6

Isaac raised an eyebrow, his expression showing as though he found it hard to believe how someone could struggle to fight against the Swamp Toad, which was only an E-rank monster.

'I feel like I'm worse than the original Seth.' Seth lamented.

As Seth hurriedly followed Isaac, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. 

They continued walking till they heard a loud commotion and discovered an entrance to a labyrinth ahead. But it was the unexpected scene unfolding at the entrance that caught their attention—a minotaur fighting a group of goblins. 

More accurately, the minotaur was single-handedly crushing the goblins as they used knife-like weapons to try and fight back.

The minotaur had a human-like physique with bulging muscles and the head of a bull.

Seth couldn't help but feel amazed again. 'I had seen cows before, but these creatures are on an entirely different scale.' 

"It seems like the goblins wandered into the territory of the minotaurs." Seth surmised.

'The mana emitted by the dungeon most likely drew the goblins to this spot, and the goblins might have unintentionally wandered into the minotaur's domain, triggering the fierce territorial response.'

After only a brief moment of distant observation of the minotaur and goblins, Isaac approached them while putting his hand on the sword's hilt that was hanging from his waist. 

"How are we going to fight them?" Seth asked. 

He pretended to follow him for a moment, but the look Isaac gave him was enough to convince him otherwise. 

"Don't follow me." Isaac reiterated.

Seth obediently crouched down behind the bushes.

"..." 

Isaac raised his eyebrow, as he found it unexpected that Seth was actually listening to him. 'I thought he would be persistent in following again. But I guess he does realize that he's weak.'

'Well, I didn't want to court death either. The minotaur is a B-rank monster, so I can't kill it at the moment.' Seth showed a carefree smile. 

When the minotaur saw Isaac, it swiftly changed its target. Isaac pulled his sword calmly from the scabbard on his waistline as the monster charged at him.

The sword he took from the scabbard had a straight steel blade and a black leather hilt; it was not decorated with engravings or had patterns in any way. It appeared to be an average sword that could be purchased for a low price.

The colossal minotaur roared and thrashed its double-sided ax, but Isaac skillfully avoided the blows. He severed the minotaur's legs, causing it to shriek and fall to the ground. 

Boom!

Seth could feel the tremor of the fall from where he was. 

Isaac dodged the double-sided ax that was thrown his way. He jumped on the monster's body and punctured it in the neck, causing blood to gush out before the monster died.

"That's it?" Seth asked in surprise. 

Isaac made it look like killing the beast was easy.

The last few goblins that were still alive then rushed toward Isaac, brandishing their weapons.

Although goblins were generally weak monsters, it wasn't the same for those lacking in combat skills. They liked to kill humans and make them their slaves.

Isaac frowned, swung his sword, and killed the goblins one by one easily. However, the last strike seemed to slip from his grasp, the sword hurtling towards the bushes on his right at an alarming speed.

"What the fuck!!"

Seth moved his head to avoid the fast-flying blade, which was only a few inches away from his neck as it embedded itself in the ground next to him. He stared at the sword with wide eyes.

"Were you trying to kill me?!" His forehead was covered in sweat as he stammered.

Seth immediately conjured a ball of light from his palm as he prepared to fight.

Isaac was also significantly surprised that the sword slipped from his hand. His expression became frustrated. "It wasn't on purpose."

"Unbelievable," Seth murmured.

"I apologize. I didn't hold my sword properly."

"..."

'Since he didn't have to do it in a roundabout way if he wanted to kill me, it seemed like it was really a mistake. But, damn, I shouldn't annoy him any further.' Seth calmed down and stopped concentrating the mana in his hand. The ball of light dissipated into nothingness.

'But it's not like I can take it lightly either. If that sword just went a few inches to my neck, my head would be flying.'

Silence hung between the two of them.

The last goblin, having escaped his death, suddenly turned and headed towards the nearby village.

"It's running away." 

Seth swiftly channeled his magic and formed a sphere of light on his palm. He aimed at the goblin, but because the monster was moving, his aim was off-target. 

He switched hands and threw another sphere of light, this time hitting the goblin square on the head.

"Kuak!"

With a thud, the goblin tumbled to the ground. Isaac took advantage of the situation, going in to deliver the final blow and slaying the monster's head with a single strike.

"Headshot?" 

Isaac's response was matter-of-fact, as always. "You are lucky." 

Though his aim hadn't been perfect, the outcome had been favorable. Seth couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. 

He shifted his focus from the dead goblin to the dead minotaur. As he crouched down to look at it closely and poke its muscles, he muttered to himself. "If I eat this, is it considered cannibalism?" 

The world of The Summoned Hero was diverse and filled with various tribes, some of whom practiced cannibalism as a part of their culture.

'Unfortunately, it wasn't me who hunted it, so I couldn't take it to eat. But I did contribute, though?' Seth thought in contemplation.

As Seth stood there, conflicted, Isaac's voice broke the silence. 

"I'm leaving," he said simply, still holding his bloodied sword. 

Seth turned to look at Isaac. "By the way, Isaac, why are you hunting here?" 

'Isaac doesn't seem like the type of person who would rush to those in distress or danger. But then again, the novel didn't talk about his background story.'

"License," Isaac replied simply.

Seth cocked his head in confusion. 

"You need to hunt a C-rank monster once a month to continue the adventurer license," he explained with patience.

"I see."

"Don't ask any more questions," Isaac cautioned, his tone leaving no room for further inquiry. "There will be someone who takes care of the monsters."

…

Seth returned to the village alone after the trip to the mountains. Isaac wanted to venture further and hunt other monsters. Since it was only a danger for Seth to go, he decided to leave first. 

The small stone house was built with a thatched roof, leaded glass windows, and simple furnishings inside. As Seth entered, the sight of Grandma Rosa knitting a piece of cloth on the chair welcomed him.

However, as soon as she laid eyes on him, her expression turned to one of shock and concern. She put down her knitting and hurriedly stood up.

"Dear, did you get attacked by a monster?" She asked with worry etched on her face. 

"I was practicing my magic," Seth replied. "And also managed to hunt a monster."

"Don't push yourself too hard; after all, your well-being is more important than this kind of thing." The old woman frowned before she continued, "Let's go to Miss Celia. I'm sure she's still staying in the inn. She can heal you."

Before Seth had a chance to react, Grandma Rosa tugged him along. Despite her frail appearance, her hold was firm.

On the way to the inn, they came across Celia, who was tending to a child while squatting down by the side of the road. Her hand emitted a green glow. Two more kids were surrounding them. 

"Miss Celia, what happened here?" Grandma Rosa approached them with concern.

Celia patted the boy on the head. "This kid fell while running, so I was just healing him." She shifted her gaze to the children. "Please be more careful next time."

"Thank you, miss!"

"Thanks, sis! I'll give you some meat when I catch a wild pig!"

'With how kind she was, Celia was like a saintess.' Seth thought.

After the children left, Celia came over as soon as she saw Grandma Rosa's concerned expression.

"Grandma, what's wrong?" 

"This boy went to fight a monster and got injured," she explained. 

Seth winced a little as she grabbed his hands, which were turning purple, and showed them to Celia.

"It's only been a few hours since we saw each other, and now look at yourself." Celia began nagging more than the elderly lady. Grandma Rosa bobbed her head up and down with squinted eyes, agreeing with the healer's words.

'I'm not Jake, though.'

When they spoke to him like he was a brat who couldn't take care of himself, Seth felt ashamed. "I'm fine, really. I don't need any treatment from Celia."

"Don't act tough. It won't be good to let those bruises stay. So, what happened to you?" Celia looked at Seth from head to toe. 

Seth was still filthy from rolling in the grass, the swamp water, and the Swamp Toad's saliva. 

"I was fighting with a monster in the mountain." He replied, embarrassed. 

"Didn't you say that you only wanted to train?"

"Yeah, but things happen."

Some of the onlookers were staring curiously at them because they were positioned on the side of the walkway.

Seth avoided their gazes as he said, "Let's talk somewhere else. The people are staring at us."

Celia tilted her head in questioning but complied anyway. 

"Ah, wait a bit."

Grandma Rosa pulled out a few bronze coins from her skirt's pocket and placed them in Celia's hand. Celia rejected the coins. After tussling for who knows how long, while Seth was watching them silently, Grandma Rosa won and Celia relented, taking the coins given to her. 

Grandma Rosa wanted to pay back Celia's generosity.

She then patted Seth's back with a sly smile. "I won't disturb the two of you any longer. Miss Celia, please take care of him."

Grandma Rosa had to prepare snacks for Jake, so she left first. 

Then, Celia brought Seth to the inn.