with this is that I had no choice but to speak to each and every single inhabitant of the village which took quite a lot of time.

[I can understand that the people came with good intentions. But that I was really tiring, I should lie down for a while.]

Thinking so, I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes.
If possible I wanted to take a small nap but it would seem that I don't have the luxury to do so, because just then, as expected, someone knocked on the door to my room.

[Yuuma-san are you awake? The Village chief said that he had something that he wished to talk to you about.]

It was Mari who knocked on the door to my room.
And she said that Zonga-san said that he had something to talk about with me.
Well, I don’t know what it is about.

[Understood. I will head there right away.]
[I think that will be fine. Then, I shall excuse myself now.]
[Ah, thank you for informing me. Good luck on your job Mari.]

After I said so, Mari ran off in such a good mood that she was skipping her way back. As if content that she was praised by me. How cute.
Well then, I suppose I should ask Zonga-san what he wants to talk about
Thinking so, I came out of my room and went towards the ground floor, and immediately I heard Zonga-san calling out.

[You come here so quickly Yuuma-dono. Forgive me for calling you out when you were resting.]
[Well I was told that Zonga-san had something that you wished to talk about with me, so I couldn't possibly keep you waiting. So, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?.]
[Umu. The reason that I called you to talk about was about the Guros Rabbitsu.]
[I see. So you have decided on what you will do about it.]
[That's right, as a result of the discussions with villagers and with Shingu's consent of course. The Guros Rabbitsu will be used as the main ingredient for tonight’s party. But, is this really alright with you, Yuuma-dono. To give away the Guros Rabbitsu like that.]
[Yes. I have already told Zonga-san this many times. This time, I did honestly did not do anything during the fight against the Guros Rabbitsu. The one who defeated the Guros Rabbitsu is Shingu. I might have given him a little bit of advice, but that was it. Therefore, I really don’t have a say in what happens with the Guros Rabbitsu.]

When I clearly expressed my intention, Zonga-san nodded his head sternly.

[If that is the case, then let us end the discussion about this here. Then, onto the next topic. There will be a banquet tonight so if Yuuma-dono does not have any other business, I would be delighted if you could attend the banquet tonight. Will you be coming tonight?]
[A banquet is it. Yes, I don’t really have any special business that I have to do, so I would be happy to participate, but is it really fine. I am not a resident of this village after all. So would it be fine for me to participate in this?]
[What are you trying to say Yuuma-dono? Everyone in the village considers you as a family and will welcome you anytime, and even Shingu wanted you to participate in the banquet. So please do not hesitate to join us!]
[I understand. I will definitely make sure to attend it.]
[If you say it like that then I can relax now. With this, even Shingu’s mood will be lightened. Now then, Yuuma-dono, I shall head back and help with the preparations and I will see you again at the party]

As soon as Zonga-san said so, Zonga-san went back to his house. Well then, I suppose I will be able to relax back in my room until the start of the party.

 

　＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

 

Now then, it’s almost time.
I could faintly hear the hubbub from outside of the inn as it became noisy.
And so I left my room and headed towards the ground floor.
When I was getting down the stairs, I could see that Gantt-san seemed to have been waiting for me.

[Yo, you have finally woken up huh, Yuuma. I was getting tired of waiting.]
[Gantt-san, you were waiting.]
[Well, I couldn’t just leave you alone in the inn. But fortunately, I did not have to wait for too long and that wasn’t the only reason; I wanted to properly thank you.]

Gantt-san had a serious look on his face that I had never seen before.

[Yuuma, thank you very much for protecting Shingu and also for fixing up my legs. I do not know much about magic in detail, but the recovery magic that you used is definitely rare since you healed injuries like mine where I could not even walk in just an instant.]
[Gantt-san…..]
[I can only say this in front of you, so I want you to know that I was really desperate. I was desperately struggling but I could not show that in front of Maria and Mari. And at that time you came. And you healed my legs which really helped me overcome my mind's pother and I really appreciate it. Thank you]
[You are very welcome. Well, if anything happens please make sure to tell me because I will definitely cure you.]
[Thank you. Well, I seemed to have spoken for quite a while. It’s almost time for the banquet to begin. Right, Yuuma.]
[That is so. I am also slightly hungry. Let’s go.]

Gantt-san and I left the inn and headed to the place where the party was to be held.
After walking for a while, Zonga-san and Shingu rushed over after noticing the both of us enter.

[You have finally arrived huh Yuuma-dono. Please have fun while you are here.]
[Nii-chan, this is the roasted meatballs of the Guros Rabbitsu which we caught! It is really delicious so please eat lots of them! ]

Oh, so this meat belongs to the Guros Rabbitsu huh.
Moreover, it looks really delicious.
And it's completely grilled too.

[So Nii-chan, it's really delicious right!?]
[*mogu mogu*[1].........Aa, this is superb. It’s really delicious]
[Alright. Then I shall go over there and play with everyone, see you later!]

Saying so Shingu goes back to where he was before.
And there I could see Shingu's figure playing with other children of his age with a smile on his face. Zonga-san looked at the scene with a pleased expression on his face and spoke.

[Yuuma-dono, thank you very much for helping Shingu]
[No, all I did was tell Shingu a little story, and this is all a result of Shingu working hard on changing. Shingu is a hard worker after all.]
[You really are too humble. Then, I shall request you to enjoy the banquet tonight.]
[I will. Also, I did not expect the size of the banquet to be so large. It seems that almost all of the people from the Barris village are participating. ]
[Yes, it is as you said. I can say that all the inhabitants of the Barris village are participating since I confirmed that fact myself.]

That is amazing Zonga-san, to remember all the faces of the Barris village. As expected of the village head. Even so, the inhabitants of the village are well behaved. I was able to understand that the inhabitants are actually are all good people.
While watching the banquet which was progressing peacefully, I was able to notice a small peculiarity.Well, Zonga-san said that all the villagers of the Barris village are participating but what about that person.
[Come to think of it, Zonga-san, the assistant who was with you during the time we spoke, is he not here?]
[The man who was my assistant? Who are you talking about?]
[That is, he was the one I met when I first came to meet you yesterday.]
[Forgive me Yuuma-dono, but I cannot understand who you are talking about. First off, I don’t really have any assistants who help me around with my job. The last few days, it has only been me and Shingu in the house.]

Hearing Zonga-san's words, my heart started to beat faster.
Before I could even notice, I was already running from where I previously stood towards a certain direction.
A few minutes later, there was the person in front of me who I was looking for.

[Oya, is there something you need here Head-Hunter Yuuma-sama. If I am to recall correctly then shouldn't you be in the middle of a Banquet. Did you perhaps need something?]
[You. No. who are you?][2]
[Hee~, what are you saying so suddenly. I am just a normal assistant.]
[Stop it with the act. Zonga-san who can remember the face of every single inhabitant of the Barris village told me that he does not remember you. Just to make sure that I did not mistake you for someone else, I made sure to ask Zonga-san who you were exactly. But the person in question told me that he did not have any assistant to speak of. I do not believe that Zonga-san could forget a person so easily right? Hear me now, I will only ask once. Who are you?]

In response to my words, the man in front of my eyes, raised his hands as if to give up and spoke up.

[Haa~, well I guess it’s almost time that the magic finally wore off, perhaps the hostility that Shingu-kun showed yesterday was proof that the magic was finally wearing off. I thought that there was actually sometime left before I would have to bid farewell to this place, but I guess that was just wishful thinking.]
[In other words, you mean to tell me that you had cast a magic spell on Zonga-san and Shingu.]
[Well yeah, something like that. Alright then, I guess I should introduce myself. It would really be unfair for me to only know your name and you not knowing mine. Fufu,[3] this is the first time that I am revealing myself to a human in decades.]

What he said had me so nervous my hairs were standing on end, somehow I could feel that the man in front of me was enjoying the atmosphere.
And then he revealed his identity while bowing towards me so that I could see him clearly.

[My name is Ranbiris. Demon Ranbiris Rezom. Glad to be at your service. Head-Hunter Yuuma-sama]

 

 

 

[1] TN: sfx for munching
[2] EN: he changes the way he says you.; from polite to a more rude way.
[3] TN: sfx for evil chuckling

Chapter end