Chapter 11: The First Request

I and Liluria had come to the forest on the outskirts of town to carry out the request entrusted to us by the branch chief.

“Do you really think there’s a dangerous monster in a cave like this?”

Liluria sighed as she gazed at the cave from the outside.

According to the branch chief, a monster of such a scale that no one could handle it resided inside this very cave.

This creature never leaves the cave—it simply attacks anyone who dares to enter.

The branch chief even suggested that it might be guarding something important.

Many adventurers had already tried to defeat it and fled in defeat.

Fortunately, it seemed that the cave housed only that one monstrous creature, making it relatively easy to escape.

Thanks to that, no one had died so far.

However, because the cave isn’t too far from the town, the kingdom wants it taken down as soon as possible.

The branch chief had first tried to assign this task to Sylha, but she refused, saying she was too tired and wanted to sleep.

So, the next choice was me.

I had just been certified as a B-rank adventurer, and the branch chief was convinced that with my power… well, I was his best bet.

…Yeah, but how am I supposed to defeat it when I can’t even attack?

That thought crossed my mind, but the branch chief promised a reward even if I couldn’t defeat it.

So, Liluria and I grudgingly made our way here.

No matter how dangerous this monster might be, I’m not about to die.

And who knows—perhaps Liluria’s magic will take care of it in a flash.

Sure, Liluria is the only one at risk of dying, but she’s a tough girl.

I’m sure she can handle herself.

“Alright, let’s go into the cave.”

Inside, the cave was completely dark with no light source at all.

The air was damp, and the rocky walls illuminated by my torch were crawling with insects.

“Yikes! T-This is so gross! I can’t stand bugs!”

That’s a problem.

As my maid, she’s supposed to handle any pests that pop up at home.

As we ventured deeper, the narrow path gradually widened.

Bats crowded the ceiling, and small creatures that looked like rats dashed across the ground at high speed.

Just how many creatures lived in this cave?

According to the Adventurers’ Guild, the only real threat was that one monstrous creature.

But to a commoner like me, there’s not much difference between monsters and small animals.

Both are stronger than I am, and both are dangerous.

“Hey, Ao. I can’t take this anymore. I’m about to pass out. Let’s just go back. There’s no way a monster lurking in a place this creepy could be anything good.”

“How convenient—I was thinking the same thing. Whatever’s waiting ahead is clearly beyond us. It’s already draining our spirit before we even fight it… I just want to go back to the inn and take a bath.”

For once, Liluria and I were completely in sync—both just wanted to leave this eerie cave as soon as possible.

The request didn’t matter anymore.

With that thought, we stopped and turned back to retrace our steps.

And then—

—There it was.

A figure clad entirely in armor, like a knight, stood right in front of us.

I hadn’t noticed it until I turned around.

“Wahh!”

Liluria shrieked at the sight of the completely unanticipated presence, and she immediately hid behind me.

Could she please stop using me as her shield?

I might be the best shield there is, but a little consideration for the guy being used as one would be nice.

“H-Hello? Nice to meet you?”

Having been taught by my parents to greet strangers, I blurted out a greeting to the armored knight.

Now, how would it respond…?  

I waited a few seconds, but the knight didn’t move an inch.

Seeing that, Liluria—apparently relieved—stopped hiding behind my back and began poking the knight’s armor with her index finger.

“W-whoa! Who the heck is this? He’s super creepy. And seriously, you too—greeting some unknown thing!”

Liluria smacked my head with a solid whack. Hmph, it didn’t even faze me!

But then, suddenly, the knight moved.

“Kyaa!”

Liluria once again hid behind me.

I wish she’d stop always making me take the brunt of it while she scrambles to save herself.

GIGIGIGIGIGIGIGI

The knight raised his right arm to eye level as if to wave at us. Perhaps because his armor wasn’t well-oiled, it creaked unpleasantly.

“See? He’s returned our greeting! After all, greetings are a universal language—if you say hello, even the nastiest creature can become your friend!”

I stretched up on my tiptoes, trying to meet his outstretched right hand for a high-five.

This knight is really tall. Just a little more… and I’d have been able to high-five him.

In that moment, the knight acted.

BOOO!

A fireball suddenly burst forth from the knight’s palm. It struck the palm of my hand—right as I was reaching out for a high-five—triggering a small explosion at the point of impact.

DOGAAAAAN!

“Are you okay?! Ao?!” “…Somehow, I’m managing.”

Thanks to my cheat, I took no physical damage—but being attacked by the knight I thought had become my friend left my heart feeling anything but unscathed.

Damn it, I really thought we’d become friends!

Then the knight turned both hands toward us and, from each palm, unleashed a series of fireballs just like before.

“W-w-whaaat?! No way!?”

With my lack of athleticism, there was no way I could dodge the fireballs. They all hit my body, and with every hit, I screamed in terror:

“Uwah!” “Ouch!” “I’m gonna die!” “Help!”

Even though my cheat kept me from actually feeling pain, I couldn’t shake off the sensation of what it would have been like without it. No matter how hard I tried, those pathetic cries just burst out reflexively.

“…Hey, you’re totally fine, Ao. Just how tough are you, anyway?”

Liluria, who’d been dodging the knight’s attacks from behind me, glared at me as she said that.

Well, I can’t help it—I’m not blessed with a strong heart, but rather a weak one. Even though I know in my head I’m taking no damage, my heart just can’t handle it.

“Alright, the attacks have stopped! Let’s get out of here while we still can!”

I grabbed Liluria’s hand and, in a desperate bid, ran in the opposite direction from the armored knight—deeper into the cave.

“If it’s Ao, you should be able to take him down that easily, right?!” Liluria shouted as she ran, clutching my hand.

Take him down? No way! There’s no way I could ever inflict any damage on a knight clad in such sturdy armor! Punching that hunk of metal would break my bones!

All I could do was endure his attacks, trembling in fear, and run away.

“I’ll take his attacks—so Liluria! You need to attack him! That’s our only option now!!”

“But—but! I don’t know if my magic would even work on him! Besides, he’s probably the monster from the request, right?! The very monster that even B-rank adventurers couldn’t handle—how could my magic possibly affect him…?”

I see… I had assumed the knight attacked us because of some colossal misunderstanding, but if he’s that monster, then it all adds up.

So, he really was a monster…! Not being well-versed in the monster affairs of this other world, I guess I can’t tell monsters from humans after all.

“It’s alright. You can do it!”

“But what if your magic goes out of control—”

“There’s no way you’ll fail. I believe in you, and I believe in your magic. And you should… trust me, your master.”

If Liluria doesn’t do something soon, we’re never getting out of this cave. I have zero chance of beating him, but also zero chance of winning. All I want is to book an inn and take a bath, so I have no choice but to rely on Liluria’s magic.

For some reason, upon hearing my hollow, feeble words, Liluria suddenly seemed to have made up her mind.

Her timid, jittery expression from moments before completely changed. Her gaze sharpened, and she looked every bit like a warrior determined to fight.

The little girl Liluria who’d been hiding behind me was gone. In her place stood Liluria—the formidable mage who far surpassed me.

“Haa—. Honestly, you’re such a rough master. But leave it to me! I, your maid Liluria, will splendidly save us from this dire predicament!!”