CH 120

Chapter 120 : Apparently, I Didn’t Look Cool

I felt a light vibration on my body and woke up.

「Mmm…? Where am I…?」(Mark)

When I looked to the left and right, I could only see trees. It seems that this was in the forest.

Then I looked forward and saw someone’s back of the head in front of me.

Apparently, someone is carrying me on their back.

I wonder who this person is…

They have black hair and a delicate body.

Is it Sanmina?

…No, I can feel rough muscles on their back, so this person is probably a man.

「Umm…」(Mark)

「Ah, are you awake?」(?)

Noticing my murmur, he turned his face and glanced at me.

He looks like a boy, but he actually has become a father.

Yup. He is Kai.

「U, Un. Kai onii-chan, thank you for carrying me, but I can walk by myself now.」(Mark)

「Are you sure? Alright then.」(Kai)

Kai slowly crouched down so that I could put my feet on the ground.

Honestly, I feel a little disappointed that it wasn’t Sanmina or Celine who carried me.

When I got off Kai’s back, Melmina, who was walking next to us, talked to me with an excited face.

「Mark onii-chan, you were amazing!」(Melmina)

Hm? Ah, she must be talking about my battle with the lord of the lake.

Melmina’s eyes were shining. She looked like Sanmina when she talked about magic. Like mother, like daughter.

「Ahaha. Did I look cool?」(Mark)

「Nope! Your legs were shaking all the time! But you are incredible!」(Melmina)

「I, I see…」(Mark)

Nicola, who was walking near us, grinned and sent a telepathic message.

『You didn’t seem to realize but your legs were shaking a little while fighting. Phu!』(Nicola)

『I couldn’t help it! That monster was so big and terrifying!』(Mark)

Seriously? I tried to calm down but it looks like I could only calm my mind but not my body.

Ughh… I must have looked so lame when fighting the lord…

However, I think it’s difficult to fight such a terrifying monster without shaking even for a bit. Especially for me, a former salesman who had never experienced something as frightening as fighting a giant monster in my previous life.

I looked around but there were only Kai, Melmina, Nicola and me here, and it seemed like we were in the forest that connects the village and the lake.

「Kai onii-chan, what happened after I fell asleep?」(Mark)

「While you were sleeping, Celine-san butchered the lord’s corpse, cutting it into pieces with her magic. People are now cleaning up the shore. Celine-san, Delica-chan and Sanmina are helping them. I wanted to help too, but they told me to take you and these two home, so here we are.」(Kai)

After saying that, Kai clapped once as if he just remembered something. His gestures are like a girl, really.

「Oh, right. Celine-san gave us permission to use some of the lord’s meat for tonight’s banquet, but we haven’t got your permission, so… do you mind?」(Kai)

「I don’t mind, but… we’re going to have a banquet?」(Mark)

「Yep. That monster had been interfering with Monster Fishing for decades but this village never had enough money to spend to ask the adventurer guild to subdue it. Now that it has been slayed, we have to celebrate it, right? Someone has been sent to report to the village mayor as soon as we confirmed that the lord was dead, so I think people have already started preparing the banquet in the village square by now.」(Kai)

「I see. Then we should hurry up and help them.」(Mark)

「Haha! Mark-kun, you’re truly a hard worker. You’re the MVP tonight, so you should take it easy and get some rest. Besides, I want to put Melmina to sleep, so we’re not going to the village square….. Melmina, come to papa.」(Kai)

Kai crouched down again and called Melmina. Melmina then approached Kai’s back and hopped onto it.

I completely forgot, but children of Melmina’s age should be sleeping at this hour.

Melmina closed her eyes as soon as Kai started walking slowly.

「Are you two not sleepy? If not, I will pick you up later to join the banquet.」(Kai)

A banquet, huh? I would like to refuse if I’m tired, but actually, I’m not that tired now. Besides, I didn’t use up all my mana in the fight, so I think I’ll be fine.

Perhaps I fell asleep because the tension went away right after I killed the lord and became very sleepy.

「Well then, I will come after taking a bath.」(Mark)

「Really!? I thought you didn’t want to come since you seemed to be really tired, but I’m glad if you come. I’m sure many villagers will come to see you. You’re the hero of this village after all.」(Kai)

Kai smiled happily.

It’s a little embarrassing that people will come to see me, but honestly, I’m a bit happy.

「Hero, huh? You’re exaggerating.」(Mark)

「Aa, I almost forgot. Mark-kun, congratulations on defeating the lord of the lake! Your battle was really amazing! It was like a battle of adventurers that I heard from travelers.」(Kai)

「Even though my legs were shaking all the time?」(Mark)

「A… Ahaha… W-Well, you might look lame, but still, you fought bravely! That was one incredible fight! You should be proud of yourself. Not many people can do what you did, you know?」(Kai)

Kai tried to cheer me up with an awkward face.

So he’s not denying that I looked lame, huh?

I regret that I couldn’t control my trembling legs during the fight, but Kai is right. I should be proud of myself. Most people were not born with a lot of mana like me.

Alright. Looks like I have to ask Celine to teach me how to fight impressively later!

With a new goal in my heart, I kept walking through the forest.