Chapter 51

Thank you very much for the 36,000 points!

"Long time no see, Reta!"

"...Aisha? Aisha Allro?"

He recognized the small, heavily armored girl who carried a battle axe as tall as herself. She had short blue hair and a lively demeanor that left a strong impression.

Her name was Aisha Allro. She was a new adventurer who had just joined Reta's adventuring party, "The Jet-Black Wolf."

"Why are you here?"

"That's what I want to know!"

"Ah, right."

"I quit The Jet-Black Wolf."

"Huh?"

"I mean, it was quite a while ago. When I heard that Reta was fired, I protested to the leader, saying, 'What the hell?' Then he told me, 'If you have a problem, quit.' So I did!"

"...I didn't know that happened."

Being fired by the party leader, Jear, was still a bitter memory for Reta. However, if asked if he resented him, the answer would be no. He had fled the capital without even saying goodbye to the other party members, partly because he was afraid to face them, thinking he might be called useless.

"How could you fire someone who helped you so much, Reta?"

"Thank you. Just hearing you say that makes me feel better."

"No, really! I don't know how many times you saved me from injuries when I was just starting out! I tried adventuring solo for a bit, but I kept getting hurt, and the healing costs were sky-high. Potions are expensive, and healers are like demons, charging exorbitant fees. I realized how much you did for us!"

Reta remembered that Aisha was often injured. As a heavy cavalry, she fought at the front lines and was quite brave at sixteen. She was a bit reckless, but that was also one of her strengths. It made him happy to know that she had quit the party and confronted Jear for his sake.

Thinking about her future was a concern, but Reta felt relieved to know that someone had been angry about his sudden dismissal.

"You were always kind to me, Reta. ...I don't want to say bad things, but the other members only saw me as a wall. Only you treated me properly."

"...Aisha."

Despite her frequent injuries, Aisha was incredibly tough. Most attacks bounced off her heavy armor and her own strength. Reta had been saved by her more than once.

"Let's stop the sappy talk! I came to find you, Reta!"

"You came for me?"

"Yes! I wanted to repay you for all you've done! I went to great lengths to find out where you were and finally made it here while working as a guard for a merchant."

"You didn't have to chase after me, Aisha. You must have plenty of work to do."

"No, that's not true! But I never expected to find you doing so well in this town! I knew you could use healing magic, but this is amazing!"

"Haha, I'm surprised myself."

Part of the reason for his success was the opportunities he had been given, but he also owed a lot to Mina's blessings, which allowed him to perform beyond his capabilities and help many people. The high cost of healing in the town was another reason for his popularity.

"To be honest, I wanted to adventure with you again, but if you're doing well as a healer, there's no need to risk dangerous adventures."

To be honest, he still had a lingering desire to be an adventurer. He had started adventuring at twenty-five, inspired by his admiration for them. However, he was happy to be of service to people now, and with two daughters, he couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks.

"Wow, there's a big difference between Reta and Jear, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Huh? You didn't know? Jear is now a bandit."

"He's fallen far, huh? Haha." Aisha laughed.

"---What?"

Reta couldn't believe his ears.