To be honest, going into battle is scary.

No matter what the opponent is, I’m just not mentally prepared to risk my life.

'In my previous life I was born in a peaceful era without war, so of course I can’t handle it. I mean yeah, I know I should try my best, but I’d rather leave that to people who actually can do it.'

I’m really glad my job is a rear-line White Mage.

If I’d been in a frontline or midline role, I definitely would’ve refused to join the Hero Party, yeah.

“Seti big sis, is it around here? The place Hero big bro was talking about?”

That cute voice pulls me back to reality.

I look down toward where the voice came from and nod at my shorter companion.

“Yeah, that’s right. Uu-tan, can you sense anything around here?”

“Hold on—mmm…”

This boy is Uuta.

He’s the youngest member of the Hero Party, only 10 years old.

His job is “Hunter.”

And not just any—he’s so skilled that even a veteran court-employed Hunter with 30 years of experience would raise the white flag.

He’s a wild child who survived alone in the mountains after his parents were killed by monsters, and he’s an adorable little brother figure who’s very attached to me.

“…There. Diagonally right ahead. If we run, about 300 steps… um, around 150 meters? About that far, I feel a lot of them.”

Normally he’s an honest and innocent cute boy, but the moment it comes to his specialty, his whole presence instantly shifts into that of a professional.

Even though he’s younger, he’s incredibly reliable.

I kind of get now why some older girls are into younger boys… he’s just that good of a kid.

“Okay. Does it seem dangerous?”

“Hmm… doesn’t feel dangerous. But it’s just the two of us, so we should be careful, right? Hero big bro said not to push ourselves.”

Right after joining the party, his speech was much more awkward.

He barely knew general knowledge, even vocabulary was shaky.

But after teaching him little by little during our journey, he’s now at a normal level and tries properly to follow instructions.

Seriously… what a good kid.

“slurp—Ah!? Ahem, y-yeah. You’re right. Since we don’t have any frontline fighters, let’s avoid unnecessary combat. But we still need to confirm the enemy, so from here let’s move slowly and observe quietly, okay?”

“Yes! I got it!”

Ughhh, he’s too good of a kid, my heart’s melting.

I was reborn as a girl, so my senses, emotions and even mentality have become like a woman’s… but even so, what is this ridiculously cute creature?!

Even though he grew up wild, once we got him cleaned up properly, he turned out to be quite a cute boy.

He listens well and looks up to me!

My emotional state is in danger—damn it, remember Seitinias!

Recall your past life as a guy and hold onto your sanity!

'That’s right! We came here to investigate monsters, I can’t be like this! Whew, gotta pull myself together!'

Right now, the two of us are moving alone through a small forest on the frontlines between humanity and the Demon King Army.

Our objective is to investigate reports of monsters being sighted in this forest.

'This forest is in the perfect strategic position to hide monsters… if I were a Demon King Army commander, I’d definitely stash them here, pull the enemy in and then ambush them.'

To the northwest of this forest is the wasteland where our Hero Party is currently clashing with the Demon King Army.

So if monsters are stationed here, there’s a risk of being attacked from the south during battle.

Because of that concern, Uuta—being small—was assigned to scouting duty.

But even if he’s an exceptional Hunter, he’s still only 10.

So I ended up coming along with him for safety.

“…There they are. Uu-tan, can you see them?”

Even though I’m short, I’m still slightly taller than Uuta, so I spotted the monsters about 50 meters ahead through the bushes first.

Right after, Uuta adjusted his gaze through the gaps in the brush and confirmed the same target from a lower angle.

“Yeah, I see them too. A group of Big Worms.”

There’s no cheerfulness in his voice.

But no fear either.

His tone is flat and quiet.

Probably because the monsters he found are neither clearly dangerous nor harmless.

―Big Worms.

If you had to describe them simply, they’re basically giant earthworms.

But unlike earthworms, their bodies are a pale yellow, sandy color.

Younger ones are more yellow-green, while older ones turn closer to dark brown.

They don’t burrow or dig underground.

When upright, they stand about 3 meters tall.

But from tail to head, their full length is about double that, around 6 to 7 meters.

Their thickness is roughly 20 to 40 cm in diameter.

Considering their length and the fact that they’re monsters, they’re not especially thick, nor are their bodies particularly hard.

A single one could be defeated relatively easily, even by a rookie soldier, let alone our party.

That is—if it’s just one.

“A group… that’s bad. Uu-tan, let’s count them and then head back to the others.”

“Okay. Umm… one, two, three, four, five, five… wait, no… um… six?”

“Yep, after five comes six. You got it right, good job Uu-tan.”

I ruffle his hair.

He gives me a bright, innocent smile in return.

Guh—! Even if we avoid combat, my maiden heart just took a critical hit…

'Still… way better damage than risking my life in battle… haaah.'

The way he counts on his fingers so seriously is just too cute.

Ugh… before I start having dangerous thoughts, we need to get back to the party!

But even on the way back through the forest, I kept taking repeated mental damage.