Chapter 9 – The Son Receives an Absurd Amount of (Misguided) Praise at the Guild

Having successfully subjugated the Small Bats, Ryuuji returned to the Guild with his partner, Sheila.

He went to the Guild’s reception desk.

“Welcome back! How did it go?”

The receptionist asked about their results.

“Umm… well…”

(How should I answer that?)

“Ryu-Ryuuji-kun…”

Sheila looked troubled, too.

Seeing this, the receptionist’s face lit up with understanding.

“Oh dear, was it a no-go?”

(Huh?

Ryuuji and Sheila were stunned.

Ignoring the two of them, the receptionist continued.

“But that’s okay. That’s just how it is for rookie adventurers at first! Keep your spirits up!”

Apparently, the receptionist thought they had failed the quest.

“That’s right, kid!”

A man who happened to be watching them nearby approached and spoke up.

“I failed my very first quest, too. But looking back now, I think it was a good experience!”

“Exactly! So, you two, don’t get down about it! Chin up, okay?”

The man nodded along with the receptionist.

(…It seems like these two are trying to console a couple of rookies who are bummed out about failing.)

(What should I do? These people are way too nice.)

That only made Ryuuji sweat even more, wondering what to do.

Sheila was in a full-blown panic.

(This is bad… They’ve completely misunderstood.)

There was no way he could say they had actually succeeded.

(And I definitely can’t tell them we defeated 1500 of them…)

“Subjugating 10 Small Bats must have been tough. I’ll introduce you to a slightly easier quest next time.”

“If you want, I could even go with you and look after you.”

Hearing the receptionist’s words, the man made the suggestion.

“That’s a great idea. We’ll have the D-Rank adventurer, Klein-san, go along as part of a Small Bat extermination.”

“Right? Alright, kid. Tomorrow, you and I will form a party…”

It was at that exact moment.

“Ryu-kun, congratulations on completing your queeeeeeest!!!!”

BAM!

The person who threw the door open with such force and came inside was… his mother, Karma.

(Of all the times…?!)

Ryuuji was in shock.

Karma skipped toward Ryuuji, a huge grin on her face.

Along the way, she announced loudly, “My son has magnificently completed his quest!” and “My boy is a genius, you know!” and “My kid is just incredible!”

“Oh, come on, stooooop!!!”

He really, really wanted her to stop.

A mother bragging about her son is tough for any boy going through puberty.

Karma approached them.

Hearing her words, the receptionist and the man both tilted their heads. “Huh?”

It was only natural. After all, they thought Ryuuji had failed his quest.

And yet here his mother was, going around with the biggest smile on her face, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Congratulations on completing your quest! You did great!”

Eventually, his mother reached Ryuuji’s side.

“Ryu-kun… sniff… you were so amazing… You carried out your duty… so admirably…”

Karma took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.

“Congratulations on completing the quest. I’m so glad I raised you, Ryuuji. You’ve really become so respectable, Ryu-kun…”

“…Mom.”

(Yeah, except 99.9% of the credit for that is yours…)

Ryuuji hadn’t done anything. It was all his mother’s incredible work.

And then…

“Um, you’re Ryuuji-san’s mother, correct?”

The receptionist asked Karma.

“Yes, that’s right. I am the mother of the hero, Ryu-kun, who has just made his triumphant return after completing a quest of ultra-high difficulty.”

Hmph!

With a tremendous grin, Karma puffed out her chest proudly.

“Quest?” “Completed…?”

The receptionist and the adventurer both tilted their heads.

His mother paid them no mind and continued to brag about her son.

“Thanks to Ryu-kun’s efforts, 1500 Small Bats were subjugated. 1500, you hear? That’s not something just anyone can do, is it?”

Hearing that, the receptionist’s jaw dropped.

“Um… you’re joking… right?”

The receptionist shot a suspicious gaze at Ryuuji, and then at his mother.

“Hah…! To think you can’t believe that Ryu-kun has accomplished a feat worthy of a god. Good grief, what an insolent little thing you are.”

His mother let out a sigh.

“Seriously! Stop it, Mom!”

He wanted her to stop bragging about him, right in front of him. (I wish I could just disappear…)

“Come now, Ryu-kun. Show them the proof. You must submit your drop items and your Guild Card.”

The Guild confirms quest completion in two ways.

For a subjugation quest, it’s a part of the defeated monster (drop items are acceptable). And, the Guild Card.

The number of monsters a person has defeated is automatically recorded on the Guild Card by magic. Incidentally, it counts the number defeated as a party, even if you didn’t defeat them yourself.

“Ugh…”

(I don’t want to. I don’t want to submit it. I mean… it just feels wrong.)

Ryuuji glanced over at the receptionist and the adventurer.

Just a moment ago, they were consoling them.

(…There’s no way I can tell them that we actually completed it with no effort at all.)

“Oh, honestly! If you won’t show them, Ryu-kun, then I’ll just have to brag to everyone for you!”

With a beaming smile, his mother Karma snatched the Guild Card from Ryuuji.

“Ah! Stop it!!”

“I will not! I want everyone to understand how amazing my son is!”

Karma didn’t mean any harm. Ryuuji knew that.

(Just read the room… please!)

The Guild Card was taken from him, and she handed it to the receptionist.

The receptionist took the card and said, “Eh…?”

Her mouth hung wide open.

It looked as though his mother’s nose grew an inch with pride.

“W-What’s wrong?”

“K-Klein-san… this kid is… amazing!!”

The receptionist turned her sparkling eyes toward Ryuuji.

“W-What is it…?”

“On his card… the Small Bat subjugation count is 1504!!”

Finally… the cat was out of the bag.

(They’re probably going to get mad and accuse me of lying…)

But, “”He’s a genius!!!!””

Contrary to his expectations, both the receptionist and the adventurer started lavishing him with praise.

“Amazing! That’s amazing! The quest only needed 10, but you got 1500!”

“W-Well, I’ll be… You’re one heck of a monster rookie, aren’t you…!”

They aimed their shining eyes at Ryuuji, and at Sheila, who was shrinking beside him, muttering, “Auuu…”

Apparently, Sheila was shy around new people.

She hid behind Ryuuji, tugging tightly on his clothes.

“You’re incredible, Ryuuji-kun! You’re a genius!”

“It’s true! He might be a once-in-a-century… no, a once-in-two-centuries prodigy!”

They praised him excitedly.

Ryuuji was bewildered and wanted to protest. (This was only possible because my mom used amazing items and set everything up beforehand. And besides, it was Sheila’s magic that defeated them anyway.)

“N-No, you’re wrong… This is…”

He glanced over at his mother.

She was capturing Ryuuji’s image with the Orb of Recording, tears streaming down her face. Sheila hadn’t recovered from her state of panic.

“Ryu-kun, you’re the best! You’re shining… you’re shining your brightest right now!”

Karma said, choking on her tears.

“My son is the rookie of the year! Ahh! I’m so happy I could just faint…!”

“Mom, explain it to them! Tell them it wasn’t my achievement!”

But Karma just kept bragging about how it was all Ryuuji’s accomplishment.

The people nearby started chiming in, “Whoa!” “He’s a genius!” “It’s the second coming of the Hero Yuuto!”

“How… did it come to this…”

Ryuuji let out a deep sigh as he was showered with praise from the crowd.