You're a grunt, aren't you?

　That's what I asked the impersonal man who was following me.
　For all intents and purposes, he looks like a rag-tag guy.
　But he is the only guard stationed in Enzo village.
　It's a peaceful village in the countryside, so he's been dispatched by a neighboring town.

'It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Magnus.

　And Gruntz shrank his large frame and took a look of horror.
　Well, in fact, if you weren't a man who was as observant of your surroundings as I was and had a good memory, you wouldn't even recognize Gruntz as a mere mobster.

'What do you want from me?'
Yes. I would like to make a small favor to Mr. Magnus.
Say it.

　He was a raggedy grunt with a rumbling style, but that was nothing, and he was very polite in his tone and manner.
　That's what I liked about him, and I decided to listen to what he had to say.
　You can't be a civilized person. I want to give Eugene a cup of grunt's nail polish.

'I would also like to help Master Magnus.
What?　So you want to take down the boss monster with me?
Yes, I hope so.

　With that, Gruntz lightly raised the sword strapped to his waist and the large shield hooked to his shoulder by a cord.
　Both seemed to be well used and well cared for.
　In this way, Gruntz has the appearance of a mercenary of the past war rather than a village guard.

''Which means, are you aiming for a drop item?''
No, I don't want any part of it. Master Magnus will pay for everything.
Hmm... so it's to protect the village?　Do you feel obligated?
Well I have to admit, I'm more interested in helping Mel.
"Law.

　I was suddenly curious and decided to ask him for more details along the way.

'Me and Mel are childhood friends four years apart,'
So you're 18, huh?

　I didn't know we were the same age!　It's not a mistake of thirty years ago!
　I can't see!

'More to the point, Mel is also my crush...'
Hmm. You didn't tell him you had feelings for him?
'I can't. As you can see, I have a strong face and a rugged build, so I know I'm not very popular with the ladies.

　Gruntz, who always had a serious look on his face, only this time he smiled to himself.
　I'm fortunate enough to have a lover named Aria now, too, but I know what it's like to be an unattractive man.
　I know it all too well!

So, in an effort to be the man who can protect Mel in the shadows, I jumped out of the village and became a mercenary, and with a bit of credit from that time, I was recruited by the town guard, and now I volunteered to return to my hometown of Enzo, where I'm stationed.
You're a man, man.

　I was becoming more and more fond of this young man, Glantz, and I could already see the circumstances under which he wanted to accompany me.
　And I had long ago seen the circumstances under which this man wanted to accompany me.

''I was also worried about Mel's illness, but when I heard that he might be cured if he defeated the demon, I couldn't stand still, and that's why I followed Magnus-sama.
'I understand that. But this is the boss monster. How dangerous is that?
I'm aware of that, of course.
I am a wizard. I won't be able to fight for you. You're sure you want to do that?
If anything, please use me as a shield for Lady Magnus.
Well that's... ...that's quite an undertaking.
I would give my life to save Mel. No, I even feel like I honed my swordsmanship for this day.
All right. If you say so, I won't say another word.

　I am a wizard. I am a man of reason.
　But I'm also a man. I share your spirit, Mr. Grunt.

　I don't want you to die.

　I thought that with all my heart.
　That's why we had a few meetings along the way to find the boss monster.
　First, I asked Gruntz to tell me in detail what warrior skills he had learned.
I consulted the information in the strategy book, which told me that he was a level 7 or higher, but less than 10 warrior.
　That's a rough judgement, but since I don't have the status-appraising skills of royalty, that's my limit, and that's enough for now.

　I'm level 28, but if we talk about level 7 to 9, it's a vanguard position that can be called quite good.
　I've heard that Granz has trained as a warrior, but that's about it.
　However, according to the information in the strategy book, the boss monster I'm about to challenge is level 19.
　I don't care about me, but I have to be careful with the grunts, or I'll never make it out of here alive.

　But I'm not going to tell you to just go home.
　I've been impressed by Gruntz's enthusiasm, so no matter how irrational the decision, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.
　We'll fight the boss monster together, and both of us will make a triumphant return to Enzo Village alive.
　Then, with the curse lifted, I'll bring Mel and Grants face to face in the clearing.
　This is a must.

''Well, now for the ingenious part........''

　I whispered a little monologue in my mouth.
　That's exactly when.
　What I heard was the sound of huge footsteps coming from the direction I was going.

'Master Magnus........'
Yeah, look out for yourself. Here's your chance to meet the man.

　When we stopped, I held up the Great Magic Wand, while Granz stepped forward and held the Steel Sword and the Great Shield of War.
　They are still waiting for the demon.
　The tempo of the approaching footsteps quickens, as if they too have noticed our presence.
　A huge shadow extends as if sliding across the ground, shading both of us.

　And a giant, taller than the trees in the forest, glowering at us--