Today, I went to the forest with grandpa.
Hi, it's Shin, and I've turned 10 years old.
I have grown taller as well. Now that I mention it, I have just recalled I haven't described what kind of appearance I have in this world…
Although it's a little late to mention this, I seem to have a slight Western-style countenance with black hair and black eyes? My facial structure is unlike the ruggedness of a Japanese person from my previous world but has a deeper feature.
Instead, my appearance looks like a thin handsome fine youth, and could almost be mistaken as a face of a woman's. However, since I don't know the standards of beauty in this world, I wonder if that's the case here. Incidentally, black hair and black eyes are the commonalities here. And thus, there were no discrimination nor persecution in particular. That's how it is.
In any case, around the time I had grown to the appearance I described above, because grandpa said, "You're going to be able to hunt demons soon," we went on our first demon hunt.
The things I've been hunting until now were "animals." Humans also fall into the same category as animals. But in this mana-based world, animals can also receive the blessing of mana. However… when animals absorb mana excessively and lose control of that mana, they turn into demons.
When an animal turns into a demon, it starts using magic from the excess mana they had absorbed. Indeed, those rabbits or wild boars will, too. This concept also applies to humans.
Fortunately, humans rarely turn into demons since they have the skill to control magic using their own will. However, it seems like such as a case had happened in the past.
It was a case where a person lost their self-control, started to rampage using magic, made a few towns and villages disappear, and even made a nation perish.
At that time, a person was demonized. It is commonly known as a Devil, and was defeated by grandpa, or so it seems.
Grandpa often told me this as a bedtime story.
Therefore, even to this day, it seems like grandpa is still being treated as a hero in this country. Incidentally, this was from Michel-san's information.
That kind of grandpa was taking me on my demon hunting debut.
Up until now, I've done magic training, martial arts practice, and completed my equipment by means of magic tool creation. In addition, from the result of hunting for food every day, it was decided that it would be okay for me to go on a demon hunt soon.
And so, we went deeper into the back of the forest where I usually hunt.
"Umm grandpa, how do I find and hunt just demons? Isn't the forest filled with other animals?"
"Hoho, all right then, why don't I teach you how to search for demons."
After he said that, I was taught the method for searching demons.
"First, you need to thinly spread your mana around."
"Okay."
"After you do that, when something that has mana touches the mana you have spread, you can feel its presence."
"Oh~"
"All creatures have some mana inside them, and because of this, you will immediately know where it is. This is referred to as 'search magic.'"
As he said that, he taught me a new magic.
Or rather…
"…It would have been nice if you had taught me this sooner. It would have made hunting much easier."
"Hoho, that is also training. Besides, this magic cannot be used if you cannot control your mana to a certain extent."
Even though I sulked a little at grandpa who said that, I didn't say anything more since I understood why he didn't say anything about it. I then tried out the magic I've just been taught.
"I somehow expected this, but succeeding on the first try… this child is truly outstanding."
Grandpa seemed to have been muttering something, but I didn't have time for any of that. I already had my hands full with differentiating the animals in the forest that I sensed with my search magic. And then…
"!!??"
"Ho, did you find something?"
I grasped all the noticeably large mana amongst the mana scattered throughout the forest. I immediately recognized grandpa's mana who was standing right next to me, and grandma who was probably still inside the house. Their large and warm mana. However, the complementing mana at the moment was large, but even more than that, it was an ominous mana. This is…
"That is a demon's mana."
Grandpa said such words lightly, but this was dangerous. There was no way we can leave this kind of thing alone.
"Grandpa, let's go quickly! If we leave that thing alone, it will turn into a terrible matter!"
"It seems so, this is probably going to be a little bit unpleasant."
As soon as he said that, the two of us ran towards the source of the mana. I ran through the forest; running in between the trees, jumping over obstacles such as big rocks using jet boots, and chopping down fallen trees that blocked the way using Vibration Sword. By the way, grandpa only used body strengthening magic.
Damn it.
While completely ignoring animals that would sometimes appear, such as rabbits, deer, and wild boars, we finally arrived at the location. The place was…
On the scene, there was a huge bear with its height exceeding three meters and was devouring a boar of the same size.
"!!"
I instantly felt nauseous towards the excessively sinister mana.
I held back my nausea and focused on the demonized bear engrossed in devouring the boar. When suddenly, the bear noticed us and slowly turned its face towards us.
What I first noticed about it was its deep red eyes. The redness not only covers its white part of its eyes but its pupil as well, making one feel an intense sense of discomfort, in addition to its suffocating mana.
This was a demon.
As I held back the fear welling up in me, I grabbed the Vibration Sword hanging at my waist with both hands. And then…
"GWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
The bear roared, baring its hostility towards us.
"!!?"
I flinched for a moment but I recovered myself and activated the Jet Boots. I also directed mana into the Vibration Sword, activating it, and then jumped towards where it was.
"!? Shin, wait a moment!!"
Grandpa, who hadn't said anything until then, shouted, but it was too late. I had already jumped forward. The bear brought down its right arm at me who is plunging towards it. Its arm went right passed me, who had just avoided it by moving to the side using the Jet Boots' propulsion, and it hit the ground to where I was at just before.
BAAAANG! ! ! !
A tremendous sound echoed around the area, and the ground burst open.
The attack created a small crater on the ground.
While having a cold sweat after looking at such sight, I sneaked behind the bear and jumped, aiming for its head. Even the strongest demon won't be able to live once you cut off its neck! Then, as I was about to swing my Vibration Sword down, the bear swung its left arm while rotating its body.
I panicked and used my Jet Boots to jump over its head and landed in front of it. Damn it, the bear used body strengthening. It was unbelievably agile. What do I do? For the time being, that arm is a hindrance.
While I was thinking, the bear's right arm once again came crashing down on me.
It was a monotonous b—tard. As I thought that, this time, I jumped, not to the side, but forward to its bosom. And then, aiming at the base of the right arm that was swinging down, I swung the Vibration Sword up.
The bear's right arm got separated completely from its body.
"GWAAAAAAA!!!!!"
Then, while raising its writhing voice, it swung its left arm again.
That left arm also was cut down from the base. Once again I went behind it, aimed for its head, and jump.
"You'll never disturb anyone again!"
While I was shouting that, I turned towards the neck, and in one flash, the bear's neck was detached from its torso.
BAAAAM!!! The bear made a sound as it fell to the ground.
Phew, I defeated it.
So this was a demon, huh~ Certainly, it's different from the animals I've faced before; it's troublesome that it can use magic.
Well, for my first demon subjugation, I did quite well, I guess? While thinking that, I turned around to look at grandpa and saw him with his mouth agape, standing around in a daze.
Eh? What? Did I fail or something?
"Grandpa?"
"Oh? Ooh! Sorry, sorry, I blanked out for a moment there."
"Is it okay with this? I didn't fail, right?"
"Ooh, of course. You handled this situation perfectly, to the point where there's nothing more to be done."
"Really!?"
I did it! My first demon subjugation was a success!
"Well then, let's go home. I'm hungry."
"Hoho, is that so? If that's the case then, let's go home."
Thus, after finishing my first demon subjugation, we took the path heading home.
"… This was …unexpectedly really… fun…"
? Although grandpa was muttering about something on the way back, I couldn't quite catch it due to the sounds of the wind, and because we were running at high speed. What was it I wonder? Was he thinking about the next training material?
While we did this and that, we arrived at the house, and as usual, I arrived at my bed.
* * *
Late at night when Shin had already fallen asleep. In the house's living room, the fellow teachers, Merlin, Melinda, and Michel, had gathered around.
"What! Of all things, it was a Red Grizzly that turned into a demon?!"
Melinda raised her voice.
"Yes, it was. When I was sensing its mana, I thought, 'impossible.'"
"However, that demon, Red Grizzly, was instantly killed by Shin…"
Silence descended between Merlin and the rest of the group.
"What in the world is that child? The speed in which he learns magic is unusual, and as for martial arts, he can also keep up with Michel's gruelling training albeit unwillingly. It is especially with enchanting magic, he uses an original language. If he is said to have come from a different world, I can believe it."
Melinda struck at the heart of the matter and spoke her opinion.
However, it was still unknown that Shin had memories of the time he spent in a different world during his previous life.
"Well, it doesn't matter who he is. He calls me "ojii-san," and he absorbed all the magic I have cultivated. Originally, he was a child I picked up, but now, I think of him as my own grandson. It can't be help that I dote on that child. For him to be stronger means he is more able to protect himself. So there's no problem at all."
Merlin gave a speech completely like an idiot-grandpa*. Melinda and Michel looked at Merlin with an unbelievable face.
[T/N: It has similar meaning to "idiot-couple" or "baka-couple."]
"Truly, for you who have been called 'God of Destruction' or 'Crimson Devil King' to be saying that…"
"Umm… Can you please stop calling me that way? When you bring back the black history of my youth, it makes me writhe in agony…"
It seemed that grandpa used to considerably do as he pleased when he was younger.
"Fufu, but now he's being called 'Magi,' and is even referred to as a 'Hero.'"
"Really now, I can feel the passage of time."
"…Can you stop that, too, because it's embarrassing…"
Melinda, who was teasing Merlin, casually spoke these words.
"Well, I also feel the same way, thinking that child is adorable. Whenever that child calls me 'Obaa-chan,' a smile will always appear on my face no matter what. I also think of that child as my own grandson."
"…"
A subtle mood circulated between Merlin and Melinda. Michel, who can't read that kind of mood, said.
"But still, he has grown up to the point of being able to crush a demonized Red Grizzly by himself. It seems like it'll be okay to be more a little more strict during his next training."
He once again said his standard phrase.
"Haa… that child is also unfortunate. This muscle brain has taken notice of him."
Melinda muttered while worrying about the body of her grandson.
"Hoho, please go easy on him."
Once again, grandpa said his standard phrase.
Unbeknownst to Shin, his martial arts training level upgrade had been decided.