It started with adventurers, Kotori and her party found themselves being harassed by kingdom adventurers.

They were relatively weak and didn’t pose much of a problem but eventually, the attacks were becoming constant.

Amelie had fully recovered by now was able to fight so they were able to keep moving to avoid being a sitting duck but every time they were able to settle down, they were attacked by some roaming party who found them.

It was very troublesome. The overall skill of them was quite low. Even worse, almost every single one of them had crap gear.

[Why haven’t they given up] Kotori thought

This was the third party she had taken out today. She looked at the crumpled bodies of the adventurers.

“[Hunter]”

Kotori hadn’t killed them, but she found that she could weaken the adventurers by using the [Hunter] ability. She avoided damaging their soul too much, but she would shave around it. It had the helpful effect of weakening them for the short term. Soul damage would prevent a person from using their skills. They would naturally heal back over time if the damage was small. Which was exactly what Kotori did to them. The stronger adventurers would be able to endure it. But the weaker ones would cry out sometimes

…

“Why are you two here!” Kotori said as she saw the two figures before her.

The cowering figures of Shun and Anya were standing before her.

“You two should know you can’t beat us!” She was exasperated and taking it out on these two. She hadn’t been able to get much sleep recently since the adventurer bands would attack in the night and she needed to be awake to buff them.

“You two are outlaws!” Shun said indignantly

Kotori sighed.

“Aren’t there other outlaws you can chase!”

Shun and Anya looked shocked.

“But you’re so valuable!”

“What?”

Kotori was confused

“Don’t you know?” They asked her

“Know what?”

“You are the most wanted criminal in the country! Your bounty is enough to make a person live in luxury for life! Plus, you’re only a small girl right? You look like easy pickings!”

[Seriously!]

Things were starting to fall into place in Kotori’s mind now. The vast number of adventurers coming to her. Their complete lack of good gear, and the general sense of noobishness among them.

[That still doesn’t explain why they came]

“Why are you here then?”

Both averted their gaze from Kotori’s piercing stare

“Well Umm,” They mumbled shuffling their feet

“Well?” Kotori asked them, getting rather impatient with this conversation.

“We thought since we knew you… We might have a better chance”

[Are these two idiots?]

Kotori had a suspicion that they might’ve been after seeing their naivete in the sewers, but now she was almost sure of it.

[Ahh, these dumbasses]

She didn’t even feel she had to take them out. Shun and Anya seemed terrified of her. Which wasn’t surprising considering they knew what she could do.

[It’s still quite reckless for the kingdom to do this] She thought

Even if they put a high bounty on her it seemed like they intentionally wanted to bait adventurers into chasing after her. The lack of any warning for her power level seemed almost intentional. Like they had something to gain by sending so many adventurers after her.

“Please go home” she pleaded with them

They looked stricken.

“Oh, don’t tell me you can’t,” she said exasperated.

They chuckled nervously in response to her question.

Kotori rubbed her temples in frustration.

“Please explain,” she asked them

This time Anya spoke up

“Well, we’re broke”

Kotori sighed. She should’ve known, Shun and Anya obviously weren’t very strong at all. They probably didn’t make much money at all working as adventurers, even if they were assigned to party with other adventurer groups any money they made would be charity given to them.

They looked at her nervously.

“Please forgive us! We haven’t eaten in two days." He said bowing down into a dogeza

[Are they that incompetent?]

Kotori slumped her shoulders in defeat

“Fine follow me” She said gesturing to them.

She brought them to her temporary camp. Which was hidden in a clearing near one of the newer dungeons. Monsters didn’t come out of this area but it was the best location.

“So how did you find us?” She asked

“We uhh just kinda walked around” Shun explained

Shun and Anya were the most profoundly lucky blunderers she had seen in her life. She quickly handed them two meat skewers. Kotori happily realized that her old family was wrong about her never getting the chance to eat meat. They were just poor. She had Shu and Umi hunt down many of the animals in the area which they did with glee but now it seemed like animals were avoiding them now. Kotori told Shu and Umi to stop their hunting even if her stomach was seemingly impenetrable.

Still, the thought of her family saddened her. She missed them.

[I have to work hard to preserve their memory!] She resolved herself.

Shun and Anya made quick work of the skewers and another 4 more each

“Ahhh thanks, Kotori,” they said patting their stomachs in satisfaction

“Don’t mention it” She said gruffly

Shun and Anya looked at each other and then back at her and then back at each other

“C-can we stay with you” Shun asked, Anya was at his side nodding vigorously.

[Freeloaders!] Kotori thought, facepalming

“W-we can help tend to camp and scout for you!” Anya said following up.

[Well, that kind of helpful I guess] Kotori said.

Having colluders help her would indeed make it easier to hideout.

“Aren’t you too afraid of getting caught helping me?” Kotori asked them

They shook their heads.

“You’ll protect us right! Please teach us to be strong like you”

[No thank you!] She instantly thought

Kotori honestly felt bad for them. It was like watching a lost kitten on the street try to gain your affection. It also felt awkward watching people older than her beg for her help.

[I guess I am partially responsible for these idiots]

If she didn’t lose to Yooma in the sewers, they likely wouldn’t have been forced into being adventurers. Of course, she wasn’t fully to blame since they accepted the smuggling job anyway. But still, Kotori felt partially responsible for their current predicament. They couldn’t even go home because the kingdom had them under lock and key since they were caught smuggling with her.

Kotori gave a defeated noise and Shun and Anya celebrated.

“There goes what little free time I had left,” she thought.

If she now had to train these two she would be stuck with no time to actually grow stronger herself. Yooma did warn them that they would only find stronger people from here on out and she wanted to be able to prepare for them. That’s when Kotori had an idea.

“Ah I am a little busy right now though, ask Amelie to teach you,” She said smirking.

“Thank you Kotori!” they said excitedly

[You won’t be thanking me tomorrow] Kotori thought

[Wood elf secret training technique #3 is a go!]