[Oh, he hardly needs the confirmation that whatever her line of work is it requires skills. For the moment he settles for nodding at her words - he intends to return to the topic, but for now he lets the subject drop.]
Thank you. [Still so polite, of course. He shrugs lightly.] But to tell the truth, I was rather lucky in that I was already well on my way to fell the tree when the creature appeared - there was only so much work left to do on it. I couldn't very well return here empty-handed, so considering the tree needed to be felled either way, it seemed the most practical solution.
[Can't go out to collect firewood and return with the mission unaccomplished just because something as trifling as a monster attack happened, goodness. It's still impressive from a human point of view, he knows, and his words can barely be called a real attempt to downplay his feat. Once again, it seems to mostly resemble the kind of modesty born from confidence without the need to brag.]