Ash, age 20. An earth mage and a D-rank adventurer. He can't use large-scale attack magic and gave up on being an elite long ago. But he doesn't mind. Why? Because Ash has his two gorilla-style golems. With their muscular two-meter frames, they deliver double lariats and dropkicks. Whether it's magical beasts or skeletons, they blow them all away without question. The guild's whisper behind his back is 'Gorilla Guy.' Well, they're not exactly wrong.
His daily routine involves hunting deer-like
The Daily Life of a Golem Bastard - The Daily Life of a Golem Bastard and the Taste of Food
"……Right."
Ash's short voice fell into the forest.
In that instant, the thicket to the right exploded. What burst out was a gorilla-shaped mass of earth standing over two meters tall——a golem. The massive body kicked off the ground, planting itself directly in front of the fleeing deer. Hooves scraped the dirt as the deer's huge frame tried to frantically reverse course.
But there was already another one waiting.
"Left."
A golem emerging from the left spread its arms wide, blocking the path. The deer was completely trapped. No escape forward or back. The large buck, its antlers charged with magical energy, lowered its head, still attempting to charge.
Ash was already standing there.
A slender body clad in light leather armor. His earth-toned brown hair still bore the marks of bedhead. His gray eyes were half-closed, drowsy. But the dagger in his hand alone remained utterly still, as if locked onto its target.
*Shff.*
One step in. A single thrust aimed at the deer's carotid artery——executed with brilliant precision. The massive body collapsed. Blood soaked into the earth.
"Good."
Ash withdrew his dagger and immediately set to bleeding the carcass. Swiftly, precisely. This was his way.
He was an earth mage. But more than magic, it was this craftsman-like precision that truly defined who Ash was.
The Perga Forest lay west of Valm. A thirty-minute walk from town. A reasonably large forest thick with broadleaf trees. Near its edges, deer and lesser magical beasts swarmed in abundance, making it a fine hunting ground for D-rank adventurers. When he'd first arrived in Valm, Ash had honed his skills here extensively.
Now, it was just his usual spot.
"……Well then."
Having finished bleeding the deer, Ash struck the ground twice with his staff. *Bang. Bang.* A light puff of dust rose. At that, the two golems trudged over. Two massive gorilla-shaped bodies standing side by side——it was quite an imposing sight.
Once, at the magic academy——he'd rather not remember——Ash had utterly failed to keep up with lessons on wide-area fire magic that scorched everything in its path, or wind blades that mowed down enemies. He had no talent for it. No, his talent lay elsewhere.
Indeed, moving two golems simultaneously like this was a feat an ordinary earth mage could never hope to pull off.
Sunlight filtering through the trees flickered across Ash's face. The wind passed through, pleasantly cool against his sweaty neck.
"Man, I'm hungry."
This was Ash's daily life. Even if no one praised him, even if no one said *that guy's amazing*, he hunted like this, got hungry, and ate his meals.
Right now, that was all that filled Ash's mind.
After that, he returned to town. The Blaisol Adventurers' Mutual Aid Society——commonly known as the Guild——had its Valm branch in the central district, a three-story stone building perpetually packed with adventurers.
When Ash went to the first-floor reception desk, deer antlers and purchase voucher in hand, a young female staff member bobbed her head in a bow. Her name was Michelle, apparently a newcomer who'd just recently joined.
"[serious] Ash, this deer's antlers are splendid as well. No damage to them either——clean work, as always."
"[gentle] Thanks."
The reward came to a little over nine silver coins. Converted to copper, that was more than ninety. Not bad, really.
"[surprised] Ah, but truly, it's so pristine every time. With others, I hear the meat inevitably ends up damaged."
"[gentle] Well, yeah. If you damage the meat, the flavor suffers."
"[laughing] You really do love meat, don't you, Ash!"
To Michelle's giggling, Ash responded with a slight shrug.
It was as he passed in front of the bulletin board.
"So that's the Golem Bastard."
"Still D-rank, I hear. What a waste, when he can use magic."
"Well, it's just earth magic, though. And only golems at that."
"If he could use fire magic, C-rank would be a sure thing."
Whispered voices from young adventurers he didn't recognize. Though the fact that they thought he couldn't hear them was what made them idiots.
Ash scratched idly at his ear and promptly forgot about it. It didn't matter. More than that, the happiness of knowing he'd be going to that shop again today won out. Backbiting wasn't going to change the taste of his stew.
Valm's central district was reasonably prosperous. The scent of freshly baked bread drifted from food stalls, and the clang of hammers rang out from the smithy. Down a side street off the cobblestone road sat a small eatery. The sign bore handwritten letters: "Stewpot Orca."
*Creeeak.* He opened the wooden door.
The interior was a cozy space with barely twenty seats, and the very end of the counter was Ash's usual spot.
"[excited] Hey, you made it! Deer today, huh? Got some good meat in, so look forward to it!"
The owner, Orca, called out to him with boisterous energy. At forty-five, she was a former adventurer who'd been running the place alone ever since losing her husband. An imposing landlady with arms like logs and a cheerful smile.
Ash took his usual seat and draped his worn-out cloak over the back of the chair. He leaned his staff against the wall.
"[serious] Daily stew."
"[laughing] Decided in an instant, same as always! Just gimme a minute."
From the kitchen came the bubbling sound of a simmering pot. The tune Orca started humming was a lively song popular among adventurer circles——her pitch was slightly off.
While waiting, Ash gazed absently out the window. A cat crossed the alley. A child ran past. The city's bustle reached him like distant waves.
He didn't mind solitude. Partly because he always had his golem companions with him, but Orca's eatery was also the one place where he could truly relax.
Before long, a large, deep bowl was set before him. Pure white steam rose, and when he dipped his spoon in, the thick block of deer meat melted apart tenderly.
——Delicious.
Ash's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Orca didn't miss it, and grinned.
"[excited] That's the shoulder loin cut today, so I simmered it extra tender. Yesterday, some other customer was going on about how 'earth mages are so plain,' and since I overheard it, I made sure to give that guy the smaller chunks of meat!"
"Hey now, you still charged him full price, right?"
The laugh that slipped out naturally reached someone's ears. Orca was cackling too.
"[laughing] You bet I did!"
When he'd finished eating, Ash placed the bundle he'd brought onto the counter.
"[gentle] What's this?"
"[gentle] My cold storage got full. They're just scraps, but use 'em."
Orca unwrapped the bundle and checked inside. It was packed full of shredded deer meat.
"[sad] You…… you went out of your way to bring extra, didn't you."
"[gentle] Just leftovers."
A lie. After every hunt, Ash brought a little something to her shop like this.
But Orca didn't press further. She just looked at him with gentle eyes and said, "Thank you."
After leaving the shop, Ash walked further through town. The orphanage "Sunny Home" in the east district was about a fifteen-minute walk.
When the two-story wooden building came into view, the children running around in the yard spotted Ash all at once.
"It's the golem mister!"
"Meat day!"
"Will you play with us?"
They swarmed around him. Energetic kids ranging from about four to twelve years old.
"[gentle] Here, take this."
Ash held out a large bundle. Inside were thick blocks of deer meat packed tight. The director, Katina, came out and bowed deeply. Fifty-two years old, a former adventurer, now barely sustaining this orphanage through her own funds and donations alone.
"[sad] We're always imposing on you, Ash. Thank you."
"[gentle] Just leftovers."
Katina said nothing more. She simply smiled, pouring all her gratitude into that expression.
"Hey, show us the golems!"
"I wanna shake hands!"
"Let's play a game where we guess which one's right and which one's left!"
At the children's insistent pestering, Ash let out a light sigh. He struck the ground twice with his staff. The earth swelled up, and two small clay figures lumbered into view.
"Whoaaa!"
Cheers erupted. When the tiny, adorable clay figures bowed clumsily, the children shrieked with delight.
"The golem mister is so cool!"
"When I get bigger, I'm gonna——"
One boy jumped up and down, eyes sparkling.
"——I'm gonna become an adventurer just like Ash!"
For a moment, an indescribable expression crossed Ash's face, and then he smiled with just the corner of his mouth.
"[cold] Don't. There are better jobs out there."
His voice was just a little hoarse.
Night. Ash's cheap apartment was at the very edge of the east district. Rent was six silver coins a month. In the one-room space, lumber and magic stones for crafting staves sat piled in the corner.
Ash placed his staff atop a piece of parchment inscribed with a magic circle that lay on his desk, channeling his mana to activate the formation.
He began tuning the staff——specialized for summoning and commanding golems.
"Good work today."
At his voice, the two golems stirred faintly. They had no hearts. They simply moved by Ash's mana.
And yet, Ash called them his partners.
Once, he had been a failure at the magic academy. Unable to use wide-area attack magic. For that reason alone, both teachers and students looked down on him.
In an academy where those who could unleash large-scale offensive magic were deemed excellent and everything else worthless——in that atmosphere, Ash had refined his magic as if speaking only to his own staff.
As a result, he now lived freely in this town. With his two golems, good food, and just a few kind lies.
Tomorrow, he'd go hunting again.
Laying out the plan in his head, Ash set his beloved, freshly tuned staff at his side.
Through the window of his room, the night sky was dotted with scattered stars. The town of Valm was already quiet, only the laughter spilling from some tavern carried on the wind.
"Not bad."
He murmured it to himself.
He didn't need fame or honor. He'd had enough of people expecting things from him.
Just walking his own path like this——he felt that was enough.
At his feet, the two golems made faint sounds of creaking earth.
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