"Wait, what?! You accepted?!"

[Why wouldn't I?]

"Isn't using your power for something as lowly as woodcutting annoying?"

[How so?]

"Powerful warriors are usually proud and arrogant. Something along the line that their blades should only be used on the battlefield."

[That is bullshit. Why would one go and fight when you can relax and have fun?]

"….."

Some more of my companions appear. For some reason, they are all acting extremely surprised. These lumberjacks have never seen someone chop down trees that fast it seems.

One of them comes closer. Then he goes for the ground…what?

"Please teach me! I want to become that awesome too!"

[That…I wouldn't know where to start with.]

"How did you manage it?!"

"Don't be rude! This is obviously a secret!"

"Yeah, don't be annoying."

"Sorry about that."

Is it me or they are misunderstanding something here?

Is there a trick to it?

Actually, perhaps there is.

Thinking back on it somehow, I just seemed to instinctively know where to hit to produce the maximum effect.

[It is all about the mindset. At first, it will seem like a complex movement that requires much effort. Keep doing it until it becomes second nature. Keep doing it until you can ignore the whole world and only the tree in front of you remains. Keep doing it until you forget you are even chopping and just move with the flow. Keep doing it until you finally forget yourself and trees start dropping seemingly by themselves.]

Was that too weird?

They are all looking at me like I am some sort of freak.

"This is amazing!"

"There are secret techniques for even such a lowly task!?"

"With this, our work efficiency will go up for sure! Thank you!"

[Hey, what's with the lowly task? No skill is ever useless. So what if some people look down on manual workers? These guys are idiots! How the hell could killing people be worth more than something useful to our daily lives?! This is what is wrong with this world! All these gods fighting for power and nothing else! How about fighting for their believers' sake instead!]

They take a moment to ponder my words. Then I can see a visible change in them. They are now standing straight. Proud of their occupation. Not ashamed anymore.

Some of them even start crying.

"Thank you!"

"I truly needed to hear that."

"No skill is ever useless, so true!"

[Isn't all that common sense?]

"Of course not. For the people in power, it would be bad if people like us thought like that. It would be harder to lord over us for sure."

"I think I can speak for the whole group saying that you are always welcome in our midst. No matter what. Of course, I hope you won't stay here too long. You have better grander things to accomplish I believe. I used to be a big believer in hard work only. Meeting you however does make me believe in fate somewhat."

This…this…. I barely said a few words. How is the reaction I am getting so intense?

Why are these guys so cheesy? Why do I feel like crying too now?

Guess I will be heading to the tamer guild before these guys make me even more emotional.

****(POV)

Everyone survived the sewer cleaning expedition I was leading. That is really good. Yet for some reason here I am still.

In front of me an angry superior. He keeps the invectives coming for a while. Something about how big of a mistake it is to produce a false report. The guild's tamer confirmed the absence of any slime king.

Since he is renowned there is nothing I can do to reverse the judgment. They won't believe a lowly guard. Especially true since I have no proof. I did recount my version of the facts. I ended up being ignored.

After a while, he announces to me that I will have a month of my pay docked. The workers will not be paid either as a punishment for making a ruckus. Also that the man that helped us will be jailed for trying to cheat the city.

This is frankly bullshit. They are turning against them a man that can defeat a rank 4 creature. Because they refuse to believe. Because they are scared of handing out a bit of funds. I won't let that happen. That would be ungrateful of me otherwise.

"It seems I made a mistake. I truly believed that there was a king slime given how big it was. I guess my mind must have played tricks on me. I am the one that gave the order to go get reinforcements."

"You want to take the blame for this? Are you sure? For some weaklings?"

Weaklings he says. Does that mean they don't deserve justice just because of how weak they are? Meanwhile, he's blaming the strong. A man that can eat a rank 4 monster is no normal guy for sure. The ignorant is truly fearless it seems.

"Yes, it was all my fault!"

"Good! You are hereby fired from the guards and stripped of all your possessions. We do not need trash like you in our army."

He scoffs and shows a disgusted expression. I give back all my armor and weapons. Also, the token that identifies me. I have been spending much effort in recent years getting to where I am. Yet it all comes down crashing all at once.

All my effort toppled over by some biased liar from the tamer guild. This is ridiculous. Such is life.

As I leave the guard barracks with nothing to my name I look around and see all my old colleagues looking at me.

My lack of a standard outfit already tells them all they need to know. A friend comes over.

"How about I beg for you to get your job back?"

This somehow makes me laugh. I did so much for these guys all these years. Yet they simply cast me aside like so.

I can't help but unconsciously look towards the lumberjack camp. I know where I will be heading. I smile a little.

"Don't worry, if anything they will be the ones to beg me to take my job back."

Time for me to go meet a friend.