Manowa

The morning after Kazane and the others arrived at Sorae Village.

In front of the sprawled out Yuuko-nee, there was Jinrai acting normally, Yumika saying「When I woke up and master was right in front of me, I was fl.u.s.tered,」and Irisa looking at Jinrai with slightly red cheeks. There was one fickle girl mixed in, but that didn"t mean there was anything in particular. She was simply at a sensitive age.

Then Kazane and the others finished their early morning training and returned to the inn. The cute grandma who was Jinrai"s childhood friend, Mirua, had prepared breakfast and was waiting for them. It seemed that when a lot of people were staying at the inn, she sometimes came to help.

Though only Kazane and the others were staying currently, so there was no shortage of manpower. (Did she want to talk to Jinrai after a long absence?) Kazane thought, and she was probably right.

「What was Jinrai-san like as a child?」

「Yeah. This man was always running around the mountains, saying it was for training.」

During breakfast, Mirua responded to the question asked by Kazane.

「Muu」

Jinrai frowned. Kazane thought (He seems embarra.s.sed, but that isn"t really much different from now, is it?)

「He was always saying he was going to win against Chloe Nee-san. That finally came true the day before he left the village.」

Now as well, he was training to win against Rynox (though Kazane heard he had won once). As she thought, he hadn"t changed much.

「Mirua, that"s enough about that.」

「Oーk.」

Mirua chuckled while sticking out her tongue. She was old now, but she was a cute person. To the point that all the men in the village were in love with her when she was young. However, she was always snuggling up to one man. Even after that man left, her feelings remained the same.

「Heeh, so master has been immersed in training since a long time ago.」

Yumika said while munching on something that was like a cuc.u.mber. Thereupon, Mirua glared at her.

(???)

Yumika reflexively pulled back, but there was nothing in particular, and that time pa.s.sed by.

「It"s for the sake of becoming strong. The determination to constantly do such things is necessary.」

「Well, I have master as my goal, which is sufficient.」

「Don"t say such silly things.」

Jinrai was in an extremely good mood as he said that with a smile. Mirua pouted.

(Even though he was always sullen back then with me)

It almost looked like flames of jealousy were rising behind Mirua"s back. Almost 50 years had pa.s.sed since then. Mirua had brought a handmade lunch to the training Jinrai every day.

Jinrai had always silently eaten the meal made by Mirua under the shadow of a tree. Jinrai had always had a sullen expression as Mirua wiped the sweat from his brow. That was fine back then, and after so long she didn"t wish it had been different, but she was irritated by Yumika"s att.i.tude. She understood that she was simply jealous, so she didn"t let it show on the surface.

(Eh? Eeh? Why am I being glared at?)

No, it seemed that only the person herself thought it wasn"t showing. Yumika was about to cry as she was glared at by the good-natured small animal type grandma. Since the old days, the good-natured Mirua hadn"t been good at hiding her inner feelings, and she couldn"t skillfully deal with her feelings of jealousy.

(Oi, Yumika. Did you do something?)

(Not that I"m aware of. No, but maybe I did?)

This was the first time Jinrai had seen Mirua act like that, so he questioned Yumika in a whisper, but Yumika also didn"t understand. And seeing the secret talk between the two of them further inflamed Mirua"s jealousy.

Louise and Mirua had been friends for a reasonably long time, and as she watched from the side, Louise thought (Oh my, how intriguing) at seeing her shy and quiet friend act like that for the first time. Cindy"s seriousness was dangerous, but there was no problem (in terms of strength) with Mirua, so she was calm.

And a short time after breakfast was over, Chloe came to the inn. Jinrai said「That matter?」Kazane and the others t.i.tled their heads, and Chloe explained. It seemed that Griffons had descended from the floating island and were rampaging in the southern forest, and yesterday, Jinrai had apparently promised to lend a hand.

「I"m from this village. I plan to help hunt. But this isn"t going through the Guild, and there won"t be very much pay, so you can wait here.」

Jinrai said. By the way, the hidden meaning was that he would be fine alone. He wasn"t being reserved with his companions.

「There are Griffons surrounding the floating island, aren"t there?」

Jinrai and Chloe nodded after Kazane"s words. It was said that many Griffon specimens were unable to return to the floating island once they descended, so they would settle down wherever they landed. It seemed that the Griffons that descended this time were rampaging for some reason.

「I wanted to see a Griffon before we went to the floating island if an opportunity came.」

「But, as this fool says, this village has no money, so we can"t pay much.」

Jinrai said「Who is a fool?」after Chloe said that while pointing at him. Yumika said「It"s fine.」

「This is master"s hometown, so we"ll pitch in and help. Besides, we"ve already earned a reasonable amount of money. Right?」

After Yumika"s words, for some reason Kazane turned away.

「Eh?」

And a certain guess came to Yumika"s mind from Kazane"s reaction.

「Wait a second, Kazane, you... it couldn"t be.」

「Fuーfuーfuー」

Kazane tried to gloss over it by whistling, but unfortunately, she failed. Then Kazane tried to run away. However, she was cut off by Yumika.

「Just a minute, you. You should have received a considerable amount of money from the Demon Wolf subjugation, right?」

Yumika wasn"t saying anything strange. There was a small amount of division based on work done, but the money earned from rewards and material sales was basically evenly split in the White Party. So, of course, Yumika knew how much Kazane received.

「Fuーfuー」

As before, no whistling resounded. Regrettable.

As a matter of fact, Kazane had purchased a large amount of silver in Dolmu City to obtain Holy Clay for her tonfas, which used up almost all the a.s.sets she had at that time. The cost performance of Holy Clay was quite bad.

After that, the surplus Holy Clay and the industrial waste Pseudo-silver was sold, so she received some money back, and there was also her share from the Demon Wolf subjugation, but she bought various things like Mana Potions at Deer South, so she was once again barely sc.r.a.ping by.

「This child, did you use it all again?」

「Uuu, don"t talk like a mother.」

Kazane groaned at Yumika"s dumbfounded voice.

「If you had brought back the Dragon Eater material, I could have replenished the bullets!」

Yumika and Emily sighed at Kazane, who suddenly clenched her fist and declared that. She was even full of enthusiasm to use money they hadn"t actually obtained.

「Well, the Griffon materials will become a reasonable amount of money as well. There will be no problem with this time"s traveling expenses.」

Jinrai covered for her. He was spoiling her.

Although it was true that Griffon materials sold for an amount of money that far surpa.s.sed what the average adventurer would call reasonable. Jinrai"s words weren"t wrong, and that would be added to even further if there was a superior, abnormal, or unique variant as well.

「I"m fine. I can still afford inn charges for about a week.」

But Kazane"s wallet had too little surplus. Yumika beside her had already saved up enough money to live affluently in a city for the rest of her life, but the Shorty would be penniless after a week of hikikomori life.

「Well, it"s a bit late to say this, and you"re using it for equipment, so maybe it can"t be helped. But you don"t know when you might need a little surplus, so remember to save up a little.」

「Oーk」

「Kue」

Kazane spiritedly replied, and Tatsuo cried out at the same time. Would they be ok? This parent and child.

Anyway, it was decided that the White Party would defeat the Griffons as a preparatory battle for their floating island capture. It seemed the Griffon flock was in the forest to the south, which was about a half day away on a normal carriage.

Wyverns could sometimes be seen flying in the region, and there were goblins and the like in the area as well. It seemed the Magic Particles were drawn up to the floating island, so the area basically had few monsters.

「So, eight griffons?」

「Mhm. There might also be a variant. We can"t be negligent.」

All members nodded after Jinrai"s words.

Chloe said that it would have been a rank B quest if Jinrai and the others weren"t doing the extermination.

Though considering their recent successive fighting scenes, it was unmistakably a relatively easy job. Jinrai said they shouldn"t be too relaxed, but there was also no need to be too tense.

「Well then, let"s go!」

Then all members replied to Kazane"s yell as the White Party headed to subjugate the Griffons.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Summoning Fighter

t.i.tle: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Draghorn Tonfa x2, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Eating Ogre King"s Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Acc.u.mulator, White Magic Acc.u.mulator, Rainbow Necklace, Rainbow Dragon Ring

Level : 33

Health: 135

Magic Power: 260+420

Strength: 57+20

Agility: 52+14

Endurance: 33

Wisdom : 65

Dexterity : 41

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』『Golden Dusk「Dragon Exclusive」』『Mirror Shield』

Skill : 『Kick Devil』『Warrior"s Memory: Lv2』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog"s Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv3』『Rush』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link: Lv2』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Hand Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『St.u.r.dier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Fabricated Coercion』『Stone Minotaur: Lv2』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『s.p.a.ce Expansion』『Pseudo-Silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』『Arms Creation: Black Flame』『Ingredient Connoisseur』『Dragon Pheromone「Dragon」』

Kazane:「It"s not a request from the Adventurers Guild, but hasn"t it been an awfully long time since we did a normal subjugation?」

Yumika:「Right? I"d like to live a little more calmly.」