Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Volume 2 Chapter 4

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Volume 2 Chapter 4   Feeling like going on an adventure the same time

Abel, feeling flustered by Granbelt’s heated remarks, dashed out of the magic castle and into the vast forest, tears of frustration welling in his eyes as he ran without any clear destination in mind.

However, this dense forest is located deep within the southern continent, an area known for its untamed wilderness teeming with powerful monsters. Although Abel’s parents, along with the fire dragon Ballus, often hunted in the vicinity of the magic castle to gather food, thus keeping intelligent higher-ranked monsters away, there were still plenty of C-rank monsters roaming around.

To give a sense of the threat posed by C-rank monsters, imagine that a B-rank monster is capable of single-handedly devastating a small town at the cost of its own life. A C-rank monster is a notch below that.

E-rank monsters, such as goblins, are on par with armed peasants. D-rank monsters are comparable to novice adventurers who have just graduated and are recognized as professional monster slayers. Soldiers who have undergone basic weapon training and learned collective actions typically fall into this rank. A horde of goblins led by higher-ranked hobgoblins also fits into this category.

C-rank monsters, on the other hand, are akin to squad leaders among a nation’s knights or holy knights. If a C-rank monster appears near a village, it typically warrants the response of a knight squad rather than adventurers. While adventurers can handle such threats, paying C-rank adventurers each time a C-rank monster appears would be financially unsustainable for a village.

Thus, in this forest teeming with C-rank monsters, it was only a matter of time before Abel, a five-year-old with limited talent as Ekina pointed out, would find himself cornered.

Naturally, there are also plenty of D-rank and E-rank monsters around, as this is the nature of the food chain.

So far, Abel had managed to survive and run through the forest, partly due to the fire dragon’s scent that clung to him, deterring many creatures. His own skill level, which barely matched that of a D-rank adventurer, also helped him avoid immediate danger as long as he kept running.

But that was until now.

Even though the scent of a top-tier predator like the fire dragon usually kept lesser monsters at bay, it was only a matter of time before Abel encountered a combative C-rank monster. The further he went into the forest, the more likely he was to face nature’s fierce threats.

“Gigigigigi…”

“What, ah…”

Standing before Abel, reflected in his tear-filled eyes, was a massive praying mantis known as a Greater Mantis. This monstrous insect, larger than a carriage, wielded two enormous scythes capable of slicing through steel and had wings on its back allowing short bursts of flight.

If it had a weakness, it would be that its abdomen was relatively soft despite its scythes, and its movement speed was not particularly high. Still, it was unlikely to be slower than a five-year-old without any extraordinary abilities like the hero Ars.

The hero Ars, thanks to his unique birth and modifications by a lower-class demon, had reached B-rank by the age of five, but his son Abel did not share this extraordinary talent. Thus, facing the immense creature and realizing he could no longer escape, Abel could only cower in fear, letting out a groan as he stepped back.

If only he had inherited the magical talents of the demon princess Hades, the situation might have been different. However, as a half-blood born from both humans and demons, Abel leaned more towards his human side.

Despite having demon blood, there were no significant traits visible at the moment. To anyone unaware of his lineage, he appeared to be just an ordinary boy.

Thus, he found himself in a dire predicament, paralyzed by fear, unable to even ready his weapon.

“Ah… Ah, s-someone… help…”

“Gigigigi, Gi, GiIIIII!”

Someone, please help! Just as Abel closed his eyes and wished for help, something suddenly descended from the sky, glittering.

Abel’s keen eyesight, remarkable for his age, allowed him to recognize from afar that the object was something crafted from a magic stone, harvested from a monster, through alchemy. The small magic stone was intricately carved with magic circles, gradually increasing in light and magic power until finally—

“Don’t you dare touch my childhood friend, you giant insect! Blow up, you jerk!”

With the familiar voice of a young girl, a massive explosion erupted above the Greater Mantis’s head.

Needless to say, it was Ekina, the half-elf, half-demon mischievous girl who had followed Abel after he ran off. While her assassination skills were at the lower end of the C-rank and she lacked the power to take down a Greater Mantis in one hit, her abilities as an assassin weren’t her true weapon.

Her true strength lay in her inherited, otherworldly alchemy from her father, Kakyu. Even Ekina herself was convinced that if her father used all the tools and traps at his disposal, he would be undoubtedly stronger than her brother Ars.

That was Ekina’s greatest weapon and her method of combat. Just now, she had used an explosive technique inscribed on a magic stone to instantly eliminate a monster of equal or greater strength. This item creation ability, which couldn’t be measured by mere combat prowess, was her true skill.

“Whew, just as expected from the bomb stone dad taught me to make the other day. The insect’s head is cleanly blown to bits.”

“Ekina! Wh-why are you here?!”

Relieved to have been saved, Abel, either from the release of tension or the shock of seeing his childhood friend nonchalantly blow up a monster, regained his composure and hastily questioned her.

Having faced a near-death experience, Abel no longer displayed the previously tearful emotions. Instead, the explosion seemed to have blasted away his negative feelings. Now, he had completely regained his confidence as the hero’s son.

Seeing this, Ekina couldn’t help but secretly smile, pleased with herself and her friend’s recovery.

“Hehehe~n. Surprised? I used your little runaway stunt as an excuse to sneak away from Dad and the others,” Ekina said with a mischievous grin.

“What!?”

“Come on, let’s explore a bit more. It’d be a waste to go back now when we finally have some freedom outside~”

Seeing Abel back to his usual self seemed to have lifted Ekina’s spirits. With a devilish smile, she grabbed her childhood friend’s hand and used a flimsy excuse she had just come up with to urge him into further adventure.

She had initially planned to bring him back, but upon reconsideration, she saw this as a great opportunity for adventure. Her cunning mind quickly conjured up the idea, spurred by her devilish nature.

Abel, who had recovered his normal thinking thanks to the shock therapy, was at a loss for words.

“You’re totally playing around in this situation…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. We usually only get to explore around the town, so this is kinda exciting,” Ekina said, ignoring his protests.

Clearly, she wasn’t going to listen. She knew they’d get scolded by their parents when they returned, but she figured she could just fake some tears and talk her way out of it.

Kakyu, who was secretly watching over them, sighed at the trouble they were causing. Meanwhile, Mermel, fluttering her angelic wings and observing from above, seemed impressed by Ekina’s ingenuity, nodding in approval.

“This is what I call cleverness~,” Mermel noted, scribbling in her notebook. She likely intended to use the same trick to shirk her heavenly duties or slack off at some point. It might be wise not to give troublesome angels too many clever ideas, but it was already too late for that.

And so, the little adventure of the boy and girl moved to its next stage.