Magical beasts are living creatures.

Like the one Shello-san was dragging when I first met him—that's a magical beast. That one was a giant boar, but—in any case, they are proper, flesh-and-blood living beings.

I quietly peeked out from the house, and sure enough, there it was.

At the base of the lone tree growing behind the Roth family home, one large beast (or "one head" might be more accurate) was sleeping, even snoring.

It was sleeping in a crouched position, so I couldn't see its full shape, but it looked like an animal resembling a brown bear. If it stood up, it would probably be 2 or 3 meters tall.

Seeing its huge body, I instantly abandoned the option of fighting it.

The magic map glowing red.

The quest title was "The Crouching Beast and the Sky-Blue Fig."

The Monster Alarm blaring, signaling a suddenly spawned magical beast.

The detailed information on the map seen through [Mirror of Truth] read, [The fruit is said to grow on a tree standing on a hill near the forest west of Lucraella! Rumor has it that the magic fruit is a favorite food of monsters. Come prepared for battle!]

With all these conditions matching, there's no room for doubt.

We are indeed on a hill near the forest west of Lucraella, and there's a tree here.

Though I'm not sure if it bore fruit, so...

Peeking once again, and there, I saw a single magnificent fruit on one of the branches—about the size of a durian (a size that definitely wouldn't be called a fig). Its color was sky blue or light blue, faintly glowing, as if declaring, "I am a magical fruit."

Yup, confirmed.

"...Alright, let's run! If we make it back to my mansion, the barrier will keep it out. Now is our chance while it's sleeping!"

I'd thought a D-rank quest would be manageable, but engaging in close-quarters combat with a highly aggressive bear-sized wild animal? No way.

It would be a different story if I had a hunting license and a shotgun, but charging it with a sword is just reckless. You'd just get caught by a paw swipe too fast to see, and your head would fly off. Engaging it with a sword is seriously impossible. It's like fighting a car!

Too bad! This quest is a failure!

"Let's see... escaping is not an option for me, but Jirou and the others should probably get out of here. We don't know how strong this magical beast is, and we have to consider the worst-case scenario."

Rebecca-san said this so calmly.

"Eeeeehh!? Let's run away together! It's a bear! A bear, you know! A mountain grandpa! Surely, if it wakes and eats the sky-blue durian, it'll just go back to the forest!"

This beast is likely an event monster—or rather, it has to be. Or to be exact, something not of this world, like summoned undead monsters... except, it looks like a bear.

My guess is that the quest sequence is: take the fruit from the tree → the bear wakes → the bear, furious that its fruit was taken, attacks → defeat it and give the fruit to the girl to clear the quest.

That would mean that if we leave that fruit alone, the magical beast should eventually disappear. It won't descend into the village... probably.

I'm not entirely confident in this theory, though...

"...Listen, Jirou. It's unnatural why a magical beast suddenly appeared there, but that doesn't mean we can just leave it be, you know."

My idea was summarily rejected.

It's understandable, though. Those who make monster hunting their livelihood have responsibilities. And Shello-san and Rebecca-san are the strongest combatants in this area.

But this time, duty isn't relevant. It shouldn't be.

"Ah, well... I think this is the cause. Take a look at this."

I showed Rebecca-san the slightly glowing magic map.

"What's that?"

"Like I said, it's the same kind of map Efta-san showed us before. You could call it a 'magic commission sheet'. This is either a miscalculation or a massive coincidence, but the location on the map matches perfectly—it seems to be right here."

"...The map does look like the terrain around here... but we don't have any fruit trees, do we?"

Rebecca-san didn’t seem to notice the huge fruit growing on the tree, so I pointed it out.

According to her, that tree itself has been there since she started living here. But it has never borne fruit like that, not even once.

"So that magical beast is actually a monster?"

"I think so. I can't be certain, but the Monster Alarm went off, and Diana reacted to it. At the very least, it's not an ordinary animal."

"But... if it's a monster, it will definitely attack humans, right? On the contrary, if it's a monster, we have to defeat it here. Now, while it's sleeping, is our chance."

And with a cheerful "Alright!" she readied her weapon.

W-Wait, hold on, just wait a minute! At least let me get the girls to safety first! There's no need to wake a sleeping monster immediately!

Even Diana was panicking, saying something like, "We really shouldn't fight it, nodesu, I have a bad feeling about this."

While trying to hold Rebecca-san back, I suddenly wondered—Where's Shello-san...?

Feeling uneasy, I stepped outside to find Shello-san glaring at the sleeping magical beast with his beloved massive claymore stuck in the ground.

...Was he standing guard, ready to deal with it the moment it woke up? Good. It wouldn't have been surprising if Shello-san had already taken the initiative to start the subjugation by himself...

Noticing me, Shello-san spoke up in a loud voice, as if he didn't care if the beast woke up.

"Oh, Jirou! Even you could take this one. It's a perfect opportunity; go for it!"

NOOOOOO! Another unexpected development! Nothing about this situation seems "perfect" though!?

"It's fine. When you get to my level, you can tell an opponent's strength at a glance. This one is about a C-rank magical beast."

What? He has that kind of special ability? He doesn't need the [Mirror of Truth]? Does he see "Extremely Strong" or "Same Strength" when he looks at them?

I guess I can trust him... maybe...

But even if it's a "mere practice opponent" for Shello-san, isn't there a high chance it's "Very Very Strong" for me? Is this really okay...? It's a freaking bear, for crying out loud.

However, hearing that, Marina beside me suddenly became fired up.

"Then please let Marina handle it, de arimasu! Can Marina fight it too, de arimasu?"

You serious!?

If possible, I'd like Marina to escape to the mansion with Aurica and Elepipi. But letting just them escape is a bit iffy.

Or maybe put Diana in charge? But riding three people on a horse... Marina could probably manage it, but I'm worried about Diana's riding skills.

Diana herself was pale as a sheet.

"Goshujin-sama, we don't have to fight it, nodesu. I have a feeling it's not as gentle as it looks..."

Don't scare them off, Diana...

"Why not? We've only practiced monster combat with weak ones. A C-rank seems like a good opponent, doesn't it?"

Now even Rebecca-san was on board... Hmm... That means Shello-san's eye is trusted? C-rank must be a class we can manage somehow...

"Alright... Marina and I will give it a try. If it looks bad, we bail and leave it to Shello-san."

"Wahaha, leave it to me then."

I'm genuinely scared, but Shello-san is right; this might be a good opportunity.

It's rare to fight a magical beast with such preparation and numbers, and timing on our side.

Normally, fighting a magical beast would be an ambush situation like, "A wild saber-toothed tiger just leapt out!" If that were my first encounter, I'd definitely die. Humans aren't capable of instantaneous high-level action like that.

Diana was worried until the end, but sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do. I was planning to challenge the quest anyway.

We prepared our equipment and slowly, cautiously approached the magical beast.

Marina in her usual mithril armor with a halberd.

I, in my normal clothes, equipped with my demon sword.

Maybe I need some kind of armor soon... If I take even one hit, I'll be seriously injured.

They say "No pain, no gain," but I'm not that determined. I'll just have to believe the defense training with Shello-san was super effective.

In the end we didn't evacuate Aurica or Elepipi either.

Regarding Elepipi, Rebecca-san suggested it would be good for her to watch since she joined the knight order, and as for Aurica alone, if things go south we can all cover her retreat together.

Honestly... I'm a little nervous.

This is a different level of risk compared to failing in business or getting my identity leaked on a forum. If I fail here, people will die.

I really want to take more safety margins. But no matter how much safety margin you take in a battle, it's only a difference in degree. Yes, of course, better armor helps, and better weapons help, but...

Even so, "absolute safety" doesn't exist. No matter how much you manage risk, that risk never becomes zero. It's a matter of accepting that.

In that sense, ex-mercenaries like Shello-san and Rebecca-san are on a completely different wavelength from us—especially me. Their sense regarding death—whether it's dull or sharp is hard to judge—is probably worlds apart from mine, as a peace-spoiled Japanese guy.

Anyway, I originally intended to gear up properly, treat this quest like a treasure hunt, decode the map, beat the monster, grab the fruit—all nice and leisurely. Instead it turned into an impromptu boss fight...

It's a shame but, oh well... I'll just console myself with the thought that this will be good training for me and Marina.

As if sensing my thoughts—or perhaps not, Marina was pumped up.

"Master-dono, please let Marina do as much of the fighting as possible, de arimasu. I want to test how much I can fight, de arimasu."

How she can summon such fighting spirit against that big bear is beyond me. Is it because of her Knight Vocation? So gallant.

Since Marina is the vanguard and her weapon is a long polearm like a halberd, we won't be able to coordinate very well. I'll either get caught in her swing, or she'll worry about me and won't be able to fight at full power.

"Okay, let's do a switch method then. Marina fights for a bit, then I take over. After that, we'll judge the situation and respond flexibly."

I can't let Marina do all the work. I want to try fighting a bit myself, too.

Besides, Shello-san said it's okay, and it should be weaker than a real-life grizzly bear... hopefully.

If not, I hope it's at least a Bob Sapp-level bear. We might win that one with a weapon advantage. If it's a bear on the level of Akakabuto, then have to rely on Shello-san's Zetsu Tenrou Battouga...

"Then I shall go, de arimasu!"

Marina charged forward. I followed with sword drawn.

The fruit was tempting, but we had to deal with the bear first.

Marina stopped at engagement range, cautiously observing the still-sleeping beast.

Even now, it was out cold, snoring.

"...Couldn't we just chop its head off while it's sleeping? Maybe we should try that?"

"Head-chop, de arimasu?"

"Yeah, with the axe part of your halberd."

But Shello-san shot that down. He said since this was training, we had to wake it up and fight it properly. Unreasonable old man.

"Marina, gently wake it, poke it with that long thing just right. Careful not to anger it."

"Wake it up gently, de arimasu. I shall call out to it, de arimasu."

Huh, call out to it? Before I could ask, Marina spoke to the magical beast. No, she declared.

"My name is Marina! Second Knight of Artemis, Marina, de arimasu! I challenge you, O Magical Beast, to an honorable duel, de arimasu!"

She actually challenged it to a duel!? Is that normal here!?

The common sense of this world is completely beyond me!

"Rebecca-san, this is..."

"Knightly duel, obviously."

As expected of the professor! You're reliable~

No, that's not the issue! Why is she taking this so normally? What's the point of challenging an animal to a duel?

"Usually, you do that with humans, but well, she's a bit odd, you see. She often talked about admiring duels."

Ah, so she is a bit weird. Good. I'm glad Marina is just the weird one! Well, maybe not good.

The beast, which seemed like it wouldn't wake up even after Marina's proclamation, suddenly stopped snoring and opened its two eyes drowsily. It looked around, and then opened its mouth.

"...That fruit belongs to me."

"WAAAAAAAAAHHHH IT SPOKEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

* * *

"That fruit is mine," he continued. "If you desire it, demonstrate your strength to me."

The bear spoke fluently. Moreover, it seemed like a martial arts enthusiast, yet its posture carried a strange sense of intelligence.

What the heck? Is it standard for magical beasts to talk? I thought they were just animals! But then again, Etowa the cat girl, speaks fluently, so maybe it's not strange in this fantasy world at all?

Like Etowa, for some reason, animal-types often seem intelligent. Is it the creator's? preference, or something?

According to Rebecca-san, talking magical beasts exist occasionally. They rarely get involved in the human world, so fighting one like this is uncommon. However, while rare, it's not an unprecedented creature, as both Shello-san and Rebecca-san looked completely unfazed.

What is this world, seriously?

Killing something that can hold a conversation feels totally different from killing a regular animal...

The bear, perhaps assessing the situation, didn't launch a full assault... Rather, it didn't seem intent on fighting seriously. It gave off a "I'll humor you, so come at me" vibe. I have no idea what kind of event this is supposed to be.

Its standing form was indeed about 3 meters long, frankly quite intimidating. It was enough to make me freeze... but we had no choice but to fight, believing we could win. That, too, is probably part of the training.

But, trying to slash and kill such a huge animal with a sword is, well... a little impossible, I'd say.

If it came at us with intent to kill, I wouldn't have the luxury of thinking such things.

"Here I go, de arimasu!"

While I was lost in thought, Marina charged.

Her eyes shone brightly as she swung her halberd. She's amazing... isn't she scared?

Marina swung her purple halberd with wild abandon, putting her entire body weight into each blow aimed at the bear. One strike, two strikes, three strikes. Her attack flowed ceaselessly, like a dancer, continuing with explosive power leveraging the halberd's weight.

"Guhaha! Fine attacks!"

The magical beast took the attacks without much defense, occasionally swiping back at Marina. Marina, too, seemed to be fighting well, cleverly dodging the opponent's attacks, but—

"...Rebecca-san, even though her attacks are landing solidly... that monster's not bleeding at all."

"...Yes, I noticed that too... It's similar to the ones that appear in swarms. The attacks hit, but they don't seem to feel a thing..."

"So it's a type of monster that's not undead? Unlike skeletons, it clearly has weight and moves according to physics... though it does look like a bear."

"Perhaps... Sorry, this is my first time seeing something like that too... I hope she'll be okay."

"If it gets dangerous, we'll all jump in."

In response to Marina's continuous attacks, the bear only made slow movements, occasionally mimicking cat-punches.

So this is C-Rank level, huh?

No matter how you look at it, it certainly looked like the bear was holding back, but since this is my first time fighting a magical beast, I don't really know. Maybe this is normal.

"Ngh!? This is... [Ruin]!? Oh? A rare enchantment you have there. But it's useless against me!"

The bear dramatically acted surprised.

Now that I think about it, Marina's halberd does have that enchantment. But if it's ineffective, it's meaningless.

But still, I gotta say...

"...Senpai... so beautiful..."

Elepipi, who was watching Marina's dance-like fighting style, murmured.

She's right. Marina looked beautiful.

A body in motion. Sweat scattering in shining droplets. Her breath quickening. Her chest rising and falling.

With incredible lightness, she spins around like a top, her waist cape fluttering as she dazzled the magical beast. Combined with her natural tan skin, she looked like an Arabian dancer.

Her form was fitting of to be called a "fairy"...

A fairy who blossomed under my care...

"...Wait, enough admiring her like that. The hell's ‘fairy who blossomed under my care' supposed to mean?"

Snapping back to reality, I prepared to switch with Marina.

The bear didn't seem weak—more like it simply wasn't fighting seriously—so I should be fine.

Ah, by the way, in our training spars, my win rate is actually higher, you know?

...Though it's possible she's holding back!

"Alright, Marina! Switch!"

"U-Understood, de arimasu! Master-dono, my attacks don't seem to be effective, de arimasu! Be careful!"

"Got it."

Even during the switch with Marina, the bear watched but didn't pursue.

I had no idea what the end of this bizarre event was supposed to be. It said the event ends once we "demonstrate our strength", so...

Thinking that, I readied my Demon Sword. I can't fight like Marina, spinning around like Murofushi, instead, I'll take the straight-and-narrow approach.

While thinking that, I stepped into range—

—And the bear, who had been observing quietly, suddenly changed its expression and let out a roar that shook the ground.

GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

"YOU!! That sword!! That accursed crimson demon sword!! The sword that drowned my brethren in a sea of blood—that dragged them into the crimson hell!! But... you are not that man...? Then you must be the next bearer. Kukuku. Against a mere apprentice I would show mercy. But against the fourth wielder of the ‘Beast Slayer'—I, Arcas of the North Star Polaris—shall show NO MERCY!!"