Chapter 13

The carriage galloped down the road.

From the imperial capital to Mints Village, it was about a ten-hour one-way trip. Since a transfer was necessary along the way, we planned to stay at an inn there and set off again in the morning. We should be able to reach Mints Village by noon at the latest tomorrow.

"My butt is so sore... I hate carriages..."

The carriage arrived at the relay point, the town of Yudora.

Alma, who had stepped down onto the sidewalk, sighed as she rubbed her sore bottom. My bottom is just as sore. The sun had already set, and it was a starry night. After being jolted around in the carriage for seven hours, my bottom was sore, and I felt nauseous from the motion sickness.

I felt terrible. I just wanted to take a bath and go to sleep.

We searched for an inn in the night town, feeling rather disheartened.

"Sorry, bro. There's only one room available."

As a major transportation hub, all the inns in Yudora were fully booked. Even though we finally found a place to stay, it was a problem that there was only one room. For a party aiming to be healthy, it wasn't ideal for a man and a woman to share a room.

"Alma, you can stay in the room. I'll rent a shed and sleep there."

"Hey, can't we just sleep together?"

"Sharing a room as a man and a woman is a problem, you know."

"You're overthinking it. Maybe you're blushing? How cute."

"No, I'm not blushing..."

But maybe I do overthink things. As long as we are party members, treating someone specially based on their gender is actually disrespectful, even if it's for their benefit. The correct way for an adventurer is to be able to sleep without worrying about each other.

It seems that my previous party had some gender issues, and I had subconsciously developed a biased mindset. I should just follow Alma's advice and not worry about sharing the room.

After checking in and receiving the key, we headed to the dining room. Although our bodies were tired, our stomachs were also empty. I wanted to enjoy a delicious meal and regain my energy for tomorrow.

However, the food at this inn was terrible. The bad taste even gave me a headache. Even Alma, who had been in seclusion in the mountains, couldn't bear the awful taste and was holding her head.

We silently forced the bad food down our throats and then entered our room.

"The food was terrible, but the room is nice."

Alma looked around the room and let out a sigh of relief.

The room was clean, with no stains on the walls or floor. The bed looked soft and high-quality. The furniture and decor were stylish, and incense was burning.

"I was worried it would be bad, but I can sleep well here."

"Yeah. You can go take a shower first."

I took her up on the offer and headed to the bathroom. I took off my equipment and clothes and entered the bathroom. The bathroom was spacious, with a large bathtub. Taking a bath would be nice, but since we have to leave early tomorrow, I'll just take a shower.

I turned on the faucet and let the hot shower water pour over me, and my body instantly relaxed. The water pressure was strong, and just standing under it seemed to wash away my fatigue. In inns where we stay during expeditions, the showers often have low water pressure, but this one was a hit. If it weren't for the bad food, it would be a perfect inn.

After thoroughly washing my body, I put on my clothes and returned to the bedroom.

In the bedroom, Alma was doing stretching exercises. Her body was so flexible that she could touch the floor with her upper body while doing a split.

"Noel, are you done with the shower?"

"Yeah, it was a good bath. You should go too."

"Okay."

Alma stood up from a forward bend by doing a back handspring. I'm pretty confident in my own flexibility, but I think I'd lose to Alma if we had a contest.

"Your muscles are really well-defined when you take off your coat."

Alma's gaze was fixed on my upper body, which was only covered by a shirt.

"Great. Amazing. You look like a wild beast. Your muscles are well-defined and have no excess."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Can I touch a little?"

"Sure, a little..."

When I agreed, Alma started touching my body. She rubbed and caressed me with her fingertips, touching me without restraint. It was ticklish and I almost laughed.

"You said a little, but this is going too far. I'm getting angry."

"Right. I'll stop here."

Alma reluctantly took her hands off me.

"I had a good experience. Thanks."

"You're welcome..."

"You have a great body. ...But it's a shame."

"What's a shame?"

"To build a body like that, you need relentless effort. You can't achieve it with just average training. But no matter how much you train, Noel, you can't match the front-line fighters. It's just the result of effort without talent. It's a shame. If your job was the same as the Indestructible Demon, you could have become the strongest adventurer."

I was momentarily stunned by her straightforward words.

"...Alma."

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

"Huh? Like this?"

Alma closed her eyes as instructed. I then gave her a light tap on her forehead.

"Ouch! Why!?"

"Because you were being meddlesome."

I sighed and lay down on the bed, pointing to the bathroom.

"I'm going to sleep. Go take a bath quickly."

"Ugh... Okay..."

As Alma headed to the bathroom, I let out a sigh.

"I know that better than anyone..."

I'm fully aware that I lack the talent of a job. But the only thing I can do is to keep trying without giving up.

To keep the promise I made to my grandfather and to not give up on my own dreams... Even if there's a chance I won't succeed, I have no intention of stopping.

As I closed my eyes and thought about tomorrow, I heard the sound of water filling the bathtub. It seems Alma was going to take a bath after all.

"I wonder if she can wake up on time tomorrow..."

There are only two carriages to Mints Village, one at 8:00 AM and one at 3:00 PM. If we miss the early morning carriage, we'll have to spend more time in this town.

Despite my worries, Alma seemed to be in a good mood and was singing in the bathroom.

The gentle melody and peaceful lyrics were soothing. As I lay there listening, I felt my consciousness gradually drift away.

"---You must become an adventurer who never loses. You must become a man worthy of the Stollen family name. That is my wish."

In my dream, I heard my grandfather's voice. It was a dream I had seen many times since that day. The scorched earth of my hometown, my grandfather growing cold in my arms.

"...I promise, Grandpa. I will become the strongest adventurer."

And I declared my resolve to my grandfather.

Every time I have this dream, a cold sadness and a burning passion swirl in my heart. Just as strong winds are created by a large temperature difference, a strong will that can consume everything is born.

I will absolutely become the strongest adventurer.

I heard the faint chirping of birds. It was a sign that morning had arrived. Perhaps because I had seen this dream many times, my consciousness remained clear. The dream ended. I opened my eyes. A new day began.

"......Hmm. ...Huh?"

The first thing I felt was a suffocating sensation. Then, the floral scent and soft texture that enveloped my face. Realizing it was human skin, I jumped up.

"This stupid woman..."

Next to me, Alma was sleeping soundly. That was fine; we had planned to share a bed from the start.

The problem was that Alma was sleeping naked. She wasn't even wrapped in a towel, completely naked. In other words, what had enveloped my face were Alma's overly large breasts. It seemed they had been used as a pillow.

"Even if you don't care, there are limits..."

I felt a dizziness that wasn't due to just waking up. I could control myself, but if it were another man, it would have been a big problem. Men are simple creatures. Normally, if a man's face is buried in breasts, he would be instantly defeated. Thinking about the potential trouble that could arise, I even felt a headache.

"Hmm... There are so many fried buns... Hehe..."

As I held my head, Alma mumbled happily in her sleep.

"Just die buried in fried buns!"

Exceeding my limit, I slapped Alma's chest.

†

†

"Can't believe you hit a girl's breasts..."

"Shut up, it's your fault."

"Noel, do you have that kind of fetish? I'm a bit scared, big sister."

"Shut up, you're not my big sister. ---Oh, I can see it."

We managed to board the early morning carriage. After a three-hour bumpy ride in the old carriage, we finally arrived at our destination, Mints Village.

"Hello, everyone from Azure Expanse! Thank you for coming on such short notice...?"

The balding man who greeted us, the village chief, tilted his head when he saw us.

"Um, where are the others?"

"The three from before have left. This is our current party."

"Huh? ...Is, is it okay?"

It's understandable that the village chief was worried. With only two adventurers, it's natural to feel uneasy. Moreover, neither Alma nor I looked particularly strong to the untrained eye, which probably added to his confusion.

However, if it were truly impossible, we wouldn't have made the ten-hour journey. We have a solid plan. We have a 99% chance of success.

"Chief, don't worry. We'll wipe out the bandits today."

"K-kill them all..."

My bold words startled the village chief.

In such situations, it's best to show a bit of roughness as an adventurer. It reassures the client. Indeed, the worried look on the village chief's face had disappeared.

"Understood, I'll leave everything to you. Please come to my house for the details."

Mints Village was a typical border village. It had no notable products, and the lord was a typical incompetent type, so the villagers' lives were never easy. The chief's house, where we were led, was a wooden building that couldn't be called impressive.

"Please, have some tea."

We were led to the living room and seated at a table, where the chief's wife served us tea.

Behind her was her daughter, who was ten years old this year. She had her hair in a ponytail and her face was covered in freckles. She was a typical country girl, but her features weren't bad. If she learned a bit of fashion when she grew up, she could become the village's madonna.

Remembering that I had played with her a year ago, I watched her with a nostalgic feeling. Embarrassed, she ran off to the back of the house.

"I'm sorry, she's at a difficult age... She was actually looking forward to your visit."

The chief bowed apologetically, and I chuckled.

"That's my fault. Our former leader, who was the most popular, is no longer with us. She must be disappointed."

"No, the one she often talked about... Let's leave that aside. Now, let me explain about the bandits."

According to the chief, the bandits appeared five days ago. They had already attacked the neighboring village, causing many casualties and taking all the money and food, leaving the village in disarray.

The bandits numbered about twenty. They were unfamiliar faces in the area, likely drifters. Their hideout hasn't been identified, but they were seen heading into the eastern forest.

"Got it. That's enough information."

If I take the chief's words at face value, it should be easy to eliminate them.

The bandits were able to raid the neighboring village with a group of twenty because they had a few skilled fighters who could overpower the village's resistance. But even so, it's still an easy job. After all, they are bandits who prey on the weak. Their combat ability is far inferior to professional adventurers.

Of course, I won't be complacent. As an adventurer who has taken the job, I will do my best to eliminate them.

"Now, let's talk about the reward. For eliminating a group of twenty bandits, we will receive 200,000 fil as a down payment and 300,000 fil upon success, totaling 500,000 fil."

"500,000 fil... That's quite a lot..."

"Killing twenty people for 500,000 fil is a bargain. After all, it's 25,000 fil per person. Or would you rather save money and suffer the same fate as the neighboring village?"

"N-no, that's not what I meant! I-I