So that's the town of Hexi.

　After leaving the town of Togai, I used my flying magic to come to the town of Hexi, which is near the danger zone.

'It's a big forest by the way,'

　Not too far from the town of Hexi, as seen from the air, is a very large forest.
　It's a forest the size of which I've never seen before in my previous life or in my previous life.
　Is this a forest that has expanded greatly since I died?
　Looking at it from above, I can occasionally see lights and flames that seem to be magic near the perimeter of the forest.
　I guess the adventurers who entered that forest are working hard.

''Dangerous area, the Forest of Demonic Beasts........''

　It seems to be a B-ranked dangerous area, but given the name, is it a place where there are many beast-shaped demons?

Now let's get down to the ground before we go into town.
　I've startled everyone in Togai town with my flying through the streets.

　

It's pretty crowded.

　Unlike the image I saw from the sky, the town of Hexi was crowded with people.
　How could it be that this place was so bustling with people when only B-ranked adventurers were allowed to operate here?

Well, okay. Let's go to the Adventurers' Guild first.

　After a short walk, I easily found the Adventurer's Guild building.
　There were several adventurers who seemed to be returning from work walking in the same direction.

''New base, this is exciting!''

　I stepped into the adventurer's guild in Hexi's town with excitement.

　◆

　In a word, I could feel the heat.
　Looking around, I saw a large number of adventurers sitting around a large table, eating food and drinking alcohol.

　It looks like this is a guild that doubles as a tavern.
　The right side is the guild window and the left side is the kitchen of the tavern, to prove it.
　I've heard this story before, but it's an interesting structure to see in person.

"Well, I mustn't. I have to look at the request board first.

　The first thing to do is to see what kind of requests we have in this town.

'Huh?　Those boys?

　When I went to the request board, what I saw were very young adventurers.
　And their equipment is kind of, well, very choppy.
　It feels like they either don't have money or have just barely prepared the necessary items.
　Are they new adventurers just like me?

　But it's a dangerous area that only B-rated adventurers can enter, right?
　What does that mean?

　That's what I thought, but then I saw the request board and my doubts were put to rest.

"Oh, so that's what happened.

　The answer was very simple, the requests below the C rank were all requests that were done outside the Forest of Demonic Beasts.
　There was a request posted there for a request to collect medicinal herbs in another forest, or an escort to the next town.

　That's right.
　Just because there was a dangerous area didn't mean there were only requests in the dangerous area.

　After my doubts are answered, I check the requests for B-ranked requests.
　It's good to accept requests from C and D-ranked people, but there are requests that can only be accepted by B-ranked people, so I'd like to accept requests from the Forest of Demonic Beasts as well.

　It was that time.

''Hey you!　That's a request I can't accept at your rank!

　Apparently someone is going to take a request above their rank.
　That's absurd.

　Now, let's see if we can find a request for the Forest of Monsters that's affordable.

Hey!　Are you listening to me?

　It seems that this person is so absorbed in his or her search that he or she can't hear the people who are paying attention.
　You must really want to have an adventure in the hexenbiest forest.

I'm talking about you!

　And for some reason, my shoulder is caught.

'What?　Me?

　He was talking about me, wasn't he?

I mean, who else could it be?

　When I turned around, there was a young girl standing on her knees.
　Her age is a little older than me, and more importantly, her golden hair looks like the finest gold thread....

It's beautiful.

What?　It's beautiful!

　Oh, my God, I said it out loud.

"Oh, I'm sorry.

''Eh, no... well, I don't get mad at you for complimenting me, but... I don't mean that!

　The kid, who was moping with a red face, suddenly scolded me with an angry shoulder.

''It's a request in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, where only adventurers with a B rank or higher are allowed to enter!　New adventurers need to take requests that are properly commensurate with their rank!

　Oh, I didn't know you were talking to me.

"Well, I'm still a B-ranked adventurer.

What?

　He has a look on his face that says, 'What are you talking about?

''That's why I'm a B-rank. I was ranked up the other day and was given permission to explore the danger zone.

....

　The girl goes silent.

'Uh, really?'

Yeah, really.

''........I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

　The girl apologizes to me flatly.
　It's a good thing, she understands.
　It's a good thing that you're a new adventurer, so I guess it's no use being misunderstood, right?

You're not going to be able to do that.

I'm really sorry.

　The girl who finally quit apologizing flatly apologizes to me again.

''No, no, that's enough. Well, I'm Lex, from the town of Togai. Can you tell me your name if you don't mind?

'You must be Lex. I'm Liliela, an adventurer who calls this forest of magical beasts home.

　Liliera-san smiles smiling at me.

''Lex-san, did you also come here to enter the Forest of Demonic Beasts?''

''Yes, when I moved up to rank B, I was told by the guild leader that I could go to the danger zone, so I came to this town closest to me.

The closest ... well, are you ready to go then?

'What?　Prepare for what?

　If you're an adventurer, you wouldn't bother to check your preparations because herbs and camping gear are basic, and most importantly, you're a B-rank, right?

By the looks of it, you have no idea. You don't know what kind of place this forest of hexenbiest is.

Isn't this a forest full of hexenbiest?

　Liliella let out a sigh as she put her hand to her forehead as if to say she was dumbfounded.

'That's not a good story. 'Good?　The Forest of Demonic Beasts is literally everything in the forest is demonic.

The whole forest?

　How scary is that?

Beasts, insects, and trees are all monsters. There isn't a single normal creature in the Forest of Monsters.

　Okay, so that's why it's a forest of monsters.

That's not all. There are monsters that mimic the ground, slimes that look like fountains, and almost everything you see is a monster. That's why, when you enter the forest, not only do you need potions and poison removers, but you also need incense and wards to avoid monsters. It's not uncommon to be attacked while acquiring materials for the demons you have defeated!

　It's a scary forest.

''So in order to enter this forest, you need either a wielding magician or a warding stone to generate a ward. Without them, you can't even spend a night in the forest!　People like you, who are just a flash in the pan, will be blown up from behind!

　Liliella is very passionate about her argument.

'If you're going into the forest too, be well prepared, and if you don't have any friends, join a party somewhere that can use warding magic!　Good?

Yes, sir.

Do I know what I'm doing?

　Liliera-san looks at me unhappily.
　Yes, this guy would try to poke me out of the blue, but he's a very sweet person.
　His use of language is harsh, but everything he says is done with consideration for us.

Thank you for teaching me so much.

Oh, you are very obedient. It's a good thing that you are able to take people's advice. You've only made it to the B grade at such a young age.

You almost died because you didn't take our advice to heart.

Yeah, that was a long time ago!　Mooka-no!

　And an adventurer who was drinking from a nearby seat teased Liliella.

''Gahahaha!''

　You're not going to be able to do that.

'Phew, that's totally why I hate people with no delicacy.

　I'm sure it's not because I really dislike it," said Liliera-san in a grumpy voice, but her expression seems to be a bit of fun.
　I'm sure she doesn't really hate it.

''Even so, I've never seen a girl as close in age as you with the same B-grade.

　Saying that, Liliera-san comes staring at me.

''Could it be that Liliera-san has a B-grade like me?

　Liliella nodded at my question.

''Yes, I have a B grade too.

It's kind of comforting to have someone so close to your age.

I know. It's a lot of older people.

　Since we had the same B-rank, we soon became friends.
　Since the guild also served as a tavern, they offered to treat us to a meal as an apology for our misunderstanding.
　I refused, but Liliela-san refused to budge, saying I was rude to someone I hadn't met before.
　And as a senior citizen, Liliera-san tells me a lot about this town.

Because this town is located next to a dangerous area, many merchants have come to gather in search of rare materials that can only be found there. And in order to protect those merchants, the work of adventurers below the B rank has increased.

I see, that's why you get quite a few requests below a B grade.

Also, there are the occasional requests to take out demons that have wandered out of the woods.

Heh.

Well, forest demons rarely leave the forest, so it's not a common request.

　That's right, that's very helpful in many ways.

By the way, not only does Lex-san look and feel like a younger man, but he also looks and feels like a younger man when he talks to you. How old do you think he is?

Me, I'm 15 years old.

'Oh, so you've only been an adventurer for a year then?　You must be pretty talented to get a B grade in one year!

No, it was just good luck.

Luck is power. Would you like me to do something to celebrate your birthday?

Ha-ha, jeez, my birthday's a year away.

　Liliera-san is a quick-tempered person too.

'What?　Next year?

Yes. Next year. I just turned 15 years old not too long ago.

Did you just have your first day of college or did you just have your first day of marriage?

Yes.

''Wait, then you, how long has it been since you became an adventurer!

　And for some reason, Liliella's air seemed to be getting piqued.

''Well, it's been less than a month yet.''

....

Liliella?

　Huh?　What's going on?

You are a phony!

What?

　What do you mean, it's a fake?

What does that mean, exactly?

　I try to question the meaning of my words, and Mr. Liliera stands up, banging on the table.

'It's obnoxious!　Please don't speak to me again!

　When she glared at me with that, Liliera-san angrily walked out of the guild.

''What do you mean?

　Liliera-san, you suddenly became angry, did I say something to offend you?
　Should I just go after them to apologize?
　But I don't even know why, so what am I supposed to apologize for if I go after him?

Ha-ha-ha, don't look so grim, rookie.

　At that moment, an adventurer who was eating at a table right next to me approached me.
　His muscles were awesome and there was a large battle axe propped up on the table.

''He just hates power-ranked adventurers like you,''

'What?　Um, who are you?

I'm Ivan, and I'm an adventurer based out of town.

I'm Lex. So, what the hell is this power ranking thing?

　Power rankings?　What is it?　It's a term I've never heard before.

It's the adventurer who joins a party of high-ranking adventurers and has them fight piggybacking on him, and even though he's weak, he only rises in rank. It's the occasional nobleman's boy or someone who has a good head start.

　What's that?
　You can't learn anything at all that way!

I know what that little girl is going to say. Even if you do, you won't be able to survive in this dangerous forest. You can't say anything bad about the rookie, so do a request that's appropriate for you and move up in rank.

　Hmm, you've completely misunderstood me.

"Well, I've always been a solo artist.

　I've worked with Jairo and his team, but I wasn't explicitly teamed up with them, and they were also F-rated to begin with.

"Oh, so the rookie came up through the B-rank on his own?

Yes, sir.

"Ha-ha-ha, don't be such a tough guy, kid!　You're not going to get any benefit from that kind of bullshit here!

Yeah, yeah, I'll tell you what, just start with the F-rated request!

"It's also strength to admit your weaknesses.

　I'm in trouble. People don't seem to believe me.
　You know, this is going to make our adventures in this town a lot more complicated.
　What do I have to do to get people to believe me?

Well, why don't you get on with it and show them what you're made of, rookie?

It was Ivan," he said.

'Show me your skills?'

Yeah, there's a lot of fancy tests for rookies in this town, and they'll accept you no matter how weak you look.

Oh, you're doing that thing.

I see you're a rookie baptism.

　Huh?　Baptism?　What do we do?

Follow me, rookie. Show us what you can do.

Ivan urges, and the other adventurers all stand up as well.

''This way.''

　I don't know what it is, but if I can get recognition for my abilities, I'll attend the baptism.

　◆

Here.

　Ivan and the others brought me to the perimeter of a large forest.

''This is the Forest of Demonic Beasts.......''

　The trees in this forest are surprisingly of varying heights, although I didn't notice it from above.
　Most of the trees were short, but there were the occasional taller trees in the mix.
　And the deeper you go into the forest, the bigger the trees get.

''As you may have heard earlier, the forest of demonic beasts, both living creatures and plants, is made up entirely of demons. And what's worse, the plant-based monsters want to sow seeds and expand the forest little by little.

　Ah, plant-based demons not only have a high level of vitality, but that kind of thing is a pain in the ass.

''That's why this forest and the various neighboring countries have set up certain standing requests to prevent this forest from expanding any further.

　Then Ivan points to the forest.

'Look over there. See those adventurers cutting down trees in the forest?

　As I was told, there were indeed some adventurers chopping down trees with axes.
　Nope, that wasn't a tree.

''A plant-type demon?''

　The adventurers were fighting plant-shaped demons with axes.
　Ivan-san nodded at my words.

'Yeah, it's a plant-type demon trap plant. They're annoying ones that mimic trees and attack you from your blind spot. The taller ones are the killer plants of the higher species. And the permanent request is to stop the expansion of the forest by exterminating plant-type monsters such as those who make up the forest of monsters.

　Of course, if the forest expands, it will swallow up the towns and villages.

So the baptism of a newcomer is to fight the plant-shaped demons at the entrance and get the hang of going deeper into the forest.

　So, you want me to christen them, let's say.

"I want you to slay 10 of whatever plant-type demons you can find. If you don't do that, you'll be dead in here.

So you're saying that the permanent request is a training request?

The only way for someone with lesser abilities to become strong quickly is to gain experience anyway. Well, usually the training of bandits and monks with low fighting ability is the sole role. Even if you're the rear guard here, you have to be able to fight in close quarters to serve.

　Wow, that sounds like a rather serious place.

"All right, go ahead!　What? If you're in danger, we'll save you!

Yes!

　I walk towards the forest as Ivan and the others see me off.

'Don't take it easy!

There's no shame in running away!

　I don't mean to make fun of them, but I know they're looking out for me.
　I'm not sure if it's because they think I'm a rookie who's showing off and claiming to be a B-rank.

　The first thing I do is activate my search magic to search for signs of the surrounding area.
　This is not for investigating the location of the demons, but for investigating the location of the humans.
　It's just too bad if unrelated people get involved.

　Fortunately, it seems that Ivan and the other adventurers who are fighting the demons in the vicinity are the only humans here.

Then let's take a look at the other side of the building so that we don't get caught in the middle.

　I concoct my magic power and aim at the perimeter of the forest.
　This forest is composed entirely of demons, and the country also wants to stop the expansion of the forest.
In other words, they don't need to take any chances at all.

In that case, let's burn it down!

　I choose a magic that instantly burns out only the designated area so that the fire doesn't spread and bother the adventurers who are working deep in the forest.

''Flame Inferno!''

　A blue spherical light body appears from the tip of the outstretched hand.
　And the light body expanded in an instant and extended forward in the blink of an eye.

　Hell Flame Magic Flame Inferno.
　It is a magic that emits super-hot blue flames in a linear direction.
　The light body that emerged immediately sucked in the surrounding air and instantly expanded the flame.
　And the oxygen in the air is instantly consumed by the surrounding materials, and the flame is instantly extinguished by creating a pseudo-vacuum.
　It's an effective flame magic when you don't want to spread the fire over a large area.

'Is this how it works?'

　In front of me was a large clearing in front of me.
　A part of the perimeter of the Forest of Demonic Beasts had been shaved off.
　Therefore, the corner of the Forest of Demonic Beasts that had been spread out in a distorted circle was now gone in a straight line, as if it had been cleanly cut down.

''How does it look like this?''

　I turn back and ask Ivan-san a question.

''........''

　But for some reason, Ivan-san is just pulling and shaking with his eyes wide open.
　The adventurers who followed him are also pulling in the same way.

''Huh?　Perhaps you haven't had enough?　Then again.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!　What was that?

　I was about to burn down the forest again when Ivan shouted, "No, it's just flame magic.

"No, it's just hellfire magic.

What do you mean "just"?　That's a hell of a name to begin with, isn't it?

Oh, no, it's the same weed whacker magic I usually use for weed whackers.

What kind of magical land is your house?

　The adventurers' words hummed beautifully.

　Eh?　It's a normal farming village!