Fortunately, very fortunately, the age standards for Lizardmen were somewhat different from humans.
Kikel explained to us that the lifespan of Lizardmen is at most seventy years, and usually only around sixty years.
So at fourteen years old, he was already considered a full-fledged adult?
“Ah, so that’s how it is?”
Thanks to this, I was barely able to avoid becoming a subhuman vermin who pushed a fourteen-year-old boy onto the battlefield.
Although the actual number of years he had lived was still 14, by Lizardman standards, it was nothing more than suggesting adult-like work to an adult.
In Lizardman culture, he was clearly an adult, so wouldn’t it rather be racial discrimination to force human standards on him and say he’s a minor and not give him work?
So I’m innocent, that’s what I’m saying.
“Whew… and here I thought…”
So I could smile with a sigh of relief.
While burying and nailing shut the voice of conscience saying that he’s still fourteen after all in a coffin.
“If he’s an adult by Lizardman standards… well, I guess there’s no problem then.”
Really, thank goodness. I almost became the worst of the worst, running a child soldier. I should be grateful that Lizardmen have short lifespans.
‘…Huh?’
No, wait a minute. The expression seems a bit off.
Saying I’m grateful they don’t live long, doesn’t that make me sound like a complete trash…?
…It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding.
You know it’s a misunderstanding, right? Everyone must know well that I didn’t mean it that way. Surely I couldn’t be that much of a trash.
While it’s hard to deny the infamy of being brass-faced or having a conscience the size of a millet seed, at least I’m not that twisted in character.
I desperately pieced together an inaudible defense in my head like a lawyer on the verge of going out of business.
That was close. They say you can become trash in an instant if you’re not careful with your words and actions.
It’s a million times fortunate that I didn’t blurt out the words of gratitude that came to mind as a joke. If I had said it carelessly, I might have completely destroyed the party’s atmosphere.
“Calling me big sis feels a bit off. I think it would draw too much attention from others. So just call me by my name.”
After desperately arguing and obtaining a not guilty verdict from the judge in my head, I told Kikel to call me by my name instead of big sister.
Unusual sights always draw excessive attention.
If a large, ferocious-looking Lizardman called me big sister and followed me around, it would inevitably draw the eyes of everyone around us.
“You dislike much attention?”
“It’s not welcome.”
Why would I welcome others’ attention when I’m in a position of hiding my identity?
“Then why be adventurer?”
“…”
It was a question that would naturally come up if one didn’t know the circumstances.
The adventurer profession lives on strength and fame. The more attention one receives from others, the easier it becomes to succeed.
Even silver token adventurers use all sorts of means to advertise themselves.
Like subtly spreading their achievements and self-made epithets by bribing bards. Or wearing distinctive outfits that catch the eye.
Or shouting their names loudly every time they fight in front of others.
Honestly, it seems a bit unsightly… but it means that fame is that important in this field.
If one receives attention from others, they should be happy regardless of what kind of attention it is. If one finds it burdensome, it means they’re not cut out to be a great adventurer.
So, in my case where attention is troublesome, it’s hard to say the adventurer profession suits me well…
“…I had no choice. There was nothing else I could do besides this.”
Well, what can I do? From my position, this was the only job I could do.
If I had a proper identity certificate, I wouldn’t be working in an extreme 3D job where being an attention seeker is advantageous.
But for a stranger woman without any identity guarantee, the only thing she could do was use her body.
Either live stabbing others in dungeons, or live being stabbed by others in bars.
When given the choice between prostitute and adventurer… who in their right mind would choose the former?
“Kaak-kachak! Difficult understand! But I get! Call like now!”
An excuse that I chose to be an adventurer even though I didn’t like it because there was nothing else I could do.
Kikel burst into laughter saying it was hard to understand, but nodded without further questioning, saying he would do as I wished.
“Right. Thanks, Kikel.”
The issue of Kikel’s age, which had brought a massive shock to my mind, was settled with that for now.
* * *
Anyway, after that day, we took on and handled all sorts of requests, going in and out of the request office every day.
If Heid had already left the city, I was planning to work more leisurely, but the receptionist lady said Heid hadn’t even arrived yet.
He should have normally arrived in Vespian by now, but apparently some incident occurred in a neighboring city and he was staying there briefly?
When I heard the name of that city was Pelmia, a chill ran down my spine.
I realized I had been about to crawl right into the tiger’s den on my own.
Really, it was so fortunate that Friede opposed my opinion. If I had stubbornly pushed through and crossed Pelmia’s city gates, wouldn’t I have been reborn as Heid’s loyal slave by now?
It was chilling just to imagine.
Anyway, after hearing this, I decided to completely hand over the request selection rights to my party members as they had said.
Even I thought that was the right thing to do.
It’s like I lost confidence in my choices? The decision I made to avoid Heid ended up being more like charging straight towards him, so what more can I say?
Moreover, when we did that, we actually succeeded smoothly without any problems on every request we took.
Really, it was so smooth it was almost ridiculous.
So what could I do?
I had to humbly acknowledge that I had a talent for picking only the worst options and unconditionally accept my companions’ choices.
* * *
“Moooooo!”
The 7-floor dungeon subjugation request that Friede had chosen.
Breaking through hordes of goblins and wolves, and goblins riding on wolves, what greeted us when we reached the lowest floor was a huge monster resembling a buffalo.
A gray-furred buffalo with two horns severely curled inwards.
Its elephant-like size was quite impressive in its own way. I wondered how many pounds of beef we could get if we butchered it.
“It’s a Bonnacon.”
As if she knew this monster well, Amy revealed its name while opening her grimoire. I, Friede, and Kikel stepped forward to protect her, drawing our weapons.
“Bonnacon?”
“It’s a monster slightly stronger than a Wight. It attacks by ramming with its head or spewing highly acidic excrement… they say it can be dangerous if you get hit by the excrement, so be careful.”
What a dirty beast. A monster that spews acidic feces like a water cannon? In short, it’s a marine buffalo.
“Ex-excrement… ugh, how horrible… C-Can you cast barriers well…?”
Friede glared at the Bonnacon with a face full of disgust, saying she’d rather be engulfed in flames than be hit by acidic feces.
“I’ll see how you do.”
Amy shrugged with a smirk. She might say that, but if a situation really came where we couldn’t dodge and were about to be hit, she’d immediately cast a defensive spell.
“That, can eat?”
Kikel, who had taken the lead, licked his lips slightly and stared at the Bonnacon as if it were prey.
A look of anticipation for beef steak. With ordinary monsters, the idea of eating them wouldn’t even cross one’s mind, but this was clearly a giant buffalo.
From Kikel’s perspective, the monster before his eyes must look like a huge sirloin and tenderloin. I couldn’t say anything since I had similar thoughts myself.
“Unfortunately, it’ll be difficult. Even if it resembles livestock, a monster is still a monster. I’ve heard that unless you go through special cooking processes, it can ruin your insides and leave you on the verge of death.”
So eating it raw or just roughly cooked would send you straight to the afterlife?
Well, it only resembles a buffalo in appearance, but it’s clearly a monster that spews acidic feces, so how could the meat inside the hide be normal?
“Special? What is that? Want answer!”
“How would I know? I’m not a monster chef.”
“Kishaaaa…”
Kikel sighed as if disappointed and lightly tapped the ground with the end of his spear shaft.
Belita’s spear. It was the magic spear I had temporarily given to Kikel under the pretext of lending.
It was too valuable to sell, but there were many issues with using it myself, so lending it to him was the best option.
“Moooooo!”
Anyway, perhaps seeing that movement as a threat, the Bonnacon, which had been staring at us as if examining us, let out a long roar and charged, kicking off the ground.
“Kikel! Can you take it?”
“Maybe possible! Probably pushed back bit!”
Kikel declared while banging on the surface of his kite shield. He could block it, but he’d probably be pushed back a bit.
That’s enough.
“Alright, Friede! Take the left! Amy, prepare defenses just in case!”
“Yes!”
“Got it.”
After giving simple instructions to the other two, I launched myself in the opposite direction from Friede. Intending to target both flanks simultaneously.
Boom boom boom boom!
The dungeon floor trembled, emitting a heavy rumble. It was only natural. An elephant-sized body was charging at us with the speed of an enraged bull.
“Moooooo!”
“Kyaaaaaak!”
The Bonnacon and Kikel roared fiercely, glaring at each other.
With their ferocious faces contorted in expression and letting out monstrous cries, it was hard to tell which was the monster.
“Come!”
I guess he meant ‘Come on!’? Kikel, who added a firm shout at the end of his roar, lowered his stance while planting his teardrop-shaped shield firmly into the ground.
In a posture with the explosion lance grasped by his tail, and both arms firmly supporting the back of the shield.
And then.
Crash!
With a collision sound that reverberated throughout the huge stone chamber we were in, Kikel, who blocked the Bonnacon’s charge with his shield, was pushed back, scraping the ground along with his shield.
“Mooooo!”
“Kyahaa…! You, why! Can’t eat!”
Kikel, who was steadily stopping the Bonnacon’s charge while grimacing at the impact but firmly enduring.
“Now!”
“Yes!”
At that moment, Friede and I burrowed into both sides of the Bonnacon’s flanks and struck with our greatsword and longsword like lightning.
“Haaah!”
“Eih-!”
I thrust my longsword towards where its heart should be, and Friede jumped up slightly and struck down on its spine like a guillotine.
“Mooooo!”
Feeling threatened, the Bonnacon kicked its hind legs sideways and thrust its hips towards Friede.
Friede’s face contorted at the rare experience of directly facing a monster’s excretory organ. How pitiful.
…Ah, you say this isn’t the situation to just feel disgust? Because she’s about to be drenched in acidic feces head-on?
Well, that might have been the case if Amy wasn’t here.
“Magicae Obice!”
Just before the Bonnacon’s rear end could spew something out, a dazzling streak of light shot towards Friede along with a clear voice.
Magic barrier. The translucent protective screen created by Amy protected Friede’s body from the horrific attack that followed behind it.
“Ugh…!”
Though it doesn’t seem to have protected her mental health.
“No, what’s this smell…!”
In fact, I felt like my mental state was about to take a considerable hit too.
Being on the opposite side from Friede, I wasn’t in danger of being hit by the Bonnacon’s attack, but that intense visual and smell were clearly transmitted to me as well.
Ugh, I’m really done eating for today.
Suppressing the feeling of nausea rising up, I thrust my black iron longsword like an awl into the monster’s heart, filled with anger mixed with disgust.
“Mooooo!”
“Close your butt!”
Before the Bonnacon, screaming in agony, could twist its body, I imbued the blade with Iron Arm’s strength and slashed upwards, splitting its heart and neck vertebrae.
“Muuurgh…”
The Bonnacon, now in a state half-cut like by a guillotine, foamed at the mouth and trembled, then collapsed with a splat onto the excrement it had spewed.
“No, even when falling…!”
“Hieek!”
It was a sight where we could more than guess what was about to happen, so Friede and I jumped back hurriedly with disgusted faces to distance ourselves from it.
“Retreat!”
Kikel too, not to be outdone, fled by rolling backwards.
Boom!
Right after, the monster’s body collided with the floor, creating something like a small wave.
We had quickly dodged, so we weren’t swept up in the wave, but it was a sight that made us feel nauseous just from looking at it.