* * *
“Ah!? A brat like you wants to register as an adventurer?”
“Give it up, give it up! The punchline will be you getting eaten by wolves and dying!”
“Nah, this scrawny little shrimp? Forget wolves, even a chihuahua could devour him!”
“No doubt about it!”
“Gyahahahahaha!!!”
……This is how I, a 7-year-old boy named Mitran aspiring to be an adventurer, found myself surrounded by a bunch of drunken stinking uncles in the middle of the day.
Well, I often get mistaken for a girl because of my looks, but putting that aside.
This is the Adventurer’s Guild branch office in the town of Sondor, where rowdy adventurers (the kind of shabby drunken uncles around me) gather.
The reason I, a 7-year-old child, came to this place that would give most pause, was exactly as that uncle A said – to register as an adventurer!
Adventurers have a dangerous occupation.
They explore vast domains harboring all sorts of threats, gather materials, and slay monsters.
That’s their job.
Not usually the kind of work for a tiny 7-year-old boy, right?
Well, normally that is!
But I was confident.
Confident that I could thrive and rise up as an adventurer!
Why, you ask?
Because I’m an isekai’d person!
* * *
I was born the fourth son of a poverty-stricken tenant farming family in some random village called Pe— (a totally generic name).
And I only just became aware that “I’m an isekai’d person” a little while ago.
Back then, I was having a squabble with my older brothers.
It started over something trivial – I accidentally stepped on the foot of my eldest brother.
That little incident escalated into a fight, and I got whacked on the head.
And that’s when I regained the memories of my previous life!
Along with recollecting the god I encountered when being reincarnated into this world!
That god introduced himself as the “Adventure God.”
A wild-looking old man deity who totally rocked a beard.
This god told me:
“I’ll grant you power, so I want you to become an adventurer and make your mark.”
Apparently, if I became a successful adventurer admired by the people, it would actually strengthen the old man god’s own power too.
Huh, for his own benefit?
Not something like asking me to save the world?
I did have those sorts of doubts, but hey, since he was offering power, I figured why not and agreed to his proposal.
The god had said, “Being a strong adventurer is awesome. You’ll get super popular with the ladies.”
In my previous life as “Shinta Araya,” I was a bit overweight with no confidence in my looks and lived a life utterly detached from romance, so that line really sold me hard!
I just eagerly nodded along at blazing speeds, you know?
Anyway, the moment after recalling all that, I felt this incredible power surging through my entire body!
I immediately pummeled my older brothers into the ground, then headed straight for this Adventurer’s Guild branch office in the neighboring town from our village!
* * *
So, yeah.
After telling the guild receptionist that I wanted to register as an adventurer, these shabby drunken uncle adventurers started harassing me and formed a little circle around me.
This is that classic trope, isn’t it!
Being an isekai fiction veteran from my previous life, I totally recognize this setup!
This is the part where I unconsciously unleash my power and effortlessly knock those uncles aside, leaving them dumbstruck by the sheer nonchalance of it all!
“Hey, what the hell are you lot doing!?”
However!
The very moment I was about to flex and dispose of those uncles, that voice rang out from the guild branch entrance!
“Tch! That silver-haired brat……. Kamasse the 3rd rank adventurer.”
“Should we mess with him, bro?”
“Nah, despite his flippant attitude, his skills are legit. He could easily turn it around on us.”
“Yeah, taking on that elite is more trouble than it’s worth. Let’s bounce……”
Muttering those words, the uncles backed away from me.
With the shabby obstacles out of my line of sight, I turned to face the direction of that voice at the guild entrance.
There stood a silver-haired youth.
Probably around middle school age in my previous world’s terms – still in the midst of growth and development.
A handsome youth with beautiful silver hair and sharp eyes, but his well-ordered features somehow gave off a cold, arrogant impression.
“Hey, brat……. what are you up to in a place like this? This isn’t a playground for kids.”
The silver-haired youth – I think those uncles called him Kamasse? – glared at me as he said that.
This guy is……strong!
Incomparably stronger than those uncles from before!
I could sense it from the pressure of his gaze alone.
But he’s no match for me after receiving the god’s power.
Refocusing my bodily energy, I defiantly retorted!
“I didn’t come to play! I came to register as an adventurer!”
“You did what—!?”
Hearing those words, Kamasse’s oppressive presence intensified even further!
At this point, I had already figured it out.
This was that cliche scene.
The flow where I end up clashing with Kamasse!
Those uncles had referred to him as an “elite,” after all.
Which meant the elite Kamasse obviously took issue with some shabby-looking peasant boy like me aspiring to become an adventurer.
So he would lecture me about knowing my place or something, then attack, only to get his comeuppance instead.
I would snap that arrogant nose of his, completely demolishing the elite’s dignity in an overwhelming display.
That was undoubtedly the trajectory this was supposed to take!
“You cheeky brat!! Don’t mess with me!!”
Shouting that, Kamasse reached out toward me!
Here it comes!
But I won’t counterattack right away!
I’ll let him land the first blow.
Establishing self-defense is a necessary formality.
Not like it would actually hurt me with the god’s power coursing through my body anyway.
……But then, events deviated significantly from my expectations.
Rather than aiming for my cheek or gut, Kamasse’s outstretched hand gently came to rest on my shoulder.
“Hey……. where are you from, kid?”
“……Huh? Um, Pe— but……”
“The neighboring village, huh? Judging from your clothes, you must be the son of a farming family? You’re wearing proper attire, so it’s not like you ran away from parental abuse or anything, right?”
“Ah, uh, yeah……”
“Yet you have no luggage with you. You’re traveling with just the clothes on your back……. Don’t tell me this – did you have a fight with your family and run away from home?”
“U-Uhh……. well, more or less……?”
“You idiot!!”
Kamasse’s eyes flew open as outrage flashed across his face!
His hand gripping my shoulder tightened as the oppressive aura emanating from his body intensified!
“Recklessly running away from home to become an adventurer!? Don’t be ridiculous!! Think about how your parents must feel!! Imagine their distress at you suddenly disappearing like that!!”
Eh, ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?
Kamasse laid down the law of common sense!!
This turned into a common sense lecture out of nowhere!!
“Come on, follow me! I’ll personally escort you back to Pe. Hungry? I’ll treat you to some yakitori skewers from a food stall. Don’t hold back, the least I can do is cover that.”
“U-Uhh, umm, uhh…?”
* * *
After that, unable to refuse Kamasse’s insistent urging, I ended up being led by the hand all the way back to my village of Pe.
Along the way, Kamasse told me about himself.
Apparently there was a girl he desperately wanted to meet again, so he had been traveling from place to place as an adventurer while searching for her and helping people.
When I asked if she was his girlfriend, he turned beet red before bopping me lightly.
Seems she’s the one he likes.
Oh, and he did treat me to those yakitori skewers as promised.
They were delicious.
Once we returned home, my parents cried tears of joy at finding me safe.
I realized running off like that had truly been wrong, and apologized for it.
I also made amends with my older brothers.
We may squabble a lot, but us siblings actually get along quite well in the end.
After observing our reunion, Kamasse smiled contentedly, then departed for the town of Sondor without even accepting our thanks.
So now, here I am.
Working the fields alongside my parents and brothers.
Our family are tenant farmers.
With no farmland to inherit.
Which is why, once I’m old enough to become independent……
That’s when I’ll set out to become an adventurer instead.
But only after properly bidding my parents and brothers farewell, of course.
Until then, I’ll continue being a filial son.
Cherishing my time with family.
That’s what I’ve decided.
You’ll forgive me for that much at least, right?
Adventure God?
No new arc yet...