Catherine often dreamed of that day.

The day when the hastily built palisade collapsed, and monsters flooded into the once-peaceful village.

Her small but warm home, the garden she had helped tend with her parents, and the house of the kind lady who had always been so nice to her—all of them were trampled mercilessly under the monsters' feet.

Catherine’s hometown, much smaller than Blum Village, was gone like that.

As she ran, holding her parents’ hands along the rough mountain path, she made a vow.

She would become strong so that she would never experience such a thing again.

After that day, she took up a sword.

Without a teacher, she trained diligently on her own, spending day after day fighting monsters.

“Congratulations, Catherine. You have been promoted to Silver-tier mercenary.”

Catherine finally succeeded in earning her Silver Badge by her own strength.

The Silver Badge.

A level that recognized her as a full-fledged mercenary.

The day she accepted the Silver Badge from Liberi, Catherine shed tears.

She couldn’t say for certain what emotions lay behind those tears, but as she wiped them away, she felt it.

She was one step closer to fulfilling the promise she made in the past.

‘…Ah.’

Or so she thought.

As she stood before the horde of ogres approaching the village, Catherine realized.

She had mistakenly thought she had grown strong just because she had received the Silver Badge, but she was still just that mountain village girl running while clutching her parents' hands.

But this time, there was a difference.

Unlike the mountain village where no one could help her and nowhere offered refuge, now she had someone to ask for help.

So, Catherine asked Journey for help.

She pleaded for her to save this village… and the other Catherines out there.

The kind Apostle of Edel accepted her request, and everything seemed to be going smoothly.

At least, until they learned how many ogres were approaching the village.

“Ten of them?!”

The people, who had just been relieved to survive, were now frantically trying to figure out how to save themselves as fear took hold.

Catherine stood in the middle of the chaotic square, blankly self-deprecating.

‘I still couldn’t do anything.’

She had been running breathlessly to prevent this very situation, and yet it had all been for nothing.

In her despair, she caught sight of Journey.

She was holding onto a young girl, speaking in a voice that sounded desperate.

Catherine knew that girl was stronger than anyone else present.

But no matter how strong the girl was, she couldn’t possibly fight against ogres.

Even with her sword skills, the difference in size between the girl and the ogres was like heaven and earth.

“Step aside.”

At Journey’s words, the girl drew her sword and stepped forward.

Her steps headed out of the village.

‘Could she really be planning to fight?’

Catherine found herself widening her eyes unconsciously at the sight.

“No…!”

She had wished for someone to help, but she hadn’t wanted this small girl to die in vain.

Just as she urgently moved to stop the girl—

Rustle.

The girl threw off her cape as if it were a nuisance, and Catherine gasped as the moonlight revealed her appearance.

The face that had been hidden under the cape was younger than she had expected, and much cuter.

She looked so gentle, like someone who couldn’t even hurt a fly.

And this girl was planning to fight ogres?

In a sudden rush of awareness, Catherine stretched out her arm toward the girl.

“…Huh?”

Catherine’s hand swiped through empty air.

She had been right there.

But the girl’s figure had vanished without a trace.

She wasn’t the only one surprised.

Everyone watching the girl was just as shocked, unable to hide their bewilderment at her sudden disappearance.

“A, a mage…?!”

“That little girl is a mage?”

“Are you saying that we all just imagined it at the same time?”

“That’s ridic—…whoa?!”

Whooosh!

A powerful wind struck them without warning, buffeting people with such force that even grown men stumbled.

Catherine barely managed to steady herself amidst the sudden gusts.

The fierce wind was blowing toward the outside of the village.

The girl hadn’t disappeared.

It just seemed that way to Catherine and everyone else.

Realizing this, Catherine asked in a trembling voice,

“…Who is she?”

Journey replied with a faint smile.

“Just my sister.”

“…”

What could she say to that?

Catherine, her lips parted, bowed her head deeply.

“…Thank you. For granting my unreasonable request.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Save your gratitude for Kana when she returns.”

“…Yes. I will.”

Any doubts she’d felt earlier had long since vanished.

“I promise, I will.”

After all, there’s no way someone skilled in both swordsmanship and mana could lose to mere ogres.

  
   *  *  *
   

“No way, she’s really going to fight the ogres? Then…”

“Then what? Are you saying we should go rescue her? There are ten ogres coming, not just one!”

“A tiny girl stepped up to help, and you don’t feel any shame?”

“She stepped in without anyone asking her to! That’s her own fault!”

…

Journey quietly watched as the people argued.

She could understand wanting to help, or even suggesting they flee.

But blaming someone who was willing to help instead of thanking them…

“That’s just wrong.”

-I’m sorry on behalf of all adults… -Shall we take them out? -How disgusting lol

The viewers seemed to feel the same way, and Journey’s chat was ablaze with similar sentiments.

One of the players, watching the exchange with a weary expression, spoke up.

“Shouldn’t we go help?”

“Do you think we’d actually be of any help?”

“…Maybe not?”

“It could be over by now…”

Even though ogre hide was tough, it couldn’t be tougher than the very ground they stood on.

The ogres wouldn’t likely withstand an attack that could split the earth itself.

Besides, this girl had easily wiped out elite imperial knights, who were far stronger than ogres.

Journey also understood the reasoning that they wouldn’t be much help.

“I’m going.”

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going.

“I might not be much help, but I can still go out to meet her. So, I’ll—”

Journey suddenly stopped talking.

And it wasn’t just her who stopped.

The villagers who had been arguing, the merchants hurriedly packing their goods, the mercenaries nervously clutching their weapons—everyone froze.

────!

A vibration that struck not their bodies, but their very souls.

A heavy, intense thrum that could be felt even by those who couldn’t wield mana.

Journey turned her head.

Toward the mountain Kana had been staring at earlier.

“What… is that?”

 

“…Ugh!”

Whoosh!

I dodged backward, avoiding the massive, greenish paw that looked like it could crush my skull.

Actually, if I’d been hit by something like that, my whole body would be pulp, not just my head.

Personally, I don’t dislike small animals like dogs or cats, but for some reason, I seem to have poor luck with creatures like them.

It happened the first day I met Garid, and now, once again.

“Don’t you think so?”

“…”

“So cold.”

It replied with a rough snort instead.

Could it not speak, or did it simply have no interest in conversation?

Either way, I knew what I had to do.

“Phew…”

I exhaled slowly, adjusting my grip on the sword.

This large mountain between Ordo and the village, connected by the ridge behind the village.

The puppy in front of me right now had emerged from the very top of that mountain.

Assuming you could call this enormous dimensional beast a “puppy,” considering it was as big as a castle wall.

In truth, it didn’t really look like a dog either.

It resembled a wolf in some ways, so I called it that, but a wolf doesn’t have six legs, two heads, or mouths on its body.

Dimensional beasts really do have bizarre appearances.

“Is there some sort of ugly requirement to join the dimensional beasts?”

“Grrrr…”

“Fine, forget it.”

I’d asked out of genuine curiosity, but that was probably enough joking around.

Even though I’d been messing around, this dimensional beast…

Hmm… it’s a hassle to keep calling it that, so let’s just call it a wolf.

Anyway, this wolf was pretty strong, so I should focus a bit.

I doubt I’ll lose, but if it bites me, I might catch rabies…

“You’ve got six legs, so losing one shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Slash!

A pink sword light ripped through the air.

The wolf jumped to the side, dodging the vertical slash.

But that was just a feint.

I had already arrived at the spot where the wolf would land, ready to strike again.

Canary Style—

I haven’t completely moved past my feelings about my name.

No matter how pleasant it might sound, knowing why my parents—those people—gave me the name “Canary,” I can’t help but have mixed feelings.

Still, the reason I attached my name to the swordsmanship I developed is simple…

“Pecking Beak.”

It’s because of Garid, of course.

I lunged toward the wolf that was still in mid-air.

With a sudden burst of speed, I launched a pink flash.

Once, then twice.

Two stabs that flew in quick succession, like a bird aiming for its prey, pierced the wolf’s legs.

Rip!

Thud!

The wolf’s leg, which had taken both stabs precisely, tore like paper.

The detached portion of the leg fell to the ground, and the wolf howled, opening its massive maw.

“Yip!”

“What? Was it really a dog?”

A “yip” sound? How unfitting.

I twirled my sword, repositioning it for another slash.

And then, a follow-up attack.

I stamped down hard with my right foot, twisting my waist with all my strength.

The force traveled from my leg, through my waist, and into my arm and sword.

It was a technique I’d taught Journey at some point too.

Though it was just a way to swing hard, really.

“Grr!”

Unfortunately, the wolf, whose legs had just gone from even to odd, recovered with remarkable speed.

I’d planned on making them even again.

But as it swiftly leaped backward, swinging its front paw, my attack failed and so did my pursuit.

If it were human, it wouldn’t recover so quickly after losing a limb.

Facing non-human opponents really is a hassle.

Beasts, monsters, snakes…

The wolf looked down at me without rushing to attack.

It seemed wary, yet didn’t believe it would lose to me.

But what annoyed me even more was something else.

“You know, I hate tall things.”

Just because it’s a little taller, it acts like it’s something special, looking down on me.

So, I’ll start by ripping off all its legs.

Let’s see if it can still look down at me while crawling on the ground.