Chapter – 02
An Unfamiliar Presence in a Terribly Rundown House
The next day
I came to a certain plain where the Great King Buffalo was said to inhabit. The Great King Buffalo is a monster that basically can’t be taken down unless you’re a Level 5 knight or mage. By the way, in this world, ranks are assigned by strength, with Level 1 being the weakest and Level 5 being the strongest.
Incidentally, the person Rina mentioned yesterdayâElenaâis Level 5, and among the top tier at that.
But right now, I don’t have time to think about that.
—
“MOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”
—
A Great King Buffalo came charging at me at tremendous speed.
Magnificent muscles. Horns that looked harder than diamond. Everything about it was treating me as prey and trying to kill me.
I
kicked off the ground and leaped high into the air. I must have jumped about 10 meters, but feeling it wasn’t enough, I chanted.
“Drone!”
Then, a massive drone emerged from beneath my shoes, carrying me even higher. By the time I reached 500 meters above ground, the Great King Buffalo looked like a tiny dot.
“Alright! Ballistic Missile!”
As I shouted, a downward-facing ballistic missile appeared several kilometers higher up. At its tip was a warhead I’d crafted with my magic, designed to ensure the Great King Buffalo’s demise.
“Take this!!!”
Along with my command, the missile ignited and shot straight toward the Great King Buffalo at incredible speed.
With gravitational acceleration, it was probably exceeding Mach 10.
The ballistic missile struck the buffalo’s head in an instant.
—
“GWEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”
—
*(Tremendous explosion and light)*
—
Aboard the drone, I let out a sigh of relief and gazed downward.
“With this, there’s no longer any threat of the village being attacked.”
That’s right.
The other day, when I went to the Guild Hall, I heard that the Great King Buffalo had been attacking villages and causing enormous damage, but it was so strong that the kingdom wouldn’t lift a finger to deal with itâmeaning it could never be defeated. So I came here and took care of it myself.
After landing, I confirmed the Great King Buffalo was dead and wore a grim expression.
“Sigh… if I could just sell these horns, they’d help cover Rina’s tuition…”
I continued.
“But I’m a commoner. If I tried to sell horns from a Great King Buffaloâsomething only Level 5s can huntâI’d definitely be suspected and interrogated. I’ve been through plenty of similar experiences before.”
With another sigh, I looked at the severed leg of the Great King Buffalo.
I recall that the meat of the Great King Buffalo is famous for being delicious.
In fact, looking at that heavily marbled meat, it reminded me of Japanese wagyu. It’s truly strange how that muscular leg can contain so much fat.
“Today, I’ll make Rina’s favoriteâgyudon.”
I grinned from ear to ear, hoisted a large load of the Great King Buffalo’s marbled meat, and headed home.
—
X X X
—
Our Terribly Rundown Home
Our house sits in a corner of a residential area, a little ways from the royal capital.
Of course, I wanted to rent a luxurious apartment in the capital’s prime district so Rina could study in a good environmentâbut I’m a commoner with no money.
Rina, forgive your good-for-nothing big brother.
Muttering that to myself, I opened the front door.
The lights were on, so Rina must have come home first.
“I’m back! Rina! It’s gyudon today!”
“Gy-gyudon!?!? Yay!!! I love your gyudon, Brother!!”
Rina’s cheerful voice came from inside.
Just hearing it warms my heart.
I can’t wait to see my sister’s face.
Back in Japan, I’d probably be called a gross siscon, but today, I’m fine with being gross.
Seeing my sister pop her head out with sparkling eyes, I couldn’t suppress my urge to show off. I took a deep breath and said,
“I took down a Great King Buffalo today! I brought back lots of meat, so let’s eat until we’re stuffed! Seconds are unlimited too!”
As I gave a thumbs-up and showed Rina the buffalo meat, she suddenly turned around.
“Lady Elena! My brother is powerful enough to easily defeat a Great King Buffalo!”
“Huh?”
Confused by my sister’s reaction, I tilted my headâand then from behind Rina appeared a beautiful girl in a uniform, her long blonde hair flowing behind her, exuding an elegant aura.
A face as beautiful as a sculpture. Blue eyes that seemed to swallow everything whole. Andâmassive protrusions reminiscent of two large melons. Plus, a sword at her waist.
Everything about her was so stunning that I was rendered speechless.
At the same time, I felt an overwhelming dignity.
This dignity not only spoke of her noble birth as a high-ranking aristocrat but also seemed to carry a killing intent that proved she had slain countless powerful foes.
“You are Rina’s brother?”
“Y-yes…”
“Apologies for the sudden intrusion. I am Elena de Fiebel.”
“My name is Kanato.”
Elena de Fiebel.
Whether commoner or noble, there isn’t a single person in this kingdom who doesn’t know her name.
She is the eldest daughter of the most authoritative among the three great ducal houses in this kingdom.
Due to her overwhelmingly powerful magic and swordsmanship, she was treated as a human weapon. In her youth, she participated in wars against neighboring countries, slaughtering enemy mages and knights one after another, and brought an end to the long-standing conflictâa heroine who saved the nation.
After the war ended, she formed an international alliance and served for several years as the head of the international army for the subjugation of the Demon Lord’s forces.
However, rumor has it that the royal family, fearing she had grown too powerful, enrolled her in Central Magic Academy.
In short, she’s an incredibly strong person.
And someone like thatâ
âbeing in this terribly rundown house felt deeply unnatural.
“Wh-what business do you have with me?”
“I heard about you from Rina. I wish to speak with you at length. Including the matter of that Great King Buffalo just now.”
“…”
As I broke out in a cold sweat, a maid who looked highly competent appeared behind Lady Elena and shot me a scrutinizing gaze.
Crap…
What’s going to happen now…?
As I tensed up, a bit of dust fell from the terribly rundown ceiling, landing on Lady Elena and the maid’s heads.
