Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Reason for Distrust (3)
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"K-Kalt! Please take me with you! This muscle pain... I can overcome it!"
"If it were just mild soreness, I'd consider it, but the way you look right now, it's way beyond that."
"Ugh..."
"Be a good girl and get treated today, then rest up. And from now on, remember not to push yourself too hard during training."
"Yes..."
Nellis hung her head low and accepted Kalt's words.
To help Nellis recover from her muscle pain quickly, Kalt fed her a potion, and Aria cast a blessing of recovery.
"It feels much better already!"
"If you rest well for the rest of the day like this, you'll be good as new tomorrow. So you have to stay put and rest."
Knowing that just talking might make her body itch to move, Kalt tossed her some bait to ensure she'd listen even better.
"Tomorrow, we'll hunt kobolds while correcting your stance at the same time."
"Yes!"
Hearing Nellis's spirited reply, Kalt headed out of the village with Scarlet and Aria.
While on the move, Aria spoke to Kalt.
"You already seem to have Nellis well in hand, Kalt."
"I'm used to coaxing kids who don't listen and throw tantrums."
'Compared to Mabel, Nellis listens like a dream.'
"Don't worry even though the vanguard's down a person. I'll make sure the kobolds don't get to you two."
"Got it. I trust you, Kalt."
"If anything, it might be easier to fight without having to look after Nellis, right?"
Scarlet wasn't a vanguard, but from her position in the rear, she could see things others might miss.
Up until now, whenever Kalt had hunted kobolds alongside Nellis...
He was always paying close attention to Nellis while fighting.
And even while keeping an eye on her, Kalt was strong enough to take down kobolds with ease.
"No, having multiple vanguards is actually more comfortable than going solo."
'Provided your partner isn't the type who charges ahead recklessly with zero sense of teamwork.'
Supporting Mabel's wild charges meant Kalt was always in the role of reining in a rampaging horse rather than taking the lead himself.
"Ah, I see."
Scarlet, unaware of Kalt's circumstances, simply assumed he was politely sparing Nellis's feelings in front of them.
And shortly after.
The Nellis Party without Nellis encountered kobolds right away.
There were three kobolds.
Kalt eyed the kobolds and spoke to the two behind him.
"Aria, hang back for now. Scarlet, take one."
"Yes, Kalt!"
"I'll handle mine, but don't let it come your way."
"As if that would happen."
Kalt advanced immediately, drawing the kobolds' attention.
The kobolds bared their fangs all at once, threatening him, and the one in front slashed its claws at Kalt.
Claws sharper and more menacing than any beast's.
Threatening enough to endanger a normal person's life with a single swipe, but to Kalt, they were plain as day—attacks he could dodge effortlessly.
He stepped back lightly to evade the claws and drew the sword from his waist.
The moment he drew it, the blade's arc sliced cleanly through the kobold's swung arm, then traced on to sever its throat.
Thud! The lead kobold collapsed.
-Grrrrrr!
The remaining two kobolds glared at Kalt, baring their fangs even wider in threat.
But they didn't charge like the one that had already lost its life.
They knew the opponent before them was strong.
Yet that didn't mean the kobolds fled.
To the monsters known as kobolds, humans were prey.
Targets to kill and devour.
The notion of running from such a being didn't exist in a monster's mind.
Step.
Kalt took one step forward toward the kobolds.
Another kobold charged at him.
Slash!
It fell with its throat slit, no different from the first.
One kobold remained.
But Kalt didn't advance further. He stood still, watching it.
"Scarlet."
"Ready now!"
Kalt shifted sideways quickly.
And in the next instant.
Whoosh!
A blazing fireball streaked toward the kobold and engulfed it.
-──!!!
Writhing in agony amid the flames, the kobold charred black and perished.
While harvesting magic stones from the fallen kobolds, Kalt noticed a difference from previous battles.
'The spell activation was slow.'
When sharing vanguard duties with Nellis, the spells came out even slower.
But that was only because they waited for the vanguards to clear space.
Scarlet would prepare her magic in advance and fire it on signal once the monsters were handled up front.
This time, though, Kalt judged that the pure casting time was longer than before.
Of course, it wasn't disastrously late—just about two seconds at most.
However, in combat, two seconds mattered.
Even in a seemingly straightforward situation, it warranted suspicion.
'Can't jump to conclusions yet.'
Kalt decided to test it against a few more kobolds.
And after three battles.
Kalt confirmed it.
Scarlet's spell activation speed had definitely slowed.
It hadn't gotten any slower than the initial drop, but it was undeniably delayed.
After harvesting all the magic stones, Kalt looked at Scarlet and asked.
"Scarlet."
"Yeah?"
"You feeling okay anywhere?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Just seemed that way."
Kalt didn't outright say her casting was late; he observed her reaction.
He caught the faint tremble in her pupils.
'Something's off.'
As he watched to see how Scarlet would respond, Aria chimed in.
"Scarlet must be worried about Nellis."
"Aria!"
Ignoring Scarlet's shout, Aria continued.
"Scarlet's kind like that. Even with Nellis resting, she's probably fretting over whether the muscle pain hurts."
"N-No, that's not it! She got it from pushing herself like an idiot! Why would I worry?!"
Her flushed face and over-the-top denial made it obvious Aria had hit the mark.
'So it was just worry about Nellis?'
"Anyway, I'm fine! Quit with the nonsense and let's hunt more kobolds!"
At Scarlet's urging, they resumed moving.
The anomaly struck during their second kobold encounter after setting out again.
"Th-That's!"
"A Kobold Warrior."
There were two regular kobolds and one Kobold Warrior.
Individuals stronger than standard monsters were commonly called superiors.
For goblins, that included Hobgoblins, Goblin Warriors, Goblin Champions, and so on.
Kobolds had their own superior: the Kobold Warrior.
The strength of superiors varied wildly by monster type.
A Kobold Warrior was only a bit stronger than a regular kobold—above average D-rank, but below C.
Unlike the others, it wore armor on its shoulders and gripped a sword.
Its build was larger, and the fur covering its body looked even rougher.
"Don't worry, a Kobold Warrior's no problem."
'Good chance to gauge the full power of Scarlet's spells too.'
"Scarlet."
"What."
"You take the Kobold Warrior."
"What?"
"Same method. I'll keep it from reaching you. Hit it with a spell to take it down. Fire Spear should do serious damage."
Fire Spear was a mid-tier fire spell. It was one Kalt had heard about when he'd asked Scarlet what basic spells she knew and then which she was confident in.
"You can do it, right?"
"Of course!"
"Aria, blessing please."
"Yes, Kalt! O God, grant this man your blessing!"
With a rare Kobold Warrior in play, Kalt received Aria's blessing, which they usually skipped against easy kobolds.
Aria's blessing filled Kalt's body with vigor and made it feel light.
Kalt dashed forward with his lightened body toward the two kobolds and the Kobold Warrior.
His sword closed the distance swiftly.
Slash!
It severed one kobold's throat in an instant.
-Grrr!
The Kobold Warrior, sensing Kalt, swung its massive sword down with one hand.
A crude, heavy blade.
One that would crush an ordinary person outright.
But.
Clang!
Buoyed by Aria's blessing, Kalt blocked the Kobold Warrior's sword effortlessly.
-Grraa!
The remaining kobold charged at Kalt, who was locked against the warrior's sword.
It crouched, reared back its arm, and aimed its sharp claws at him.
But the attempt failed.
Clang!
From his blocking stance, Kalt whipped his arm out, deflecting the Kobold Warrior's sword.
Then, flowing like water yet striking like lightning.
Slash!
He diagonally bisected the lunging kobold's torso.
The kobold's body tilted, split apart, and crumpled to the ground.
'It's coming together nicely.'
Confident he could handle even a Kobold Warrior if momentarily distracted.
Kalt glanced back.
As expected, Scarlet aimed her staff—topped with a red gem at the tip—forward. Pointed spears of flame floated around her, the final one shaping into a spear.
'Perfect. Just fall back now and...'
That was when it happened.
-GRRAAA──!
Whether enraged by its kin's easy deaths.
Or furious at Kalt ignoring it right in front of it.
The Kobold Warrior let out a mighty roar.
Terrifying to a powerless civilian, but to Kalt, it was like a puppy's yap.
Even novice adventurers or hero parties might flinch without panicking at such a roar.
But the instant after that roar.
"Ugh!"
The flaming spears around Scarlet vanished entirely.