The goblin is no longer my match.
So, I spotted a white figure deeper in the labyrinth. Its back was turned, but it stood out considerably in the all-green forest.
Lydia, who had been walking ahead, stretched out her arm to stop me and said,
“It’s a Horned Rabbit.”
“It looks cute compared to a goblin.”
It’s about the size of a medium dog, quite large for a rabbit. Its white fur is fluffy, and the expression while munching on grass is the epitome of harmlessness.
Aside from the horn on its forehead and its larger size, it looks just like an ordinary rabbit.
“Don’t let your guard down just because it looks cute. It doesn’t live deeper in the labyrinth for no reason.”
“I already know a bit about Horned Rabbits, so don’t worry.”
“…Alright.”
Lydia nodded with a complex expression. Does she think I’m unreliable? In times like this, actions speak louder than words.
Clutching my dagger, I strode towards the Horned Rabbit.
If goblins are known for their cowardice and cruelty, Horned Rabbits are known for their speed.
Being originally a rabbit, they’re incredibly fast. At least when it comes to instant speed, they’re among the best on the first level. Their hunting style is to dash around, using their horns to poke holes in their prey.
With that in mind, there’s a well-known method for catching Horned Rabbits. You use a thick shield to block the incoming Horned Rabbit and then finish off the stunned creature.
Since their hide is no different from an ordinary rabbit, a simple strike will take them down quickly.
It’s a method that has nothing to do with me since I don’t have a shield, and even if I did, I couldn’t handle the weight…
But what’s important is that the speed of a first-level adventurer can manage to react to them if they keep their wits about them.
And I’m confident my instantaneous speed is even faster.
In other words, it means the speed-focused rabbit is outrun by me…!
Rustle.
“Kyuit?”
The Horned Rabbit turned at the sound of rustling grass. It let out an adorably cute cry, but that’s just its own declaration of war.
Whether my prediction was right or not, it immediately kicked the ground and charged at me.
It’s definitely fast. But is it so fast that it’s hard to follow with my eyes? Not really.
“Hey.”
I deftly sidestepped and slashed the Horned Rabbit’s side with my dagger.
Perhaps it was because both our speeds were so fast, but the impact was strong enough that I lost my grip on the dagger.
I quickly turned to aim my crossbow at the Horned Rabbit that zipped past me. …But to cut straight to the point, that wasn’t necessary.
The Horned Rabbit, with its side already deeply slashed, was already dying.
“Kyuiit…!”
A mournful cry. The creature squirmed for a bit with its insides spilling out before it soon went limp.
“Is that it?”
I thought it would be a decent challenge, but I had no idea it would be simpler than a goblin.
Just when I tilted my head and approached to gather the Horned Rabbit’s corpse, I suddenly heard.
“Kyuiiiik!”
“Kyuaaaak!”
“Kyukyuukyak!”
The cries of Horned Rabbits echoing from all directions.
“Li-Lydia? What’s going on?!”
“Jonah. Didn’t you say you knew? Horned Rabbits travel in families.”
“I knew that! But there was no one around! I thought it was alone!”
“Horned Rabbits are fast, and if they stick too close together, they collide with each other. So even in a group, they keep a certain distance.”
“I didn’t expect this much…”
I had set Horned Rabbits as mere fodder, so I hadn’t thought too deeply about them. Just like, ‘They’re horned rabbits, super fast and sometimes travel in groups.’
I thought there would be a lot I wouldn’t know about their intricate habits, but I never imagined they would deviate this much from my expectations.
With goblins, there was hardly any difference aside from them being overly aggressive toward me, but… I learned something crucial from this experience.
My memory of the monster settings should only be taken as a reference!
“Ugh! Right after returning, I need to reread the monster compendium sold at the guild!”
I gritted my teeth and got into position. With several may strike at once from who knows where, getting rushed by multiple monsters would be dangerous, no matter how I look at it.
After a moment of contemplation, I subtly adhered to Lydia’s side, ready to hide behind her expensive-looking armor.
…I know I’m being a bit cowardly, but this is truly the best course of action.
While I grumbled internally, Lydia patted my shoulder with a relaxed demeanor.
“Yes. Well said. For adventurers, studying is essential. And if you think things aren’t going well, coming to me was smart.”
“Huh? Ah, I didn’t mean to ask for help just now… um… no, never mind. Please help.”
“Leave it to me.”
Her voice was as blunt as ever. But Lydia wore a faint smile as she pulled out a large greatsword from thin air.
Perhaps there was some artifact for weapon storage hidden somewhere in her armor… but it bothered me that the sword looked entirely different from the twin dagger I saw at the clan house earlier.
The sword I saw before had a long sword style. But the greatsword she pulled out looked heavy and rough, enough to serve as a shield too.
Is she actually going to use it like a shield?
I was watching with bated breath, expecting to see something that only happens in cartoons or games.
The sound of rustling, as if something was charging at us, quickly approached.
“Jonah. Duck.”
“Yes.”
I instinctively bowed my head. …And what I saw was far beyond what I had anticipated.
BAAAM!
An ear-splitting sound that made my ears ring. A gale swept through so strong it was hard to keep my eyes open, and a bit late, a spray of blood fell to the ground.
Thump, thud.
“Uh…”
So, right now. Did she swing the greatsword to create a wind, and did that wind pressure turn the group of Horned Rabbits into blood splatters?
“Whoa! Lydia, you’re amazing! You’re incredibly strong!”
“Ahem.”
With her usual impassive face and monotone voice, she placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest, clearly showing off.
“Truly, the revered High-Ranking Adventurer! You can handle this much without using your aura!”
“More praise, please.”
“That weapon is different from the one I saw before, right? You keep several weapons ready for various situations! That’s impressive!”
“Pweh.”
“Plus, you’re pretty, virtuous enough to earn that title, and you have a deep sense of morals, yet you’re still called the pure Lydia behind your back!”
“…That last part didn’t sound like praise.”
I beamed at Lydia, who tilted her head in confusion.
“Wow… I thought you were just a broke, unfortunate adventurer who wastes everything on food and weapons, but if you’re this strong, it’s fine! Yes! Lydia, do whatever you want!”
“…That’s definitely not right.”
With sharpened eyes, Lydia rapped my head lightly. It felt like getting a light tap on the crown, sorta like a honey punch.
I wasn’t trying to mock her, but when someone who usually isn’t like that gets a bit proud, it makes you want to tease them.
Eventually, after enduring her taps until she calmed down, I could finally look around.
The grass laid down as if crushed by a giant, and scattered among it were chunks of red meat.
“Wow. Remarkably, there are still some magic stones left, huh? The horns turned to powder, though.”
“Living monster magic stones are pretty hard. But they’re weak to divine powers.”
“By divine powers, do you mean like divine authority?”
“Yes. Auras and magic are similar.”
Well, both technically stem from the powers of a dead god.
Nodding inwardly, I started collecting the magic stones among the blood chunks. I made sure to grab the horn from the first Horned Rabbit I killed, as well.
Looking at the bodies of the monsters crumbling into dust, I found motivation.
“Whoa! Now that I think about it, this isn’t the first time Lydia helped me, is it?”
“That’s true. Until now, I’ve fought well on my own.”
“This was your first mistake, so you’ll do better from now on! Let’s hurry to the next area!”
“Positive attitude. I commend you.”
With a smile, Lydia found our path and led the way. I followed Lydia again and resumed hunting.
Knowing that I might lose my dagger due to the shock or bring in nearby groups before dying, I adjusted my combat style to account for that.
For instance, rather than slicing with the dagger on cue, I shot the crossbow at the trajectory of something charging toward me. Or I quickly dispatched others to prevent any groups from being summoned.
Or I could position myself with thick trees that even Horned Rabbits couldn’t pierce behind me, restricting my options for where to be wary.
Determined to make up for my initial mistake, I carefully handled goblins and Horned Rabbits without error.
Maybe it was good luck or bad, but on this day, we encountered many monsters, quickly filling my backpack.
I thought I’d caught enough, and as I started to head back, I heard voices in the distance.
-…uh…grab…ah!
-…ro………end…!
Clank! Clang!
“Huh?”
Faint voices resonated from afar, and I definitely couldn’t be mistaken about the sound of metal clashing.
“Lydia, this….”
“Over there. Someone’s being ambushed by another adventurer.”
Lydia, possessing far more acute senses than me, understood the situation as she caught a snippet of the conversation. Without hesitation, she veered in the direction I hadn’t expected.
I hadn’t anticipated that the first adventurers we’d come across in the labyrinth would be in the midst of a robbery.
Quietly hunting monsters in the labyrinth makes one an adventurer. Killing such adventurers to loot their magic stones and equipment makes one a thief.
And obviously, thieves can be executed on the spot without anyone batting an eye. The thieves that have survived are either exceptionally lucky beginners, sly, or absurdly strong. It’s one of those three.
With Lydia around, the thieves wouldn’t have the chance to resist, though.
Hadn’t I just seen Lydia’s power not too long ago? No way a mere first-level adventurer could even touch a hair on Lydia’s head.
Holding onto that optimism, I arrived at the scene and found someone I hadn’t expected.
“…Huh?”
It was the elven thug pair who had swindled my 8 copper coins before.
The ones being ambushed were those two.
