Daisuke stepped into the guild’s bustling lobby in time to observe as Thalia pced five hefty pouches on the ter.

  A sense of etion spread through Elena, Rexar, and Milo, who eagerly hoisted their share above their heads, worshiping it as though it were a sacred gift of immeasurable worth. Their as were met with amused ughter from the other adventurers in the room.

  “Ah, Haxks,” Gavric greeted courteously. “I just cashed in the Mana Core. Thanks to you, my family finally be at ease.”

  “And we mao stay alive and secure our lise too,” Finnian added, a respectful y-degree bow in an echo of Gavric’s. “We owe you a debt of gratitude. Thank you.”

  “Ah—”

  Stowing their loot, Elena, Rexar, Milo, and Lyanna scurried forward and followed suit, much to the astonishment of the other adventurers.

  “What’s happening?” whispered one man to another.

  “Who is he?” murmured another.

  “Is he someone famous?”

  “He’s ly dressed the part.”

  Daisuke raised his hands awkwardly, breaking into a sweat. “Wait, there’s no need for that,” he said, coaxing them to lift their heads. “I survived because we were a team.”

  Though his words didn’t seem to vinyohey accepted his gratitude.

  “Normally I’d treat you to a feast for everything you’ve done,” Gavric began solemnly, “but given the circumstances, I must return to my family.”

  “I feel the same,” Finnian added. “It’s beehree weeks since I’ve left my siblings to fend for themselves; I’m really worried about them.”

  Elena, Rexar, and Milo were visibly jostled by the words of the two men; they couldn’t help but refle their circumstances as well.

  “I truly didn’t expeything iurn,” Daisuke fessed with a dismissive wave of his hand. “And a feast wouldn’t sit well with me, not when we all have unfinished business. You both should get going; it’s a small town, and we’ll likely cross paths again at the guild.”

  Elena and the others nodded in agreement.

  “Thank you for being so uanding,” Gavric responded, followed by Finnian’s nod of appreciation.

  “Family always es first,” Milo chimed in early.

  “Yeah, you both should get going,” Rexar said with a gruff but passioone.

  “…I should get going too,” said Lyanna as she gave Elena a warm hug. Rexar boldly reached out for a turn but got clobbered instead.

  "By the way," said Daisuke, one final piece of advice before they departed. "Be sure to i a portion of that into acquirier gear. Formidable power stems not only from strength but also from having powerful equipment."

  Gavric, Finnian, and Lyanna waved their goodbyes and made their way to the door, leaving Elena lost in thought.

  “After that exge,” Daisuke said, the group, “I’m sure you’re all eager to return home as well.”

  Elena's eyes widened with surprise, and as she locked gazes with Daisuke, his warm smile put her at ease. "Since I'm already here," he suggested, "why don't I sell my Mana Crystals? After that, ick up some supplies at the apothecary before we head out. Sounds good?"

  Everyone eagerly nodded in agreement.

  Thalia started waving like a maniac when she spied Daisuke’s approach. “I’m so relieved that you’re okay,” she gushed when he was within earshot of her voice.

  "Every day you were MIA, she's been looking like a zombie at work," a fellow guild clerk teased pyfully.

  “H-Hey! Lovanna!” Thalia retorted, her cheeks swelling up like balloons.

  Elena’s expression turned into a pout of jealousy, setting off warning signals in Thalia’s feminine instincts, which she impulsively acted upon without a sed thought.

  Daisuke flinched when a pair e breasts pressed against his face as Thalia pulled him into her chest from across the ter.

  “Whoa~” echoed a chorus of les from the watg male popution. Some looked on with jealous envy, sending shivers down Daisuke’s spine.

  “Y-You! W-What’re you doing!” Elena excimed i arm, clutg Daisuke by the shirt and pulling him back with all her might. Yet Thalia held onto him even tighter.

  “…Is this really appropriate behavior for the workpce?” Daisuke protested, hopelessly caught iweewo.

  Thalia released him, her expression serious. “S-Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” she fessed didly. “You’re setting out on another dangerous adventure, aren’t you?”

  Elena loosened her grip upon notig the hint of deje in the girl’s voice.

  “Think of that gesture as a good luck charm,” Thalia tinued. “Take care of yourself and e back safely.”

  Daisuke offered a small smile. “Your advice from the lectures really helped while we were tag the dungeon,” he admitted. “Thank you.”

  Thalia beamed at his rare show of friendliness before returning to her professional demeanor. “I’m gd I could assist. Is there anything else I help you with before you go?”

  Daisuke pced the 8.5 pounds of Mana Crystals he had accumuted over the past month onto the ter. Suppressing her shock, Thalia weighed them on a magic scale before disappearing into the ba.

  Upon her return, she promptly slid a tray piled high with a shimmering mountain of silver s across the ter. Milo and Rexar beamed and salivated with excitement, while the other adventurers sighed in amazement.

  “Is he some sort of celebrity after all?” remarked one man.

  “He’s ly dressed the part,” quipped a familiar voice.

  Ign the unwele attention, Daisuke swiftly passed his hand over the s. They shimmered blue and theerialized, transferring into his iory.

  DING!

  [12,240 silver has been acquired.]

  “So lucky~” Elena whined with an envious pout. “It must be nice having a magic bag.”

  Daisuke simply nodded while listening to her brief rant, his eyes betraying a hint of amusement.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he said to Thalia before turning to leave, his gaze lingering for a moment, expressing a silent reassurance.

  “Please take care… all four of you. The guild doors will always be open for your return,” Thalia said with a subtle air of .

  When Rexar and Milo turo follow Daisuke, Elena stuck her to at Thalia. Zephyr erched on her shoulder, and he cheekily mimicked her pyful gesture.

  PAJIK!

  A blood vessel pulsed visibly in Thalia’s forehead, her face t into an almost ghastly form as her anger surged.

  Lovanna ughed pyfully.

  ***

  After stog up on potions and other essential supplies, the party promptly left Wonderelle. A day and a half and plenty of monster corpses ter, their journey on foot southwest of the town brought them into the sprawling embrace of the Fleecia Forest.

  Daisuke became curious when they came to a halt within a rge gde. An ominous mountain loomed over the trees in the distance, but aside from that, nothing seemed particurly hy.

  “Why did we stop?” Daisuke inquired with a raised eyebrow, his gaze shiftiween his rades and their surroundings. “Are you guys tired already? We only retly took a break.”

  He looked to Zephyr who would have started making a fuss if there was a monster within proximity, but the pup looked equally fused by the suddee.

  Although it wasn’t quite his iion, years of adversity triggered arm bells within Daisuke. Tension coiled his muscles. Now that he had helped the trio escape the cave with their lives, his usefulness may have now expired. Perhaps it was their pn to do away with him.

  “Just wait and see,” Milo said in a hushed tone, gesturing toward Rexar who took a few steps ahead of them.

  With a grace that could only be achieved from years of practice, the Wolfkin produced a melodious series of whistles that was akin to the warble of a majestiightingale.

  Moments passed.

  Elena, Rexar, and Milo’s jubition was undisguised, yet Daisuke and Zephyr remained anxious. Daisuke, especially, remained vigint, keenly his surroundings and the rades he still regarded with caution.

  His fiwitched in anticipation. Even though their levels far surpassed his own, just a moment’s notice was all he would o summon his dagger and dispatch all three individuals within a heartbeat.

  Just before he activated the Eye of Verity to assess his surroundings, the panoramic view ahead briefly distorted, introdug more questions than answers.

  “It’s okay,” Milo reassured with a smile. “There’s no need for arm; we simply reyed a message.”

  The reassurance was ambiguous at best, but as an invisible force field silently lifted, revealing the elusive Elmridge vilge, Daisuke dispyed rare surprise. Elena, Rexar, and Milo observed his rea with fasation.

  Rays of sunlight filtered through clouds, casting ns of soft light over a mysterious settlement. Beyond an rown and vibrant meadow were the traces of intelligent life. Instead of ventional houses made of timber, stone, cy, or straws, rge mounds covered in grass were led in the shadows of lofty trees.

  Except for the rge, round stones blog the entrance of each dwelling, the ndscape retained a natural and rgely unaltered appearahis gave the impression more akin to a hidden fortress rather than a cozy and inviting sanctuary.

  Despite the beautiful weather, the vilge seemed devoid of life. ed, Daisuke g the others, fearing the worst. Yet, they exuded ess, eveimentality.

  “Ruff!” Zephyr’s bark hi signs of life. On closer iion, Daisuke realized the vilge wasn’t deserted; its inhabitants were merely cautious. They peeked through doorways and inspicuous ventition holes, the strangers warily from their unique dwellings.

  Suddenly—

  “Big Brother!”