Semi-retired Adventurer Lives Leisurely Chapter 13

Published at 6th of June 2021 10:50:50 AM

Chapter 13: Teo

Henry: “Dang… what should I do…”

At the Bear‘s Keg Inn, the lunch hours were done, and there were only a few customers left in the dining area. I was among them just loitering lazily at a table.

I’m thinking about our scout recruiting.

We had a few temp scouts join us, and Cyril and Jend understood the importance of their roles, but we’re unable to sign on anyone to our party.

We had a few promising candidates, but all of them had reservations about joining us.

Well, to be fair, anyone who’s in their late 30’s would hesitate to join a party with two newbies. It would be different recruiting Jend and Cyril to their own parties, but coming to us is just not an option.

Some offered to partner with me as a two-person party, but I’ve been working long enough with these two, and they’ve helped me a lot. Throwing away their friendship at this juncture would just be a waste. I had to kindly refuse those counter offers.

Henry: (sigh….)

Lana: “They say sighs scare away good luck.”

Henry: “Lana, do you know any adventurers who would be willing to join our party?”

Lana: “I know some people in the neighborhood who want to become adventurers.”

Yeah, pulling in a fresh recruit like that into our current hunts would be nothing less than a trial by hellfire. We’re feeling that Wild Bears are too luke warm, and we’re just about to step into the Griffins’ territory. Put it simply, it would be way too dangerous for them.

As a side note, a normal newbie would complete simple quests until they save up enough funds for better equipment, and then transition to fighting Crazed Rabbits for a few months, and then fight one stray Killer Dog… something like that.

Cyril and Jend are exceptions to the rule and have skipped several steps, but they were trained from an early age to become adventurers by proper instructors.

When we first teamed up, they had some things to work out, but this was more due to a lack of experience and not ability. Now, they are making much fewer mistakes. If they are facing a familiar enemy, they may not be quite up to par with first rate adventurers, but are approaching quickly into that realm.

All that remains is to learn how to approach demonic creatures they meet for the first time, hunt in other geographies different from the forest, and learn more technical adventuring skills, and they will be first-rate very soon.

And because they improve so much so quickly, they are eager to press forward, and a newbie will get crushed following their pace.

Henry: “We just need someone who’s young, strong, and can do scouting.”

Lana: “I don’t know much about adventuring, but wouldn’t the last conditions exclude potentially everyone that’s available for recruiting?”

Henry: “Yea——h, I know ri——ght.”

I said it half jokingly.

Lana: “Will you be ordering anything else?”

Henry: “Oh, I’m good. I’ll go back to my room after I finish this cup of water.”

Lana: “Yessir, thank you...oh! Welcome——“

The door to the Bear’s Keg opens and the bell on the door rings.

Looking in that direction, I see Teo walk-in. I’ve seen her several times come and go now.

Is she selling meat again today? But she’s coming later than usual.

Henry: “Hey”

Teo: “Hello”

We’ve run into each other during expeditions, and I typically greet her now when I see her.

Lana: “Teo, your coming at a different time than usual.”

Teo: “Yeah, grandpa hurt his back. He’s pretty old now, so he’s talking about retiring from hunting.”

Lana: “Oh, I see. Isn’t he well into his 80’s now?”

…….that gramps is how old? Man, he’s in great shape then.

I saw him with Teo, but he definitely looked younger to me. I heard people with high levels of magic age slower.

Teo: “So he wanted me to give this to you as an apology for retiring suddenly.”

Lana: “Oh my gosh! No! He doesn’t need to feel bad! It’s us that should be thanking him for all this time he’s helped us! Oh, wait here. I’m going to go get dad, and we’ll give you something to hand to him.”

Teo: “...but…”

Lana: “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be right back.”

I thought Teo would just stand there and wait like usual, but out of the blue, she started speaking to me.

Teo: “It’s… Mr. Henry, right?”

Henry: “Huh? What?”

She called me by my name for the first time.

Henry: “Oh, yeah. Sorry. It’s Teo, right?”

Teo: “Yes...um…”

Teo becomes very quiet.

Teo: “Actually, never mind.”

Henry: “Hey, you can tell me. What’s up?”

It must be tough for kids to go up and talk to grownups. But I’m a nice guy. I’m not scary at all.

Teo: “I wanted to become an adventurer, and I was wondering what adventurers do typically.”

Henry: “Oh, you want to know about that. Got it.”

There are many kids who aspire to be adventurers. To help her grandfather, she made an oath to the Grandes god, but she hasn’t become an adventurer in the real sense.

…..Well, she has a [SPACE EXPANSION] godly equipment, and she has experience exploring the forests, so her future is bright.

It’ll still be 2, 3 years until she reaches adulthood, so if she trains hard until then, she’ll turn into a solid adventurer.

Henry: “Sure, I can tell you a few things.”

I tell her some things about being an adventurer.

I tell her that sometimes, there may be rough times, but there will also be fun times. You get a lot of attention for defeating demonic creatures, but it’s important to complete quests to help people out. Stuff like that.

And when Teo grows up, if she would like to join our party as an adventurer, she can. This was more of a formality to wrap up the conversation.

Teo: “Oh… um…”

Henry: “Something the matter?”

Teo: “...it’s nothing.”

I wonder what that was about. Well, anyways...

Lana joined us while I was talking to Teo, and gave Teo a Bear’s Keg Inn Special Peach Compote to take back to her grandfather, and Teo left.

A few days passed since.

We were heading back to town earlier than usual and just left the forest.

Cyril: “Oh, Henry, don’t you know her?”

Henry: “Huh?”

Cyril points out the girl, and I look in that direction.

Henry: “Hey, that’s…”

It’s Teo.

She’s wearing a light leather armor that won’t impede her movements, a machete on her waist, and a bow and quiver of arrows on her back.

She is fully prepared to do some exploration as an adventurer. The equipment is good, but a little large for her size.

Henry: “Hey, Teo, are you planning on going into the woods by yourself?

Teo: “....yes.”

I mean, I guess you wouldn’t come out this far just to turn around and go right back carrying around that equipment,

Henry: “Hey, I’m saying this for your own safety. Don’t go in there alone. It’s way too dangerous. Look, we’re on our way back, so I can help you hunt down some Crazed Rabbits. C’mon, you can come with us.”

If she’s equipped this much, she shouldn’t have any trouble with Crazed Rabbits.

She can get a taste of being an adventurer, sell off her drops and get some ice cream on the way home.

Teo: “No, I’m going into the forest.”

Hey now.

Henry: “Umm, did you get permission from your parents?”

Teo: “My parents will probably refuse my request, but my grandfather told me,’Just go. Just go.’”

Gramps...really?

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Henry: “Hey this forest is dangerous even for adults. If something happens to you, your parents and Lana would be very saddened.”

Teo: “Even so, I already decided that I will go.”

Why are all the adventurers in this town so bloody stubborn!

Teo digs her feet into the ground and lowers her stance into a ready position.

Wait, what is she doing?

Henry: “Hey, Teo, you don’t…”

She took off like a bullet towards the woods.

Henry: “HEY! WAIT!”

I try to catch her, but she slips past my hands, and runs past the trees into the forest.

I know she caught me off guard, but I didn’t think she could get by me so easily.

Henry: “I’m telling you it’s too dangerous! GAH! Jend! Cyril! You guys head back first. I’m gonna catch that punk-*** girl and give her a good scolding!”

Jend: “Hey, Henry…”

Cyril: “Good lu——ck!”

Jend seems unsure, but Cyril is smiling and waving me goodbye.

I confirm their replies and head back into the woods a little behind Teo.

I can see her back. I can still catch… up… she’s… fast!

I’m not easing up on my running, but I can’t close in the distance.

We run, and run, and run.

I’m forcefully busting through the annoying brush, and kill a Killer Dog who tried to ambush me from the side with the back of my fist. Teo weaves through trees too close for me to go through, so I have to circle arpund.

If it’s just pure speed, I may still be faster, but Teo’s running is flawless, with no energy wasted. You can tell that she knows these woods, and she has a solid grasp of the terrain.

And I just noticed that though I have demonic creatures attack me periodically, she has encountered zero so far.

This isn’t just luck. She’s running, but I hear no footsteps. Her presence is so low, that I’ll lose track of her if I take my eyes off of her for a second. And this is my guess, but she’s probably using her magic to increase her stealth techniques.

An assassin-class friend ran the same way she does.

Henry: “Hmmmm…”

Is she really a kid? I would believe it if she told me she’s an adult half-ling.

Teo looks behind, and sees that I’m still on her trail, and suddenly changes directions.

I can’t catch up with her like this. It feels like cheating to do this but…

Henry: “[STRENGTHEN] Hazac + [STRENGTHEN] Hazac.”

Similar to what I did in the Griffin fight, I cast the spell on my legs and feet. I kick the ground harder and increase my speed.

She probably heard me catching up to her, and Teo changes her running style.

Teo: “Yah!”

She jumps up to grab a branch and is now jumping from tree beach to tree branch.

She’s too agile!

Henry: “Dangit!”

I could probably do what she’s doing, but it will be much slower than my running right now. Besides, I’ve never tried that kind of movement.

It’s getting tough following her with my head tilted up…. crap.

Henry: “Wild Bears, huh.”

There’s 5 total. They noticed me approach and is roaring and charging at me.

I take out my knife-form Nyoiten Spear, and lengthen it to a long spear.

“GRAHH!!”

The Wild Bear shouts as it swings its arm at me, but I delay for a second with a feint and dodge. Before it can swing with its other arm, I ram into it with my spear thrusting through its heart.

I pull out my spear, and block the attacks coming from my left and right.

I meant to take out one and keep running, but they stalled me here.

Henry: “Haaaaah!!”

I stab and kill the second, and swing my spear down hard to crush the skull of the 3rd. The fourth…

Tosu! (sfx)

An arrow protruded from its neck as a second and third arrow followed, and it wavered slightly as it stood.

Henry: “Whoa…”

I stood there impressed as the fifth one charges at me. I dodge... and leave it alone.

As soon as I pause, a shadow falls right over the Wild Bear from straight above.

The shadow falling with momentum and speed comes down with a sharp knife on the Wild Bear.

The Wild Bear’s thick fur or skin was useless under these circumstances, and the wound was deep enough to kill it instantly.

The Wild Bear falls over, and the shadow clinging to it, Teo, appears from behind.

Teo: “I thought they would be perfect to prove that I’m not helpless even alone…”

Henry: “Yup, I gotcha.”

The rearmost city of Flowtier has way too many youths with too much talent, don’tcha think?

Chapter end