Only I’m the solo player

Chapter 53 – Lizmel of the Reconnaissance Team

—–CROW—– 

After warming up in the bath, Eleanor and I talked for several hours.

The topic, of course, was about what exactly we needed to do to break off the engagement.

“It’s better not to overthink it now.  You just need to act like you care about me little by little.”

Eleanor didn’t demand an aggressive display of affection.  She said she’ll handle that part herself.

However, it was clear that I needed to stay in the Dark Elf village for a long time.

She said she needs to familiarize the other Dark Elves with my face.

The 7th floor’s labyrinth area isn’t much to see, and the boss is relatively easy.

There’s much more to gain in this village than exploring the labyrinth, so that part doesn’t matter.

And beyond just familiarizing them with my face, I also need to consistently build a good impression.

“I’m thinking of making you a temporary member of the reconnaissance team.  Would that be alright?”

The proposed method was for me to join the Dark Elf reconnaissance team.

The reconnaissance team explores and eliminates dangerous monsters that appear in the area around their dwelling.

They also perform various other tasks, but she said a temporary member wouldn’t be assigned those.

In other words, just go around hunting monsters nearby and make my presence known.

It’s no different from what I usually do.

It’s almost the same route as other challengers’ Dark Elf faction quests.

“There’s no need to overdo it.  Most of them will be happy just seeing you pretend to fight with a weapon.”

Eleanor said I don’t have to work too hard, but of course, I intend to do my best.

Oh, and I also asked Eleanor, “What is it about humans that you like so much?”

“Why? Aren’t most humans cute?”

It seems Dark Elves really do think of humans as something like stray cats.  There’s no particular reason.

She said she’s one of the youngest among the Dark Elves, so she doesn’t know how others think.

Considering the Dark Elf blacksmith’s attitude towards me, I think they see me as a spirited child at best.

Well, to a race that lives for thousands of years, humans who die before even reaching a hundred years must look like that.

“Ah, but I think you’re quite a handsome man. I don’t just think of you as cute.”

“Oh, is that so.”

“If you want, we can have a conversation in a man-to-woman way… Just kidding.”

Sometimes this Dark Elf feels a bit strange with her oddly suggestive behavior.

“Anyway, I’ll talk to the reconnaissance team tomorrow, so get some rest today.  Don’t humans get dizzy if they bathe for too long?”

I’m not the type to get dizzy from staying in a bath for too long, but I said I understood.

After sending Eleanor away, I focused on strength training alone in my room.

It’s my routine that I haven’t missed a single day since I learned that I could increase my stats through simple exercise.

Rest? I don’t have time to waste like that.

**

The next day, Eleanor introduced me to the other Dark Elves in the reconnaissance team.

“He said he wants to help us with our work and improve his skills.  He’d like to be assigned any task, even a simple one.”

The Dark Elves of the reconnaissance team welcomed me with a much calmer attitude than the NPCs at the general store or grocery store I saw yesterday.

Of course, judging by the similar looks in their eyes, it was clear that they had the same unique favor towards humans.

As expected, as soon as Eleanor left, the Dark Elves surrounded me and started talking.

“Haha, he wants to help us with our work?  There’s a commendable human.”

“Indeed. It’s been a while since we interacted with a human.”

But among the Dark Elves, one of them was glaring at me with a displeased look.

“Hmph, what help can a human offer?  It’ll be a blessing if he doesn’t get in the way.”

It was a Dark Elf woman with long hair tied up, equipped with a sword and bow, similar to my light armor attire.

I don’t know how strong she is since the console is the same green color, but judging by her gait and atmosphere, she doesn’t look weak.

I don’t know since when I became able to estimate someone’s strength by their gait. But I’m sure.

She’s probably the strongest among the reconnaissance team members in terms of skill.

Can I assume that her condescending attitude also stems from her skill?

Well, there should be one or two people like that. I’d also find it hard to adapt if everyone around me was too friendly.

“Don’t be so harsh, Lizmel.  Eleanor, who hates weaklings, seems to cherish him.  There must be a reason.”

“She hates weaklings, but she likes young ones.”

“Is there a human who isn’t young in our eyes?  Surely she didn’t bring him here just for that, she’s not a starving beast.”

The words exchanged between the Dark Elves are bothering me. Why is the expression “starving beast” coming up?

And Lizmel, was it?  I’ve definitely heard that name somewhere before.

[Erwen’s Meddling – Swordsmanship Training]

[Quest Objectives]

Complete Lizmel’s Basic Training 3 stages.

Complete Lizmel’s Advanced Training 3 stages (Optional).

Complete Lizmel’s Selection Test (Optional).

Win a spar with Lizmel (Optional).

That’s right, she’s the NPC who can proceed with the swordsmanship training quest the blacksmith gave me.

She’s quite different from what I imagined. I thought she’d be similar to the blacksmith since they’re relatives.

The only thing they have in common is the abundance of a certain body part.

“W-what are you staring at, human!”

Of course, I have no complaints as long as she teaches me swordsmanship properly.

**

I immediately handed Lizmel the letter.

After receiving and reading the letter, Lizmel looked at me with a very surprised expression, then bit her lip.

“Why would I teach something like swordsmanship to a human… I really don’t want to…!”

Lizmel said so and dragged me outside. The other reconnaissance team members snickered at the sight.

Although she said she didn’t want to, she didn’t seem that reluctant.  Her hand pulling my arm wasn’t rough either.

“Let me tell you this first, if you bother me too much, I won’t let you off easy. Brat.”

Sure, I don’t intend to bother you either.

“Will you teach me swordsmanship?”

“If you’re capable of learning.”

Lizmel said so and rummaged through her pocket, taking something out.  It looked like a yellow piece of paper.

“First, I need to see what your skills are like.”

The unfolded piece of paper was densely filled with black and white drawings and unfamiliar characters.

It seems to be the script used by Dark Elves, and I couldn’t read it with the simple translation function included in the system.

But I knew the drawings.  They looked exactly like the 7th-floor monsters I saw in the open community.

“I was planning to go on a Twilight Spider hunt today anyway.  Since you said you’d help us with our work, you have no objections, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, aren’t you answering too easily? Do you even know what this is? I said Twilight Spider!”

Lizmel frowned, surprised by my casual response.

What’s the big deal?  If it’s a Twilight Spider that appears on the 7th floor, it’s just a slightly stronger mob, isn’t it?

“They’re called Dusk Spiders. They’re twice your size, and their legs and claws are incredibly hard.  And they have poison, too.”

Lizmel held up the spider drawing and gave an exaggerated explanation, but I already knew these facts from the strategy guides.

I haven’t fought them before, but honestly, I think I know more about these spiders than she does.

“I know.”

“You know nothing!”

Even if I do know, why doesn’t she believe me?

“You’ve never been hit by spider poison, have you? Do you know how dangerous it is?  Once you’re poisoned, your limbs go numb, and you can’t move for a while!”

I haven’t been hit by spider poison yet.  But I won’t be in the future either.  Especially not by paralysis poison.

It’s highly unlikely that a 7th-floor monster would have poison strong enough to overcome my dual resistance, and if it does, I welcome it.

My Poison Resistance skill is stuck at level 19, which is a bit inconvenient.  I might as well raise it to 20 this time.

“I know, so let’s just go. Dusk Spiders, was it?”

“Hey!”

“If you don’t come, I’ll go alone.”

I opened the open community, brought up the map of the area where Dusk Spiders inhabit, and started walking.

Lizmel grabbed me again, saying I needed to bring antidotes and such, but I ignored her.

And so, we left the Dark Elf dwelling and arrived at the Dusk Spider nest.

– *Screech! Click!*

For some reason, the spiders were outside their nest, swarming as if to greet us.

It seems like the 7th floor is particularly different from the community’s strategy guides.

Well, it’s just that there are more spiders than usual.

– *Shing.*

I drew my sword, adjusted my shield, and approached the spiders.

Then, Lizmel suddenly pulled my shoulder.

“Stay back, it’s dangerous.  I’m not going to take care of you if you get poisoned and collapse, brat!”

Wait, you said you wanted to see my skills, but what are you doing stepping forward?

What the hell is she doing?

—–CROW—–