I was reincarnated as bait for the summoned hero
After throwing those three overly rude adventurers, I stopped getting harassed in the adventurer’s guild or inside the dungeon.
It had stopped, but even now, a few days later, people were still gossiping about me.
“Oh, so that’s the ‘Little Dragon’?”
“Yeah, yeah. The dangerously beautiful one—cute face, but ridiculously strong, or so they say.”
“I can’t believe someone that much my type is… a guy…”
Even in hushed voices, a High Elf’s keen hearing catches everything.
(Who the hell are you calling ‘dangerously beautiful’!? And sorry for being a guy!)
On top of that, I keep hearing things I’d rather not.
“This is the worst… I should have used a transformation spell or a concealment magic tool… Unlike Sheera, I figured being a guy wouldn’t be an issue…”
But right—I had been reincarnated as a High Elf.
In my past life, I was often underestimated for my feminine face, but this time, the level was completely different.
I shouldn’t have let my guard down just because I was a man.
As I slumped my shoulders, Sheera tried to comfort me.
“Cheer up, Tohma ! I don’t think just changing your colors like I did would have helped. You have such a beautifully cute face! So, maybe you should just embrace it and sell yourself as the ‘Dangerous Beauty’—”
“Not happening.”
Blatant approaches had decreased, but people with ulterior motives were still everywhere.
Getting whispered little tidbits of adventurer-exclusive information was one thing.
But those three guys I threw? Apparently, they were actually a decently skilled adventurer group.
After I knocked them out cold with a single barehanded strike, multiple adventurer groups started persistently trying to recruit me.
It was beyond annoying.
(At least they haven’t figured out I’m a High Elf. But now they think I’m a Half-Elf, and even more people are trying to snatch me up…)
Elves are naturally skilled in magic.
Beyond regular magic, they can wield the exclusive spirit magic.
Their mana reserves are said to be over five times that of a human mage, making them highly sought after by adventurers.
But elves, by nature, are mostly reclusive.
As their nickname, “People of the Forest,” suggests, they almost always live in deep, untouched woodlands.
Occasionally, a curious outlier would leave their village, becoming a royal court mage or an accomplished alchemist.
Some of these eccentric elves even made a name for themselves as adventurers.
(Wasn’t there a Gold-ranked adventurer above that, even a mythical Mithril-ranked one?)
I ignored the more forceful recruiters, but I got along reasonably well with adventurers who offered useful information. Over drinks, I recalled what I had learned.
Apparently, about thirty years ago, there had been an elf adventurer granted a special rank.
A legendary beauty with golden hair and jade-green eyes.
Rumor had it he had even soloed a dragon, and to this day, he had a massive fanbase.
Copies of his portrait were still sold in a corner of the guild.
The adventuring party that teamed up with him accomplished many feats.
They conquered mid-level dungeons and played a crucial role in swiftly suppressing a dungeon stampede.
For their achievements, he was even granted a noble title—just for one generation, but still.
(Does having an elf in your party really boost your power that much?)
Most likely, that elf was just exceptionally strong.
“What pisses me off is that everyone trying to recruit me is twisting things to fit their own convenience.”
Recruiting an elf—one of the ultimate shut-ins—was nearly impossible.
So, instead, they targeted me, assuming I was a Half-Elf.
Half-Elves inherit high mana reserves, not as much as a full-blooded elf, but still far more than a human.
They must have thought, Hey, he’s got elf blood, so he’s got to be strong, right?
Their intentions were crystal clear.
“Not to mention, they treat me like some underage kid and think they can sweet-talk me into joining them!”
I was, in my past life, a fully grown 21-year-old university student.
Being reincarnated as a High Elf left me with a smaller, more delicate frame, but still.
“Anyone who actually talks with you wouldn’t think you’re some innocent, naive kid, Tohma .”
Sheera gave me a wry smile.
Any adventurer I’d actually shared drinks with treated me as an equal, not a child.
If they were that decent, I wouldn’t mind teaming up temporarily, even if we couldn’t be full-time companions.
“But those guys…”
I frowned, recalling the men who had just tried to recruit me in their annoyingly suave voices.
Sheera nodded emphatically.
“They even tried to treat you like a princess. That’s just ridiculous.”
It’s not that they treated me like a woman, but the way they cheerfully promised me special treatment was exactly that “princess” treatment.
Before encountering the floor boss, I was told I didn’t need to participate in any attacks at all.
They suggested I should rest as much as possible, conserving my magic and stamina, and recommended using a special litter-bearer’s palanquin for travel to make it more comfortable.
Three meals a day, with snacks included, and the most spacious and beautiful tent, all for me to use alone, they encouraged with smiles.
“Unbelievable. Sure, I love a comfortable and clean environment, but this isn’t the kind of deal you offer to an equal adventurer, right?”
“That’s a rude suggestion. If it’s Tohma , not only could you take down the floor boss, but you’d easily wipe out all the magical beasts and monsters on the floor while skipping through it.”
I wouldn’t be skipping, though.
Given the vast amount of mana a High Elf possesses, I don’t think I’d ever run out of magic in the Anheim Dungeon, no matter how much I caused a ruckus.
Considering I had already conquered the special-grade Demon Mountain Dungeon in the Great Forest, tackling a mid-tier dungeon like Anheim would be easy enough, even if I were skipping through it.
(I bet even Ketsue could probably clear it with a tune…)
Our little Ketsue is both smart and strong, plus absolutely adorable! It’s important enough that I said it twice—our little one is cute.
“What’s worse is that those guys treated Sheera and Ketsue like accessories, too.”
“Nya!”
Even gentle Ketsue was upset.
Anyone who underestimated the cat fairy Ketsue as a weak kitten revealed their own incompetence.
“Well, Ketsue aside, I’m still pretty weak myself…”
“Sheera’s gotten stronger, though! She’s probably above average compared to most adventurers active in Anheim.”
She also has a mythical beast egg—though right now, it’s more of a chick, right?
Her wind magic, which is her favored element, has grown to a level comparable to a high-tier mage.
(She may have used magic tools to change her hair and eye color to brown and added some freckles, so her colors may look plain, but her facial features remain the same! If you pay close attention, you’ll see that she’s a stunning beauty!)
Despite that, those idiots had the audacity to call my adorable little sister a “plain ugly girl.”
In that moment, I was so furious that I punched the leader of the adventurer party that had tried to recruit us, sending him flying.
It felt good to vent a little, and thanks to that, the party members who were planning to hit on me afterward turned pale and quickly backed off. Two birds with one stone!
“Anyone who can’t see how great Ketsue and Sheera are isn’t worth talking to.”
And so, today, the three of us—me, Sheera, and Ketsue—descended into the dungeon once more.
Today’s challenge: the 35th floor of the Anheim Dungeon.
“I heard we can hunt Cockatrices on this floor.”
“Cockatrices…! They’re said to have even better nutrition than chicken and are renowned for their delicious meat!”
“Yeah. Fried, of course, but the best is when you make it into a chicken-and-egg bowl.”
Sheera’s face lit up with excitement.
Ketsue also seemed eager, standing proudly on my shoulder.
“Alright, let’s go hunt them!”
