CH 2

Chapter 2: The Power of Love

A town was about to be destroyed.

Just shortly after dawn rose, an earthquake woke the residents of the city. They all fled their houses and were struck speechless.

After all, who would be able to imagine seeing mountains approaching them from over the horizon?

No, those weren’t mountains.

Looking closely, the mountains had legs and arms, they even had a face.

Those were golems.

They had never seen golems with their own eyes before but they were painfully aware of how terrifying they were from the fairy tales.

Even if you don’t know the fairy tales, you could already tell how scary they were from seeing the dust and earth moving like a tsunami.

The approach of their gigantic bodies was accompanied by the rumbling of the earth. The morning sun was covered by their massive frames and the luscious green fields were dyed black. The townspeople foresaw the end of the world.

However…

“Don’t worry! We’re with you!”

Fortunately, two adventurers had been staying in the town for several days.

Furthermore, one of the two is a man with seven petals on the back of his hand.

Although he was quite old and his hair was graying out, he looked like a seasoned warrior who had overcome many battlefields.

His name was Rojin—a seven-petal class adventurer whose name was known to even foreign countries.

The one to his side is his granddaughter, Margo. A strong adventurer who had inherited her grandfather’s blood and reached five petals at the tender age of 19.

“We’ll defeat the golem!” (Rojin)

“Everyone, please run away!”

Rojin and his granddaughter’s voices assured the people and snapped them out of their daze.

As he left town, Rojin looked at the approaching golem and clasped his hands as he prayed to the heavens.

“Margo, give me everything you’ve got!” (Rojin)

“All of it?! Isn’t it better if we save some if there’s an emergency…?” (Margo)

“That’s not an opponent we can’t win against! If you and I use all of our power, we will definitely be able to defeat that monster!” (Rojin)

“I-I understand! Okay, please receive all of my power!”

Margo’s auxiliary magic, [Mana Gain], strengthened Rojin.

Though it was just a temporary power—Rojin—who gained the power of an eight-petal class, focused all of his power on his hands.

A magic circle was deployed in the image of the Flower Crest on the back of his hand. An icicle in the shape of a spire appears accompanied by a stinging cold that pierces through the skin.

It was a move that was made with Rojin’s specialty in ice and snow magic. A move that can take out his opponents in one shot, [Ice Lance].

“Go and shatter to pieces!” (Rojin)

BYUWAA!

The icicle shot out along with the cold wind that was wrapping its surroundings. It froze the earth as it moved and hit the golem’s abdomen but—

“Impossible! How is it unscathed?!” (Rojin)

The golem didn’t fall, it didn’t even stop moving, it continued walking as if nothing had happened.

“Margo, run away!” (Rojin)

“W-what do you mean run away, grandpa?!” (Margo)

“I’ll be a decoy! You need to run away with the others!” (Rojin)

“I don’t want to! I want to fight beside you until the end! My dad and mom are already gone… if I lose grandpa on top of that too, I’ll be all alone!” (Margo)

“You’re wrong! You’re still young! Live and become stronger! For your sake, and the people’s sake, you have to—” (Rojin)

BOOOOOOOOOM

All of a sudden, the golem exploded.

“”EEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH?!” (Rojin and Margo)

Rojin and Margo were so shocked to see the rock giant collapsing that they both fell to their knees.

“G-grandpa, did you just use a secret technique or something?!” (Margo)

“I don’t have such a powerful technique!” (Rojin)

Even so, why did the golem suddenly shatter?

Even if Rojin’s [Ice Lance] were to have left a crack, it wouldn’t just suddenly shatter like that.

“Wait, isn’t that…?” (Rojin)

The perplexed Rojin caught sight of a figure running toward them.

He had his reddish-brown hair tied up and clothes that looked like they were fit for traveling. On his back was a large sword completely disparate from his gentle face.

As he managed to distinguish the figure’s features, there was no more doubt in his mind.

The young man was the youngest ten-petal class, the pinnacle of adventurers.

When I was climbing a mountain, the sky and earth suddenly flipped over.

I fell from the summit of a mountain and huge rocks suddenly began hailing down like a meteor shower.

One of them nearly crushed my body but I broke it into pieces with a headbutt.

“Cough, cough… What on earth…?” (Jade)

I looked up at the dust-filled sky and saw a giant rock standing.

My body trembled with joy.

“I did it! I’ve found a golem!” (Jade)

To think that I managed to find a golem that’s normally so difficult to find, I’m on a roll today!

It’s a bit weird to say that a golem the size of a mountain is hard to find but of course, there’s a reason behind it.

Golems consume a lot of energy because of their huge bodies. After just a day of rampaging, they’d fall asleep for hundreds of years.

If left alone, vegetation will grow on the golem and it’ll become like a mountain after a few years. Eventually, it’ll be too difficult to differentiate it from an actual mountain.

And, the quest I received this time is “Subjugation of the Golem Sleeping in the Sarasina Mountain Range”.

Truthfully, a simpler quest like exterminating a dragon would be better.

But I can’t help it since I’ve already received it.

Since that was the case, I visited the Sarasina Mountain Range, headed to the foot of a mountain, and then climbed the summit for the time being.

I looked around the area from up there but I couldn’t tell which one was a golem so I just dug one up anyway.

Golems are also monsters. All monsters have a core and you can defeat them if you destroy it.

It’s a really daunting task to dig up the entire mountain range, but it’s even more of a waste of time if I just wait for one of them to wake up.

Well, I don’t have to do that anymore. The moment I stabbed my sword into the earth, the sky and earth suddenly flipped over.

“A, ahh! Wait, wait! Don’t run away!” (Jade)

I found a rock rolling nearby and then threw it at the golem.

BAGOOOOOOOOOONNN!

“Yosh! I hit it!” (Jade)

I found a shining stone between the scattered rocks. I kicked the ground and sent it flying.

I caught the falling magic stone while crushing the rocks with a headbutt.

The ether that was in the surroundings was sucked into my Flower Crest, but no further growth could be expected.

After all, my Flower Crest was already fully bloomed.

“Hm? Isn’t that…” (Jade)

I didn’t want to stay for long but I saw a town nearby.

So there was a town in this kind of place… That was close. There wasn’t anyone injured… right?

There was a possibility that someone was hit by a falling rock so I decided to check it out, just in case.

Outside the town, there was an old man and a girl wearing matching robes.

“Excuse me. Are you injured or anything?” (Jade)

“E-eh… No, thanks to you…” (Rojin)

“Umm… Jade-sama, right?” (Margo)

“Yeah, I’m Jade.” (Jade)

“I knew it! Umm, Jade-sama, how were you able to defeat the golem?” (Margo)

“I threw a rock at it.” (Jade)

“A rock?! You didn’t throw a sword…?” (Margo)

“Well, a sword isn’t exactly built for throwing.” (Jade)

“No, that’s not what I meant… I was sure that Jade-sama was someone who enhances his sword and fights with it.” (Margo)

I see, well it’s no wonder that she misunderstood.

After all, there’s a fine sword on my back.

“This is an ornamental sword that was given to me by the country. On the day I became a ten-petal class, Garnet–I mean, someone from the guild handed it to me as a memento.” (Jade)

“Why would you carry it around with you if it’s just a memento?” (Margo)

“I’m sure Jade-dono is bringing around an ornamental sword to restrain himself. To be an adventurer who isn’t greedy or doesn’t drown himself in alcohol. Only then can he be someone who deserves that kind of sword.” (Rojin)

“So profound…” (Margo)

No, it isn’t that deep.

It’s actually something I received from the King but I think of it more as a present from Garnet-san and I always bring it around.

“Anyway, it seems like nobody else is injured. I’m going to head back to the capital.” (Jade)

“Returning immediately after completing the mission… As expected of Jade-dono. I need to learn from him too.” (Rojin)

“I’ll also aim to become like Jade-sama! How do I become someone as strong as you?!” (Margo)

“Anyone can do it if they just keep doing quests every day.” (Jade)

“Normally after you clear a quest, you want to take a few days off… It’s not like you can always avoid injuries either.” (Margo)

“When I first started out, I broke my bones often.” (Jade)

“But you still do quests? Why are you going so far…?” (Margo)

“It’s the power of love.” (Rojin)

Ack!

“How do you know that the reason is love?!” (Jade)

Even though I haven’t talked about my feelings for Garnet-san with anyone else!

“It’s because I’ve lived for a long time. Your heart that loves the people, and your heart that longs for peace drives you.” (Rojin)

A-ah… So he means that kind of love.

When I said “It’s something like that”, the girl said “That’s so profound…” and was very impressed.
RECENTLY UPDATES