A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

Writing hardcore articles here is exhausting and doesn't make a living.

Looking around, I realized my book didn't fit in. There's a limit to the number of readers who want to read hardcore novels here.

This panda no longer needs to fight.

If you're interested, please support Assassin's Log. If there are many readers, it will naturally become as long as Rolled Blade. If there are no readers, it won't be abandoned; it will simply be completed after one million reads.

One last thing—

"It is such a lofty goal. The more you listen, the more inspiring it becomes. The more you listen, the more determined you are to go forward. The more you listen, the more you forget your original aspiration."

So the panda chose to be a salted fish. The path of fate can be altered by just a few small decisions.

At this point, Bray didn't understand this.

Or rather, he wasn't fully aware of it.

Bray went on adventures simply to relax and earn some living expenses for his sister.

He never took risks to witness tragedy.

However, he encountered tragedy after tragedy along the way.

The sword on his back represents a tragedy, the sword at his waist represents a tragedy.

Even the child who once accompanied her on her travels became a tragedy.

Why must the world be filled with tragedy?

Just how "foolish" must a "clever" person be to cause such a tragedy?

He always felt that hard work didn't guarantee results.

Even though he understood that without effort he would have nothing, he still... inevitably fell into a state of confusion.

They tried to dispel the tragedy, but failed time and time again.

However, his confusion was dispelled by the girl in front of him.

This is a girl who is already fifteen or sixteen years old, but looks about seven or eight.

Her body was covered with many small, keratinized fragments.

There's a small patch on my left cheek, another one near my eye, and even more on my body.

If the girl's left hand is still a normal person's arm, then her right hand is completely devoid of any normal features.

His right hand was completely a beast-like claw.

Behind her was a tail covered in armor, almost bone-like.

This is a forest where monsters once lived, but were no longer monsters because of Bray's rescue.

Bray had just completed some missions with the Imperial Knights and was preparing to leave alone.

He is used to traveling alone.

However, after he had walked a short distance, the girl caught up with him and hugged him.

Bray naturally recognized the girl.

He crouched down, turned around, and touched the girl's soft hair.

"I...I succeeded, so...so take me with you, okay?" The girl spoke haltingly because she hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time.

Although the voice is cute, it's still quite unpleasant to listen to.

"No, please, please don't leave me alone."

"After we broke up, have you been working hard on your own all this time?" Bray asked with a touch of emotion.

He never expected the girl to be so serious.

"Levy, Levy is working so hard!" The girl who called herself Levy nodded emphatically.

Originally a monster, she had been trying her best to suppress her berserk state.

And this is the result of my hard work.

She was happy because she no longer had to be confined in a small shell.

She can look up at the sky and probably breathe in the fresh air.

“What will you do if I leave?” Bray said irritably.

If I leave a few days earlier, what will Levy do then?

“Levy has been here all along, guarding and protecting.” Levy said earnestly, without ever considering what she would do if Bray never came back.

Perhaps for Levy, Bray's appearance was already a miracle.

She could wait for this miracle for the rest of her life.

“You’ll still be seen as a monster even looking like this,” Bray sighed.

Although Levy's efforts were effective, her ferocious appearance still made people wary.

It wouldn't be surprising if people on the street called him a monster.

"Levy, I don't want to be treated like a monster," Levy said, her head bowed, sounding aggrieved.

"Levy, don't be like before, like before."

She really didn't want to go back to that monstrous life she used to live. Having seen the light, she didn't want to return to the mire.

This was just a simple wish of hers.

“You need to try harder,” Bray said to the poor girl.

"..." After hearing Bray's words, Levy knew that her efforts were not enough.

Levy is still a monster; Levy can't be like everyone else.

She felt like crying, but for some reason, tears just wouldn't fall from her eyes.

I feel very sad, but I can't express it.

It's so unfair that I'm a monster, and monsters can't even cry.

Laughing is not allowed, and crying is not allowed either.

The only emotion the monster could possibly express was anger.

But Levy shouldn't be angry; she's been angry too much, and it's exhausting.

But soon, she felt her left hand being pulled.

"There's still a distance to go before I reach my next city."

“You can try a little harder,” Bray said softly.

"Levy, if Levy succeeds, can we be together?" Levy looked at Bray with hopeful eyes.

"If it succeeds, then yes." The adventurer nodded.

Even if Levy could only remain like this, Bray wouldn't abandon her.

The appearance of this girl dispelled all the confusion in my heart.

As for why? Bray himself didn't quite understand.

In short, seeing Levy made me feel enlightened.

"Mmm!" Levy's ferocious tail swayed rapidly, creating a small crater in the ground.

She's not alone anymore; she's incredibly happy now.

Perhaps this is the happiest time she has ever had since birth, apart from being with her mother.

Unable to express her feelings and with the mental capacity of a seven or eight-year-old child, Levy followed closely behind Bray in the forest.

"Name." Suddenly, Levy seemed to remember something important and grabbed Bray's clothes tightly.

Bray turned his head in surprise after hearing Levy's words.

"name?"

"Mmm, name!" Levy didn't show much expression, but her eyes were full of anticipation.

“Bray, Brayclas.” Bray told the girl his name.

Surnames are very important and must be included.

"Break, Bree~" Levy's tone sounded as if she had received a new treasure.

"Bray, Bray, Bray, Brayclas," she murmured Bray's name, as if to remind herself not to forget.

"So you remembered it?"

"Got it~" Levy's tail wagged like an electric fan.

“She’s just like a little dog,” Bray couldn’t help but tease Levy.

“Levy isn’t a puppy, Levy is Levy.” Levy, whose name had been mocked, widened her eyes and said.

"You're surprisingly cute."

Because Levy looked so much like a puppy, Bray couldn't help but rub her cheeks.

Levy, whose cheeks were being rubbed by Bray, not only did not resist, but also squinted her eyes comfortably.

Her tail wagged rapidly, and Bray's words felt incredibly comforting to her.

It's been so long since anyone has said something like that to her.

That's true, who would say something like that to a monster?

And so, Bray now had this unusual little cutie behind him.

This little cutie is just a bit wild.

After a period of effort, the keratinous patches covering Levy's body gradually decreased until they were almost completely gone.

She already looks very much like a beastman.

It originally looked like a monster, but gradually became cute.

Tsk tsk tsk, this tail can smash even steel, and these claws that are always restless and unruly.

If it weren't for Levy's adorable face, she would probably have been pointed at with a weapon.

“Don’t crawl on the ground.” Bray picked up Levy, who was crawling like a wild animal.

Although Levy has made great progress, she still maintains the same lifestyle she had at the beginning.

She has an unusually high energy level, and is especially active at night.

Although this way, Bray wouldn't have to worry about keeping watch at night at all...

But at night, Levy is like a big cat, hunting everywhere.

Often, when Bray wakes up, he finds himself surrounded by a lot of wild game.

He didn't say it was bad, after all, Levy had actually helped Bray catch a lot of prey.

There was no shortage of food along the way.

However, there are some things that Levy needs to correct.

"Smack, smack." Levy stood to the side, using her claws to tear open a dead prey, then proceeding to eat it raw with even greater ferocity.

Levy's stomach is much better than Bray's; she can eat raw food without any stomach upset.

Moreover, many times, she brought her prey back not with her hands, but with her mouth.

Bray stared at his roasted meat in his hand, stunned for a full fifteen minutes.

He usually really enjoys eating this kind of roasted rabbit meat, but for some reason, he suddenly doesn't find it appetizing anymore.

Bray looked at Levy, who was still swallowing him whole.

"Hmm?" Levy noticed that Bray was looking at her, and tilted her head, her little face full of confusion.

Bray stepped forward and wiped all the blood out of Levy's mouth.

She did not resist and obediently let Bray wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Put down what you're holding first."