Chapter 20 – The Son Gets a Kid-Gloves Match from the Boss Monster 【Part 1】

Ten days after the monster was defeated via his mother’s remote control.

Ryuuji and his partner, the beastman Sheila, were in a forest near the town of Kamiina.

Today’s job was goblin subjugation.

“Hraaaaaaah!”

A goblin swung its club, and Ryuuji blocked it with his shield.

He had recently upgraded, swapping his leather shield for a new bronze one.

That last “Hraaaaaaah!” wasn’t Ryuuji’s battle cry, however.

“Haaaaaaaaaah! Look at Ryu-kun defending! So cool! He’s so cool I think I’m going to ascend to the heavens…!”

Squealing from behind him, raising her high-pitched voice, was his mother, Karma.

“Ooh, and now Ryu-kun pushes the goblin away and closes in for a sword strike! This is insane! This scene is so cool! I want to have it made into a painting and hang it in town!”

…The commentary from my mom in the background is so loud.

But Ryuuji endured it.

Because if he didn’t, she wouldn’t let him fight properly.

“Now Ryu-kun is locked in a struggle with the goblin! This is the best! The sweat dripping from his brow is just so beautiful! Ah, it’s perfect! That gallant figure of his… a Hero’s got nothing on you!”

He suppressed the urge to die of embarrassment.

I’m in the middle of a battle. If I lose focus, I could die.

I have to concentrate on what’s in front of me.

“Ryu-kuuun! You look so cooool! Look over here—!”

“Don’t ask the impossible…!”

Ryuuji was in a contest of strength with the goblin.

His sword and its club were clashing as they shoved and pushed against each other.

Goblins. Lesser demons.

They were only the size of a human child, but they were demons nonetheless.

Their physical strength was on par with a grown man’s. They might even be stronger than the average person.

Still, Ryuuji held his ground. Or rather, he was able to hold his ground.

Last time, Ryuuji had defeated not just a Wild Boar, but a Wild Bear, and his level had risen accordingly.

On top of that, he had been fighting nonstop for the past ten days.

He and his partner were working hard toward a certain goal.

Just as Ryuuji held the goblin in place, digging in his heels to keep the target from getting behind him, it happened.

“Ryuuji-kun! Now’s your chance!”

“Okay!”

Ryuuji gave the goblin a hard shove with his shield.

The goblin staggered.

“Heeeeere it cooooooomes! The combination of Ryu-kun and Sheila is about to explode! You can’t miss thiiiiiiis! I’ve had the recording ready for ages!”

…Ignoring his exceptionally noisy mother, Ryuuji raised his iron sword.

“Alright, Enveloping Thunder!”

It was an intermediate lightning spell.

A spell that imbued a weapon with the lightning attribute.

With attack spells like Shock Bolt or Fireball, there was a chance the spell might miss the target.

However, Enveloping Thunder charged the weapon itself with lightning.

This way, even if he missed once, as long as the lightning remained in the sword, he could use the lightning spell over and over.

“Hyaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Ryuuji let out a spirited cry and swung his lightning-charged sword.

The blade pierced the goblin’s shoulder.

At the same time, a violent crash of thunder echoed.

BZZZZZZT!!

A white shock of electricity assaulted the goblin.

Lightning crackled. The enemy’s body began to char.

“Gih… gaga…”

When the lightning subsided, the goblin’s eyes rolled back in its head, and it collapsed on the spot.

Soon, it became a mana crystal drop item, and the battle was over.

“There it iiiiiis! Ryu-kun’s special move, the Thunder God Blade! That goblin never stood a chaaaaaaaance!!!”

“Woo-hoo!!” Karma shouted, jumping up and down.

“Stop making up names for my moves!!! Seriously!!!”

Ryuuji sheathed his sword and yelled at his mother.

Karma approached him, tears streaming down her face.

“Sniff… so magnificent…. That makes ten goblins you’ve defeated today. sniffle… You’ve become… hic… so splendid… sniff, cough, cough.”

His mother choked on her tears.

In her hand, she clutched a Recording Crystal.

It was a magic item used for recording the events before one’s eyes.

His mother had been holding it the entire time, recording her son in action.

…Hadn’t you been wondering?

Why his mother hadn’t interfered in their battle.

Why the auto-intercept system hadn’t activated, even with an enemy right in front of them.

It was all part of Ryuuji’s plan.

“Ooh… for the past ten days, I have burned the sight of Ryu-kun in battle into my memory. As I thought, seeing it live is the best. Live Ryu-kun is just the coooolest!”

Ten days ago, Ryuuji had said this to his mother:

“Mom, come with me on my adventures.”

“I want you to be right there, up close, watching us do our best.”

“Not through some surveillance footage.”

And so on.

By doing this, his mother would happily accompany them on their adventures.

And her son had asked—wanted—her to watch him do his best.

With a request like that, she wouldn’t dare interfere, nor would she activate the auto-intercept system.

After all, while Karma prioritized Ryuuji’s safety above all, she was also super crazy about her son.

Watching her son look cool was more important to Karma than her next meal.

Of course, if her son were in any real danger, Karma would undoubtedly leap to his defense in an instant.

But that aside.

“Ryuuji-kun, we did it!”

Sheila, who had been waiting in the back, approached Ryuuji with a smile.

“Sheila, nice assist!”

“Eheh, high-five!”

Smack!

The two slapped their hands together.

“Ah… so good… my son high-fiving his partner… it’s wonderful… so precious…”

Karma recorded the scene, a torrent of tears streaming down her face.

…Honestly, his mother’s cheering and her actions were unbearably embarrassing.

But if they didn’t do this, Ryuuji and his partner would never be able to defeat monsters with their own strength.

“I feel like we’re definitely getting stronger!”

“It’s not just a feeling. Our level is over 20 now. We really are getting stronger.”

It had been about a month since he became an adventurer.

His level had been in the single digits when he started, but in just one month, he had leveled up into the 20s.

His mother’s contributions were a part of it, but it was also the result of their own steady grinding.

“Let’s work a little harder today and try to gain one more level.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Then allow me to provide some recovery.”

A beam of healing light rained down from the Sky Castle.

Basking in the green light, Ryuuji’s stamina and Sheila’s magic power were restored.

“Thanks, Mom.”

Ryuuji thanked his mother sincerely.

He was able to level up so steadily because his mother healed them after every single battle.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I just received thanks from Ryu-kuuuuuun! I’m soooooo haaaaaappppyyyyyyyyyyy!”

His mother burst into tears.

Her over-the-top reactions to everything were also something… he had pretty much gotten used to.

“Okay, Mom, we’re moving.”

“Yes! I will accompany you wherever you go!”

Ryuuji moved on, along with his mother and his partner.

“You know, it’s quite something. You’ve been working so very, very hard lately, Ryu-kun.”

“You think so?”

“I do. For the past ten days, it’s been nothing but fight after fight. Is there something you want to buy?”

It seemed his mother thought Ryuuji was fighting monsters because he wanted money.

But that wasn’t it.

It wasn’t about money.

Ryuuji had a goal he wanted to achieve.

That’s what he was working so hard for.

A goal.

Namely.

To defeat the boss monster he couldn’t beat before, all by himself.