Is It Wrong for a Pallum to Seek Thrills in a Dungeon? (Danmachi)

I looked at my mom, who seemed like a ten-year-old girl. Her tender and angelic face, with clear skin highlighting her rosy cheeks. Her long, reddish hair reached her shoulders, perfectly framing her delicate face. Her eyes, large and expressive, of a sky blue color, reflected a mixture of kindness and gentleness that comforted me. Her small, delicate nose complemented rosy lips that always seemed on the verge of a smile.

Her appearance was truly charming, so much so that if it weren't for my father looking similar, I would have mistaken him for a pedophile. The truth is that mom didn't look much different from a child, and that deeply puzzled me.

I looked around, noticing that I lived in a village where everyone had similar appearances when we talk about looking like children.

The houses, built with wood and straw, stood in irregular rows, creating a landscape that reminded me of a medieval peasant village. The aroma of damp earth and fresh grass filled the air, mingling with the smoke from chimneys rising lazily into the blue sky.

Even though it had been several days since I reincarnated in this village, I still wasn't used to this place. I wondered if I had reincarnated in a world where people stopped aging at the stage of childhood. The idea seemed fascinating and terrifying in equal measure.

"ñ{z[¿¨¡$p´}ñvc´" I heard mom chatting with dad while she carried me in her arms on a chair outside the house. They were speaking in a language I still couldn't understand. The frustration of not understanding what they were saying made me feel even more isolated in this new world.

Suddenly, I felt my stomach start to growl. Instinctively, I began to shake my arms and legs with all the strength I could muster. I saw mom stop talking to dad and turn my body around. Her eyes reflected concern and love as she held me in her arms with a delicacy that contrasted with her childlike appearance.

She brought me to her chest and began to feed me. The sensation was strange and familiar at the same time. Not much milk was coming out, so I had to use my hands to squeeze a bit, trying to get more. I closed my eyes, uncomfortable with the situation but grateful for the relief I felt from quenching my hunger.

While I was feeding, I couldn't help but ponder my current situation. Being a baby was horrible; all I did was poop, eat, and sleep. In a way, it was the lifestyle I would have wished for in my previous world, except for having everything done for me. The worst part was that in this small village, there was nothing to entertain me.

If I were in a modern world, even the toys placed above the crib would be entertaining, instead of watching time pass at an exasperatingly slow pace.

When I felt completely full, I stopped sucking on mom's breast. My eyelids grew heavy, and sleep began to overtake me.

Six years have passed since I came to this world, and I must admit that life here has its charms. Time seems to flow differently, slower and more leisurely. I have a lot of free time, except when I have to help my parents with daily activities like fetching water from the river or lending a hand in the fields with my father.

The village has become familiar to me. The wooden and straw houses that once seemed strange now feel comforting. The aroma of freshly baked bread mingles with the scent of damp earth after the rain, creating a unique atmosphere I have learned to appreciate.

The rest of my time is spent reading books and training my body. Books are scarce, and there are only a few where the village chief lives, and he lets me read them occasionally, but they are just unimportant fantasy stories.

But the most important thing is that I already know what kind of world I'm in, thanks to the merchants who pass through this village. I'm in the world of Danmachi, or so I think, as I've heard several merchants mention their envy towards those who obtain Falna by joining a god's familia.

However, despite having provided me with that valuable information, my aversion to them grows every time I see them. They are humans, and unlike the Pallum, they can grow normally, so I was surprised the first time I saw them not being small like the rest of the village.

The worst part is that they despise the Pallum, abusing them with exorbitant prices for everything they sell and buying at ridiculous prices.

I observe how they treat my people, looking down on them with a mixture of contempt and condescension. Their mocking laughter as they leave the village resonates in my ears, igniting a flame of determination within me. Although not all are so bad, some merchants, but very few that can be counted on one hand, have been good people who treat the Pallum well and leave everything much cheaper than the rest.

But despite that, I don't want to be like the rest of the Pallum, living looked down upon by others just because of my race. That's why all the time I have, I use for training instead of playing with the other Pallum my age.

"Cris, bring some water, I'm going to make vegetable soup for dinner," I heard mom's gentle voice from the kitchen. The aroma floated in the air, and although I have always hated the taste of vegetables, I have had to get used to eating them.

But above all, I have gotten used to everyone's appearance in the village, so it no longer seems strange to me that they look like children.

"Coming, mom," I responded.

The river is about fifteen minutes' walk from the edge of the village, so I decided to carry two buckets tied to both ends of a pole before placing it on my shoulder. The weight was considerable for my small body, but I refused to show weakness.

When I left the house, the afternoon sun bathed the village in a warm golden glow, making the leaves of the trees shine, slightly irritating my eyes, and causing a lot of heat, but I have gotten used to these things.

As a precaution, I tucked a knife into my pants for self-defense. You never know what dangers might lurk in the forest, and I prefer to be prepared. With one last glance at the village, I started walking towards the river, my bare feet feeling every stone and branch along the way.

Suddenly, I heard the voices of some children calling me. "Cris! Let's play hide and seek, do you want to play with us?" asked a girl who was much smaller than the adult Pallum but the same height as me. She had brown eyes and hair and was accompanied by other children who seemed to be having fun.

A part of me wanted to join them, laugh and play without worries, but I couldn't allow myself to all the time, I must continue training.

"I'm sorry, I'm busy right now. We'll leave it for another day," I replied, trying to soften my refusal with a small smile. I saw how the children's expressions turned a bit downcast, the disappointment clear in their eyes.

Another child, with a slightly bitter voice, said, "Whenever we come to ask you to play, you say you're busy. Even though you taught us to play hide and seek and you're the best among us, you never want to play with us."

His words felt somewhat heavy. It wasn't that I didn't want to play with them. In fact, I longed to have fun; playing with them just brought back many nostalgic memories of my childhood in my previous world before my life became monotonous. But they always tried to convince me to play every day, and I couldn't afford it. I had to become strong for when I could join a God's familia.

"Sorry, maybe next time," I said before bidding them goodbye and continuing on my way. As I walked away, I could feel their gazes fixed on my back.

I observed the landscape around me, marveling once more at its beauty. Trees were almost everywhere, their leafy canopies filtering sunlight onto the forest floor. It was like going on a forest hike, with the aroma of flowers, herbs, and damp earth filling my lungs. The only downside was the annoying insects, but I had gotten used to them.

When I arrived at the river, I began to fill the two buckets with water. While doing so, I seemed to see a silhouette coming from a nearby bush.

I immediately went on high alert, pulling out my knife to defend myself from whatever was there. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited, praying it wasn't a monster. I was still too small and not developed enough to face them, so my only option would be to run, but that would only give them a chance to attack me from behind.

To my relief, it was just a white rabbit that came out. It was truly beautiful, the kind of animal I would have loved to have as a pet in my previous world. However, seeing it only made me feel hungry.

I was tired of eating vegetable soup and bread most of the time. I needed protein if I wanted to become stronger, and that rabbit represented an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

The rabbit hadn't noticed my presence, so I took advantage and walked as stealthily as possible. When I was several meters away, I prepared for several seconds, weighing the knife in my hand. With a quick and precise movement, I threw the knife.

The rabbit seemed to perceive me due to my sudden movement and looked in my direction, its black eyes filled with terror. But it was too late, the knife had already pierced its body with a dull sound.

Despite the impact, the rabbit was still alive and started to run, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. I cursed my bad luck and began to chase it, my short legs struggling to keep up. I ran for several minutes, my heart pounding in my chest and my lungs burning from the effort.

When the rabbit finally stopped, I kept a good distance, hiding behind a tree. The rough bark dug into my back as I waited, watching as life slowly drained from the wounded animal.

I had to wait a couple of minutes before the rabbit bled out. Guilt and satisfaction mixed within me as I approached to retrieve its body, still with my knife embedded in it. It was a very small knife I had stolen from one of the merchants, taking advantage of the fact that they didn't notice me much.

I remembered my parents' scolding when they found out about my new acquisition, but at that moment, looking at the dead rabbit, I felt it had been worth it.

Come to think of it, hunting rabbits was surprisingly easy for me. For some reason, when I put my mind to it, the people around me ignored my presence until I got too close, and the same applied to animals. It was a useful skill that made me the best at playing hide and seek.

I looked at the rabbit's corpse, which seemed huge for my miniature size. The reality of what I had just done hit me suddenly, and I felt a mix of pride and remorse.

This was the price of survival and growth, I told myself.

I headed back to where the buckets of water were. How was I going to carry all this at once?

I looked at the river and submerged the rabbit's body to clean off most of its blood. Then, I used my shirt as a support to carry the animal's body and took the buckets of water tied to the pole over my shoulders, as I always did. The combined weight was overwhelming for my small body, but I refused to give up.

"If I can't handle this, I don't deserve to belong to a familia and explore the labyrinth of Orario in the first place," I told myself, before heading back to the village.