Chapter 1: Life in the Mountains is Tough

1

In the center of this world’s largest continent, there is a mountain where no one sets foot or even approaches. Above a certain altitude, the weather changes at a dizzying pace, as if rejecting anyone who tries to climb it. It is in a constant state of natural disaster, so extreme that not even the smallest footprint can be left behind.

Furthermore, if the creatures known as monsters inhabiting that mountain were to be classified using the universally established rank system of “S, A, B, C, D, E, and F,” every single one of them would fall into the highest tier: S-rank.

To put the strength of an S-rank monster simply, they are at a disaster level where an order of elite knights from a major country might barely manage to repel one at the cost of tremendous sacrifices, or conversely, be entirely wiped out. It is a well-known fact that they cannot be defeated solo. However, S-rank being the “highest tier” is merely a classification arbitrarily decided by humans. Among the monsters living in this mountain, there are those that surpass even that S-rank. It is a forbidden mountain that one must never enter without preparation…

…I found myself remembering a story I had heard a long time ago.

Why was I recalling such a thing, you ask? Well, it’s because the place I’m in right now is the forest at the foot of that very mountain! Hahaha… haah… I might be doomed… Please forgive my unfilial passing.

If you’re wondering why I’m in such a place, it’s the result of dashing out of the Royal Capital in tears and running recklessly without looking ahead.

Yeah, from now on, I’ll make sure to look ahead when I run. I shouldn’t rush out blindly. It’s bad, absolutely.

But it’s not like I’m stupid. Really.

Once I realized I was near the central mountain, I tried to leave immediately. Fortunately—or perhaps luckily—I was saved by the fact that I hadn’t gone above a certain altitude.

I thought about quickly leaving the forest and finding a nearby town, but… it seems the world doesn’t work out that easily.

Right now, there are monsters right in front of me.

Two monsters were blocking my path, refusing to let me advance: a disgusting creature with a fish-like body sprouting limbs, and a bipedal cat monster wearing gloves on its hands and boots on its feet.

Or rather, having seemingly recognized me as prey, the fish one was opening and closing its mouth, while the cat one was licking its lips. The fish might just be breathing, though…

—I’m not delicious, you know?

I wanted to say that, but would they even understand me? No, logically speaking, they wouldn’t…

And why are a fish and a cat attacking me together anyway?! Normally, shouldn’t the cat be attacking the fish? Why are they working hand in hand to attack me? Is this a place where common sense doesn’t apply?

Ah, what a pain. A real pain. What kind of place is this…? If the forest at the foot of the mountain is like this, what kind of monsters are on the mountain itself…?

While sweating cold bullets and thinking such things, I slowly backed away. Matching my movements, the two creatures also inched forward.

It’s true that over the past two years, I’ve trained myself and gained a little experience fighting monsters through Adventurer’s Guild requests, but even I could tell. I understood from the aura they exuded that the two creatures in front of me were on a completely different level from the monsters I had fought so far.

If I fought them as I am, I’d just be brutally killed. I mean, I brought a little bit of money, but I forgot to bring a sword for self-defense. I was totally out of it, so I guess it can’t be helped…

No, a bad situation is unfolding right in front of me, so it definitely can’t be helped. In that case, my only option is to run. Since I can’t go down, the natural direction to head is… up.

I immediately turned on my heel and ran through the forest, aiming for the mountain.

I could sense the two creatures chasing me from behind. I was driven by the urge to check over my shoulder, but I shook off the thought and just kept looking forward, running continuously.

I moved my legs desperately, dashing through the trees, but perhaps the difference in our fundamental physical abilities was too great, as they caught up to me almost immediately.

In an instant, perhaps my sixth sense kicked in, a chill ran down my spine, and I reflexively jumped to the side.

My body slammed hard against a tree, sending a sharp pain through my back, but in the spot where I had just been, stood the cat with long, sharp claws extending from its gloves.

—That was close.

If I had continued straight ahead, those claws would have undoubtedly pierced my body. Terrified by how easily my life could have ended, my body naturally began to tremble violently.

I fell on my rear and slowly backed away, but soon hit a tree and couldn’t retreat any further.

—Ah, is this where it ends for me?

The tears I thought had dried up from the fear of death once again wet my cheeks. However, the two monsters showed no signs of attacking.

Why?

Observing the two monsters closely, their gaze wasn’t on me; they were frozen, staring at something behind me.

Following their line of sight, I stealthily peeked from the shadow of the tree to check behind me, and there stood a massive “Dragon.”

A “Dragon.” Let me say it again. A “Dragon.”

Looking up from below, my vision was filled with a giant Black Dragon that seemed to cover the entire sky. The Black Dragon was staring intently at the two monsters. When the Black Dragon licked its lips as if it had found prey, the two monsters scattered and fled at top speed.

The Black Dragon, which had been watching them with a bored expression, now turned its gaze toward me.

—So I am going to die here after all.

In a situation where all I could do was laugh, I prepared for death. But just as it had looked at the two monsters, the Black Dragon looked at me with boredom, let out a massive “Kuwaaah” yawn, flapped its wings, and flew away from the area.

For a while, I sat there in a daze, only realizing much later that I had actually been saved.

2

Having miraculously survived the attack from the two monsters, I tried to leave the forest immediately. However, those two monsters were still prowling around the woods, clearly searching for me.

—So persistent. Give it up already.

It seems they have completely targeted me. I didn’t even do anything to them, so why chase me this far? Are they tracking my scent to cut me off? They are always ahead of me.

It seems they have no intention of letting me out of the forest. If that’s the case, my options are limited. Since they are faster, even if I try to force my way out, they will catch up to me. And this forest is basically their backyard. Hiding in this forest indefinitely is close to impossible.

Then, there’s only one place left for me to aim for. —I have no choice but to go to the “Mountain.”

It seems the monsters in the forest absolutely avoid going near the mountain. They probably stay away on pure instinct. They know that going to the mountain leads directly to death. But right now, that’s the only choice I can make.

Besides, perhaps the S-rank monsters, just like that Black Dragon from earlier, won’t be interested in someone like me and might let me pass right by. Relying on such a hope feels like a checkmate in itself, but staying in the forest will result in the exact same outcome…

In that case, I’ll take the path that holds even a tiny bit of hope. The problem is the abnormal weather I heard about in the stories… but I guess I won’t know until I go…

…It was impossible.

No, no, no, what is up with that parade of abnormal weather…? Just as I thought the scorching sun was drying up the earth, next comes a sudden hailstorm, and then a thick fog that completely obscures my vision… which then turns into a massive storm strong enough to blow it all away. It doesn’t settle down at all!

The weather shifts dizzyingly one after another… it’s just impossible. Crossing the mountain in that is out of the question. My little bit of training? Completely meaningless.

So, where I am right now is holed up in a cave I found that looked perfect for hiding, located somewhere between the forest at the foot and the mountain. There’s a river flowing nearby, so I won’t want for water, making it an ideal hiding spot.

Because it’s scary outside. If I go to the forest, there are monsters targeting me. If I go to the mountain, the abnormal weather prevents me from advancing.

What am I supposed to do? There’s nothing I can do. It’s not a place where people pass through either, so am I just going to rot away here…?

Grumble~…

My stomach growled. As long as I’m alive, I’ll get hungry.

I realized such an obvious thing all over again. I popped some nuts and berries I had gathered while in the forest into my mouth to stave off the hunger a little. What I thought as I ate them was that, indeed, I really don’t want to die.

When things get to this point, you achieve a sort of enlightenment. A feeling sprouted within me that I would survive no matter what it took.

There was no lie in my feeling that I would survive no matter what. It’s not a lie, but… realistically, it’s going to be extremely difficult. It’s true that I can find light food like nuts and herbs in the forest, but they simply don’t fill me up.

I was never satisfied and constantly felt hungry. So what should I do?

After several days had already passed, the answer was provided right in front of me. I had no choice but to eat the leftovers left by the monsters in the forest.

At first, I thought about trying to make weapons by sharpening stones or wood, but there are no monsters in this forest or mountain that can be dealt with using such crude weapons. Besides, even if I tried to hunt the beasts in the forest with crafted weapons, if I struggled even a little, I would immediately become the next target. Especially since that fish monster and cat monster are relentlessly aiming for me…

So the only method available to me is to scavenge the prey left behind by the monsters. Scavenging carrion honestly didn’t feel good, but this wasn’t the time to hesitate. No matter how pungent the smell or how awful it tasted, I forced it into my mouth.

—Disgusting.

But, I eat it. Bones are tasty, aren’t they? It feels like I can just keep them in my mouth forever…

Feeling a little full and getting a bit carried away, I tried chewing on a nearby weed to cleanse my palate. It wasn’t because I was worried about bad breath, okay?

—Spit. Disgusting.

My tongue feels somewhat tingly. “Whash dish shupposed to be?”

My tongue was numb, and I couldn’t speak properly. This is one of those… what you’d commonly call a big mistake.

While I was thinking that, the numbness in my tongue spread, and my fingertips began to tingle too. I hurriedly returned to the cave, but by the time I arrived, the numbness had spread throughout my entire body. I could no longer stand and collapsed right there. Thanks to the numbness, I didn’t feel any pain, but I slammed my face pretty hard.

I somehow managed to roll onto my back and look up at the sky. Perhaps because I was right at the entrance of the cave, I was able to see the sky.

I could see the evening sky, the sun just about to set. As I blankly stared at the sky, a glowing orb was flying around. I vaguely followed the orb with my eyes. Since I couldn’t move due to the paralysis, it was all I could do.

The orb seemed to be flying in circles in the sky, but suddenly it stopped and, of all things, flew right towards me. Unable to move, I tightly shut my eyes, thinking, Ah, so this is how it ends…

…I shut my eyes, but nothing in particular happened. I slowly opened them and checked my surroundings using only my eyes, but the glowing orb was nowhere to be seen.

What on earth was that…? I pondered this unanswerable question, but since there was no way to find the answer and my body still couldn’t move from the numbness, I eventually just fell asleep…

That day, I had a dream where I relived my entire life from birth up to now.

 

5

And so, when it felt like about a year and a half had passed since I arrived here… well, I don’t actually know how much time has passed… but I think it’s been about that long.

I tried to cut my finger to check my status, but since not even the fangs of any monster could scratch me, I had to bite it myself to draw blood. When I checked it, things had gotten weird.

Name: Wazu | Race: Human (88%) | Age: 16

Stat	Current Value	Stat	Current Value
HP	I can withstand anything	MP	It’s zero
STR	My single strike shatters stars	VIT	Even a Holy Sword would snap
INT	I can’t use magic, you know	MND	Magic? Pointless
AGI	Probably faster than light… no way	DEX	Equal to or better than a great artist in history?

Skills

• Swordsmanship Lv: 2

• Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv: 8

• Presence Detection Lv: Max

• Extreme Man-Eater (Unique)

• Status Ailments Almost Nullified

• Goddess’s Astonishment (Unique)

…That’s what it was. I have so many things I want to interject about… or rather, I can’t deny the feeling that I honestly overdid it…

First off, the part I think is weird… or rather, the part I don’t understand why it dropped: “Human (88%)”.

Eh? What is this? What does it mean? Just looking at this text, it’s saying I’m 88% human, but the remaining 12% is something else? Then what on earth is that 12% supposed to be? It’s written in a way that makes me incredibly anxious about the future… Could you please stop writing it like this, Goddess…?

I understand having no “MP”. It was like that to begin with. But, what’s up with “HP” being “I can withstand anything”? Does that mean, for example, even if I get hit repeatedly by great magic, ancient magic, or any high-power direct attack, I won’t die? No, no, no, that can’t be true, right? Just thinking about what if it’s wrong… I’m too scared to test it!

“STR” says “My single strike shatters stars”… What? Eh? Are you serious? Does it mean exactly what it says? So if I punch seriously, I’ll shatter it? A star? For real?

“VIT” says “Even a Holy Sword would snap”… It would snap? It’s a Holy Sword, you know? A Holy Sword is a Holy Sword, right? It doesn’t have some alternative reading, does it? If that snaps, doesn’t that mean any weapon is useless…

I’ll skip “INT”… “MND” says “Magic? Pointless”… Basically, judging from the HP text, it means even if I take a magic attack, it won’t do anything, right? I can just tank it entirely…

For “AGI”, please give me the words that follow “Probably faster than light…”. Don’t cut it off halfway. By “no way,” does that mean there’s a possibility of it? I’ll test it out secretly later.

“DEX” must be the fruit of my training. How many times did I prick my finger with those fang-needles… It hasn’t happened recently, though, since halfway through the needles started shattering instead… However, because I managed to make clothes I’m satisfied with, I think I’ll at least take pride in this part.

…Somehow, looking at this absurd status has given me a headache.

But there’s still more. Next are the skills.

I’m over “Swordsmanship”; I don’t intend to level it up now, and somehow it just doesn’t suit my nature. That’s exactly why I’ve been fighting mainly with “Hand-to-Hand Combat,” and it’s probably how its level got this high.

If I recall correctly, the maximum for the skill level system is “10,” which displays as Max… If that’s the case, Level 8 means it’s pretty high. Well, I guess fighting the extraordinary monsters on the mountain would make it rise rapidly like this… but why isn’t it Max?

…Come to think of it, lately, my fights end with just a single punch or kick… Of course it wouldn’t level up from that.

“Presence Detection” is at max value, and if I hadn’t sensitively perceived presences, I would’ve been the one getting killed. So I can accept this one.

Yes, up to this point, it’s a natural result in a way… Yes, up to this point… The problem is:

Extreme Man-Eater (Unique)

Can eat anything and find it delicious.

The more bizarre or poisonous it is—things that would normally cause physical abnormalities—the more delicious it tastes.

Eating high-ranking items provides an extreme status increase correction.

So it’s this~! This is the cause~! This skill that started from “Foul Eater”… has gone this far… The correction has become “extreme,” and my status becoming abnormal must be due to the influence of this skill. Regardless, I’ve gotten this strong thanks to this skill. Thank you.

Status Ailments Almost Nullified

Nullifies any and all status ailments. However, some are still effective.

Taking various poisons and paralysis attacks… getting dizzy and collapsing… throwing myself into the harsh mountain environment… I want to praise myself for finally making it this far. I did it. But the problem is the “some are still effective” part… This is just a guess, but it means status ailments I haven’t experienced in this mountain or forest will still work. Right now, alcohol is the only thing that comes to mind… Well, I don’t drink anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

Goddess’s Astonishment (Unique)

Wait! Just how strong do you intend to get?!

…Could this mean you’re even stronger than me, a god…? Huh? Huuuh~?

…Hm? Hold on a second, Goddess… Am I stronger than a god? You’re kidding, right?

Well, in reality, there’s no way to test it, and it’s just something the Goddess is saying on her own…

I think I’ll just avoid thinking about that.

What I do know is that right now, even if the mountain’s weather changes dizzyingly, I’m completely fine, and the monsters that appear are absolutely no match for me. Truly, an abnormal level of strength.

I overdid it a little.

When you get this strong, you run into the opposite problem: a lack of opponents.

There’s no one around to test just how strong I’ve become.

Well, considering the surrounding situation, I can certainly feel that I’ve become ridiculously strong, but still.

So, I wandered around the mountain as if taking a stroll, seeking an opponent to fight.

Since the mountain’s weather no longer bothered me at all, I just walked aimlessly.

Monsters appeared occasionally, but they were mostly finished with a single punch.

After slaughtering monsters in one hit over and over, I actually managed to learn how to hold back—or rather, to fight while pulling my punches. Because if I didn’t, the monsters would explode and scatter into pieces from a single strike.

If that happened, there would be no materials or anything left, which makes surviving difficult.

It was essentially learning to hold back out of sheer necessity.

However, what I seek right now is an opponent that allows me to gauge and truly feel my own strength.

And so, seeking an encounter with a powerful foe, I continued climbing the mountain.

As I climbed the mountain, I realized something.

It’s true that past a certain altitude, the weather raged wildly, but once I reached above the clouds, the weather didn’t matter anymore. Well, I suppose that’s obvious.

It felt like the air had gotten slightly thinner, but for the current me, it wasn’t a major issue.

My body immediately adapted, and I just kept walking. Glancing to the side, I marveled at the magnificent scenery above the clouds, and stayed there for a while to keep gazing at it.

I don’t know how long I was staring, but I was pulled back to reality by the sound of something heavily flapping its wings. When I looked around to find the source of the sound, a massive black object descended from the sky right in front of me.

It was a Black Dragon.

Unless my eyes were deceiving me, it was that same Black Dragon—the one you could say had saved me, albeit indirectly, when I was first attacked by the fish and cat monsters.

The Black Dragon stood up, looking down at me with its massive frame as it exhaled roughly through its nose.

Its eyes showed confusion, as if looking at something strange.

“…Why is there a human in this place?”

……….Hm?

“The Dragon spoke~~~!”

I raised my voice loudly, shocked by the sudden turn of events.

The Black Dragon placed a front paw over its face, looking annoyed by my loud voice.

Are its ears located there?

The Black Dragon glared at me as I wore a look of pure astonishment.

“…Honestly, raising your voice so suddenly… I am a dragon who has lived for over a thousand years. Speaking human words is a simple matter!”

“…Huh… so that’s how it is.”

Basically, once a dragon lives long enough, even speaking words becomes an easy feat.

As I was nodding along to those words, the Black Dragon called out to me again.

“Now then, human. How on earth did you get here? This is not a place a human can possibly reach.”

“How, you ask…? By walking?”

“Walk—! No, no, no, no matter how you look at it, this is normally not a place you can just walk to!”

“Even if you tell me that, I really just walked here…”

“No, no, no, speak honestly. You surely used some sort of peculiar magic or something to get here, didn’t you? Come now, I won’t be angry, so try speaking the truth.”

“No, that’s why I’m telling you, I really did just walk! What is with this dragon… how skeptical can you be?”

“Skeptical? Skeptical, you say! I will not allow you to speak of me like that! What part of me is skeptical?!”

“Well… because even though I’m telling the truth, you won’t believe a word of it.”

“No, I believe you. Of course, I believe the words you say, but I was simply pressing the issue just in case you were under some sort of misunderstanding. Yes, this was merely a confirmation, done for your sake.”

…What is this Black Dragon talking about?

My mouth hung open in disbelief, while the Black Dragon in question averted its gaze from me, trying to whistle a tune that made no sound.

How should I put it… it’s true I was indirectly saved by this Black Dragon in the past, but right now… Are all dragons… like this? It’s kind of shattering my image of them…

I let out a heavy sigh, looked the Black Dragon squarely in the eye, and continued talking.

“That’s unnecessary worrying, so I’m fine. I properly walked here.”

“I-Is that so? Then I shall believe your words. Yes, indeed. I certainly wasn’t doubting you, so make sure you don’t forget that.”

No, you were absolutely doubting me. Or rather, it’s highly questionable if you even believe me now.

“And so, why are you here? For what purpose did you come all the way near the summit of this mountain?”

“Purpose? Hmm… Nothing in particular, but if I had to say, to seek out the strong?”

When I answered the Black Dragon’s question after some thought, the dragon instantly became in a great mood, happily curling the corners of its mouth upward into a wide grin.

“Oho, the strong, you say! Then this is perfect! No one has come up here recently, and I have had a bit too much free time on my hands. If you seek the strong, then I shall be your opponent!”

“Well, you say ‘I’, but I have absolutely no idea who you are?”

“…”

“…”

“…Do you truly not know? Of me?”

“Not at all, completely clueless.”

“…No, no, surely you’ve heard tales of the Black Dragon said to reside on this mountain?”

“…Never heard ’em.”

“…What about the name ‘Dragon King Ragnil’?”

“Nope, don’t know it.”

When I answered honestly, the Black Dragon started sulking for some reason, drawing swirls on the ground over and over. A certain melancholy drifted from its figure.

Eh? Could it be… is this my fault?

Did I just coincidentally not know, but it’s actually something recognized worldwide?

As I was worrying about how to talk to the still-sulking Black Dragon, it suddenly jumped up vigorously, indignant, with eyes that looked like it was on the verge of crying.

“Gaaah! Enough of this! You seek the strong, do you not?! Then I, the King of Dragons, shall be your opponent!”

“…King of Dragons? Oh, so that ‘Dragon King Ragnil’ from earlier was you referring to yourself?”

When I pointed that out, the Black Dragon’s face turned bright red for some reason. Well, honestly, since its scales were black I couldn’t actually tell. I just felt like it did based on the atmosphere.

“S-Shut up! Rest assured! I will not take your life! I will merely beat you to a thorough pulp! And it is absolutely not because I am flustered, or embarrassed about being called out on it, or anything like that!”

Seeing it rattle on so rapidly like that seemed a bit… cheap, I guess? It made me want to ask, Are you really the Dragon King?

“Well, whatever… if you say you’ll be my opponent, I guess I’ll take you up on it.”

“Alright, die~~~~~!”

“Hey! Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t take my life?!”

At the same time as its words, the Black Dragon swung its front claws down at me.

I effortlessly caught its claws with one hand.

Seeing that, the Black Dragon wore a look of utter astonishment.

“What! To catch my claws with such a tiny frame!”

Well, I probably would’ve been uninjured even if I didn’t catch them.

Catching it was just, you know, out of habit.

“Amusing! To think you were a strong enough individual to stop my claws! In that case, I shall unleash my true power for the first time in a while!”

Saying that, the Black Dragon easily pulled back its front foot, flapped its wings to back away slightly, and began drawing air into its mouth.

Honestly, with my current stats, I felt like I could sink it in one blow during this opening, but I didn’t particularly want to obliterate my opponent. My goal in coming all this way was to find an opponent strong enough for me to verify my own power, and in that regard, the Black Dragon—the King of Dragons—was an opponent boasting top-class strength in this world.

In short, it was the perfect opponent.

Having met the ideal adversary, a smile naturally formed on my lips.

“BWOAAARRRGH──────!”

Along with a roar, the Black Dragon spewed out a massive sea of fire from its mouth.

The sea of fire, large enough to easily swallow a human, closed in mercilessly, scorching the ground along with me. Yet, I remained completely unfazed inside the flames. Well, a certain part of me wasn’t unfazed.

My handmade clothes had completely burned away.

Even though I worked so hard to make them… I had been returned to the state I was born in.

Well, there’s no one else here, and I’m not particularly embarrassed, so I boldly crossed my arms, waited for the sea of fire to dissipate, and faced the Black Dragon.

“…”

“…”

The Black Dragon and I faced each other in silence.

“Put some clothes on!”

“No, they burned off so I don’t have any. If anything, having absolutely nothing on makes me want to act bold, you know?”

“I’m telling you to have some shame!”

“Shame… hah! Wait, could it be that you’re a female Black Dragon? You should’ve said so sooner.”

“I am male!”

“Then since there’s only guys here, there’s no need to be ashamed… wait, don’t tell me you swing that way?”

“I do not!”

“Then there’s no problem!”

The Black Dragon wore a troubled expression, looking as if to say, What the hell is this guy talking about?

How rude. There is absolutely no problem here whatsoever!

“More importantly, wait a moment! Why are you completely unfazed after taking my Fire Breath?!”

“No, I’m not unfazed… The clothes I poured my heart and soul into making have burned to ash, so honestly, I’ve taken quite a bit of emotional damage…”

“You’re worried about your clothes?!”

“Oh, and regarding the Fire Breath, it was a little lukewarm, so I think you’d better raise the temperature a bit.”

“…L-Lukewarm? No, no, no, take a good look at your surroundings!”

Tilting my head at the Black Dragon’s words, I looked at my surroundings just as it said.

The ground had melted into a slushy magma and turned bright red.

“…Ohh, the ground is melting.”

“That’s it?! That’s all you have to say after seeing this state?! You’re standing there naked acting completely normal, and that’s all you have to say after looking at the magma-like ground?! What is with this guy?! You lack all common sense!”

Eh? I’m at the level where a dragon is questioning my common sense?

To me, I thought they were completely normal thoughts and actions… or has my wildification progressed without me realizing it… I wonder… I just remembered the dropping percentage of ‘Human’ in my status… that doesn’t mean I’m losing my common sense, does it?

While I was feeling anxious and lost in thought over that, the Black Dragon attacked again.

This time, it flew into the sky and, using the momentum of its glide, swung its claws down at me once more.

“I will finish this!”

“Shut up! I’m thinking right now!”

I casually dodged the attacking Black Dragon’s claws and, in one fluid motion, drove my fist into its stomach. My fist sank deep into the Black Dragon’s belly, and it was violently blasted away with immense force.

Bouncing and rolling across the ground multiple times, the Black Dragon finally came to a stop at quite a distance.

“…Ah, I accidentally did it.”

Crap. Because I was thinking about something, I might have messed up my power control.

The Black Dragon showed no signs of getting up, but its body was twitching as if having a seizure. Its tongue was hanging loosely out of its mouth, but it appeared to still be alive.

Seeing that, I let out a sigh of relief for the time being.

6

“…Nn… guuu…”

After a while, I heard a groan from the black dragon sleeping soundly next to me.

Thinking that I couldn’t just leave him like this… I sat beside the black dragon, waiting for him to wake up.

Of course, being naked, I thought I’d get a little cold and maybe catch a bug, but as expected of my skills, I adapted in the blink of an eye and my health was perfectly fine.

However, I really want some clothes soon.

As I was wondering what kind of clothes to make next, I heard a voice from the black dragon that sounded like he was fully waking up.

“Hah!”

With that sound, the black dragon sat up, swinging his head around as if checking his surroundings. When he found me, he stared intently.

“…”

“…”

“…Why are you still naked?”

“Because I don’t have any clothes to wear. Since some dragon burned them up.”

When I gave him a reproachful look, the black dragon scratched his head awkwardly.

“…My apologies for that… However, it was the result of our battle… Wait, why am I still alive? You were the victor. Will you not take my life?”

“I don’t really want something like that. What I want right now is new clothes.”

At my words, the black dragon looked dumbfounded for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter.

“Gwaa-hahaha! You say you don’t want my life! I shall honestly thank you for sparing the life of the defeated. Then, to show my gratitude, how about this? There should be human-sized clothing at my castle, so will you come? Let me welcome you.”

“Is that alright?”

“I do not mind. Besides, you have defeated me. In fact, you can take any gold, silver, or treasure in the castle if you wish, you know?”

“I’m not really interested in that stuff. As long as I get some clothes, I don’t need anything else.”

“To defeat me, the Dragon King, and only ask for a single piece of clothing. What a selfless fellow!”

The black dragon laughed merrily.

After laughing his fill, the black dragon lowered his posture as if prompting me to get on his back, so I took him up on the offer and climbed aboard.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t properly introduced myself. I am the Dragon King, Ragnir. I permit you to call me Ragnir casually. After all, you are the one who defeated me.”

“Got it. My name is Wazu.”

“Then, Wazu. Hold on tight!”

With those words, the black dragon—Ragnir—flapped his wings and soared into the sky at once.

I could only marvel at the scenery from even higher up in the sky.

Ragnir’s castle wasn’t that far away, and we arrived in no time.

Standing there all alone was a massive structure—a castle.

Its walls gleamed in the sunlight, and it had gigantic gates that even someone with Ragnir’s massive build could easily pass through. The castle within the walls was entirely pure white, possessing a stern and majestic architecture.

As if to show this was his residence, Ragnir landed on one of the castle’s balconies.

I got off Ragnir’s back as well, looking around to check out the inside of the castle.

“What do you think? My castle is quite magnificent, is it not?”

“…Yeah, it really is amazing… It’s miles better than the royal castle of the Iscoa Kingdom.”

When I praised it honestly, Ragnir snorted proudly with a “hmph.”

“So, where are the clothes I can have?”

“Umu. I shall go fetch them. Naturally, I cannot let you walk around the castle naked. Wait here for a while.”

Saying that, Ragnir disappeared into the castle.

From what I could see from the balcony, the interior architecture was also massive, seemingly allowing even Ragnir to move around freely.

While waiting for Ragnir to return, I was gazing at the panoramic view from the balcony when suddenly, a small mass fell from the sky. Sensing its presence, I looked up, and the small mass landed perfectly right on my face.

My vision went dark, but I managed to grab the small mass and pull it away from my face.

When my vision brightened and I checked what I had grabbed, it turned out to be a small white dragon.

It was a tiny dragon, about the size of my head, and it was staring at me with its round, adorable eyes.

“…”

“…”

The little dragon tilted its head as it looked at me, so I tilted my head to match its movement.

Then it tilted its head the other way, so I tilted mine the other way too. This went on for a little while.

From an outsider’s perspective, it would be a bizarre sight—a naked man and a small dragon mirroring each other’s actions.

I thought it would continue like this, but it ended abruptly.

“Kyu!”

“It chirped!”

Surprised by the sudden cry, I let go. I thought the now-freed little dragon would just fall, but it flapped its tiny wings and started flying around me.

“Eh? What? What’s going on?”

As I followed the little dragon’s movements, it suddenly stopped right in front of me and started twitching its nose. It seemed to be sniffing my scent.

Am I okay? Do I smell bad? I did wash up with water before climbing the mountain, though.

As I observed to see what it would do next, the little dragon suddenly moved closer and rubbed its cheek against mine.

“…”

When I just let it be, the little dragon flapped its wings again, this time landing right on top of my head. It refused to move from there, radiating an aura of total relaxation. With a “Kuaaa…” it let out a yawn and completely went limp.

Wondering what to do, I simply followed the urge welling up inside me and gently stroked the little dragon.

It felt absolutely divine.

It was such a heavenly texture that made me want to pet it forever; my hand just wouldn’t stop.

The little dragon also seemed to enjoy the sensation of being petted, looking very comfortable.

Hmm… Between this wonderful texture and its slightly cool body temperature, it feels like it would be super cozy to hug while sleeping.

As I continued to pet it, I heard a heavy thump thump sound of something walking toward me. When I turned my head toward the balcony entrance, Ragnir appeared. He was carrying various clothes in his arms.

“Sorry to keep you wait—”

Ragnir saw me, stopped in his tracks, and let his jaw drop wide open.

What’s wrong? Did something happen?

Before I could even ask, Ragnir’s massive body began to tremble, and he let out an angry roar.

“What do you think you are doiiiiiiing?!”

…Eh?

“No, what do you mean? This little dragon suddenly fell from the sky—”

“I’m not asking you, Wazu! I am asking Meal!”

Meal? Could that be the name of this little dragon?

“Kyui! Kyui!”

The little dragon seemed to be answering Ragnir’s question somehow, but with just its chirps, I had absolutely no idea what it was saying.

I just hope it isn’t saying anything weird…

“What, what…? You like it here, so you’re going to stay here forever?! Don’t say such foolish things! I will not allow that!”

Ragnir’s face flushed with anger.

“Look, look, Meal~! There’s a place you’ll like even better, you know~? If you stay in my arms, it’s far more comfortable, and it will fill me with happiness too. There’s a perfect place right here where we can both feel happy~”

I take back what I said earlier.

Now he was sporting a painfully forced smile. Ragnir dropped the clothes he was holding in a heap and repeatedly pointed at his own arms, gesturing for it to come.

“Kyui!”

“What do you mean, ‘No’? What do you mean, ‘No’?!”

“Kyui! Kyuu~!”

“What do you mean, ‘Smelly’? What does ‘Smells like a dragon’ mean?!”

“…”

“Stop pinching your nose! Even your father gets hurt, you know!”

“Kyui! Kyui! Kyuii!”

“‘I’m never leaving! Plus, I’m prepared to spend the rest of my life with this person’—Don’t say things like that right in front of your fatheeeeeeeer!!!”

At the little dragon’s words, Ragnir clutched his head and crouched down on the ground.

Looking at him, I was in shock.

—He’s been calling himself ‘father’ for a while now… Does that mean this little dragon on top of my head is Ragnir’s child?

As I was thinking, Wow~ Ragnir was a papa, huh… I also sent a mental note of gratitude to Ragnir for conveniently translating the little dragon’s words into something I could understand.

Though Ragnir himself was still crouching on the floor…

Meanwhile, the little dragon on my head repeatedly patted my face with its tiny front paws with a tap-tap-tap, as if greeting me and saying, “I look forward to being with you from now on.” That sound was the only thing echoing in the area.

After that, I decided to ignore Ragnir—who had started crying for some reason—and picked up the dropped clothes to get dressed. However, because the little dragon, Meal, absolutely refused to get off my head, I had no choice but to put on the underwear and pants, slip on the shoes, and just wrap my top half in a cloak.

I resolved to make proper clothes for myself later.

“…Uu… I knew… I knew a day like this would come eventually…”

Ragnir, you’re annoying.

By the time I finished changing, Ragnir had somehow recovered.

Though his eyes had been filled with pure despair up until then.

Once he recovered, he guided me through the castle, albeit with heavy steps.

The interior was also unified in pure white. Despite being a castle in a place like this, there wasn’t a single crack or speck of dirt; it was perfectly pristine. I walked down the castle corridors while conversing with Ragnir.

Meal, who was on my head, was already asleep. She really is still just a child.

“So, this dragon sleeping on my head without me realizing it really is your daughter, Ragnir?”

“Umu. She is my daughter, and her name is Meal. The cutest in the world, my pride and joy!”

…Most parents say that.

“Wazu… I will barely tolerate the current situation… But, I hope you understand that if you lay even a single finger on her… I’ll kill you! I’ll super kill you!”

Hahaha, I don’t think you can kill me.

But I’ll keep that in mind…

Feeling Ragnir’s genuine murderous intent, we continued through the castle until we were finally led to the audience chamber.

The audience chamber was also unified in pure white like the rest of the place, but it felt more accurate to describe it as a shining, radiant white.

Perhaps because the audience chamber where one meets the master of this castle is, in a sense, a symbol of power and a place that embodies the king’s majesty, that influence made its construction even more elaborate.

The place where the king’s throne sat was two steps higher than where I was standing, and in the wide area on the first step, a giant white dragon was lying down, gazing in our direction.

That giant white dragon wasn’t quite as large as Ragnir, but it was still massive enough to thoroughly intimidate anyone who looked at it, and its white scales rivaled even the pure white of this audience chamber.

When its eyes caught sight of me and Meal, they shot wide open.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my! Could this be your greeting and announcement that you are marrying our Meal? Oh dear. I haven’t mentally prepared myself yet… No, I’m absolutely not against it, you know? In fact, I’m all for it! I was just a little surprised since it’s so sudden. I trust my daughter, and since you’re the partner she chose, I’m on your side. You can rely on me as much as you want!”

…Swish, swish, swish, swish.

I waved my hands at super high speed to indicate, “No, no, that’s not it!”, but—

“Wh~a~t~? Marriage, you say…? So you were after Meal after all, you bastard…”

Ragnir clenched his fists, brought his face close, and glared at me as if looks could kill.

Hey, too close, too close! You smell like a dragon!

Wait, what happened to the conversation I just had with Ragnir?

We built a friendship through battle, didn’t we? Can’t you trust me?

It’s true that Meal seems like she would be great to hug. Between her size that fits perfectly in my arms, her white, glossy scales, her slightly cool body temperature, and the fact that she’s holding on tight and won’t let go even while sleeping on my head—I do think she’s cute.

I think so, but… doesn’t jumping straight to marriage mean skipping a few steps?

I mean, our species are way too different…

Besides, we just met… Wait, no, no.

The conversation suddenly veering off course made my own thoughts veer off course too.

First, I have to clear up this misunderstanding.

I glared back at him as if to say, Why the hell are you doubting me?, and Ragnir gasped, his eyes widening as if he just remembered something. He shook his head vigorously from side to side before turning back to the white dragon.

“N-No, Mel! This guy is my… my… what is he?”

“Eh? What do you mean ‘what is he’… I wonder what…”

Ragnir and I started pondering, unable to find a clear answer.

“…”

“…”

“…Ah, wouldn’t ‘guest’ work? Or maybe ‘friend’?”

“Oh, that is indeed correct. Umu. Mel, this person is my new friend and an invited guest!”

Ragnir and I crossed our arms proudly and puffed out our chests a little.

The way the white dragon’s eyes looked at us, almost like she was looking at somewhat pitiful creatures, left quite an impression on me.

7

“I see, so you fought, and as a result, a friendship was born.” “Umu. That’s exactly right.” “Well, I guess you could say that’s how it turned out in the end?”

Ragnir and I had gone to the white dragon’s place and were explaining everything that had happened so far. Things like why I was here, or why Meal wouldn’t get off the top of my head.

“Actually, can I ask you one thing?” When I brought that up, Ragnir and the white dragon exchanged glances. “What is the relationship between Ragnir and this white dragon? Is it safe to assume you two are husband and wife?”

When I asked that, the two dragons looked at each other as if realizing they hadn’t mentioned it. The white dragon then turned back to face me. She slowly lowered her head once and introduced herself.

“Pardon my rudeness. I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? It’s Wazu-san, correct? My name is Meral. As you can see, I am a white dragon, and I am married to Ragnir. Or perhaps it would be easier to understand if I said I am Meal’s mother? I apologize for losing my composure earlier over the sudden surprise.”

Saying so, she bowed her head to me once more.

“No, please, it didn’t bother me at all!” “Oh? I wouldn’t mind if it did, you know? After all, I wasn’t lying.”

I think that’s a problem in its own right.

“No, it is a lie! Everything Mel said earlier was an absolute lie! You must not take her seriously!” “My, dear… are you calling me a liar?” “N-No, th-that’s not what I meant…” “Then, what did you mean, I wonder?” “…”

Ragnir fell completely silent. I feel like I just witnessed the power dynamic in their marriage.

“Actually, I’ve been wondering for a bit now, who’s Mel? Isn’t her name Meral?” “Oh! Good catch! As expected of my close friend, Wazu!”

Whoa there, I absolutely, completely didn’t mean to throw you a lifeline just now, not even the slightest bit. So please don’t suddenly promote me to ‘close friend’.

“Look, look, Mel. My close friend Wazu is asking. You should tell him!” “…Honestly, you are so… I’m sorry about him, Wazu-san. Anyway, ‘Mel’ is something of a nickname for me. You see, my daughter’s name is Meal, and I am Meral. It’s a bit confusing, isn’t it? When we named her, I thought it was a lovely name, but even her grandmother said it was a little confusing. So, since then, I decided to have everyone call me Mel. You can feel free to call me that without any hesitation too, Wazu-san.”

Saying that, the white dragon—Mel-san—winked at me. It felt like a strangely seductive gesture, but she wasn’t hitting on me, right?

“Umu. Wazu is my best friend, after all. I shall permit him to call you Mel!”

When did I get upgraded all the way to ‘best friend’? Just what exactly is my rating inside Ragnir’s head?

“Oh? And since when did you and Wazu-san become best friends?” “Just a moment ago! Men rapidly nurture their friendship through battle!” “…I see. Well, since you’re boldly claiming him as your best friend, you must trust Wazu-san completely, right?” “Umu, of course! We are best friends, after all!”

This conversation is taking a bad turn. You should realize it by now, Ragnir. You’re being backed into a corner.

“Then, to a best friend like Wazu-san, wouldn’t you feel perfectly safe entrusting Meal to him?”

Yep, there it is! I had a feeling some kind of bombshell was coming from the flow of the conversation. Sure enough, Ragnir was at a loss for words, unable to utter a single syllable.

“Oh? Is something the matter? Did I say something wrong?” “…Ghguh… n-no… you are not wrong… you are not wrong, but… isn’t that a separate matter entirely?” “No, it’s not a separate matter in the slightest.”

Ragnir was groaning with “Ah”s and “Uh”s while looking around frantically, seemingly searching for an ally. Unfortunately, the only people here were me, a neutral party, and Mel-san, who was currently his enemy. Frankly, I didn’t want to become Mel-san’s enemy either. You don’t have any allies here, Ragnir. I’m not going to say anything unnecessary, either. So stop giving me those pleading looks.

“Besides, Wazu-san is strong enough to defeat you easily, isn’t he? If so, don’t you think we can safely leave Meal in his care? I believe it is about time Meal learned about the outside world. I trust that Wazu-san would protect Meal in the dangerous outside world, no matter who the opponent might be. And Meal is already so attached to him. Isn’t that right, Wazu-san?” “Sir, yes, sir! I intend to protect Meal, even at the cost of my own life!”

I answered Mel-san’s words immediately. So please, instantly turn off that terrifying aura that leaves no room for refusal.

“…I understand… Mel is certainly right. It is time Meal learned about the outside world. For a dragon, this place alone is too small a world… Above all, I, who have experienced Wazu’s strength firsthand, know it better than anyone…”

Ragnir continued, seemingly trying to convince himself. Then, he turned his gaze toward me, his eyes full of absolute seriousness.

“My best friend, Wazu. I leave Meal in your care. I want this child to know that the world extends far beyond this place. However, for a young dragon, one never knows what dangers might lurk out there. But with your strength, Wazu, I believe you can protect Meal from any danger.” “So, you want me to be her bodyguard? That’s fine and all, but aren’t you two going to take her yourselves?” “…We would love nothing more than to do so, but we cannot be by her side forever. It’s time for Meal to become independent.”

Is that how it works? I don’t know much about dragon ecology, but Ragnir and Mel-san are dead serious. They probably aren’t lying.

“I don’t mind taking her with me, but does Meal know about this?” “Yes, she knows and has agreed to it. At first, we thought about asking another dragon to do it… but from the looks of it, it seems Meal herself has found someone she wants to follow.”

Saying that, Mel looked at Meal with gentle eyes full of maternal love. Ragnir was also looking at Meal with similar eyes. In that case, I should live up to their expectations.

“Then, understood. I will take responsibility and protect Meal.”

At my words, Ragnir and Mel-san bowed their heads together, saying, “Please take care of her.” When they raised their heads, a hint of relief was mixed into their expressions. Thinking that I absolutely had to protect her, I gently stroked Meal.

I look forward to traveling with you.

As I pet her with those thoughts, Meal, still asleep, affectionately nibbled on my hand. Mel-san smiled happily upon seeing that.

“Fufu… Wazu-san’s head must be a very comforting place. She’s sleeping so soundly.”

Is the top of my head really that great of a spot…?

“…Guh… My arms would definitely be much more comforting…”

Ragnir… please mutter that somewhere I can’t hear you.

“Oh, and of course, if Meal wishes for it, you can take her as your bride anytime, alright? If you’d like, I could even teach Meal human transformation magic?” “Alriiiight, my best friend Wazu! Shall we step outside for a bit?! Let us have a conversation through the language of fists!”

At Mel’s words, the light vanished from Ragnir’s eyes, and he jerked his thumb toward the outside, as if telling me to step out.

I mean, I don’t mind doing it, but I’m pretty sure you’re the one who’s going to lose in the end, Ragnir?

8

A little more time has passed since then, but I’m still at Ragnir’s castle.

Meal is still on my head, and although she occasionally spends time with Mel-san, she’s with me for almost everything I do. We even sleep together in the room I was provided, and honestly, hugging her while sleeping is just the best. I don’t think I can ever let her go now.

According to what Mel-san told me later, it seems Meal can use a special magic called “Space-Time Magic,” which allows her to store and take out items.

Figuring I’d give it a try, I asked her to store a monster I had hunted. With a single chirp from Meal, the monster in front of me vanished; with another chirp, it reappeared right before my eyes. It seems you can even specify what to take in and out. What the heck… this is way too convenient.

I went back to the cave that used to be my base and asked Meal to store the little bit of money and other things I had left there. Between her cuteness, how great she feels to hug, and how convenient she is, I really might never be able to leave Meal.

As for my clothes, I ended up making them myself. The clothes Ragnir brought me that day were all over the place in terms of size, and there was a mix of men’s and women’s clothing, so I figured it would feel better to just make them from scratch.

At first, I thought maybe I could just wear some of the armor in the castle, but after thinking about it, I realized it wouldn’t be a problem at all if I didn’t wear armor. Concluding that something easy to move around in would be better, I decided to make normal clothes. However, since they might burn or get slashed again, I planned to make several sets of the same design and started stitching them together. I was scolded that my method wouldn’t do, and the one who guided me was Mel. As expected of the lady of the house, she made a perfect prototype for me, and from there, I crafted the rest under her instruction. Based on a suggestion from Ragnir and Mel-san, the materials I used for the clothes were from the monsters living on this mountain.

Apparently, doing so would result in clothing with excellent resistance to slashing, heat, and cold. And so, under Mel’s guidance, I made several sets of normal clothes with the same design. It seems that no matter how high my DEX is, it can’t improve the creator’s design sense. …Not that I mind, though.

One day, as those daily routines repeated themselves. Meal was apparently being taught various things by Mel-san, so after finishing my morning wash, I was padding through the castle with only a towel wrapped around my waist.

“Ragni~r-kun~, let’s pla~y!”

I heard several voices overlapping. Since the voices came from the direction of the castle gates and sounded close, I went to check it out and found four individuals of various races standing there.

Instead of Ragnir, they were met with my sudden appearance, and the four of them wore expressions of shock. I didn’t think my presence was something to look at with such surprised faces, but… oh, right, I’m only wearing a towel right now. Is that why they were surprised? Still, there were only guys on their side, so I wasn’t really embarrassed.

The four were lined up in a row. From right to left: a beastman, a skeleton, an elf, and another beastman. The beastman on the far right had a radiant golden coat, lion-like ears, a mane, and a tail. He had a stern face with a large, single scar running down his cheek. His body was wonderfully muscular, and he wore simply made armor on his elbows and knees. The skeleton was exactly that—a skeleton—but its body was completely covered in a black robe, with only its skeletal face visible. However, he held a luxuriously jeweled staff, and the bony fingers gripping it were adorned with numerous rings embedded with sparkling gems. The elf was taller than me, with magnificent blonde hair slicked all the way back down to his waist. He possessed the long ears unique to elves and a fearless face with a sharp gaze, looking as though he had survived countless battles. He wore practical, movement-friendly clothes with a green motif and had a rapier slung at his waist. The beastman on the far left had a coat as blood-red as crimson and wore tattered clothes. However, his face was that of a ferocious wolf, flashing sharply pointed fangs, and the claws on his hands were equally sharp. Since the tattered clothes looked like something a human would wear, maybe he was a werewolf?

All four of them glared at me, radiating pure anger. Well, the skeleton was just a skull, so I wasn’t entirely sure if he was actually glaring, but…

“You bastard! What are you doing here?! What have you done with Ragnir?!” The golden lion raised his voice and demanded an answer.

“Even if you ask what I’m doing… I was just taking a normal bath… Ah, are you here to see Ragnir? He’s probably still upstairs—Chomp! …”

…Chomp? The moment I moved my left arm to point in the direction where Ragnir likely was, my arm ended up inside the werewolf’s mouth.

…Huh? Am I being bitten? That’s what I thought, but it didn’t hurt at all. Looking closely at my bitten arm, the werewolf’s fangs had stopped right at the skin; he couldn’t bite through it.

“I-Imposhibul! My fangsh couldn’t piersh you?!” …Sorry, I have absolutely no idea what you’re saying.

However, I could tell he was surprised. And not just the werewolf; the other three also wore expressions of shock.

“Ah~… I see, I see… Right, right…” With my free right hand, I grabbed the werewolf’s head and slowly, steadily applied more pressure, tightening my grip.

“Owowowowowowowowowow—” While the werewolf screamed in pain, I had a realization.

I see. These guys are enemies trying to defeat Ragnir… I instantly shifted into a combat stance.

“Gwahahaha! I see, I see! I heard a sudden string of explosions and wondered what in the world was going on, but it was just you lot having a scuffle!” Ragnir’s booming, cheerful laughter echoed.

We were currently facing each other in a place that looked like a dining hall, with Ragnir seated at the head of the table. By “we,” I meant myself, the Golden Lion, the Skeleton, the Elf, and the Werewolf.

I was properly dressed now, and I gave Ragnir—who was still laughing merrily—a deadpan stare. As if to say there was no time to worry about my gaze, Ragnir cheerfully asked the four of them: “So, how was he? My new best friend, Wazu?”

The four of them answered Ragnir’s question. In their completely battered states.

“He showed me his unguarded belly, but hit me with a merciless counterattack.” “No matter how much magic I fired at him, he stood there completely unfazed. I’ve lost my confidence.” “I trembled in terror at the sight of him fighting completely naked like it was perfectly normal even after his towel dropped.” “My prized fangs and claws broke. I’ll have to survive on soft foods for a while.”

After they each said their piece, they all spoke the exact same words in unison: “””We tried super hard… so why is he completely unscathed? That’s what was scariest.”””

It was true. I had taken a variety of attacks from the four of them. From the two beastmen, mainly their fangs and claws. From the elf, slashes from his rapier and sharp wind magic that acted like sharp blades. From the skeleton, a barrage of various magic spells: fire, water, lightning, and explosions.

I felt the strength of these four firsthand. They were probably among the top-tier fighters on this mountain. Yet, even after taking all of those attacks, I was completely unscathed. I realized once again just how abnormal my stats were. By the way, I made sure to hold back properly while beating the absolute pulp out of them.

“I imagine so, I imagine so… I was also quite surprised to see him standing there entirely unbothered after taking my pride and joy, my Fire Breath…” Remembering what happened back then, Ragnir looked depressed.

“Wazu… Are you truly just a normal human?” “How rude. I’m a full-fledged human.” Well, about 88% anyway… Don’t worry about the missing 12%.

“So, who exactly are these four anyway? I kind of got the vibe that you guys knew each other… which is probably why you stopped our fight.” “Umu. Come to think of it, I haven’t properly introduced you yet. These four, including myself, are what you’d call the highest-ranking beings on this mountain, and they are my friends. The Golden Lion beastman is Gain, the skeleton Necromancer is Neil, the High Erof is Ruto, and the werewolf is Zeal.”

After pointing at each of them and telling me their names, Ragnir pointed at me. “As I mentioned earlier to the four of you, this is my best friend, Wazu.”

“”””To be a friend of Ragnir’s means you are a friend of ours! We look forward to getting along! Feel free to call us by our names!””””

The conversation seemed to be advancing on its own, but there was one part of Ragnir’s introduction that bothered me.

“I appreciate the offer, but wait a second. Before that, I want to ask one thing… What’s a ‘High Erof’? Don’t you mean ‘High Elf’?”

When I asked that, Ragnir, Gain, Neil, and Zeal muttered, “Ah… you just had to ask that?” and looked away in completely different directions. However, the person in question, Ruto, stood up, beaming with joy.

“Well asked… Well asked, indeed! It is true that my species is officially a ‘High Elf’! But my heart belongs to a different species! I am a ‘High Erof’! Let me speak plainly! I absolutely love elf women! I love them to death! My love for them was so overwhelming that I made a pass at every single elf woman in my village and ended up getting kicked out! Yes, and that is precisely why I am a High Erof! I absolutely love erotic things! I want to do nothing but erotic things with every elf woman in this world!” (TL Note: ‘Ero’ = pervert/erotic. Elf = Erufu. High Erof = High Pervert)

…Honestly, I couldn’t comprehend half of what he was saying, but I did understand one thing. This guy named Ruto… is an idiot. An absolute, undeniable idiot. I could only sigh. I fully understood why Ragnir and the others had averted their eyes.

As I was thinking that, the Golden Lion, Gain, asked me a question. “…Well, leave Ruto aside. Wazu, was it? Why are you in a place like this? Frankly speaking, the very fact that a human is in a place like this is quite rare, you know?” “Ah, yeah, it’s definitely not a place normal people can easily come to.”

I nodded in agreement and briefly explained why I was here. I told the four of them how I came all this way seeking strong opponents, how I fought Ragnir, how we somehow became best friends, and how I was entrusted with Meal.

At that, Gain clapped his hands together. “I see! So in other words, right now, Wazu, you have no clear goal and are basically a freeloader leeching off Ragnir?!”

“…” I moved in a flash and clamped an Iron Claw down on Gain’s face. Grind, grind, grind.

“I just found my goal! For now, I’m going to use my strength to pluck every single hair off your body!” “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Gain desperately tried to pry my hand off while screaming. Fuhahaha! Useless, useless! You can’t break my grip with that level of strength!

Holding him like that, I glanced around at the others as if to say, Anyone else got something to say? and they all averted their eyes. I’ll take that as a no. That’s right, if you say something unnecessary… you’ll meet the same fate as this golden lion.

After plucking two or three hairs just for good measure, I let him go and addressed everyone again.

“…Well, honestly, Gain is right; right now I’m basically a freeloader. To be honest, I don’t think there’s anything left for me to do on this mountain. But when I think, ‘What will I do if I go down the mountain?’… I can’t really come up with anything…”

When I honestly confessed my current feelings, Ragnir and the others started thinking seriously and threw out whatever came to mind.

“Umu. For now, why don’t you just return Meal to my arms?” “That’s just your personal wish, right?” “Could you go buy me some hair-growth tonic?” “Go yourself.” “Then, could you find some medicine to make bones stronger? Mine have gotten a bit brittle lately.” “Want me to grind them to dust?” “Elf Harem!” “That’s impossible for you for the rest of your life.” “Why don’t you just become a shut-in here?” “Want me to pluck your hair out too?”

These guys are hopeless. They aren’t helpful at all. What should I really do? I guess I could just go on a journey to find a purpose, but that’s a bit too vague; it doesn’t really click. As I was groaning in thought, Neil the Necromancer spoke up again.

“But it truly is a waste… To possess such strength, why are you alone? Do you not have a partner?” “…I’d rather not talk about that.” “Fumu… Sounds like you have some complicated circumstances… Were you perhaps terribly rejected?” “…”

I said nothing in response.

“Hit the bullseye, did I? Kakkakka! It is good to be young. I wonder if I ever had times like that; I cannot even remember now!” Neil laughed, his bones rattling with a clack-clack-clack sound. I wonder just how much time has passed since he became a skeleton…

“Fumu. Then how about this? Although not exactly like that Erof over there, what about building a harem? Pardon my bluntness, but I believe the only thing that can heal a wound inflicted by a woman is another woman. Furthermore, with your strength, even if you were accompanied by a multitude of women, wouldn’t you be able to protect every single one of them?” “That’s it! That’s perfect! However, I will not allow you to include elves! All elves in this world belong to my harem!” “You, be quiet for a moment.”

Despite Ruto’s unnecessary interruption, I closed my eyes and pondered what Neil had said. …A harem… A harem, huh…

It’s an attractive proposal, but could I even pull something like that off? Not to be self-deprecating, but while my stats are undeniably insane, my looks are completely average. Could a guy like me really build a harem? That’s what I couldn’t help but think.

But, if I went down the mountain and unexpectedly bumped into Aria and the Hero while I was all by myself… how should I put it… even though it’s not a competition, I feel like I’d end up feeling like a total loser. However, if I had people by my side at that moment who supported me… people I could be proud of… And if I loved everyone in the harem, and they all loved me back… that sounds like it would be incredibly fun. I couldn’t help but think that way, too.

I slowly opened my eyes.

“Alright, it’s decided! I’m taking you up on that attractive proposal, Neil! Either way, I have to go down the mountain for Meal’s sake. So, I’m going to go down this mountain and do my best to build a harem!”