!!”A light began flowing out of the crest as Regza shouted.
I was struck with a force that felt like it was crushing my whole body.
And then, I was blown away, crashing straight into a wall.
“Ugh…”
Unable to recover from the hit, I slowly lost consciousness.
The powerless me had no way to respond to that mocking laughter.
— With that, I finally blacked out.
“Nn..”
I woke up.
But, the back of my head and abdomen were still in great pain, and I felt like I was about to faint again.
“Are you OK…? Onii-chan…?” [TN: Onii-chan = big brother]
I was face to face with a young girl.
That is to say, I was in my house.
With great strain, I sat up.
“Ah, don’t push yourself. Zenon-sensei said you should rest for 2 or 3 days.”
“… I see.”
The doctor of a count’s family that works for the imperial household.
I sighed, and laid back down.
“Is Uncle not here today?”
“Mhm. He’s still on his business trip. Mother is also going to some count’s party, so tonight it”ll be just us two.”
Hanging on the edge of the bed, Miria looked really happy for some reason.
I turned away to avoid that smiling face.
It’s been 3 years since I was adopted by the Count Teremius family.
However, I was only an acquantaince, so my whereabouts were not particularly important.
2 years ago, I began working at the town’s guild as a mercenary.
“At any rate, Regza-san is really cruel, huh. Always messing with Onii-chan.”
Miria prepared a wet towel and wiped my forehead.
Perhaps she was looking after me even while I was unconscious.
She began noticing Regza’s treatment of me earlier this year – we’re a step-brother and litle sister after all.
Hearing it from his own daughter, he might recognize the small problem.
“It’s fine, I can do it myself.”
“It’s okay. I want to do it, so Onii-chan just stay still. ‘Kay?”
Forced back onto the bed, I sighed resignedly.
I guess it’s more like, I’m her pet.
A step-brother who, despite being a guild member, has not even the slightest bit of [skill].
I chewed on my lips, still avoiding Miria’s gaze.
“Hey, Onii-chan. Can’t you leave the guild and help out with Father’s work? I could ask, you know?”
“Stop it. There’s no way someone like me could aid Count Teremius. And anyways, I only got into the guild because of his recommendation.”
“Gah… Onii-chan is always like this. Never wanting to quit, and always patient.”
“…..”
Feeling like I was seeing straight through Miria’s heart, I tried to avoid her gaze once again.
Why can’t I learn any [skill]?
Why, when learning new techniques, am I slower than the others?
(d.a.m.nit!)
My blood boiling, I kept chewing my lips.
Right now, there was certainly no surplus of Miria’s kindness.
I wanted to triumph.
Those guys in the guild treating me like trash—.
I cursed them in my head.
It’d be nice if they could disappear from this world.
Having spent a day and a half recovering, I headed back to the guild.
Without a decent income, I really had nowhere else to go.
“So, you’re finally back.”
The guild door opened, and Regza’s voice immediately greeted me.
An old friend of Count Teremius, Regza was the person whom I was sent to work for.
“… Where is everyone?”
Behind the counter and at the tables, there was no sign of any guild members around.
I sat down on a nearby chair and glanced at a notice on the bulletin board.
“There was an important meeting. You were absent, but everyone else went. We couldn’t leave this place empty though, so I stayed behind as a caretaker.”
So said Regza, as he stood there unsteadily with a wine bottle in his hand.
He just forced his underlings to do a job he didn’t like, and spent his whole day drinking, right?
“Whaaat? That discontent face. You wanna go through more h.e.l.lish training? Hahh?”
Regza’s face, reeking of alcohol, was too close.
Thinking of some excuse, I prepared to make my way out.
“Leaving already? You have work to prepare for too ya know?”
“Eh?”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
“You have work”?
For me?
“You’ve worked here for almost 2 years, right? Although normally our members are ready for action within half a year, you haven’t made any progress. Aren’t you embarra.s.sed? You are a member of the Teremius family, after all.”
“… Did Count Teremius say something?”
Sighing, I got up from my seat.
After too many disappointments, the Count probably asked Regza to give me any easy job.
“Won’t you please give my poor brother some work?” or something like that.
“Hah, very insightful. Happy, aren’t ya? To have some work.”
He violently handed over a work request for the guild.
I unhappily read the contents.
====================
Gernold Teremius
Eliminate the [Big Sleeping Hare] deep inside Vizend Cave.
[Reward]
====================
“Ha ha ha! A fun job, right? Hunting a sleeping hare in a deep cavern! The perfect job for you!”
Regza’s loud voice rang out as he took another swig from his wine bottle.
Tightly gripping the request, I got ready to go.
“Are you going? Well, you gotta, right? After all, it’s a request from Gernold himself! As if you could decline! Gahaha!”
Without replying, I opened the door and walked out.
Behind me, I could still hear Regza loudly laughing.
(What an idiot!)
I might as well leave this town now.
The drop item, [Big Sleeping Hare’s Light Purple Pelt], is an item that’s neither unusual nor special. It’s commonly used in trade because of how easy it is to obtain.
My entire job, is to just kill the hare and retrieve its drop.
I think that even I could easily defeat a [Big Sleeping Hare].
(d.a.m.n it, d.a.m.n it, d.a.m.n it…!)
Suppressing my desire to shout in anger, I began heading towards the town’s eastern gate.
Since all the dangerous monsters here have been exterminated by the guild, the journey is a safe one.
Better get this stupid task over quickly.
Almost unable to control my anger, I departed from the town.