Chapter 12 – The Evil Dragon Watches Over Her Son’s Adventure【Part 2】

Thanks to the Observer’s advice, his mother had promised not to interfere.

(I’ll have to thank her later,) Ryuuji decided.

Putting that aside.

Today’s quest for Ryuuji and his party was to subjugate slimes in the open field.

It was almost noon.

After eating the massive lunch his mother had made, they would finally get to work.

…Ryuuji had, by the way, kept a close watch to ensure the lunch was made with normal ingredients.

But I digress.

Now, Ryuuji and the others had reached a double-digit level, so normally, subjugating slimes would be a piece of cake.

It was not a quest suited for their level.

Even so, the reason Ryuuji intended to see this quest through was…

This was the first quest they were challenging with their own strength alone.

Until now, his mother’s meddling, the power-up meals she made, and the strong weapons she gave him had made his adventures trivially easy.

To put it another way, it was all thanks to his mother’s power.

Just how far they could get with their own strength was an unknown.

Thus, Ryuuji played it safe and accepted a low-rank quest.

“Are you ready, Sheila-san?”

Behind him stood Sheila, holding a mage’s staff.

“Yes, I am! Sheila is always, always ready!”

Yeah! The rabbit beastman raised both hands, showing her fighting spirit.

“I’m ready to start recording, too!”

His mother held up the Orb of Recording, fully intending to preserve her son’s heroic figure for posterity.

“…Alright, let’s go.”

Ryuuji pushed forward through the grassy plains.

Gradually, the grass grew taller.

Rustle!

The grass stirred.

“MOM BEAAAAAAAAAM!!!!!!!!!!”

VWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!

“Mom!!!”

“Hah! Oh, I messed up!”

…With senses as sharp as a wild animal’s, Karma had detected her son’s crisis and defeated the slime with magic before it could even appear.

“Mom! Did you forget? I told you to just watch…”

Ryuuji looked up at his mother.

His mother slumped her shoulders. “I-I-I’m so sorry, I won’t do it again. Please don’t look so sad…”

(Was I making a sad face?)

Shaking it off, Ryuuji pressed onward.

The grass moved. From within, a giant ball of water appeared with a “Pigii!”

“Aaaah, there it is, a vile pest that would dare harm my Ryu-kun! Shall I obliterate iiiiit?!”

His mother started to summon the lightning of destruction but then caught herself—”Hah…! I have to be patient!”—and made the lightning disappear.

It seemed his mother was going to keep her promise.

Thanking her silently in his heart, Ryuuji drew the sword at his hip.

“Here I go, Sheila-san! Just as we planned!”

“Yes, I am!”

Sheila raised her staff and focused her mind.

“Can’t you cast a Fireball without chanting?! Come on, just go fwoosh from your mouth! Your mother could do it in a snap!”

His mother watched anxiously as Sheila chanted her spell.

Ignoring her, Ryuuji brandished his leather shield and leaped in front of the slime.

“A-A-A-A-AH, D-D-D-DANGEEEEEEEROUS!!”

Karma screamed so loud every syllable trembled, her face pale.

The slime charged toward Ryuuji.

His mother started to activate her All-Destruction skill… but she held back.

Ryuuji braced his shield and took the slime’s body slam.

THUD.

A shock ran through his body.

“HIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!! MY SON IS DEAAAAAAAAAD!!!”

(No, I’m not…) he retorted in his head at his mother’s shriek.

(It’s okay, I can take it.)

…He had defeated 1,500 Small Bats, after all. His level was up.

His durability must have increased, too.

“Yooooouuuu! You insolent fool who dared to lay a hand on my Ryu-kun! I’ll turn you to cind—… No, no! Go, Ryu-kun, fighto!”

His mother cheered him on.

Honestly, it was embarrassing, but…

…he was happy.

He had always been the one protected.

He had always had his mother at his back.

The fact that his mother was now watching his back.

The fact that his mother was cheering him on.

He was so, so… happy.

“Ryuuji-kun! I’m ready!”

After a moment, the spell was complete.

Ryuuji repelled the slime with his leather shield.

He immediately jumped backward.

“Gather, O fire! Become a sphere and smite my foe! Fireball!”

Following Sheila’s words, magic power converted into magical essence. The essence ignited, becoming a sphere of fire…

FWOOSH…!

…and flew toward the slime.

“Peeeeee!!!”

The slime was scorched by the flames.

But it was far from a fatal blow.

Ryuuji leaped forward, sword at the ready.

“Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

Ryuuji raised his sword high.

No one had ever taught him how to swing a sword.

There was no form, no technique—he simply lifted the sword and brought it down.

That clumsy strike… crashed down on the slime’s head.

“Pigiiiiiiii…………”

It let out a death cry, and then…

“…………”

…the slime died.

In its place… a magic crystal drop item remained.

“…………” “…………” “…………”

Everyone on the scene was frozen solid.

They were unable to move, stunned by the sight before them.

Ryuuji had felt it—a solid impact. And what filled his chest… was a massive sense of accomplishment. The feeling that I did it.

“I did it…”

His voice trembled. Emotion overflowed and poured out.

“I DID IIIIIIIIIT!!!!”

Ryuuji let out a cheer.

His body was shaking with joy.

Ryuuji had finally, with his own power, accomplished something!

“Ryuuji-kun, congratulations!”

The first one to rush over was the beastman, Sheila.

Her droopy rabbit ears bounced up and down.

Sheila took Ryuuji’s hands. And right there, they both jumped up and down.

“We did it!” “Yes, we did!”

The two of them shared the moving moment.

And on the other hand…

“…………”

His mother stood there silently.

Ryuuji let go of Sheila’s hands and waved to his mother.

“Mom! I did it! I beat it all by myself!”

…But his mother did not answer.

She did not move. She just stood there.

“Mom…?”

Thinking it strange, Ryuuji approached Karma.

He waved a hand in front of her face, but she did not even blink.

(No way…) He thought, and poked Karma.

THUD!

…she collapsed.

It seemed his mother was so happy, she had fainted.