Chapter 35

"Wow! It's way too thick, Tōru!"

"Is it meat festival day today, Tōru?"

In front of the sizzling slices of thick-cut boar meat on the iron plate, Sora and Mū let out loud, excited voices.

Their faces were as melted as the butter served alongside the meat.

The meal also included a hearty stew of ribs cooked with white beans, round potatoes, and onions.

There were also skewers of minced and strongly flavored parts of the boar, wrapped and grilled.

Additionally, there was a mushroom soup and some slightly higher-quality, softer bread.

"There's still more, so please help yourselves."

Encouraged by the smiling beauty, Tōru picked up his knife and fork.

Despite being as thick as four fingers stacked together, the meat cut easily, almost without resistance.

He took a bite and chewed.

First, the rich flavor of the fat spread throughout his mouth.

Then, the meat juices, full of umami, flowed in.

It was simply delicious.

Tōru took a bite of the meat and washed it down with a cold rye beer.

He quickly finished his first steak and reached for the skewers next.

The meat was soft, but the addition of herbs and garlic eliminated any gamey taste, allowing the umami to be fully appreciated.

The hidden red pepper added a slight spiciness, which went perfectly with the rye beer.

He then reached for the stew.

The seasoning was just salt, but the broth was infused with the flavors of the vegetables and the bones, making it an irresistible dish.

The meat that fell off the ribs was also delicious, having absorbed the flavors.

He soaked the remaining broth into the bread, savoring every last drop.

As he did so, a second, steaming steak was brought out.

It seemed the innkeeper's promise of plenty was true.

Glancing to the side, Tōru saw that Sora was already on her third steak.

Mū, not to be outdone, was biting into the meat on her fork.

At their feet, Kuro and Shima were also engrossed in the boar meat, their fangs sunk in.

Seeing this, Tōru's lips curved into a slight smile, and he tackled the meat in front of him.

"Phew, I ate too much. I can't move another step."

"It's because you ate five of them, getting carried away."

Tōru responded with a sigh to Sora, who looked completely satisfied and happy.

Mū, who didn't even have the energy to speak, was lying down, rubbing her swollen belly.

The two cats, on the other hand, were calmly grooming themselves.

"Hehe, thank you for the meal."

"No, thank you very much, innkeeper."

Tōru bowed to Yuriru, who had prepared the feast for them.

The young beauty, with her silver hair swaying, smiled happily again.

After being questioned and explaining repeatedly, Tōru and his companions finally settled down three days after the "Great Outbreak."

Today was a celebratory dinner to mark the end of all the troublesome tasks.

Incidentally, the boar meat was from the boar Tōru had trapped and felled, as well as the one Sora and Mū had taken down together.

They had also successfully obtained the tail, a required part for the quest, so Tōru and Sora's adventurer cards had changed to blue, indicating the Bronze rank.

This promotion gave Tōru an additional year of grace in his adventurer career.

In Tōru's case, he had also defeated a Hobgoblin Chief, but since Yuriru, who is not an adventurer, had helped, and the dungeon itself had not been cleared, his promotion to Red Iron rank was postponed.

For Tōru, who didn't want to stand out too much, this was a welcome arrangement.

Additionally, clearing the dungeon would grant some special ability to the skill tree, which would be a missed opportunity.

For the party as a whole, Sora and Mū's <Sensory Sharing> had increased their combat strength.

They had also received two gold coins as a reward for preventing the monster invasion and had ordered new equipment with the boar's hide.

The preparations for moving forward were steadily falling into place.

However, Tōru wanted to add a powerful new member to the party.

This was Yuriru, who had demonstrated exceptional magic skills during the "Great Outbreak."

Mū for reinforcement and detection.

Sora for defense and counterattack.

If Yuriru, who could hinder monster actions, could fit in well, the party would become even stronger.

Moreover, having an experienced rear guard would provide peace of mind in case of emergencies.

"Ms. Innkeeper, could I have a word with you?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Would you like to join us on our adventures?"

It was a straightforward question, without any ulterior motives.

In such moments, Tōru was a stubbornly honest man.

"Your invitation is very flattering, but I'm just an old lady and would only be a hindrance."

"…There must be some other issue, then."

Yuriru must have known that without her, they wouldn't have been able to handle the number of monsters.

She was not a hindrance but rather a valuable asset.

Moreover, despite calling herself old, Yuriru still looked young after three days.

She was already aware that she had been rejuvenated during the battle.

While Tōru's <Restoration> could return her to her original old appearance, he didn't want to take away her beauty and health.

He had subtly confirmed this with her, and her blushing and averting her eyes suggested she was pleased with her new look.

Despite the seemingly perfect situation, her vague refusal suggested there was a reason.

If she truly didn't want to join, Yuriru would have declined more firmly.

Tōru gently reached out to the silent beauty's hand.

"I might be able to help. Let me take a look."

Scanning Yuriru's entire skill tree, Tōru found no obvious obstacles.

He then focused on another part.

The skill tree extending from the top of her head had a slanted gray trunk with several thin, icicle-like branches hanging downward.

What caught Tōru's attention, however, was a brown, hardened lump of a fruit near the base.

Moreover, a similar stain, like mold, had spread from the fruit to the trunk.

<Stunted Growth>—Hinders the owner's acquisition of training points and the growth of magic power.

Activation: Automatic / Effect: Major / Range: Self

"This is…"

"You can tell even without a soul detector, Tōru. Yes, this cursed fruit is the reason I had to give up being an adventurer."

Yuriru explained her situation to Tōru and his companions.

From a young age, Yuriru had been exceptionally talented and had a large amount of magic power.

She had been part of a prestigious party of heroes.

While ice-based magic is often considered less flashy, a skilled user could produce terrifying effects.

With Yuriru as a strong support, the party had performed admirably, even bringing down a flying dragon.

However, that changed when they tackled a certain dungeon.

What should have been a day of celebration turned into a life-changing event for Yuriru.

Normally, defeating the dungeon's boss and sealing the miasma would grant a beneficial skill tree fruit.

But this dungeon, later known as the "Mage Slayer," had a terrible trap.

It would bestow a negative effect on anyone with magic power.

The result was this.

The training points gained from defeating monsters were reduced to one-tenth, and using magic would decrease her magic power instead of increasing it.

The reason Yuriru had been rejuvenated was likely due to this effect.

Cursed, Yuriru was deemed non-essential by her party and retired from adventuring in disappointment.

She then became a teacher in this town, nurturing the next generation of adventurers.

"…I see."

Tōru firmly held Yuriru's hand, who had confided her painful past.

While the branches of the skill tree could be restored, removing the cursed fruit from the trunk was impossible due to the time-based nature of <Restoration>.

Feeling helpless, Tōru was silent, but then the girl spoke up.

"Can I take a look too?"

"Y-Yes, of course, go ahead."

"Okay, Mū, can you help me?"

"Mū is too full to move right now."

"Oh, come on. If you lie down right after eating, you'll become a fat cat."

The black and striped cats, accused of something unfair, protested with meows.

After some resistance, Mū gave in to Sora's head-scratching.

The moment Tōru's vision was shared, Yuriru gasped in surprise.

"Oh my, being able to see my own tree is such a strange feeling."

"Hehe, isn't it great, Ms. Innkeeper?"

"That's thanks to Mū!"

"Okay, okay, I'm busy now, we'll talk later."

The girl, who had silenced Mū with head-scratching, silently examined Yuriru's skill tree.

Suddenly, she increased her magic power and activated a magic skill.

"Hey!"

Tōru, who had been looking on, turned back to Yuriru at Sora's prompting.

—The color of the fruit on the tree's trunk had changed.

Tōru's eyes were drawn to the part that had turned a pure white.

<Enhanced Growth>—Enhances the owner's acquisition of training points and the growth of magic power.

Activation: Automatic / Effect: Moderate / Range: Self

"Wha—"

"Hehe, I did it. How about it, Ms. Innkeeper? Huh? What?"

Tears welled up in the stunned beauty's eyes as the confident girl looked worried.

Sora, who had been patting Yuriru's shoulder, recalled that <Reversal> could reverse the target's attack or effect.

"…I see. You reversed the curse."

"I just thought I could try it."

Laughing carefree, Sora gently embraced Yuriru, who had been freed from years of a curse.

Tears streaming down her face, Yuriru accepted the embrace.

She also squeezed Tōru's hand, which had been holding hers.

This was a clear acceptance of Tōru's request.

The girl also placed her hand on top of theirs.

Even Mū, who had gotten up, reached out to touch them.

The warmth of the four hands overlapping slowly spread through Tōru's chest.

This was just a new beginning.

Even with the four of them together, the future was still uncertain.

But for Tōru, it was an incredibly exciting and hopeful prospect.

Facing the vast wilderness in his imagination, Tōru unconsciously scratched under his chin.