It'll be okay...! A Little Boar is just the starting monster!
It was, at most, a slightly stronger version of the creatures that appeared at the very beginning of the game. However, even in his previous life, Ren had never actually fought a wild beast. Facing a creature so different from a human—witnessing the raw force of its charge and the tusks bared right before his eyes—Ren felt a cold bead of sweat roll down his neck.
"Bruuuuh!"
The Little Boar lunged for Ren’s throat.
Startled, he instinctively held the Wooden Magic Sword horizontally, jamming it into the boar's mouth like a gag. But he couldn't completely arrest its momentum; he was knocked backward, his rear hitting the dirt as the beast bore down on him.
"Guh... gah...!"
Filthy tusks dripped foul-smelling drool just inches from his face. The sheer pressure of it—a kind of tension he had never known—sent his mind reeling. He was paralyzed by the raw, murderous intent pressing against him.
I won't lose...!
This was bad. Steeling himself, Ren realized he couldn't stay pinned. He shoved his arms forward with everything he had to drive the boar back.
"Wait... what?"
To his utter shock, the Little Boar was easily thrown off. It was effortless—almost too simple.
—I see. Training with Dad really did make me stronger.
As Ren stood up in surprise, another Little Boar pounced. This time, his demeanor was entirely different. He caught the beast with a calm, steady grip. Instead of being knocked over, his body held firm, his newfound physical strength making him feel as solid as a mountain.
"Good! If it's just you guys, I can handle this!"
He threw the boar back and stepped in toward the third one.
"Buaaa!?"
With a single, decisive swing of his Wooden Magic Sword, he struck it across the head. The creature's skull buckled under the heavy impact. Without missing a beat, Ren used the momentum of the return stroke to slash at the torso of the boar closing in from behind. While the wooden blade didn't cut through the thick hide, the sheer force of the blow caused the creature's side to cave in.
"..."
"...Aah..."
In the blink of an eye, two of the monsters lay dead. The final boar let out a pathetic squeal and bolted back into the depths of the forest.
Ren didn't bother giving chase. He hurriedly turned toward the bridge to see how Mireille was faring.
"Ren!? Since when... since when did you become so strong?!"
She was trying to walk with Roy's arm draped over her shoulder, but the sheer difference in their sizes meant she had barely made any progress.
"Everything's fine over here! I'll help, so let's get Dad back to the manor quickly!"
Mireille, still reeling from the display of her son's strength, snapped out of her daze at his firm tone. She tried to move forward again, but Roy was simply too heavy for her.
However, once Ren lent his strength, they finally had some breathing room. In fact, it was easier for Ren to simply carry Roy on his back alone. The benefits of Physical Ability Boost (Small) rendered the weight of a grown man manageable for a seven-year-old.
I'm glad I summoned it.
Ren felt a wave of relief as he felt his father’s weight on his back. Before leaving the manor, he had summoned the Wooden Magic Sword and tucked it into his belt, unsure of what they would find. Thinking that this foresight had likely saved his father’s life, he felt a rare moment of self-satisfaction.
"Ren! I’m going to run ahead and get Granny Rigu!" Mireille shouted as they reached the path through the fields.
"Granny Rigu...?"
"She has the Apothecary skill! I’m sure she can help him!"
"I-I understand!"
On the way back, Ren didn't feel the usual loneliness of the village outskirts. He was far too consumed with worry for Roy to think of anything else.
The edge of the sky was beginning to fade into a deep lapis lazuli.
Ren hadn't slept a wink. Watching the shifting colors, he realized morning was almost here.
"Oh... Granny Rigu?"
He opened his window and saw her stepping out of the manor, looking utterly drained. She had spent the entire night focused on Roy’s treatment. Ren immediately bolted from his room and ran outside.
"Granny Rigu! How’s my father?!"
Ren hadn't heard a single word about the severity of the wounds. Granny Rigu had insisted on total isolation for the treatment, even telling Mireille to stay out of the room.
"Ah, Young Master... just the person I wanted to see." Granny Rigu turned on her heel to face him. "As for the Master, I’ve managed to stabilize him for the time being."
Which meant Roy was still unconscious.
I guess that makes sense... those injuries were horrific.
The night before, after they had laid him in bed, Ren had seen the extent of the damage. Roy's abdomen had been sliced open so deeply his internal organs were on the verge of spilling out. Multiple bones were shattered; it was a miracle he had been able to move at all. Roy must have used every last drop of his life force just to crawl back to that bridge.
"But... for Dad to be beaten by Little Boars..."
As Ren whispered his disbelief, Granny Rigu slowly shook her head.
"So, it was a different monster then?"
"Most likely. But this forest usually only has Little Boars and large insects. I have no idea what could have done this."
Ren watched as Granny Rigu looked down in frustration. A thought occurred to him: perhaps his father’s injuries were caused by that D-rank monster Weiss had mentioned.
It’s appeared near the village.
And not even that deep in the forest. Roy knew these woods better than anyone; he wouldn't have gone somewhere reckless. That meant the creature had moved relatively close to their home.
"Anyway, thank you, Granny Rigu."
"Don't mention it. I’m going home to rest, but I’ll be back tonight to check on him. Call for me immediately if anything changes."
"I will. Thank you so much for everything!"
Granny Rigu's stride was heavy with exhaustion. Unlike their usual morning encounters, her footsteps were slow and weary. She had fought for Roy's life until dawn. Ren bowed deeply to her back in gratitude before heading back inside.
I need to go to the forest later.
He had to retrieve the Little Boar carcasses he’d left near the bridge. He couldn't leave the scent of blood lingering so close to the village, or it might draw the D-rank monster in.
And I have to find out what that monster is, even if I have to be blunt about it.
With his father down, Ren was the only one left who could fight. He was only an immature seven-year-old, but his skills were the only advantage they had.
If I don't do it, that thing might come into the village itself.
If the monster had appeared that close to home, he needed to start thinning out the weaker monsters it preyed upon. Lost in thought, Ren reached his parents' bedroom. He knocked, and upon hearing Mireille's voice, he opened the door and stepped inside.
"......Dad."
Roy lay on the large bed, his body wrapped in soiled, off-white bandages. It was a painful sight. His eyes were shut, but his chest rose and fell with a steady, if shallow, rhythm. Seeing that physical proof of life allowed Ren to relax his shoulders just a fraction.
"We’ll have to tell him when he wakes up," Mireille said, sitting on a stool by the bedside. "That we were only saved because you were there, Ren."
"Ahaha... I was pretty overwhelmed myself." Ren gave a strained smile, then noticed something on her lap. "Is that the parchment Lord Weiss brought?"
"Yes, it is."
Ren reached for the document. Normally, he would have asked for permission first, but this time his hand moved before he could even think to ask. He scanned the details.
...No. You’ve got to be kidding.
"He must have been attacked by that monster," Mireille whispered.
"Y-yeah... I think so... but..."
"But what?"
"...No, it’s nothing."
Shock was written all over Ren’s face. Inside, his mind was racing in circles. Why? Why was this monster here? Panic surged within him as he stared at the name he never expected to see.
It was a Thief Wolfen.
A monster that looked like a wolf with pure white fur, four tails, and six eyes. Its body was as long as four grown men standing side-by-side. It had two terrifying traits: extraordinary speed, and as its name suggested, the ability to steal. It used Wind Magic with expert precision, extending gusts of air like invisible hands to snatch things away.
Even in the game, the encounter rate was incredibly low; most players never even saw one before the credits rolled. But it wasn't a "rare spawn" because it was weak. It was a mid-to-high D-rank monster with power to match. It dropped rare items, making it a high-value target—for a high-level party.
The problem is, it's way too strong.
Ren wanted to defeat it if he could, but for someone who had just fought a Little Boar for the first time, a Thief Wolfen was an impossible wall.
...I can't do it. I can't fight that thing.
No matter how he ran the numbers, he didn't see a path to victory. But he couldn't just ignore it. If his guess was right, the Thief Wolfen was roaming the woods near the bridge. It was only a matter of time before it set its sights on the village.
I have to find a way to drive it away.
"Ren? You’ve gone quiet. What’s wrong?"
"Oh, um... I was just hesitating."
"Hesitating? You aren't actually thinking of going back into the forest, are you?"
"I am. I'm the only one left who can fight."
Mireille stood up abruptly, her voice rising in panic. "N-no! It's too dangerous for you, Ren!"
"But Mom, I took on three Little Boars at once and won."
"I don't care! What if the thing that attacked your father shows up?! If your father couldn't beat it, there's no way you can! It’s suicide!"
Her logic was flawless. Ren felt the weight of her words, but he couldn't back down.
"Mom, look at the situation. It's already dangerous."
"...What do you mean?"
"Dad is a veteran; he doesn't take unnecessary risks. If he was caught by this Thief Wolfen, it means the monster is operating much closer to the village than we thought. It’s right on our doorstep."
Mireille gasped.
"We don't have time to hesitate," Ren continued. "And besides... as an Ashton, I have a duty to protect this village, just like Dad does."
Mireille fell silent. Ren felt a pang of guilt seeing her so distressed, but he didn't recant. Weiss, the Knight Commander, had made it clear: the Ashtons were the village's shield. As the lady of the manor, Mireille knew the weight of that truth better than anyone.
"I thought about trying to evacuate everyone, but monsters will be out there too. And if they attack the caravan, I'd still be the only one who could fight."
In that case, staying in the village and holding the line was the only choice. Until the Baron’s reinforcements arrived, the most realistic plan was for Ren to keep the surrounding forest clear of anything that might draw the greater threat closer.