“Can you tell me why you’re here now?”

“Hehehehe... huh? Oh, yeah. I was just walking around when I sensed a mana signature signifying a marked territory. I thought it was a dangerous beast so I wanted to exterminate it before it becomes a threat to others.”

“But since you said that it’s your turf, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

That weird woman told me the reason for her intrusion with a warm smile. But somehow she looked creepy when she does that. I’m convinced that this woman is a shotacon and I should stay away from her.

“Well, are you going away now?”

“Ehh~! Why? Do you not want big sis to stay here and play with you?”

Her expression turned frantic and she started begging me to let her stay. She’s creeping me out; I need to run away fast.

“No. In the first place, I’m already planning to return to town.”

“Then let big sis come with you!”

She excitedly suggested but I really don’t want her company. So I pointed in a random direction while yelling out.

“Look! A group of cute little kids!”

“Huh? Where?”

She quickly turned her head towards the diversion. Was she drooling? I really do need to run away as fast as I can.

I infused qi into my legs in a split second and sprinted towards the direction of the town. That weird woman noticed that I fled and quickly gave chase while shouting weird things towards me.

“Wait! Richard! What are you running away from?”

‘It’s obviously you, you crazy woman!’

I screamed in my mind but I had to focus on fleeing. I had no leeway since I’m running away from an S-rank adventurer; no matter how strong I am, I have only been training for a little over a year.

We passed some travelers while we were running to town and those people gave us confused look. I imagined the sight of the Ice Cold Princess pursuing a small boy would be odd no matter who’s looking.

As I approached the town and saw the guards at the town gate I called out for help.

“Help! I’m being kidnapped!”

“What?!”

“A kidnapping in the middle of the day? Wait, isn’t that Richard?”

The two guards were bewildered by the situation but they helped me out anyway.

“Stop!”

One of the guards ordered when he reached me and hid me behind him. I used my status as a child to the fullest and gave off the most pitiful expression I could give from hours of practice.

“What are you trying to do with the child?”

“Ice Cold Princess?”

The other guard that arrived a bit later recognized that crazy shotacon and blew my chances of escaping. I’m so stupid, an S-ranked adventurer is no doubt famous in the place they’re based at; of course, the guards are going to recognize her. I was too focused on getting away from that woman that I forgot to think for a while.

Great, now I can’t frame her for being a child kidnapper and buy time to escape.

“Ice Cold Princess, the S-ranked adventurer?”

“You’re new here, so it’s normal that you don’t recognize her. Anyways, why were you chasing Richard, Miss Princess?”

Ah, so the guard just moved into town. That made sense.

“Just call me Charlotte. I was just playing a game of tag with my cute little brother.”

She said with a sweet smile but I could tell that she had malicious intent towards me. Perhaps she will make me go shopping with her.

“EHH?! You guys are siblings?”

‘Of course not, are you stupid?’ I retorted inwardly.

“It’s true! She called me big sis just now. Isn’t that cute?”

‘That was a mistake.’ I lamented my decision to call her big sis out of habit during our first meeting.

“Eh~ well if that’s the case you could take Richard with you then.”

I vigorously shook my head in protest but that Charlotte woman forced me to go with her by carrying me over her shoulder like a parent would carry their spoiled child. These people had too much trust in this woman.

“It’s nice meeting a respectable adventurer such as yourself.”

“It’s nice meeting you too.”

The other guard gave his greetings before she excused herself and entered the town with me.

I asked for help by shaking my body and crying out loud but it didn’t work as I only looked like a child throwing tantrums. Charlotte was also strong enough to withstand my forceful push. What is this monster? After some time I finally gave up and let her carry me wherever she wanted.

***

“Hey~ Richard, what were you doing in the forest? Why did you have a territory marked?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“Eh~ can’t you tell your beautiful big sis?”

“Tch.”

Charlotte tried to bribe me using ice cream but I am a man of integrity and I will never fall into that sort of trickery. Anyways, we were in the dining area at the Adventurer Guild and I was sitting with ice cream in my hand.

“It’s where I train every morning.”

“What a diligent boy.”

She said while patting my head suddenly. I didn’t bother pushing her hand away since I was busy eating ice cream.

What? I like it? No way, I was just focused on eating ice cream. Un.

“Fufu~ how cute.”

“Hey, is that the Ice Cold Princess?”

“You’re right! Who’s she sitting with?”

“You don’t know him? That’s Richard, the youngest adventurer to ever reach the A-rank and the fastest one to rank up that much!”

“Huh? That little kid?”

“You’re new here, so you don’t know how it was. I heard he beat up a huge man until all of his bones were broken on his first day.”

“That’s nothing, did you hear that he killed two assassins and there wasn’t even a body left?”

“A few days ago I also heard from one of the guards that he left another assassin’s body mangled and bloody before reporting it.”

“That’s scary! A child like him did that?”

“Because of that, a lot of people have started calling him Little Beast.”

I heard a couple of adventurers discussing when they noticed mine and Charlotte’s presence. Why do I keep hearing about a person being new in town today?

And besides, what’s with those exaggerated rumors? I punched that man only once in my first day and he just fainted, the two assassins I killed still had their body, and - well, the last one wasn’t too far off; I did make a huge mess back then.

But more importantly,

“What’s with that lame nickname?” I cringed a bit hearing them reveal what everyone has been calling me behind my back.

Is that why I haven’t been able to make any friends? I should find whoever started calling me that and demand compensation.

“Hey.”

Charlotte suddenly called out to those gossiping adventurers when she heard them slandering me.

What’s with her? The adventurers were as confused as I was.

“What did you call little Richard?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Miss-”

Bam!

She walked towards the group and slammed their table loudly, I think there was even a crack left on the table. Everyone in the room looked towards her.

“I heard it! You called the sweet and cute Richard a Little Beast!”

“Rumors are just rumors, there’s no way little Richard would do those things!”

“Don’t you think the name Little Angel suits him more?”

Charlotte gave a whole speech about how an innocent child like me wouldn’t be as cruel as the rumors made me out to be and how the name Little Beast doesn’t suit me at all.

I actually agree with her; rumors are often untrue. According to the rumors Charlotte was a beauty that always put on a cold expressionless face, but clearly she’s just a crazy woman.

I looked away in embarrassment and tried my best to dissociate myself from her while enjoying my ice cream in silence.

“Don’t you agree?”

“Yes!”

Those adventurers quickly nodded their head in agreement fearing the S-ranked adventurer that would make a ruckus out of a petty issue.

This is really embarrassing.

“Hey, Charlotte.”

A man’s voice suddenly cut in and called out Charlotte. I looked towards the voice to see a normal-looking man wearing dark woven clothes and a black cloak. I could see a bow slung over his shoulders hidden by the cloak and he also wore a cool hat with goggles on it. I tried to recall if he’s someone I’ve heard about.

“Oh, it’s Adam. What do you need?”

Ah, it’s Black Sniper Adam. He’s also one of the S-ranked adventurers based here.

“I’ve been looking for you, Rachel asked for help with this mission.”

Adam held up a mission notice and showed it to Charlotte.

[Giant Mammoth

10 Million Fantz]

It was an S-ranked mission with tremendous reward. I was intrigued since I had never taken an S-ranked mission before. I wonder if I could go with them.

“Rachel?”

“She was gambling again.”

“Good grief, that woman...”

“Should we take it?”

“Let’s just help her.”

Charlotte let out a troubled sigh. But she saw me listening to their conversation and her expression brightened.

“Hey, can I take someone with us?”

Adam looked at me knowing who she meant.

“Who’s kid is this?”

“Good grief,” I exclaimed.

Well, if he doesn’t know who I am at least he doesn’t know my lame nickname too.

“It’s Richard.”

“The Little Beast?”

Never mind then.

“He’s not a Little Beast! Geez.”

“No, why are you so angry?”

Adam gave her a confused look when Charlotte got mad over my inaccurate nickname.