Tenkomori Chapter 14 Part 1

This is part 1 of Tenkomori chapter 12. I'm really busy for some weeks so, the chapter will be in parts for now.

The old site is here

Chapter 14. The Daily Life of an Eight Year Old - The Worst Being

The morning came without any night raids.

At the camp, I also have a guarding duty. I worked with Roland on the first day, Markant on the second day, and Danil last night. They become my vanguard is to protect me as well. And last night Danil was the only magician except for the brute Markant. As the son of a merchant, he had a wealth of knowledge. I took the opportunity to ask him many questions.

What I was particularly interested in was the magic book. I had already mastered the beginner level magic through Virgil's lectures, but the intermediate level and beyond are hard. Even if we do research and training, we should also consider magic books.

If you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to get a lot more than ten gold coins for a beginner's spellbook.

And that's just for the four elements and non-attribute spellbooks. You can find no such thing as freezing, lightning, or denaturation, and it is unknown if someone can create Holy or Necromantic magic, even at the beginner level. I want to learn the sacred attribute as soon as possible because it is in the lineage of recovery magic, but I also have some concerns. Most people who learn it are priests, and they have a strong faith in it. A temple with priests who can use sacred magic would be a quick way to learn, but is there a god or equivalent that will listen to our prayers? The little fat man said that the creator god only sees. It doesn't mean that there aren't other gods, but the whole thing gives me the impression of non-interference. For one thing, the little fat man is a god that exists, and as a result, he's taken care of us, but ...... worshipping him? I can't.

I'm not sure what to make of this. I've heard that they can be found in ancient ruins and dungeons, so if I get the chance, I'll try. Also, Danil warned me. Even if you acquire a spellbook and learn it, there are times when it doesn't work or consumes a huge amount of magic power. This has something to do with qualities. He seems to be telling me in a roundabout way that I should check my qualities, but I probably don't need to worry. I've mastered everything except sacred and mortal, and I'm not unskilled at any of them. I'm almost certain that the little fat man has given me qualities of all attributes. Maybe he's making me care for him in his way. I would at least revere him - I just can't.

After a light breakfast, we finished preparing to leave. The only thing left to do was to return to town.

On the first day we headed east, and the second day we started heading south. Our current location is roughly southeast of Reedwald. We would probably still be in the territory if we went west. But since it was a long way, we decided to go straight northwest.

At the head of the column was Markant, flanked by Roland and Valerie, with Danil acting as a guard. The scout, Ose is ahead of me, on the lookout for surprise attacks. For the past week, we've been moving in this formation. To be honest, when you are surrounded by adults. Your vision is blocked and your mobility is impaired. I asked them to at least put me in front of Danil, but they refused without a second thought.

Also, it was obvious that our luggage had changed since the first day. This was especially true for Roland and Marchant. In three days, we had defeated many demons and obtained a considerable amount of magic stones and materials. I'm not sure what to make of this. Aside from combat, it was a big deal that this did not impair their normal movements. Perhaps it's not just simple muscle strength, but also a knack in the way they carry their luggage and move their bodies. It seems that the subtleties of mastery are hidden in the most humble of places.

As I looked over at the two men carrying the large leather bags, I could sense their inexperience.

At Eras Rhino, I had accused the intruders of throwing away the meat. I had no right to do that. I had to be selective because the materials were too much for an overnight quest. In addition, the burden on me, as great as I sounded, was minimal. I've heard that there's a magical bag called the Telper's Bag that has increased storage capacity, so I'll add that to my goals. However, I was rude to the intruders. I'll apologize if I run into them anywhere. Let's see. ...... What's your name again?

As we proceeded, the forest of Leknod changed.

I noticed that the undulations decreased and the spaces between the trees became wider. It resembled the scenery of a day trip.

Without taking any particular rest, we continued on our way.

So far, we hadn't had any battles with demons. Occasionally, Ose would come back and adjust our direction of travel, apparently to avoid a less profitable battle. Besides, the encounter rate with demons decreases considerably when you get to this area. On the first day of the expedition, we had encountered goblins and Eras Rhino in the shallow areas, but originally, the grasslands had few demons due to the activities of adventurers and defeating parties, and the shallow areas of the forest were relatively safe even for beginners.

Wary of us, a squirrel runs up a thick trunk.

As I gazed up at the peaceful scene, another worry began to creep into my mind. Would we have enough money to make the armor? It was the last day of the trip, so I felt like I could make a little more money. When I asked Danil about it, he told me that it was enough. He's a skilled adventurer and the son of a merchant. It was the best guarantee I could get, but once I started thinking about it, I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm a commoner at heart, and I don't have a decent amount of savings myself. It would be too shameful to ask them to fund a gift for me. In the unlikely event that I don't have enough, I'll just come back to collect some herbs.

After a while, there were no more small animals in sight.

I wondered if we were close to the meadow.

Just as I was vaguely wondering if we were close to the grasslands, Ose came back without a sound.

"There are orcs ahead."

"How many?"

"Maybe three, five at the most."

"All right. Ose and Valerie will split up and surprise--no, ...... wait."

Suddenly, Markant fell silent.

His expression was somewhat stiff, and the other "Battle Axe of Destruction" saw it gave them a strange feeling of tension.

Roran and I nodded our heads. I'm not saying they're just orcs, but we've already eradicated more than 20 villages. There's no reason to be wary of five of them now, and I don't see any reason to be wary of Ose's report.

With a grim expression on his face, Markant suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.

"This kinda... bad!"

Before the muttering could fade, we quickly prepared ourselves.

There was something wrong.

What was that - a roar, or was it a scream?

As soon as a tremendous voice came from ahead, there was an abrupt silence. The drop was so great that for a moment I thought it was an auditory hallucination. We looked at each other, but only Marchant was staring straight ahead.

"You guys! Get out of here right now--"

Markant cut off his words and hurriedly set up his axe.

When Roland saw it, he lowered me, Danil and Valerie moved to the left and right, and Ose slipped into the shade of the tree while descending.

The treetops rustled.

Something big enough to shake the trees?

No way, it's not Eras Rhino again, is it?

The rustling of the leaves grows louder, and it appears, slithering. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I blinked a few times to make sure my vision wasn't going crazy.

"Hey, ......, what's that?"

What appeared was a wall three meters high and three meters wide.

The material is a light blue jelly. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it'll help.

"Tremble Cube!"

It was Roland who shouted.

I was still wondering about the unrealistic cube, even though turmoil has spread to "Battle Axe of Destruction".

"That's not good!"

"Retreat!"

The combination of Roland's shout and Marchant's instructions caused me to suddenly float. Roland grabbed me by the arm and started running.

The front and back of my body were reversed due to the spur-of-the-moment situation. It was my feet that were facing the direction of travel. As he ran off in the same formation, Markant, the vanguard, was the one who took the lead. I turned my gaze to the light blue cube swaying lazily ahead of me.

It was also a monster. It looked as if it had been cut out of a giant slime. It seems to be chasing us, but with its huge body and texture, it should be no problem. But something seems fishy.

I hurriedly activated my "appraisal".

Name: -.

Race: Tremble Cube

Level: 27

HP: 252/252

MP: 113/113

Ste: 14

Int: 1

Dex: 1

End: 34

Agi: 15 (16)

Charm: 1

Skills

Dissolve, Tentacle Arm, Slash Resistance 4, Strike Resistance 8, Water Resistance 8, Ice Resistance 2, Lightning Resistance 6

Magic

None

Title

Leader of the Forest

What's with this guy...?

It has several skills that are higher than Roland's. And it is resistant to abnormal physical strength. More than our number. More problematic is its 16 agility. I'm the only one who can surely shake off this guy, and if it's Ose, even with 15 agility, he may be able to escape with his evasive skill. Others are tough.

"Markant! It's impossible, it'll catch up!"

At my words, he twisted his head to look behind him. The face I turned to look at had a hint of bitterness.

I slapped Roland on the back and ordered him to run and drop himself. He resisted a little, but Roland loosened his arms. As soon as he landed, I started running.

"What do you know about it?

"The Tremble Cube is a demon that the guild has designated as a must watch out for!"

Roland quickly answers.

"What else do you know?"

"I've been told to run when I encounter one."

It's not helpful. I'm not sure what to make of it. But if you meet them, run away?　It's a good idea. No ordinary adventurer can escape.

"Just keep running, people! It'll catch up with us soon. We'll have to fight!　Roland and Marchant, you'll have to fight from two sides. Don't get too close! Valerie and Ose, attack and distract!　Danil and I will use magic to attack from a distance!　We're dealing with an unknown monster, so be flexible!"

Everyone's eyes were filled with determination.

As I looked at them, I asked myself if this was a good idea.

It would be more reliable to give the results of the appraisal. But I don't think they'll trust me if I suddenly confess that I have a rare appraisal skill. And even if they did, would they be able to maintain the kind of relationship they've had? That's how disgusting it is to be "visible.

Whatever the case may be, it's not something to talk about in this situation. It might confuse them.

Then, it's simple.

If it comes to it, I'll stay behind and distract and attract the walking cube with "high-speed movement.

I can have everyone retreat while I do that. Roland won't obey, but I'm sure he'll be convinced when he sees me disrupt it. Even if he doesn't, I'll have the "Battle Axe of Destruction" drag him away.

When the time was right, Markant gave the order.

"Spread out!"