Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World

Chapter 9: The Daily Life of an Eight Year Old – “The Battle Axe of Destruction”

As I passed through the swinging door, a peculiar smell hit my nose.

I wondered if it was the smell of animals mixed with alcohol and smoke.

I was overwhelmed by the complex smell, but I didn't show it, and I slowly looked around the room. On the counter in front of me hung a plate with the words "Request" and "Delivery" written on it. I guessed we’re going to “Request” this time.

There were no people lined up at any of the counters, and the receptionist, who had nothing to do, was looking at me and Roland with curiosity. I've heard that it's mostly empty before noon, and that is true.

As I walked up to the front counter, the receptionist smiled at me.

I glanced at Roland for a moment, then back at her. Even if she doesn't recognize my face, she seems to know Roland. A former C-rank adventurer and current Knight of the Reedwald. There's no way she doesn't know me. As a result, she must have figured out who I am and what I’m doing here.

Standing slightly on tiptoe, I emerged from the counter and speak to the receptionist.

“I’m Alter Les Reedwald, for the escort mission. I came to see you because I heard there was an adventurer who had accepted my request.”

"Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild. Do you have the request form?"

The receptionist responds as if she had prepared it.

Roland held out a rolled-up piece of parchment from behind him. The receptionist opens and inspects it carefully.

"I've checked it. This way, please."

Roland and I were ushered upstairs.

The receptionist knocked in front of the reception room to announce our arrival. A man's voice answered, "Oh," from inside, and shortly after, we heard the light sound of banging on something.

When we entered the room, four adventurers stood up to greet us.

Three men and one woman. The positions were the same, but I got the impression that the large man was one step ahead of the others. I wondered if he was the leader.

"Are you sure you're the adventurers who accepted the escort mission?"

"Oh–no, yes."

The woman next to me glared at me, and the large man rubbed his head and said again.

“You don't need to worry about your language. Please sit down first.”

“Oh, thank you. I know it takes some getting used to, but I'm not really good with formalities.”

The adventurers sit side by side, with me facing them and Roland standing behind me like a guard.

"I'm Markant, leader of the C-ranked party, The Battle Axe of Destruction”.

"I'm Alter Les Reedwald. Nice to meet you."

As I responded to the large man who held out his hand, I saw a battle axe standing behind the sofa. It looked haphazard, but it was positioned so that he could grab it at any time. I guess it's a habit since there's no reason for him to be wary of us. It's no wonder they're called experts.

The other three introduced themselves in turn.

“I'm Valerie. I’m mainly a ranger, but also a scout.”

“My name is Danil. I'm in the vanguard, but I can use a little magic.”

“I'm Ose, the scout.”

I shook hands with each of them, apologized in my heart, and activated the "appraisal".

Since Roland chose it, there is no problem with their ability. What I'm worried about is their behavior. I know that it would be a disgusting act if people knew about it, but dangerous skills and titles are a threat to our lives.

First up was the leader of the axe holder, Markant.

His level is 19, less than Roland’s 26, but more than Conrad’s 18. He's a typical muscle head, with “Axe 6”, “Axe Combat Skills”, and “Physical Up 3”. And he's not just a muscle head. He has mastered “Degenerative Magic” up to rank 3. And the only magic he remembers is "Strength Up". When it comes down to it, he can evolve into a very impressive muscle head. I'm not just saying he's 7 in intelligence. He had HP of 15, and only his Strength was 19 due to skill correction. He could probably exceed 20 if he activated his magic. He was one of the outsiders.

If it was a simple one-on-one fight, how many people in the Reedwald Knights would be able to beat Markant? Roland who has "One-handed Sword 7" and "Shield 5" and is superior in overall strength, is sure, and Conrad is likely to play a good game with abundant experience.  It's tough for other knights, such as Deputy Chief Joss.

The other eye-catching skill is "Crisis Detection 3". It looks both useful and not so useful. I wonder how practical it is for a rank 3.

Also, the battle axe behind him was a magic axe called the Sacred Strike Axe. From its features and name, it seemed to have special effects on the undead. I guess that's where the party got its name.

Next was Valerie, the first red.

Surprisingly, she had a title with a stats correction.

The name of the title is “It’s Far Too Steps”.

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(遙かなる双峻)

What is that, the start of a story? Does that mean all men are mountain men?

I don't care if it's giant, demon, or super, but that's what it is. Correction is “Charm” +2, “Agility” -1. Her other skills are "One-handed Sword 5", "Dagger 3", "Stealth 2", and "Signal Detection 1", which are almost as self-introduced, and her abilities are average but stable and high. Unfortunately, her agility of 14 has been reduced to 13 due to negative correction, but it is a noble sacrifice of +2 charm. Except for a few groups, there's nothing to complain about. Well, to be honest, I feel like the Creator God set this up in a drunken fit.

Valerie had a strange, small, beautiful sword by her side. It had a very strong presence, so I appraised it and found that it was a magic sword. The name is “Arua Sero”, and it seems to specialize in the water attribute.

Danil is a vanguard who can also use magic.

His abilities are around 13, a little above average, and he has a sword and a large shield. His skills are melee type centered on "One-handed Sword" and "Shield", and his magic skills are "water magic 3" and "fire magic 2". He has the “Intermediate Level” that I've never seen it. He has the highest intelligence at 15, so he might be more of a magician. In battle, he would switch roles with Valerie, depending on the situation.

He is also somewhat soft-spoken, and his gestures and words have the scent of a wealthy man. He didn't look like an aristocrat, so he must have been born into a wealthy family such as a guild member or a merchant family.

Danil was also carrying a magic long sword, but this one had only increased strength and sharpness and did not have a particularly distinctive name.

The last one was Ose, a scout with a short self-introduction.

I thought he would be taciturn like a scout, but his cheeks were tense. It seemed he was just nervous. He was a little younger than the other three, looking to be around twenty years old. He had an “Agility” of 15, and specialized in scouting and support with the following skills: "Sense of Presence 6", "Sense of Danger 2", "Stealth 5", "Pursuit 4", "Dagger 3", "Throw: Dagger 2", and "Throw: Sling 2". He doesn't have any special titles or magic, but he does have "Pain Resistance 1", which seems to be the result of his half-life.

Since he isn’t a combatant, he doesn't have any outstanding equipment, but I'm sure he has at least a few hidden gems due to their profession.

Now, I don't see any problems with them. They don't have any strange titles, and they are well-equipped and skilled.

"Hey, are you ready to go?"

I looked up and saw that everyone's eyes were focused on me.

It seems that they thought I was thinking about something because I was quiet. I was not wrong.

"Now that we've greeted each other, tell me what you want. I've heard it's to protect Master Alter, but I don't know the details.”

"Well, I'll make it simple. The target of the escort is me. Roland will accompany me as my escort. The location is the forest of Leknod, and the duration is one week. The first three days will be day trips, the next three days will be encampment in the forest, and the last day we will return to town.

“To the forest? What's the purpose?”

“For my training.”

Markant looked at me suspiciously, and I couldn't help but give him the same look.

I thought I had explained the point clearly. I wonder what the question is.

“Did I not explain well enough? Oh, the reward.”

“No, that's what's on the request form. That's not what I meant. You said that the training would be done by Alter-sama right? I'm sorry, but you have to tell me. How old are you?”

"Eight."

“Okay then." Marchant muttered.

"So, this request is to help Alter-sama practice for the actual battle and get rid of tough opponents when they appear?

“That's right. I'm a novice at camping, so I'd like to ask you to help me with that as well.”

It's a very strange atmosphere. Markant scratched his head.

“I’m not very good with polite words. So let me be clear. We heard that it was an escort mission, so we took it. I'm not going to play along with the antics of an eight-year-old.”

Without pause, Valerie reprimanded in a whisper, “You idiot.”

But she didn't deny what he said. There seems to be no objection to the content. Danil and Ose are also silent, so it seems that they have a consensus opinion on "Battle Axe of Destruction."  The reason she rebuked him was that there was a way to say it, even if he refuses it.

In fact, except for Markant, the rest of the group looked nervous and started to look at me and Roland. They were nervous because they had just taunted a nobleman. It's called disrespect. Of course, I didn't mind. I was simply troubled. It's like a few days ago all over again.

I pondered this as I looked at the "Battle Axe of Destruction".

There's no reason for me to stick with them. As long as I could meet my father's requirement of hiring an escort, I’m good. Of course, there is a lot to be learned by hiring a skilled person, but it is not essential. The goal is to gain real-world experience, and the rest is just a bonus. If they refuse, I can hire another adventurer.

As soon as I had reached a conclusion, Roland opened his mouth behind me.

"I think the quickest way is to let them know what you're capable of.”

"Mock battle? I don't mind, but ……"

They think it is reckless for an eight-year-old to challenge an actual battle. Then show them your power. That's true, but, strangely, the hiring party will be tested. And moreover, I’m the son of a lord. Wouldn't that mean that my father, if not me, would be disrespected?

I couldn't read any particular emotion in Roland's expression.

As a former adventurer, Roland would have anticipated this turn of events and would have researched the character of the Battle Axe of Destruction. If that's the case, then it's worth hiring them even if you accept this difficulty, or the quality will drop considerably if you remove them. At least it won't affect my father's reputation, right? Otherwise, I wouldn't make this suggestion.

Is it a loss to cut them?

Come to think of it, if I re-selected them, I'd have to wait another few days. If I'm not good at it, my mother's grumpiness might come back. I hope to refrain from being used as dress-up dolls for a while. That was tougher than working out. To be honest, I don't agree with it, but I'll take it.

"All right. Then, “Battle Axe of Destruction”, you'll have to accompany me for a while."

“Wait a minute! What are you doing? What are you doing? Fighting with …… who?”

Markant didn't seem to be able to see the flow of the conversation. It's probably difficult for a muscle head to have a long conversation. He is seven.

“There's no better place to go. How about the guild's training grounds?”

“Wait, wait, wait! There's no way I can fight a kid!”

I'm not sure if the conversation has finally caught up to his brain or not, but Markant made a fierce rebuttal. He’s a noisy man.

I stared at the big man in front of me.

“I heard that you guys were going to take the commission. That's why I came all this way. Even if you refuse, it wouldn't hurt to go along for the ride.”

I left the silent Battle Axe of Destruction behind and sent Roland on his way.

◇◇◇◇

The Adventurer's Guild has several training grounds.

One in the back of the building and two in the basement. The one in the back of the building is mostly used for training beginners and checking coordination, while the one in the basement is used for practicing attack magic and for those who don't want to reveal their skills.

With permission, we entered a room in the basement.

The room was much larger than I had imagined, and with the lantern in my hand, I could only see the thick pillars scattered about, making it hard to see where the back wall was. As the Batte Axe of Destruction split up to light the lamps on the walls, we could finally see the whole place. It was wide and deep enough to run on, and the ceiling was about three meters high.

Sandbags were piled up on the left side, and there was a small amount of armor hanging on the wall facing the entrance. The sandbags were probably for magic practice, and the armor was probably for mock battles. I took the appropriate wooden sword, and Markant picked up a two-handed wooden sword. He may think that he doesn't need to use his favorite weapon,  but I don't care what it is as long as I can show my ability.

“I'm begging you, please don't hurt him.”

Danil whispered in a low voice. You can hear it all because there is no noise.

Markant responded appropriately and headed for the center, swinging his unfamiliar sword.

As I was checking the feel of the wooden sword, Roland stood beside me.

"What are the rules?”

"We're aiming for real-world experience, so we don't really need any. Winning or losing is not important. The goal is to get some real-world experience. What do you think?"

“It's fine. Let's get this over with.”

“I'm with you on that. Roland, give me a sign.”

Neither Markant nor I made any attempt to warm up. You never know when you're going to be attacked, especially by an adventurer. It's a world where "I'm not ready" doesn't cut it.

We all went to the wall, and Roland stepped forward.

"Begin!"

I jumped in with all my might at the same time as Roland swung his hand down.

I don’t use "Fast Movement". It's not an easy thing to show off, and I've decided to use the status I showed my father here. Even so, my agility is 12, which is higher than the average adult's 10. In contrast, Markant's agility is slightly better than mine at 13. Furthermore, I have a weapon that they take lightly, my eight years old. The smaller the object, the faster it should feel.

As expected, Markant is slightly confused, and I run my wooden sword past him, gliding along.

The sound of the wood clanging violently reverberated through the room.

“This one surprised me.”

As I stepped away, Markant readied his wooden sword.

I hit nothing, so my attack is easily prevented.

Even if our Agility is almost the same, did our experience totally different?

I held my sword in a lower position and bent down further. I’m now in a quadruped position.

Markant frowned. No matter how much experience you have, attacking from below is always going to be difficult to defend.

With a sharp exhalation, I slash hi…

Markant lowers his wooden sword and takes a big step with his left leg to meet me.

I ducked the wooden sword as if it were scooping me up, and I was blown away.

A feeling of floating and confusion hit my whole body.

What the hell just happened?

I switched positions in midair and landed on a pillar. I immediately kicked in to avoid the upper part of the follow-up attack.

As I rolled around on the floor, I focused on my body. I'm not injured anywhere.

The floating feeling I had just experienced, was it wind magic?

I jumped back and readied myself.

I see Markant with a fearless smile and remembered his status.

I remember his skills. It's probably "Heavy Wind Slash". I thought it was an axe-only skill, but can it be used with swords as well? But still, I didn't expect the first move to be an attack skill. He doesn't seem to want to listen to Danil's opinion at all.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Magic is difficult to control. That's why I refrain from using it in my training. If they don't mind, I'll let them do what they want.

I bent forward and charged again, simultaneously unleashing the “Fire Bolt”. A pillar of fire suddenly erupts in the dark basement, and a dark shadow stretches out.

"Magic!"

Startled, Markant slashes away the Fire Bolt, then he lets out a short scream and panics.

It was my wooden sword that was hit. But I'm not there.

My elbow goes numb from the recoil, and I hear a crushed voice above me.

I quickly break away from Markant's bosom, catch the wooden sword as it bounces off the ceiling, and jump back.

A full-weight elbow strike.

I stretched out my right arm to check its condition. There is a dull ache, but there seems to be nothing wrong with my joint.

But the recoil is more than I expected. In addition to the hard leather armor, Markant's own durability is high. It felt as if I had slammed into a large tree. Even though I’m powerful enough, I think it's I’m going to break first.

Markant glared at me.

“What the hell was that move ……, and magic too? You're definitely not eight years old! You're a halfling, aren't you?”

"I'm the son of a lord. You can't just change my race without permission.”

A ferocious smile appears on Markant while rubbing his belly.

He's an axe-wielding warrior, more or less a fighting maniac.

There are only a few cards left in my hand. I wonder how far I can go against a superior opponent.

I had a smile on my face as well.

For the next few minutes, Markant and I battled incessantly.

I tried to make the most of my small size and the dimly lit basement, weaving in and out of tactics, but the difference in our strengths gradually became apparent. Once he figured out my attack pattern, I can’t break the experienced Markant. In addition, even if the wooden sword hit him, my muscle strength would be bounced back by his armor and durability. It quickly became apparent that it was impossible to defeat him with a bludgeoning weapon, and only magic and an all-out blow like an elbow strike would work.

The results are visible. Markant doesn’t have that many bruises and me, who loses just by his normal attack.  Even so, I struggled to attack him with magic, but when my remaining MP became suspicious, Roland stopped my sword with a scabbard

"It's about time, isn't it?”

I let out a ragged breath and lowered my sword.

In contrast to Markant, who seemed to be enjoying himself, I bowed with a blank expression and headed for the shelf by the wall to return the wooden sword. My silence was not out of politeness. It was because I was aware of my weaknesses.

In training, wooden swords are assumed to be blades. So this was the first time I had used a wooden sword as a weapon. And I’m not good with that kind of weapon. If I hadn't been able to use magic, I wouldn't have even been able to fight. Dragons are feared because each attack from their huge bodies is deadly. Being small is a handicap in itself. This mock battle had shown me my weakness. It was no wonder that Markant and the others had rejected me because of my age.

I took a breath in front of the shelf and turned around.

My weapon, however, is a stiletto. Not a bludgeoning weapon. I've also proven that I can use a variety of offensive magic. I hope they'll take that into account when making their decision.

The "Battle Axe of Destruction” was discussing something. Then they looked at each other and nodded in unison.

With Markant at the front, "Battle Ax of Destruction" is lined up in front of me.

“Alter-sama, I'm sorry about earlier. I had no idea you were this good."

“That's okay. It's okay. Are you satisfied?”

“Yes, it was enough. I'm sorry for being so rude, but will you let us handle the escort mission?”

"Of course I will.

I held out my hand.

“One week, please.”

"You got it.

I shook hands again with Marchant and with the Battle Axe of Destruction.

The expedition was finally ready. But why do I have to go through all this trouble just to hire an escort? I'm still not convinced, but at any rate, the conditions are clear.