Evening in Serene.
I was walking down the main street, heading ho.
Casually peeking through the gaps between buildings, I saw a towering spire.
The journey was less than ten days.
Still, I felt nostalgic.
I parted ways with Hans at the comrcial guild.
I reported the request to Samini, but once completed, I had to return the Telpas Bag.
Upon explaining the situation, they agreed to let keep it until everything was sorted.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have to carry around a bag full of poisonous squirrels.
I appreciate Samini’s consideration.
As I approached ho, I heard the sound of wooden swords clashing.
Peeking into the backyard from the alley, I saw Sereed and Lannine facing off, with Lambert and Felix acting as referees for so reason.
Everyone was focused on the fight, so I stayed to watch the mock battle.
Gemma, wielding a shield at the front, was attacked by Elliot and Nils.
Aggressive as ever, Gemma had grown accustod to the role of shield bearer.
With her physical advantage, she easily blocked their attacks.
Ted used his agility to play the skirmisher, while Nails used a sling to keep Jonas in check while waiting for an opportunity.
Elliot and Nils launched a fierce assault to break down the shield bearer.
Unable to hold it, Gemma staggered.
It was a lure.
Elliot realized it, but Nils got caught.
As Nils stepped in to pursue, Gemma retreated, and Ted jumped out from the side to trap him.
As Elliot tried to help, Nails attacked him, and although Jonas cast a spell, Ted read it and dodged.
As expected, Sereed was a step ahead.
Comparing simple stats, Lannine surpassed Sereed.
Especially with Jonas, a mage, their advantage was more than just nurical.
However, in terms of combat experience and ntal strength, Sereed had the upper hand.
They were now stronger than most soldiers around.
Within the academy, only Lambert and Felix could definitely defeat Sereed.
Ted’s strike took Nils out of the fight.
With that, it quickly crumbled.
Elliot alone couldn’t hold back Ted and Gemma, and while defending, Jonas was ambushed by Nails and defeated.
Elliot held out against the three but eventually yielded as Ted’s wooden sword touched his neck.
“You’re working hard.”
As I revealed myself, Ted and the others ran up to with smiles.
Energetic even right after the mock battle.
“Anything unusual?”
“Just the usual. How about you?”
“Quite a bit happened. By the way—helping with training, Lambert?”
Looking at him, Lambert smiled sheepishly.
“I heard you were away when I ca by. So, I’m acting as a referee. You’re lightly equipped, where did you go?”
“The village of Keril to the west. The light equipnt is thanks to borrowed gear.”
I took out a shamshir from the Terpaz Bag to show.
Hearing our conversation, Dana, Lily, and Quince also ca out of the house.
“Welco back, Alter-sama.”
“I’m back, Dana.”
Replying to Lily and the others, I entered the living room, where leaves, roots, and parchnt were spread on the table.
“Studying?”
“Yes. I was teaching them about materials.”
At Lily’s response, Quince and the others nodded proudly.
Lily hadn’t acquired the [Alchemy] skill, but she had always been interested in plants.
Since working in the garden, she has beco knowledgeable about materials.
Even if Quince and the others didn’t beco adventurers, it would be useful knowledge.
I went upstairs and changed from my cloth armor to everyday clothes.
Then, with tea prepared by Dana and Lily, we all gathered around the table.
Starting with the landslide restoration, I briefly recounted the events in Keril Village and the return journey.
I kept the part about nearly dying from a sopric’s poison to avoid unnecessary worry.
The landslide and the sopric had destroyed two parties.
I explained clearly why that happened, mixing in so speculation.
Though it was nothing new to most, Quince and the others needed to understand that adventuring isn’t sothing to be taken lightly.
Unexpected natural disasters, seemingly harmless monsters.
One step outside the city, and you face sudden death.
It seed the harsh reality hit Quince and the others, and they pondered deeply.
After the story, Lambert also folded his arms with a serious expression.
“A poisonous monster, huh? How skilled was the Keril guard? Could they handle it without you?”
“The guards were highly trained. As expected of the marquis’ soldiers. But a sopric is different. You need soone skilled in detoxification and area magic. Fortunately, they’re herbivores and won’t attack unless provoked. They’re agile too, making them hard to harm. It’s rare to have to fight one.”
“That’s a relief. If they rampaged in the territory, we’d have no way to handle it.”
Lambert continued asking about the sopric’s appearance and poison, so I warned them never to touch it before showing the real thing.
Ted and the others watched with interest, but Gemma suddenly sighed deeply.
“We have to deal with these? D-Rank is tough…”
Her misplaced comnt made chuckle.
Nails, also smiling wryly, spoke as if to guide her.
“Normal D-Rank isn’t that different from E-Rank. Alter-sama was chosen because he can use [Earth Wall], and though it was tough, he survived because he’s stronger than his rank.”
“Indeed. An ordinary D-Rank would have t the sa fate as the destroyed adventurers.”
Elliot’s words reassured Gemma.
They were right; just the road restoration alone was beyond a D-Rank’s scope.
The reward was exceptional, though.
Speaking of rewards—I had already received sothing.
Putting the sopric away, I took out a bolt of wool fabric instead.
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