Volume 2 Chapter 15 Death Side-by-Side
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I found a goblin settlement deep within the Magic Forest¹ and wiped them out.
I spotted a human girl who had been kidnapped by the goblins in that settlement, but I turned my back and left her to her fate.
* * *
The next day, after a late breakfast, I headed to the Magic Forest.
I activated Fly² in a spot hidden from public view and began scouting the shallow layers of the woods.
Based on my sense of time, after two or three hours of scouting, I managed to take down one boar and several Horn Rabbits and Goblins.
After taking a break up in a tree, I decided to go a little deeper into the forest.
Yesterday, the goblin settlement was on the other side of the Melin River, so I figured there might be more monsters over that way.
I crossed the Melin River and proceeded deeper into the forest toward the west.
A long stretch of time followed where I couldn’t find any prey.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps in the distance.
As I flew toward the sound, the backs of two massive creatures thirty meters ahead leaped into view.
I caught a glimpse of a profile, seeing a pig’s head mounted on a gargantuan body.
They were taller and had thicker cores than the sumo wrestlers I’d seen at the Ryogoku Kokugikan.
I could tell at a glance that their skeletal structures were different from humanity.
They held stupidly huge clubs that looked like logs, and I knew if I were hit by one, I’d be dead instantly.
However, their vitals were open.
(I can do this…)
They were only wearing furs around their waists, with no other armor to speak of.
”Fire Arrow³!” said Ryuichi.
To start, I created two fire arrows and fired them toward their heads.
The arrows landed on the backs of their skulls without missing, and the sound of twin explosions echoed through the trees.
However, despite taking direct hits, both of them endured the impact and stayed on their feet.
They didn’t fall.
Instead, they turned around and glared at me.
I’d been spotted.
With heavy thuds and clangs, they started charging toward me, swinging their clubs.
”Ice Bullet⁴!”
I fired a continuous stream of ice projectiles at the one in front.
Many rounds hit the torso, and they should have pierced the heart, but he didn’t even flinch.
I hit his legs and arms, but he didn’t slow down or drop his club.
”Air Hammer⁵!”
I was fifteen meters away-a bit far, but I tried to stop him with a blast of compressed air.
The one in front slowed down for a second, but he soon regained his pace and kept coming.
Ten meters left.
The massive head was at the level of my waist, and that club was coming for me.
(I’m going to die…)
A chill ran through me at the approaching scent of death.
”Wind Cutter⁶!”
I unleashed a flurry of wind blades at the giant’s neck from point-blank range.
If this didn’t work, I was going to bolt.
The blades bit deep, carving through the throat, and the giant lost its footing and slid across the dirt.
I slammed more blades into the neck of the second one, and blood sprayed from the gash as it collapsed.
”Haa… haa… haa…”
They thrashed on the ground, a loud, wet wheezing sound coming from their ruined throats.
Blood poured out like an overturned bucket, splash after splash.
After a few minutes, the flow slowed, and the giants’ breathing finally stopped.
I stood in the air, staring at them in a daze.
I landed and approached.
Pig faces and massive frames with thick bones.
The skin on the back of the head where the Fire Arrow hit was gone, but the skull wasn’t even cracked.
The Ice Bullets had been blocked by thick muscle, fat, and sturdy ribs, never reaching the vitals.
Even the neck I’d cut with Wind Cutter had an intact spine.
My long-range attacks couldn’t stop their charge, and I’d been forced into a desperate gamble.
(One mistake and I’d be dead…)
I decided to head back to town for the day, and I had no trouble storing the massive corpses in my Storage⁷ dimension.
Back at the guild, I asked Balan to appraise the smaller hauls.
”A boar, some Horn Rabbits, and magic stones,” Balan said. “Altogether, that’s 1 gold, 3 silver, and 5 copper.”
”Fine. I’ll take it,” I replied. “Also, I want to ask about those pig-faced monsters.”
”Oh, you mean Orcs?” Balan asked.
”Yeah, those. What’s the deal with them?”
”Well, man, Orc meat is top-grade stuff,” said Balan. “The organs are delicious, and they can be used for medicine.”
”How do you kill them?”
”You usually have to surround ’em with a big group,” Balan explained. “They live deep in the forest, so just getting to them is life-threatening. They rarely hit the market.”
”No one can take them down solo?”
”Not in Grimm, I reckon,” Balan said.
It seems the pig monsters were Orcs, and apparently, almost no one can beat them.
I cashed out at the desk, but as I was leaving, a voice called out from behind.
”Hey, old man. Step outside for a second,” the man said.
Two men with stubble approached from the tavern area, both armed with swords.
”…Yeah? What do you want?” I asked.
”Don’t worry about the details. Just shut up and come with us,” the man replied.
”I refuse. I don’t follow people for no reason.”
”Geezer! You’re damn noisy!”
Wham!
One of the men punched me square in the face, sending me flying against the wall.
I hit the back of my head hard and everything went dark.
Even when I opened my eyes, I couldn’t see clearly, and I could feel blood running into my mouth.
”You piece of trash! You should’ve just followed us!”
The one who punched me started kicking me in the stomach repeatedly, so I curled into a ball to protect my head.
”Stop it! That’s enough!” shouted a voice.
”That’s quite enough,” said Sismond. “Any more and I’ll strip you of your Adventurer Plate⁸s.”
Balan and the Guild Master, Sismond, had arrived.
”Tch! Fine, geezer. We’ll leave it at this,” the man said.
”Hey, old man. Don’t act tough if you’re weak,” the other added. “Next time, don’t talk back, got it?”
The two left with a final insult.
”Ryuichi-san, are you okay?” asked Balan.
”…Yeah, thanks.”
”What happened?”
”Not sure. They just came at me.”
I thanked them and left, but back at the inn, Nier rushed over.
”Goshujin-sama! What happened!?” Nier cried.
”Got caught by some thugs. They punched me,” I said.
”…Sit down, please.”
My stomach was fine, but my face was killing me, and when Nier looked, she saw my nose was broken.
I manually snapped my nose back into place and cast my healing magic.
”Gwah! Extra Heal⁹.”
Nier checked me over, and it looked like it was back to normal.
”Phew. Is it fixed?” I asked.
”Goshujin-sama, why didn’t you use magic?” Nier asked.
”My magic is too powerful,” I explained. “If I show it off and some noble starts stalking me, it’ll be a pain.”
”Well… I suppose that’s true.”
I wish I could have used it, but I didn’t know how much I could show without causing trouble.
”Do you know what kind of magic sorcerers usually use?” I asked.
”Magic? Producing water or lighting a fire is common,” Nier said. “And the church’s healing magic.”
”What about attack magic?”
”I’ve heard people can throw flames,” said Nier.
”About this size?”
I conjured a fireball the size of a soccer ball.
”Yes. Probably,” Nier replied. “I think they call it ‘Fireball¹⁰‘.”
(So they call it Fireball here, too…)
”Do you know how fast they can cast it?” I asked.
”Speed? No, I don’t know,” Nier said.
So Fireball is known, and if I stick to that level, I shouldn’t stand out too much.
Since wind magic is invisible, I can probably get away with instant casting.
”Right. That helps. I’ll use magic from now on, so don’t worry,” I said.
”I’m glad…” Nier whispered.
* * *
The next day, I was walking toward the North Gate when I spotted someone across the street.
A filthy person in rags was crouching down, picking up human waste with their bare hands.
”Ah! It’s Ryuichi-san! You’re Ryuichi-san, right!?” the person cried.
”That voice… Helga?” I asked.
”Aah! It is you!!”
It was Helga, the bratty former receptionist.
She ran across the road, a bucket of filth in one hand and a handful of waste in the other.
”Ryuichi-san! I got fired because of you!!” Helga screamed.
”Whoa, now. Don’t go making me out to be the villain,” said Ryuichi.
”I finally got a job, and because of you…!”
”No, you brought that on yourself.”
”Uuuu… At this rate, I’ll have to sell myself to a slave merchant!” Helga raved. “Take responsibility! You owe me!!”
(Yeah, we’re not getting anywhere…)
I bolted for the gate, and Helga chased me for a bit with her bucket before finally giving up.
”Whew. That was close. She’s a legit psycho.”
I walked toward the Magic Forest, and a group of three adventurers approached from behind.
”What’s this? An old man?” the guy asked. “You sure you’re okay going into the forest alone?”
”Wait, John! Stop saying stuff like that!” the girl cried.
”Sorry about him, he’s an idiot,” the other man added.
They were youngsters, about twenty years old-two guys and a girl.
The one who spoke was a blonde guy named John.
”It’s fine. I’m not bothered,” I said.
”See? The old man says it’s fine!” John cheered.
”I’m just saying, I’m only doing this because I’m worried about you,” John said.
”I-idiot! I told you to stop saying such rude things already!” Reina snapped back.
”Are you three adventurers?” I asked.
”That’s right. We’re Copper Plate¹¹!” John boasted.
”I see. Have you been in Grimm for long?” I asked.
”Huh? Oh, yeah… we’ve been in Grimm for about two years now,” John replied.
”I see,” said Ryuichi.
”U-um, we all actually come from the same village,” Reina added.
”What about you, old man? Are you an adventurer?” John asked.
”Yeah, I’m Copper Plate too,” I replied.
”Eh!? Ah, I’m so sorry!” Reina gasped.
”For real? You look like some washed-up old guy, but I guess you’ve got some skills,” John said.
”Well, more or less,” I replied.
They told me they had come to Grimm together from a nearby village to work as adventurers.
The foul-mouthed blond was John, the long-haired one who seemed like the voice of reason was Allen, and the lone woman was Reina.
John was equipped with a two-handed sword, Allen had a one-handed sword and a buckler, and Reina carried a dagger and a bow.
I walked toward the forest, making small talk with the three of them.
(Goblins have physical strength on par with an adult man despite their small frames, so taking them on one-on-one is apparently a risk… Usually, nobody challenges them alone.)
The basic rule is to form a party and always fight with superior numbers.
I had thought Goblins were just fodder, but to the people of this world, they are an enemy that cannot be underestimated.
According to their story, no one ever goes into the Magic Forest alone.
That’s why they were worried about me.
As we spoke, I realized they were a decent, good-natured group of three without a cynical bone in their bodies.
We arrived at the Magic Forest, and I parted ways with them to head in a different direction.
Since I had struggled against an Orc when I went deep yesterday, I decided to scout the shallower layers.
I hunted down monsters while taking intermittent breaks.
I encountered some new monsters today as well.
They were giant green caterpillars wriggling across the ground.
Even after I cut their bodies, they kept moving, so I used Wind Cutter¹² to shred them into pieces until they stopped.
They were small, but they had Magic Stone¹³s, so they were definitely monsters.
I was moving through the forest thinking it was about time to head back when a scream echoed from deep within the woods.
As I drew closer to the sound, I saw the group from earlier locked in a fight with a large pack of wolves.
John and Allen were acting as the vanguard to protect Reina while she provided cover fire with her bow.
A wolf was clamped onto Allen’s leg.
The beast shook its head violently from side to side, tearing at the flesh.
Another wolf lunged and bit his arm, dragging him down to the dirt.
Reina screamed Allen’s name, but neither John nor Reina could break away to help him.
I began forming a Fireball¹⁴ while running.
First, I unleashed a Fireball toward the wolf biting Allen.
The wolf took a direct hit and let out a sharp yelp before releasing its hold on him.
But the other wolves began swarming over Allen, sinking their teeth into him one after another.
”Ah! Ryuichi-san!” Reina cried out in relief when she saw me fire the spell.
While secretly using Air Hammer¹⁵ to repel any wolves that got too close to me, I provided support by firing off a Fireball every twenty seconds.
My entry into the fray turned the tide of the battle.
After a short while, the wolves gave up and fled into the shadows.
Left behind were the carcasses of two wolves and the body of Allen, whose neck had been snapped.
”No… Allen… Nooooo!”
Reina’s voice, wailing as she cradled Allen’s body, echoed through the silent forest.
After Reina regained some composure, John hoisted Allen onto his shoulders, and the three of us began the long walk out of the forest.
Those large wolves were monsters called Dire Wolf¹⁶s that usually stayed much deeper in the forest.
It was the first time they had ever encountered them in the shallows.
I let them keep the Magic Stones from the wolves.
”You’re a sorcerer, old man… I’m sorry. You saved our lives,” John said.
”Ryuichi-san, thank you so much. I… I will definitely find a way to repay this,” Reina said.
”Yeah. I’ll see you again, Reina,” I replied.
I told them I was staying in the Magic Forest and saw them off.
The Dire Wolf carcasses they couldn’t carry were too valuable to leave behind, so I stayed to collect them.
Once I finished, I made my own way back to the city.
At the Adventurer’s Guild appraisal counter, I asked Balan to value today’s haul and received my purchase slip.
”Here’s your slip. Take it,” Balan said.
”Thanks. By the way, Balan… I took down an Orc,” said Ryuichi.
”An Orc!? Are you serious!?” Balan shouted.
”Yeah. It’s at my mansion, but the thing is too huge to lug around easily,” I replied.
”No problem. We’ll send someone from our end to pick it up,” Balan said.
”Is that okay?” asked Ryuichi.
”Yeah. Leave it to me!” Balan replied.
Orc meat is highly prized as top-tier pork among the nobility and the wealthy.
The Adventurer’s Guild seemed desperate to get their hands on it.
I told him I’d be moving from the inn to the mansion tomorrow morning, so he should have them come by around noon.
When I returned to my room at the inn, Nier was waiting for me with dinner ready.
As we always did, we sat across from each other at the table and ate our meal while naked.
”I bought some firewood because it’s going to start getting cold soon. I was thinking of sitting by the hearth with you, Goshujin-sama…” Nier said.
I listened to her talk while watching her expressions and her body.
She seemed truly happy just to spend time with me.
(That makes sense… For her, the hope of me rescuing her daughter, Mia, is the only thing she has to live for.)
After we finished our bath and brushed our teeth, I met her long, deep kiss.
I pulled her close by her shoulders and fell into sleep.
Allen had lost his life so easily to the bite of a Dire Wolf.
The image of Reina’s face, screaming as she held him, flickered in the back of my mind.
—
Summary:
Ryuichi engages in a life-or-death struggle against high-level Orcs before returning to town to face physical assault from jealous thugs. He heals his injuries discreetly and realizes the social limitations of his overwhelming magic. Encountering the ruined Helga reveals the consequences of guild politics as he heads back to the forest and encounters a new rookie group
Ryuichi groups up with rookie adventurers who underestimate the forest’s dangers. A surprise Dire Wolf attack leaves one of them dead despite Ryuichi’s magical intervention. The survivors return to the city while Ryuichi prepares to move into his new mansion with Nier while the guild greedily eyes his Orc haul
—
Trivia:
- The Orc’s skull resistance to Fire Arrow
- The specific casting time of church healing magic (30 seconds)
- Helga’s direct contact with human waste as a psychological marker
- The caterpillars’ lack of immediate death upon bisection
- The guild’s logistical capability to retrieve large monster corpses from private residence
—
Character Insight:
Ryuichi shifts from reckless testing of magic to a more cautious, social-stealth approach after being physically assaulted and realizing he cannot openly defend himself without drawing noble scrutiny.
Ryuichi displays a mix of growing magical competence and a hardened survivalist mindset, feeling pity for Allen but quickly moving to loot the Dire Wolves.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Goblin – Goblins are hostile creatures inhabiting the village, armed with primitive weapons such as sticks, axes, and spears. They can be male, female, and include Hobgoblins. Some are pregnant, as seen in the hut.
• Ryuichi – Forty‑year‑old Japanese adventurer, known as Poison Snake, sports a beard and a weary, pragmatic demeanor. He hides his immense magical power — fire, ice, wind, super‑human strength and an Item Box — from nobles. He hunts monsters in the Magic Forest for profit, flies, trades with Goblins and humans, and makes cold‑blooded ethical choices.
• Man – A roughneck wearing a hat who participated in a group assault. He suffers the loss of his right arm and later his left arm during an experiment by the protagonist before being stored.
• Balan – A burly, terrifying‑faced man in a blood‑stained apron works the Adventurer’s Guild appraisal counter. He expertly butchers monsters, appraises materials, and offers kind advice to novices, maintaining a professional yet casual rapport with regulars like Ryuichi.
• Grimm – The name of a large settlement and community located near the Forest of Magic. Grimm is a walled city featuring a bustling marketplace and diverse population, though it suffers from severe lack of sanitation and a legalized slave trade.
• Sismond – A middle‑aged man with a sharp side‑part and a grumpy expression, he is the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild. His authoritative presence and keen eye for talent and trouble make him a decisive administrator who mediates disputes and accommodates skilled members to protect the Guild’s interests.
• Nier – Twenty‑seven, Japanese‑esque beauty with long straight black hair, trimmed bangs, refined features, plump lips, large breasts and moist skin. Once a merchant’s wife and mother from Jipan, now a slave to Ryuichi—emotionally dependent, seeking security in his kindness and magic. She wears a khaki‑green ruffled dress with corset, long legs, high waist, cooks, shops, and serves him loyally, suppressing trauma while providing domestic and intimate care.
• Helga – A former receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild who was recently forced to resign following a conflict with Ryuichi and the intervention of the Guild Master. A young woman and former guild receptionist who has fallen into squalor after losing her job. She is described as having a bratty personality and has become mentally unstable, cleaning street waste in rags.
• John – A young, blond-haired adventurer around twenty years of age. He is arrogant and prone to mocking those he perceives as weaker, part of a rookie group of three. A foul-mouthed blond man and member of the Copper Plate adventurer rank. He wields a two-handed sword and acts as the aggressive vanguard for his group of three from a nearby village.
• Reina – A young woman and the sole female member of her adventurer party. She is equipped with a dagger and a bow, providing long-range support and emotional heart to her companions from the same village.
• Allen – A long-haired man characterized as the voice of reason within his adventurer trio. He utilizes a one-handed sword and a buckler for defense, ultimately meeting a tragic end during an encounter with Dire Wolves.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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