I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 156

Chapter 9: Frustration

Roy stared hesitantly at the gray-haired, brawny uncle before him. “May I ask who you are…?”

“Master, this is Gray the Giant Axe, an Adventurer.”

Alice, who had dealt with him before, introduced.

Upon hearing this, Gray couldn’t help but smirk, waiting for the little maid to boast about his renown.

However, things didn’t go as expected, and the introduction seemed to come to a sudden halt.

“That’s it?” Roy couldn’t resist adding.

“That’s it.” The little maid nodded.

Alice cast a nonchalant glance at Gray. It seemed she wasn’t planning to say another word, as if he wasn’t worth mentioning.

Gray’s mouth twitched, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.

This little maid was so inconsiderate! Shouldn’t she throw in terms like “veteran adventurer” or “Level 8 master” or something?!

Fortunately, the shopgirl stepped in to save him.

“Young Master Roy, this Mr. Gray is the most senior Adventurer in our Twilight City. You should listen to his advice!”

Hearing this, Gray felt a rush of satisfaction and straightened his back in front of Roy.

Even if the shopgirl hadn’t said that, he had intended to give some good advice.

Gray had seen countless arrogant young noblemen head out to train, only to meet their doom in the wilderness. In his younger days, he’d scoffed at these hot-headed youths, but as he got older, he couldn’t bear to see them send themselves to their deaths.

Especially with Alice being such a kind child. Regardless of Roy, he certainly didn’t want Alice to get herself killed.

“Let me see what task you plan to take… Hunt the Man-Eating Ogre?!”

“Don’t mistake my frankness for rudeness, young master; A-rank tasks are no joke! Among the same rank, magical beasts are inherently more dangerous than humans, and the wilderness isn’t just filled with your targets but other magical beasts too! You’re both novices—your first task should be something you can handle! And an adventurer team needs at least three members!”

Roy didn’t expect this burly gray-haired uncle to be so talkative; he was nearly left dizzy.

After quite a while, Gray finished his lecture and gave his suggestion.

“So, let me give you a piece of advice: it’s best to take a B-rank task and find at least one companion to form a three-member team!”

If it weren’t for worrying that Roy’s youthful arrogance might lead him astray, Gray actually wanted to suggest a C-rank instead.

However, Gray couldn’t have imagined that after a brief consideration, Roy would readily agree.

“Then let’s go with B-rank.”

“So, uh?”

“Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Gray.”

Roy was genuinely not one of those reckless hotheads; considering Gray was an experienced Adventurer and this was his first task, being cautious wasn’t a bad idea.

Besides, they weren’t in a rush to take a task. If this one turned out to be too easy, they could just come back and take an A-rank one, right?

But both the shopgirl and Giant Axe Gray were wide-eyed, struggling to comprehend.

Wasn’t a young nobleman just supposed to be reckless and arrogant without a shred of reason? Turns out, reasoning with them does work?

Especially Gray; he had prepared for Roy to throw a fit and for him to show off a bit to intimidate him. Who would have thought the guy actually listened to him?

Gray inexplicably felt a bit annoyed.

No, something felt off!

He didn’t get to teach the young master a lesson, which made Gray feel like something was missing.

He maintained his serious demeanor. “Ahem, don’t think taking a B-rank makes you safe! I said, adventurer teams need at least three members…”

Roy cut him off decisively. “In that case, I’ll ask Mr. Gray to accompany us.”

“…What?” Gray was dumbfounded for the second time.

“Don’t worry; we just came to train ourselves, so we don’t need any payment, as long as it’s convenient for you, Mr. Gray.”

Roy spoke politely, neither too humble nor too haughty, with a friendly smile on his face.

Even Gray, who generally had a bias against the young noble class, couldn’t find fault.

Gray even felt that there was some kind of aura about Roy that was blinding him.

He averted his gaze. “Fine, I have nothing else to do, so I’ll go along with you two!”

B-rank task: Hunt the Petrified Sub-Dragon.

The Petrified Sub-Dragon was barely Level 8; even considering that magical beasts were stronger than ordinary Extraordinary Beings, it was still well within their abilities.

The three of them ventured out into the mountains and fields outside Twilight City, successfully tracking down the Petrified Sub-Dragon based on the clues from the commission.

Roy had to admit that bringing along an experienced Adventurer was the right choice.

He had learned various outdoor tracking techniques from his father, but they were mostly geared towards humans.

Compared to soldiers, Adventurers were the real experts in dealing with magical beasts.

Under Gray’s guidance, they successfully avoided magical beasts like goblins and jungle wolves, saving a lot of time.

“Kid, learn well!” At first, Gray was quite pleased, putting on a seasoned mentor’s airs.

Unexpectedly, Roy turned out to be a diligent learner, eager to absorb knowledge.

“Mr. Gray, how did you know there were goblins over there?”

“Mr. Gray, how did you know that bush is poisonous?”

“Mr. Gray, Mr. Gray… do you recognize that fruit?”

By the end, Roy was actively asking questions, nearly inquiring about everything in sight, leaving Gray feeling a bit frazzled.

“Uh, I don’t know what that fruit is either. I’m not an encyclopedia; how could I possibly know everything?!”

“Oh.”

Seeing the unabashed disappointment on Roy’s face, Gray unexpectedly felt a twinge of guilt.

While Roy and Gray were engrossed in their conversation, the little maid fell behind.

Watching the young boy and the brawny man walking side by side, Alice found herself in a deep haze, feeling a strange sense of frustration.

What’s going on?

Wasn’t this trip meant for her to accompany her master on an adventure? Why was this strange guy in the way?!

It should be her staying by her master’s side, showcasing the adventurous knowledge she had learned…

Though she felt wronged and resentful, since it was Roy’s decision, Alice really couldn’t oppose it.

But soon, her chance to show herself came.

After the three of them passed through the bushes, they finally spotted their quarry in a clearing up ahead.

It was a four-legged Sub-Dragon, covered in rough scales like stone, seemingly blending into its environment.

The Sub-Dragon was busy tearing apart a goblin, completely unaware that the three of them were closing in.

“Master, please leave this prey to Alice!” Alice excitedly proposed.

Roy confirmed with his panel that it was only a Level 8 magical beast before responding, “Alright, it’s yours.”

However, Gray furrowed his brows at Roy. “Wait, you plan to leave it to her alone?”

Before Roy could reply, Alice calmly stated, “I can handle this.”

“This level of creature doesn’t require my master to intervene.”

Roy shrugged at Gray.

A Level 8 magical beast was something Alice could handle without easily losing, especially since she had protective gear. Even if something went wrong, Roy was confident he could step in in time to rescue her.

Most importantly, he could see Alice’s strong desire to prove herself in her eyes.

But to Gray, that sounded like just an excuse.

It’s absurd! Claiming to train while sending your maid to the front lines, leaving yourself behind!

This kid—no wonder he was so patient along the way and even invited himself, must be just an outright coward?!

The more Gray thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and the look in his eyes toward Roy turned slightly disdainful.

“No way, even Miss Alice tackling that thing alone is too dangerous…”

Before Gray could finish, Alice had already drawn her sword and charged out.