[Magic] and the [Guide Map] Make Helping People a Breeze!
Inside the cave.
I raised my right index finger and chanted [Light].
It only gave off about as much light as a flashlight, but it was enough.
The first to appear were magic bats.
They descended from the ceiling, but Milfie knocked every one of them down.
“I can see real good, meow!”
Thanks to the [Guide Lens], we hardly ever miss spotting enemies now.
From my perspective, targets are highlighted as if locked-on.
And with the [Guide Map], we won’t fall prey to ambushes if we stay alert.
The biggest danger in hunting grounds is surprise attacks, and not having to worry about them is probably the greatest benefit of my ability.
—
[Magic Cave]
4.2 ★★★★☆ (4947 reviews)
B-Rank Magician
★★★★☆
As long as you’ve got light magic, the enemies are weak, so it’s easy.
The materials are also great.
A-Rank Adventurer
★★★★☆
Most monsters are weak to light.
The deeper you go, the more dangerous it gets.
B-Rank Adventurer
★★★★☆
Occasionally strong monsters appear, but they never leave the cave.
They seem to hate sunlight.
—
Even just the light weakened the enemies considerably.
Once we’d defeated them all, I sat on a rock and drank some water.
“Phew, tasty meow~”
“—Water.”
I cast the spell right there.
Clear fresh water trickled out, becoming a substitute for drinking water.
“That’s amazing meow, super convenient.”
“Yeah. But it uses mental strength, and drinking regular water is quicker.”
“You know, that was really something the other day.”
“Yeah.”
After I used magic for the first time, Edna kept inviting me to join the court.
I’d love to learn proper magic, but I’d have to train for a year to qualify.
Apparently, that’s assuming I can manage it because of my unusual abilities—normally, mastering magic in such a short time isn’t realistic.
But I’m still on a journey of self-discovery. Milfie is searching for her kin too.
Since we’re not in a rush, I decided to steadily improve my abilities like this, gaining levels along the way.
Still, I’ve never been praised that much before, so it made me happy.
“Edna was crying at the end, when you were leaving.”
“Yeah, that was kinda awkward.”
“Maybe you could think about it after the journey’s over?”
“Yeah… sounds nice, but that’s a ways off.”
Magic is all about imagination. I’ll keep that in mind as I continue my training.
“Hmm… what’s this?”
“What’s wrong?”
During breaks like this, I often browse through the reviews absentmindedly.
It helps me find new information sometimes.
It’s probably best to read all of them, but going through over 4,000 reviews every time is a bit much.
—
Capital Girl
★☆☆☆☆☆
It’s scary. I don’t know where the exit is.
—
Just then, a new review popped up.
I’d recently noticed that the most recent reviews are displayed at the top.
Which means this one was just posted.
In other words—
“Milfie, break time’s over. Looks like someone’s lost somewhere in this cave.”
“Ehh!?”
“Per the Adventurer’s Protocol, initiating search operation. You good with that?”
“Of course I am.”
The Adventurer’s Protocol basically says to help people in trouble as much as you can.
It’s a universal rule of this world, and those who are helped are expected to give proper thanks.
It’s kind of like paying a 10% finder’s fee when someone picks up something you lost.
More often than not, the situation’s urgent.
It’s often called the ‘Death Clause,’ but I felt a sense of pride in being an adventurer, thanks to Bridget.
I also heard from Karin that Bridget often helps people.
I want to follow her example.
“They’re not on the map. We were supposed to stop here for the day, but let’s go a little deeper.”
“Got it, meow. But if there are too many monsters and it’s impossible, I’m pulling us back.”
“Yeah, I’ll leave that to you.”
In other words, if she judges that we can’t save the person, we’ll abandon them.
It’s sad, but that’s reality.
I leave battle decisions to her. The right person for the right job—trusting each other with our lives is the bare minimum courtesy.
As we walked, a [!] appeared on the map.
Clicking on it showed a small person icon.
But they were surrounded by monsters and couldn’t move.
“Up ahead. Five monsters.”
“Roger.”
We pressed on, lighting the way with [Light].
That’s when they appeared—huge spider monsters.
They feed on human flesh and blood.
Their large legs are tipped with venomous stingers that paralyze you if you're stabbed, causing you to pass out.
Then they slowly devour you.
Their weak point is the legs.
Behind the shadow was the figure of a girl.
The ground was wet, making it hard to keep one’s footing.
But Milfie ran.
Just like us, monsters have thoughts.
If caught off guard, they’ll be thrown off balance.
She understood that well.
The first move is the most important of all.
She severed the head of the first one, then moved on to the second.
Then I took on the third, focusing solely on covering her.
I ran with a dagger in hand. As expected, my mind became clear in battle.
“Gyagya!”
I dodged the spider’s venomous stinger.
I guided the dagger along my right leg and struck.
But in that moment, something occurred to me.
Even the smallest bit of magic should be usable.
With my free left hand, I cast Fire.
A small flame lit up—and burned its left eye.
—Interesting.
I took off its head and leg just like that.
By the time I looked around, Milfie had already taken down the rest.
Even the smallest magic can be useful depending on how you fight.
I’d learned something new again.
“You okay, meow?”
“Ah, th-thank you so much!”
Milfie called out, and the girl trembled in fear.
“What were you doing here?”
“Uh, I came to gather herbs… I live in the nearby village…”
Then, I lit a flame in my left hand with a *whoosh*.
The darkness was pushed back, and light returned.
The girl stared as if she had just seen a magic trick and looked a little calmer.
This, too, had its uses.
“You’re safe now. Alright, let’s head back. Milfie, the dismantling can wait—”
“—I’m almost done, meow.”
“That was fast.”
◇
“Thank you so much. Thank you for saving my daughter.”
“No, no. I’m just glad she’s safe.”
We escorted the girl back to her village, where her mother ran over desperately and embraced her.
She must have been so worried.
It feels good to do something right.
In the back of the cave, we’d found something that had been dropped.
It looked like a rather valuable sword. If sold, it would fetch a decent price.
“Be careful now, meow.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been raising her on my own, and we don’t have much money, so this is all I can offer…”
Saying so, she held out a large number of silver coins.
She must have scraped them all together.
It seemed she knew the Adventurers’ Protocol.
I thought about refusing out of guilt—but to my surprise, Milfie accepted them.
“Thank you. Be careful from now on, okay?”
“Yes, thank you so much.”
I whispered to Milfie in a low voice.
“Isn’t that a little harsh?”
But to my surprise, Milfie responded with a very serious expression.
“We risked our lives to save her. You can’t survive on kindness alone. This is proper compensation.”
It hit me like a blow to the head.
There’s a saying among adventurers: Good people don’t survive.
Milfie truly lived in this world.
I had to stop judging everything by the values of my former world.
… But still.
I took the sword I’d found from my Travel Bag and handed it over.
“This was lying there. Right next to the girl. Should fetch a decent price if you sell it.”
“Eh, but this is—”
Apparently, the girl had entered the cave for the sake of her family.
She saw a valuable herb and ran toward it, but got chased by a monster and ended up deeper inside.
This sword must have been what she discovered.
After we left the village, I glanced at Milfie uneasily.
Would she get mad? Be disappointed in me?
“Tabito.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“That gentle side of yours—I like it, meow.”
She gave me a full smile as she said that.
Ah, seems I wasn’t wrong after all.
“Well then, let’s head back. Old man Rildo said he caught some tasty fish today~”
“Now that you mention it, he did. Alright, hold my hand.”
Today turned out to be another day of deepening our understanding of each other.
—
Milfie
★★★★★
Earned a ton again today, meow.
Tabito really is kind, meow~
Tabito
★★★★☆
Caused Milfie a lot of trouble today.
I need to become stronger—and a more thoughtful man.
What do you think about this chapter?
