Ideals clash harder than Ice. (2.1)

People have always looked down on farmers, thinking of them as simple-minded blokes who are behind the times. Many associate farmers to being stupid or poor because of the way farming is portrayed as a dirty job that needs dirty people to do it. Yet day by day, farmers are facing hardships, from diseases to monsters to pests, everyday farmers have to deal with this shit just to survive and what are the nobles whose responsibility it is to protect their people, whether it be their lives or their livelihood? They're being snobby and have their foot so far up their ass that they couldn't care less if they cared at all. Nobles indulge in riches while their servants, those below them act as their stepping stones. And there exist Nobles who often grind their feet on these stepping stones until it gets destroyed or they get bored and move to another one. If their roles were reversed, I would gladly watch as those nobles suffer the same fate as their servants. The luxury items that they indulge themselves with like food are thoroughly cultivated by farmers who don't even receive an ounce of gratitude, instead, they are treated with nothing but ignorance and irk.

The kingdom would always need people to do the dirty jobs, to be the lowest of the low or to be the scapegoat they could blame everything to, and yet those who sacrifice themselves to do these works are underappreciated and insulted, they are thought of like dirt and are treated with disgust. The weak have no power to oppose those above them and the strong only care about manipulating them, the strong do not care if their pawns have problems, all they care about is using them for themselves. That is why I don't like to work because people who don't deserve it are the ones benefitting from it.

The sound of the wooden wall of the carriage being struck made me look towards a certain elf girl. Her expression shows only frustration as she tries to sit properly while the carriage shakes due to the uneven roads of the countryside. She then looked at me with the same irritation.

"Hikigaya-kun, was it not better to walk than to ride this carriage?"

"If you want to arrive two weeks late with a farm infested with rabbits then be my guest." Judging from how she's been acting for the past two hours, she isn't used to riding a carriage or maybe this carriage's too cheap for a noble's certain tastes.

The carriage I rented was, of course, the cheapest one. Like I'll spend extra money just to keep our princess here comfortable, she'll have to earn her own money if she wants to live as luxurious as she did before.

"You're an adventurer now, get used to this."

Yukinoshita looked like she was about to say something but didn't. Works for me, no more conversations with her. Instead of continuing to stare at the Elf girl, I proceeded to check my equipment.

The cheapest blankets I could buy, a few meters of rope, a lot of Mentha Leaves, fishing nets and a pouch full of Earth Magic Stones. Adjusting my leather gloves, I made sure I had a few knives as well and my dagger is safely sheathed. Looking over at Yukinoshita I saw her sport the same robes though this time she carried a staff with a bluish gem on its tip, likely for casting spells.

Once again, I heard a thump and this time I couldn't help but smirk at her discomfort.

"We're here!" I heard the coachman's voice as he peeks through the window. Yukinoshita grabbed her staff and went outside, I on the other double-checked my equipment.

"Hikigaya-kun, it's impolite of you to keep our client waiting as well as delaying the coachman of his departure."

"I'm checking my equipment, better have everything than die killing rabbits. Also, I paid the coachman so it's his job to wait for me and it's our job to makes sure we'll be able to kill rabbits."

Rearranging my things, I hopped off the carriage. The feeling of the soft unpaved ground gave me nostalgia, how long has it been since I last went to the countryside? Probably 2 years ago. The fresh air was refreshing…if not for the strong stench of manure, looking over at Yukinoshita and she had her hands covering her lower face.

The farm itself was a beautiful sight to behold, a golden field of wheat shining brilliantly due to the setting sun, though the part near the thick forest was barren and destroyed. It may have ruined the beauty of the farm but at least it reminded us what we need to do. And in the distance, a wooden house and barn were visible. Seeing no one working in the fields, we went towards the only buildings on this farm.

"I've read of wheat fields before but seeing it in person is a lot more than I've anticipated. To think Perpetual Hares would ravage such lands."

"Hares are wild beasts, no matter how harmless they may seem in your arms, they are still vicious creatures who think only of surviving and reproducing, not caring of what consequences their actions have." Humans are really like wild creatures. We don't care if our actions directly or indirectly affect others, all we care about is living and reproducing. I could even compare these Perpetual Hares or any other beast to nobles. Impulsive, Prideful, Aggressive. They don't care how much suffering they bring to others, they don't care if they stomp and destroy the lives of many, all they care about is living their lives to the fullest and creating new generations of idiots to ravage the lands dry.

Speaking of nobles, as soon as we reached the front porch Miss High-Elf knocked on the door. I heard some conversation and then stomping. Yukinoshita nudged me forward and with the swing of the door, I was face to face with a pair of turquoise eyes. Those eyes belonged to a young boy with dark gray hair, as soon as he saw us, he politely excused himself.

"Umm~ Could you please wait for a second?"

And then he closed the door on our faces, specifically my face. Oy! Brat you shouldn't slam the door at my face! I already have enough problems to deal with and a concussion isn't going to help.

The door soon opened to reveal a large man with bluish hair. He wore a brown tunic that seemed like it could burst any moment. This is the first time I've seen a farmer as large as him, if I were to see him in a forest, I'll definitely mistake him for a Clavus Bear, though his bluish hair would make it less likely.

"Ya must be the 'ere fer the quest?" Not only did he look like a bear, but he also sounded like one too. He then offered his hand forward. To seem professional, I took it his hand and the feeling of being grabbed by a bear sent shivers down my spine.

"A firm handshake...Seems like yar' a capable boy ain't ya. But hey where are ma manners. I'm Farmer Salem pleased to meet ya!"

Our client then gestured us to come in inside though Yukinoshita seemed reluctant, as soon as I entered, she did so as well. I heard her whisper "Sorry for the intrusion" How polite.

The inside of the cabin was rather comforting for me, it reminded me of my home…well my last home, though there is one key difference which surprised me. As Farmer Salem gestured us to sit down, I couldn't help but stare at the wall literally filled with portraits, literal paintings of his family. Just looking at one section of the wall and I could count at least 8, even the tables have paintings. If this guy told me he's a stalker, I wouldn't be surprised! Paintings specifically portraits are expensive, they range from ten silver coins for a small picture and ten gold coins for a massive one and he had two! Studying the pictures, I noticed Farmer Salem, someone who appears to be his wife and three other children. I quickly recognized the young boy since he slammed the door on my face though the other two girls are unfamiliar…Except maybe for the older one.

"I'mma family man as ya can see!" Salem posed pridefully. And then he began to blabber about his family, Salem talked about his wife having another child and he has to buy another painting after their child's birth…I would've said congratulations but the fact that he's going to spend more money on paintings made me think twice. My family only had ten pictures you kno~w and a majority of them were portraits of either my little sister or my parents with my little sister…I wasn't included in any of them. Yukinoshita coughed to grab Salem's attention and get back to topic, good thing too I feel nervous because of the sheer amount of family picture this house has.

"Do you have any information about these Perpetual Hares we could use?" Yukinoshita cut him off.

"Ah sorry 'bout that." Farmer Salem then told us everything he knew about the rabbits. He told us that those animals used to be seclusive often running off as soon as they sensed your presence. It was rare for him to find one in the forest while he's hunting but Salem's never seen a rabbit intentionally provoke him and even try to fight him off. Salem compared to a small pissed-off kitten. "They even began 'ttacking ma crops! Little pests keep comin' and comin'!"

Perpetual Hares are known to reproduce and mature very quickly but if what Salem is true, they either give birth to more or they mature even quicker and worst-case scenario…Both.

"At first, I thought them rabbits were just nibbling on a few stalks ya know but 'bout a month ago, their attacks became more frequent 'n it's almost impossible ta not see one ev'ry mornin'!"

He continued to tell us how those rabbits seemed to abnormally grow in size, he even said that he found one that's as big as a dog. He tried setting some traps for them but every time they completely avoided it.

"If dis' continues…I'm not sure we'll make it by da end of da month." You know if you were to sell those portraits, I'm sure you'll survive for at least a year…even with these rabbits destroying your crops. Also, by the way these creature's behaviors have changed, I'm not sure what to say…Perpetual Hares aren't necessarily this aggressive to invade territories knowing that there are Humans around nor are they smart enough to evade traps. In fact, most wild creatures normally avoid any if not every interaction with Humans but to think they'll come and attack human territories…something doesn't feel right.

"Me and ma eldest daughter used ta hunt these things ev'ry mornin' but she's been comin' home less and less. Though she's already 17, she's still ma baby girl ya know?" And we're back to his family… great.

"Ya know, she looks around your age…Though if ya ask fer her hand, ya have to go through me ya hear!" As if I'll court someone I've never met, I'll probably forget her name as soon as we leave. Listening to our conversation was the brat from earlier, he seems very invested in what we're discussing. Inspecting him, I'd say he's around the same age as my sister…Though if he even gets close to her, I'll crush him like a bug. Just imagining it makes me angry so I looked at him with the power of my dead-fish eyes, capable of disgusting even the foulest goblin and because of that they called me the 'Goblin Starer'...Though that's more of an insult than a title, I'll gut those who named me that later. As soon as the brat noticed my stare, he paled and went somewhere. Farmer Salem continued to blabber about his family until Yukinoshita told something...surprising.

"Despite my appearances, I'm around 151 years old in human years, but in Elven years I am just 17 years old." …What? Farmer Salem's expression was of utter shock, I'm sure my face is the same. I know that Elves specifically High-Elves have long lifespans to think someone as young as Yukinoshita is 151 years old! That's ridiculous! Even if I were into older women, I wouldn't want to be paired with someone who's older than my grandmother…From now on, I'll refer to Yukinoshita as Obaa-san. After our initial surprise, we continued with our discussion of those hares.

"As Farmer Salem said, Perpetual Hares only appear during nighttime in an effort to evade its predators, so it sound logic to hunt them down during the night. " Obaa-san stated. I just nodded in agreement. From the distance I see the sky darken and the red moon and green moon rise. Only the sound of nocturnal critters filled the air, as soon as we entered the forest, I felt that something was off. The feeling of my sleeve being pulled made me look at the Elf Girl.

"There's a massive amount of mana in this forest, maybe this is the cause of the rabbit's abnormalities."

Because Yukinoshita is a magic caster, she instantly felt the surplus of mana in the air. Farmer Salem never mentioned anything about this though I doubt he even is a magic caster or if he even visited the forest during nighttime.

The eerie sound of the forest echoed throughout, the moons gave little light as we traversed the forest though thankfully both of us were used to seeing in the dark. In the distance, I saw something moving and with a quick signal to Yukinoshita we slowly approached it. Peeking over a bush, we saw eight rabbits nibbling on some wheatgrass. They haven't noticed our presence and Yukinoshita began to cast a spell, creating more mana to add to the already excessive amounts of it in the air. She then wielded this energy to control reality as she saw fit. I was ready to throw my knives as soon as Yukinoshita was done casting.

"Ihma Alha Ousiralthel" Four stakes made out of ice appeared in the air, Yukinoshita quickly launched them towards the rabbits, splattering blood around the place. My knives rapidly spun through the air and perfectly hit their marks without obliterating the bodies. Unlike my clean kill, Yukinoshita's was a bloody mess. I thought nobles didn't like to see blood not just nobles, I thought High Elves specifically did not like the sight of blood…either that's just a stereotype or this Elf girl's a psychopath…

"Just so we're clear I'm not going to kill you…but" I suddenly recalled what Hiratsuka said to me. Was this Hiratsuka's plan all along? Forcing me to join a party with a total stranger and then have me to go with a murderer in the hopes of her getting rid of me! That woman!

With a ding! Our adventurer tags glowed purple as it confirmed our kills, it also stopped my conspiracy of Hiratsuka's attempt to have me killed. This necklace is a special adventuring item which tells adventurers of their progress in a quest. This 'Reabacus' is an accessory enchanted with magic to make sure it tallies our kills and or items we've collected. To make sure this accessory doesn't alert monsters or beasts, only people wearing the Reabacus could see its glow or hear it. The Reabacus also acted as an adventurer's identification allowing them to go to other guild halls while pertaining their rank. Long before the creation of this accessory, adventurers were tasked to bring pieces of evidence to confirm the completion of their quests before they're given their rewards. It's a good thing they've invented this thing because you'll never see me stuffing corpses in my pocket to appease some stupid client.

"Hikigaya-kun it seems like there are other Perpetual Hares in that direction." Yukinoshita whispered while pointing towards a tall patch of grass. I nodded in hesitation before we headed there. Looking over, there are at least 10 Perpetual Hares but what's surprising is they're feasting on a small fox, the white fur of the rabbits was soaked red with blood. Perpetual Hares are herbivores, so they're normally targeted by predators like foxes but seeing their roles reversed was something else, either they just found a dead fox and started to eat it or…they actually hunted and killed one. It raised a couple of questions, but I have no time to worry about that. The rabbits noticed our presence and quickly made a run for it.

"Erima Zenvi Yoko Rinko" The surrounding area was quickly encased in ice, including the rabbits, the surrounding tree became ice pillars and the ground itself froze. If I'm correct, this was the same spell Yukinoshita was about to cast earlier…And Hiratsuka was able to negate it with her aura, that woman's frightening! I mean Yukinoshita casted an Advanced Lesser Spell and she did nothing but was still able to interfere. As she was casting another spell, I heard the noise of what seemed to be another hare approaching us fast. And from the shrub, a dog-sized rabbit leaped at Yukinoshita. Given my close proximity and quick reaction, I was able to unsheathe my dagger and slice the rabbit in half before reaching her.

Seeing that I've dealt with the abnormally large rabbit she continued to chant. Several smaller spikes appeared and stabbed the frozen rabbits. It seems like the other four hares were able to break free from the spell and made a break for it. I threw 3 knives and them, hitting them on mark. The remaining creature was about to escape when it suddenly stopped and dodged something. Not wasting a second, I threw another knife at it.

My Reabacus glowed once more tallying my kill, looking over at the scattered remains of the hares I couldn't help but feel wary of a certain elf girl. Yukinoshita may be an F Rank but she easily showed her talents as a mage. She was able to simultaneously freeze an area and create stakes, it takes a lot of focus to even cast a spell and you shouldn't be distracted, or it'll cause a Rebound. Yet Yukinoshita was able to casted two spells without even breaking a sweat, to think someone who's this skilled in magic actually exists or it's something else...

Every spell has a certain requirement or drawback to it. But all spells have one common weakness, Mental Fatigue. Every time a mage uses a spell, they consume mana from their body and release it into the air and using their mental capabilities they shape this mana to whatever form they need it to be, whether it be creating icicles or controlling the earth. The more you mentally exhaust yourself by using spells, the more likely you are to cause a Rebound on yourself.

Another thing that should be brought up is the dog-sized rabbit, its size alone told me something is wrong but for it to attack us is surprising, to say the least. Animals, in general, don't approach sentient races because they could easily be killed by them. Only large animals confident in their abilities are the ones aggressive though most often than not, they are still killed. But a hare, only the size of a pet jumped at us with fangs capable of piercing flesh. Maybe the extreme amounts of mana are affecting them both their behavior and physical appearance? I mean we saw a drove of hares eat a fox and Yukinoshita was almost bitten by one, so they have developed a sense for flesh.

Hunting more of these fluffy creatures before the strike of dawn would be our best option if we wanted to maximize the reward we get. I was about to head out to hunt some down, but Yukinoshita was inspecting some plant near the rabbit's corpse. Maybe Yukinoshita's a plant-lover, I mean Elves mostly live in forests and I guess she misses home or something and that plant gave her nostalgia or something…Shit! I forgot to takeout the dead bodies from earlier!

"Yukinoshita, I'll get rid of the rabbits."

"…" No response huh? Well, who cares. I went to the area we first encountered the creatures. Looking at the carnage that Yukinoshita dealt on the rabbits, I couldn't help but frown…Her work was sloppy and no I'm not some cannibalistic doctor, Yukinoshita literally obliterated them. All that was left of it was a lot of blood and some chunks of flesh to prove the existence of these animals. Still, something is off with the way she uses magic, I'll just have to stay cautious because I don't know if she's that exceptional in using magic or she's using some form of trick. I have a task to do.

The forest trembled as I threw the Earth Magic Stone onto the ground, a hole appeared and swallowed the four rabbit corpses along with the chunks of meat. Utilizing Magic Stones really are the best! Especially to people like me who can't even use magic. Instead of working my ass to dig holes all I did was throw a stone at it and then instant hole, to throw whatever corpse you need to get rid of, maybe I could bury some Riajuus or that merchant who tried to rip me off…I'll add his name to my 'People to Kill' list, I should also add that Elf girl's name on it I mean she insulted me multiple times and treated me like I was some beast…Heck, she called me a goblin the first time I even meet her. Someday Hachiman someday.

After I took care of that, I returned to where Yukinoshita stayed. She was staring intensely on some small plant with reddish buds on it. Oy! Stop staring at that plant, it might turn to ice…I-Is that what she's trying to do?

"Hikigaya-kun are you familiar with this plant?"

"Do I look like someone who's interested in plants?" To be honest, I'm couldn't care less about plants. There are better things to know about like monster behavior, their weaknesses and what is the best position to sleep on your bed. So, I find knowledge about 'plants' irrelevant.

Yukinoshita sighed in disappointed, Obaa-san you'll look older if you keep doing that you kno~w. Tch! That receptionist brat's infecting me with her strange language.

"This plant here is called a 'Bibulous Herb', a special type of plant used in potions. This plant safely extracts the mana out of the body. Normally used in potions for would-be mages to better release their mana and properly control it. "So, in concept, it is able to drain mana from whatever it touches. Maybe the reason why the rabbit tried to avoid it because the plant could drain its mana? Do Perpetual Hares even use magic let alone have mana. As I stared at the small plant, I remembered that as soon as we entered this forest, we literally saw hundreds of these. Some of them have already bloomed.

"It continues to surprise me how useless you are despite you being a B rank Adventurer." Oy! I worked hard in getting this far! Show some respect you newbie! Also-.

"How the hell am I useless?! First of all, I was the one who picked the quest that actually matched your skill." Could you clarify how you're strong enough to slay a dragon?

"Even without your help I would have picked this quest." As if! You were going for that Dragon Quest, weren't you! Being able to kill rabbits doesn't mean you'll be able to kill a dragon.

"Secondly! I was the one who negotiated with our client!" Though it was mostly about the reward and how long we're going to stay but still!

"Though I was the one who actually set the negotiations to motion, you were utterly taken by the farmer's family life." He just kept on talking! It wasn't my fault he's that proud of his family.

"Also, even without your help, I would've been able to negotiate with him at the same time knowing more of these creatures. Overall, I am more socially competent than you. If I asked you when the last time was you talked to a client, I would not be surprised if you said never." Adventurers are required to talk to the client before embarking on the quest so your arguments invalid!

"And lastly, I killed those stupid animals so we could complete the quest!" I'm pretty sure I did most of the heavy lifting here!

"Once again, something I could've done all by myself. As someone who can use magic, I am far superior in killing these beasts than you are" To hell with you, you devil woman! Like you'll be able to kill these rabbits all by yourself! Unsheathing two knives, I threw them towards a shaking bush that's behind me. Faint dying sounds escaped from the hares as they lost their lives and my necklace glowed purple.

I looked at Yukinoshita dead straight in the eyes, she did so the same...As if I'll back down to some F Rank adventurer wannabe.

"It seems like you're confident of your hunting capabilities. Then let's play a game to see whoever is better in hunting. The winner could order the loser to do whatever they want." I don't normally gamble, often preferring a perfect plan than to rely on chance but with the way she challenged me? I hope she's ready to eat my dust.

"Fine by me, I hope you're ready to lose." She gave me that smile that said, 'As if'. Oh, you're in for a trip. The same rustling of grass was heard, I flung my knives towards the sound. Expecting to hear flesh being pierced instead I heard a cracking sound as the sharpened blades struck a wall of ice. Faint noises came from the same direction after Yukinoshita has launched her missiles. Tch! Cheap Trick. Knowing that she had already taken care of those rabbits I went ahead to find more…only this time Yukinoshita froze the ground solid. She then proceeded to skate a past me. Oy! Don't think I didn't see that smirk you vying bitch. You're so on.

Ideals clash harder than Ice (2.2)

"It appears that your higher rank is for display only." Tch! She literally cheated! Every single time I was about to attack Yukinoshita would create a wall of ice and block my sight! She would then freeze the ground I'm standing on while she goes to find more rabbits! Plus they even seemed attracted to Yukinoshita, every time she casted a spell that killed three rabbits, six more would appear. By midnight, I was conflicted to shove my head to the ground because the constant ding of her Reabacus almost drove me insane.

The fields of wheat quickly came to view as we exited the forest. Strapped to my shoulder was a pouch, with a dead rabbit inside…What? It would be a waste to just throw it out plus I heard some rumors that Perpetual Rabbits are particularly tasty though hard to hunt and seeing the sheer amount of them in the forest. I would be dammed if I didn't even try one.

"It's rather barbaric of you to eat such creatures, Hiki-Brute-kun." Oy! What's with that uncreative insult! You literally just added another word between my name. Tch! Even that noble scum has a better way of mocking me, by actually calling me something that's part of my name…Oh wow, did that bring some unfortunate memories I wished to get rid of…Why the hell do I always remember these wretched memories? It literally takes all my willpower not to commit suicide.

Being reminded of this god-awful memory, I didn't want to argue. Though it would make it so much better if she would wipe that grin off her face! Or else I'll do it myself!

From the fields, I saw Farmer Salem and his son carrying some haystacks. Noticing us, Farmer Salem went towards and greeted us with a smile.

"How was ya hunt? Saw how plenty those bastards are?" Plenty would be an understatement…

"Yeah…Mind if we cleaned up? Also, could I use your stove?" I've haven't eaten since yesterday so I'm somewhat starving. Glancing towards Yukinoshita, she doesn't appear to be hungry, maybe High Elves don't need sustenance like food? It seems like she wants to say something…Probably more insults.

"Use it as ya see fit! There some veggies on da table wouldn't mind if ya used some. Thanks fer ya hard work! Am sure them pests wouldn't be buggin' us fer a while." I was about to head inside when Yukinoshita pulled my sleeves yet again.

"Hikigaya-kun it appears that your eyes are dead after all. Can you not see that Farmer Salem and his son are having trouble lifting those haystacks? It would be proper as an adventurer to assist them." Like hell-.

"We've spent the entire night hunting, unlike your flawless body I'm tired plus we're not being payed to do farm work, we're being paid to kill pests." You can't force me to work Obaa-san, to work is to lose and the only reason I'm even working is to one day save some noble woman and have her fall in love with me, then I'll live with luxury as a househusband! While having some servant give in to my every whim.

"Hikigaya-kun" Nope, Sorry Obaa-san no matter what you say I won't lift even a single stalk of straw… 'To work is to lose' and I'm going to stick to my beliefs until the very end…Not even your most ferocious glare would force me to work even more...Narrowing your eyes won't help either, Nuh-Uh not gonna budge…Is it just me or did suddenly become colder, I could've sworn it was a few degrees hotter…

"OKAY! I'm gonna help! Would please stop doing that?!" To hell! Would you always try to freeze everything solid just to get your way? And why do I keep attracting woman-like demons?! I already have those two at the guild! Am I stuck in some Horror novel? Because this is getting ridiculous. Why can't I get a woman-like angel for once, an angel that I would duty-bound myself for all eternity? Just imagining a gorgeous angel call my name makes me happy 'Hachiman, Hachiman, Hachiman' The winter-like air quickly returned to its summer heat, and again Yukinoshita's smiling like an idiot.

"If you're so eager to make me help them, why don't you do it?" Why am I the only who's going to help, she's the one who suggested it.

"It is improper for a lady to even do such menial labor, that is why it is a gentleman's duty to fulfill such task." To hell with being a gentleman! I seek for true gender equality, where everyone is equal! And I quote from a fellow adventurer. 'I yearn for true gender equality! I don't have the patience for one who talks about female privileges when it suits them and then complains about someone "not being a man" when it's convenient.' Truly a wonderful quote…I'll have to visit him later.

With this woman's silver tongue I'll be damned to even win an argument. But someday I would and on that day, I swear I'll rub all over your face Yukinoshita, mark my words. Approaching Farmer Salem, I asked if I could help, I was expecting him to tell me not to worry but because of Yukinoshita's interjection, I was forced to help.

"Ah, Onii-san! Thanks for the help." Like I even had a choice. Well I did, I either helped carry some haystack or be frozen to death by some unhelpful bitch.

"Don't call me 'Onii-san' I'm not your older brother." I placed the last haystack on the pile. The brat was still staring at me for some reason.

"What?" Me being stared at makes me somewhat uncomfortable but I mean who wouldn't feel the same? When I stare at other all I hear is 'creepy' or 'gross' or something depreciating and being in a similar situation I would agree with it, it's fucking creepy!

"It's nothing Onii-san…It's just you remind of my older sister…After I started attending school, she well she decided to become an adventurer." So your sister became an adventurer in other to help with their family's expenses, especially after the Perpetual Hares plagued their farm. But if Farmer Salem were to sell those portraits, I'm sure she wouldn't even need to work, I mean it being their family picture aside, portraits are expensive!

"You're free to associate me with that sister of yours, just don't call me Onii-san." Brat! I'm not your older brother!

"U-Umm~ Okay Hikigaya-san…" Much better!

Since that was the last stack I headed towards their cabin, Farmer Salem thanked me multiple times and even told us to rest up and 'make yer self at home!'. Seeing no downside whatsoever to his offer, I graciously accepted and headed towards their house for some much-needed rest, because god-knows I need one.

The metallic sound of my knives as they hit the floor was loud, but I was too tired to even care. Farmer Salem was kind enough to give us the spare rooms for our equipment and clothes. I set my backpack aside and folded a couple of blankets to create a makeshift pillow and mattress. Napping without a mattress may seem uncomfortable to some but to us adventurers, it is something you'll get used to hell there are times when we're forced to sleep atop trees. But nothing could ever beat an actual bed. My eyes were becoming heavy and my body was slowly loosening its muscle in preparation for my slumber that is until I remembered something…Shit! The rabbit, I forgot about the rabbit!

The sound of my footsteps echoing throughout the cabin, but it seemed like no one is here…even Yukinoshita. Eh, who cares. A pouch was on the table with a quick check I sighed in relief knowing that the meat didn't spoil, I didn't salt because I wanted to cook curry not eat jerky! I then grabbed the rabbit from it and began to chop up some vegetables. Farmer Salem didn't really tell me how much I can't use so I might as well abuse his kindness. The sounds that could be heard from the kitchen are a knife dicing up some onion and a sizzling pot of oil filled with green chilies, as soon as the oil began to hiss I placed the onions inside the pot…Why the hell am I narrating the way I cook my curry, it's not like anyone could even replicate this dish I mean who could even hear my thoughts?

The pleasant aroma of the Rabbit Curry quickly filled my nose, it even made my stomach rumble. Normally I would eat curry with rice, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess. With a wooden spoon, I scooped a part of it and was ready to indulge in my very own cooking. Until I noticed Yukinoshita, clad in what seems to some sort of garb. I could smell the scent of lavenders as she moved tow-. Okay, brain have some self-control! This woman literally lacks almost every sex appeal!

"I did not expect that you're able to cook."

"Woman, every adventurer needs to know how to cook." Or at least know what is edible and what's not. Still, remember the time when I ate some poisonous berries that were supposed to look like a special delicacy…Couldn't show myself to civilization for a week, face swelled up and made me look like some ugly-ass ogre.

"No, what I meant is I didn't expect someone of your kind to be able to prepare a meal without burning the house down." How incompetent do you even see me?!

"Very much so that I doubt that your dish is palatable no matter how wonderful it smells." You can insult my eyes, but you can't insult my di-. Wait did she just compliment my dish? She said 'wonderful' right? Yukinoshita's even looks hungry, to solidify that fact, the low rumble could be heard by anyone in the kitchen. She casted her head downwards and I couldn't help but smirk. Just to bully her, I proceeded to munch on my meal.

"Ahh~ That hit the spot!" Yukinoshita was even staring at my cleaned plate. Are you that hungry? I really want to continue bullying her but for some reason, my brains telling me to actually give her food or else something bad will happen and with her, I couldn't risk it.

"Oy! Yukinoshita would you want so-."

"Well if you insist, it would be rude of me not to accept." I haven't even asked you yet, are you that hungry? Grabbing another bowl, I filled it with some curry and gave it to Yukinoshita. She clapped her hands and said 'Itadakimasu' or something and proceeded to eat with elegance…Woman that's Rabbit Curry, not a 10-star meal just hurry up, then again maybe I underestimate my cooking skills.

Finishing the meal, she began to critic my meal saying 'It's too spicy' or 'The meats to hard' or something like that. You didn't even thank me you ungrateful Elf girl!

"Ohh~ Is dat curry I smell?" It appears that my dish has attracted yet another one and this time it's a bear, accompanied by his young cub.

"Mhmm! Smells delicious! Mind if I asked fer some?"

"No problem, after all, it was your stove and vegetables I used." It's better for someone to pay their debt to you than to have them continuously thanking you after you reject their offer. Farmer Salem thanked me and grabbed two bowls of curry, he gave one to his son who looked at weirdly before taking a spoonful. Was just me or did his eyes sparkle like stars?

"Mhmm~! Onii-san this is delicious!" This brat called me Onii-san again!

"Oy bra-!" …Unadulterated fear. I've felt this feeling before, from Hiratsuka. It felt like I was being stared at by some predator. Looking at the kid, he only looked confused. I looked towards Yukinoshita to see if she's the one setting off my 'Fight or Flight Response' but it seems she had left…That leaves.

"Hmm~ what were ya going ta say Hikigaya-san?" If he looked like a bear before, now he might as well be one right now!

"U-Umm Oy! 'Brother' do…do you want some more curry?" Farmer Salem's posture reclined to the chair and the air became lighter, is it just me or I keep attracting people who want to kill me.

"Oh, thanks Onii-san!" My eyes twitched as the boy gave me the sincerest smile I've ever seen. If I continued talking, I'm sure my body would be nailed to a cross as a warning to those rabbits. Speaking of rabbits, I wonder how we'll kill those damn things.

"Farmer Salem, do you have some oil I could use."

"Fer lanterns? Yeah, some at the barn…Don't burn the forest ya hear me" It seems like Farmer Salem already has an idea of what I'm going to do. By setting those pests on fire, I'll be able to efficiently kill a lot of them almost instantly and thankfully I already had a plan.

I excused myself and went towards the barn. Outside, Yukinoshita was seemingly meditating as small specks of light fluttered her. This is the first time I've seen a mage controlling their mana like that. Not wanting to bother her so I went towards the barn. Opening the large door, the dark inside was illuminated by the sun at its highest point. Looking around I found a couple of jars of oil behind the haystack we've piled together earlier. As if I'll be able to lift all of them, I checked around the barn to find something I could use. Lo and Behold there was an old wheelbarrow trapped under some scrap. Placing the jars on it, I headed out. Grabbing my equipment, I then proceeded to the forest.

Ideals clash harder than Ice (2.3)

From the distance, a flock of birds flew into the air as the forest floor once again shook. As the Earth Magic Stone came in contact with the ground, a gaping hole appeared. Gently, I dropped a blanket inside the trap and poured oil onto it, the flammable liquid was quickly absorbed by the blanket and not by the ground. I placed the fishing nets down then tied some rope to it before draping another blanket onto the pitfalls and then covering it with some dirt and leaves would hide it in plain sight but the light smell of the oil could ward off those rabbits, so I placed some Mentha Leaves on it to hide the smell. As the air blew, I could smell the leaves minty scent. And with that, my traps are complete…My problem now is how I'm going to get them here.

After applying some more finishing touches to my pitfalls, I returned to the farm. I followed the marks I placed on the trees to make sure I don't forget the location of my traps. The blistering heat of noon bombarded me and a coat of sweat quickly formed, which made me feel disgusting…god, I hate working. I may not be the strongest adventurer around. Having spent an entire night killing at rabbits, then being forced to do some menial labor afterward I cooked curry and proceeded to create pitfalls while moving a wheelbarrow filled with oil and on top of that I was sleep-deprived. Even though I have a high constitution even compared to other adventurers I still feel fatigued So, if you combined all those factors you get!

"Zzzzz" A sleeping Hachiman, I don't remember much of how I got the cabin, nor would I want to know how much I slept but I was tired okay! I would've preferred an actual bed over this makeshift one but hey adventurers can't be choosers...or is it beggars? Well even without a real bed I'm sure I could sleep for days…I miss my bed already.

"Hachiman wake up Hachiman, wake up Hachiman" In front of me was an angel. Her silver hair is like at of precious metal, it even matched her sparkling blue eye that was an oasis in the middle of the scorching desert. Slowly she approached me, our faces a few inches apart, I could even feel the warmest of her breath. Our lips were gradually getting closer. Was this what they called the 'morning kiss'? Gaining whatever confidence I needed, I closed the distance to our lips.

Instead of the feeling of soft luscious lips, I felt a sharp pain as I was hit by the butt end of a newbie adventurer's staff. Woman! Anger some drunkard over a sleeping man else receive his fury…Except maybe Hiratsuka, she's especially scary when drunk.

"Even though you were sleeping you had an appalling look on your face. If this is how you sleep, then I would recommend you to never sleep for the betterment of every being alike." Is everything I do a fault to you? Even when I'm sleeping you have to mock me with it?!

"Well good afternoon to you too Yukinoshita." She then left as elegantly as she smacked me with her staff. I sighed as I picked up my knives and placed them in their respective sheaths, I wrapped my cloak around my body as I mentally prepared myself of another night where I won't get any sleep…I'm slowly regretting not getting that Dragon Quest now, at the very least I'll get some rest but no~ me and my big mouth said that I should take the Rabbit Quest because it takes less work. If I could hurt my past self, I would've killed him by now.

Downstairs I saw Farmer Salem with Yukinoshita, who appears to be discussing something. Instead of waiting for them to finish I'll just head out on my own, it's not like it's the first time anyways. Adjusting my leather gloves, I headed towards the eerie forest.

I heard a number of noises in the distance, without even a wasting a moment I unsheathed four knives and threw at that direction. Faint noises were heard as well as the noticeable ding of my Reabacus, going towards the four carcasses I did the same treatment to them to prevent them from attracting large animals as well as stopping them from repelling other rabbits. Having a taste of adrenaline, I zoomed through the forest and started my massacre.

The agile movements of the rabbits as they noticed my presence were a lot slower than I've thought, the blades I threw cut through the air even faster than their escape.

"Fifty-Eight" Even with that quick rest, I am at least capable of hunting down a few of these pests.

Having killed my prey, I go and gather the knives and bodies, then throw them to a hole, cover the hole afterward I hunt down more until I get tired or I get frozen by the wall of ice quickly moving towards my direction. Feeling the cold air, I was able to dodge the attack at the last second. Instead of hitting me it froze two rabbits near a tree.

I know of only one person who is able to use an Ice spell and that would be! Yukinoshita! She menacingly revealed herself from the shadows. To think she was an assassin all along, I should've known! It was already suspicious enough for Hiratsuka to force me to make a party with her. I once again remembered Hiratsuka's words "Just so we're clear I'm not going to kill you…but" So I was right all along! But maybe Hiratsuka's not the only one who wanted me dead, maybe that suspicious adventurer wanted or maybe that merchant who tried to rip me off, maybe he's part of this too!

"It is rather rude of you to leave while I was discussing some important matters with Farmer Salem. Haven't your mother taught you the virtue of patience?"

"As if I would waste my time chatting about instead of killing more of these pests, I prefer to maximize my reward mind you." What was she discussing with him? Plans to kill me?! Was Farmer Salem part of this plan all along?!

"Another issue is regarding our bet, though your head start would prove little to even your odds, but to think you'll forgo such underhanded tactics to beat me Hiki-cheater-kun." So the bet's still on, well then get ready to be demolished Elven Obaa-san. But to think she was kind enough to extend our little game so I could prove to her that I am a B Ranked Adventurer or she's just wanting to display how different our level of skills is by increasing her own kill streak enough that I'll kneel to the ground and tell her that she's better than me, as if I'll allow that. Despite your win from yesterday, I now know of all your tricks and it would be idiotic of me to fall for them twice.

"Fine, fine. Let's just get this over with."

Trees zoomed past me as I sprinted through the forest. After assessing my strategy from yesterday, instead of matching my pace with Yukinoshita I should instead use my faster speed to outrun her. A mages normal role is to act as a rearguard and either support to the front-liners or deal massive damage with the front-liners protecting them. With that role, most Mages wouldn't need to have great mobility and just concentrate to chant while standing still and if I were to place Yukinoshita in the exact same role then I'll get.

"-!" A surprisingly quick Elf who almost matched my speed. She froze the ground solid and she's using it the skate. We attacked the poor rabbits we saw in distance. No matter how powerful your spell is, it still takes time to cast them. My knives traveled the distance in mere seconds, each hitting the rabbits directly even before Yukinoshita could finish her spell. After seeing her irate face, I somehow felt victorious of this encounter, little does she know this was just the beginning.

Missiles made from ice and mana launched themselves towards a few Perpetual Hares following behind us. I on the underhand threw my knives towards those swarming us in the front. Sweat began to form on my face as we darted past trees, I made sure that the marks I placed were visible only to me and others who know of its language. Having a form of communication only known by a select few is by far the important skill a Rogue could utilize. It would allow us to pass on secret messages to others without being caught, practice it enough and you'll even be able to insert this language while you talk to someone, alerting anyone who knows this secret language.

Comparing the behavior of these rabbits from yesterday I could say that they're even more aggressive. Unlike before where they would run away as soon as we get close, these pests are now directly targeting us, specifically Yukinoshita. Like before, she attracted more and more rabbits, the more she uses her spells though she's not getting tired from all this, well I am so we better get this over quick. Despite the increase in actions we take to evade and kill these animals we were still capable of talking to one another. Taking a deep breath, I smelled the minty scent of my surroundings.

"Hikigaya-kun, I would like to ask of you about something regarding this quest." An ice stake pierced the rabbit that jumped her as I slashed another with my dagger.

"If this is about the reward, then we'll just discuss this with that Farmer later." My dagger once again came to contact with another rabbit's neck.

"Though we have killed a considerable amount of these vermin if we were to leave then it would only take a matter of time before they rose in number once more." As if that's our problem. Our quest was to kill as much as we can not hunt down every single one of these wretched things, that's too much work.

"Yukinoshita, we were tasked to hunt down and kill as many rabbits as we could, nothing more nothing less."

"Even if we were to kill ninety-nine percent of these creatures then the remaining one percent would still multiply and one day wreak havoc as they are doing now. Wouldn't it be better to find a way to stop their destruction altogether?" As if I'll kill even more than a quarter of these things, I have a life outside killing rabbits you kno~w like sleeping in my bed or reading a book, maybe gutting a Riajuu or two…you know normal adventurer things.

"My question, would we get paid if we were to, by some miracle we find a way to stop these hares from invading some local farm?" Unless there's money involved, I wouldn't lift even a finger. The life of an adventurer is hard enough but to be forced to do charity work.

"No of course not, it is only just of us adventurers to help those in need." As if, good luck with that Yukinoshita.

"Would this kindness of yours help us earn money, would your kindness help me live in this forsaken world? Unless your answer is yes then I would gladly help you."

Yukinoshita stopped casting spells and instead directed her gaze towards me. Even though we were a couple of meters away, I could the sudden drop of temperature in the area. People would normally avoid angering much less annoying a mage because of their powers but I know this would end well for me. Maybe not for her but for at least.

"Money? Despite Farmer Salem needing our assistance all you could think of is money? Do you realize what is at stake here, the lives of a man and his family! We as adventurers are supposed to help those in need, and when someone needs us would we turn our backs unless given for some sort of compensation? Those capable must offer a hand to those who are not."

Summer nights are normally cooler than during the day. But as of the present, it felt a lot colder thanks to Ice Queen over there. To some, it would be insane to insult someone who could use magic but being an adventurer is not something any sane person would do so I continued to mock her.

"My~ How righteous of you. One question Yukinoshita, how long have you been an adventurer? Because it appears that you don't understand the world we live in. And I'm sure this was the very first time you've seen someone suffer right because, from my point of view, you're just some sheltered idealist who wishes to fix the world without knowing even an inch of it."

As I slashed at the last remaining rabbit, even though I wasn't a Magic Caster I felt goosebumps as Yukinoshita released a large amount of mana into the air. I don't know if she's subconsciously doing it but I could feel the same freezing chill from before.

"No matter how cruel the world is, is it not our duty as adventurers to help those in need? We are the most capable of helping the people, of reaching out to them. And by giving them such aid we would be able, no matter how slowly change their lives, their future. Are you telling me that you don't wish of these to happen? We are born with two hands are we not? One of it must be used to better ourselves while the other to give to someone who needs it."

As expected of a noblewoman! She has the moral code of chivalry! How philosophical! How enlightened. How utterly stupid. I thought everything that came out of my mouth was shit and yet here's a prime example of a rich child who spouts ideals of pure fantasy. Yukinoshita's an idealist and a dreamer! Unfortunately for her, ideals don't exist in our reality and I'm here to show her this reality.

"Does the world really seem that black and white to you? You do realize that people don't help others just because they can, everyone always has a motive to everything they do no matter how kind it is. "

The air continued to dry up as moisture began to form into ice coating our surroundings. I don't know if she's aware of this or not but just as we started arguing about our ideals, the forest turned silent. Yet in the distance, I could feel the gathering of a few dozens if not hundreds of creatures.

"The king doesn't give rule over us for free, the hero doesn't slay monsters just because, they do it because they reap benefits. The king doesn't rule over us for free, he does it to gain the trust of his underlings, a hero slays monsters not because he can but because he wants the fame and attention. And we adventurers don't do quests for free we get rewards for doing our job. If he wants us to stop the rabbits from ruining his life, then he should've posted a quest for and with a good reward for it too."

I felt my entire body being watched as I continued to berate Yukinoshita for her kindness. From the bushes, I could hundreds of eyes stare onto us specifically Yukinoshita. I don't know if she is aware of this, but that spell of hers is attracting more company than I've imagined. I made sure that every word that I spat is filled with nothing but venom.

"You said that the capable should help the weak? Don't make me laugh! Because on the contrary the 'capable' are the ones destroying the lives of the weak. Despite the severity of this pests did the Lord that governed this land came to Farmer Salem's aid? No, he did not and how could you honestly tell me that this Lord is an exception and that all the other Lords are kind just because they are 'capable'? How are you so sure?"

"That is -!"

And finally, the breaking point. Hundreds of Perpetual Hares rushed us, they zipped through the trees and bushes rather impressively. The Elf girl was surprised by this and was prepared to cast another spell when the army of hares that were ready to maw on our faces fell into fifteen feet traps that I've dug from earlier. I made sure that those pitfalls would only trap large amounts of animals thanks to the ropes that supported it.

It seems like a lot of pests survived that fall most likely because of the cushion their dead brethren provided. I should probably kill them before they get out. Grabbing smooth, dark-colored stone, I walked towards the mass grave I've prepared for these bastards. Those creatures tried desperately to climb out of my trap, even resorting to using each other as a stepping stone to escape and due to their efforts of trying to get out each and every one of them is now coated in oil. If I was correct this was what they called 'Crab Mentality' or something but I think it's more proper to say 'Rabbit Mentality'. This is the prime example of how Humans act to one another, they are willing to hurt and use others just so they can achieve their agenda…and I was no different. I grabbed my dagger and strike the stone I was holding in my other hand. Sparks flew and as soon as it touched the white coat of the rabbits it quickly combusted into flames.

And just like these animals I know I would one day burn.

After lighting the fuse…err their fur, I noticed Yukinoshita staring at me, I couldn't exactly tell what was on her mind as she blankly looked at me. As a veteran adventurer, it is my duty to guide others towards the right path and so I took the opportunity to embed this knowledge to this amateur. I made sure that her ideals are faced with the truth. To add to my badass lecture, I faced Yukinoshita as the flames behind my back continued to burn and grow larger, I know it made me look like a villain but at least I looked cool.

"Remember this Yukinoshita, before you go and change the world by helping others. Before that, prove to me that you're an exception to this world's cruel nature. Before all of that, first, prove to me that you're an adventurer, prove to me that you're strong enough and after that maybe I'll respect you because as far as I see it, you're nothing but a sheltered idealist who knows nothing of the world."

"…" Without a response huh? The sky brightened as it neared dawn and seeing that my job here is done, I headed back to the Farm.

"Mark my words, Hikigaya I'll prove to you that this world still has those willing to help, that not everyone is as cruel and rotten as you are." I didn't even look at her as she declared her stand. I couldn't help but shrug and wish her good luck.

AN: That was longer than expected…Anyways here's another entrée-level or beginner-level writing! And another thing, What the HELL! The amount of feedback I received was more than I could've ever expected! But if you were…well disappointed with this chapter then I'll understand, if either Yukinoshita or Hikigaya is OOC then I'm very sorry! I tried my best but I'm really not sure if some of my own bias or opinions were reflected in these characters and to that, I'm very sorry! I'll just kneel in a bed of salt as punishment! If there were any grammatical mistakes I've made please share it to me, if you have any ideas on how to improve this story tell me, every constructive criticism is very much appreciated and if you want to gut me then please leave a review.

A Basscus could only imagine.