An Adventurer's Daily Grind at Age 29 (29歳独身中堅冒険者の日常)

[mysterious music, birds cawing]

Ah!

Ha, hmm!

Hey!

Get back here, you filthy urchin!

Next time I see you, you're dead!

I grew up in the slums,

my parents' faces a foggy dream.

The numbing pangs of hunger were never a stranger, though.

I would often risk my neck for a single loaf of bread.

But I craved much more.

Not just delicious things, but to live a life no one mocked,

to be stronger.

So I ran and ran and ran.

Then one day, I caught my breath,

and I realized I wasn't hungry anymore.

All right.

Guess I'd better get to work.

THE DAILY LIFE OF A SINGLE 29-YEAR-OLD ADVENTURER

A SINGLE MAN AND A LITTLE GIRL MEET

You sure seem to be in good spirits, little Hajime.

Hey.

Good morning, Granny.

Care to share what put that smile on your face?

It was nothing in particular.

Oh, yeah.

How's your knee doing?

Thanks to the medicinal herbs you got me,

I'm spry as can be!

See?

Uh, I do.

But don't push it.

Everyone's grateful, you know?

Huh?

That you came to such a backwater town.

Really, we owe you so much.

Adventurers are great, but they can be flawed.

Never know what violent narcissist

will accept your job.

So you're a real lifesaver.

Just doing my part.

I'll be your wing woman if you want to settle here.

Marianne is available.

You're on the job, Gramp!

Ah!

Oh, hey!

Good to see you, Hajime.

I'm sorry that I interrupted your nap time,

but I'm off to the dungeon to get some meat.

Are you?

Well, go signing in.

Thanks.

Very good.

In that case, I think I might go

out drinking since we'll have fresh meat to look forward to.

Don't drink so much that Granny gets mad at you.

Right!

I'll be careful if you are.

Huh?

Now, that's weird.

Why was the door open?

My signature was the only one on the list so far.

Hey, you aren't dead, right?

Please don't be some kid's corpse!

Huh?

Yay!

I'm saved!

Yay?

Oh, wow.

That was quite a fearsome enemy.

No monster's weaker than a slime.

Huh?

I would love the honor of knowing your name, sir!

My bold savior!

Rirui's name is Rirui!

Hajime Shinonome.

Two names?

So you aren't just a nobody.

I bet you're a great, renowned--

Oh.

But why?

You deserve a few good smacks!

You need permission to enter the dungeon, brat!

The old man at the desk was out like a light, so--

I don't care!

You should have woken him up!

What's a kid doing in here to begin with?

Where are your parents?

Uh.

I don't know.

They left me.

Uh--

So Rirui has gotta live by herself.

You're not from this village, are you?

I stowed away in some merchant's wares,

and now I'm here.

Well, I doubt the town's orphanage will

help if she's an outsider.

Best case, she'll wind up scraping by in the slums.

Which happens all the time.

Hmm?

Where are you going, Hajime?

Aren't you nosy?

I'm getting some meat.

You are?

Don't follow after me.

None of it's for you.

Mm.

Yeah!

I didn't think it was!

Plus, Rurui doesn't need your pity or your food!

Oh, of course.

Hmmph!

But it's dangerous to brave a dungeon alone.

Rurui can offer you some backup.

The weakest monster alive almost killed you.

So I'm good.

Oh!

Um, well, I admit that wasn't one of Rurui's best moments!

I'm actually very useful!

I just messed up a bit, that's all!

Huh?

Oh.

There we go.

Wha?

A VERY UNDERSTANDABLE HEIGHT CHART

It's huge!

It's not as big as your voice, though.

Huh?

Huh?

And that's a pretty big mess you just made, too.

Anyway, stay right where you are.

It startled me, so I just messed up a bit.

I see.

I guess, mentally, she's tougher than she looks.

Huh?

Did you not finish that thing off?

No, not yet.

Draining its blood makes all its meat tastier.

The blood drains out a lot better when the heart's

still helping it along.

Ah!

Huh?

Well done!

That's one more successful quest for you!

Thanks for the work.

Meat goes fast.

At least when you provide it.

Nobody likes stinky meat, and yours is never foul.

This is a guild, sir.

You can't traffick people here.

Oh, right!

She's, uh--

So she's an outsider.

If she weren't, the orphanage at the village church

would just take her.

Yeah, but they can't.

An extra mouth means extra food, and we don't have that.

Hmm.

I think I'm gonna take a little post-quest stroll,

so no rush on the assessment, Olive.

Oh.

All right.

Take care, then.

If you want delicious veggies,