The Beginning of Knife King's

When I arrived at the Adventurers' Guild, I looked at the quest board to find a mission that interested me. One particular quest stood out: killing a single orc.

"I'll take this quest," I said.

"One orc? Just one?" the receptionist confirmed.

"Yes," I replied.

After that, I immediately set off for the southern forest alone, using the journey to practice wrapping my entire body in aura.

Upon reaching the forest, I explored unfamiliar areas. During my search, I encountered a few slimes, but they were no trouble for me.

Thud! Thud!

An orc appeared, walking toward me. It was a fairly large monster with immense strength, but it moved slowly. Without fear, I charged straight at it.

Boom! Boom!

The orc began attacking me with terrifying punches that could have killed me if they landed. I dodged its blows by jumping onto its neck and stabbing it.

Slash!

"One down. There should be two more on the way."

I knew this because I had started using mana to detect monsters, though my range wasn't as far-reaching as those with innate talent.

I quickly climbed up a tree to wait for the right moment, and as expected—

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Two more orcs were walking toward me, seemingly searching. I couldn't believe orcs could detect vibrations like this. As the two orcs passed under my hiding spot, I jumped onto one of their necks.

Slash!

"That's another one."

The other orc, witnessing its companion being slain before its eyes, flew into a frenzy. Its speed and strength increased dramatically—but that was exactly what I had planned for.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom!

The frenzied orc accidentally struck its ally in the face, killing it instantly. Everything was going according to plan. I focused my aura on my weapon and threw it at its neck.

Whoosh! Slash!

"Done... That should be all of them."

I left the southern forest and made my way back to the village, taking about half a day. When I arrived, it was evening, and I quickly reported the quest because the Night Festival was about to begin.

The Night Festival is held monthly during the full moon to let everyone in the village enjoy the beautiful night together.

While watching people set up for the festival, I saw Lena sitting on a chair nearby, so I decided to approach her.

"Ren! What are you doing here?" Lena asked in her adorably cheerful voice.

"I'm just walking around, waiting for them to finish setting up," I replied.

"Can you sit and talk with me for a bit?"

I sat beside Lena, and we talked about various things that happened during the day, including my newfound ability to sense mana. We chatted happily until the festival officially started.

"The festival has begun. I hope you enjoy it," I said.

"If you don't mind... can you accompany me tonight?" Lena asked with a shy tone and pleading eyes.

"Of course."

As soon as I agreed, Lena grabbed my arm and pulled me along to explore the festival. We started with food and then walked around to see the sights.

"Ren, can I play over there?" Lena pointed toward a stall.

I looked where she was pointing—it was a dart-throwing game. I agreed, and Lena dragged me along to the stall.

"Three darts, please," Lena said to the vendor.

"Sure, that'll be three copper coins. The goal is to hit three small targets for a big stuffed animal prize."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Lena missed all three throws and looked a little disappointed.

"Can I have three darts?" I asked.

I focused on the targets, ten meters away, and threw the darts quickly.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

All three darts hit the bullseye. The vendor was stunned before handing me the prize—a large stuffed animal.

"You're amazing, Ren!"

Noticing Lena staring at the stuffed animal, I decided to give it to her.

"Are you sure I can have it?" she asked.

"Of course."

Lena hugged the stuffed animal, blushing slightly, and we continued walking. We eventually reached the open square where a dance was about to begin.

"Ren, will you dance with me tonight?"

"I don't know how to dance," I admitted.

"That's okay. Consider it a thank-you for the stuffed animal."

As the music began to play under the gentle moonlight, we started dancing, with Lena taking the lead.

"You're really good at dancing, Lena," I said.

"My mother taught me," she replied with a bright smile.

We danced joyfully through the beautiful night. It was one of the best moments of my life. We danced until the festival came to an end.

"This was such a fun night," Lena said.

"I feel the same. If you don't mind, let's dance together again next time," I suggested.

"Really? You promise?"

"I promise."

I walked Lena back to the inn where she was staying. We didn't talk much on the way, but when we arrived—

"Ren, are you going to the Adventurers' Guild tomorrow?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then see you there! I'll be registering as an adventurer tomorrow," she said before heading into the inn.

After that, I returned home to practice controlling my mana core before bed.

End of Chapter5