Wolf's mornings are early. He leaves the house before the sun's fully risen. His destination: the mountain forest opposite the village entrance. There, he swings his copper sword—a companion of twenty years.
A daily routine he'd started seven years ago, after the village was attacked by a Beywulf.
That battle—he'd won, sure, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being out of practice. If he'd kept up his training even after retiring, maybe he could've won more easily. For the sake of not making Reminia sad again, he'd felt it was necessary.
These days, he felt like his body moved even better than when he'd been an adventurer. Thanks to that, the excess fat around his belly had vanished, and farm work had become easier.
After his swings, he went home for breakfast. Following his promise to Reminia, he made sure to get proper nutrition. After working up a good sweat, he'd be craving a drink, but no, no...
After a short rest, he started on the farm work. Spring was a busy season—preparing fields, sowing seeds.
"Ah, Keena-bachan, I'll get the water for you."
He spotted an old woman trying to lift a bucket full of water and hurried over.
"Always sorry to bother you, dear," she said.
"Don't worry 'bout it. Don't worry 'bout it. Leave the heavy liftin' to me."
Nikaras didn't have many men like Wolf around. Most were elderly, women, or children. The men in their prime were all away working as laborers, leaving the heavy work to Wolf. It was a thankless role, but Wolf didn't mind. If anything, it made him happy to think that even a D-class adventurer like him could still be useful to everyone.
He delivered the water to Keena's house. Inside, Keena's husband Mylo was rubbing his lower back.
"Mylo-jiichan, did you do it again?" Wolf asked.
"Ah, Wolf. Sorry 'bout this."
He thanked Wolf for bringing the water. So Keena had been fetching water because Mylo had hurt his back.
"Hold on a sec. I'll make some medicine and bring it back for you."
Wolf went home. Using skills from his past life—his [Compounding] skill—he made a topical ointment. He rubbed it onto Mylo's back.
"Ahh... your medicine really does work wonders, Wolf," Mylo said.
"Save the flattery. More importantly, don't push yourself too hard. I made extra, so if it acts up again, just apply it."
"Wolfy, take these."
Keena brought over a large potato.
"I appreciate it, but Keena-bachan—can you drop the 'Wolfy'? I'm a forty-two-year-old man here, you know."
At that, the room burst into laughter. This was Wolf's everyday life now.
"Hello, Wolf."
Wolf looked up from hoeing the ridges. A wagon had stopped, and an old horse snorted softly. The woman seated on the driver's platform took off her straw hat and greeted him.
A traveling merchant who visited regularly. She said she was from the south, and her skin was dusky. Her black hair was cut to shoulder length with a slight wave. She fixed her somewhat sharp eyes on him.
She seemed to have already finished her business in the village—the goods on the wagon bed were down to half.
"Why not take a look? Might be a bargain in there," she said.
"I'll pass. Nothing I particularly need right now."
Wolf shrugged. The merchant didn't back down. She pulled a sword from the wagon, sliding it from its sheath. The gleaming blade caught the sunlight.
"Don't be like that. What about a steel sword? That copper thing of yours could snap any day now," she pressed.
Damn.
Wolf's hand went to the copper sword at his waist. He was supposed to leave it at home after his morning routine, but today of all days, he'd kept it on his belt. The merchant must have spotted it keenly and stopped her wagon to make the sale.
Wolf wasn't good with this female merchant. She was pushy—and too pretty to be wasting her time peddling goods. He'd bought things he didn't need from her before and caught an earful from Reminia for it.
"I've got no money," Wolf said.
"I could lend it to you. Three installments, how's that?" she offered.
The merchant pressed on.
"Really, I've got no money. Sorry, but try someone else," Wolf said.
"Oh. Well, that's a shame..."
She drooped, looking dejected. Seeing that face, good-hearted Wolf felt a slight pang of guilt. Still, having no money was the truth.
"Where you headed next?" Wolf asked.
"Planning to go around the eastern settlements, then back to the royal capital."
"This time of year, there's monsters in the east."
"Just goblins, really. Even if she's old, this girl's legs are still plenty strong."
She stroked the horse and started the wagon moving. Wolf was about to watch her go, but then he fell in behind.
"What is it? Changed your mind about the steel sword—" she began.
"I'll escort you to the edge of the forest," Wolf said. "I'm still worried."
"My, aren't you a worrywart. I can't pay you for escorting, though."
"I'm just following along, that's all."
To get past the eastern settlement, you had to go through the forest. There was a path wide enough for a wagon, but it was rough, full of ruts, and hardly paved. The goods on the wagon bed clattered and clanked as they went. It was practically an invitation for monsters to attack.
"Glad you came along after all," the merchant admitted, sounding sheepish.
Meanwhile, Wolf moved cautiously, scanning their surroundings.
Something's wrong.
He couldn't say why. But the forest was too quiet. With all the noise they were making, wild animals should have fled, and at least one or two monsters should have come investigating.
Instead, the forest held a dangerous silence, like a hunting dog holding its breath.
Wolf stopped short. The merchant pulled the reins at the same time. The old horse flicked its ears restlessly.
"What's wrong, Wolf?" she asked.
"Here it comes—"
In that instant, the distant bushes stirred. Something rustled through the undergrowth, heading straight for them. That speed was no goblin, no slime. Just heavy, ragged breathing, coming closer.
No way...!
A single monster burst onto the path. Wiry, needle-sharp fur. Thick legs like logs. Saliva dripping from a tongue that lolled past its fangs. The creature that appeared was an old enemy.
"Beywulf...!" Wolf gasped.
"Grrrr!"
With a snarl that seemed to say found you, the Beywulf lunged. Wolf drew the copper sword from his belt, sliding it between the beast's jaws to block the first strike.
"Eeek! EEEEEK!!"
The merchant screamed, nearly out of her mind at the sight of the massive wolf-like monster. She clutched her head, turning away from reality.
"Run!" Wolf shouted.
"B-but—" she stammered.
"Go back to the village. Tell them."
He didn't know why the Beywulf had appeared again. What he did know was this: if Wolf fell, the monster would attack the village. He couldn't let the tragedy of seven years ago repeat itself.
Still, the merchant wouldn't turn the horse around. Wolf broke off from the Beywulf long enough to slap the horse's rump. Startled, the horse reared, spun around beautifully, and bolted back down the path at full speed.
"You're on your own!" Wolf called after her.
He watched the merchant go. In that instant, the Beywulf attacked again. Wolf dodged to the side.
Just as I thought.
His body moved better than before. The experience of fighting it once must have helped. Mentally, he was much more at ease than last time.
'Don't do anything too reckless, okay?'
His daughter's words flickered through his mind. What would she think if she heard her papa was fighting a Beywulf again?
"Sorry, Reminia. Papa's a bad boy," he murmured like a prayer.
No one answered. The monster just shook its head slightly.
The Beywulf charged. Wolf dodged again. His body felt strangely light. The attacks from the beast that had given him such a hard time seven years ago now seemed to move in slow motion.
(Huh? That's weird.)
The Beywulf was just as bewildered. A middle-aged adventurer who looked like easy prey had dodged not once, but three times already.
(Maybe I'm stronger than I thought.)
It was true he'd never missed a day of swinging his sword. He'd lost the flab, too. He might even be moving better than he had in his prime. But this dramatic a difference?
Wolf's mind piled up questions even as he dodged the Beywulf's relentless attacks. At the same time, the beast's pride was stung. Its attacks grew more predictable.
"Now!"
Wolf spotted an opening. He slid under the leaping Beywulf's belly and drove his copper sword upward. Bathed in gouts of dark, viscous blood, he ripped the beast open like cleaning a fish.
The Beywulf staggered, still upright but listing heavily. Harsh breaths burst from its nose and mouth. Even so, it planted its paws and stood, its guts spilling from its belly.
Wolf wasn't looking much better. Drenched in the monster's blood, he looked a sight, but he was unharmed. Unfortunately, that last blow had snapped his copper sword cleanly at the hilt.
Damn.
He'd hoped the Beywulf would retreat, but the beast was out for blood. It seemed determined to kill Wolf, even if it meant dying itself. Every bristling hair seemed to radiate sheer grudge. He wondered if it was a relative of the Beywulf he'd killed seven years ago, but there was no point in dwelling on it.
The monster charged again. Wolf stepped to dodge, but his foot slipped on the blood-soaked ground. He caught himself, but when he looked up, the Beywulf's fangs were right in front of him.
"Shit!"
Desperate, Wolf lashed out with his fist. It punched clean through the Beywulf's lower jaw.
"RAAAGH!"
A piercing shriek echoed through the forest. Then Wolf saw the beast fly high into the air, almost to the treetops. It hung there for a moment before crashing back down to the ground, motionless. Only the pool of blood spread slowly around it.
Wolf fell back on his rear, eyes wide, staring at the monster he'd just taken down.
And so Wolf returned to Nikaras. As he approached the village, the village head, who had been preparing to evacuate, and the merchant who'd brought word came running toward him.
"Wolf, are you all right?" the village head asked.
"Are you all right, Wolf? Oh my... you're drenched in blood. How can I ever apologize for this?" the merchant said, taking his hands as if he were a saint.
Wolf could only give a rueful smile.
"I'm fine, village head. And you, Merchant. This is just spray. I'm unharmed, so don't worry."
"Unharmed? Don't be ridiculous," the village head scoffed.
"Don't try to be so brave," the merchant chided.
They didn't believe a word of it. The merchant even tried to push some free medicine on him.
"I don't need it. More importantly, can you process monster materials?" Wolf asked.
"Materials? Well, that's part of the job, I suppose," she replied.
"Then head back down the road. There's a dead Beywulf there. It's a C-rank beast, so it should fetch a decent price. Use that money to hire a guard. It's dangerous for a woman to travel alone."
"But you're the one who killed it," she protested.
"I can't process it myself, so it's useless to me. I'm tired. I'll wash up and get some sleep."
Wolf waved them off and headed straight home.
Summary:
Wolf finishes his morning routine and farm work, helping elderly villagers with water and medicine. A traveling merchant passes through, and Wolf escorts her through the forest where a Beywulf attacks. Wolf defeats the beast but his sword breaks, and he returns to the village exhausted.
Trivia:
Wolf has been doing daily sword swings for seven years after the first Beywulf attack.
Wolf's daughter Reminia is the one who made him promise to stay healthy and not be reckless.
The copper sword Wolf uses is the same one from his adventuring days, twenty years old.
Nikaras village relies on Wolf for heavy labor because most working-age men are away as laborers.
Wolf feels happy to be useful despite being only D-class.
The merchant is a recurring character who has sold Wolf unnecessary items before.
Beywulf is a C-rank beast that attacked the village seven years ago.
Wolf's body moves better than it did during his adventuring days due to daily training.
Wolf uses his [Compounding] skill to make medicine for Mylo's back.
The merchant's horse is described as "old" but still strong enough to flee at full speed.
Wolf's internal monologue uses parentheses to show his confusion about his own strength.
The forest has a dangerous silence before the Beywulf attacks.
Wolf's copper sword breaks at the hilt when he stabs the Beywulf.
Wolf punches through the Beywulf's jaw with his bare fist to deliver the final blow.
The merchant offers Wolf free medicine but he refuses it.
Wolf tells the merchant to process the Beywulf corpse for money and hire a guard.
Wolf's response to the village head and merchant's concern is self-deprecating humor.
Wolf is still in denial about his own strength, thinking it's "strange."
Notes:
• Wolf - A 42-year-old former D-rank adventurer now living a pastoral life in Nicalas Village as a craftsman and farmer. After losing his wife to a Beywulf attack, he has shed his old bulk to raise his daughter, Reminia, alone. With curly hair and soot-stained features, he is a humble, weary, and warm-hearted father who balances his [Smithing] Level 2 and basic magic with deep, quiet paternal devotion.
• Reminia - Fifteen-year-old SS-rank adventurer and Great Hero of Straval, she has striking red hair, fair skin, and a slender, developed figure. Intelligent and skilled in magic, she studies her late mother’s Double World Theory. Though she maintains a playful, tomboyish exterior, she is fiercely protective and deeply devoted to her father, Wolf, whom she affectionately calls "Papa," sharing a strong emotional bond.
• Keena - Relationship: Wife of Mylo, village elder; Note: Elderly woman who calls Wolf "Wolfy".
• Mylo - Relationship: Husband of Keena, village elder; Note: Elderly man with back problems.