Chapter Fifteen: My very own friend

How many days has it been since I woke up in this world? To tell the truth, I didn’t even bother to keep count.
“Why am I here?” — that’s the question I’ve been asking myself every night before I sleep, and every morning after I wake up.
If I don’t have any skills or abilities, then why would anyone waste their magic summoning me? Or… am I perhaps a failure? That must be the real reason why I was abandoned by my summoner.
Even though I lack the strength of the people in this world, I still try my best to keep up.
Chasing the rabbits for almost a week, I feel like I’ve become faster. Training with my sword in solitude has also yielded some results… I think. I haven’t sparred with anyone yet, so I can’t tell if I’ve been doing the right training or not.
Speaking of rabbits — these are definitely not the ordinary rabbits hunted in my world. Yes, I’ve become more agile chasing them every day, but how was I not able to catch a single one? The answer is simple:
“They are intelligent, and their speed doubles every day!!!”
At first, it was just me chasing a rabbit, knowing full well it was faster than me. I couldn’t use traps because they mocked me whenever I set one. They would circle around the traps, pretending to be dumb, only to get my hopes up before darting away.
People in my world sure are lucky they don’t have to hunt cunning animals like these.
With traps useless, I resorted to my bare hands. In the beginning, when running at full speed, I could close the distance to just a meter or two. But that gap kept growing. Before long, they vanished from sight before I could even move a muscle.
I haven’t eaten anything in a long time, and it hasn’t rained either. My only belongings are my sword, the magical stones, and the herbs in my pockets. With those, I once again trekked back to town.
The cave I’d been sleeping in had walls lined with glowing stones, just like the prison I was once chained in. They were beautiful, but far too bright for me to sleep comfortably. I plucked a few, hoping they might be of use.
I thought I could live a quiet life in the mountains without disturbing anyone, but I guess that’s impossible.
The distance from the mountains to the town seemed shorter this time. Maybe I’ve grown more agile, or maybe it’s just because this isn’t my first time.
From afar, I spotted the rock I used to hide behind the last time I was here. It stood like a natural watchtower, perfect for peeking at the town.
The few houses on my way were full of life. Fluffy white animals, resembling sheep, grazed near their owners’ homes. A few people moved about as well. They weren’t within range of my aura, so they paid no attention to a farmer-looking boy like me.
Sitting by the rock, I faced the town, trying to think of a way to get food. Even though I have some resistance to hunger, my stomach growled like a wild beast after hibernation.
The town side visible from the rock was quiet. Just like when I first ran into that so-called hero making his speech. The problem is, even if it’s quiet, my aura would be felt by anyone within range, even inside their homes.
As I drowned in thought, a slowly walking figure appeared in my field of vision.It was an old woman carrying a basket full of fruits. She stopped to rest every few steps, her hands on her hips, the basket heavy in her arms.
“Grandma, I’ll help you carry them!!” I called out, rushing downhill toward her.
“KYAAA!!” she screamed the instant she felt my aura, trembling and dropping to the ground.
I couldn’t stop in time, my downhill speed carrying me forward. The woman whispered a prayer, and suddenly the air grew hot.
Not from the sun.
A rain of fire came down on me from above.
I dodged some, but several flames struck me before the spell ended. By the time I regained my balance, the woman was already fleeing, leaving her basket behind.
Within a fifty-meter radius, the weed-covered ground was burning. The town was only five hundred meters away, yet it was dead silent. No one came to help.
I dashed through the blaze, eyes shut, until I finally leapt out of the fire’s reach. With my bare hands, I dug up soil, circling the flames to make a barricade.
“What kind of fire is this!!??” I yelled, bruising my hands as I shoveled dirt. At last, the flames died, leaving only smoke.
“That old woman… she caused this destruction so easily. Just how powerful are people in this world if even an old woman can wield magic like that?”
I thought this time would be different. But if even an old woman attacks me, then surely I’ll be killed if I enter the city.
“What do I do? Live isolated in the mountains, never sure when my next meal will come?” No… I can’t.
First things first. The basket she abandoned was untouched by the fire. I picked it up, both hands straining at its impossible weight.
“How can food be this heavy?”
It took minutes to drag it to the woman’s house, an old, unkempt building isolated from the others. Stopping about 190 meters away, I set the basket down. That should do it. She would feel my aura and know I’d returned her basket.
“The fruits looked so delicious… I wonder what they taste like.” My stomach growled as I walked back toward the rock.
But near the smoke, I heard a shout:
“Hey, demon!!”
Three men charged toward me. Adventurers. They circled me with weapons raised.
“This will be an easy quest,” said the one in the bandanna. “Exterminate the demon, and we’ll be rewarded plenty.”
They attacked as one — the brawler’s wave punches tearing through the air, the crusader’s “Closing Slash” closing the gap. I blocked the crusader’s blade, realizing in shock that my training with the sword had worked.
But before I could counter, the bandanna-wearing leader’s fist slammed into me, sending me crashing to the ground. My sword flew from my hand.
The brawler’s air waves crushed into me, and finally, the crusader’s blade stabbed into my chest.
My vision went black.
…When I woke, my wounds were gone. My skin looked new, shining like a baby’s.
“Fools. I traveled with Milta once. Her healing rubbed off on me. As if I’d die that easily.”
No time had passed. My clothes were in tatters, but my body felt fine. Still, my stomach screamed louder than ever.
“Maybe… I should’ve taken that old woman’s food.” I collapsed in the shade of the rock, exhausted.
Something struck my shoulder. Not hard, more like fruit than stone.
Another, and another, falling at intervals. I ignored them.
When one finally hit my head, I snapped.
“Who the hell is it!!??”
“KYAAAAH!!” a small voice cried back.
I turned to see a silver-haired demi-human girl, tail swishing nervously. Her clothes were short and ragged, barely covering her small frame.
“I-I… I brought you some food!!” she shouted, holding up a paper bag full of fruit.
“!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????????????”