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Chapter 11. The Daily Life of an Eight Year Old - King of the Meadow

When I returned to the others, Roland was yawning and whispering to me.

“Don't get too far away from me, kid.”

"I was taught about herbs by Danil. Follow me if you are an escort."

Don't complain about me while resting. But I've noticed that he has been watching me.

Markant, listening to such a conversation, opened his mouth while biting the dried fruits.

"Medicinal herbs? Do you have any of those?”

“Yes, we do.”

For some reason, Danil bitterly smiled back.

Markant looked around, his mouth curved into a crooked smile. Looking at the situation casually, his gaze passes through the General Grass and Falafel Grass neatly. This guy, no way.

“Could it be that you can't tell the difference between medicinal herbs?”

"Hahahaha!"

He laughed and turned his head away.

"Well, that's why I went up to C rank. Most of the time, I think everyone helped me."

When I looked at "Battle Axe of Destruction" with amazement, only Valerie suddenly turned away. Oi.

Danil shakes his head

The two of you have always been unskilled at this.

"They have always been bad at it."

"Because all of them look the same. I was told that even if I collected it, it was all poisonous!"

All poisonous is ...... more of a talent.

As Danil and I were laughing together, Ose stood up suddenly.

The sudden movement drew everyone's attention.

He stared at the forest in silence and ran off without a sound.

Markant turns his head and grabs his axe, while Valerie and Danil also put their hands on their swords. Roland takes up a position in front of me, ready to shield me. Clearly in a battle stance.

What's out there?

There's no sign of anything around.

What's going on?

"Well. It looks like something is coming, but please step back for a moment.”

As soon as Roland had finished, Ose came running back.

“It's Eras Rhino! It's on its way!”

“What? We're in the forest!”

Markant was surprised but instructed me to get back. "Get back!" he instructed.

Roland left the Battle Axe of Destruction in their place and moved back with me.

The sound of trees snapping echoes through the forest.

The earth rumbled and vibrated slightly. It seems that the opponent is quite huge.

What kind of monster is it?

"It's a rhinoceros demon in the meadow. You'll know the rest soon enough.”

Meadow? What the hell is that doing here?

“Alter, don’t stay in front of it! If that thing blows you up, you'll be dead!”

I immediately understood Markant's advice.

A huge body appeared, blowing away the trees. It was about two and a half meters tall. A huge rhinoceros with two thick horns, like a tank.

When I was taken aback, it noticed my presence and roared.

"They're coming!"

Eras Rhino rushed toward Markant, who was holding his axe in the lead.

When everyone spread out and avoided it, Marant passed by it and slashes it, and Ose aimed at its eyes with a sling. The slash damaged Eras Rhino's thick armor, but the sling bounced off his eyelids.

"Heyaah!"

Markant threw the hatchet from his waist and stabbed it into Erath Rhino's neck. He let out a howl of pain and looked at Markant with bloodshot eyes. I'm sure he’s attracted the attention of the enemy like a vanguard.

I activated "Appraise" in the back, with Roland protecting me.

Name: -.

Race: Eras Rhino

Level: 16

HP: 142/151

MP: 51/51

Str: 32

Int: 4

Dex: 5

End: 18 (+27)

Agi: 14

Charm: 10

Skills

Rush, Armor

Magic

None

Title

None.

It has easily surpassed humans.

It has overwhelming strength and durability. Its durability seems to have the correction effect of "armor", but it is a pretty strong enemy anyway. In addition, there are important factors that are not displayed in the status.

Its huge body.

Its stride is large, and when it swings its body, its weight makes him more destructive than a blunt weapon. In fact, it easily snapped a tree. I wondered how much effort it would take for a human to do the same thing.

Against such a monster, Markant and his team were challenging it to a close fight.

Marchant and Danil draw attention, and Valerie and Ose jump in from the blind spot, moving at a dizzying pace. Valerie and Ose jumped in from the blind spot, moving rapidly. Ose, in particular, attacked with a dagger in his hand, aiming for the legs. With such a huge body, the burden on the supporting legs would be heavy, but even if it is its weak point, it takes considerable courage to jump under its feet. I had assumed from his skill set that he wasn't a fighter, but I guess he's also a C-rank member.

I think the reason why the "Battle Axe of Destruction" is challenging it to a reckless melee battle is that they are wary of the initial rush it showed them. The penetrating power of the horns and the huge body of the Rhino. If it makes contact, it won't just be blown away. If you kill it at a distance, you can block its thrust. But even so, close combat is also fraught with great danger. Its horns are longer than a long sword, and if you combine the size of its head, its attack range far exceeds that of a human. If you misjudged the distance, you could be killed instantly.

If Roland were to join in, the burden on the Battle Axe of Destruction could be reduced.

I thought about that, but Roland simply shook his head.

"Did you hire them for such a time?"

It may sound heartless, but it's true. But it was unlike him.

As I looked at Roland's back, I understood why. Roland is my guard and my shield. He was wearing a shield reinforced with steel plates and chainmail. It was heavy equipment. Compared to the leather armor of the "Battle Axe of Destruction", his mobility was inevitably inferior. The blow of Eras Rhino was not a power that could be managed with a shield. In his adventurer days, Roland would have been equipped with equipment that emphasized mobility like everyone else. The role of protecting me made him abandon it.

"Valerie!"

“Got it!"

I turned my gaze towards the voice that gave the order.

Markant quickly recedes and Valerie pops out to fill the hole.

Markant did not seem to be injured. What are you going to do?

With enough distance between them, Markant begins to concentrate. As soon as he does, his whole body suddenly becomes thick.

That is a very terrific brain muscle--not “Muscle Strengthening Physical Up”, a Degenerative Magic?

Looking at the "Appraisal", his strength, which was 15, was become to 19, and only his Strength was 21 outside the human body.

Arua Sero shimmers, and Eras Rhino cheek splits open. Valerie has already left its attack range and Markant has cut its head that cuts the sky, even though he pushes the Rhino anger.

“Strike!”

As if crawling on the ground, he scoops up the axe of the Holy Strike.

The axe pierced through the Rhino's solid outer skin tore through the muscles and crashed into the lower jawbone. It made a sound like a ringing bell, and the huge body, which must have weighed over three tons, shook with a flourish.

Eras Rhino's muscle strength was 32, and no matter how much Markant strengthened his muscles, he would be blown away if he hit it head-on. However, his neck was fully extended and he aimed for the tip of the head. He also increased his power with his combat skill, "Hard Hit". The impact couldn't escape, and Markant's most powerful blow struck him full on the lower jaw.

The bones prevented this, but Eras Rhino was completely knocked down.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the "Battle Axe of Destruction” moved to attack at once.

That's when it happened.

"Who’s there!?”

He suddenly cut his gaze and pointed his sword at the forest.

Ose seemed to react earlier than that, and "Battle Axe of Destruction" also jumped out of the attack range of Eras Rhino.

"It's ours, and you're trying to steal it!"

Four young intruders emerged from the trees and suddenly announced that The Rhino is their prey.

This side of us was stunned, but as soon as the words penetrated our brains, we all gave them a cold stare. Why are the demons of the grasslands in the forest? I don't know how it happened, but I understand the cause.

But what do we do in such a case? Emotions aside, there seems to be some sort of adventurer's rule or guild protocol.

Just as I was about to look at Markant for an answer, I felt a tremor beneath my feet and stumbled.

An awakened Eras Rhino had broken free from the siege.

With the arrival of the young men, the circle of the siege thickened. Regardless of the facts, that's how it looked to Eras Rhino. So it’s aimed for the thinnest part and tried to breakthrough. That is, me and Roland.

I thought of the time I was hit by a truck as the heavy tank came at me with bloodshot eyes. If I hadn't been conscious of the stupid dog, this would have been the last time I saw such a scene.

“Boy, get back!”

Roland holds his shield and braced himself in front of me.

Are you going to stop it? That is way too reckless. Even if the run-up to the charge is short, the horsepower is so different. It's off the charts.

The Battle Axe of Destruction, which has come to their senses, pursues Eras Rhino.

But Markant had no means of attacking from a distance, and Valerie's slashes and Danil's "Water Bolt" were of no concern to it. As soon as the dagger thrown by Ose pierced its hind leg, Eras Rhino slowed down its rush as if it had finally taken effect, but it was not enough to hold him down.

I gulped.

It wasn't that I was worried about myself. I have "High-Speed Movement". Evasion is no problem.

But Roland is impossible. He can't avoid it, and he has no intention of doing so. I could smell the stench of death on the man in front of me. Roland is in danger if he continues like this.

What should I do?

A half-hearted attack is pointless. We have to finish him off with a single blow. Even so, the inertia of the huge body will push it forward, but if it's just a lump, Roland shouldn't die. If he was seriously injured, he could be healed with potions. And if he can get out of the way, he might not even get hurt.

I put my hand on my stiletto.

“Roland! Fly to the side.”

"Stay back!"

My instructions were overruled, and I was stunned by Roland's next action.

He threw away his shield.

He put his left hand on the hilt or head of his one-handed sword and drew it while exhaling. It was like an iai stance. I'm not sure if he knew that I was not going to run away, but it lowered its horn. The tip is pointed straight at Roland.

The earth shook with his huge body.

The moment the tip of the horn came within Roland’s range, the forest shook with the sound of a ripping crack and a roar.

It was the King of the Meadow. It's all you can do to pop the horn.

Eras Rhino had stopped moving.

It's just a matter of time before you'll be able to see the difference.

A single sword.

It's the only thing that can block a rush that weighs tens of times as much. It was definitely a skill that Roland had used. It is a strange technique that concentrates the power of the whole body into a single point, interlocking it from the toes to the tips of the fingers in a flowing manner.

I remembered that right after I was born, I had despaired at the weakness of human beings. If it were a simple comparison of strength, it would still be the same today. But if we refine our skills, we can change our form and repel differences' in ability. People never remain weak. Roland embodied this.

While I was impressed by his back, something suddenly cut through the air.

Immediately, the huge body in front of me began to move again. What is it this time?

I sigh as I see an arrow sticking out of Eras Rhino's butt as he changes direction.

My anger was directed at the young intruders.

They seemed to think they had a chance, but when they saw the energetic Eras Rhino, they panicked. No really, what do you want, guys? You said you just played the horn, right?

“Vanguard, forward!”

“Damn it, why I can’t kill it?”

Eras Rhino set up a rush to the young intruder who attacked it.

It seems that it has noticed the weakest point in the group.

They’ll get attacked.. it would be bad, after all.

I put the small sword in the sheath and pull out the stiletto.

The number of people is large, and it seems that the damage will be great if it rushes into you. Except for Roland.

I activated "High-Speed Movement".

As soon as I did, the world slowed down.

Fast travel multiplies all abilities related to movement. Leg strength, acceleration, top speed, even dynamic vision. But the only thing that doesn't change is your thoughts. That's why I couldn't control it once I started moving.

I looked at the huge body running and imagined it.

My current agility is 24, which is beyond the limit of human speed. In a straight line, I could move one meter in less than 0.1 seconds. It's not a skill I've honed like Roland's, it's just a cheat.

I aimed the stiletto backhandedly and kicked the ground.

In a blink of an eye, straight lines intersected with another straight line.

I struggled to control my speed, and just before I crashed into a huge tree, I managed to stop myself.

I put my hand on the bark in front of me and patted my chest.

Behind me, the earth rumbled and countless screams filled the air.

When I looked back, worrying about the numbness in my arms, I saw a group of young men running for cover. After kicking them away, Eras Rhino’s movements gradually slowed down, and it suddenly dropped to one knee and collapsed, snapping the trees in his path. A sudden silence fell over the young men as they fell to their knees and stared up at the giant.

It worked, didn't it?

I jumped onto Eras Rhino and pulled out my stiletto.

When I looked at the blade against strong resistance, I saw that it was slightly bent. I wonder if I can fix this. It's my first sword, so I'm attached to it.

"Boy, that was ......."　

As I jumped down while paying attention to the stiletto, Roland asked me with a surprised expression.

What I did was simple. I just stabbed the stiletto through the base of its head, aiming for the brain. The angle was too bad for me to aim its eyes, and that was the only option. I figured it was more likely than being blocked by the jaw or teeth, but I could feel it hitting the bone, so it was a pretty bad bet. I don't know anything about the structure of the skull.

I'm not even sure if it reached the brain in the first place. It would have been nothing but luck to have destroyed something that would have killed him instantly.

I wiped the gore off the stiletto and turned my attention to Roland.

“I can use the Degenerative Magic “High-Speed Movement. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't think I should reveal my cards so easily. I can't believe you can hold off that rush.”

“It's called Heavy Round Slash. It is an attack skill that is exclusive to melee weapons. ...... Degenerative magic? It has to be a pretty high rank to be able to do that.”

“I can't talk about it, but it's pretty good.”

For the time being, there is no lie. The increase there is a slight increase.　

I nodded confidently, but when I saw Roland's expression, I realized that it was a failure. I wondered how many ranks I would need to increase my speed to that level. If I'm not good enough, even the highest rank might be impossible.

"Seriously? That's amazing!"

As if to aggravate my regret, Markant rushed over to me, shouting.

“How high is the rank? I couldn't see a thing!"

“I'm not an adventurer ......, but don't pry.”

Yeah, he’ll ask. Because it comes out rags.

Valerie stood next to Markant with a cheerful smile as I was playing poker face.

“I knew you were slacking off in yesterday's game.”

Markant stopped moving.

“I’m also not serious!”

As soon as it starts up, Markant starts making childish excuses.

Danil comforted him, but he became even more stubborn, "I'm not even at my best!” He became even more stubborn.

The youths who were the cause of the commotion came to their senses.

"You guys, give me that thing! It's ours!"

Oh, wow. I'm impressed with how far you've come. It's the opposite of Roland. And you're looking pretty good. It's a good thing you've been on the run. Damn.

But still, I can't believe he's still insisting at this point. I'm not sure if he's just an idiot or if he's a repeat offender of similar robberies. He is no longer dealing with "Battle Axe of Destruction". Rather, Markant is still stupid. Is it a kid?

The young man who broke into our place, let's call him an intruder for the sake of etiquette. The intruders looked to be around twenty years old. Of the four, three were wearing metal-reinforced leather armor and one was carrying a bow and arrow with only leather armor. This is the guy who messed with me. He's about the same age as Ose, but other than that, there's a huge difference. Our scouts are excellent. After all, I'm ignoring the leader who is shouting "I'm stronger!" And confirming the death of Eras Rhino.

He seemed to have calmed down after all the wailing and crying, and soon after, Markant looked at the intruder. The ugliness he had shown earlier was gone, and he looked quite intimidating. Should I learn from this switch? I don't know.

I noticed that the "Battle Axe of Destruction" had casually finished its deployment.

Danil stood diagonally behind Markant, who carried the axe, while Valerie kept her distance and kept her hand on the handle. The farthest one, Ose, had a disinterested look on his face, but he was preparing a sling at an angle that his opponent couldn't see. He looked as if he was about to go into battle. Roland seems to be planning to do the same, and he's positioned himself next to me.

Honestly, if I reveal my identity, this whole situation will go away easily. Even if you don't know the crest on the ring, Roland is clearly dressed as a knight, and that's enough proof for a child to be surrounded by such powerful people. No matter what, he would not be foolish enough to point his sword at the lord's son.

There was such a simple solution, but I hesitated.

If I were to reveal it, the intruder would retreat with a strong sense of dissatisfaction. But that would be like wielding power, wouldn't it? If they weren't habitual robbers, they were just people with pitiful thought processes. If we talk to them, we can understand each other. Besides, I don't know what kind of repercussions their complaints will have. My father's reputation might be tarnished, and it could even lead to discord in the territory. Besides, I was a commoner in my previous life. I wanted to keep things as quiet as possible.

Under Markant's pressure, the intruder repeated the same request.

As expected, Markant shook his head in disgust.

“It’s ours. You don't have the right to take what you missed. If it was wounded, there would be room for discussion, but when it appeared, there was not a scratch on it. I don't see any wizards here. I'm sure you'll be able to tell me how this Rhino fight you without getting hurt?”

“I was going to lure it into the woods and kill it!”

“It was an eight year old who killed the big guy. What, you guys let a kid outsmart you?”

“Markant, please don't do that because it applies to us too. Also, it's rude to Alter-sama."

Danil spills pathetically.　

Well, even if I said that I had finished it, I just stabbed it at the end. As Roland said, "Battle Axe of Destruction" was enough to defeat it. In fact, no one was seriously injured.　

The only thing the intruders seemed to understand was that they had been cheekily mocked. I changed my complexion and touched the Rhino.

“You're not going to give it away, are you?”

A tense air filled the area.

The slightest trifle will likely lead to a battle. However, the strength is too different and it seems to be one-sided. But I was in trouble. These guys don't seem to want to back down. I did help them, though, didn't I? No, I didn't get any words of gratitude.

I looked up at Eras Rhino’s huge body, feeling disappointed.

Even when it's down, it's huge. What are you going to do with it after you take it? It would be hard to carry it with this weight. It won't move even if all the intruders pull on it. If you dismantle it, you can carry some of it, but the skin alone is quite heavy. What are you really going to do?

No, no, no, wait a minute. What are we going to do with it? It's such a big one, we definitely want to take it home. I'm sure the Rhino can even eat meat. It'll help the town's food supply, and we'll feel bad for it if we throw it away. But how do we get it home? How much time would it take to go back and forth ......?

At that moment, I came to a startling realization.

I hurriedly adjusted my attention to my body clock and looked up at the sky.

Oh no, it's almost evening! It's a day trip today!

I push past Roland and jump forward.

“You guys!"

The intruder looked dubious at the sudden call.

“How are you going to carry Eras Rhino?”

“What are you talking about, you little brat? We'll just take the horns and the magic stone.”

“Rejected! You can't have him!”

“What?”

Oh, the time.

“Shut up! I'm Alter Les Reedwald. If you have a problem with that, come to my house! Until then, I'm keeping this one!”

This is an emergency situation. Even if I wielded my power, I'm sure all the people would forgive me with a sunny smile. I asked Markant as I hurriedly prepared to go home.

How do you carry the big stuff?

"Well, ...... ah, we usually send someone to gather the carriers. Around here, there's a guild in the Reedwald.”

“Okay, Ose!”

“Oh, yes.”

Ose responds upright.

“You're fast, so get ahead of me and let them know! I and Roland will be on our way, but don't worry about guarding us! Markant and the others, keep an eye on Eras Rhino to make sure it doesn't get eaten up. Don't take any chances. If a strong enemy comes, don't hesitate to retreat. And you guys!"

The puzzled men hurriedly straightened their postures.

“You must come! If you have a problem with that, you can talk to us at ....... That's when we'll talk to you!"

I reminded him again and again and sent Ose to run to the guild.

And take the first step powerfully to show them about me.

I'm so proud of myself. I could feel the envy in the air, but with every second counted, I didn't have the time to respond to the crowd.

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