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Going out of my way to challenge the Giant Spider on my own, and with just my katana instead of threads, was something I did with a clear goal in mind.

This was to test whether I, who kept relying on threads, had grown enough to defeat such a strong foe with just a sword.

And the result was a perfect victory where I didn’t even let the enemy touch me. I felt that I had clearly grown.

I secretly made a fist pump at that realization.

“A-Amazing… She took that huge-a̲s̲s̲ spider with just a katana…”
“Expected as much from our big sis.”
“So she wasn’t just a feeble seductive beauty!”
“…I need to talk to you three later.”

The three were saying whatever they wanted behind me, dampening my high spirits.

Here I was protecting them with my body on the line, and yet look at them go. Particularly, Andrew. Who’re you calling feeble seductive beauty?

“Also, I’m not your big sis.”
“That’s right. Lady Nicole is mine.”
“Finia, that’s not quite right either.”
“Oops, it slipped.”
“So Finia has that kink… I knew it!”
“Cloud, you shut up too.”

I slammed down the punishment pole that I used for the trio on Cloud’s head. I feel like he’s gotten quite talkative lately too. Perhaps I should warn him here.

“Cloud, you’ve grown quite loose-lipped lately. Men should be quieter and instead talk with their actions.”
“That’s right, Cloud. You should aim to become collected like Lord Reid.”
“Um, Finia, you’re putting the bar too high, telling me to aim to be like a Six Hero!”

Cloud started objecting in a fluster at Finia’s condition.

Seeing that Finia couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

“Pff, hah-hahaha.”
“That laugh is uncalled for… I know I’m just getting carried away.”
“Ah no, that’s not it…”

Well, the reason Finia was laughing was that he was being trained by that very Reid and also the rest of the Six Heroes too, and yet he was getting flustered and dismissing the idea.

It looked like a comedy to someone who knew the whole situation. Speaking of which, Maxwell used to giggle like this too at first. Then again, he does that even now.

“More importantly, Nicole, we have to butcher this spider quickly or other monsters will approach it.”
“Oh, right.”

I guess the trio whose legs gave off would be useless for this.

So it would be up to us to butcher the spider before us. Spider materials could actually fetch quite a good price.

Its tough carapace could be made into armor or shield, and its thread could be used in clothing and accessories. And its eight eyeballs could be used in medicine… apparently.

It wasn’t my specialty so I didn’t know the details. But at the very least I knew that Gadius would be pissed if he learned we left the shell behind. Though he was managing an inn, he was still a dwarf to the core. He still had the spirit of a craftsman.

Leaving the three on the ground, Finia and I remained to watch the surroundings while Michelle and Cloud would butcher the spider.

This was because Finia was bad with spiders, and I was the only one with good enough senses to detect monsters with stealth abilities like this spider.

As such, the remaining two would inevitably have to butcher it.

“Sorry, Michelle. It’s all because I’m bad with spiders.”
“Everyone has things they’re bad at. Plus you’re always giving me food.”
“Given your wording, it sounds like you’d work for free as long as they feed you, huh, Michelle?”
“Nicole, that’s a mean way of putting it.”
“Ahaha, sorry.”

Michelle continued to tear off the carapace on its legs while puffing her cheeks. Its leg shells could be turned into protectors for limbs, we had to recover them too.

Sebastian and co. observed with pale faces as the two easily butchered the grotesque-looking spider.

“Y-You two are amazing too. I could never do that.”
“Mee too, it’s just impossible!!”
“S-Same here…”
“There are cases like Finia, so if you can’t you have to hire someone that can or leave it to your comrade. The right person for the right job, as they say.”
“Is that how it goes?”
“No one can do anything and everything. And even if there are three of you, that still doesn’t mean you’d be able to do anything. What you can’t do, you should ask other people to do.”
“Is that so?”
“For Adventurers, finishing the commission is what matters the most. Of course, within the margins of reason.”

The three listened to my words in admiration. It seemed that this grotesque spider made them realize how narrow their views were.

The world wasn’t only filled with things you could fight on your own. It was important to know how to overcome things you couldn’t handle.

After encountering an enemy that made their legs give out and surviving that encounter, their awareness seemed to have changed.

However, I was the one who fought, so they should have learned a lot from it.

“Hey, Cloud. Isn’t this leg a bit like a crab? Looks tasty.”
“Wait, you plan on eating it?!”
“No waaay. I’m getting put off a bit to eat it raw.”
“So you’d eat it as long as it’s cooked? Also being put off is something so trivial for you?”

I was giving the three a good lecture here, while the butchering duo was busy with a casual convo.

Give me back my thankfulness and sense of tension.

Also, Michelle, I suggest you stop licking your lips when you’re all smeared with the sticky thread base liquid.

Look, Cloud can’t even sit straight looking at you. Even I’m the same.

This unaware lewd girl. I really have to make her self-aware fast, or someone will definitely push her down one of these days.