“Wow, Soulgros, you’re really strong!”
Lucil gazed at Soulgros with sparkling eyes as she effortlessly slaughtered the attacking monsters one by one. Lucil watched her with admiration, impressed by how easily she dispatched such powerful monsters.
“Heh, you’re making me blush.”
Soulgros placed a hand behind her head, though she didn’t appear particularly embarrassed. For her, it seemed, this level of performance was nothing special.
I nodded approvingly. As Soulgros’s guildmaster, I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.
“Do you think I could become strong too? Maybe if I imitate Soulgros, I could!”
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Soulgros replied in an exasperated tone as Lucil swung his sword wildly.
Indeed, the way Lucil and Soulgros fought seemed fundamentally different. Soulgros excelled in mid-to-long-range attacks, with a high proficiency in throwing kunai and ambush tactics. Lucil, on the other hand, seemed to be a power type who would charge head-on with a sword, although I hadn’t seen him fight enough to be sure. Mimicking her would likely be more of a hindrance than a help.
“Huh…?”
A healthy rumbling sound echoed. It wasn’t me. And it couldn’t have been Soulgros; she was a bit different in that regard.
By process of elimination…
“Heheh. I’m hungry.” Lucil scratched his head sheepishly.
I looked up at the sky to check the sun’s position. The sun was right above us, brightly illuminating the area. We had been so engrossed in searching for the Elixir that I hadn’t noticed how much time had passed.
“It’s already late. Apollo and the others might already be waiting for us at the meeting spot.”
“Got it. Well, let’s hurry and get to them. I’m starving, so can we grab something to eat along the way?” Lucil asked, looking up at me.
“Hmm, good point. Were we going to have lunch here today? I had been planning to return to the guild by noon…”
“No, no! For the sake of goodwill, we should eat together with Lucil-dono and the others!” Soulgros insisted, her tone urgent.
“Is that so? I thought we had already become fairly close…”
“Haha, even if Master thinks so, I do not,” Soulgros declared proudly, puffing out her chest.
“Not something to boast about, really.”
Well, if Soulgros said so, then I supposed we should have a meal with Lucil and the others.
“This way, we can prevent any annoying interference from the other guild members,” Soulgros said, clenching her fist triumphantly.
“Come on, let’s go already…” Lucil looked up at us with pleading eyes. His stomach growled, emphasizing his hunger. He was probably at her limit. I smiled apologetically and began to move.
“BUUOOOOOOHHH!”
At that moment, a boar-like monster appeared before us. Unlike a normal boar, its sheer size was daunting. It had long, sharp tusks and its eyes glowed a menacing red.
Uh… what was its name again? I couldn’t remember, but I knew it was a monster with incredibly dangerous charging power.
“Ha, what a nuisance,” Soulgros muttered, stepping forward.
Well, she could probably take it down in less than a minute.
“Wait a second! Let me handle this!” Lucil pleaded, stopping Soulgros in her tracks.
“Soulgros. Even though only your eyes are visible, Lucil hasn’t noticed how incredibly annoyed you look.”
“Come on, Master!” Lucil pleaded with me, knowing that asking Soulgros would take too long.
“Hmm… well, I suppose Lucil could handle this monster…” Apollo had asked me to look out for him, so I couldn’t let him take too many risks. “If things get dangerous, I’ll step in to help. Is that okay?”
“Of course!” Lucil grinned and stepped in front of the monster.
“Will Lucil-dono be all right?” Soulgros stepped back and stood beside me, asking with a hint of concern.
“I’m not really worried.” She seemed rather indifferent, watching Lucil and the monster.
“Yeah, I think he’ll be fine. This monster seems just right for his level. Though I had been away from the front lines for a while, so my judgment might not be the most reliable. Seeing you fight must have inspired him. It’s only natural to want to prove yourself when your comrades are fighting bravely.”
“Comrades?” Soulgros tilted her head in confusion.
“Let’s not pretend you don’t understand the concept. If Lucil gets cornered, you’ll need to help him… Will you do that?”
“If it’s Master’s order, I will fulfill it completely… though a few kunai might end up sticking in him.”
“All right, I’ll take care of it. Just keep an eye on things, Soulgros.”
I watched Lucil battle the monster with a wry smile.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ah… this isn’t going well…” Lucil muttered, holding a fruit in his hand. He furrowed his brows, clearly dissatisfied with his performance, and pouted.
As I had assessed, that boar-like monster was reasonably strong. If one had the means to attack from a distance, like magic or Soulgros’s kunai, it wouldn’t have been such a tough battle. However, Lucil, who relied solely on close combat, struggled quite a bit. In the end, things got a little dangerous, so I stepped in to help.
I ended up obliterating it with a magic blast, leaving no trace behind. I probably need to get back to the front lines and relearn some restraint.
“Aren’t you going to eat, Soulgros?”
“I am already full just by watching Master from behind.”
No way that’s true. I suspect she simply doesn’t want to eat the fruit Lucil gave her…
Or at least, I hoped it wasn’t that bad…
Regardless, Lucil had gathered a lot of fruit.
“Can you really eat all of it?” I asked.
Lucil smiled sheepishly. “No, I thought I’d share with the others… You can’t find fruit like this near the outskirts.”
“Ah… how heartwarming.”
I see, I see. So that’s why he had his arms full of fruit. Forgive me for thinking he was just a glutton. “I’m sure Apollo and the others will be happy.”
“Really…? Well, they don’t have to be happy about it or anything,” Lucil said, turning away in embarrassment.
As I watched her, smiling, Soulgros spoke up. “It is about time to reach the meeting place.”
Just as she said, after a bit more walking, we arrived at the small lake we had discovered yesterday. Apollo and the others… didn’t seem to be here yet…
“They’re really not here. Damn, they’re late. I’m going to eat everything,” Lucil grumbled as he ran toward the lake.
“But it’s strange.” Considering how much Apollo cared for Lucil, it would make sense for him to be worried and arrive early…
As I tilted my head in confusion, Soulgros leaned in close and whispered to me.
“Master.”
Soulgros spoke as if it were nothing.
“There is a scent of blood in the area.”