Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Self-Defense (2)
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"Hup!"
With a sharp shout, Nellis's fist slammed into the drunkard's gut.
Thud!
"Guh!"
Her other fist followed straight into the face of the drunkard beside him.
Crack!
"Kek!"
No matter that she was a woman—Nellis was still a Hero.
The strength she'd built up training to slay monsters packed more than enough punch to stagger any man.
"Feeling a bit more sober now?"
"Wh-what the hell!"
"She thinks she can go easy on us 'cause she's a girl!"
Despite Nellis's warning, the drunks flew into an even greater rage and swung their fists at her.
But against Nellis's Blessing, which could block even monster attacks, their wild punches couldn't touch her.
"Hup!"
Crack!
For a full three minutes, every time they landed a glancing blow, Nellis fired back with one of her own.
"Groan..."
"Grrk! Urgh!"
"Tougher than they look."
The booze-soaked men couldn't even block Nellis's relentless counters. After taking hit after hit, they finally crumpled to the ground.
Their drunken stupor left them full of openings, but it was Kalt's training that sharpened her eyes to dodge effortlessly and refined her stance so her punches struck true. Even seasoned adventurers couldn't last long against her.
Looking down at the two groaning men, barely able to control their bodies as they slipped into unconsciousness, Nellis pondered her next move.
'What should I do? Just leave them here? But they'll probably pull the same crap again...'
After some thought, an idea struck her.
'Got it! I'll drag 'em to the Guild and make a scene. That'll make 'em think twice!'
Nellis grabbed the fallen adventurers by their arms and hauled them along the ground toward the Guild.
"Excuse me."
The usual bustle in the Guild turned a bit chaotic at Nellis's entrance.
And for good reason—she was dragging in two drunken, unconscious men.
"What's this?"
"Isn't that the Hero who showed up a few days ago?"
"Who're those guys she's dragging?"
"That's Part and Mart."
"What happened to them...?"
Part and Mart.
They were fairly well-known adventurers in the village—veteran types who'd grown sour about all the Heroes popping up in recent years.
So when those two showed up dragged across the floor by Nellis, who had arrived just days earlier, the whole Guild erupted in chatter.
"Hey, what happened here?"
One adventurer approached Nellis with the question, drawing eyes from the receptionist, the other adventurers, and even a few Hero parties in the hall.
Nellis laid out the truth without holding back.
The adventurers called Part and Mart had grabbed a village woman's wrist and were harassing her with crude jokes. She'd stepped in to stop them, got her released, and told them to just head home. Ignoring her, drunk as they were, they'd swung at Nellis instead. So she'd fought back and subdued them like this.
"... "
The adventurers and Hero parties in the Guild fell silent, staring coldly at the still-unconscious Part and Mart.
It was the look you give a walking headache.
"Idiots..."
"They used to just throw flirty lines and call it a day."
"Been waiting for them to cause real trouble."
"If they keep this up, the villagers'll start hating all of us adventurers."
As the murmurs filled the air, Nellis dragged Part and Mart up to the counter and spoke.
"Can I just leave these guys here?"
"Uh? Oh! Sure, go ahead!"
"And when they wake up, could you give 'em a warning? Adventurers shouldn't bother the locals, right?"
"Of course. Thank you! Um..."
"Indomitable Hero Nellis!"
"Indomitable Hero Nellis!"
"Indomitable Hero Nellis? The one from that party that took down the Kobold King?"
"Yeah, I've heard of her."
"Part and Mart have some skills, but... guess a Hero who beat the Kobold King is on another level."
"Not famous yet, but she's got potential."
"Gotta give those idiots an earful when they wake up."
Nellis's ears perked up at the compliments floating her way, and the corners of her mouth twitched upward.
'Gotta brag to Kalt when I get back!'
"Well, I'll be off then!"
"Ah, sure. Take care."
Nellis practically skipped out of the Guild, heading back to the inn in high spirits.
But midway, she stopped dead in her tracks.
'Wait, can't tell him right away. It's too soon! Better save it for... lunch! Yeah, lunch!'
It hadn't been long since they'd all gotten free time. Rushing back to Kalt now might interrupt his.
She'd wait and tell everyone at lunch instead. Nellis revised her plan.
'Then might as well take another stroll around town!'
With a cheerful heart, Nellis resumed her village walk.
Lunchtime.
"What? You took on some troublemaking adventurers all by yourself?"
"Yup!"
The moment the party gathered at the inn for lunch, Nellis launched into her tale of heroism.
"I used the proper form Kalt taught me—pow! Pow!—right in the kisser! Then dragged 'em straight to the Guild and told 'em to shape up!"
"Nellis, you okay?"
"Huh?"
"They were adventurers. Taking on two at once..."
"Hee hee, Aria, you still think I'm my old self."
Nellis wagged her finger side to side.
"I've been reborn through Kalt's training and counseling! You could say."
Shing!
"Like this Alexcalibur Neo, freshly forged!"
"Don't draw your sword in the inn."
"Oh, sorry."
Nellis sheepishly sheathed her blade.
"Ahem! Anyway, I taught those jerks messing with a villager a lesson! I did good, right, Kalt?"
She gazed at Kalt with eyes like a puppy begging for praise.
And Kalt obliged.
"Yeah, you did great. Helping folks in trouble and putting punks in their place—that's what a Hero does."
In Kalt's eyes, Nellis hadn't done a thing wrong.
She'd sized up her own strength and stepped in where she could. No fault there.
"Hee hee hee~."
"Her grin's gonna split her face."
"Jealous she got praised by Kalt~."
"Who's jealous! I'm not a kid!"
As Nellis and Scarlet bickered, Kalt viewed the situation positively.
Unlike some in her old party, she at least had the right mindset for a Hero.
'And this won't spread through the whole Guild or anything... Just boosts her rep with the locals.'
With her attitude on point and her skills growing daily, a certain plan took shape in Kalt's mind.
'Soon, maybe time for some real multi-opponent combat experience.'
That evening.
After her counseling session with Kalt, Nellis lay in her room, replaying his praise over and over.
"Hee hee hee~."
Kalt had said she did well.
Kalt had called her a true Hero.
For Nellis, who'd always borne the label of the lazy party slacker, never one for praise, Kalt's words were like rain on parched earth.
She didn't stop at just recalling it—she started weaving it into fantasies with other scenarios.
Like their usual "counseling" sessions, a.k.a. killing intent endurance training.
At first, it was brutal, choking the breath out of her. But now, she could hold out much longer.
As she grew accustomed, details she'd ignored under the pressure started registering.
Like the position they took for the training.
Coldly analyzing it, that pose was... kinda shady, wasn't it?
The thought flitted through Nellis's mind.
Her wrists pinned by Kalt's arms, her thighs pinned under his knees.
And to amp up the killing intent, their faces were pretty close too.
Truth be told, she'd been able to withstand it for days now, so she couldn't help but notice.
Kalt's handsome face, right there up close, staring straight at her.
It even made her a little embarrassed.
Nellis imagined blending her dilemma with his praise.
In that pinning hold, faces inches apart.
"You did great, Nellis. You're a real Hero."
"Hee hee, hee hee hee~."
Just picturing it flushed her cheeks and sent shivers down her spine.
"M-maybe tomorrow I ask Kalt to say it during training? No! What am I even thinking?!"
The wish slipped out aloud, but she shook her head wildly and snapped herself out of it.
"That's way too obvious! ...But it'd be so nice if he did~."
If he petted her head too? Perfection.
"You're the greatest Hero, Nellis. Kyaa! What am I saying?!"
Nellis kicked her feet and rolled side to side on the bed.
Meanwhile, Kalt was...
"Alright, let's begin, Aria. Today, just leave everything to me. You don't even have to lift a finger."
"...Just get on with it."
About to start Aria's training session.