Chapter 18 – Great Axe (Laugh)

Great Axe (Laugh)

—–

‘It’s been a while since I’ve fought against a person….’
Until now, I’ve fought more against non-human things, so it’s been quite a while since I’ve had a fight against a person.
And even more so, a fight with a warrior rather than between magicians.

‘I’m not sure if that guy can be called a warrior though…’
“Hm?”

The bandit leader who had been swinging his double-bladed axe just fine until now put it on his back.
Curious about him putting away his weapon right before the fight, I asked him.
“The axe. You’re not going to use it?”
“Kukuku. Do you think I’d need a weapon to deal with a mere copper rank wench? Even if you are a magician.”

Oh. He seems to have noticed that I’m a magician.
“…So you knew I was a magician.”
“You don’t look trained in body at all. And you’re not carrying a sword either. It’s obvious then… You must have thought to trick me by hiding your staff!”

I didn’t particularly intend to hide it.
For someone who looks like his brain might be filled with muscles, he seems to be quite sharp.

“…You’d better use your weapon.”
“I don’t need it!”
Swoosh─!!

The guy started attacking without warning.
His fist, with a foul smile on his face, cut through the air and flew mercilessly.
…The fist was aimed at my abdomen.

It seems he really doesn’t intend to scar my face, but if that fist hit directly, it was obvious that only my face would remain intact.
The swift strike, unimaginable from his large build, finally reached me, but…
Bang─!

…It was lightly blocked by the barrier I cast.
A loud impact sound burst out as the barrier and fist met.
“Ugh.”

The bandit leader let out a small groan while rubbing his fist.
…It must have felt like punching a solid iron wall.
The shield glowing like clear crystal absorbed his attack cleanly without any damage.

“…Not even a scratch.”
The bandit leader muttered quietly, looking at the intact barrier.
It was an expected result. If the barrier could be broken by a mere bandit leader, I wouldn’t be standing here now.

‘I would have already died to Demon King’s subordinate A.’
But the leader still wore a relaxed smile.
Is he hiding something?

“It’s quite solid for not using a staff. Not bad for a copper rank adventurer.”
An evaluating gaze. His tone of voice showed he had no doubt that his skills were superior.
“…Was that a compliment? I’m not particularly happy about it. By the way, that thing hanging on your back. Why don’t you take it out?”

I pointed at the axe hanging on his back.
It would be troublesome if he made excuses later about losing because he didn’t use his weapon.
But my words seemed to feel like unnecessary meddling to him.

“Don’t get cocky! I don’t need to take out my Great Axe for a wench like you!”
……Great Axe? Is that the name of that axe?
There were people like that occasionally. People who name their weapons.

But when he said the name “Great Axe” with such a serious face, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Pf..pfft…Still… Great Axe is… a bit…”
“You… you fucking bitch…!!!!!!!”

I started to feel an intense flow of mana from him.
‘Body enhancement, is it.’
Enhancing the body with mana is a basic skill for those who make a living in combat in this world.
Even for mere thieves, enhancing the body with mana wasn’t something surprising.

‘Well, he seems to be quite good at it in his own way…’
Having seen superhuman powerhouses like Marian and Leon enhance their bodies as if it were nothing, I didn’t feel much impressed by the body enhancement of the bandit riffraff in front of me.

Rather, it made me want to yawn.
“Yawn…”
“I’ll kill you!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Oh my. I actually yawned.
Seemingly hurt in his pride by that fact, he immediately swung his fist with his enhanced body.
…It’s certainly a more threatening attack than the one he threw earlier.

Why does he do disgusting banditry when he can throw attacks like this?
Bang─!

The impact sound that occurred when the fist and barrier collided was so loud that it could be described as a roar, filling the surroundings.
…The dust created by the wind pressure from swinging his fist was enough to obscure the view in front of me.
It was a moment when my evaluation of the bandit leader rose from a mere bandit riffraff to a somewhat skilled bandit riffraff.

“Sister Ariel!!!!!!”
Airi’s urgent voice reached my ears.
It seems they can’t see my situation due to the dust obscuring their view.
“Im…Impossible…”

Despite Airi’s worry, the guy’s attack did not break through my barrier.
Although I’m refraining from using noticeable attack magic to hide my identity as much as possible, I’m not holding back on defensive magic because it doesn’t stand out much.
What followed was a one-sided devastation.

Bang─! Boom!
The guy continued to rain down punches as if he couldn’t believe it. Deafening explosions filled the space, matching his attacks that poured down like a storm.
‘It’s so noisy I could die…’

The explosions caused by his attacks were causing me more damage than the attacks themselves.
Nevertheless, my barrier, reminiscent of a firmly standing iron wall, didn’t even crack, and the guy who had been raining down punches until his fists were bloodied started panting, exhausted on his own.

“Huff….huff…. You… what are you….”
‘That’s why I told you to take out your weapon.’
How rude of him not to listen when someone gives advice with good intentions.

Seeming to think he couldn’t go on like this anymore, he gripped the huge double-bladed axe he had been carrying on his back.
“I’ve cut down countless damn magicians! I was going to spare you because your face is worth looking at, but…”

This guy has a long introduction. I’m not at all curious about how many other magicians you’ve cut down.
I don’t want to waste any more time. I should end this soon.

Tap. Just before the guy swung his double-bladed axe, I slipped into his embrace and lightly touched his chest.
The guy, not expecting me to approach him first, allowed my touch just like that.
“[Petrification]”
“Wh-what are you… ugh…. gah….”

The petrification magic cast from my fingertips passed through his skin—reaching his heart.
Thud.
The guy’s huge body fell powerlessly to the ground.
Unable to even scream freely due to the extreme pain, he only let out weak groans with his face contorted in agony.

“Ugh..gah…”
The guy probably doesn’t know what’s wrong with his body.
“Gah… huff…huff……”

The bandit leader kept gasping for breath, but it was useless.
… Because his heart, which had already stopped, couldn’t supply oxygen to his body.
His petrified heart can no longer function as a pump to circulate blood.

This means that oxygen is not being supplied to each organ, and if this state continues, the organs that are not receiving oxygen—especially the brain—will start to rapidly deteriorate.
Probably if left like this, he would become a departed soul before long.

While I was coldly watching the guy suffering in pain,
the surrounding dust gradually cleared, and the outlines of me and the guy slowly began to appear.
“Sister May!!!”
“Bo..Boss!!!!!!!!”

Contrasting reactions from both sides upon seeing me and the fallen leader.
’59….60′

After counting exactly one minute in my mind, I dispelled the petrification magic cast on his heart.
Not because I felt sympathy for his suffering, but because I didn’t intend to kill him in the first place.
“Huff….huff..”

The guy’s heart slowly starting to beat again.
To the leader who was being released from extreme pain, I gently approached and whispered.
“If you don’t want to experience pain like that again, make your gang retreat. If you understand, nod twice.”

Fear settling in the guy’s eyes.
To him, I probably look like the Grim Reaper or a being equivalent to it right now.

…In the end, he nodded twice.

—-

Meanwhile, at the house without Ariel.

‘I’m bored…’
I wonder where Ariel went. Puel is doing something in the kitchen and won’t play with me. How mean.
‘Oh right. Ariel told me to water the vegetable garden.’

After rolling around for a while in the spot where Ariel usually lies, I got up when Ariel’s scent started to fade and headed to the vegetable garden.
Tap tap tap tap.

Opening the back door and arriving at the vegetable garden, I could see potato sprouts starting to grow a little.
‘Hehe. Ariel will be happy.’
Thinking about how Ariel would be happy seeing the sprouted potatoes made me happy too.
When Ariel is happy, I’m happy too.

“Come out, water!”
Shhh. Water droplets appearing from thin air wet the vegetable garden.
“Potatoes, eat well.”

The book said you have to say a long sentence, incantation or something, for water to come out, but strangely, I can use magic just by imagining it in my head and then speaking.
Ariel says it’s because I’m a dragon… I’m not sure.
‘Mom was like that too…’

The faint image of mom remaining in my memory is of her using splendid magic.
Mom who abandoned me. I get depressed when I think of mom’s face for no reason.
What if Ariel abandons me too….?

“No. That won’t happen.”
Ariel who gives me lots of delicious food, pats my head, smells nice, and praises me a lot.
I shook off the anxiety rising in my head.
‘I wish I was human like Ariel…’

I resent the horns on my head for no reason. It’s because of these that I can’t go out freely.
When the potatoes seemed to have drunk their fill of water, I turned my steps back to the house.
“I’m back!”

When you come back from outside, you should greet. Ariel taught me.
Pat pat. I dust off the dirt on my shoes. Ariel doesn’t like it when the house gets dirty.

Before meeting Ariel, I usually walked barefoot, but one day Ariel brought me something called shoes.
‘Good. It’s clean now!’
One of my treasures.

Honestly, my feet feel a bit stuffy, but they’re my treasure because Ariel gave them to me.
I don’t often wear the shoes when going outside because they’re too precious. Because they’re precious.
‘Delicious smell….’

When I entered the house, a delicious smell wafted over. Is it from the kitchen?
Trot trot.

Heading towards the kitchen where the delicious smell was coming from, I see Puel. My new family. Puel.
Ariel saved Puel when very bad guys were bullying her, they say.
…Those bad guys did that to Puel’s ears too. Bad guys.

“Puel, what are you doing…?”
“Saya! Welcome back! Do you want to try this? Just a moment…”

When I asked Puel what she was doing, as if I came at the right time, Puel filled a plate with stew and held it out to me.
The delicious smell coming from the kitchen must have been from the stew Puel made.
“Puel.. What’s this…? Stew?”
“It’s food to give to Sister Ariel for dinner! Can you taste it for me?”

The stew looked delicious at a glance. I took a big spoonful of stew and ate it.
Nom.
The aroma filling my mouth. And…. salty taste.

“How is it..? I’ve seasoned it, but… I think it might be a bit bland.”
“It’s… a bit salty..”
Actually, it’s very salty. My nose is tingling and tears are coming out…

“Re-really? Just a moment…”
Puel took my bowl of stew, and after a while, held it out to me again.
“You said it was a bit salty, so I made it a bit blander this time. Try it!”
“U-um…”

Although a delicious smell still wafted over, I didn’t have the courage to lift the spoon readily.
‘It was too salty.. My tongue is still tingling…’
But seeing Puel’s eyes, I couldn’t say I wouldn’t eat it.

I closed my eyes tight and swallowed another spoonful of stew.
“How is it..?”
Puel’s expectant voice.

…I couldn’t bring myself to tell Puel it tasted bad, so I unconsciously lied.
“It’s… delicious…”
“Really? That’s a relief..! I was worried..”

Puel can’t cook well…
‘Ariel… Please come back soon…’