“Big brother, don’t overexert yourself. And Doctor, please don’t push yourself too hard for my sake,” Lucika said, her voice filled with concern as she saw us off on our quest to find the Elixir once again. Despite her apologetic tone, she wore a small smile, reflecting a sense of relief and happiness appropriate for her age. Seeing her display such genuine emotion warmed my heart.
Lucika was puzzled as to why a supposed doctor like me was heading out on a dangerous mission to find the Elixir, but I managed to brush off her concerns with a vague explanation about medical research. It seemed to suffice.
“Master isn’t doing anything reckless for your sake, and I won’t let him,” Soulgros muttered, seemingly dissatisfied with something Lucika had said. However, since she didn’t voice her complaint directly, I let it slide. This showed her maturity compared to someone like Laladie.
And so, after spending the night with Lucil’s guild, morning came. I hadn’t been able to contact my guild members… I’d have to apologize when I got back. As I mused over these thoughts, Lucil, Soulgros, and I made our way to the forest, where World’s Eye’s information indicated we might find the natural Elixir. Just as we were about to enter, Apollo approached me.
“Hey, Master. About this Elixir search… I have a suggestion. Mind hearing me out?” he asked.
“A suggestion? Of course I’d love to hear it.”
Any idea that could help us break through our current situation was welcome. Given the vastness of the forest and the uncertainty of finding the Elixir, we could be here indefinitely. As a guildmaster, I couldn’t stay away from my duties for too long, and Soulgros might lose patience with our prolonged stay with another guild.
“I can handle it, as long as you’re here with me, Master,” Soulgros reassured, seemingly having read my thoughts. Her support was heartening.
“This forest is huge, right? So, how about we split into two groups to cover more ground?” Apollo suggested, watching my reaction closely.
I nodded in agreement. Splitting up could indeed help us cover more ground and find the Elixir faster. With only Lucil, Lucika, Apollo, and a few others alongside Soulgros and me, our manpower was limited. Apollo’s suggestion was reasonable, but there was a fundamental issue.
“You needed our help in the first place because it was difficult for your guild to search the forest alone. If Soulgros and I split up and led separate groups, it might be more effective, but…
“Master, I do not follow anyone else but you,” Soulgros declared firmly.
That settled it. I couldn’t force her to separate from me, especially knowing how much I was already pushing her limits. Besides, it wasn’t about being lenient with my guild members—it was about respecting their boundaries.
“Oh, I understand that,” Apollo said, nodding. “That’s why I suggest we split our groups: you and Soulgros search one part of the forest, and my guild searches another part.”
“But you might struggle without our help.”
“True, which is why I’m asking if we could search the shallower parts of the forest while you two handle the deeper areas. We can’t venture too far without facing stronger monsters, but we can manage the outskirts,” Apollo explained, looking a bit apologetic.
I considered his words and nodded. It made sense. The deeper parts of the forest were more dangerous, and Soulgros and I could handle those areas better. The outer edges would be safer for Apollo and his guild.
“Yeah, it’s a logical suggestion, and I’m fine with it. How about you, Soulgros?”
“Hmm. It feels like I’m being handed a slightly complicated task, but if Master agrees, I have no objections,” Soulgros said, though she seemed slightly unsatisfied. Still, she respected my decision. She might feel like this is a hassle, but in reality, it’s not that bad.
The search area for the Elixir is broader in the shallow parts of the forest. The reason is simple: I often wander deeper into the forest during my walks, staying away from populated areas to avoid unnecessary encounters. As a master of a dark guild, it was wise to avoid places where I might run into people.
While not many know about our guild, there’s always the chance of running into someone like Longman, who attacked me and Laladie with Yuuto and Maho’s group. It’s better to stay cautious.
So, Soulgros and I would deal with stronger monsters deeper in the forest, while Lucil and the others would search the wider, but safer, outskirts. Both groups had their challenges.
“All right, let’s go with Apollo’s plan.”
“Great, then we’ll—” Apollo began to give instructions, but was interrupted.
“Wait! I want to go with Master!” Lucil suddenly exclaimed.
“Hey, Lucil. The whole point of splitting up is so we don’t slow Master and Soulgros down,” Pelorro protested.
“But think about it! How often do we get to work with people as strong as Master and Soulgros? We don’t know when we’ll find the Elixir and end this collaboration. We should take the chance to learn while we can!” Lucil argued.
Pelorro tried to reason with him, but Lucil was adamant. He had a point—once this Elixir hunt was over, we likely wouldn’t work together again. Despite being a friendly and warm guild, we were still a dark guild. Regular guilds, no matter how understanding Lucil’s group might be, wouldn’t accept us. Even smaller guilds like theirs could face serious trouble if they were seen associating with us.
Well, Lucil seems to overestimate my strength. I’m not that strong.
Though I knew Soulgros’s abilities were indeed impressive, making her worth observing.
“Huh? Absolutely not. You’re a nuisance,” Soulgros coldly rejected Lucil, who was trying to cozy up to her.
“Come on, don’t say that. I won’t be a bother,” Lucil pleaded.
“Your very presence is a nuisance, Lucil-dono,” Soulgros shot back, her tone icy.
Of course, I couldn’t bring Lucil along without Soulgros’s approval. However, I believed it might be beneficial for Lucil to witness Soulgros in action. It could be a valuable learning experience for him. Moreover, it would be a good opportunity for Soulgros to work on her interactions with outsiders, something she struggled with less than the other members of Yerkchira. I voiced my thoughts to her, as carefully as I could.
“Understood,” Soulgros responded promptly.
“That was quick. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Of course. My opinion is insignificant compared to Master’s will,” she replied with fervor.
While I appreciated her respect for my decisions, I wished she’d value her own opinions more. This was something I hoped all my guild members would learn. After all, I couldn’t always be there to guide them.
“All right!” Lucil’s joyful exclamation pulled me back to the present.
“Hey, are you sure about this? Lucil isn’t weak, but he’s not on your level, Master,” Apollo said, looking concerned.
“It’s fine. I’ll make sure he stays safe.”
Apollo looked at me with his mouth open in surprise before breaking into an embarrassed smile.
“I don’t need such a noisy brat,” Apollo grumbled, but there was a hint of fondness in his tone.
“H-Hey, Apollo. Are you sure about this?” Pelorro asked, looking a bit panicked.
“Yeah, Master says it’s fine, and Lucil wants to go. I don’t see a reason to say no,” Apollo replied confidently.
“Yeah, I suppose so…”
“All right, let’s get going!” Lucil exclaimed, pulling eagerly at my arm.
“Hey, don’t pull Master around like that. I’ll knock you out,” Soulgros warned, her tone icy.
Lucil’s excitement made me momentarily lose sight of Pelorro. When I glanced back at him, there was nothing particularly unusual. Perhaps it was just my imagination.
“Let’s meet back here at noon. How about by the lake we found earlier?” Apollo suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” I replied.
“All right… Hey, Lucil! Don’t be a burden to Master and Soulgros!” Apollo called out.
“I won’t be!”
“You had better not,” Pelorro added.
“I won’t!” Lucil insisted, clearly enjoying the banter.
“Well then, I’m counting on you to take care of Lucil,” Apollo said, giving a final nod before leading Pelorro and Ligg into the forest.
Then I turned to Soulgros and Lucil. “All right, let’s head out.”
“Understood,” Soulgros responded.
“Yeah!” Lucil echoed, his enthusiasm unwavering.
With that, the three of us entered the forest.