My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer: Volume 7 E-Book

MOJIKAKIYA

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Serie: My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 349

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

After rescuing Mit from the malice of the ancient woods, Belgrieve and Angeline set off on their first proper adventure together. Their goal: the long-awaited reunion of Belgrieve and an old comrade. Along the way, they happen to cross paths with an old acquaintance of Kasim’s, a guild master. But as fate would have it, a disagreement leads Belgrieve to lock blades with her...

Eventually, after so many long years, Belgrieve finally manages to find his former party member Percival. Their reunion, however, isn’t entirely a happy one. An ideological clash between the two men—one bound by the past, the other resolutely facing the future headlong—is inevitable. The only question is who will prevail in the end.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Characters

Map

Chapter 84: He Looks like a Lion

Chapter 85: When the Door Was Pushed Open

Chapter 86: The Sound of His Own Breath Was Detestably Loud

Chapter 87: There Was a Wagon Left in the Yard

Chapter 88: There Was a Small Training Area

Chapter 89: Outside the City of Orphen

Chapter 90: The Air Was Tepid, despite the Falling Rain

Chapter 91: A High, Sturdy Wall

Chapter 92: Swirling Dust Clouds Dotted the Street

Chapter 93: The March through the Mountain Continued

Chapter 94: Belgrieve’s Eyes Widened

Chapter 95: It Was Rowdy Outside

Chapter 96: For a Moment, Belgrieve Could Smell the Wind That Blew through the Forest

Chapter 97: The Sounds of Battle Echoed Intermittently

Extra: Summer on the Border

Extra: Take the Elf!

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Chapter 84: He Looks like a Lion

He looks like a lion—such was the impression of everyone who saw the man. He was tall with broad shoulders, and his sharp eyes and the deep creases chiseled around the bridge of his nose made it hard for anyone to approach him. His straw-colored hair, speckled with white, was untamed and overgrown, and—perhaps due to its propensity to curl—it seemed to billow even when there was no wind to carry it. It was almost like a lion’s mane.

The man stooped down by the edge of a chasm. It was wide and deep; the mist within made it impossible to tell how far it went by the naked eye. The steps carved into the rock face descended along the rim, stretching ever downward. A tepid wind rose from within, causing the man’s hair to sway. It was strangely damp and rancid—certainly not the sort of atmosphere to leisurely take in.

The shadows of other visitors dotted the rim of the pit. They all seemed curious about what was happening inside. Some were alone—like the man—but most came in groups of two or more.

Suddenly, there was a pricking deep within his chest and he nearly burst into a coughing fit. The man scowled and clutched his chest. He closed his eyes and steadied his breath.

“Cough...”

Grabbing the scented sachet dangling from his neck, he shoved it against his nose. The refreshing scent of several herbs was carried through ether-oil vapors, flowing through his nose and back down his throat. Now that his labored breathing had calmed, the man took a deep breath of air.

He looked at the sachet in his hand. It was an old, small, tattered sack made of faded cloth with frayed embroidery. The herbs and ether oil were not the same as when it had first been made. Whenever the smells faded and lost their effect, the man would switch out the ingredients. However, the recipe and the sachet remained unchanged.

He crushed it in his grip, raising his arm to cast it to the void—but it was as if someone had grabbed him by the wrist. His raised arm quivered until he finally resigned himself and put it back down.

“Dammit...” he muttered in disgust as he tucked away the sachet. How many times is it now?It’s like the past has come back to haunt me, the man thought, clicking his tongue. Despite his many attempts to get rid of it, he never could. Even if he accidentally dropped it, someone would always find it and return it to him. He could not get rid of it; he could not run away. If he didn’t rely on it, he would frequently struggle just to breathe.

Someone once told him, “Fifty years is a long time to reflect on. Of course, you’ll find the good and the bad and many things in between.”

Perhaps that person had been right. But when he reflected on his own life, he could not shake the feeling that the bad far outweighed the good. It had happened when he was seventeen years old, and ever since that day, it was like his life had been drained of color.

He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. All he knew was that he would forevermore be tormented by guilt and anger with no outlet. The feelings would die down when he swung his sword, and so he continued to fight. Whenever he was left alone with his thoughts, his mind would take a turn for the worse, so he had to keep moving. Or else.

He heard the sound of light steps coming up behind him.

“How have you been?”

The man did not turn. He simply shook his head as the footsteps approached his side.

The girl wore a fur cap with what looked to be ear flaps hanging off the sides. On closer inspection, these were actually her doglike floppy ears.

“It’s that muggy time of year, baby...” she muttered in a singsong voice.

The man silently closed his eyes while her own bright-blue eyes were fixed on him, blinking curiously. “That cape must be suffocating,” she said.

“You’re as noisy as ever...” he finally replied.

He stood up, his old, weathered cape rustling against the clothing beneath it.

The girl looked up at him. “Where are you going?”

He ignored her and walked away.

Though the girl watched his shrinking back for a while, she eventually gave up and turned to the hole. As always, it was shrouded in a faint veil of swirling fog.

Soon, the man’s spot had been taken; he was replaced by a black-haired woman wearing clothing from the east that overlapped with itself at the front. She was poised with a spear, a doubtful look on her face as she glanced over her shoulder at the man.

“He was in a worse mood than usual today.”

“As the people of the past used to say, ‘A woman’s heart is as fickle as the autumn sky.’ Then, what is a man’s heart?”

“Like I know. So how is it? Do you feel anything yet?”

The girl’s dog ears flapped about as she shook her head.

The woman sighed. “Good grief... The anticipation is killing me.”

“But it’s better than that last job.”

“I won’t argue... I wonder how Mr. Bell and Ange are doing...”

The woman stuck the butt end of her spear into the ground and leaned against it like a cane.

○

From Orphen through Benares to the east, then through the eastern checkpoint Yobem, and finally to Tyldes—this was the Estogal dukedom’s eastern trade route. The northern checkpoint Haril had the added utility of providing access to elven territory, but it would be sealed off by snow in the winter. Yobem, meanwhile, prospered in trade all year round. Alongside the southern route, which connected to the imperial capital, it was one of the greatest trade routes in the dukedom.

As goods circulated, so too would people. A fair few stagecoaches could ride side by side down the wide highway, and lines of merchants would cross east and west.

The checkpoint was stationed in a mountain range that divided Tyldes and Estogal and was based around a sturdy fort that had once proven a great asset in an old war. The bulky buildings that served as screening stations took great inspiration from its design.

With so many people gathering around the checkpoint, it was only a matter of time before a city had sprung up around it. Both sides of the checkpoint were flanked by inns for travelers, and there were plenty of shops that dealt in goods for a long journey. Adventurers were also a common sight.

Since it was on the national border, the military had a notable presence, and being an important point of commerce, it was economically blessed. Although it technically fell under the rule of Estogal, the local lord wielded great authority. It had grown to the point where it acted as something of an independent city-state. Such was the city of Yobem, a key waypoint between nations.

Angeline tugged on Belgrieve’s sleeve. “Dad, look. Those horses are huge...”

Several horses—all of them rather large and burly—had been tethered near the fence. Their hooves were properly maintained and looked like upturned bowls—naturally, without the slightest crack. Then, they were fitted with hefty, dazzling horseshoes, further contributing to their overbearing physique.

Belgrieve stroked his beard, impressed. They were all priceless horses who would do splendid work if given a plow.

“I guess that’s Tyldean horses for you... We might be borrowing them along the way,” he mischievously said, which caused Angeline to immediately freeze up. She was terrible at riding, and the mere thought of riding a horse that big made her shudder. Belgrieve cackled at the sight of this and patted Angeline’s head.

“Just kidding. Maybe if it was just you and me, but we’ve got too many people. If we’re riding anywhere, it will be on a wagon.”

Angeline patted her chest in relief. Then, she suddenly turned to Belgrieve. “Um... If it were just the two of us, we would be on horses, then?”

“Who could say?” Belgrieve chuckled.

Angeline poutingly puffed out her cheeks.

They had parted ways with the blue-haired peddler in Orphen and made it to Yobem on an eastbound stagecoach. Having disembarked there, the party was waiting in line to complete the paperwork that would get them through the checkpoint.

The massive line meant a long wait ahead, and since there was no point in having everyone loiter around all day, the others had departed from Angeline and Belgrieve to explore the city. It was about time for them to return with some food.

Before they had gotten in line, Belgrieve had been fascinated by the various goods on display in the street stalls. These wares seemed to be a match for Orphen’s markets in terms of sheer variety. The ironwork made with the dukedom’s domestically mined ores was of very high quality and a cornerstone of their trade. Other goods that came from Tyldes included silk, cotton thread and cloth, fine clothing and rugs woven in Keatai, spices, and horses, among other things. There was also wheat, dried herbs, wool, and livestock that had been brought from Orphen.

The merchants who came from Tyldes and Keatai gave off a foreign flair with their unusual attire, and it was exciting just to watch them. Admittedly, he had seen those same merchants in Orphen before, but they still did wonders to rouse his traveler’s spirit. Or perhaps they served as a powerful reminder that he was about to enter a foreign culture.

This would be Belgrieve’s first time crossing a border. He scratched his head at the sudden realization that he was far too excited about this for someone his age. It was apparently to be a first for Angeline as well, so it seemed the whole family was enthused. Everything around them was moving busily, and Angeline would gleefully report every little thing she noticed to Belgrieve.

They had gotten a little closer to the checkpoint when Kasim returned with the others. “Hey, sorry to keep you waiting. It’s so crowded everywhere, I could hardly buy anything.”

“And there’s too much to choose from. It all looked divine.”

“That’s because you kept hunting for the sweets, Merry.”

“What does it matter, huh? Sweet things are best when you’re tired.”

“How are you tired already?”

“Shut it, Maggie.”

Marguerite cackled as Miriam prodded at her.

“Are you sure you want to come with us, Maggie?” Belgrieve asked, scratching his cheek. “It’s not too late to turn back.”

“Enough of that, Bell. How could you leave me out of such an interesting adventure?”

“Well, then...” What am I going to tell Graham? he wondered as he inspected the elf girl.

When they stopped by Orphen, the party had naturally dropped by the guild and church orphanage to catch up with their friends. Lionel and the other guild folks were delighted, if a bit disappointed that a powerful party of adventurers wasn’t going to return just yet. Still, they wished them safety on their journey.

Marguerite, who had been recently promoted to D-Rank, insisted she would tag along. She was a girl who had originally left her home to see the world; no doubt she couldn’t stand by when she heard of a journey to far-off southern lands.

Belgrieve had been against it at first, but he ultimately could not stop her. A mere forty years of wisdom was not enough to stifle a young warrior’s blazing enthusiasm.

Their meal consisted of spiced meat and vegetables sandwiched between thin, round slices of bread along with a bottle of wine. The sweets Miriam settled on were bite-size balls of wheat flour, kneaded with milk fat and simmered with spices, not unlike balls of milk in a strong sauce that was evocative of honey. They were so fatty and sweet that Belgrieve had his fill after one bite, but the girls seemed to relish them. Belgrieve put a hand to his chest as he watched them.

“That’s pretty strong... I’m going to get heartburn at this rate.”

“Heh heh, you’d better get used to it soon, Bell. You might have other options here, but we’ll get more of these flavors the farther south we go.”

I see. So this is southern flavor, Belgrieve mused. Perhaps exotic tastes such as these were part of the joy of traveling, but this was a bit much for someone with little travel experience—not that complaining about it would get him anywhere.

He took a swig of wine and patted his full belly as he looked around.

Although there were quite a few faces that wouldn’t feel out of place in the dukedom, there were also plenty of those with shallower creases and softer features that were more common in the east. Some wore peculiar clothing, and when he looked at them curiously, they would occasionally glare back. When the demon appeared near Orphen, the checkpoint’s security had become rather strict, and Orphen’s army was lending some troops here as well.

Tyldes was not a homogenous nation. It was a multiethnic country of many peoples crowded together. To be more precise, they had hardly any national consistency. Each tribe or group would occasionally send a representative to exchange opinions at a council, but there was no monarch who reigned over the entirety of its land. Instead, each group and tribe would have its own ruler, and there were many powerful houses that held sway of their own. Skirmishes and infighting were a frequent occurrence. Tyldes was considered a federation. Not long ago, one of the tribes deployed its cavalry to the checkpoint, causing quite a tense standoff. The tension was seemingly gone now.

There were many different peoples in Tyldes, but most were nomadic. They shepherded flocks of sheep and goats while wandering endlessly through the vast plains. Their horse-riding skills were astounding, and every tribe had its own renowned warriors. During the numerous battles between Rhodesia and Tyldes, the Tyldes horsemen had apparently managed to torment the Rhodesian army. Now that he had seen the gallant horses of Tyldes, Belgrieve could see why. He nodded to himself as the line shifted, inching him ever so slightly closer to the front.

“Still,” Marguerite said, poking the sword on Belgrieve’s back, “I never thought my granduncle would leave this thing with you...”

“I can’t believe it myself... Maggie, are you able to wield her?”

“Nope. I’m better with slender blades, and we get along terribly.” Marguerite gave the sword a light punch. The sword offered no reply.

She chuckled. “You usually snap at me. Trying to act cool now, huh?”

“She’s acting differently, right? She’s only quiet when Graham and dad are around...”

“You get me? She’s a nasty little sword, she is. She let it get to her head when they started calling her a holy blade.”

Both Marguerite and Angeline could apparently hear the sword’s voice, though Belgrieve himself never had before. He could synergize with the sword, but it was always silent in his hands. What’s so different about us? he wondered, his head tilted as he mulled it over. But navel-gazing wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he stopped thinking about it and instead turned his thoughts to the future.

They were headed south—but that didn’t mean that they would be blindly traveling in that general direction. There were roads that stretched across the vast grassy expanse of Tyldes, and stepping off those roads would almost certainly leave them completely lost. They were in unfamiliar lands, and this required an added level of caution.

Hoping to glean some information, Belgrieve initiated a conversation with a peddler who was also waiting in line. When Belgrieve asked him if they could head south along the mountain range once they were through the checkpoint, the peddler looked flabbergasted.

“That’s a huge no-no, boss. Those mountains are jam-packed with bandits and fiends, and the roads aren’t well kept. Sure, you won’t run out of road, but only the reckless ones willingly follow those dangerous paths. I’d say your best bet is to head to Khalifa and join a caravan headed south from there.”

Khalifa was a big city situated where the main eastbound path intersected with the main southbound path. It was a trade center, and many merchants considered it home. It was no exaggeration to call it the biggest city in the entirety of Tyldes.

I guess the safe route is best, Belgrieve thought, tousling his beard. He pretended not to see his adventurer comrades’ faces light up at the words “dangerous” and “reckless.” At least, he tried to ignore them, until Angeline tugged at his sleeve.

“Let’s go on an adventure...dad.”

“No, we can’t. Why go out of our way to take the dangerous road?”

“Hmph...”

“Hmm, well, I don’t see any danger with these party members.”

“There are no absolutes. Not with adventurers, Merry.”

“And you’re as stubborn as ever.” Kasim laughed.

Anessa shrugged. “Well, we’re just tagging along on Mr. Bell’s journey this time around. We should follow his directions.”

“There you go, pretending to be a good girl...”

“What?!”

“What’s an adventurer without a little adventure, Mr. Bell?”

Belgrieve shot Miriam a troubled look. “I’m not even an adventurer...”

“Huh...?”

Wait, really? The five members besides Belgrieve all exchanged looks. They followed his lead as if it were only natural and fought side by side with him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Apparently, they had come under the impression that Belgrieve had made his comeback as an adventurer. However, Belgrieve did not have an adventurer’s plate. In reality, he was nothing more than a farmer.

“How are you supposed to be a farmer when you’ve got a holy sword and you’re fighting toe to toe with S-Rank adventurers?”

“That’s what I’d like to know...”

Belgrieve smiled wryly, placing a hand on the sword hanging over his back. The sword was silent. It was large, with a firm sense of substance, but so light that he could practically only feel the weight of its sheath. Yet, when he held the hilt, it swung with tremendous weight. It was quite a mystery.

Marguerite discontentedly stared at the sword. “There’s no danger when you’ve got that thing...”

“I don’t know if I’m using her properly yet.” From the time he borrowed the sword to the time of their departure, he had trained with Graham numerous times, but this sword was still a hurdle for him. Though he could swing it easily enough, he still couldn’t wield it as he could the blade that had been his partner for many long years.

“Hmph, Bell, you coward!” Marguerite pouted.

The line inched forward once more.

Angeline jumped onto Belgrieve’s back, even with the sword separating them. He hurriedly reached his hands around to support her.

“I want to go on an adventure with my dad!”

“This journey is already an adventure, as far as dad is concerned...” Belgrieve replied.

“Wrong! All wrong! I want to dive into a dungeon and cut my way through a precarious situation together!”

“Didn’t we just do that in Turnera?”

“That’s just not it! I mean, it has to be a bit more...”

“You don’t get it, Mr. Bell?” Anessa tiredly asked.

Belgrieve didn’t know how to react. It wasn’t that he was completely oblivious to where Angeline was coming from. However, his own adventurer aspirations—the ones he thought he had carried all this time—had faded to such a degree that even he was shocked to realize it. At this point, he had absolutely no intentions of returning to being an adventurer.

And yet, he still wondered why he had continued to train his body and sword even after retreating to Turnera. It was not because he wanted to succeed in adventuring. He had been enticed by Angeline, who continued to show talent, but it was mostly because he still felt a sense of competition with his old comrades. A part of him still wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with them one day.

Now, he had reunited with Kasim, and he was on his way to see Percival. Whether he was an adventurer or not was irrelevant. He had a vague sense—an intuition—that he was standing where they were already, and he found he wasn’t so fixated on being an adventurer after all. What he had longed for in his heart was not might—it was a bond with his comrades.

“That might be a bit unfair,” he mumbled. Am I just trying to distance myself from a position of responsibility? His thoughts, and his gaze, wandered. How could he be like this, after teaching his daughter the true essence of an adventurer? If he was like this, how could he have possibly lectured her?

Still clinging to his back, Angeline reached up to ruffle Belgrieve’s hair.

“It’s not fair, dad!”

“Urgh...” She couldn’t possibly have read his mind, but for a moment it felt like Belgrieve’s heart had skipped a beat.

Angeline puffed out her cheeks and tugged on Belgrieve’s earlobes. “I know this is your journey to meet Mr. Percy... But we’re together, and I want to go on an adventure!”

“Hey... Ange, adventure isn’t the only enjoyment there is to a journey, right? Seeing an unfamiliar land and meeting new people, that’s all fun in and of itself too. There may be thrills if we go along the mountains, but we might lose the chance to see Khalifa.”

“Ugh...”

Angeline buried her face in his shoulder, dissatisfied. Anessa and Miriam exchanged a resigned look and sighed. Marguerite fell into a sulky silence. Kasim alone had a meaningful smile on his face as he stroked his beard.

“Are you really sure about that, Bell?”

“Now look here, Kasim. It’s not like we set out with the desire to go on an adventure.”

“Not what I meant. Sure, we’re off to see Percy, but he’s at the Earth Navel, right? It’s a hive of powerful fiends. You think your senses will snap back, just like that, if you go the whole way without danger? And if you’re not used to that sword, then shouldn’t you try it out some in real combat?”

“Hmm...”

Kasim cackled and pressed down his hat. “And we have old Graham’s request too. Going without fighting’s an impossible task.”

“I...guess you’re right.” If they wanted to obtain the materials Graham was looking for, then fighting high-ranking fiends was simply unavoidable. Avoiding battle up to that point did lower the risk, but he needed to maintain that sense he had found in his practice. Losing it would only make him more anxious.

Kasim folded his arms behind his head and grinned. “Hey, you could just watch us fight from behind if you want. That’s where you really shine. But you do need to protect yourself, at least...”

“All right already, I got it. It was my bad, so quit teasing me.”

Once Belgrieve threw in the towel, Angeline delightedly leaped from his back. She circled around and peered into his face.

“And?”

“I’ll consider going along the mountains. But not without a plan. We might be braving danger, but we’re not heading out to die. We must think of ways to keep ourselves as safe as possible. That is my condition.”

“Got it! Hee hee... Finally, an adventure with dad!”

Angeline nimbly stepped back and patted Anessa, Miriam, and Marguerite on the shoulder. They all happily giggled.

“Heh heh, you know what you’re doing, Mr. Kasim.”

“So even Mr. Bell can get cornered.”

“Hey, it was nothing special...”

Marguerite prodded Belgrieve. “It’s the perfect opportunity to train with that sword! Just give in!”

“Fine... I give.” Belgrieve’s smile had a hint of resignation. The line inched forward again. The checkpoint was still a long way away.

Chapter 85: When the Door Was Pushed Open

When the door was pushed open, a summer breeze forced its way past the red-haired boy and flooded into the room. The descending afternoon sun filtered through the windows that had been left open, revealing all the particles of dust swept up in the airflow.

Sitting on the bed by the wall, the straw-haired boy looked up in surprise. “Hey.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Not bad, but—cough, hack!”

The boy doubled over as he broke into a coughing fit. Scowling, he clutched his chest.

“Dammit... It’s just my throat... That’s the only thing that won’t get better.”

“It’s because you inhaled it directly...”

The red-haired boy produced an apple from the basket he had brought with him. He began to peel the skin with masterful hands.

Their last dungeon crawl had ended when the flaxen-haired boy stepped on a trap and inhaled the poison mist that came from it. Luckily, his life was not in danger, but he had been bedridden for several days. While he was out of commission, the other three party members took care of smaller jobs, either as a group or individually, to make ends meet. The ginger-haired boy had just returned from an herb-gathering quest.

Biting down on an apple slice, the blond grumbled, “I can’t stop here. This can’t be it...”

“No use getting impatient. You should be thankful you’re still alive.”

“Of course, and I am... Are you heading out on another herb-gathering quest after this?”

“Pretty much.”

“What about the other two?”

“Couldn’t say. They both said they had something to buy, so they’re off today.”

The auburn-haired boy nonchalantly bit down on an apple. Meanwhile, his towheaded companion sullenly leaned against the wall to the side of the bed.

“Sorry... Starting tomorrow, I’ll get back to—cough, wheeze!”

“Don’t push yourself, I tell you. I’ll be too anxious to leave the vanguard to you before you’ve completely recovered.”

“If I recover, that is... This feels chronic to me...”

It was at that moment that the door opened again, and an elven girl and a brown-haired boy made their way inside.

“Howdy, how are you feeling?”

“Not bad, not bad. Can’t stop coughing, though...”

“Thought so. We got a bit of the poison in our eyes and throats, and that was enough to sting like hell. It’s no wonder you’re down for the count after ingesting so much of it,” the brown-haired boy observed, cackling.

“Shut it. What are you even here for?”

“For you. Who else?” the elf said, spreading the contents of her bag over the table. There were several varieties of herbs and fruits, as well as a bottle of ether oil.

The brown-haired boy grinned. “After looking all over the place, we finally have everything. You’d better be grateful.”

So the two of them got to work mincing the herbs and fruits, adding them to a large bowl. The ether oil was poured over the concoction.

“What are you going to do with that?” asked the red-haired boy, who was peeking over their shoulders curiously.

“You’ll see,” said the girl. She picked up the bowl and brought it to the bed. “Now take a whiff of this.”

Despite the dubious look on his face, the blond brought his face closer and took a deep breath.

“It’s...kinda refreshing. I guess.”

“Isn’t it? Did that prickling in your throat die down a bit?”

“It did. Ah, will this make me better?”

“I’m not so sure. It could just be symptomatic relief. As far as I can tell, the damage has been done.”

“Seriously...?” The blond’s shoulders slumped, his disappointment palpable.

The chestnut-haired boy and the elf exchanged looks.

“Now, now. It settles down when you inhale it. Just carry it around, and...”

“How am I supposed to walk around with a liquid? I have enough medicines to deal with already. How will I grab the right one when I need it?”

“Hmm?” The red-haired boy thought for a moment. He folded his arms and finally said, “So, in short, you’re using ether oil to draw out the right components, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. As long as they’ve soaked long enough, you can take out the herbs.”

“Ether oil... There’s a coagulant for it, I believe. Can you harden it and carry it around? Put it in a sachet and hang it somewhere important. That way, you won’t mix it up with anything else.”

The dark-haired boy clapped his hands. “That’s it! Great idea! So how’s that? You can do it, right?”

The elf girl nodded. “Right... If we reduce the amount of coagulant, we could get it to vaporize. Hey, good thinking.”

“Well...” The red-haired boy bashfully scratched his head at the compliment.

The flaxen-haired boy took another bite of his apple. “So if I have that, I can be back on my feet tomorrow, yeah? All right! I’ll make up for all the time I missed out on!”

“It’s good to be motivated, but don’t get ahead of yourself again.”

“We don’t want to end up needing another medicine now, do we? Heh heh heh.”

“I-I know!” the straw-haired boy mumbled and looked away, the elf girl giggling at the sight.

Their crossing had only taken them past a single stone wall, and yet the feeling of being in a foreign land was already palpable. In point of fact, the wall ran along the national border, and though the architecture hadn’t changed much on this side of it, the facial features of those they passed trended more strongly towards Tyldes, and the scent of spices in the air had grown stronger as well. Though the architecture was generally the same, the decorations seemed subtly different from the imperial style. They were outwardly composed, but their hearts were fluttering so fiercely they didn’t know what to do about it.

Angeline looked around, breathing it all in deeply. “It’s even like...the air itself is different.”

“Oh come on. You just left the checkpoint. It’s not gonna be that different, right?”

“Do you really think so, Anne?” Miriam asked.

“Well...hmm...?” It seemed Anessa was also starting to feel the foreign atmosphere. She crossed her arms, grumbling to herself. For her part, Miriam seemed rather jolly, and Marguerite exuded joy from every inch of her body.

In any case, standing around giddily wouldn’t get them anywhere. I’ll just cause frustration for dad like that, she thought, puffing out her chest with a sense of adult responsibility. However, when she looked to her father, she saw his eyes were also eagerly darting around at the sights despite his calm exterior. As a matter of fact, Kasim was the only one who seemed truly unfazed.

Oh, so dad and I are exactly alike. The thought delighted Angeline.

“What now? Do we look for a caravan?” she asked, taking hold of his arm.

“Right... It might be quicker to go through the guild.”

“Yep, and we should take on a guard request while we’re at it. Safe travel and money—that’s two birds with one stone,” Kasim suggested, chuckling.

Indeed, their party boasted two S-Rank adventurers—not to discount Anessa and Miriam either, who were both AAA-Rank. And while Marguerite’s rank was low, her actual combat abilities put her in the upper echelon of adventurers. Then there was Belgrieve too—that went without saying. Surely anyone would pay good money for this lineup.

Grinning, Angeline hugged Belgrieve’s arm to her all the more tightly. “Then let’s go to the guild, dad.”

“Yeah. But it is a new town; we need to take care not to get lost...”

Belgrieve narrowed his eyes, looked around until he found a guidepost, and leisurely made his way for it. The road was wide to allow for carriages to come and go, and it was lined with shops of all sizes along both sides that were teeming with activity. There were even peddlers who, as soon as they cleared the checkpoint, spread their wares out and opened up shop on the spot.

Down the main road—which was shrouded in a constant dust cloud from all the traffic—and then along a side street, they found the guild. It was a large, two-story building of stone and wood, and its door never rested shut even for a moment. There were several adventurer-looking sorts loitering around outside because the building was apparently too crowded to enter. And it was terribly boisterous within—just as lively as the guild in Orphen, though there were more people adorned in the fashion of Tyldes. Angeline acknowledged that her eyes may simply have been drawn to them more as a consequence of traveling in a foreign land.

“Now what to do...? For starters, we should head to the desk and talk with the guild staff...” Belgrieve suggested, stroking his beard.

“It’ll be a lot quicker to send Ange and Kasim,” said Anessa.

Belgrieve nodded. “Right. They might be keener on listening to S-Rank adventurers. Can you handle it?”

“Leave it to me!” It was a joy to be relied upon by her father. Angeline grinned as she dragged a rather amused Kasim through the crowds. Just like in Orphen, there was a counter reserved only for high-ranking adventurers, and it was relatively empty when compared to the other one. Smaller guilds would group all adventurers together at one counter, but the more adventurers a guild housed, the more counters they required. This was natural for a city as large as Yobem.

It was not long before they were standing before a smiling receptionist. “Hello. What can I do for you today?”

“We’re searching for anyone headed south along the mountains,” Angeline said, passing her gold adventurer plate across the table.

At first, the receptionist was taken aback. “S-Rank... Are you looking for an escort request, then?”

“You got it. We’re headed that way regardless, so we’ll work for peanuts,” said Kasim. Seeing yet another S-Rank plate left the receptionist agape.

“Two S-Ranks... U-Understood. I’ll see what I can do. Please fill out your information here.”

Angeline began to fill out the parchment paper the woman had furnished. The first name she wrote rocked the receptionist with yet another surprise.

“Angeline... The Black-Haired Valkyrie who received a medal directly from Archduke Estogal?”

“Something like that.”

So they know about that, even all the way out here, Angeline thought, scratching her head. The receptionist looked back and forth between the paper and Angeline, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

“Wow, you’re a demon-slaying hero! I hope we have a caravan for you...”

Competition would be intense if a high-ranking adventurer was willing to take a job for cheap. In this situation, the guild’s role would be to make sure it didn’t devolve into chaos. In some cases, they would directly negotiate with a potential client and keep the matter under wraps. Regardless of the circumstances, they were always trying to arrange requests in a way that took the adventurers into consideration.

Of course, this was a special perk of achieving a high adventurer rank. Lower-ranked adventurers hardly got to choose their own work, and they were the ones competing for every available job listing. It was an adventurer’s competency that allowed the guild to create new jobs for them on demand.

The receptionist flipped through a file folder, her brow furrowed. “Um, how long are you planning to stay in Yobem?”

“We don’t have any concrete plans. If we find anyone headed south, we intend to go with them... We are all strangers to Tyldes, you see.”

“Understandable... Then it won’t be a round trip... Hmm... Along the mountains, and just one way...”

“We’re not in any rush,” Kasim insisted. “Take your time searching. How about we drop by again tomorrow?”

“Oh, um, of course! Thank you, that’s a huge load off my mind.” Relieved, the receptionist smiled at Kasim as he tucked his plate away.

“All right, let’s get back then, Ange. We’ve come all the way to Yobem—what’s the harm in spending a day wandering around and taking in the sights?”

“You’re right,” Angeline agreed, nodding.

The sun was still high in the sky, so they could have fun strolling around once they decided where they would be staying. She couldn’t buy anything too bulky, but a few snacks should work out fine.

She returned to the lobby with Kasim to find it rather boisterous. After weaving through the crowd, she was greeted by a rampaging Marguerite, with Bell desperately restraining her. At her feet were several male adventurers groaning in pain.

“You like that? Now, who’s next? Who else wants a piece of me?!”

“Give it a rest, Maggie! Settle down!”

“Shut it! Let go, Bell! You don’t get to look down on me just because I’m an elf!”

Though she was flailing her arms around in her exasperation, she suddenly stopped as if a rope had been pulled around her. Her eyes flitted around in bewilderment.

“Wh-What?”

“What do you think you’re doing, you headstrong hooligan?” Kasim asked, heaving a sigh. He had apparently rendered her immobile through magic. Belgrieve, finally able to release her, let out a long breath. Marguerite was howling, “I’ll remember this, Kasim!” all the while.

“What happened?” Angeline asked, frowning.

Anessa broke off from the peanut gallery to explain. “They were picking a fight, and she took them up on it.”

“Right, right. Happens all the time.” Miriam giggled.

Marguerite’s fine elven features had caught the crowd’s attention At first, the men had approached her trying to hit on her, but this soon turned to insults and ridicule after she refused to give them the time of day. This sent Marguerite into a fiery rage, and she hammered them down in the blink of an eye.

Both Anessa and Miriam had experienced something similar when they were first starting out, and they understood Marguerite’s sentiment. Thus the two of them stood by in silence, but Belgrieve had desperately tried to put an end to it. By the end of it, he was the only one exhaling a weary sigh.

“I won’t tell you not to be angry. But can’t you try to resolve things a bit more peacefully...?”

“Can it, Bell! How’s an adventurer supposed to do business if you let people belittle you?!” Now that she couldn’t move, she was putting all her energy into bellowing. The fallen men were quickly carried away by their apparent comrades. The gathered crowd simply watched with intrigue.

Kasim stooped down and smacked the top of her head with the palm of his hand. “I get it. You’re hot-blooded. Lovely. But we’re supposed to stay in Yobem until they find a request for us. I figured we’d be able to take it easy, but now you’re making us stand out in a bad way. Keep it up and I’ll go tattling to old Graham.”

“Huh?! That’s got to be against the rules!” Marguerite inched towards him like a worm.

Angeline giggled. “As lively as ever... Should we search for an inn, then?”

“Good grief... They didn’t have a request?”

“Well, there’d be chaos if they started advertising two S-Ranks ready to work at bargain rates. They’ll do some searching on their end and get back to us.”

Seeing Kasim’s knowing smile, Belgrieve shrugged. “If you put it that way... Very well. There are a few things I want to buy, so let’s start with finding an inn.”

○

The party left the guild and walked down the crowded street, coming across numerous inns. But the dense foot traffic only made it harder to choose one; they popped into a few inns and asked around, but all were booked solid.

Marguerite was released once they were a good distance from the guild. She groaned as she rolled her numb wrists and ankles. “Dammit... You should have just let me beat them to a pulp.”

“I’m telling you, learn to know the right time and place. Doing it in the guild gives off a bad impression. At least drag them into the back alley first.”

“Um, Kasim, is that really the issue...?” Belgrieve asked, his shoulders slumping. For their part, Angeline and her friends merely laughed at the display.

Adventurers lived for battle, so they were invariably quick to throw hands. But that didn’t mean they should go about causing trouble wherever they went either. As a former adventurer, Belgrieve could sympathize to an extent, but his naturally calm disposition and all the time he spent farming had certainly blunted any excess fighting spirit he might otherwise have been driven by. It was quite difficult to act as a stopper for the rowdiness of someone who was stronger than him.

He looked around, still searching for a suitable inn, but the ones along the main road were all crowded and didn’t look like they would have any vacancies. It was trade season and business was booming. As he shifted his bags into a more comfortable position over his shoulder, he could hear his pans clanging against one another.

“It’s inconvenient if it’s too far from the guild...” Anessa said, heaving a sigh. “But I guess all the nearby ones are filled up.”

“Right... We might find something if we head down a side street, but we’re liable to get lost since we don’t know the area.”