Ninja-san

"Is something wrong?" Riz asks.

"No, nothing like that. I was just deep in thought."

"Don't worry me too much. Even if you don't try, I'll worry anyway." She puffs out her cheek and whispers in my ear.

"I have decided one thing," I say.

"What is it?"

"I've made up my mind." Looking into her eyes, which are so close to mine, I continue, "I will live. With Riz. And keep on living. I won't hold back anything for that."

"You really have changed... But you know what? It feels fresh somehow. And I'm happy. Thank you."

We embrace without saying a word. This warmth feels soothing right now. The coldness deep within my heart is slowly melting away.

"I love you, Riz," I say.

"I love you too." We kiss repeatedly, pecking at each other's lips, and then drift off to sleep. I think about how I didn't dry myself properly earlier, but it's fine for tomorrow. For now, I just want to feel this warmth.

Feeling my heart fulfilled again after a long time, I fall asleep.

"Good morning. You look energetic as always." Riz's face is glowing in the morning sun. I idly think that maybe the origins of goddess worship come from something like this.

"I need some hot water to clean myself. Can I borrow some?"

"The morning meal will just be reheating yesterday's stew, so I'll boil some water first."

I slip out of bed quietly and head to the kitchen. Sitting on the bed, I let my thoughts wander deep within me.

"I guess I haven't really been living seriously up until now. Everyone else must have come to this kind of resolve while living in reality."

I picture the faces of my coworkers, friends, and family.

"I might not be able to return. But at this age, I think it's okay for me to decide how I want to live. Sorry if that makes you upset, Mom and Dad." Closing my eyes, I exhale softly.

"But I have something precious now. Please bless me." I imagine the smiling faces of my father, mother, and younger sister. It'll be fine. I'll do my best.

After some time, Riz brings a basin with hot water.

"Here's the hot water. After you clean yourself, breakfast should be ready. Come to the kitchen when you're done."

With a smile, she returns to preparing the meal. Using the hot water, I clean myself and feel refreshed. Then, I head to the kitchen.

"Good morning," I say.

"Morning. Today's going to be tough, huh?" The table is set with breakfast. They've been waiting for me.

As we eat, the conversation turns to today's work.

"The deeper parts of the forest are still quite dangerous. But it seems that the main issues in the shallow areas are wolves."

"Wolves form packs of fewer than ten and claim large territories. If you encounter them, stay calm and handle it properly, and there shouldn't be a problem." Apparently, being able to hunt monster groups is one of the conditions for reaching 8th level. So with three people at 7th level and some guild members, even a pack isn't that dangerous.

"Just don't wander too far into the deeper areas, and you should be fine. But still, don't let your guard down."

"Got it." After finishing breakfast, we head out to work.

"Please be careful," Riz says worriedly as she embraces me.

"Ast said it's okay, right? Don't worry." I stroke her hair as I answer. Reluctantly, I head off for the hunt.

I receive lunch from Teisha and hand her a pouch with 5,000 Waruru coins.

"I wish there was another way... But really..." She tries to hand me the money, but I cut her off, saying I'm short on time, and take it firmly in my hand.

After preparing my equipment, I leave home. When I arrive at the Adventurers' Guild, everyone is already waiting. These people are early risers for sure.

"Good morning. Did I keep you waiting?"

"No problem. We were just discussing today's plans."

Deed answers.

"Good morning. You must be Akihiro-san. My name is Harthis. I'll be accompanying you today." The guild staff had mentioned a scout, so I imagined someone like a ninja. But instead, he was an ordinary-looking man wearing light leather armor, with two short swords crossed at his waist and throwing knives on his chest.

"Alright, let's get moving now that we're all here." Harthis leads us north into the forest.

The location of the slime is specific, so we head there. Since larger slimes don't move much, they should be around where they were first found. Entering the northern forest, we start our journey. For safety, I check my watch, which has a compass built-in, and look at the map to confirm our general location.

"That's a magic item?" Arie asks curiously.

"Just an heirloom from my grandfather." I give a vague answer.

Harthis and the others navigate using the sun's position and time. Honestly, without the compass needle on the watch, it's hard to get an accurate direction. The instincts and wisdom of old people are not to be underestimated.

Along the way, we encounter monsters like goblins, which Deed and Arie handle easily. We cut off their noses, wrap them in cloth, and put them in a large pocket in our backpacks. When we come across a wolf pack, Deed and Arie hold them back while Watris casts a spell, causing the wolves to writhe in pain before dying.

"I... controlling such a large spell is really difficult for me..." She explains that she shot compressed fire into the wolves' mouths, burning their lungs. It's a small spell with a big effect, and best of all, it doesn't damage the materials. Well thought out.

"I wish I could imagine things like carbon monoxide instead of just air. Maybe it would take some time to cause poisoning... Probably not worth it."

"Watris-san is good at flashy spells. Even though she's old, she loves being showy. She does a lot of that kind of thing." Deed answers.

With two frontline members and two support members, the balance is great for taking out single targets or controlling groups. Apparently, this setup is pretty luxurious. They're all from the same village, so it makes sense they could form such a team.

"Wolf pelts are valuable, but we can't carry them back. We'll collect as many as possible on our way back." Deed tells everyone while hiding the remains in bushes.

We encounter monsters several more times, but handle each situation smoothly and keep moving forward. After about four hours from town, I have a general sense of where we are, but I'm clueless about how to get back. Just as I was thinking that, everyone stops.

"It's the spot they reported. It's bigger than expected. That's our target over there." Harthis points to a large, irregularly shaped blue blob, like a mochi dumpling with red bean paste inside. Honestly, its size is overwhelming.

Alright, what should we do now?