Chapter 27

The points have significantly increased. This is all thanks to our readers.

The Iron Dragon Knights are composed solely of elite members.

However, even a renowned sword with a sharp edge will rust, chip, and eventually break from accumulated metal fatigue if not properly maintained.

If this is true for weapons made of steel, such as swords and armor, then it goes without saying that the human body, which is far more fragile, requires even more care.

To manage their health, it is mandatory for the members of the Iron Dragon Knights to take a day off every week.

This rule applies to Nod, who is still in training to become a full-fledged dragon knight under the guidance of the Iron Dragon Knights' instructors.

For convenience in training, Nod often takes his days off on the same days as his instructors. Since his instructor prefers to take his day off in the middle of the week, Nod follows suit.

"Do you have any plans for your day off?"

The setting is the capital of the Hamil Kingdom, inside the barracks of the Iron Dragon Knights' garrison located in the northeast. A fellow Iron Dragon Knight, likely in his mid-twenties, approached Nod and asked about his plans for the day off. Among the Iron Dragon Knights, excluding Nod, he is considered one of the younger members. He asked Nod about his plans for the day off in a casual manner, without any particular intention. If anything, it was because he admired Nod for enduring the harsh treatment from the veteran instructors and not fleeing, but instead diligently training.

Not only this young knight, but many other members of the Iron Dragon Knights also appreciated Nod for his determination and the courage he showed by infiltrating the dragon's nest at a young age. Nod had been unexpectedly well-received by the Iron Dragon Knights, to the point where many were willing to take him under their wing once he was officially appointed.

Nod responded energetically to the question from the senior knight.

"Yes, I'm going to take on a quest as an adventurer."

"……Huh?"

Did he hear it wrong? The young knight asked again, but received the same answer.

"No, no, no, why would you work on your day off? Sure, I keep training, but you gotta rest when it's time to rest."

The young knight waved his hand in front of his face, pointing out Nod's behavior. Nod understood the concern. Indeed, if you don't take regular breaks, the fatigue that accumulates in your body will only get worse.

Even if you get injured, healing magic can mend the wounds, but magic is not all-powerful. It doesn't restore your stamina.

In times of peace, it might not be a big issue, but once war breaks out, the dragon knights will face harsh missions. There's no guarantee that you'll always have access to healing magic, and it would be unacceptable to be in poor condition when the time comes.

Nod is also expected to maintain his physical condition to perform at his best at all times.

"I understand that, but—"

"Then you should take a proper break."

However, Nod has his own reasons. The debt of the Felis family still remains, and he wants to earn more for his family, not just to pay off the debt.

With an indomitable spirit, Nod has been working tirelessly for over a year, taking on various quests almost every day.

But perhaps that wasn't a good thing.

"It's just that I've gotten used to it, and I can't relax if I'm not working."

"………"

Not knowing what to say to his young colleague who had become addicted to work, the young knight stood speechless in the barracks.

§

On his day off, Nod, freed from the dragon knights' training, focuses on earning money.

Unfortunately, without any special skills, the only way for Nod to earn money is by using his body as capital.

If he could use magic or alchemy to create magical potions, he would have more options, but he knows that's not possible.

The ability to use magic, known as magical aptitude, is something that manifests in childhood and is a prerequisite for studying magic.

Just as Nod, through years of training, understands how to wield a sword, maintain balance, and cut with precision, those with magical aptitude can naturally perform magical phenomena without formal training.

This aptitude is a talent that is required to study magic. Since Nod has never had such an experience, he likely lacks magical aptitude.

However, even without talent, it's not impossible to use magic. Just as a baby learns to walk on two legs after crawling, it is possible to learn the knowledge of magic.

It is well known that with enough time, even those not skilled in handling magic can use it.

The difference in talent is cruel, and it doesn't guarantee the ability to use powerful spells like "Inferno" or "Ice Coffin."

However, it is possible to at least create small flames, and most people can learn basic magic with enough effort.

The problem is that there are no teachers willing to teach such ordinary people. If Nod wants to learn, he would need to pay a hefty fee.

To make money through magic, he would need the resources to learn it first.

The world is a harsh place. Nod thought this as he entered the Adventurer's Guild.

§

The Adventurer's Guild building was the same as always.

The bustling noise never ceased, and the lively interactions at the counter resembled a bustling market.

While the Iron Dragon Knights' garrison was also noisy due to the presence of dragons and training, the atmosphere was different. The noise there was necessary, and there were moments of silence during roll calls, making it a controlled chaos.

In contrast, the Adventurer's Guild was a chaotic mess.

People pushed and shoved, argued, and even came to blows. The guild staff didn't intervene, only shouting, "Take it outside!"

Nod skillfully navigated through the crowd to select a quest.

Since he was using his day off (just one day) from the knights to take on quests, he couldn't accept long-term or distant missions.

So, recently, Nod had been taking on quests that were either in the vicinity of the capital or within the city walls.

As a Crystal-class adventurer, Nod had gained a certain level of trust, which expanded the range of quests he could take.

Surprisingly, there were quite a few quests within the capital.

For example, a recent quest was "Seeking a leader for the sewer monster hunt" and "Need more hands for cargo delivery" from the Merchant Guild.

Nod was initially surprised that a Crystal-class adventurer would be asked to move cargo, but it turned out that for valuable items, merchants preferred to hire trusted adventurers to prevent theft.

"Adventurers have the stamina," the merchant explained, and Nod quickly moved a large amount of cargo.

Indeed, it made sense that paying a day's worth of fees to a grown adventurer was a good deal. Nod realized that there was a demand for adventurers as laborers.

Until then, he had focused on high-paying gathering and hunting quests, but adventurers were essentially "handymen."

Occasionally, there were peculiar quests like "Wants to eat baked goods made with golden honey," but Nod had no complaints.

The content of the quest didn't matter as long as he could earn money.

Every day, many new quests were added to the Adventurer's Guild, but if you narrowed down the conditions, there could be times when there were no suitable quests.

In such cases, Nod would reluctantly take on quests from the free board or those for Stone-class adventurers and below, but it seemed he had good luck today.

Nod picked up a quest intended for Crystal-class adventurers and walked to the counter.

§

As Nod, who had just returned home to the Felis family estate after completing a quest, was greeted by a shadow rushing towards him.

"Whoa, be careful!"

"Kyu, kyu~♪"

The shadow turned out to be Neet, a young dragon with green scales.

Since he couldn't bring Neet along, Nod left the young dragon at the Felis family estate when he went out to earn money on his day off.

"Hey, Neet, where are you going... Oh, welcome back."

"Back."

"Kyu~"

Following Neet, who had flown into Nod's chest, a young girl burst into the entrance hall of the Felis family estate.

Seeing the young dragon nestled in Nod's chest, she called out to him.

"Thank you for taking care of him, Iris."

"It's no problem. Neet and I are friends, aren't we, Neet?"

"Kyi!"

The cute girl with golden hair, inherited from her parents, was Nod's younger sister, Iris.

At six years old, she was particularly fond of the young dragon with deep green scales and spent the most time with Neet among the Felis family.

Neet, whose name she had given, was quite close to her due to her frequent interactions.

When Nod asked, "Neet?" she had pouted and said, "It's the dragon Neet! You're so silly, big brother!"

Since then, he had to work hard to make amends.

According to their mother, Maria, Iris had been captivated by the fairy tale of the dragon Neet after hearing it multiple times.

Nod knew the story well.

It was about a kingdom on the brink of destruction being saved by a warrior who turned out to be a dragon in love with the princess.

The story ended happily, but Iris seemed to be applying it to herself and Neet.

"Iris, Neet is—"

"Welcome back, Master Nod."

"Back, Alex."

"The meal is ready, so please come quickly."

"Got it, I'll change and come right away."

"Neet! Let's go together!"

"Kyu?"

Just as Nod was about to speak to Iris, the butler, Alex, in his uniform, greeted them.

Iris, with her arms outstretched, tried to welcome Neet, but the young dragon kept looking back and forth between Nod and Iris, seemingly unsure of whom to choose.

Unable to decide between his beloved family member and his beloved friend, Nod gave a slight nod.

Neet, understanding, chirped loudly and flew from Nod's chest.

Iris and Neet walked side by side, matching their pace, as they headed to the dining room.

Nod watched them and sighed, "Phew," before heading to his room to change.

I plan to update another chapter today (tentatively).