Chapter 10
Looking at a crying girl, I was reminded of something my mother used to sternly tell me: "Never think of it as a bother."
Perhaps that's why this memory came to mind in that moment.
"What's wrong, Nel?"
Despite her appearance, emotionally she's younger, and seeing her cry made me instinctively worry and start trying to figure out what had happened.
Forget about my own disappointment over today's lack of progress—right now, Nel's tears were the priority.
"Liberta!!""Whoa!"
As I rushed over in concern, she leaped at me with enough force that I barely managed to catch her.
After that, she tried desperately to tell me something, but with her face buried in my chest, her muffled words were incomprehensible.
"She's been like this since we got back. She wouldn't go inside, saying she wanted to wait for you, and has been crying here ever since."
Silently, I looked to Teresa for help, but she too wore a troubled expression, her hand on her cheek.
Without knowing the full story, it seemed we'd be stuck like this for a while.
"What's wrong? Did someone bully you?"
But I couldn't just stand there doing nothing, so I gently patted her back with my right hand and stroked her smooth hair with my left.
"...Yeah."
After calming her down a bit, I finally got a clue as to what had happened.
"I see. That must have been tough."
If Nel felt she had been bullied, then something must have happened to make her feel that way.
At that age, there are plenty of kids who casually say hurtful things without thinking.
I remember being brought to tears like that when I was a child. Back then, it was my mom who comforted me.
"Yeah.""Can you tell me what happened?""Yeah."
Little by little, she began to calm down. She nodded or shook her head in response to my questions, showing me what she meant.
"Dasse.""Dasse?""Ah, the son of a soldier from the neighborhood. He's a notorious brat around here, always swinging sticks around. His father's the captain of the local security force, and he looks down on us merchants. Nasty guy."
The name didn't ring a bell. He wasn't a named character in the game.
So, he must be one of those forgettable background characters.
Teresa, still looking troubled but now a bit irritated, muttered, "That guy," and filled me in on who he was.
"So, what did he do?""I was talking with Amina about going on an adventure, and he suddenly butted in and started making fun of me for it. At first, I ignored him. But then, but then..."
It seemed she had been happily talking with another girl named Amina about going on an adventure with me when this boy, Dasse, interrupted and said something that deeply upset Nel.
"Yeah, that must have been tough."
He probably mocked her for saying she was going to hunt mochi. In FBO, hunting mochi to level up is so looked down upon that it earns you the title of "weakling."
To make fun of someone for saying they were going on an adventure to do that—while not the worst thing—could still be pretty hurtful.
For a child, those casual words can sometimes cut deeper than a sharp blade.
"...He made fun of merchants. He said merchants are weak, that all we can do is count money while someone else protects us. He said a girl like me could never achieve her dreams, that our shop is shabby and will definitely go bankrupt.""That's... not okay."
Yeah, it seemed Dasse had crossed a line you just don't cross.
Making fun of someone's dreams is absolutely unacceptable.
That's something even a child should understand.
I hugged Nel tightly, her sobs a mix of anger and sadness.
"Alright, I get it!! I'll prove to you that you can become a great merchant, Nel!!"
And honestly, Dasse's words were a big no for me too.
"Really?""Yeah, really!! I'll prove that you can become a great merchant even without levels!!"
If you've played FBO, you'd never dare say merchants are weak.
After all, those merchants among the hardcore players are something else.
"I know this! Merchants are one of the strongest classes among adventurers!!"
They're the breeding ground for attack record holders, to the point of being called crazy.
Seeing Nel look up at me with uncertainty, I grinned and decided to throw my plans out the window to focus on what needed to be done next.
"Look forward to it!! I'll show you something amazing!!""Yeah!!"
My confident attitude made the crying Nel smile.
"Alright then, let's go talk to the shop owner!!""Okay!!"
The first hurdle would be convincing the shop owner, our sponsor, but we'd manage with my presentation and Nel's tears.
---
And so, the day of reckoning arrived.
Not that it changed much for me—I just woke up early and got ready as usual.
"Liberta!!"
And our star of the day was fully pumped.
She wasn't in her usual clothes but had changed into sturdy attire suitable for the outdoors, complete with leather boots, a hat, gloves, and even a short sword at her waist for self-defense.
Yep, the shop owner's overprotectiveness was evident in how she was better equipped than I was.
"Good! You didn't oversleep!!""Of course not!!"
Whether it was my encouragement or just a good night's sleep, she was back to her confident self.
"Good morning, Liberta. Take care of my daughter today.""Good morning."
Today, not only Teresa but the shop owner himself was here.
"Hey, Zink, I'm here!!"
Just as we were about to confirm our plans after morning greetings, a man's voice called out from the backyard entrance.
"Hey, hey, Dent. You're going to scare my daughter."
The sudden voice made Nel jump and hide behind me, prompting the shop owner to scold the man, Dent.
"My bad, my bad."
Without a hint of remorse, an older man with graying hair tied back entered the backyard. He was slightly shorter but didn't seem to be a dwarf.
"These two? The ones I'm escorting today?""Yeah, that's right. I trust your skills to keep them safe."
His lean but toned body didn't give off a fragile impression. The well-worn bow and arrows on his back didn't look shabby either.
As we chatted casually, I noticed his fingers were rough and calloused—a sign of extensive use.
"To hire a C-rank like me for escorting to the hills... You could've gotten some F-rank kids to do this. Since when did you start making so much money?""It's the result of saving up bit by bit. I can't do this often, you know. And I'm entrusting you with my precious daughter. I chose you because I trust you."
That was reassuring. He seemed reliable.
"I get it. Trust comes first, whether you're an adventurer or a merchant. Otherwise, you'll starve.""It's rare to find adventurers who understand that these days.""Shop owner, shop owner."
If he was trustworthy, we needed to get moving.
"Ah, right. Dent, the kids are getting impatient. Can we get started?""Got it. I borrowed the horses as you asked. I'll return them by evening.""Thanks."
The shop owner had arranged for horses. The difference in mobility between a child's legs and a horse's was significant.
If we could ride early in the morning, we'd save a lot of time. That way, we could even venture a bit beyond the hills.
"Alright, kids, let's get on the horses.""O-okay.""Yes."
Dent untied the reins from the roadside and brought over a chestnut-colored horse.
To a child, it looked as big as a mountain. Nel looked nervous but managed to nod, while I wondered how we'd even get on. Dent simply lifted me by the armpits.
"First, the boy.""Whoa!!"
In no time, I was seated on the saddle.
Even a child weighs over ten kilograms, yet he lifted me effortlessly. Was this the benefit of levels?
"Next, the girl. Boy, don't let her fall."
Then he lifted Nel just as easily and placed her in front of me.
Startled by her first time on a horse, Nel grabbed the pommel, and I held her waist to steady her.
"Alright, boy, stay like that. There we go."
Finally, Dent nimbly mounted the horse himself.
"Nel, here's some lunch. Eat it over there. There's enough for Dent too, so help yourself if you'd like.""That's a big help. Dried meat alone wouldn't be worth it."
Nel took the lunch from Teresa.
"Alright, let's head out.""See you later!!""Take care.""Have fun!""Yeah!"
With Nel's farewell, the horse began to move slowly.
"It's moving!!""Yeah.""Of course it is."
It must have been her first time on a horse, as Nel looked back excitedly. I held her waist to keep her balanced, though it was a bit nerve-wracking.
Having ridden various mounts in FBO, I had a rough idea of how to handle a horse. That's why I couldn't share Nel's pure excitement.
"Liberta! It's so high!!""Yeah, it is.""I can see so far!!""Yeah."
Just seeing her smile like this made me glad I brought her along.
Even on the way to the south gate, the change in perspective from riding a horse seemed to entertain her.
"Halt!""Alright."
When the guards stopped us, Dent showed them the request form to prove it was a legitimate job.
"Eek!"
Nel let out an unladylike sound.
Wondering what was wrong, I followed her gaze and saw a chubby boy glaring at her—no, at me?—with a resentful look.
"Alright, you're good to go.""Thanks.""Bleh!!"
That must be the infamous Dasse. He must really dislike us, as he stuck out his tongue at Nel. Dent gave her a questioning look, and even the guard turned around, though he knew it wasn't directed at him.
"Hey, that's rude. Stop it.""Okay."
I figured she was just trying to retaliate a bit, so when I scolded her, she turned forward with a huff.
Seeing Nel smile at me, Dasse's expression twisted even more.
Probably, he wasn't just upset but angry at me, the guy next to the girl he liked, telling him to knock it off.
But Nel seemed to think he was just upset.
Satisfied with the effectiveness of her tongue-sticking, she happily enjoyed the view outside the gate.
She only thought I was scolding her for being rude, not realizing the deeper tension.
"Boy, you've got it tough.""Not really."
Dent, the adult in this situation, seemed to see through the exchange and sympathized with me. But compared to the bad luck I've had with drop rates, this was nothing.
Seeing Nel's smiling face as she got excited about the forest, plains, and birds in the sky was priceless.
Though...
"My butt hurts.""Yeah, mine too."
After riding for nearly an hour.
Horseback riding isn't exactly comfortable.
"Kid, you'll get used to it with practice."
For kids like us without levels, even an hour was enough to strain our lower bodies.
Even I, who was used to riding, felt a bit sore.
For Nel, who had been bouncing around without much regard for balance, it was no wonder she was rubbing her hips after dismounting.
By the way, Nel, glaring at the horse won't do any good—it's not their fault.
"So, you brought us all the way here to hunt mochi and level up?""No, I won't be leveling up due to certain circumstances."
As long as I wore the "Training Bracelet," my level wouldn't increase. And once equipped, it couldn't be removed for 24 hours.
"Then, the girl... no, she's wearing one too. So what are you planning to do?"
Knowing this, Dent was puzzled about why we had come here if not to level up safely.
"I want to hunt some raccoons."
With a smile, I declared my intentions to him.