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I Got a New Skill Every Time I Was Exiled, and After 100 Different Worlds, I Was Unmatched (Web Novel) - Chapter 414: If There Are Limits to Freedom, I Want to Respect the Children’s Autonomy.
Chapter 414: If There Are Limits to Freedom, I Want to Respect the Children’s Autonomy.
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
“You want to take on a request, just the two of you?”It had been roughly three months since we formed our party. On our way back to town after finishing a job, Yuto brought up the idea.
“Yes. It’s been incredibly educational to accompany you on various requests, but I feel like if we don’t start working on our own soon, we might develop a habit of relying on others too much… What do you think?”
“That’s true… I think it’s fine. What about you, Tia, Mao?”
“I think we’ll be fine. Lately, I’ve gotten quite good at… using it.”
“Hahaha, just watch me, Nii-sama! [Magic Arrow]!”
With a proud face, Mao thrust out her right hand and shouted, launching a black stick-like object from her hand that stuck into the ground a short distance away. The power was laughably weak, but it was precisely this weakness that surprised me and earned my genuine admiration.
“Wow, that’s amazing, Mao!”
“Mao-chan, you’ve been working really hard. I heard it’s difficult to project pure mana, but this is really impressive.”
“Hahahaha! It’s not that big of a deal!”
[Actually, that’s not magic, so no matter what, I couldn’t add any attributes to it.]
[Oh, is that so?]
While Yuto and Mao were having fun, Tia whispered to me using [Missing Talk], making me chuckle wryly.
As expected, or rather unfortunately, it seems Mao inherited my lack of magical talent. However, it appears she could still unleash some sort of demon king power that could blast everything around her, and after much effort with Tia, she managed to make it look somewhat like magic.
Indeed, with this level of power and appearance, it wouldn’t be strange for a child to wield it… The fact that she managed to refine the power of a demon king, capable of making enemies of the world, to this extent must be thanks to Mao’s desire to “stay with the ones she loves.”
“You did well, Mao. This is perfect.”
“Hehehehe. Praise me more, Nii-sama!”
As I ruffled Mao’s head, she beamed with joy. Watching us, Tia turned to Yuto.
“So, what kind of request are you planning to take?”
“Ah, yes. We were thinking of starting with something simple like herb gathering, and then maybe moving on to subjugation requests once we get used to it.”
“Subjugation, huh… Well, you guys should be fine. You’re not under any strange misconceptions.”
Normally, adventurers-in-training under the age of adulthood were not allowed to take on subjugation requests. However, exceptions exist for those deemed capable enough.
Yuto’s current abilities place him as a promising newcomer. While he wouldn’t stand a chance against a Brown Bear like the one we encountered when we first met, he could certainly handle Horn Rabbits, Grey Wolves, and even Goblins.
Moreover, Yuto has already experienced real combat several times by accompanying us. Even if he was in a protected role, the difference between hearing about battle and actually fighting was immense.
“Strange misconceptions… Like ‘Goblins are weak’?”
“Exactly. People say ‘even a child could defeat them,’ and while that’s not entirely false… Fighting an enemy that comes at you with the intent to kill is not as easy as it sounds.”
Goblins were about the size of human children, making them similar in size to Yuto or slightly smaller. While their physical abilities were somewhat higher, their intelligence was lower, leading to their reputation as ‘weak.’
However, this perception was skewed because Goblins resemble humans, leading to unconscious comparisons.
Indeed, Goblins were less intelligent than humans, but they were far smarter than most wild animals or monsters. Simple traps can be as effective as adding personnel for a desperate blockade, and crude weaponry can extend their range of harm more flexibly than poor magic.
Though their attacks might only be stopped by cheap leather armor, an unprotected hit can cause injury, and accidental contamination with feces can lead to serious illness. A hit to an unprotected neck could even be fatal.
“Remember, you don’t need the power to blow up mountains or poison that can kill dragons to take a life. A roughly broken stone hitting the neck can easily kill or be used to kill. That’s why Goblins can be defeated by children… and why Goblins can kill humans. Don’t let your guard down just because they’re weaker than you.”
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
“Really, Nii-sama, you worry too much. With me around, there’s nothing to fear.”
Yuto nodded seriously, while Mao seemed bored with the caution. Mao’s combat ability wasn’t in question, but there were plenty of other concerns.
“Mao, you need to be careful for a different reason. If me and Tia aren’t there, and you have a problem with a client, no one will be there to help you. That’s actually more critical, you know?”
“Ugh! I… I understand…”
Mao had only been living among humans for three months. While most of her mistakes were overlooked due to her childlike appearance, without me and Tia, who knew the situation, there was a chance she could make a serious mistake that even Yuto couldn’t cover for.
That was my bigger concern, but Tia placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled.
“Come on, Ed. ‘You can’t run if you’re not let loose,’ right? They’re both eager to try, so we should support them properly, shouldn’t we?”
“Yeah, you’re right. As long as you’re alive, most mistakes can be fixed. So go on your adventure without worry. Just remember, no requests that require camping out or going too far from town, okay?”
“Yes! Alma-san told us the same thing!”
“Ah, right. That was also one of the conditions for letting Yuto join our party. She really does look out for Yuto, huh?”
It’s natural to unconsciously favor those you like or are interested in. As long as it’s just concern for an apprentice, no one would complain.
—
Anyway, from the next day, Yuto and Mao began taking on requests just the two of them. Naturally, Tia and I were left with nothing to do. While there were plenty of requests we could take, we still didn’t know how far we could be from each other and still be recognized as a party, so we didn’t want to move too far from town.
“Hmm… Hey, Tia, see any good requests?”
So, we found ourselves staring at the request board that morning, pondering. But pondering meant there weren’t any appealing requests.
“Let’s see… Oh, this one is… on the opposite side of where Yuto and the others went, so no good.”
“Yeah, the opposite direction is… iffy.”
Based on our experience, we were almost certain it was safe to move within a day’s journey from town while staying here. But moving in the opposite direction… Honestly, we weren’t sure. It would be nice if there were a clear boundary line, but unfortunately, even the [Auto-Mapping] feature didn’t provide such convenience.
We had enough money to not worry about not working, but it felt wrong for us to be sleeping or drinking at the inn while Yuto and the others were working hard. Specifically, the innkeeper and Alma’s cold stares were hard to bear.
“But taking on errands or cleaning ditches now doesn’t feel right either… Hm?”
As I frowned at the board, a buzz of conversation suddenly spread behind me. Turning around, I saw a man in his forties wearing a splendid robe embroidered with gold threads on a white background standing at the guild’s entrance.
“…? What’s that about?”
“What, bro, you don’t know? That’s—”
“The world is on the brink of crisis!”
Before the nearby adventurer could explain, the man in the robe’s loud voice echoed throughout the guild.
