The ogre covering his eye in pain has a body big enough that I need to look up.

His arms are as thick as tree trunks, and hair that looks like wires are growing from him.

Ain’t this way too big?

How am I gonna fight against something like this?

Also, I have practically no mana left…

I can’t generate water anymore.

“Oi! Run away already!” (Makoto)

I speak to the female mage once again.

“Y-Yes.” 

The girl runs away as if crawling.

Good good.

At that time, the ogre had taken out the ice blade stabbed in his eye.

The wound in his eye was visibly regenerating.

“Oi oi, you serious?” (Makoto)

I knew ogres had the ability to regenerate, but to think it was to this extent.

I feel like he would recover immediately even if I were to cut it with my dagger.

“Ooi, over here.” (Makoto)

I don’t know if he understands me, but I try calling to it to get its attention.

The ogre glares over here.

It immediately raised its leg to stomp me.

Crap.

[Evade]!

I activate the thief skill and avoid the attack of the giant.

*Tung! Tung! Tung! Tung!*

He repeatedly tries to step on me.

I continue to avoid it. 

Hiih! If I get crushed by that, it would end me instantly!

The stepping attacks of the ogre continue on for a while.

But it wasn’t hitting no matter how much time passed.

Skills are awesome.

The female mage has run far away by now. 

Alright, next.

[Escape]! 

Activating my skill, I get away from the ogre.

Its face turns bright red and it chases after me.

Ooh, scary scary.

A giant monster going straight towards me really is a powerful sight.

It is a saving that [Clear Mind] is keeping my legs from staggering in fear.

If it catches up to me, it will be my end though.

I cannot match it in speed at a straight line, so I move between the trees as if sewing them.

After running for a while, I arrive at my destination.

I can see a swamp.

I found this with my [Mapping] skill.

I am glad it was close by.

[Water Magic: Surface Walk.] 

Before entering the swamp, I casted the magic on me and the ogre.

“Oi, I am here~.” (Makoto)

This is the decisive point.

Will it go well?

What should I do if it doesn’t?

The ogre rushed towards me.

Nice, come.

The ogre is rushing towards me without noticing that he is walking on top of the swamp.

I succeeded in pulling him around the middle of the swamp.

[Surface Walk: Release]!

I undo the support spell casted on the ogre.

The ogre gets swallowed by the swamp while raising a big splash.

Of course, the ogre immediately struggled to get onto the surface again.

“As if I would let you!” (Makoto)

[Water Magic: Water Current]

I use a spell to control the current of water, and create swirls in the swamp.

With this, it shouldn’t be able to swim properly.

On top of that, I entangle its legs with the water and mud at the bottom of the swamp, and slowly drag the ogre down to the bottom.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaah!”

A cry of pain was raised as the ogre sunk.

Around 10 minutes later.

I confirm that the ogre had drowned in the swamp.

It struggled desperately at the bottom of the swamp without breathing for a whole 10 minutes.

“I am glad it went well…” (Makoto)

Cold sweat was coming out after everything was done.

“Oi! Makoto, are you okay?” (Jean)

Jean came together with his party.

Looks like everyone is okay.

“I defeated it just now.” (Makoto)

Saying this, I make the ogre float up.

“Y-You…you defeated that giant ogre?!” (Jean)

“W-Wow.” (Emily)

Jean and the priest girl raised voices of shock.

“T-Thank you.” 

The female mage gives me her thanks.

“Aah, for now, let’s just bring back the head of the ogre.” (Jean)

Jean swiftly severs the head of the ogre that I killed.

After that, we returned to the guild while avoiding the monsters.

Haah, that was tiring.

I am sleeping early today.

◇◇

 “You guys, look at this ogre! A big catch that’s several times bigger in size than the average! Who do you think was the one who defeated it?!” 

At the Adventurer Guild’s hunt handing space, Lucas-san was shouting while raising a glass of ale in one hand.

He was pretty drunk.

It seems like the ogre that we fought today wasn’t a regular monster, but a big ogre, which is a rare breed.

Lucas-san yelled at me saying that facing a big ogre alone was suicidal.

But it looks like he has forgotten about it.

“Who defeated it?” (Mary)

That was Mary-san just now.

“The rising rookie, Makoto! I am not gonna let you guys call him Goblin Cleaner anymore! He is the Ogre Killer!!” (Lucas)

““““Ooooh!!”””””

Cheers were raised.

This is the 3rd time this exchange has happened.

Ogre Killer is also an embarrassing nickname, so please spare me.

I was eating my skewers and watching the ruckus from afar at the usual stall.

“You are the hero today.” 

Boss smiles at me.

“I am tired. I want to go to sleep already.” (Makoto)

I want to sleep quickly, but the place I sleep in is the rest area of the guild.

With this much of a ruckus, I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I wanted to.

“Well, isn’t it fine? Want something to drink?” 

“I have been made to drink alcohol a lot today, so give me water please.” (Makoto)

“Here ya go.” 

A glass of water comes out.

Lukewarm.

[Water Magic: Cooling]

I cool the water and drink it sparingly to keep down the alcohol.

“Hey, is this seat open?” 

Someone spoke to me suddenly.

The female mage I saved not that long ago.

“If you wish to.” (Makoto)

The female mage sits next to me.

Red hair and red slanted eyes, and gives out the impression of having a strong character. She is also an outstanding beauty.

And now that I look carefully, she has pointed ears.

Elf?

This girl was an elf, huh.

This is the first one I have met since coming to this world.

A classic of fantasies.

My spirit rises silently.

But the eyes and hair of this girl are red. 

According to the book I read at the temple, the elves in this world have blonde or silver hair, and the color of their eyes are blue or green.

That’s why she might be a different race.

I should stealthily ask Mary-san later

“Old man, any cocktails here?” 

“Here ya go.” 

He brought out one with a ratio of soda.

“Thanks for today.” 

“You’re welcome.” (Makoto)

We clink our glasses together.

“My name is Lucy. You are my life savior, Makoto.” (Lucy)

“You don’t need to mind it. I got the reward from the guild, and I also got CP from the Gods.” (Makoto)

My lifespan increased by around 1 week.

But I felt like I lost 1 week of my lifespan with that experience. 

I am fine not gonna be fighting an ogre for quite a while.

“But that was amazing. You are a bronze rank mage apprentice, right? To be able to defeat that big ogre alone.” (Lucy)

“I was lucky.” (Makoto)

“Compared to me, even though I can use High Grade magic, I wasn’t useful at all…” (Lucy)

So she can use High Grade magic.

Real jealous of that.

A shame I couldn’t see her magic today though.

“That’s impressive. I would love to exchange your skill with mine.” (Makoto)

“That’s not it! My skills are strong, but I can’t use them properly at all. How can I activate magic as fast as you? That was chantless, right?” (Lucy)

Not only is the firepower low, but my casting amount is low too after all.

If I don’t do it chantless, it wouldn’t even be worth using.

“If you reach proficiency level 50 or more, you can cast chantless.” (Makoto)

“I know, but raising it all the way up there is incredibly difficult…” (Lucy)

“I began learning magic from zero for 1 year and 3 months, you know?” (Makoto)

“Huh? You are lying.” (Lucy)

“No, as I have said before, I came from a parallel world.” (Makoto)

“An otherworldler… A comrade of the heroes that came 1 year ago, then.” (Lucy)

“No, I am not really a comrade of the heroes… They are indeed my classmates though.” (Makoto)

My classmates who obtained powerful skills had become famous in the 1 year they have been here.

Many are in important posts of the many countries.

They somewhat broke the power balance of this world.

That’s got nothing to do with me though.

“Otherworldlers really are amazing!” (Lucy)

Lucy’s eyes sparkle.

Aah, she must be misunderstanding something here.

My stats are hella low, you know?

“U-Uhm…” (Lucy)

Lucy puts down the glass she had and holds my hand.

Getting closer to me, she whispers.

“Can you form a party with me?” (Lucy)

Your face is close.

Right now I am not using [Clear Mind] and [RPG Player].

When I am drunk, it gets troubling to use skills.

As a result, I ended up looking at Lucy’s face from point-blank distance.

I am getting flustered by that attractive face of hers.

C-Calm down, calm down.

Activate [Clear Mind].

But the always reliable [Clear Mind] isn’t activating properly because of how drunk I am.

Crap, I drank too much.

No good! Ah, I can feel her breath…

“Wait, what do you mean by that?!” 

The voice of someone returned me to my senses.

The priest girl that’s in Jean’s party.

There’s also Jean beside her.

“What, Emily?” (Lucy)

“Don’t ‘what’ me! It hasn’t even been long since you joined our party!” (Emily)

“And what about it? I have no business with the party that abandoned me and ran away.” (Lucy)

Woah, Lucy-san.

It seems she is holding a grudge for that time with the ogre.

But Jean desperately told you to run away, you know? 

“Hey, Lucy, I am sorry for what I did. I just couldn’t save the both of you together.” (Jean)

“That’s because you two are a thing, right? I don’t need an unreliable leader.” (Lucy)

Lucy outright rejects the apology of Jean.

“You, who do you think you are?!” (Emily)

Emily went at Lucy as if she was going to jump her at any moment.

“Shut up, you bitch. You got uneasy since the time I joined the party, so you seduced Jean and slept with him, right? You two do disappear every night together.” (Lucy)

“Don’t say such nonsense!” (Emily)

Ooh…

This is way too intense of a talk for me.

Jean was looking at the two flustered.

Stop them, Leader.

“Ooi, what is all this racket?” 

“What, a fight?” 

Lucas-san came.

Mary-san, too.

“A fight between drunkards.” (Makoto)

“Okay okay, Emily and Lucy, make some distance.” (Mary)

Mary-san seems to be used to this kind of happenings in the guild, she quickly moved in between them.

“Jean, didn’t you have something to say to Makoto?” (Lucas)

Hm? Really? 

When I looked at Jean, he fidgeted without meeting my gaze.

What is it?

Confessing your love? 

“I-I am sorry! Thank you for saving me, Makoto!” (Jean)

He lowered his head deeply.

“Aah, it is okay.” (Makoto)

I don’t really mind it.

Honestly speaking, I don’t really feel like I saved Jean.

I think he could have escaped just fine alone.

“What a good guy…” (Jean)

Don’t look at me with those moved eyes, it troubles me.

“Makoto-san! I thank you too. Please forgive what Jean said.” (Emily)

Even the priest Emily-san apologized.

Hmm, it is a bit embarrassing.

“Makoto, insult them! These useless bunch!” (Lucy)

“You shut up, Lucy!” (Emily)

Right.

Lucy-san, the boomerang is stabbed in your head, you know?

“Makoto, about the matter with Jean, are you fine with this?” (Lucy)

“Rather than being fine or not, I didn’t even mind it in the first place.” (Makoto)

“Well, if you don’t, then that’s okay. Get along as newcomers from now on, please”, is what Lucas-san says to wrap this up.

“With this, the matter with Jean is okay now. By the way, Lucy.” (Lucas)

Lucas-san faces the direction of Lucy.

“W-What?” (Lucy)

“Are you going to form a party with Makoto?” (Lucas)

“T-That’s right!” (Lucy)

She answers with her chest puffed out.

Eh? Did I accept?

[RPG Player] shows me the options.

[Will you accept Lucy into your party?] 

Yes

No ←

Hmm, this is sudden… 

‘Lucy-san is a beauty, but wouldn’t she get disillusioned once she sees my skills and stats?’ Is the kind of negative thought that surfaced in my head.

Would not accepting her be the rational choice here?

“Makoto, are you forming a party?” Lucas-san asks.

“I was thinking about continuing solo.” (Makoto)

“Eh?! N-No way…” (Lucy)

Lucy screams.

“Haha! Rejected~.” (Emily)

Emily makes a nice smile as she pokes fun at Lucy.

Hey, Emily-san…can you please not?

“W-Why?! Am I no good?” (Lucy)

I don’t know about you that much to even be able to point out a why.

But it seems like Lucas-san is the ally of Lucy here.

“Makoto, I think it is gonna be rough to continue as a solo mage apprentice from here on, you know.” (Lucas)

“I will be taking it slow. I am fine staying as a Bronze Rank for a while.” (Makoto)

“No, the ogre you defeated today isn’t something a Bronze can defeat…” (Lucas)

“Also, I am a mage apprentice with low stats. You will definitely be disappointed, Lucy.” (Makoto)

Saying this, I take out my Soul Book and show it to her.

“Eh?! What’s with these stats?!” (Lucy)

“M-Makoto, you were working as an adventurer with stats like this…? You can’t even swing a sword with this…” (Jean)

“Eh…? Mana: 3? A commoner?” (Emily)

Shut up, you guys.

Or more like, Jean and Emily, I didn’t say you guys could look. 

“See? Awful stats, right? And yet, Makoto-kun is doing his best.” (Mary)

Mary-san pats my head.

It sounds like you are consoling me, but you are also ridiculing me there, you know.

“No Strength, no Endurance, no Mana; only his magic proficiency is abnormally high”, is what Lucas-san said while drinking his beer.

“Eeeh?! Magic proficiency: 90?! H-He is crazy…” (Lucy)

Lucy is looking at me as if I am some sort of lunatic.

How rude.

“I have little mana to use, so I have no choice but to come up with ways to use it effectively.” (Makoto)

I have been pouring my soul into training my proficiency in this 1 year after all.

“That’s why you had to lure the ogre all the way to a water source, huh.” (Jean)

Jean says this as if impressed.

“That’s how it is, Lucy-san. Go find someone else.” (Makoto)

“W-Wait! I don’t mind it!” (Lucy)

Oh? Even though I showed her my stats, she is not backing down?

“Rethink it please, Makoto. My [Fire Magic: Monarch Grade] will definitely be of use”, is what Lucy continues with.

“Monarch Grade? That’s impressive.” (Makoto)

I don’t think there were that many among my classmates who had that grade.

Must be quite the rare skill.

“Hmm…” (Makoto)

I ponder.

Honestly speaking, since the time I was training at the Water Temple, I had given up on having a party.

I have been looked down on a plenty lot after all.

I was prepared to go solo for the rest of my life.

“Aren’t there a whole lot of parties that would want you to join them?” (Makoto)

A Monarch Skill mage.

I feel like there’s many who would desire to have someone like that. 

Lucy averts her gaze.

“N-No, you see, when you are as wanted as me, you get to decide who you want to join a party with.” (Lucy)

“What are you saying? Aren’t you famous for being a troublemaker that gets kicked out of every party in less than a month?” (Emily)

Emily throws in a remark from the side.

“You have been really noisy for a while now!” (Lucy)

“It is the truth though!” (Emily)

Lucy and Emily were going ‘hiisssss!’ Like a cat trying to intimidate.

“Okaay, you two, let’s drink over here, okay?” (Mary)

Mary-san moved Jean and Emily elsewhere.

Thanks, Mary-san.

“This girl, even though her skills are strong, she still cannot use them well.” (Lucas)

Lucas-san adds.

“She can’t seem to settle in any party, but I feel like if it is with you Makoto, it will be okay.” (Lucas)

Eeh, will it really be?

The mage apprentice with the lowest stats, and the mage that cannot use her skills properly.

Isn’t the balance bad?

“I am a mage apprentice though?” (Makoto)

“It is okay! Let’s train together!” (Lucy)

Lucy says powerfully.

Train together as mages, huh. 

That does sound nice.

In the Water Temple, my surroundings were all elementary school children so it didn’t really feel like I was training with comrades.

The option appears again.

[Will you accept Lucy into your party?]

Yes

No ←

Eh? 

Didn’t I choose No just a few moments ago?

Are these choices just to set the mood? 

H-How useless.

“Isn’t it okay? Try forming a party and see how it goes.” (Lucas)

“Right right. You should mingle more with other adventurers, you know.” (Mary)

Mary-san had returned and advised me.

“Makoto, having comrades is important, you know?” 

Even Boss chimed in.

This is an atmosphere where I can’t refuse.

Aah, this must be that.

It happens a lot in games too. 

A forced event.

I look at Lucy once again.

A female mage with a strong personality and big slanted eyes.

Even when taking a quick look around the guild, she would still land as a top class beauty.

Owner of the strong Fire Magic: Monarch.

It is such a waste on me.

I feel like I might get punished with all this luxury.

[RPG Player] once again prompts me.

[Will you accept Lucy into your party?]

Yes

No ←

(Haah, I get it already. ) (Makoto)

I offer my right hand to Lucy.

“Looking forward to working with you.” (Makoto)

“Same here!” (Lucy)

Lucy grabs my hand with strength and shows a wide smile.

And in this way, I obtained my first comrade since coming to this world.

Previous Chapter l Next Chapter