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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Luna stopped him just as he was about to draw his new sword. He reluctantly put it away.
The bald man was talking to Adela.
“Receptionist, what about the adventurer for the ant extermination?”
“Luke, behind you, will be joining you.”
“What? That brat? I’m not his babysitter.”
“I don’t want to go with you either, baldy.”
“That little shit…!”
The bald man’s hand went to his axe.
“Baldwin, I believe causing another disturbance will result in the revocation of your adventurer’s license.”
“Tsk… fine.”
Luke didn’t remember most extras, but this guy’s bald head was memorable.
He was the one who had tried to pick a fight with him before running away.
He had seemed tough, but he was only D-rank? And Adela had just threatened to revoke his license.
If I provoke him and we fight, I can make him unemployed.
“This is my chance.”
“Luke, please…”
“What? He started it.”
He looked like he might become a demon lord later on. Killing him now might not be a bad idea.
“He’s not E-rank! This is life or death!”
“This is all your fault, Baldwin. No one wants to party with you.”
“I think it’s because you’re a grumpy baldy. No one wants to party with a grumpy baldy.”
If he were a pretty girl, people would tolerate his grumpiness.
“You need some skill to be an adventurer!”
“Exactly, Adela. You need to be a ‘human’ to party with humans. And ‘humans’ have hair.”
He wasn’t human if he didn’t have hair.
The pig from yesterday was more human than him.
“You little shit…!”
“Luke, that’s enough…”
“Okay.”
“Luke might be E-rank, but he recently hunted a Named Monster, so his skill is guaranteed.”
“Fine… I’ve changed my mind. I’ll go with him.”
The bald man suddenly turned around and offered Luke a handshake.
“Let’s work together on this quest.”
“Ptoo!”
Luke spat on his hand.
A vein throbbed on the bald man’s forehead.
“Oops! My bad! My hand was dirty.”
“Haha… it’s fine.”
The bald man wiped his hand and left the guild, looking embarrassed. Adela pulled Luke aside and warned him.
“Luke, be careful of Baldwin.”
“Okay.”
“Listen carefully. Don’t just brush me off.”
What should I have for dinner? I’m tired of meat. Is there a place that serves rice? Even in another world, eating meat for every meal is too much.
“Baldwin is aggressive, but he avoids fights he can’t win.”
He’s probably worried about his teeth falling out when he gets older.
“He backed down this time, but he might be planning something.”
Maybe I should try some alcohol. What does medieval beer taste like?
“Did you hear me?”
“Yep.”
“What did I just say?”
“I don’t know.”
“…Sigh. Luna, please keep an eye on him.”
“I will.”
“Okay.”
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After a short preparation, Luke and Luna met up with the bald man at the designated meeting place.
“…Why are you so late?”
“Your head was so shiny it blinded me, and I couldn’t find my way.”
“…”
They were a bit late, but…
“I’ll handle this myself. You two just stay out of my way and watch.”
That’s what he had told them before they left.
“Okay.”
He agreed.
He said to watch, so I’ll watch.
Today’s quest was to exterminate a Giant Ant lair.
As the name suggested, they were giant ants.
According to Adela, they lived in underground lairs between the goblin and War Wolf territories.
Unlike regular ants, which had a sweet tooth, Giant Ants were omnivores. They ate plants, and if their territory was invaded, they ate monsters.
Which meant they ate humans too.
They were fearsome creatures, capable of crushing a human skull with their massive mandibles.
They’re just ants.
The journey wasn’t smooth.
Kieeek!
They encountered goblins and War Wolves along the way.
They hadn’t seen any while actively searching for them, but now that they weren’t looking, they were everywhere.
“Hah!”
The bald man used Earth Magic, despite his… fiery appearance. He slammed his axe into the ground, causing the earth to rise and impale the goblins.
I thought he’d use Light Magic and blind them with his shiny head.
He couldn’t even use the ultimate attack, Solar Fist, which worked regardless of the opponent’s strength.
He was the opposite of Saitama, who had lost his hair but gained immense power.
He almost felt sorry for him.
There are only two Light Magic users in this world.
The clueless protagonist and the saintess, who was currently at another academy.
The author was cruel, giving all the good stuff to the protagonist, a walking disaster.
Aawoooooooooooo—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As the bald man dealt with the goblins, War Wolves appeared, drawn by the commotion.
They charged at the bald man.
He was holding his own, being a D-rank adventurer, but he was clearly tiring.
He hadn’t been this exhausted when fighting goblins and War Wolves before. Maybe his shiny head looked like a lollipop to the monsters.
“What do you think, Luke?”
Luna asked, watching the fight from a distance.
“About what?”
“Do you think Baldwin can handle this alone?”
“No way.”
If he could, Adela wouldn’t have sent them.
People who said “I’ll handle this myself” were either incredibly skilled or incredibly stupid.
Baldwin was clearly the latter, but he had told them to watch, so they would watch.
Extreme bystander mode.
The bald man, initially confident, quickly changed his mind as he was overwhelmed.
“Brat! Do something!”
He had told them to stay out of his way, and now he was asking for help.
Human nature was to do the opposite of what you were told.
“No!”
“What?!”
The bald man, cleaving a goblin’s head in two, looked at Luke incredulously.
“I don’t take orders from weaklings!”
“That little bastard…!”
“Pay me, and I’ll consider it.”
There was no such thing as a free lunch.
If you wanted help, you had to pay.
More monsters appeared, and the tide of the battle turned against the bald man.
“Ugh! Fine! I’ll pay you! Just help me!!!”
The world seemed to be on Luke’s side, providing him with an opportunity to earn some easy money.
“Pay up front!”
“How can I pay you now?!”
“That’s your problem!”
He threw popcorn at the bald man, just to annoy him.
He would have helped if the bald man had caught and eaten the popcorn, but it just bounced off his shiny head.
The bald man glared at him, but it didn’t change anything.
Whether he helped or not, the bald man had to survive to complain or take revenge.
The bald man, surprisingly, managed to throw some money at him.
“Here! Take it!”
“Got it!”
“Now help me!!”
“No!”
“You took the money, you bastard!!”
“I said I’d consider it, not that I’d help.”
He had been clear.
This guy had serious reading comprehension issues.
“Luke, I think we should get ready.”
“Huh?”
He had been so engrossed in watching the bald man struggle that he had forgotten they would be targeted too.
Grrrr…
Kieeek!!!
Goblins and War Wolves surrounded them.
“Isn’t this a good opportunity to test your new sword?”
“It’s too good for these weaklings.”
“…You made it to use it.”
“That’s true.”
No point in saving it.
He reached into his inventory and pulled out his Dragon Slayer, holding it with both hands.
He closed his eyes.
“Luke…? What are you doing?”
“Shhh. Don’t disturb me. This is important.”
Before using an ultra greatsword, there was an essential ritual: prayer.
Dear God, Buddha, Allah, please let me hit them.
He was a devout believer in this moment.
The accuracy of his attack depended on the sincerity of his prayer.
Woof!!
Kieeek!!!
The monsters charged at him just as he finished his prayer.
“Oraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
He swung his sword horizontally.
The goblins were cleaved in two.
The War Wolves, their maws ripped apart, were split down the middle, the length of his sword.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
“That’s… amazing…”
“Yeah.”
Hunting was much easier with a good weapon.
“Help me!!!”
Someone, however, wasn’t having as easy a time.
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