"I’m truly sorry. Believe it or not, this is them holding back."
If this was them holding back, then if they ever went all out, Qiong Xing might actually die.
Seeing him freeze up, Scion lowered his head apologetically once more.
"Well, I understand how they feel. It’s good to see you’re doing well."
He was patted on the head again, just as gently as before, and Qiong Xing found himself wondering if he really looked that young.
His confidence took a slight hit.
It had truly been a long ti since Qiong Xing had last seen them.
Despite being a Rank A Party, they never acted arrogant, which was one reason they were so trusted by the guild.
They treated Qiong Xing well even though he was still only Rank F and the won from earlier doted on him like a younger brother.
"Qiong Xing, I’m starving. Got anything to eat?"
"Hmm... would leftovers from our lunch be alright?"
"You made it? Then hand it over!"
Gideon was supposed to be five years older than Qiong Xing, but ever since Qiong Xing had given him his lunch one ti after hearing his stomach growl loudly, Gideon had beco attached to him... or rather, they had beco good friends.
It definitely wasn’t because he had been fed.
Probably.
"Qiong Xing’s homade cooking!? Hey, Gideon, give so too!"
"I want to try it too!"
Theodora, the only woman in the party, and Danan, who was male but identified more with won, imdiately pounced on Gideon, demanding he share.
It was good to see they were as lively as ever.
They might fight over food, but one of their best qualities was that they would never actually turn on each other.
"Sorry for everything. We ca straight to the guild after getting back, so we haven’t had lunch yet."
Scion had done nothing but apologize since arriving.
Qiong Xing assured him it was fine, then decided they would probably need more food and brought out so dishes he had prepared in advance.
Everyone happily polished them off.
"By the way, I was surprised when we arrived and nobody was here. Scion and I thought the guild might have shut down."
There was no way Qiong Xing could tell them they had all been having a barbecue in the backyard.
Leaving out that particular detail, he told them about everything that had happened earlier that day.
Scion and Gideon imdiately frowned.
Theodora and Danan were still smiling, but veins were visibly bulging on their foreheads.
"So people like that showed up while we were gone? That’s exactly why I hate taking long term requests. If I’d been there, I’d have punched and kicked them until they cried and begged for forgiveness..."
"My, my, Theodora. That’s far too lenient. For fools like that, you need to drive them right to the brink of death before..."
The conversation was becoming alarmingly dangerous, but before Qiong Xing could hear the rest, Gideon covered his ears with both hands.
As a result, he never found out what ca next.
It was probably only this party, but the won, Theodora and the others, were much quicker to pick fights than the n like Scion.
The first ti Qiong Xing t Theodora, she had been trying to grab a man much larger than herself.
She had already been injured, so he had persuaded her to stop because it was dangerous.
That was how they had beco friends.
While he was fixing her disheveled hair afterward, Danan noticed and ca over, asking him to do the sa for him.
That was how they had grown close as well.
Qiong Xing still did not quite understand why they had taken such a liking to him, but after talking with them, he quickly realized they were good people.
Because of that, they had beco friends, even if there was no particular reason behind it.
"You can ignore those two. More importantly, sorry to ask, but could I buy so more of those candies from you?"
Leaving the won, who were smiling with rather ominous expressions, to themselves, Qiong Xing turned his attention to Scion, who wanted more of the candies that containing healing potions.
Qiong Xing handed over the extras he had prepared, only to receive a small pouch stuffed full of gold coins as paynt.
"Um, I can’t accept this much. You all just got back from a request, right? You’ll need money to buy supplies and other things too..."
"Haven’t I told you before? This is the proper price. Sure, it’s more than usual this ti, but that’s because we’re always receiving things from you. als, snacks, and all sorts of things. We’re still Rank A Adventurers, you know. We earn enough to live comfortably for quite a while without working. So please, let us older folks save face once in a while."
After hearing him go that far, Qiong Xing could no longer force the money back on them and accepted it this ti.
It was precisely because he knew such admirable Rank A Adventurers that he found those foolish adventurers from earlier impossible to forgive.
"Then if you’d like, please take this as well. It doesn’t keep very long, but it’s delicious even if you simply grill it. And this sauce was only finished today. It’s great with grilled at. Also..."
"Wait, wait, wait. At this rate, we’re getting way too much..."
"Aweso! Let’s head ho and try it right away. Thanks, Qiong Xing!"
While Scion looked troubled, Gideon happily accepted everything.
Lately, Qiong Xing had begun to feel like a nosy neighborhood aunt who was always taking care of everyone.
...
Qiong Xing had noticed them before he even entered the guild.
However, since they had not actually done anything, she had ignored them.
But after hearing Qiong Xing’s story, she imdiately realized those people were probably the ones he had been talking about.
"Qiong Xing, look, look! I bought this in a village we stopped by on the way."
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