The next day.
I opened my eyes with a bit of heaviness, feeling my back crack as I moved. When I put my feet on the ground, I got up from that rudimentary bed that honestly felt like a damn torture plank.
I stretched lazily, joints popping, and thought:
"At least the bed in the cabin was more comfortable… damn old man… even if I didn't freeze, it was hard to fall asleep."
After slapping my cheeks and wishing I could brush my teeth—something clearly impossible in this damn medieval era—I muttered:
—Damn, is slave dental hygiene really this bad?
Without warning, Quincy chimed in to clear up my doubt.
[Master... very few nobles care about their slaves' dental health... however, the majority of the free population do maintain regular oral hygiene, though usually just once a day.]
—That's disgusting. Wait, then why doesn't my breath reek?
[It's because of your Charm, master. How do I explain it… charm doesn't just affect your physical appearance. It also alters your voice, even if you don't notice it—and that includes your breath. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't bathe. Everyone's required to.]
—Okay, got it.
I went downstairs to the first floor of the building. The tavern, surprisingly, no longer reeked of old booze, just a faint but pleasant smell of damp wood.
Old man Bang saw me the moment I crossed the stairway threshold.
—Finally awake, brat. Come here, I'll give you a few coins for your trip.
—Only twenty silvers? —I frowned, clearly not impressed.
—Once you've built a solid reputation here, I'll give you more —he muttered while rummaging through a drawer, thinking to himself— "Besides, using Portal Gates and teleport stations has gotten way more expensive lately."
—Alright... then I'm heading out.
—Wait, you dumb brat —he grunted—. You're forgetting the report.
He handed me a sealed envelope, wrapped in rough leather. Heavy, like the old man's pride.
As I said goodbye, he hit me with his usual funeral voice:
—Good luck... —with a malicious smile, while thinking— "You'll need it. See you in two months, kid."
—Yeah, yeah... whatever...
I walked out of the guild-slash-tavern or whatever it was, without looking back... walking at a calm pace but with my mind racing at full throttle. (Yeah, I definitely needed to sleep yesterday.)
Once I was outside the city walls, I made sure no one was watching or following me. I took a deep breath, turned toward the forest... and started thinking.
"I need more money... Screw it, I won't spend a single cent of these coins."
I didn't even have time to waste or play tourist. So I focused on becoming the fastest courier this guild had ever seen.
"Hahaha… they'll probably call me same-day delivery."
—Quincy... Max out my adaptability, endurance, speed, and agility.
[Right away, master.]
[Adjustment complete.]
I marked Faus' location on the map.
Since the system failures had stopped, it hit me—this ability was mine now. I felt total confidence that I wouldn't lose it.
I started running.
[Basic ability «Infinite Speed» is now active.]
My body lifted off the ground like gravity had given me a hall pass.
The wind on my face felt like cold fire.
I could see every landscape on the way to the capital.
I flew past massive plains and wheat fields...
Crossed a mountain range with towering rocks, saw flocks of birds… but then I spotted something incredible and stopped for a few seconds.
And Quincy interrupted me:
[Those are floating islands, master. Most of them belong to extremely wealthy nobles.]
—Then why weren't there any in the Valentine estate?
[Their property in Lichstein is where they'll die… you know that, master.]
—Okay... I'll keep going.
[You're almost there, master. Don't worry ( ◠ ‿ ・)—☆]
I kept moving fast and checked the System Window map again. I just had to circle around a mountain and I'd finally reach the city of Faus.
I took a random path and dashed full speed—but then I found that path...
Was swarming with goblins. Those damn creatures: small, sharp-toothed, and green. Attacking a carriage heading toward the city.
Way too many for those escorts to handle. A massive goblin horde. Three hundred, maybe more.
They couldn't look more generic: Green, ugly, armed, and reeking of genocide.
By their gear, the four escorts looked like: two swordsmen, a tank, and a mage. Maybe I was a failed gamer, but I had plenty of theoretical knowledge—just lacked the ability to apply it. Those four, without a healer or cleric backing them, were screwed.
Plus, those escorts had a badge on their chest... it was the emblem of the adventurers' guild that rejected me. After my bad experience with those bastards, I really didn't want to help them.
But the one they were escorting… was a beautiful girl with green hair and glasses.
I was torn. I really didn't want to help. Seriously… but on the other hand, the girl was cute.
It'd be a shame to lose such a pretty face… Yeah, I have a girlfriend and shouldn't be thinking like this… but I kept thinking:
"I don't want to be a hero… I'm just me… I don't have to get involved."
The girl was stunning, and with my «Transcendental Eyes» I noticed a small mole on her upper lip. She reminded me that back when I was 22, I used to translate manga on a website with my friends from university… So-mi, Hakari, Sonhyuk and that whole crew of idiots.
Those were good times. Damn it—
—I hate watching a pretty girl die.
With a clear mind, and decision made:
—Quincy, how long did it take me to get here?
[Around 3 seconds, master.]
—Incredible… felt like six minutes.
[Your perception of time is far sharper than mine, master (—.—)]
—Okay, I'll update you another time.
[The master is wise <(￣︶￣)>]
—I think I've got time to watch how this battle ends... the day's just getting started.
[So... what would you like me to do, master?]
—Lower the stats you boosted to 15%.
[Okay.]
[Adjustment complete.]
[Basic ability «Infinite Speed» is no longer active.]
***
Lichstein Kingdom — Road near Mount Fanbell.
The battle was at a critical point.
Allan:—"Miss Weston, please stay in the carriage!!"
The man, wielding his greatsword, hacked away at the goblins trying to reach the carriage.
Fabián:—"Cover the left flank, Allan! Jess, we need cover fire!"
His twin blades danced through the monsters' blood, but the relentless pressure was starting to limit his agility.
Jessie:—"I don't have the spell ready yet!"
She waved her magic staff through the air, channeling mana and reciting the incantation.
Jessie:—"Ia iT Fuh Ye Thuha"
The fireball broke through the goblin wave, but their overwhelming numbers quickly filled the gap. Now, they were targeting the mage.
Fabián:—"Lucas, protect Jess!!"
He kept slashing nonstop, but they just kept coming.
Lucas:—"Kinda busy over here!"
Even with his warhammer, Lucas was being overwhelmed.
Allan:—"We're not gonna last much longer! There's too many of them!"
His greatsword felt heavier with each swing. Even if he cleaved dozens in half, exhaustion was creeping in. The tank slipped up for just a moment—
Lucas:—"Aaaaargh... my hand... MY HAND!!"
His blood splattered across the ground, yet he didn't drop his shield, nor did he break the defensive formation he was holding.
Fabián:—"Hold on, I got you."
In his twin-blade dance, he moved toward Lucas to support him—though that move weakened one flank.
Allan:—"We can't hold them off any longer!"
His shout came with a tone of despair. His breathing was ragged. Fatigue was now inevitable.
Jessie:—"I'm exposed! Help!!"
It was chaos. The mage was now in mortal danger.
The formation was crumbling under the never-ending pressure of the furious goblins...
Until she stepped out of the carriage.
—Don't worry… I'll heal you.
In one second, everything changed.
The tank's severed hand regrew.
Their wounds vanished.
The fatigue? Gone.
But the girl who healed them collapsed to the ground from the effort.
And that's when the massacre began.
The goblins were now being slaughtered.
Ever since they were healed by her, the adventurers began cutting down goblins with ridiculous ease.
Even the mage's spells were more powerful and faster, though her chanting was hard to catch.
Jessie:—"It Iéha Fih iit cotsu"
Flaming whips began lashing the tiny monsters, burning them to a crisp.
This was... extremely suspicious.
These idiots were wiping out every goblin in sight… and within four minutes, they had annihilated the entire horde.
Then, they gathered around the young woman's body. I was watching… silently.
Allan:—"I knew what I saw the other day wasn't a hallucination."
Lucas:—"You dumbass, do you know how much it hurts to lose a hand?"
Allan:—"But I was right, wasn't I?"
Lucas:—"If it hadn't regenerated… I was gonna cut off yours, dumbass."
Fabián:—"Cool it, hey Lucas—weren't you the one who went overboard with that goblin village?"
Lucas:—"Sorry, miscalculated."
Jessie:—"So… what now?"
Fabián:—"We head to the Gregorian Empire and sell her."
Allan:—"Good idea. They'll pay a fortune over there."
Jessie:—"A girl with priest-level powers who can regrow amputated limbs… they'll pay a damn fortune."
Lucas:—"That's what this little bitch deserves, thinking she's some noble-born lady."
Allan:—"Yeah. Money doesn't buy you noble status."
Jessie:—"Word is this idiot had the best grades in Aeris Academy history."
Fabián:—"Even better. They'll pay way more for a smart bitch."
...
That was enough for me.I already had a pretty low opinion of this country's adventurers, but they turned out to be an even filthier kind of scum than I imagined—egotistical, greedy, twisted, and backstabbing...
Now I had a damn good reason to step in. And that was to give these bastards the beating of their lives. So I made my decision:
—Quincy, set my Strength to 10%.
[That's not recommended. You'd destroy their bodies at 10%. If you want to injure them badly, 8% is enough.]
—No, Quincy... I don't want this kind of trash to ever work as adventurers again.
[Understood, master... adjusting now.]
[Adjustment complete.]
—Let's teach these mutts why they shouldn't bite their master.