Chapter 4

"Here is my younger sister, Mina Baelroad. Due to certain circumstances, she will be joining us. Mina, say hello."

"Y... Yes... P... Please..."

Mina peeked out from behind Kyle's back, bowed her head, and quickly hid again.

The dress she wore was unsuitable for going to the frontier village, but it certainly suited her.

"Lord Kyle, and Miss Mina too!?"

The Guild Master exclaimed in surprise. Normally, this would be considered rude, but the situation warranted it.

Fortunately, none of the three nobles seemed to be offended by the Guild Master's reaction.

Well, I can't really tell what they're thinking inside.

"Yes, it's quite an honor, isn't it?"

"That... That is true. Of course, it is a great honor. However, as the materials I provided beforehand indicate, the frontier we are heading to is a very difficult place, and I cannot guarantee the safety of anyone."

"What? We are aware that the frontier is dangerous. Isn't that right, Kyle?"

"Yes, Brother Zayeed."

Kyle answered with a tense expression.

"No... but..."

"Rest assured, I have prepared an escort that is more than capable. Alphard Promis! Persia Formalhaut! Step forward!"

"Y... Yes, sir!"

Two seasoned adults, a man and a woman, stepped forward.

Their demeanor and equipment clearly showed that they were highly skilled.

The man was wearing light armor of the Holy Knights, and the woman was wearing light armor of the Royal Guard.

Both of their left hands bore complex emblems.

"Alphard was a remarkable individual, appointed as the leader of a Holy Knight unit at a young age. Persia served as the deputy leader of the female protection unit in the Royal Guard. Both are highly skilled."

"These two are the famous... I see. The defensive force you promised is more than sufficient..."

In this world, a powerful individual can rival the strength of an entire unit.

Indeed, with these two protecting the frontier village, there might be little to worry about.

However, the question remains whether they will protect everyone, not just the nobles.

"No, there's no need for gratitude."

"Frankly, it is impossible to provide an environment suitable for Lord Kyle."

"Guild Master, I am fine."

"But..."

"The person himself says he is fine. There's no need to worry."

"That... is..."

Zayeed leaned in close to Kyle, a shadowy smile on his face.

"What? The success or failure of the frontier village is entirely Kyle's responsibility. If you fail, it's because Kyle couldn't provide proper leadership. Of course, given Kyle's excellence, I believe he will quickly produce results that will satisfy our father and return in triumph."

With that lecherous smile, I understood.

This bastard doesn't expect anything from his brother.

In fact, it seems he has set things up for Kyle to fail.

I couldn't help but see Kyle's determined stance as a reflection of my own past.

"Indeed, this land has been cursed, and every attempt to send settlers has failed. I expect Kyle to fight hard. Ah, and while you're gone, I will support our father with my brother. Take your time."

"..."

I was getting angrier by the minute.

"What? You have been considered useless due to your frail health. You won't miss this opportunity, will you? I expect you to achieve great success and surprise us."

Ah, I see.

He's just trying to get rid of Kyle, either because he's a nuisance or because he's no longer needed.

That's the way it is.

'Craft, you're fired.'

I couldn't help but think back to when I was told I was no longer needed in the party.

That's why I ended up doing something completely reckless.

"Please rest assured. I will ensure the success of this frontier."

"Craft!?"

"Hmm?"

I slowly stood up and placed my hand on Kyle's shoulder.

Alphard and Persia, as well as the soldiers, moved to intervene, but Zayeed signaled them to stop.

Kyle looked at me curiously.

"Who are you?"

"Craft Wauken. Former adventurer, now a production guild member. I will be participating in this frontier."

"Former adventurer? You changed to the production guild?"

"Yes."

"What can a new member do?"

"I will support him. I will ensure the success of this frontier."

(What! Craft!)

You could end up beheaded, you know?

"H... Hahaha! Yes! Good! A settler needs this kind of spirit! Yes! But, isn't that a bit disrespectful?"

"This is supposed to be unofficial, right? I'm just going along with it."

"I see, that's something an adventurer who dislikes authority would say."

"Will you punish him?"

"No, I'll let it slide. In return, I hope to see results that will make me laugh."

"I promise."

The results Zayeed wants will be vastly different, I'm sure!

My emblem is whispering to me.

We can do it!

"Besides, Lord Kyle has already achieved one result, hasn't he?"

"What?"

Zayeed's brow furrowed.

"By hiring me, you've significantly reduced the number of carriages needed. I've contributed a lot to the budget cuts."

"Huh? You have a storage ability?"

"Yes."

"But, Kyle didn't specifically request you, did he?"

"As they say, luck is part of skill."

Zayeed's eyes widened in surprise before he burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Indeed! That's right! The important thing is the result!"

Zayeed continued to laugh, which was really getting on my nerves.

"Hahaha... I've had a good laugh... I'll take my leave now. I wish you all the best."

Zayeed laughed and left with the soldiers.

Should I give him the finger?

"Hey! Craft! What are you doing?"

"Exactly! I almost had a heart attack!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Um..."

"Ah! This is Lord Kyle! My subordinate has been very rude!"

"No, it's fine."

"Lord Kyle, I am deeply sorry for the rudeness."

I knelt before Kyle and bowed deeply.

"Please stand up! I was, in fact, very happy!"

"I'm glad to hear that."

"But, can I ask you one thing?"

"Yes."

"Why did you do that?"

"That... I feel a bit embarrassed, but Lord Kyle's situation reminded me of my own."

"?"

"I was an adventurer until recently, and I was often told I was useless."

Not just once.

Many times.

"Ah..."

"From what I can tell, Lord Kyle seems to be disliked by Lord Zayeed."

"Please... stand up."

At his urging, I slowly raised my head. Kyle's expression was tinged with bitterness.

"In truth, I am frail and, compared to my two excellent brothers, I am truly useless."

"No! Lord Kyle is a noble person who cares for the people!"

The Guild Master called out immediately.

"I don't have the power to save anyone... But! I volunteered for this mission because I wanted to contribute to the people in any way I could!"

Ah, this kid is really pure and kind.

"So, even though I am in a difficult position, I will do my best. I would be very grateful if everyone could support me."

"... I've already declared it. Leave it to me. I will definitely make it work."

"Your words are very encouraging."

What I hate is injustice.

This kid doesn't deserve to be treated like this.

"Our guild will also do its best to support you!"

"Yes! Me too!"

The settlers, who had been holding back, began to stand up one by one.

"Even... us!"

"I know. Lord Kyle called for tax cuts during poor harvests."

"Sure! For Lord Kyle!"

Not just the Guild Master and Reifan, but the settlers who had been holding back also began to clench their fists.

Given Zayeed's attitude, this was to be expected.

"Thank you! Everyone!"

Mina, who had been hiding behind Kyle, also bowed shyly.

After that, the escort party joined us, and we set out.

Alphard and Persia, our two guards, maintained a stern expression throughout.

◆

The journey was just endless walking, so it was very boring.

I may be a former mage, but I'm still an adventurer at heart. Long-distance walking is no problem for me.

Reifan, with his earth gnome blood, didn't seem tired either.

On the other hand, most of the settlers looked exhausted.

If this is how it is on the first day, the future looks grim.

Kyle and Mina, who were in the wagons, also looked quite tired.

After all, they were in cargo wagons, not noble carriages...

At night, tents lined the forest.

Bonfires burned everywhere, trying to keep the night's beasts at bay.

"Hey, Craft. I heard you changed jobs."

"Yeah, Raidock. It's been a while."

Raidock, an adventurer, approached.

He's a lean swordsman, and we were in a party together for a while.

"Is that so... Well, to be honest, you didn't have the talent for an adventurer."

"Don't say that."

"Sorry. But I'm surprised you joined the production guild."

"Me too."

"Frontier village, huh... I'll take care of the safety on the journey."

"I'll back you up if needed."

"Heh. I won't count on it. It seems we have some reliable guards."

Raidock returned to his companions.

He's a capable man.

His adventurer rank is C.

As a guard, he would be a reliable man.

I haven't tried it yet, but since becoming an alchemist, my attack spells should have increased in power. If needed, I'll join in.

"Anyway, the bigger problem is the ordinary settlers."

I spoke to Reifan, who was eating with me.

"True. The journey is about a month. We're supposed to walk through forests and grasslands, but it might take more than twice as long to arrive."

"Right. By the way, I learned alchemy, and there's a potion called a Stamina Potion."

"A potion that significantly increases stamina for a certain period."

"Exactly. It's made from fairly simple herbs, so I was thinking of making some and distributing them."

"That's a good idea, but... we don't have enough herbs."

"What? I checked when we packed, and there were barrels full of dried herbs."

"Well, the amount of herbs needed for one Stamina Potion is a bucket, so we don't have nearly enough."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

That's strange. According to my skill, the amount of herbs needed is just a spoonful.

With a barrel of herbs, we should be able to make thousands... no, tens of thousands.

"Can I try making one?"

"Sure. The herbs were originally for our use."

"Okay."

I took a barrel of herbs from my item box and added a spoonful to a cup of water.

"Alright, this is my first spell, so I'm a bit nervous... 'Alchemy: Stamina Potion'!"

The cup glowed slightly, and the clear water turned slightly yellow.

"Excuse me."

Reifan took the cup and seemed to cast an identification spell.

I remember he learned 'Identification'.

He learned so many spells at once that he hasn't fully grasped them all yet.

"What!? What is this!? No way!!"

"What! What's wrong!?"

"Unbelievable!? With that much material... and the quality is 'Legendary'!!"

"Huh?"

I don't understand what's going on.

---

We've reached the top of the daily rankings!

Thank you all!

Please continue to support us!

I'll try to update two chapters every day until tomorrow, Sunday!