*Apparently the title (ăçŻä»ăçŒă), refers to when youâre caring too much about another person to the point where it starts becoming really annoying for them, even when youâre only acting out of goodwill.
With a ragged breath, Zeros runs through the forest in the middle of the night.
The surroundings are filled with monsters that prey upon each other, the weak being nothing but fodder for the strong.
The days of concealing his breath and erasing his presence continue.
âKuh⊠For how long do I have to keep doing this shit!? Is there even a way out of this forest?â
He returned to his younger selfâs way of speaking*, and while he had a severely haggard appearance, his eyes were sharp like a beastâs.
(*T.N: he usually talks with a super polite speech, while here heâs speaking casually, though itâs hard to translate his usual tone without sounding too awkward imo.)
But, he couldnât afford to worry about his speech right now.
All around him are monsters that attack as soon as they see him, so he has to keep being on high alert even while eating and sleeping, and because of that, the mental fatigue keeps accumulating.
Thereâs barely even time to rest, as heâs in the middle of a nest of hellish demons.
Individually, the monsters arenât very strong, but every time he defeats one, others immediately come to attack him, attracted by the smell of blood.
Depending on the monsterâs species, they might come alone or in groups, increasing his exhaustion.
He adjusts his breathing in between battles, but pays attention to the surroundings without relaxing his guard.
Just a moment of carelessness could prove to be fatal.
â!?â
He jumps away immediately after sensing a presence behind him.
ââSlash!
A deep incision is carved onto the ground. It was an enemy attack, though he canât see where it is.
He sharpens his senses and focuses on searching for signs of movements in the surroundings.
(Itâs⊠I can feel it looking at meâŠ)
Though he doesnât have any visual confirmation of the enemy, itâs clear that thereâs a dangerous predator aiming for him.
Beasts instinctively avoid clashing with a stronger foe, but itâs a different story altogether when they sense a weaker opponent.
The survival of the fittest is the original providence of nature.
Naturally, you canât live if you donât kill and eat other living beings. And thatâs true for both Zeros and his opponent.
He doesnât know what kind of monster the other party is, but thereâs no doubt that it has the ability to camouflage itself.
âThe problem is which type is it⊠an optical camouflage, or some sort of cognitive disruption ability?â
Optical camouflage refers to the ability to hide oneâs figure by refracting the light from the surroundings.
Cognitive disruption is the type of camouflage that sends a specific wavelength directly to the opponentâs brain, interfering with their five senses and causing them to be unable to recognize the user, thus, successfully concealing their presence from their prey.
It was impossible for the latter to be the case, given that Zeros definitely felt a monsterâs presence the moment it attacked.
He determined that there was a high probability that it was some kind of optical camouflage.
Sensing another attack, Zeros instinctively jumps again, hooking a wire to the branches of a giant tree, big enough to make one think that it must be over a century old to get to that size.
And, sure enough, on the place he was standing just a moment ago, there were a few marks carved onto the ground again.
At this point, Zeros was sure it was an attack by slashing.
Moreover, he was able to confirm the enemyâs appearance for a brief moment. It was something more similar to a blur caused by the space distorting, but it was obviously a large size monster.
Incidentally, most likely because theyâre afraid of the existence of such a powerful being, the surrounding monsters are not approaching them.
âPierce, ă Arrow of the Hunting God ă.â
The dust floating around instantly condenses forming an arrow capable of piercing through steel, which is then released towards the direction of the optical distortion.
It probably managed to penetrate its back, but due to its camouflage it was impossible for Zeros to confirm the damaged dealt.
ââKishaaaaaa!!!
Maybe because of the pain it felt, the monster released its optical camouflage and showed itself.
Though it looked like a giant praying mantis, somehow its appearance was grotesque and repulsive.
Possessing a black outer shell, long sickle-like forelegs, and long and stout hind legs that supported its massive body. Its sharp pincers gouge the ground and its compound eyes glows with a crimson hue.
âDeath MantisâŠâ
In the game, it was a type of monster that could be easily defeated, but suddenly having it actually in front of him, makes its presence feel much stronger.
There was a vast gap between its level and its gruesome appearance.
It had innumerable sharp protrusions all over its body as if to protect it from external threats.
âIs it an evolved species or a subspeciesâŠ? How annoying, do insects even feel pain?â
Though it was a rather naive thing to ask in this otherworld.
Because this world has a different common sense, he has no way of telling whether his knowledge is useful or not.
In any case, the monster had to be defeated, but its armor-like outer shell made it a truly troublesome opponent.
It was able to raise its defense power by circulating mana throughout its already tough shell, and only weapons similarly clad in mana would be able to counterbalance its enhanced defense.
Even though Zeros could easily defeat it, considering the magnitude of the forest he was in, he wanted to preserve as much mana as he could, because, no matter how high your mana capacity is, it will reach its limits.
In this harsh environment, magic is his only lifeline, thus he doesnât want to waste even the tiniest amount of it.
Zeros accelerates towards the bosom of the Death Mantis.
Reacting to his movements, the Death Mantis swings its scythe-like foreleg towards Zeros with tremendous speed.
But he aimed for that exact moment.
âHere!â
Two short swords are swung against the joints that connect both sickles to their respective forelegs.
Itâs common practice to take away the enemyâs strength first, thatâs why he aimed to sever its massive scythes.
Without waiting for any confirmation, Zeros ran and slashed at the weak joints with his two short-swords. Striking the same spot at the same time, Zeros swords instantly cut both its forelegs apart.
The Death Mantisâ sickles fly through the air and pierce the ground.
Furthermore, the same action is repeated with each of its limbs, and so, the Death Mantis, whose limbs have been completely mutilated, falls to the ground.
After quickly dismantling the beaten-up monster and placing its parts into his inventory, Zeros starts walking out again, promptly leaving that spot as soon as possible. Given that monsters are very sensitive to the smell of blood, they are bound to approach sooner rather than later.
But this was a demonic forest where many powerful monsters gathered.
Even after defeating a monster, this is a hellish environment where another powerful monster will attack you without a momentâs delay.
ââBuruburuburuâŠ
A heavy, low-pitched sound resonates in his head. And, as Zeros turns in the direction of the sound⊠it appeared there.
A creature with a jet-black outer shell shining with an impressive luster.
Itâs a strong insect that has roamed the planet since time immemorial without much change to its appearance.
And above all⊠huge.
âG-Great Giveridon*âŠâ
(*T.N: The name is supposed to be some kind of pun involving the name for cockroaches in Japanese [ăŽăăăȘ gokiburi] and making it sound like some kind of dinosaur, but I couldnât think of a way to translate it into English.)
A thing he didnât want to see even more than those white monkeys, came flying towards him at a high speed.
The Great Giveridon lands on the ground with a roaring sound.
It was the strongest insect-type monster, with a body much larger than the Death Mantis.
It moves its giant antennas searching for food, and the moment its compound eyes caught sight of Zerosâ figureâŠ
-Zazazazazaza!!!
It started running with unbelievable swiftness.
To put it plainly, itâs an incredibly disgusting creature.
Moreover, as it approaches, it creates a large dust cloud while knocking down all the nearby trees in its path.
For many reasons, Zerosâ face goes pale.
â No! Oh my God!! Help me!!!â
*T.N: said in English.
Due to the extreme terror and mental stress the monster caused him, he stopped being Japanese for a moment there.
The Great Sage not only was terrified of a certain ape with strange tendencies, but also completely dreaded cockroaches.
(*T.N: The author probably didnât mean it like that, but the literal translation sounds really offensive, like, damn. It was something like âhe hates the gays and cockroachesâ.)
Rather, if thereâs someone who likes both of those, then by all means, they are welcomed to take Zerosâ place and engage in all sorts of âbiological relationshipsâ with them.
âWhy⊠Just why cockroaches in this world had to be fucking gigantic!!â
Itâs as Zeros said. Even if the Death Mantis had those fiendish protuberances growing out of its shell, unlike the mantises he knew, the cockroaches had an appearance comparable, if not the same, to the ones in his former world.
In this otherworld, itâs a creature that has maintained the same appearance since time immemorial, and has also become as big as a dinosaur.
It would be easy to kill them with a single swing of oneâs slippers, if it were the cockroaches from Earth, but that wouldnât be a suitable approach for a 10 meters long insect. More like, it would be completely useless.
To make matters worse, Zerosâ appraisal didnât work on it for some reason, even its status couldnât be read.
That episode was only one in the series of incidents that could only be thought as harassment.
Itâs also one of the reasons behind his apathy towards the four goddesses*.
(*T.N: The term used ćæ±ăźć„łç„ can mean that thereâs a goddess with or supporting four pillars, or that there are simply four goddesses[the word pillar being a counter for gods], which is what Iâm going for until it clearly appears differently in future chapters. Also, I think I translated previous chapters in a different way, so Iâm going to recheck afterwards.)
The Giveridon gives chase to Zeros who promptly started running away.
Heâs chased by the gigantic, disgusting, and fierce insect until early morning. Soon after, the cry of a heartbroken middle-aged man resonates in the forest.
Ironically, the mortal pursuit made him get closer to the highway. Though Zeros doesnât know that fact.
The cockroach might be an unexpectedly good fella.
â⊠And thatâs how it went. Huh? Whatâs wrong?â
The three mercenary girls, Iris, Rena, and Jane, were lying flat on the table and mumbling things like: â Cockroaches⊠scary â, â I donât want to ever see a gigantic cockroach monster⊠â, while trembling.
At breakfast, Zeros was asked to speak about his experiences, so he told them the anecdote of the time he was lost in Far-flung forest and encountered a massive cockroach, but it seemed that imagining such a monster caused them to have a mental breakdown all at once.
âMister⊠thatâs quite the adventureâŠâ
âZeros-san, youâve done well in coming back. No one would want to approach the evil monsters inhabiting that god-forsaken forest.â
âA gigantic cockroach huh⊠Iâm amazed you managed to defeat such a fiendish thingâŠâ
Incidentally, the Great Giveridon he encountered was the biggest specimen ever registered, because up until that moment, they were yet to find an individual Giveridon over the five-meter class.
Nonetheless, it was still hard to conceive the heinousness of a monster with such a huge body moving at an insane speed while mowing down all nearby trees.
Additionally, the larger it is, the thicker its outer shell is, so, without using something at the level of siege weapons, it would be impossible to hurt it.
Itâs even difficult to escape from such an outrageous monster.
But, the girls were scared of it in a different sense. They didnât even know what to feel about him anymore.
âWouldnât it be better if we quickly finish breakfast? Weâre going to the mine now, right?â
âYouâre right, butâŠâ
âI lost my appetite⊠ugh, gigantic cockroachesâŠâ
ââŠ.. ( buruburu )â
(*T.N: shaking sfx apparently.)
One they start imagining it, they canât stop.
A fiendish figure creeps inside their mind, depriving them of their appetite.
âIf you lose your appetite with something of this level, you wonât last much as a mercenary. There will be times you will have to kill human opponents, right? Like bandits, thugs, or even other mercenaries.â
âMister, can you stop saying such nasty things? We specialize in monster subjugation.â
âThatâs right. I canât kill other human beings, even if theyâre bad guysâŠâ
âSo thatâs how you were both caught? You need to think about how are you going to survive if thereâs someone trying to harm you. As a mercenary, itâs your own responsibility to take care of yourself, you canât expect someone to help you every time you are in trouble.â
Iris and Rena seem to have never killed a person before. Thatâs why they hesitated and were captured by bandits.
Itâs really naive, thinking they could survive while refusing to kill a person in this world, where the price of life is rather insignificant.
âWell, Iâm not someone who can smile and calmly kill other human beings, but Iâm resolved to kill someone if I had to.â
âIâve killed before, and I didnât feel good about it.â
âIf thereâs someone who can kill people comfortably, they have something wrong in their head.â
It appears Jane has killed bandits before, but she wasnât fond of it.
As mercenaries, they will sometimes be faced against criminals, and killing them is allowed in order to protect themselves.
Even so, Zeros still thought of it as unpleasant because he would still be responsible of taking another personâs life.
âThen, why donât we wrap up our food in a bento* instead, and save it up for later?â
(*T.N: japanese lunchbox.)
âAh! Right, there was that.â
âBento? Whatâs that?â
âNever heard of it, but Iris seems to know, right?â
There were no such things as bentos in this world.
Most workers live in the city, and often work close to their own homes. And, even if they canât return to have a meal, there are many shops where they can get something to eat.
There are street stalls as well, so there wasnât a real need for bentos.
âIâll make a sandwich with the smoked meat and the vegetables and wrap it up in paper.â
âI see, then Iris will take care of the bentos.â
âGood idea! Can I leave it to you, Iris?â
âOkayïœâȘ! Then, wait for me in front of the inn until Iâm done, mister.â
Iris heads towards the kitchen with a light gait.
Incidentally, it seems like the innkeeper of Ahhan villageâs inn was also the chef, like the owner of a certain inn for sailors from somewhere.
(*T.N: didnât get the reference, and also, totally random.)
âBy the way, are the materials from the Death Mantis good? Can you make equipment with them?â
âIts shell is great for making different kinds of weapons and armor. Itâs light and strong, though itâs weak against fire magic.â
âWell, itâs an insect, so itâs a taken that itâd be weak against fire.â
âThe meat around the shell was exquisite. It tasted like crab or shrimp.â
The air suddenly froze as he said that.
âD-Did you eat the Death MantisâŠ?â
âItâs a monster! Are you sane!?â
âItâs alright. You guys also eat things like Orc meat, so is not that strange, is it? And above all, it was a situation where I had no choice but to eat monstersâ meat to survive, thatâs why, if there was no poison in it, I had to eat it.â
âI get that but youâd eat a huge insect too?â
âItâs not something Iâd usually consider eating⊠No, actually, itâs impossible. No way!â
âWith that mindset, youâll starve to death in the case of an emergency. Living is a battle⊠Yes, it can be called a war, evenâŠâ
(Somehow⊠their eyes look scary.)[*Zeros]
(I know it mustâve been a horrible experience, but isnât that a bit too extreme? Yup, I definitely wonât ever go near that forest.)[*Jane]
Because Zeros had eaten grasshopper tsukudani* in his former world, he didnât have that much aversion to eating insects.
(*T.N: seafood, meat or seaweed preserved in soy sauce and mirin; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukudani )
Except for cockroaches. His body physiologically rejected the mere notion of it.
Even though it should be the same thing, in the sense that both Orcs and Mantises were monsters, the girls were completely lost in thought, pondering whether it would be okay to eat them.
âThe bentos are A-okay!⊠Huh? Did something happen?â
âI wonder if we are the ones who are in the wrong here⊠Even so, insects areâŠâ
âBugs are no good⊠Yes, you canât eat bugs⊠However, Orcs are monsters too. No, Iâm not wrong here, am I?â
Iris, who had already returned, tilts her head while asking curiously.
Besides them, Zeros had lit up a cigarette and was enjoying a little rest after breakfast. The smoke drifting from such an uncle flows quietly over the heads of the two disquieted girls.
âăăâăăâăăâ
Behind Ahhan village thereâs a three-peaked mountain, and the mine was located in one of them.
There was a period when the mine had an abundance of gold deposits, which prompted many people to try their luck extracting gold.
However, at some point in time, a large amount of monsters started to appear inside the mine forcing the miners to abandon their workplace.
Two hundred years later, mercenaries frequently visit the mine, looking to level up and extract ores to repair or improve their equipment. And, at the same time, they made up most of the villageâs income, in the form of lodging fees and the food sold at street stalls.
Even so, it couldnât be said that it was a rich and prosperous village. More often than not, they would incur in many unnecessary expenses due to the occasional violent mercenary.
In a sense, Ahhan village was in a rather precarious state.
âThere are quite a few people, arenât there? I wonder if they are all mercenaries.â
âYour level will go up as you defeat monsters, but itâs still a dangerous job. Itâs natural to want to improve your equipment first.â
âI see⊠But there seems to be quite a few ill-mannered brutes around. Look over there for example.â
In the place where Zeros pointed at, there was a middle-age looking mercenary picking a fight with a young boy who appeared to be a rookie mercenary. He reeked of small-fry, though he at least looked stronger than the boy.
âHee? What a fine sword ya got there. Anyhow, ya donât know how to use it, right? Be relieved, Iâll use it well in yer place.â
âThis is my fatherâs memento, no way Iâm giving it anyone!â
âYer old man probably wanted it to be used by a veteran like me, and not some greenhorn like you, ainât it?â
âShut up, what would you know about my father!!â
âYâknow, Iâm an expert. I can see how much skill ya need to handle a sword like that.â
He was clearly trying to take the boyâs sword. And, the two other people who seemed to be the manâs companions were mocking the boy with vulgar smiles on their faces.
Naturally, there were other mercenaries around, but no one looked like they were going to help him.
(Why does it trigger itself now? This thing really is annoying.)
He genuinely detested whenever the skill was randomly activated for no reason so Zeros complains while sighing.
âHehehe⊠I got myself a fine sword.â
âG-Give it backâŠâ
âFuck off! It mightâve been too good for ya, kid, be grateful that Iâll put it to good use.â
With a punch, the young boy was sent flying while the other thug-like mercenaries sneered at him.
âExcuse me. I know you might be pleased with the sword you took from that boy, but you should give it up, that sword is uselessâŠâ
âT-The fuck you wantâŠ?â
âYouâre wrong, I donât really care about the kid, but the sword is already too battered. If you continue to use it youâll die sooner rather than later. Though, itâs not that I care, really.â
The thug-like mercenary turns around to briefly glance at his companions.
âYa think Iâd be scared by that!?â
âThough I have no obligation to do so, I could demonstrate it with some water. Nonetheless, I have the ă Appraisal ă skillâŠâ
The appraisal skill was able to cognize an objectâs details in proportion to the skillâs level, and it was the same for humans. You could even see your opponentâs level, though it was illegal to look at other peopleâs statuses.
âActually the appraisal skill was activated on its own, so thatâs how I know about the sword. Itâs up to you to decide to believe me or not, after all, you are the one whoâs going to die because of it. Iâm not really interested in what happens to you.â
âWha!?⊠Seriously!?â
âI already said itâs up to you to believe or not. Thatâs all I have to say about it.â
He couldnât help but to feel anxious when a suspicious-looking magician says that he was going to die, but still, it was a pretty reliable advice if he actually had the appraisal skill.
However, it was also highly likely that such a magician would lie in order to deceive him.
While he was swaying between the two options, the man looked at the swords at Zerosâ waist, and a third option appeared.
Zeros was a scruffy-looking magician with a medium build and the same age as him. He didnât look like he was able to swing a sword.
Above all, he was a gray-robed magician that didnât seem particularly strong in the manâs eyes.
âHow about exchanging it for your swords?â
âI refuse.â
âHuh, this thing is made of mithril, yâknow?⊠âHow insistent, I have no need for a defective swordâŠâ is what youâre thinking, right?â
Negotiations were flatly rejected.
Furthermore, he refused because it was a defective item, confirming that the mithril sword was useless as a weapon.
Yet, seeing the swords at the magicianâs waist, he licks his lips with a disgusting expression, realizing that he could take his swords as well and wouldnât be able to do anything to stop him.
âYer a magician, ainât ya? Surely ya donât need the swo-!?â
The man could not finish his sentence because a sword was suddenly stuck to his throat.
In the place where the tip of the sword made contact with the manâs throat, a red streak runs down the blade.
âWhere did you get that I couldnât use a sword. Rather, Iâm obviously stronger than you⊠Are you saying that you want to die?â
âHiii!?â
âHow? In which moment⊠the swordâŠâ
âYa tricked me⊠You ainât no magician!â
Zerosâ was so fast that the man didnât even notice the moment the sword was unsheathed, and the surrounding mercenaries realized that the opponent in front of them was fairly skillful, not someone they could beat.
The man knew that the magician in front of him was, figuratively speaking, grasping his heart with his hands.
âYou want a good weapon even though youâre that mediocre? Are you a kid? Are you relying on the quality of your weapons because you know youâre a third-rate mercenary at best, right? Hey, am I right? Answer me.
I donât know if you thought you were invincible or the sort, but donât think youâll live long if you canât judge your opponentâs ability at this point, right? Well, youâre probably even more incompetent than some third-rate mercenary. Do you want to die? Itâs not some terrible thing anyways, no one will be sad if you die.â
Seemingly in an instant, the suspicious-looking magician turned into a monster. He calmly bound the manâs heart with fear. Although there was no killing intent, he could die any moment depending on his mood. That fact plunged the man into the depths of an unspoken terror.
âHonestly, Iâm tired, you know?ïœ Even though I came here to mine ores, I have to deal with you trash⊠You guys get it, right?â
âAhâŠah⊠Iâm sorry, we were justâŠâ
âIâll say this just once: Please return the sword immediately and disappear from my sight. If I see any of you again, thenâŠâ
âT-ThenâŠ?â
âIâll give you all a one-way ticket to hell kukukuâŠâ
The mercenaries threw out their swords and ran away all at once in perfect harmony. They were the kind of people who became mercenaries by inertia. They didnât know how to measure their opponentâs ability, and naturally, even less how to fight a stronger opponent.
Though, the speed at which they escaped was first classâŠ
âFuu⊠Arenât there a lot of thugs lately?â
Where did his threatening aura go? In an instant, Zeros returned to being a scruffy-looking middle-aged man.
The young boy walked towards such an uncle.
âUâŠU-Uhm, thank you very much.â
âNo need to thank me, I was just forced to intervene.â
âNo, this is my fatherâs memento, seriously, thank you so much!â
âI donât really care. You were lucky today, thatâs all. In this line of work you never know what might happen tomorrow.â
The boy had a somewhat feminine face, not quite how one would picture a mercenary. But, despite that, Zeros could see a strong resolve in his eyes.
(Haah⊠He seems to be very determined, if he ends up dying because of the sword I donât think Iâll be able to sleep at nightâŠ)
He was a bit worried about the young mercenary.
Zeros then proceeded to take a piece of paper from his inventory and spread it on the ground.
It was a magic circle for performing alchemy.
âLend me that sword. Iâll try to fix it for a bit.â
âEh? But, this sword is already pretty thrashed.â
âAnd thatâs why you came to the mine, right? To extract metal ores to get a new one. But, the sword might not hold out until then. Think of this as just slightly extending its useful lifetime, alright?â
âI-Is that really fine? B-But, how did you know?â
âYou can tell just by looking. But well, it might be hard to distinguish iron and mithril at first glanceâŠâŠ Anyhow, this is just me being a busybody. You had a really good luck because this is just a whim of mine, do you understand?â
â⊠Yes, I understand. Please repair it!â
Zeros receives the sword and places it in the center of the magic circle. By pouring mana into it, the magic formula unfolds and the float levitates in the air.
Semi-transparent panels emerge around the sword, displaying detailed data on its state.
âHmm, the composition is 30% iron, 20% damascus, and 50% mithril. I wanted to examine it without damaging it further.â
As he checked the information, the repair program was hastily built, faster than the time it would take someone to mutter âAlchemyâ , while tapping on the console panel. As expected of a former programmer, he worked fast.
An extremely dense magic formula spreads and glows inside the deployed magic circle, executing its predetermined function.
At first glance, it looked like a complete repair was possible, but in reality, itâs just a temporary fix. The sword cannot be completely restored to its original state.
Zeros smokes a cigarette after quickly finishing the repair.
âAlright, I was able to do it, but itâs only temporary until you get a new sword. If you continue to use it, you will die. Do you understand?â
âT-Thank you so much! Of course, I understand, I was planning to get a new sword since the beginning.â
âI see. Well, I want you to think that itâs at least better than a regular iron sword. It wonât break for a while⊠Ahh, though maybe it depends on the person using it?â
âThatâs plenty enough. I appreciate a lot! I can finally go to mine iron ores now.â
While seeing off the young boy who ran out with joy and a newfound determination, he muttered âItâs good to be youngâŠâ
After putting the magic circle back into his inventory, Zeros notices the cold gazes of the three girls for some unknown reason.
âW-What? Why are you looking at me as if I were trash?â
âMister⊠I thought you said you werenât interested in kidsâŠâŠâ
âYouâre surprisingly skillful and quick⊠how kind.â
âSo he is a womanizer after allâŠâŠ and, and heâs targeting me as wellâŠâ
He didnât understand the meaning of their words. After all, he just helped a young boy who was in trouble. He shouldnât be despised only for that.
âMister, so youâre into tomboyish girls?â
âJane is also kinda mannish, so sheâs your type too, right?â
ââŠâŠ( *goku goku, buru buru* )â
*T.N: trembling sfx
ââŠâŠâŠ What? â
And then, he finally manages to understand. The child he thought was a young boy, was actually a girl.âŠ
âThat kid was a girl!?â
âYou didnât notice, mister?â
âHmm, she could pass as a cute and yummy young boy I guessâŠâŠ But, well. You could tell she was a girl just by looking, right?â
âThis old man⊠Youâre the worst.â
Even though it was supposed to be a small act of kindness, they looked at Zeros with eyes full of contempt. It was quite unreasonable.
âRena-san, please wait a minute. What was that about young boys!?â
âI dunno what youâre talking about heheheheâĄâŠâ
As she seemed to have remembered something, the face of the beautiful woman distorted in a slovenly fashion.
She was quite a disappointing beauty. And more than that, rather scary.
âWho is really the lowest, me, who just mistook a girl for a young boy, or she, who goes out with minors?â
ââYou both are the worst!!ââ
The voices of Jane and Iris beautifully overlap in synchrony.
Still, it was unjustified. How sad was it for him to be in the same category as her. He canât make sense of anything anymore.
âSomehow, Iâm not convinced, but whatever. Letâs go to the mine.â
âAh, I was wrong. Youâre clearly the worst, mister.â
âWell then, it should be over there, right? I donât know what might happen when it gets dark, so letâs get going nowâ
Ignoring what she says, Zeros heads towards the mineâs entrance. He knew it was useless to say anything more.
Changing the mood, he stepped into the mine inhabited by monsters.
Behind him, Rena still had a slovenly smile, but he decided to ignore her as well.
She appeared to still be recalling something, but her expression was plainly creepy. Although she was usually a level-headed person, that propensity of her made her disappointing.
â
They all head down the mine while keeping a certain distance from her so it didnât seem like they knew each other.
One for all, all for one.*
(*T.N: ăăăăăźçźçăźăăă«ă; maybe itâs some different idiom.)