GalaxyTL
After that, Juma-kun continued to attack, aiming for the magical beast’s abdomen and head.
“Honestly, the abdomen’s not really a good target. It’s a large target, but it’s usually pretty tough. The head’s a good target, but you need enough power for a one-hit kill. If you do half-assed damage, it’ll go wild, and it’ll notice you’re aiming for its head, and might even retaliate! I can’t say for sure, because I don’t know how strong your attacks are, but if you can’t kill it instantly, it’s better not to aim for the head right from the start. There!”
He’s incredibly easy to understand, attacking while explaining, letting us see the magical beast’s reaction. Or rather, it’s amazing how the magical beast reacts exactly as he predicted. It’s true, it doesn’t seem like Ronny and I can kill anything instantly with our attacks. Though I’m sure Juma-kun can. But then… where should we aim?
“So if you can’t kill it with a single blow, you need to think about how to stop it from moving!”
“Ah! Aim for the legs?”
Thanks to Shou-chan, we were able to talk to Juma-kun. So convenient! Thanks, Shou-chan! When I answered, Juma-kun exclaimed, “Oh!”, and aimed for the magical beast’s legs. The beast then stumbled and fell to its knees. It was still thrashing around, but it couldn’t move from that spot.
“Correct! First, seal off its movements by aiming for the legs. And for magical beasts that can fly, aim for the wings! Binding magic is also good. I don’t know much about those, because I can’t use them!”
Juma-kun, now in front of the magical beast that had fallen and was thrashing about, told us not to let our guard down, and then approached the beast. And then… the magical beast breathed fire. …Breathed fire!? A direct hit on Juma-kun! Ehh!? Is he okay?
Smoke billowed, and after a while, when our vision cleared, we could see what was going on. Ah, well, it’s Juma-kun. I knew it.
“Magical beasts sometimes attack with magic, like this! So never let your guard down, until you’ve dealt the finishing blow!”
Juma-kun was standing there, completely unharmed, grinning at us as he lectured. Maybe because of his battle attire, even his clothes weren’t burned at all. There weren’t even any scorch marks… The magical beast, seeing that, seemed to have a look of despair in its eyes… I’m starting to feel sorry for it!
“Well, it’s not nice to make it suffer too much, so I’ll finish it off quickly. When you guys fight, make sure you watch out for their magic and land your attacks properly. Then, eventually, you’ll be able to defeat them.”
Juma-kun said this and then lightly swung his sword. The sword directly hit the beast’s head, burying it deep in the ground. Isn’t this a bit too much!?
“And also, this is something I want to tell Meg especially…”
“Me? What is it?”
Juma-kun, having finished off the beast, came back to us, leaving it as it was.
“Don’t ever think… that it’s wrong to kill monsters or magical beasts!”
“Ah…”
“Meg, you’re a Demon King kid, right? And you have spirits, so you can hear what they say. I figured you’d feel that way.”
What Juma-kun’s saying is… right. I don’t think I can… kill monsters or magical beasts. It’s actually one of the things I’ve been worrying about.
“But listen, when monsters and magical beasts start harming people, then they become targets for extermination. If they eat up all the crops and fruits, we won’t be able to live, right?”
Apparently, the magical beast we just defeated, the chimera, is a mix of various creatures. Chimeras are dangerous enough to be extermination targets, they instinctively attack humans and animals, even other magical beasts. Hyehh, I had no idea!
So that’s why the guild members diligently exterminate them. And if the number of monsters increases too much, they’re also exterminated to reduce the population. They’re also sometimes used as ingredients for medicine, so they’re not always killed. Basically, there are a lot of opportunities to fight monsters and magical beasts.
I see… but I’m relieved that it’s not like in the fantasy world I imagined, where they’re just killed indiscriminately. I’m against needless killing, after all. If I had to recklessly defeat them to level up, or to get magic stones or items from them, like in a game… I’m sure I wouldn’t survive…!
“But well, it can’t be helped if you don’t like it, Meg! There’s no need to force yourself to kill. But, if the time comes, be prepared!”
Juma-kun said this, laughing, and then ruffled my hair. Ugh, my hair’s a mess! Even though he’s gotten better at controlling his strength.
“Ronaldo, if your dream’s to travel the world, you’ll need to be able to fight!”
“Yeah, I’ll do my best. I want to… see you hunt again, Juma-san.”
“Oh, that’s the spirit! Maybe you can try taking one down yourself, someday! I’ll watch over you.”
“Please!”
Oh, Ronny’s so motivated! That’s right, his dream’s to travel the world. I don’t know if he’ll be alone then, but it’ll be hard to travel if he can’t fight. Alright, I’m cheering for you!
“Well then, hurry up and find that spirit, or whatever it is, and form a contract! I want to take care of this magical beast, and there’s nothing dangerous around here.”
That’s right! We almost forgot about the reason we came here! Ronny and I exchanged glances and nodded, and then asked Shou-chan and Fuu-chan, who’d reappeared, to guide us.
『It’s over there! In the hollow of that tree! The flower spirit!』
When I looked towards where Fuu-chan was pointing with the tip of her wing, I could see a spirit, glowing green. I glanced at Ronny, who nodded firmly and then headed towards the spirit. All we had to do was watch from a distance.
『It seems like it was scared of that magical beast earlier. That’s why it’s a bit timid.』
But, being the worrywart I am, I asked Shou-chan for a live report. I-It can’t be helped, I’m curious! I won’t ask for every single detail, just whether it’s going well or not…!
『It’s fine! Ronny has a warm heart, so it feels safe!』
“I see… Okay. Thanks for telling me, Shou-chan. That’s enough.”
If Shou-chan’s saying that much, it’s probably really fine. Well, I am curious about the details, but… The correct answer is to believe in Ronny and wait! …This is so nerve-wracking.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Juma-kun came over. He plopped down next to me and then spoke in a small voice. Wow, he can be considerate! But what have I done to my image of Juma-kun? Preconceived notions are bad! I need to reflect on this.
“How’s it going?”
“Right now, they’re probably negotiating. My spirits are saying it’s fine, so I think it’ll work out. I’m waiting, believing in Ronny.”
“I see, then I’ll also believe and wait.”
Juma-kun readily accepted my explanation, grinned, and then laid down. He crossed his arms behind his head, as a pillow, and closed his eyes. That’s a sleeping position!
I’ve never really observed him before, but Juma-kun has rather handsome features. This sleeping face… he’s a wild, handsome type. He’d probably be popular if he kept quiet, but… I’m sure he’s not interested in romance. Because he’s Juma-kun.
I savored the precious sight of Juma-kun’s handsome face while waiting for Ronny to return. His eyelashes are so long!?