If I remembered right, Nidus had also talked about a collection team after Zeno Grable’s defeat. This was definitely big game, so its materials had plenty of uses. After the battle with Zeno Grable, Surena had mentioned that someone would normally have to stay behind to guard the carcass, but due to the injured newbies, we’d prioritized returning.
This time was different, though. We had only combat professionals present, and nobody was seriously wounded. Surena had technically fought while wounded, but that could be solved by having her step away. Joshua was the cream of the crop among adventurers too—he wasn’t lying about being able to hold out for a few days, and he wouldn’t have climbed to the top of the ranks if he were the type to misjudge this kind of situation.
“You’re not just saying that to snatch the materials for yourself, are you?” Lucy cut in.
Joshua shook his head. “I won’t. If I did that with so many witnesses around, I’d have no future.”
“Well...that’s true,” Lucy conceded. “Then I suppose we’ll gratefully accept the offer. Come, let’s go.”
Lucy immediately turned on her heels. All of our roles had only just been decided—she really was quick to act.
“Joshua...” I called out before leaving. “You really helped us out. Thanks.”
“It was nothing... I’m glad to see you in good health, Mr. Beryl. Until we meet again.”
“Yeah...”
There was a bit of hesitation in my voice. Still, he and Misty had put in a lot of work. That was why I felt like I had to thank him for it. His response was extremely formal. I had no idea what’d happened to him since he’d been at my dojo, but experience had clearly molded his current personality. You could call it strange to worry about an adventurer who was no longer my pupil, but even though our time together had been short, I’d taught him swordplay. I couldn’t help but wonder.
Now wasn’t the time to be questioning him about it, though. Maybe we would one day meet again. If that happened anywhere except a battlefield, we would surely have time for a peaceful chat. I would just have to bet on that day coming.
“All right, let’s make our way back and report to the guild,” I said.
“Yes.” Surena nodded. “It seems things are going to be rather busy for a while.”
“True. Better than having nothing to do, at least.”
“Agreed.”
It wasn’t like I had a packed schedule, but that didn’t apply to all of us, though. Allucia and Lucy had forced an opening in their busy schedules to get here, and Surena always had plenty of work. So, with no reason to refuse Joshua’s offer, it was best for us to get back to Vesparta as soon as possible to deliver our report.
“Allucia?” I prompted, noticing that she was deep in thought.
“Aah, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“If you say so...”
She’d been fine during the battle, but ever since bumping into Joshua and Misty, she’d spent a lot of time like this. She probably had all sorts of things to think about that I couldn’t even imagine. This wasn’t exactly the kind of place the knight commander should be coming to alone, and though I doubted Joshua and Misty would blab about it, bumping into other people here probably hadn’t been part of Allucia’s plan.
After parting ways with Joshua, we turned our sights to Vesparta. The Aflatta Mountain Range was still as dangerous as usual, but with Id Invicius gone, the greatest threat in the region had been eliminated. We couldn’t let our guards down, but we could at least chat a little. There was something I needed to get off my chest.
“Oh yeah, Surena.”
“Yes?”
“Once everything settles down, come by the house again. Mewi was worried about you.”
“Ah! Is that so? Understood. I’ll be intruding once more in the near future, then.”
“Yeah, stop in whenever you want.”
Mewi was worried about Surena. That was a perfectly normal feeling to have regarding an acquaintance who was in danger, though Mewi and Surena had only spoken directly to each other two or three times. Mewi had spent far more time in far friendlier ways with her school buddies, but even so, Mewi recognized Surena as a friend and was worried about her—she hadn’t uttered a single complaint about me recklessly making the long trip here to save her. A part of me thought I was overthinking this, but Mewi was indeed worried, so as a father, I hoped Surena would show Mewi that she was doing fine.
“Master Beryl’s...house?” Allucia muttered, the air around her taking on a dangerous energy.
“Hmph. What’s that, Citrus? Have a complaint?” Surena prodded.
“No... It’s nothing.”
“You’re free to come over whenever you want to too, Allucia...” I added.
Maybe we were being a little too carefree, but we were still keeping an eye on our surroundings. We could move better if we stayed calm—being overly tense actually hampered our progress.
“You’re all such a pain...” Lucy grumbled.
“Ha ha ha...”
I had nothing to say in my defense, so I let out a strained laugh. This wasn’t exactly the mood one would expect us to be in after having just defeated a powerful monster. Still, it was fine. Lucy wasn’t any better—though she’d never really been in any danger because she kept defensive magic covering her at all times.
“Oh, yes. Lysandra,” Allucia said. Her tone wasn’t exactly gentle, but it wasn’t thorny either.
“What is it, Citrus?”
“You require more training. At least you came back without any physical defects.”
“Hmph. That’s true.”
Allucia’s words were cold. However, this was just a kind of petty revenge. It was proof of the trust these two had in each other. Surena huffed, but her expression showed no discontent.
From an outside perspective, Allucia and Surena didn’t get along. However, there was still a definite bond between them. Such a thing was difficult to develop even if you tried, so I was glad they shared this kind of relationship—they were both dear to me, after all. I hoped they could maintain this familiarity with each other and continue to grow even more.
“Let’s leave the criticisms there and focus on getting back,” I said. “Can’t exactly hold a parade for our victory or anything, though.”
Me, Allucia, and Lucy were all here on a “personal vacation,” so we couldn’t make any of this public. But we all knew what had happened, so that was good enough. I didn’t really want fame and fortune—well, maybe I wanted a bit of extra cash...
“Agreed,” Surena said. “Master, I know the circumstances were complicated, but it was an honor to fight by your side.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m more than satisfied to know that you’re safe—and I also got to witness your skills with my own eyes.”
How could I ask for more? As long as those within my reach were happy, I was content. I wanted world peace as much as anyone else, but it was beyond my control. So, I kept my goals within reason. Anything that was within my control, I didn’t want to lose. This time, I’d pulled that off successfully. The situation had gone as well as it could’ve, and there was nothing more to ask for. It’d been worth coming here so recklessly.
Right, all that’s left is to get back to town in one piece. It would be ridiculous to get this far only to fumble at the finish line. I continued basking in my sense of satisfaction while keeping myself from getting too carried away.
Let’s press on without rushing, get back, and report in. Not that I’m going to be doing any of the reporting—that’s Surena’s responsibility.