Lyle’s Growth
Inside the swaying cart, my body was tornted by imnse physical fatigue.
My face is probably pale.
In truth, I focused myself on the outside scenery, as I thought of nothing but how much further there was to Dalien.
The unmaintained roads ended, and the shaking lessened, but the baggage cart still swayed violently.
It was make quite sturdy, and it was maintained by the guild, so it was probably well taken care of.
“I don’t really want to have to ride in a cart again...
Perhaps out of my tiredness, the return trip was less sparing than the way there.
The one who watched in amazent was Aria.
All of us were quite fatigues, but among us, I was the worst case.
“Novem is using the main cart for healing purposes, so she left you to ... but you’re really making quite a face there. Please hold on, there isn’t much left to go.”
On her tone, I shot back.
Since I was quite fatigued, it wasn’t much of a tasteful response.
“You were even worse on the way there. You looked like you were going to throw up ti and again.”
“T-that was because we were shaking way too much! I’m already used to it, so I’m fine, you hear!?”
Looking at her embarrassed face, the only healthy one among our mbers, Rahu-san smiled bitterly.
“You two sure get along.”
On his statent, mine and Aria’s replies overlapped.
“I don’t think we do.”
“We don’t!”
While envying Aria’s vigor, I lied down, and turned my eyes to Rondo-san, who was by Rachel-san’s side.
Even when her state wasn’t the best either, Rachel continued to direct worried eyes at him.
Seeing that, the Fourth began to nag...
『Lyle, like, you know, can’t you carry a little more dignity? You have to make sure to treat won well. And wait, if you displayed that attitude back there to Novem, you’d definitely be dragged to the conference room, and lynched.』
The Fourth, who was always loud about female relations, said as such, but right now, I really am tired. It’s a feeling of fatigue I’ve never felt before.
I can’t really muster up this dignity thing right now.
The driver of the luggage cart wasn’t Zelphy-san, but the support man.
Zelphy-san was tending to the carriage where the injured were loaded.
Novem was nursing the five, and despite her exhaustion, she was conducting herself firmly.
Rondo-san’s tired face bent into a smile.
“Perhaps... it’s coming.”
What is? As I thought that, the Second supplented information.
『Lyle, before a Growth, fatigue, or perhaps a strange sensation can occasionally serge as as a premonition. Mainly when it’s after you gain a large amount of battle experience. At tis like that, rather than experiencing a growth during normal life, the changes in the body are greater, so you can feel it as an extre tired feeling』
aning after coming here, the signs of 『Growth』 are finally starting to display themselves.
I want to be happy, I didn’t have the mood for that.
Rahu-san was a little despondent.
“I wanted to join in. Then perhaps I would experience Growth as well... and wait, it’s rare for everyone to be showing signs like this all at once.”
More or less, it’s natural for humans to show individual differences.
But all the mbers who participated in the battle were showing such tired symptoms.
Rondo looked quite drained, but he remained smiling. Thinking that he could experience a Growth, he was probably happy.
“When we return, we’ll have to rest for a while then. And Lyle-kun’s group did concede the reward to us, so I want to do sothing to compensate.”
The labyrinth’s deepest chamber...
The rare tal we found there, the iron soaked in magic was turned over to Rondo-san’s group.
Zelphy-san took whatever valuable she found on the adventurer as her reward, and in exchange for the precious tal, we would be getting the full amount of the request reward.
For taking up the urgent request, and reporting the results of our investigation, it wouldn’t be a small sum.
While we did think of lting down the tal into equipnt, it didn’t feel necessary for our current party.
I an, both and Aria had gems on us. Even if we had weapons that could grant skills onto us, there was a possibility the two would clash, and we wouldn’t’ be able to use them well.
Perhaps Aria would be able to if she got used to it, but for , the Jewel was too strong that it was impossible in my current state.
I did mull over whether we should have a staff make for Novem, but she refused, so the talks proceeded in a direction where we would take the guild reward.
“Well... when this fatigue goes away, I’ll leave it to you.”
As I put all my might into giving an answer, Rondo-san smiled.
“Right.”
In comparison, Rahu-san seed to be happily considering what sort of weapon he wanted, and what Skills to set into it.
(Are we there yet?)
I remained irritated in the swaying cart, and decided to stay lying down up until the destination.
Aria draped a blanket over .
Unable to raise a thanks in reply, the Fourth clicked his tongue at .
『Che!!』
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After arriving at Dalien, our group reported the details to the guild.
But there wasn’t a need for all of us to be there to talk, so after receiving the reward, my party was going to return to the house.
The leader this ti around, Zelphy-san, was to stay, and give a detailed report.
On the guild’s second floor receptions desk, I borrowed Rahu-san’s shoulders, as we responded to so adventurers who called out upon seeing our return.
“So you took ‘em down? Good job, all of you!”
“Looks like the young’uns are givin’ their best as well.”
“Still, with this, I can finally be relieved.”
There were so that clapped their hands, and we got a taste of the feelings of war heroes making their triumphant return.
“This ain’t bad in itself. It’s Dalien’s good point, I guess.”
Rahu-san said that, and and I wondered if that ant the other guilds were different.
“The other places are different?”
“Yeah, it really depends on the pand. It’s temperant, or how should I put it, local colors... still, this feeling ain’t a bad one. If I could make it here, it’s a town I wouldn’t hate settling in.”
From his manner of speech, it seems he planned on leavin the town, sooner or later.
As I observed the surroundings, I found the usual faces manning the desks had changed.
The beautiful clerk wasn’t there.
The middle aged woman attendant was explaining various things to a young male hire.
(The atmosphere is a little strange. It’s like the younger adventurers have questionable looks on their faces.)
Zelphy-san handed over the dead adventurer’s card to Hawkins-san, before returning to us.
“It sure is lively. Well, in Dalien, I guess it’s a bit of a rare sight to be found... We’ll be dispersin’ here, but if your party can’t get over the fatigue, Lyle, then rest for a few days or so. As it is right now, it’ll be dangerous to send you out to work.”
I definitely didn’t want to do any work like this, so I nodded in response.
Novem was the sa.
Only Aria-san hung her head without turning her eyes to see Zelphy-san.
Rondo-san gave Zelphy-san their gratitude.
“It was quite a nice experience. I an, we survived, and all. If it suits you, call out to us whenever you want.”
To Rondo-san, who was eloquent despite his enervation, Zelphy-san nodded.
“Though I’d like it if you cut so slack if sothing like this happens again. It’s just that I’ll commit you guys to mory.”
Hearing that, the three of them left the guild.
“Look, you guys should be off too. Your making so terrible faces there.”
With Rahu-san gone, I borrowed Novem’s shoulder to depart from the guild.
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... A private room in the guild.
Hawkins faced Zelphy, a table separating the two.
Perhaps due to Hawkins’ large build, the room seed narrower, and the table smaller than normal.
“... Nice work. I’ll be reporting this matter to the higher ups in the guild as well.”
Having finished gathering the necessary information, Hawkins took the docunts laid out on the table, and tapped their ends on the wood twice to align them nicely.
“I really am tired. There wasn’t any good part about it, and it ended with showing them all my unclean sides. Please spare from a second ti.”
Hawkins-san gave a wry smile.
While Zelphy said she was taking the adventurer’s treasures for her own, he had a general understanding of the situation.
“... Do you know where his house it?”
Hawkins asked if Zelphy knew his... the deceased adventurer’s house.
“I know it. His family consists of his wife, and two children. It really is detestable... I don’t really want to have to do this sort of thing too often.”
Hearing that she even knew his family organization, Hawkins’ expression turned a little sorrowful.
“So you’re personally taking on your detestable role? What’s more, while keeping silent to Lyle-kun and the others?”
“I’ll properly do my advisor job. This matter is outside the scope my fees cover.”
Hawkins could imagine what she was going to do with the items she took as her reward.
The valuables left behind by a dead adventurer did generally go to whoever went to investigate, or to his comrades.
But when it was quite a recognized adventurer that passed, the ones who were looked after by them would often leave them to the bereaved family.
“Then why not just tell them? It’s important if you think about how they’ll carry themselves from here on.”
Perhaps unsatisfied with the idea, Zelphy averted her eyes.
“My job is to turn them into first-rate adventurers. I’ve made them get a feel for the work, and in this outing, they learned transportation, and camping. They even learned about labyrinths. Anything more is unnecessary.”
She had already taught them the fundantals.
So there was no problem.
Zelphy ended the conversation there.
While Hawkins was mildly amazed, he had nothing to say against her work ethic as an advisor.
She definitely was carrying out her job.
She was working as far as her fee covered, and it wasn’t her place for her to say anything about the minor inner workings of the guild.
“I guess it fits you. But this ti you didn’t earn a reward, so it was nothing but unpaid labor, wasn’t it?”
The reward was turned over to Lyle, and whatever was found in the labyrinth went to Rondo.
She was just doing volunteer work.
You could call that a failure as an adventurer.
“... Well, there’s no point in telling that into soone who’s going to retire. This is it for . I’ve a fiancé on my hands, and the last thing I’d wish for is an end like him.”
Zelphy’s last job was advising Lyle’s party.
She stored up quite an extent of success as an adventurer, and was recognized by the feudal lord as well.
She was able to skillfully carry out her work from both sides.
But during Aria’s case, her role deviated quite a bit.
“It seems you were quite reckless in that matter with Aria-san. You pushed her ono Lyle-kun... If he was actually troubled about it, you planned to take her in, didn’t you?”
Zelphy let out a deep sigh.
“Hah~ good grief... if he couldn’t put us with Lady Aria, I had a whole 『If you want to save soone, then make sure you’re able to look after them to the end!』 speech prepared before taking her back. But that oblivious rich kid seems to be able to overco whatever you throw at him. That one’s going to rise far higher than I ever could. ”
Zelphy started to complain about how she had nothing left to teach.
Hawkins played along with her complaints.
“That’s right. I’ve seen many adventurers in my ti, but Lyle’s group will surely rise up there. Perhaps he may even beco an adventurer whose na is known across the land.”
As Hawkins joked around, Zelphy smiled.
It looks like she didn’t think it that far through.
“That sounds interestin’. In that case, I’m the woman who taught the country’s prominent adventurer! That’s quite the splendid title there if I do say so myself.”
And the conversation shifted to the beautiful staff mber.
“That aside, boss. What ended up happenin’ to the beauty?”
The look in Zelphy’s eyes was quite harsh.
“... You played your hand before you departed, didn’t you. An order ca from the feudal lord for us to give an explanation. In Dalein, that guild’s standing is below that man’s. We had no choice but to give in when an explanation was demanded.”
Hawkins’ face turned pale as he rembered the beauty.
At the sa ti, it ended up that her father was to leave Dalien’s adventurers’ guild.
Officially, he was to raise a new guild hall, and beco the branch chief there.
But that location was an area where land was to be reclaid, and a new village was planned to be built.
It was pretty much an exile notice from the city of Dalien.
“As expected of the lord. He moves quite fast. The people can have peace of mind.”
Zelphy was definitely attached to the guild.
But at the sa ti, she was part of the city of Dalien.
Now that she was considering retirent, which side of would have more rits to her? It was, without question, the feudal lord’s.
The guild didn’t have any plans on sticking itself into the matter either.
“Because of that, itw as hell for a while.”
This ti, it was Hawkins’ turn to complain. But Zelphy was smiling.
“Well I’m happy to hear it. We had our share of troubles, mind you. It’s about ti the guild went through a bit of hell.”
‘Good grief,’ Hawkins whispered. He neatly lifted up the docunts, and stood, before he left the room...
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The morning two days after our return.
I was feeling quite refreshed.
“What an exhilarating morning. It’s as if I’ve been completely reborn. So this is Growth!”
I stood up on top of the bed, and spread out my arms, as I looked up at the ceiling.
The ceiling was quite close, and I could see the stains on it quite clearly, but I didn’t mind.
There, I jumped off of the bed, and did a magnificent squatting landing before leisurely raising myself.
It was as if my senses had widened, and I had gotten bigger, myself.
“I’m feelin’ it... My Mana is higher than before! I’m totally different from the who just barely scraped by before! I have... been reborn!!”
Letting out a loud cry in the room, I truly felt good.
It was as if I was going to run off at any mont.
I was sluggish all the way up to yesterday night, but it’s as if that ti was a lie.
“If it’s now, even flying through the sky is... impossible? No, yes we can! There isn’t a thing to fear in the world! Celes who!? No, it would be nice if I could win, but...”
As I rembered Celes, I suddenly grew timid.
I shook my head to forget her, and for now, I just wanted to shout out.
“I’ve GROOOOOWWWNN!!”
There, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps, and the door to my room was opened with quite so force.
There, Aria, with a face bright red, was standing with teary eyes.
“What’s the problem, Aria? Making a teary face like that... Did sothing sad happen, perhaps? You can always find a friend in !”
I spread both my arms, and covered her cheeks with my hands.
“Please don’t make any more of a ruckus! You’re making rember the of the past!”
Hearing about her past self, I tilted my head.
And I noticed.
“What? Did you do sothing when you first experienced a Growth? Don’t worry about all the way back when you were that small. I an, right now, I’m beginning to wonder about why I worried about sothing so small. I want to take the of the past, and punch the crap out of him!”
I punched the air, and an image of my beating the crap out of the past floated in my head as I raised my left arm into the air.
“... No. Mine were nothing like this. They were normal.”
To Aria, who squatted down, and tilted her head, I raised a loud laugh.
“Where’s your energy, Aria! Right, let’s go see Rondo-san today! I’ll have to give him my thanks from that one ti. On top of that, let’s do a banquet with our reward! My treat!”
As I acted in high tensions, Aria’s eyes seed like they didn’t know where she should be looking.
If you look at with such lightless eyes, it’s embarrassing, you know.
“Don’t stare at so much... you’re making blush.”
As I flipped my hair with one hand, and made a pose, Aria silently stood up, and left.
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『Don’t stare at so much; you’re making blush.』
As the Third Generation flipped his hair, and made a pose, it was as if the entire table had burst into laughter.
I was digging my face into the table, and I used both of my hands to slam against it nurous tis.
Next, the Third made a motion of pushing out his fists, as if to punch barehanded.
『I want to take the of the past, and punch the crap out of him!』
And once more, the ancestors burst into laughter.
The First Generation held his stomach in laughter, and his legs were kicking up and down.
『Since coming here, this is the first I’ve laughed so much! My stomach is killing ~!』
The Second was covering his mouth, and shaking.
『So you can fly through the sky, Lyle. Puh!』
Don’t let out a laugh! As I thought sothing like that, the Fourth removed his glasses, and started wiping the tears that had ford from his laughing.
『You can always find a friend in , he said... why don’t you just put so stuff like that out there normally.』
The Fifth gazed at with lukewarm eyes.
『Don’t worry about it. It’s sothing everyone experiences. You feel open-hearted on your first Growth. Look, Novem watched over you without saying anything, didn’t she? That’s what families are usually supposed to do.』
I cried out.
“I want to take the of just now, and beat the crap out of him!!”
But the Sixth continued to pursue .
『No, still. That sort of ruckus isn’t one you see often. Lyle, perhaps you have the talent to bring laughter to people.』
Even if you say that while laughing, you don’t have any persuasive force there.
In the first place, making people laugh, and making people laugh at you are completely different things.
The ancestors were teasing , but my grandfather, the Seventh Generation, was desperately trying to contain himself.
『R-right. It’s sothing everyone goes through. There’s nothing to be embarrassed aobut, Lyle... Bufu...!!』
Unable to stand it any longer, he broke out. I stared at him with cold eyes, as I inquired as to what reason I was called out here in the first place.
“So, for what reason have you called out today? If it was just to tease, I’m leaving.”
As I said that with an irritated voice, the others continued to laugh, as they stopped .
The Fourth recovered first, and...
『Wait, it’s actually an important talk. It’s just that this ti’s Growth left too strong an impact, and... it’s no good. Rembering it’s bringing to tears.』
Looking at him cover his mouth, I scratched at my face with both hands.
Why did I do sothing like that?
Why did all those foolish words leave my mouth?
Regretting isn’t doing anything.
The Third grinned, as he picked up where the Fourth left off.
『It’s about your Skill, Lyle, but unlike ours, it’s a perpetually active type, right.』
“That’s right.”
As I stared at the Third, intently looking at , he sighed, and continued on.
『It’s probably one of the reasons your Mana expenditure was so high, but once it’s been activated, it’s the type that will never stop draining your Mana. Its effects may be large, but just as before, we’ll have to put a restriction on your usable Mana.』
Since I had undergone a Growth, I did have enough Mana to handle it. But that doesn’t change the fact the Skill was chaining down.
The Third continued.
『At the sa ti as that, we’ve given a little bit of thought towards your situation on our part. And according to the Second over there...』
Having co to him, the Second opened his mouth.
『You’re the type that needs a ridiculously large amount of experience. The state you were in before the Growth was one thing, but with that as the backlash, you were able to grow a considerable margin. You’re the type that amasses a large amount of experience, and grows all at once, but... TO put it bluntly, your case is too extre. Just think of it as you needing several tis the experience of a normal person.』
I started to doubt my own ears.
I had massive Growths, but in exchange, I needed many tis the amount of experience to grow.
What’s more, more than twice.
“Is there anything we can do about that? Look, I an, my Skill has started displaying its effect, right?”
As I said that, the Second shook his head.
『Even if you’re increasing it with a Skill, in your current state, wouldn’t it just be by twenty to thirty percent? If you think about your next Growth, you’ll need even more Experience than for this one.』
“... aning?”
『Keep the ti you leave Dalien for good in your field of vision. If you stay here, it will be several years before your next Growth goes off. If played poorly, even ten isn’t an unreal number.』
The Second’s eyes were quite serious. That isn’t the face of a liar.
He’s earnestly recomnding that I move forward.
“We’re still in the middle of hiring an advisor.”
The Third spoke.
『It was just three months, right? Once you’ve diligently finished with that, you should separate from Dalien. This may be an easy place to proceed, but do you intend to stay here your whole life, Lyle? I think that is quite impossible.』
The Fifth supplented.
『I’ll bet the feudal lord also wants you out. If you plan to stay here, you’ll be placed under his influence. There is no way that would be for your sake. When it cos to it, that lord can easily cut you aside... For both of your sakes, it would be best if you left.』
To Dalien’s feudal lord Ventra-san, I was a ticking ti bomb, where no one knew when the Walt House would take action in regards to .
Just being there was troubleso.
“When the advising period ends, I’ll leave Dalien. Until then, I should consider where to move next, right?”
As I said that, everyone nodded with serious faces.
And in the end, the First spoke.
『On top of that. There’s sothing I have to say too. Tomorrow or so, co over here. I think it’ll take ti, so keep that in mind.』
To his earnest eyes, I nodded in response.
The atmosphere surrounding the other ancestors had also subsided.
As always, the Fourth Generation signaled the end of the eting.
『Let’s wrap it up here. Even so, it seems you’ve opened your heart to Lyle quite a bit, Founder.』
Thinking back to the start, it was definitely sothing unimaginable.
I an, he even told , quite clearly, that he hated .
I never even thought it would co to his myself.
The First seed to be the sa.
『Still, I recognized him anyways. Lyle had already proven his strength to . He saved Aria-chan for , so I’m just answering to that.』
For so reason, I was strangely caught up by his words.
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