Sword and Magic
No matter how much this world revolved around romance fantasy for women, who the hell would find a bland setting entertaining?
This world featured sword and magic elements. That way, lovers' quarrels could escalate into magical showdowns, making things way more fun.
Conversely, to normalize this insane world and design a happy life for my later years, I had to master sword and magic myself.
First up: the sword.
Whoosh—
I swung the sword once, and a clean sound sliced through the air as it parted.
It wasn't all that heavy for its size.
"This should be good enough..."
After roughly swinging it around the mansion, the next place I headed was the Adventurer's Guild in Lotus Territory.
No one in the territory didn't know my face anyway, so registering as an adventurer didn't take long.
"That lofty young master registering as an adventurer...?"
"What wind blew in? Is the sun rising in the west?"
'I can hear you assholes...'
Stepping outside, I could guess my reputation. Nothing much different from the original story. Arrogant, dismissive of others, haughty, aloof, lazy young master—no more, no less.
Of course, I didn't give a shit. I'd been used to that thug treatment since before clutching my neck in frustration and dying of high blood pressure.
"Slimes, huh..."
The quests I got from the guild totaled three: one slime subjugation, one nearby forest survey, and herb gathering.
The last two were basically bonuses; the real target was slime subjugation.
'Slimes should be safe enough, right?'
Best to start with the safest opponent. The goal was to test my skills—overdoing it and dying would ruin everything.
In fact, slimes were treated as the lowest-level monsters even in the guild. Perfect for safely gauging my abilities.
"We've arrived, young master."
The South Forest of Lotus Territory. Lately, the slime population had spiked, causing issues.
I scanned the surroundings right after hopping off the carriage.
"Doesn't look like anything weird."
Instead, I spotted a few herbs I needed to gather.
The South Forest was home to mostly weak monsters and plenty of herbs, making it great conditions for newbie adventurers.
But adventurers rarely came here anyway.
The reason? Most of it was Lotus family private land, and the boundaries weren't clearly marked for outsiders. Venture too deep, and you might stir up trouble.
That's right. Perfect conditions for me to shine.
'I'm the Lotus young master—who's gonna say shit?'
I didn't have to worry about boundaries, and even if the forest took a hit, it was no big deal.
For now, let's grab these herbs and think.
"Kinda boring than I thought."
Muttering that while digging up a few herb stalks... they say if you mention a tiger, it shows up.
The bushes ahead rustled.
Something was definitely there.
I set down the herbs, drew my sword, and got ready.
Out popped a slime, just as expected.
"Just one? That's it?"
Only one pathetic little guy.
It bounced stupidly toward me. A light sword swing cleaved it in half with a splat, and it died.
This wouldn't test my skills at all...
That's when ten more slimes burst from the bushes.
And just as stupidly...
"What the hell? Where are they going?"
They rushed right past me without a glance.
The slimes ignored their dead buddy—and me entirely.
That's when I sensed something off.
'They're fleeing?'
Like they were running from something.
From what, then?
Right then—
Boom—!
The ground shook.
Birds exploded from the trees ahead in a flurry.
Something was coming.
Trees snapped, noise crashing through.
The heavy thuds finally stopped.
Grrr rumble—
Glowing red eyes glared at me from between the trees, sending chills down my spine.
Instinct told me the slimes had fled that.
I backed up slowly, tense as hell.
But my instincts screamed there was no need to run.
My common sense and knowledge said bolt, but maybe Kael's arrogance had rubbed off. I suddenly wanted to swing at it at least once.
One eye, rock-hard body. House-sized behemoth.
That unnatural, half-alive look let me peg the monster.
It was in Kael's memories.
"Stone Golem."
And a particularly huge one, unlike the usual specimens.
Grr rumble—
Like grinding millstones.
Heavy stones scraping with each step, booming thud—pure overwhelming presence.
"You're the one who scared off all the slimes?"
Things had felt off. Slimes don't multiply without the right season and conditions. A sudden boom in numbers hinted at something behind it. Turns out, it wasn't an increase—they'd all fled a golem.
Who knew it'd be a stone golem? Kael's inherited knowledge pieced it together.
'Not even tense.'
As if I'd win easy. Like it was a given...
Fine, time to trust the gut once. Let's test how amazing this talent really was, the kind that made him arrogant and lazy.
I gripped my sword and charged the golem.
The stone golem's hide was tough as expected.
But that mysterious confidence wasn't baseless—I dodged its attacks with ease.
Rolled aside from its sluggish, massive punch, then jammed my blade into its joint.
Using leverage, I pried it open, toppling its balance, then stabbed its eye to blind it.
"Tough, but not unbeatable."
Thud—!
It dropped to one knee with a crash.
I yanked the sword free and backed off.
Its rocky skin resisted blades everywhere, but joints and eyes were like thin glass—easy to shatter with a thrust.
First real fight, but after a few swings, I had the feel.
Targeting joints and vitals now, but a stronger swing might cleave the stone itself.
'Let's try.'
Perfect timing—the golem was crippled.
I gripped hard, filled my lungs, held my breath, and unleashed.
Slash—clang—!
Against expectations, the sword sank halfway into its head before jamming.
Not quite rock-slicing level yet.
But fighting the golem taught me something...
'Why the hell did Kael slack off on this fun shit?'
Omnipotence.
Confidence that I could take down the strong with just a sword. The thrill of trading blows with a stone golem was intense.
In this boring world without games or YouTube, this was prime entertainment.
Still, combat was risky. Just enough hesitation to not call it pure fun.
"Risky, but where's the reward without risk?"
Unlike the old Kael, I'd act different.
Keep stacking real combat experience, honing battle skills.
No rotting this talent away till the kingdom falls and I'm fleeing to an island like in the original.
Finally, I stabbed the core in its chest, finishing it.
The rocks composing it lost cohesion and crumbled.
I pocketed the shattered core. Monster parts could fetch cash later.
"Stronger than I thought..."
Not to the golem. Not to myself either.
I eyed the sword that held up through the fight.
Thought it was a plain black two-hander, but the durability impressed.
One swing through the air to dust it off, then sheathed.
This'd be my main blade for a while.
'Guess I've secured basic combat power.'
That was enough for today. Time to head back.