Chapter 23: The first step to becoming a hero
{TL: By Creed}
It's unbelievable, but it seems the monster I defeated was a male Fenrir.
No way, that can't be true. Are you kidding?
That was my initial reaction, but Sofia and Gale, who brought her here, insist that it was indeed a male Fenrir.
"When I heard that a male Fenrir appeared, I hurried back... But I never expected Fate to have defeated it. And moreover, without a scratch."
"Um... Is this really the Fenrir?"
"Yes. Does Fate doubt the words of his childhood friend?"
"It's not that, but... it's just hard to believe."
For someone like me to defeat Fenrir...
"Is Fenrir not such a big deal, by any chance?"
"Absolutely not!"
Sofia and Gale unanimously deny.
"Do you really understand the threat of an S-rank monster, Fate? With enough power, one could easily destroy a town. Even I would need some time to defeat it, and yet to think it's nothing significant, I can't say that."
"To defeat Fenrir like that, you must have an incredible power... Comparable to a Sword Saint, or maybe even greater?"
"I managed to find Ascart quickly, so I rushed to support, but..."
"I was hoping you would survive, but you went on and defeated it..."
"No, it's just... I was lucky."
"It's not the kind of monster you can defeat just by luck!"
Once again, their voices collectively deny.
"Really... Honestly!"
"Sofia?"
Sofia tightly embraces me.
I'm surprised by the sudden action, but she's shaking slightly. Probably because she was scared. She must have been frightened, thinking about the possibility of me dying.
"To do such an outrageous thing on your own and worry me... really, Fate, you..."
"I'm sorry, Sofia. I'm sorry for worrying you."
"Really, honestly..."
Holding her, patting her head...
After a while, when she seems to have calmed down, Sofia, with a red face, pulls away.
"Ugh... I can't believe I got so upset."
"Huh? Why do you look embarrassed?"
"Well, because..."
"While your concern might be inappropriate, I'm happy about it. If something similar happened to you, I would worry so much I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, and I'd think about you all the time."
"Is that line intentional?"
"Huh, what?"
"No, it's nothing."
With a sullen yet embarrassed expression...
"Anyway, let's go back to the fortress once."
"Yeah, you're right. By the way, what about the female Fenrir?"
"I took care of it properly."
"I see, you're amazing, Sofia."
"It feels a bit complicated to be praised by Fate, who easily defeated a male Fenrir, though."
With a wry smile, together with Sofia, we returned to the fortress.
――――――――――
By eliminating Fenrir, we were able to call for help. Some people can't be moved, and repairing the fortress is also difficult. In any case, there aren't enough people.
As a precaution, Sofia accompanied them, while Gale, Raxa and Sail went to the town.
Meanwhile, I attended to the injured and worked on restoring the fortress. During my time as a slave, it was my responsibility to build camps, so I could apply that experience to the restoration of the fortress. Although specialized craftsmen would be needed for a thorough repair, what I did served as sufficient emergency measures. It should effectively prevent the intrusion of beasts and monsters.
Afterwards, a few days later, the rescue team arrived. Healers treated the injured, and builders began the comprehensive repair of the fortress.
Since Sofia had also returned, she, along with Gale and the others, went to the location of Fenrir's corpse. They dismantled the materials, carrying what they could, and burning the rest. Although the meat had gone bad after a few days, the skin and fangs were still in good condition. Apparently, materials from an S-rank monster could be sold for a high price, so that was something to look forward to.
With all this going on, busy days passed, and finally...
Sofia and I reached the day to leave the fortress.
――――――――――
"Fate, are you ready?"
"Yeah, no problem."
They were able to borrow a carriage from Gale and the others. The materials from Fenrir were loaded onto the cargo bed.
"Are you leaving soon?"
Gale, Raxa, and Sail came to see them off.
"Yeah, it's like a detour, so we should head back soon."
"I see... Once again, thank you. We really appreciate everything."
"If it weren't for you, we don't know what would have happened... you're our saviors."
"We'll never forget this kindness. You two are our heroes. Thank you so much!"
The three of them bowed together. Furthermore...
"Thank you! We won't forget you guys! If you can, come visit again. Feel free to use this fortress anytime! Next time, let us treat you to a drink! We'll be waiting!"
Other adventurers and people from the fortress also came out to bid them farewell. Everyone was waving with smiles on their faces.
"Um..."
Caught in the awkwardness of the grand farewell, Sofia lightly tapped my back when I seemed unsure of how to react.
"Wave and respond, please."
"But I haven't done anything significant..."
"Are you still saying that? Not only did you defeat the male Fenrir and save the fortress, but you also treated the injured and performed emergency measures on the fortress. You prevented the intrusion of beasts and monsters."
"If you say that, Sofia also..."
"I only defeated one female Fenrir. Compared to Fate, I haven't done much. In that regard, Fate is truly remarkable. You are worthy of being called a hero."
"... A hero..."
"Come on, wave."
"..."
Hesitant, I waved as instructed. Everyone cheered loudly.
"This scene is what Fate protected."
"I did..."
"I'm proud of Fate for doing that."
Sofia smiled warmly.
TL Note: And this Adventure ends on a good note.....they say the adventure ends only when you reach your home.
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