"Do you want some tea, Jun?"
"Of course I am."
Claire gave me a cup of tea.
"Thanks."
I sip the tea. So warm and delicious.
"No, no I'm the who's thanking you. In the past two days, the viscount's mercenary becomes aggressive because they're desperate to take me."
She closes her eyes, smiled, and puts her hands together on her chest like she's praying.
"But all of there attempts are all destroyed by you. Thank you very much, Jun."
Her smile is enough for what I've done.
Like she said it's been two days since I accepted the request.
Almost every few hours the mercenaries try to take her away.
But all of their attempts are for naught. Every time I sensed them I kill them. That's what I've been doing these past two days.
"You're welcome. But they are annoyingly persistent. I killed more than a hundred of them but they still come after you. You're truly an unfortunate woman."
"Wha! I'm not unfortunate! I'm just too beautiful!"
This lady seems to know what's the cause of this problem.
These past two days we got a bit closer than our first meeting. I can now joke around and teased her. It's kind of enjoyable teasing a cage lady.
"But I'm surprised that you can use wind and earth magic."
"I'm surprised too when I got to know that I can use magic."
Her father is a swordsman and doesn't have mana that's why he can't use magic. But I saw her using it in the forest every time we harvest herbs.
"Do you also use it to defend yourself?"
Her bright expression becomes gloomy.
"Yes, I use it. I'll say it to you I already killed someone."
Claire's hands are trembling while talking.
"Father said every time, that I need to protect myself anytime even its resorts in killing someone."
Droplets of tears falling from her eyes.
"That guy, He trespassed here in our home and tries to assault me. When I got cornered I remembered what father said and use my magic before he grabs me."
Telling her story she cries while covering her face with her hands.
"Do you know that there's only one solution to your problem. Want to hear?"
She stops crying and looks at me with tears in her eyes. If her eyes are talking I would hear the words *say it, say it, please...*
I open my mouth slowly.
"The only solution to your problem is..."
Getting up from my seat, I move towards her. I kneel in front of her and take her hand.
Claire got flustered because of me suddenly held her hand.
I stared at her eyes seriously and say it.
"To marry me and be my wife."
I dropped a bombshell, Her body got frozen, but after a few seconds, she recovers.
"J-jun, a-are you s-serious? B-but we o-only got to know each o-other just recently. I w-want to i-inform father a-about this."
Claire responds meekly with tattered words.
Hahaha... Her whole face is like a tomato. As expected of a caged lady, this reaction is pretty enjoyable.
Well, with this the gloomy atmosphere earlier instantly vanished.
"Okay, talk it with your father I'll wait."
She quickly runs outside to discuss it with her father.
Hahaha... She really takes it seriously.
I'm happy that she's back to normal. Not talking about her past experience would be the best for her mental health.
"Well, her father will obviously reject it."
As a doting father, I'm sure that he would not let her daughter be taken away from him.
"If the old man quickly runs here with a smoking nose, I'll just say that I'm teasing Claire."
That excuse is fine.
!? Hmmm... These presences are not from the mercenaries. The presences come from the south, so it's a monster. Their still too far from the village.
I go out of the house and walk towards the forest.
The village chief's home is in the northern part of the village that's why passing in the center of the village is unavoidable. Also, this route is the shortest way to go into the forest.
Looking around while passing I saw a caravan of merchants selling all sorts of food and materials.
Observing them and the villagers I spotted the old man and claire are looking at the merchandise.
It looks like those two are enjoying themselves.
I let them be and continue walking.
Entering the forest I quickly take out my sword and unsheath it.
"[Search]"
There's no presence in my perimeter.
"Seems it safe using it here. [Teleport]"
I instantly teleported near the presences that I detected.
"[Stealth]"
I use my skill to conceal myself and move towards their direction.
"Oh, this is my first time seeing these monsters."
It's an insect monster and they are four of them. It has the appearance of a mantis. It has a sharp scythe, thin wings, and hard looking carcass.
"A Mantis insect monster huh. If it's a Mantis it means it has crazily fast attack speed."
Once within reach, mantises strike rapidly to grasp the prey with their spiked raptorial forelegs.
I can kill it in long-range but I want to try fighting it in close range.
Canceling the [Stealth] I show myself. The Mantises two big round eyes immediately saw me.
They are stands still in an eerie posture, Whenever mantises sense any danger or it is about to ambush its live prey, they always act like this.
Their front legs are in a 'praying position'. Well, its good to say that its 'preying position' because they are looking at me as prey.
I move towards them.
"Hello, Insec-" *Whooshhh*
That's a close call. Before I complete my greetings it instantly got in front of me and attacks using its sharp scythes.
I quickly jump back a few meters from them to create some distance.
"That attack was damn fast. You almost got me. I sweat a bit there."
That attack is faster than the dragon's tail swift.
Thanks for my 8 months of experience continuously fighting monsters that I evade it in the nick of time. Also practicing my reflexes in those months paid off.
"[Appraisal]"

[Name: Hunter Mantis
Level: 100
Race: Insect Monster]

Four of them have Level 100, It's pretty high. With this level, these Mantis are qualified to be forest rulers.
Let's see what's the value of its strength and agility.

[Strength: 9,152
Agility: 22,462]

Seriously... These Mantis are much faster than my familiars. Xena only has a value of 21k plus in her agility and Gale has 20k plus. But the value of its power is not that high.
But, Comparing my status with this monster makes me shake my head.
"All of you are faster than my familiars, but not mine."
I kick the ground and brandish my sword towards them. I swiftly evade their crazily fast attacks until I got close to them.
Amplifying magic power in my sword I instantly cut three of them. The remaining mantis cowered in fear in what it sees.
"You're scared, alright, I'll give you a handicap."
I throw my sword and clench my fist.
"I'll fight you with a bare fist."
But the Mantis turned around and quickly escape.
"I'm sorry, but escaping from me is futile. [Strengthen]"
Using my magic I chase after the monster. I immediately got beside it.
"Hello, my friend, where are you going?"
A greet it with an eerie smile.
"kukiiii!"
It got startled and swiftly attack me using its scythe horizontally. But I easily evade it and punch its head. My punch destroyed its head like a watermelon being smashed.
"So weak."
In those months that I and Xena are inside the forest, We fought so many strong, huge, and vicious monsters. But because We become much stronger by the time goes by, this monster that needs the army of strong human beings to subjugate are only playthings for us.
"With this, all of the monsters are killed. Time to go back."
I turned around to go back to the village, but I stop when I remember something.
"I thought I command Gale to kill the monsters approaching or lurking near the village."
But I didn't see even her shadow when I fought with these monsters. Where did she go?
"[Search]"
Because of her being my familiar, It's pretty easy to recognized her presence than the humans and monsters. I can also remember the presence and magical power of a being when I already sense them, that's why the second time I detect them I'll easily recognize what race or who's I'm detecting.
"Oh. She's in the far east of the forest."
Why did she go there? Maybe she's visiting her friends or family there. But neglecting your job is very irresponsible.
"I'll talk to her later when she comes back. Then, I need to go back now."
I run leisurely and enjoy my trip back to the village.
After almost 20 minutes of running, I arrived in the village.
"Hm? is something wrong?"
The villagers are running in every direction and look in panic. I blocked and grab the shoulder of the man who's running away.
He anxiously looks at me but seeing my face his expression brightens up.
"Mr. Jun! Thank goodness you're here! We're looking for you anywhere but we couldn't see you!"
He loudly said with relief.
"What happened? Why you all running away and looking for me?"
I asked him.
"The merchants that visit the village suddenly attack us! the village chiefs try to stop them but they are far stronger than him. Because of that, the Village Chief is in critical condition!"
The old man has been defeated? it means that they're not ordinary merchants or maybe they're not really are in the first place.
If Xena is here, those guys are already dead. But she's hunting monsters deep inside the forest every afternoon.
"Alright, I'll go and stop them. You can go and take shelter for now."
"Yes! but before I take a shelter I need to inform them that I already found you."
"Okay, go and be careful."
"Yes! you too, Mr. Hero!"
He runs away quickly while smiling delightfully.
"[Strengthen]"
I start running towards the center of the village where I saw the merchants earlier.
Arriving there I see the merchants beating up the villagers who are trying to defend the village.
Kicking the ground, I punch the face of one of the merchants. He rolled a few meters on the ground before stopping. I hold back my punch a little to not make a mess. The villagers are here too if they see a human head exploding in front of them, that would be traumatic especially for children.
I beat up the remaining merchants and approach the villagers.
"Are you guys alright, Is someone here got injured."
"M-my child! help my child!"
A crying woman immediately loudly called for help.
Moving towards her I saw a little girl with a big cut in her back.
"It seems she got slashed in the back."
"Yes! those merchants suddenly attack us while looking at the merchandise!"
Those bastards, they even attack this innocent and powerless little girl.
"[Divine Heal]"
Using the highest healing magic, the girl immediately recovers from her wound. The little girl slowly gets up in a daze. She looks around and sees her mother.
"Mama!"
"Lily!"
She runs towards her mother and hugs her while crying. The mother is also crying with relief seeing her precious daughter safe.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Hero. Lily, you tank him too, he heals you."
"Thank you, Hero."
The mother and child thank me with all their heart.
"You're welcome."
Watching them make me smile delightfully, but someone suddenly called me.
"Mr. Jun! they were still injured people here. Please heal them!"
A man called me said it. I move towards him.
"Alright, lead the way."
"Yes!"
We immediately go to the injured person, and after a few minutes, I almost heal all the villagers with injuries and wounds. The only left is the-
"The Village chief, Where's the village chief?"
The man that I questioned earlier said that the old man is seriously wounded and in critical danger right now.
"He is in his home, Let's go Mr. Jun."
We immediately run in the old man's home and quickly enters.
"Who's that?!"
A man quickly draws his sword.
"Ken, calm down, it's me! Johny your friend! I came here with Mr. Jun! He can heal Village Chief like there's nothing happens!"
Ken turns his head and seriously stares at me.
"Can you really do it?"
His voice tone seems seeking for a positive response.
Walking towards him I responded calmly.
"Yes, I can."
Hearing my answer, he immediately guide into the old man's room.
The old man is laying on his bed. His body is full of bandages.
I approach him and touch his forehead.
"[Divine Heal]"
His body glowed for a moment. Feeling that he is fully healed, the old man quickly gets up and grabs my arm.
"Jun! Help me! Claire got kidnapped!"