Chapter 21

Subtitle...

"Hmm, which one should I choose, according to the words of the heavenly god..."

Keena, who had returned to Felscayro, had resumed her life as an adventurer, sending each day in this manner.

Even without being picky, she could take on and complete any request that came her way. However, if she did that, she would end up taking jobs from new adventurers who were just starting out, so Arbiter had advised her to refrain from doing so.

Therefore, she chose requests that were not too difficult and wouldn't tie her up for days on end.

"Well, there are all sorts of troubles, aren't there?"

Despite at least 8 to 10 requests being taken care of every day, there was no sign of any gaps appearing on the board where requests were posted.

There were about 20 permanent residents at the Felscayro Adventurer's Guild, and not all of them took on requests every day, but new requests seemed to come in daily.

"Well, as long as people live, their needs increase. If it's not in the city, they have to go out and look for it, so the troubles never end."

A large, heavily armored man who was loitering due to boredom overheard Keena's muttering and responded. The other members of his party, who seemed to share similar thoughts, also laughed in agreement.

"Even if you can solve problems in the city, many are not good at handling rough jobs."

A slender young man who looked like a mage added, "That's true," and the other members nodded in agreement.

"Like finding a cat. I wonder how many cats they think are in this city!"

"Yeah, that was tough. When I say 'cat,' I mean a baby Gore Tiger. I wanted to tell them not to keep such dangerous animals in the city."

"The lady who requested it was nice, though."

A Gore Tiger is a giant tiger with a carapace covering its head and back. It's not uncommon for nobles to tame the young of fierce beasts. While looking at the request board again, Keena's back was seen by a group reminiscing about their early days as adventurers. Keena thought it was nice to listen to such stories and picked up the request she had initially set her sights on.

--- Food Procurement: Horn Bear Meat Required. Requester: White Tail of the Black Rabbit. Reward: 8 silver coins

Keena remembered hearing about the restaurant from Kataru. It was a high-end restaurant where brothers would gather for meals.

(I wonder what kind of stories they've been telling. It would be interesting to hear.)

Since returning to Felscayro, Keena had asked Kataru to pass on a message to Maimai to "get ready." It had been three days since they last met. According to Rops, who had seen her in the city, she was suffering daily from the fear of when Keena might come. Keena was considering forgiving her soon.

(Well, after this job is done...)

After submitting the request form at the reception, a familiar receptionist named Almana greeted her.

"Keena. The delivery for this is directly to the store, but should I explain the location?"

"I think I'll be fine if I ask someone. If I get lost, I'll ask a snail."

Keena's carefree smile made Almana feel as if the world was tilting.

Using the high priest as a messenger... She knew it, but it was a difficult statement to understand.

The high priest, who had once rushed into a cheap inn with a changed expression, had become a rumor, and it was a well-known fact among adventurers that Keena was the mother of the famous three brothers.

Most people dismissed it as "ridiculous" or laughed it off as a joke.

However, the Adventurer's Guild was a place that dealt with precise information.

The staff knew it was true, but it was a cruel thing to have it reaffirmed right in front of them. The fans of the precious existence, who often made statements putting the mother on the same level, would be in a state of disbelief to learn that the person in question was such a young woman.

Unaware of the mixed feelings of envy or hostility directed at her by the women in the city, Keena left the guild in high spirits and headed for the market.

She needed to buy preserved food as the job might take a few days. She also had to inform the inn that she would be away for a while. On the way, she stopped a few idle boys and gave them a small amount of copper coins. She asked them to deliver a letter to Kataru, informing him that she would be leaving Felscayro for a while due to work.

After defeating Den, Keena had become known as a "scary lady" to the children of the city, so none of them refused her requests. It was a convenient way to communicate, as she couldn't use telepathy with her sons.

Keena had learned from the innkeeper that children who only had one parent or were orphans in the city often earned money by doing odd jobs, so she made good use of this.

Kataru was the front desk because the workshop was easy for the general public to visit.

Keena was hesitating whether to buy preserved food at the market or purchase ingredients and cook on-site when she noticed a pair of women walking a few steps ahead. She recognized one of them as Ronti.

Thinking it might be a coincidence, she hurriedly finished her shopping and caught up to them, calling out.

Ronti, who noticed Keena, clearly looked relieved, but the other woman took a step back and reached for her weapon. Keena, who didn't understand the situation, looked puzzled. Ronti quickly stepped between them and calmed the woman who was about to draw her sword.

After calming her down, Ronti bowed to Keena.

"It's been a while, Keena."

"Hello, Ronti. You look well."

"I'm glad to see you here. I was worried I'd have to search the whole city."

Ronti, who put her hand on her chest and sighed in relief, made Keena wonder about the other woman.

The woman, who had tied her originally long, light pink hair into a bun at the back of her head, had a somewhat stern face but strong-willed brown eyes. Keena, who didn't think much of herself, found her quite beautiful. She was wearing a white light armor designed for women, similar to the armor used by the Felscayro knights. She had a slender sword, probably a rapier, at her waist, and her brisk movements suggested she was skilled with a sword.

Keena, who could see the woman's level at a glance, determined that she was below the level of a regular knight in the Helsper Knights.

"This is my friend from the academy, um... Mai."

The woman, who had relaxed her guard, gave a light bow to Keena, who returned it with a smile. Mai, taken aback by the smile, took a step back.

Keena thought she might be uncomfortable with elves, as she had reacted similarly to Ronti when they first met, but the woman quickly turned her red face away in embarrassment.

Keena, who was unaware of the effect, had a passive skill called "Charm" that made people blush when they met her for the first time without any preparation.

The charm didn't have the power to control someone's mind, but it could slightly improve the first impression.

Ronti, who had seen this before and chuckled, bowed to Keena again.

"Sorry, Keena. I know you're busy, but could you please allow us to travel with you for a while?"

"..."

Keena, who looked like she had been hit by a beanbag, froze at Ronti's request.

After a moment, she rebooted, thought about it, and looked at their outfits, deciding to change her plans.

"Sure, I guess... "

"Really! Thank you so much!"

Ronti, clasping her hands, jumped up in joy and nodded to Mai.

"Wait, wait, Ronti."

"Mai, Keena has agreed to help us. Isn't that great?"

Keena clapped her hands to calm the overly excited Ronti and the flustered Mai, then pointed to a nearby restaurant and invited them to go in.

She had agreed, but she needed to understand the situation.

At the table with light fruit wine, Ronti, who felt she had made a mistake, was being comforted by Mai.

Keena, who sensed a certain elegance in her gestures, thought they might be upper-class friends.

"Are you feeling better, Ronti?"

"I'm sorry, Keena. I acted improperly..."

"Could you at least tell me why you want to travel with me?"

Ronti, who was about to speak, was interrupted by Mai, who turned to Keena.

"Sorry. She's accommodating me. It's my first time going out, so Ronti came with me. She suggested getting a guard who knows the area, but I'm not comfortable with men, so she chose a lady."

"So, it's not a guard request, but you want to travel together? Does that mean you can both protect yourselves?"

The two nodded, and Keena, looking at their outfits and possessions, thought for a moment and placed a dozen silver coins on the table.

Confused by her actions, the two looked at her with tilted heads, and Keena smiled.

"I'm about to leave the capital on a guild request. If you're coming with me, you'll need to prepare for a few days of camping. The money is a service, so use it."

"Y-Yes!"

The two took the money and left the restaurant, with Mai asking Ronti what they needed for camping.

Keena, who had settled the bill, decided to buy more food and headed to the market.

Key, who had memorized the city's structure, would ensure they wouldn't get lost.

They left the capital later than planned, well past noon.

"By the way, what request did you take, Keena?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention. It's a Horn Bear hunt."

"Really? ...A Horn Bear!?"

Keena, who was whistling a light tune as they walked east on the road, was calm, but Ronti turned pale at the request.

A Horn Bear is a bear-like monster with one or two horns on its head, a massive body three to five meters tall, and a tough fur. It's an omnivore that usually lives deep in the forest but can come out to attack people when hungry.

It requires a team of several adventurers to hunt, and even a group of academy students would struggle to defeat one.

Mai, who listened to Ronti's explanation, also tensed up.

They had camping gear, mantles that could be used as blankets, emergency rations, and backpacks to carry them.

Compared to them, Keena, who was clearly lightly equipped, was a mystery.

"Ronti, is that lady going to be okay?"

"Well, her skills have been endorsed by my grandfather, and she's the real mother of the High Priest Skullgo, so I think she'll be fine."

"That woman is the High Priest's mother!?"

"Wait, what? Did Skullgo do something? Did he cause trouble for Mai?"

Keena, who had been whispering, suddenly shouted, and Ronti, who had covered her mouth in panic, looked puzzled as Keena raised an eyebrow.

"Did she touch a woman who came to pray! Skullgo, you've become an enemy of women. I'll punish you when I get back!"

"N-No, no, no! It's just that he sometimes gives me advice!"

Keena, who had clenched her fists in anger, was caught by Mai, who desperately tried to explain.

Ronti, who had never seen her best friend so desperate, was taken aback.

Keena, who had a sudden realization from Mai's red face and desperate expression, smiled a dark smile.

A crescent-shaped dark smile.

"Hmm, I see. So, Mai, you have a crush on my son!"

"Ah!"

Ronti, who cautiously approached the now stiff and red-faced Mai, was surprised.

"Really, Mai? You're serious?"

"Wh-What? Mai, are you really...?"

Mai, who had managed to hide her feelings even from Ronti, was now frozen in place with a face as red as if steam was about to come out.

Keena, who had become a nosy neighbor, crossed her arms and nodded deeply, muttering, "Bingo."

"Being gently advised and hearing sweet words from someone beautiful, it's like a sweet high school romance."

Keena's words, now sounding like an uncle, made Mai, who was already red-faced, bow her head even more, shocking Ronti.

"But it's probably not going to work out since it's her first love..."

"It's not just a light feeling! I'm serious!"

Mai, who suddenly returned to her usual self, lashed out at Keena's casual comment.

However, Keena, noticing the slight distortion of her lips, had a sudden realization.

"Okay, you admit it!"

"N-No, no, no! It's not like that! It's more like... affection!"

"Is that okay? I don't particularly object, and I think it's important."

Mai, who tried to wave her arms to clear up the misunderstanding, was taken aback by Keena's indifferent attitude and made a strange face.

"I don't interfere with my children's relationships. It would be a shame to crush their feelings. Besides, with Maimai, who has a son and daughter in Helsper, having a second husband would be quite free-spirited! I even wanted to say, 'If you want to win my daughter's heart, you have to defeat me first.'"

Maimai, who later heard this from Ronti, was greatly relieved that she hadn't been left behind.

With a mother like that, even the toughest warrior would end up as mincemeat.

As for Rops, who was a non-combatant, the thought of what might happen was terrifying.

The two, who didn't know the extent of Keena's abilities, could only sigh and nod in exasperation.

Just before the sun completely set, the three arrived at a simple camping area along the road and quickly set up camp.

Keena, who could use "Dark Vision" and hear the voices of the trees in the forest, went to gather firewood.

Mai and Ronti, who had long-distance marching training at the academy, cast a simple protection spell over the area.

Keena, returning with a large amount of firewood, helped start a fire, boil water, and make a simple soup with dried meat, wild herbs, and potatoes.

Keena had used "Summoning Magic: Three-Headed Dog" to guard the area while gathering firewood.

Only Keena knew about the dogs, so the two were occasionally startled by strange sounds from the forest as they sat around the campfire.

After dinner, Keena took out materials from her item box and arranged them on her lap, humming a tune.

"Keena, aren't you scared?"

"Not really. It's a forest, and I'm a High Elf. What's there to be scared of now?"

The two, who had been tense, relaxed a bit at Keena's casual response.

(Oh, just as Arbiter said...)

In one of the examples from Arbiter's adventurer lectures, it was taught that the anxiety of those around you can be alleviated just by an older person sitting calmly.

Keena felt a bit happy to be relied on when the effect was so immediate.

In any case, she activated the "Cooking Skill: Pie" for dessert.

The materials on her lap were sucked into a large fireball that appeared between her hands, and a few seconds later, a pie was completed.

Keena, nodding at the familiar good smell, noticed the two sitting across from her were frozen with dropped jaws and wide eyes, and clapped her hands in understanding.

"Oh, this is the first time you've seen me use this outside the academy and with Eirine. I see."

She patted the two, who were in shock, and brought them back to reality, then cut the pie into pieces using leaves from a nearby tree and handed them out.

The two, who had been looking back and forth between Keena and the pie, tentatively took a bite after seeing Keena enjoy hers.

"It's delicious..."

"Really, it's sweet..."

"I'm glad you like it. I divided it into six, so each of you can have two pieces."

Keena, who had quickly finished her share of the sweet treat, stood up and headed towards a stream below the campsite, saying, "I'll be back in a bit to prepare."

"What is she preparing?"

"I can't read Keena's mind either..."

Their questions were soon answered.

With a tremendous explosion and a ground-shaking roar, the two, who had rushed down the hill in panic, found Keena standing in front of a large, cylindrical rock formation, looking satisfied.

"Keena!"

"What are you doing? What is that, a monster?"

"Oh, I just wanted to make a bath. The ground was too hard to process, so I blew it up. Sorry for the noise."

Keena had used an explosion spell to create a hole in the ground, processed river stones into bricks, and used "Warm Water" magic to heat the water from the stream.

Steam was rising from behind the rock wall, which served as a screen.

The two, who were now used to Keena's unpredictable actions, could only be speechless.

Mai, thinking it was better to accept it, pulled Ronti along.

"Wait, Mai?"

"Since it's here, let's use it, Ronti."

"Wh-What? R-Really!?"

"I'll keep watch here, so take your time."

Keena, who had sent the two to the other side of the wall, leaned against the entrance and crossed her arms.

At