Chapter 20

Happy New Year.

"Aa-uu, uu"

"What are you groaning like a fish out of water, girl?"

After staying overnight at the Guardian's Tower and transferring a bit more MP, Kena received a donkey and a cart at the knights' garrison and returned to Helsper. She immediately visited Keirick, and it seemed that the news of the capture of the bandit leader had already spread. The man bowed deeply in gratitude.

The eradication of the remaining bandits in the fort had not yet been carried out, so the western outer trade route would only be passable after the extermination team confirmed it was safe.

The next day,

Arbiter's words to Kena, who was troubled by whether she had done the right thing, were as follows.

Incidentally, Pons is a popular catfish-like fish in the Edged River, commonly used in home cooking, whether grilled or boiled.

After a moment's hesitation, Kena thought that Arbiter wouldn't blab and told him about the capture of the bandit leader the previous day.

"Hmm, so that's what he was like. But his actions were quite childish... I've met the demon race, but I've never heard of anyone that bad."

Well, he's a player who looks like a young man but has the mind of a child.

She couldn't say that even if her mouth were to split, so she fudged it.

In the current Riedale, the demon race is treated no differently from other races, and there are few who openly discriminate against them.

"Well, I wasn't there, but I think your judgment was right, girl?"

"Huh? But I'm a bit worried about letting him live..."

"Wait a minute. Didn't you go there on a supply mission? Even if the boss's wishes were included in the supplies, we adventurers act on requests, and the judgment is up to the one who made the request."

"Is that... so?"

"Either way, the damage has affected the country. Handing him over to the knights and leaving the judgment to the country was not a mistake. It's not your place to worry. If you had taken action without a request and killed him, it would have been a national embarrassment."

Kena didn't want to cause friction with the country, but just the fact that no one told her "It's your fault" face-to-face made her feel more at ease.

Arbiter smiled at the slightly relieved look on Kena's face.

"Thank you, Arbiter. I appreciate you listening to me."

"Ah, the advice of a senior adventurer is a bit helpful. The payment is cake."

"Actually, I like it?"

Arbiter laughed with a "hahaha" to cover it up, and Kena smiled wryly.

When Kena was about to go to the market to replenish her supplies, a returning member of the group stopped her.

"Hey, Kena. We have a visitor."

"Huh, really?"

The member pointed behind him, and there stood Keirina in knight's armor.

"First, please accept this."

Keirina said she had a lot to talk about, so they decided to walk around the city.

Away from the bustling commercial district, Keirina handed her a small bag.

Kena, ignoring its appearance, peered into the surprisingly heavy bag. It was filled with countless silver coins.

"What's this? Is this the reward Keirick mentioned yesterday?"

For a supply mission that was actually a ruse to reclaim the bandit-controlled territory, the amount was unusually large.

It seemed to be worth about two gold coins.

"I heard it's the total amount of the requests at the Adventurer's Guild. My grandmother kept her name hidden and, in a third-party, benevolent manner, convinced the merchants to pool their resources. Thanks to her, many merchants are grateful to the unknown adventurers."

Kena's face showed confusion as she recalled the 30% of the requests on the board that said "Please deal with the bandits."

Keirina laughed at the thought of the excessive reward.

"Actually, she did that much work. There was talk of giving her a commendation from the country, but I managed to stop it. I don't think she wants to become famous."

"Thank you, Keirina. I would have been at a loss if I had been handed a summons."

"However, I have informed the king, the prime minister, and the head of the knights about my grandmother. I told them she is related to the Guardian's Tower and is averse to power, so I don't think they will bother her unless it's something serious. Please be careful, though."

"Okay, got it."

The Guardian's Tower has a lot of anecdotes passed down from those who remember the old days because there are many elves in the country.

Kena heard that strange stories were rampant, but since the only one around was Opus, she was pretty sure the rumors were true.

For example, the castle turned into a carriage and ran around.

Or, a real ghost burst into the house shouting, "I'm here for chicken."

Or, on a full moon night, a golem and a dragon beat a cylindrical log with clubs. The content was enough to give anyone a headache.

"By the way, what happened to the demon race we caught the other day?"

"We pushed him into a secure cell in the dungeon. According to the jailer, he's just standing there in a daze. What's the meaning of the collar you put on him? It can't be taken off no matter what."

"I don't think anyone else can take it off. Just think that if you do, the castle will blow up."

"Understood. I'll pass that on to everyone."

"One more thing to note. The collar reduces his abilities to one-tenth, but it can't interfere with the contents of his item box. He might have some explosive items that can be used at low levels, so I recommend tying him up tightly so he can't move."

"Ah, got it."

Items that can be used in the game, including weapons and armor, have a minimum level requirement.

The Tyrant's Armor can't be equipped until level 150, so the "Punishment Collar" must have been removed as soon as it was attached last time.

It's probably stored in the item box.

While there are quite a few recovery items that can be used at low levels, it's unknown how many the demon race has.

There are all kinds of attack and support items, and some can be used at level 40.

The stun bomb Kena used to knock out Skullgo and Maymay can be used by anyone at level 30.

The power depends on the creator, but if used indoors, it should be able to take out a group of thugs.

"By the way, what's your position in the knights? Your skills are better than the head of the knights, right?"

Kena didn't use the word "level" because people in this era don't know about the level system.

They only have a general sense of being strong or weak.

"I'm currently part of a squadron in the knights, but I'm actually a mentor. The current head of the knights is my disciple."

"Oh, so you were suddenly integrated into the knights because the bandit problem became serious?"

Kena nodded in understanding.

That explained the unusually respectful attitude of the regular knights and why the head of the knights readily followed Keirina's advice.

In Kena's estimation, the hierarchy would be "Regular Knight < Flame Spear Mercenary < Head of the Knights < Arbiter <<< Keirina."

If anything, the lack of practical combat experience was what made the knights weaker than the adventurers.

"The knights have always been weaker than the adventurers, both now and in the past."

"Ah, sorry."

Keirina bowed her head in embarrassment.

Kena added that she only brought up the past to avoid any misunderstandings, but Keirina, who understood the situation, didn't argue.

After a while of casual conversation, another knight called Keirina, and the meeting came to an end.

"Well, Grandmother, I'll take my leave here. Since things are probably coming to a head, and the caravan you're guarding is likely to reach an agreement soon, this might be the last time we meet."

"Hmm, that does make me a bit sad. Well, if there's anything I can do that doesn't involve power, just call me through Maymay?"

"From Felskeiro to Helsper? That would be quite a journey."

"Oh, no problem. I've registered a [Teleport] to this capital, so it's instantaneous."

"Huh, teleport... eh!?"

Keirina deeply regretted hearing Kena's offhand remark.

She knew Kena was the greatest mage, but even in normal conversation, words that flew far above the heads of ordinary people came out one after another.

For the sake of her mental health, Keirina ended the conversation early and left with the knight who had called her.

Kena was impressed that court life must be tough, seeing Keirina's flustered appearance.

(Well, I don't care anymore that I'm called Grandmother. It's scary how one gets used to things.)

With the unexpected windfall (though the amount was no joke), Kena decided to buy some local wine as a souvenir and headed to the market.

Of course, she also bought a large amount of cake ingredients and returned to the inn.

When she got back, Aeline had returned and told her that the negotiations had progressed faster than expected due to the capture of the bandit leader, and they would leave Helsper the next day.

The western outer trade route was still unusable, so they would return via the eastern trade route again.

"So, it's up to me again, huh..."

"I'm counting on you, nameless adventurer."

Aeline pushed up her glasses with a smile that Kena found unsettling, and Kena's cheeks twitched.

It was no longer a matter of hiding; it was already out in the open.

Then, Aeline's subordinate, Shurs, who was part of the caravan with his family, handed Kena a small bag.

It was also filled with a large amount of silver coins.

"This is your share. Quite a few of the figurines sold."

"Um, how many did I make? Eighty?"

"A total of 120. There were no leftovers, so they all sold out. At eight silver coins each, with your 40% cut, that's three silver coins and ten copper coins. In total, 384 silver coins."

"So, 19,200 copper coins? That's enough to stay at Marele's for 480 days..."

Including the bandit extermination fee, it would extend to 730 days. Incidentally, the quick calculation was done by Key.

However, those around who heard the conversation were so deflated by the simplicity of the conversion method that they fell face down everywhere.

Kena tilted her head at the stunned expressions of the people around her.

"...Wait a minute... You got a lot of money, and is that the right way to convert it...? You really are different, girl..."

"Yeah... Maybe you should use it for something more substantial..."

"This is the true essence of Kena. Should I learn from it, or be amazed...?"

Unaware of the comments, Kena distributed the sweets she had bought at the market to the women and children in the caravan.

The return journey proceeded smoothly without any notable incidents.

The lost horses had been properly replaced, so there was no need for Kena to summon her creatures.

When they crossed the border where troops had been dispatched again and approached the Edged River, they found Felskeiro's knights and soldiers gathered on the riverbank.

There were large piles of timber, as if they were about to build a bridge.

However, there was not a single laborer in sight, so Aeline stopped the caravan to assess the situation.

The knights seemed to have noticed the approach of the caravan, and a representative who looked like the person in charge approached.

Kena, reminded of the arrogant knight she had met at the arena, quickly hid behind the carriage.

She had a feeling it would be troublesome.

However, trouble tends to come even when you don't want to get involved.

When Aeline returned from talking to the knight, she told everyone that they were about to start building a bridge here.

"Right now? How?"

"There's no one to do the work, and I don't see any tools for the job?"

When told that there were materials but no personnel, Kena had a hunch.

Looking around from the carriage, she spotted her youngest son crossing the river in a small boat.

"Kartatsu!"

"Mom! What are you doing here?"

Seeing the familiar dwarf approaching, Kena sighed in relief, "I knew it."

The knights, who didn't understand the situation, murmured among themselves.

Aeline and Arbiter, who knew about the two's relationship, didn't react much.

They just held their heads in their hands, feeling a strange sense of dissonance.

On one side was a beautiful elf girl in her late teens, and on the other, a rugged dwarf with a beard.

"Is this for real? I thought I heard wrong."

"Those two are mother and son... It's as strange as one of the Seven Wonders of the Continent."

Kartatsu, as a dedicated engineer for the country, was accompanied by guards, who were wary of Kena.

To avoid any misunderstandings, Kartatsu explained their "mother and son" relationship and then told Kena why he was there.

"Ah, because the western outer trade route can't be used, they're planning to build a proper bridge here, right?"

"Well, the bandit boss was captured before the bridge was built. It seems that Felskeiro will also send troops to help with the eradication of the remaining bandits, in cooperation with Helsper. Either way, my job remains the same."

Since they were there, they decided to work together on the project, and the two of them drew a rough sketch of the bridge on the ground and discussed it.

The squadron leader, who was in charge of the knights, approached Arbiter and his group.

Arbiter was well-known in the Adventurer's Guild and had once been a member of the knights, so it was easier for the knights to talk to him.

"Arbiter, is it true that the elf woman is Kartatsu's mother?"

"I swear on my spear, it's true!"

Arbiter's firm statement made several soldiers widen their eyes.

It was a well-known story in the country that the High Priest Skullgo, the Headmaster Maymay of the Royal Academy, and the Chief of the Shipyard Workshop, Kartatsu, were siblings.

In other words, the elf woman was the mother of those three famous people.

"But there's not a single laborer in sight to build the bridge?"

"Yes, Kartatsu is an expert in 'ancient techniques' that can construct things without human hands. As long as the materials are ready, it's not a problem."

"Oh, right, the girl used a similar technique. If the parent can do it, the child can too, right?"

While they were nodding in agreement, Aeline interjected with a warning.

"You two, the situation seems to be getting a bit strange."

"What do you mean?"

The two, who had been getting along well, were surprised to find themselves in a tense atmosphere.

"Why are you building the bridge so close to the riverbank! If you make a slope above it, it will be harder for the carriages to climb, and the horses will be pitiful!"

"Mom, if you build the bridge parallel to the water like that, it will be washed away in a flood! The bridge needs to be high above the water!"

"Why are you using so much material for the piers!? If you reduce that, you can make the bridge deck better!"

"Mom, you're underestimating the river. As long as the foundation remains, the bridge can be rebuilt. With that much, even a non-expert like me can reconnect the bridge!"

The onlookers, including the caravan and the mercenaries, could only watch in amazement as the two argued like cats fighting.

Kennis, who received a nod from Arbiter, hesitantly stepped in to mediate.

His brave action earned him a chorus of admiration from the soldiers.

"Hey, you two, can't you calm down and talk this out...?"

"Kennis, shut up!" [Intimidation]

"Stay out of this, outsider!" [Glare]

"...Okay, sorry."

Intimidated, he quickly retreated.

The soldiers booed, and he retorted, "Well, you try mediating then."

It looked normal, but in reality, it was a 1100-level vs. 300-level confrontation, so no one dared to step in.

"If you build the bridge from before the slope, it will be high enough above the water!"

"That's why I'm saying we don't have enough materials!"

Kena stopped mid-sentence, as if she had just realized something.

The onlookers, who had been watching the monster-class argument, looked at her curiously.

"What? What is it, Mom?"

Kena, who had stopped speaking, suddenly smiled and explained.

"Here, see? If you put iron cores in the piers, you can make up for the lack of materials."

From a third-person perspective, one might ask, "Where did you get the materials from!?"

But Kena was a bit scary, so no one dared to question her.

In fact, these iron balls were stored in the item box of the Opus Tower, the Opekettenschulteim Haymer Clotted Bomber, abbreviated as Opus.

The item box was mostly filled with materials, except for some weapons and items.

With the guardian's