I Don't Have Enemies, They're Just Idiots

A proof... I think I do have one. But before that, let's try to add some fuel to the fire.

"Can I ask them the same question? Do they have proof that they killed this Gravitating Bull?" I asked, mentioning a bullsh*t name for the monster.

The man from before opened his eyes wide in shock, acting surprised, which was pretty convincing. "What?! Did you check its stats without permission?! Yes, this monster is called Gravitating Bull! It should be a unique monster!"

"... Pfft." A snicker escaped my lips, but I quickly repressed it.

Taking deep breaths, I turned to the military personnel before me—the gunslinger—and he had a confused expression. In a low voice, I whispered, "Its name is Raging Bull, and you can confirm it when you check the stats of the corpse."

That should be proof enough, but if it doesn't work, then I still have an ace in the hole. The gunslinger quickly approached the corpse and touched it, bringing up the status panel. There, the name Raging Bull was clearly visible, enough that the four guys were staring at it with twisted expressions as if they had bit a bitter bug.

"T-That's right, it was Raging Bull! W-We just forgot the name since we were tired, that's all!"

This guy is so deep into his lie that he can't take it back anymore, I guess. The three behind him already looked awkward, as if they were no longer willing to continue this farce. However, the man before them, who seemed to be their leader, refused to back down.

If they did succeed in claiming the corpse as their kill, not only would they receive a monetary reward, but the corpse would even be processed for free and turned into materials for them. The government would take half of the materials as a processing fee, though, and even that is cheap given the ability of the dismantlers under the government's employ.

For me, taking half of what's mine is just daylight robbery. I can accept the monetary reward, but for the dismantling, I could do it myself. I just need the proper tools and facilities... I don't know if it's good or bad, but only one name popped into my head who is able to help me regarding that.

"... This beast is awarded to this young man," the gunslinger suddenly declared after scanning the corpse.

It was a fair decision since it was definitely obvious that the noisy guy was just spouting lies. However, he still didn't back down.

"What?! We killed that boss; it should be mine, no, ours!" He explained. "That guy is just deceiving you, sir!"

"Am I?" I asked with a flat expression. "Then how did you kill this beast? Please enlighten me."

As if waiting for that question, a grin appeared on his face. "Hah! That's elementary. Everyone knows that giant monsters have tough hides, so we aimed for the eyes!"

"Ooh, amazing," I praised in a sarcastic tone, clapping. "Then what weapon did you use?"

"My lance, of course!" He announced with pride, raising the lance hung on his back.

"... Idiot..." I couldn't help but mutter in a soft voice.

His lance might be able to pierce the eyes, yes, but it was just too clean. Not even a nick or a drop of blood was on it. Compared to his companion's weapons, full of battle marks and traces of dirt and blood, his was nothing but a clean piece of accessory—nothing else.

Heaving a deep sigh, I walked to the Raging Bull's face. "Wait, get away from our loot!" The guy shouted with indignant anger, but I ignored him.

I took a deep breath, calming my nerves, and into the monster's left eye, I plunged my left arm deep. Even my shoulder went inside the eye cavity as I felt around, looking for something. The military personnel just stared at me, since he was already convinced that the kill was mine, and didn't interrupt.

The idiot was shouting something from the back and was approaching the corpse just as I touched the object I was looking for. With a powerful tug, I retrieved the sword that I used to pierce the eyes and reach the monster's brain. It was completely covered in blood and had its blade bent slightly, together with the smashed handle, but it was still usable... I think.

"This is my sword, borrowed from the nearby government office," I explained, showing the sword to everyone. "If you reference the injuries with this blade, then it'll be a hundred percent match. You still want to proceed?"

The noisy idiot stopped in his tracks, thinking. Then, with a nervous expression, he explained. "T-That's my fifth companion's sword! He died from a surprise attack, so we can't retrieve his body, only his sword. Give it back!"

... What an excuse! So their fifth member died, even? And he's still acting all scrupulous like this? This guy doesn't deserve to be the leader of their party.

He approached with angry steps and attempted to snatch the sword from my hand. Of course, I moved my arm away, letting him grab nothing but thin air. "This sword is registered as D-class equipment. My ID was recorded upon receiving it, so you can't claim this is your ally's sword."

"You...!"

In a fit of anger, the idiot swung his spear, aiming for my heart... Well, I didn't even need to dodge, as a hand soon grabbed the weapon, stopping it in place.

"Cadet Julius, stop it. Raising a hand against another is punishable by one week of jail time. And you also deceived the military, claiming that you guys killed this monster, so that's a week of community service."

His grip was tight enough that the spear was raising a dangerous creak as if about to break. The idiot, whom the military personnel called Julius, had his face turn blue as he lowered his shaking hand.

His other companions had the same expression, as they were under a single banner. It was a collective responsibility.

"Moreover, one of your companions died, and you didn't even brief us about it. That's another week added for counseling," the gunslinger added without mercy.

Soon, the other members of the military restrained them and dragged them away. Only I and the high-level gunslinger were left at the scene.

"Sorry about that," He muttered as he took off his helmet. "Ignore my title; I'm Lancelot, a level 6 gunslinger. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The man extended his right hand to me while showing a typical "pretty boy" smile and brushing his long blonde hair over his ears.

"I'm Mahiro, a Level 8 Student from City B's Public High School Division. It's an honor, sir." I replied, showing him the respect he deserved and reaching for his extended hand.

After a firm handshake, he scratched his head and pointed at the corpse of the field boss. "So, regarding this, you can claim your prize money from the government. I'll act as your guarantor, so don't worry. As for the dismantling—"

"I can do the dismantling myself, so the thought alone is appreciated." I quickly interrupted, not letting him mutter a single word further.

"..."

Lancelot looked surprised for a moment before he let out a deep sigh, smiling wryly.

"I understand. Taking half of it is pretty heavy after all; even I don't recommend letting our office handle the dismantling," he explained while nodding his head. "Ah, don't say that I told you this, though, or I'll get scolded. Hehe."

After leaving his calling card for me to contact him in case I changed my mind, he then left. After confirming that I was all alone at last, I touched my body, searching for my phone. I found it in the breast pocket behind the bulletproof vest, and it wasn't damaged, fortunately.

As I turned it on, I quickly dialed a certain number. One ring, and someone already picked it up.

"(You want me to pick up the boss' corpse? Sure~)"

"... I haven't even said anything yet." I facepalmed, wondering just how she knew of it when she should be at school right now. "You're right. But I want to dismantle it myself, so please lend me a facility or something with complete tools and all."

It was a tall order, but for some reason, I knew that Toki wouldn't disappoint me. There was also the matter of the beetle boss, which she said should be finished this Saturday. I want to go and visit that too.

"(Roger that~! Ah, by the way, should I fix your prize money? That boss is a roamer after all, but the prize they set for you is for a normal boss.)"

"Hacking the government is bad! What are you thinking?!" I shouted by reflex but still admired her guts and ability to pull that off. "It's fine; It's not like I'll be needing money any time soon."

"(But having more wouldn't hurt?)" Toki added cutely. "(Ah, the chopper's on the way; you can come with them too. It should be there right about...)"

She extended the last syllable for a few seconds before claiming, "Now!"

Just as she said, I soon heard the rhythmic sound of the helicopter's propeller. Looking up, coming from the city center, a twin-rotor helicopter with a red cross on its side was approaching fast. It reached directly above my location and sent the little rubble and dust flying away from the force of air under it.

A team wearing white uniforms and helmets, wearing a white armband with a red cross emblem, dropped down. "Red Cross, we're here to collect the corpse and deliver you, Mr. Giza, to the dismantling facility."

One of the five that dropped down went to me and explained. Just as he finished his words, a rope ladder fell down. "Please climb through this," he insisted.

"(I'll visit you at the dismantling facility after school, so wait for me, alright~?)" Toki added last before finally dropping the call.

"... I asked for support, and you sent the Red Cross? I just hope no real emergency will happen while I'm borrowing their helicopter..." I couldn't help but sigh.