episode_0112

Anton, whom I met after a long time, immediately slapped me on the back! Beaten.

“If you come back, you should say hello to me that you came long ago! You have no manners!”

“It hurts.”

Since he was bigger than me and a strong superhuman, I felt a real numbing pain.

Still, I know better than anyone else that this is his way of greeting people.

He had a faint smell of oil.

“Okay then! I hit you so it hurts, man! It’s been a few weeks since you got back, but why should I hear about you from other people? After causing a major accident in court, are you finally showing your face?”

Next, I patted my back and looked around at my group.

“I guess they are Ian’s new warriors!”

“Hello… . It’s Vivian.”

“This is Helena, the feeble kindling!”

“My name is Lucia.”

The group said their greetings one by one.

“I am Anton Smith! As you can see, I am the general manager of this blacksmith shop! Everyone, think that this is my home and stay in peace.”

Anton smiled happily and nodded.

“Yes. Judging from the fact that they came here like this, it seems like they have basic skills.”

Anton, who was quick-witted, spoke on his own.

Like Ruby, I feel comfortable with Anton because he knows me quite well.

“It looks like the official exam is coming soon, right?”

“There are no ghosts.”

“Cluck cluck. I am someone Let’s take you inside first!”

What followed went smoothly.

First, Helena and Lucia held up various weapons and tried swinging them, checking their weight and distance.

Likewise, I tried on several prepared armors and checked their fit.

Are there any inconveniences or obstacles when moving, what is the weight, etc.

Although I would have done the lightweight enchantment anyway, it was still a process that had to be confirmed.

And now I’m about to go get my body measurements taken with the female employees.

We will create custom armor based on what you just tried on.

I sat next to Vivian in the blacksmith shop and waited.

“Hmm. I somehow feel sorry for Vivian.”

I couldn’t bring just those two, so I brought Vivian as well, but there was nothing worth giving to Vivian here.

Armor would just be cumbersome to her.

So, somehow, I ended up in an uncomfortable situation where I was following him around but receiving nothing in return.

“Oh, no! I’m OK! Really!”

Vivian waved both hands quickly.

“Ruby’s clothing store is like that, and this blacksmith shop is like that. It’s a place so high that I can’t even dream of it. It’s a pleasure in itself to be able to come to a place like this calmly. It’s amazing… .”

“If that’s the case, I’m glad. Well, I’m planning to visit Ruby separately from Vivian, so I hope you don’t feel too left out.”

“… yes? Ta, separately? Two, two of us… ?”

“Probably so?”

Lucia and Helena will mainly wear the armor given by Anton, and unless there is a special reason, there is no need to visit Ruby with me.

Vivian needs to raise the enchantment level of her robe or hat and either repair it or fit it separately.

“… I like it.”

Vivian blushed and wiggled her knees.

Is it that good?

Well, it’s the same as saying you’re going to buy new clothes, but you can’t like it.

“… ah. Now that I think about it, I think we should all go together.”

“Yes… ?”

“It’s getting hotter, so I just remembered that everyone will need summer clothes.”

“… … .”

There was silence for a moment.

The watermill turned with a slightly hot wind.

“Oh my, this guy with a bias against women set fire to the heart of an innocent girl again and fell asleep.”

Anton suddenly appeared, breaking the silence.

“What are you saying about me?”

“What are you doing, you brat? Just like the warriors I took with me last time, they only take pretty girls with me. Wouldn’t it sound like this?”

“… … .”

I can’t refute it because it’s logically correct.

“The guy who is fully married… .”

“No, Anton, please!”

“What, man, did I say something wrong? A guy with a healthy body.”

“Ugh… .”

Anton sat across from me and clicked his tongue.

Meanwhile, Vivian’s face became redder than before.

If you press the cheek, red juice seems to flow out.

“Guy. The devil is good and everything is good, but how long are you going to live alone?”

This is what we always talk about when we meet.

He nags me as if I were a pathetic son who couldn’t get married at his old age.

“I will take care of it.”

“How many wives are you planning on having? .”

“Please be quiet… .”

Finally, Vivian turned her head away.

Anton chuckled as he looked at that.

Anyway, he’s a mischievous old man… .

“I heard a rumor. There is still a lot of noise.”

“Rumor?”

“Yes. That’s the one that broke down in court. You said you decided to reveal it now?”

“Ah. That’s it. Well, it just so happened… . I thought it would be better to reveal it. No, but you didn’t let go of the box, did you?”

“Yes, everyone has their own thoughts.”

He muttered softly and then smiled lonelyly.

Probably thinking about the first party.

Yet, I don’t necessarily say it out loud.

I’m afraid I’ll feel uncomfortable.

He’s like this guy.

He’s very affectionate, he worries a lot, and he’s a bit clumsy.

I got to know him because of his remoteness.

The first time I was eating without knowing how to do anything properly, I was given food by Anton, who was passing by by chance.

He died not long after that.

I went to visit him during the second round just to be sure, and he even gave me a sword and a shield, saying he was throwing them away when I was about to go into battle without any equipment.

I didn’t know if his skills were as great as Ruby’s or not.

Because there was no talk of him in the second half of the second episode.

There was a high probability that he would have died in the war.

Considering its nature, it is clear.

So, in the third round, I gave him all the requests and helped him.

It was about paying off a debt.

Fortunately, his captaincy skills were excellent.

Once he became famous, his skills spread by word of mouth.

Just as he treats me like an immature son, I also think of him as someone similar to a father in this world.

‘For some reason, I feel sorry that I don’t come here often… .’

I know that both of us are busy, so it’s something that can’t be helped.

Probably because when I come, they won’t hesitate to do whatever they do and come out to meet me and welcome me.

I know you have a lot of work to do, but it’s a bit weird to come here without any business and waste your time.

“Shine your face often and I will forget about it and live my life.”

“Thanks to my fame, you will never forget me.”

“Just.”

“I will come sometime.”

I answered bluntly for no reason, but then I thought of a plan.

‘If you bring Anton to the place where you received the land… .’

It is clear that it will be convenient to have key personnel close to Ruby.

However, there has been no confirmation from the imperial family yet, so we will have to talk about it later.

“When can I receive it?”

“Let’s see… . We will process it first, so you will probably receive it in about 3 weeks.”

3 weeks.

It’s a close call, but it’ll work out.

In fact, I expect that I will pass the official exam at my current level.

This is just because I’m anxious.

While Anton and Vivian were chatting briefly, Helena and Lucia came out.

“Once completed, I will send it to you with the staff.”

“Thank you. Can I pay the fee at that time?”

“Sounds like money!”

Anton hit my back again! I hit him.

“Billion!”

“I have no intention of taking money from your nose!”

“What is the nose asking…? .”

“Just go quickly. You must be busy.”

“… yes. I’ll come again next time.”

“Yes. Heroes, this guy may be a bit like that, but he is trustworthy, so please follow him.”

Your voice is so different from when you talk to me?

“Yes! I’ll work hard!”

“Yes! I will keep this in mind!”

“Actually, we are in a position to be thankful.”

Anton burst into laughter at the three people’s trustworthy answers.

On the way back, I stopped by Ruby’s clothing store and checked Vivian’s clothes.

He said he liked the white robe and hat he was currently wearing, so he decided to just fix the worn parts and raise the enchantment level.

And I even bought summer clothes for the three of us while we were there.

Vivian seemed awkward in the knee-length skirt and thin, light clothes.

I actually liked Lucia because it was light.

Helena’s everyday clothes are black nun clothes, so she will change them into summer clothes on her own.

I looked at that and thought briefly.

‘It’s going to be hot when I take the test.’

*

The heat and exam day approached quickly.

Fortunately, I received the item from Anton before that.

Helena is equipped with sturdy-looking full plate armor, a one-handed mace, and a kite shield.

All armor was lightweight and had protection enchantments.

The ivory colored armor with gold trim was reminiscent of a paladin.

“Oot… .”

Helena, who even wore a helmet, was satisfied as she moved her body around.

I guess it’s because of my mood that the design of the helmet looks similar to the can I stole… .

“Thank you so much!”

When Helena took off her helmet, her braided orange hair flew out, revealing a bright smiling face.

“I feel like I can stop whoever my opponent is! As expected, Ian is my… .”

“J?”

“Uh, yes? Ah, he is a benefactor… !”

“Even a benefactor with something like this.”

Lucia repeatedly put on and took off the newly engraved armor remotely.

It seemed like he was getting used to the controls.

Because of her agile movements and unique multi-armed armament, she was not as full-plate as Helena.

On top of the quilted armor, only major parts such as gloves, pauldrons, and breastplates were covered with plates.

The quilted armor worn underneath is quite formidable, so its defensive power is sufficient.

He gave off the air of a proud mercenary rather than a knight.

“It’s fascinating.”

Lucia said, repeatedly firing the gauntlet away and then retrieving it and putting it back on.

“Hmm. Something. I don’t think I know.”

Lucia received many other things.

This is because there are many weapons to handle.

Two long swords, a round shield, a halberd, a short spear, a throwing dagger and a hatchet, and even a dagger for anti-armor.

Fully armed, she was quite loud.

“Still. I think I can pass the exam with ease.”

“It’s reliable.”

Vivian, on the other hand, was in the same clothes as before.

Unlike me, who felt sorry for no reason, she didn’t care at all.

Rather, they were busy looking at Lucia and Helena’s new appearance.

Mercy is sitting on her shoulder and watching together.

“How are you these days?”

I asked Katy, who was watching along with me.

I saw the training supervised by Galatea and Marlion.

I heard that you increase your reaction power by directly contacting the black mana flowing from Galatea.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure.

Kati seemed to be similar to me, remaining silent before answering.

“I’m not sure.”

“Okay… ?”

“Yes. They say they’re following along well… . Galatea says that they are not at the stage of enlightenment yet because only a very small amount has been left.”

“Hmm.”

What does that mean?

How much less should I have left… .

“Thank you.”

Kati blurted out.

“Thank you for your concern.”

I wonder if he can read my worries.

He is a few steps ahead and comforts me in advance.

I don’t know if I should say that I was embarrassed, but at any rate, I felt strange and ended up stuttering.

“… Well, something like that… .”

Kati, who was looking at me intently, came slightly closer and whispered in my ear.

“It’s hard to bear it if you show me that embarrassed face.”

“What are you waiting for… .”

“Please refrain.”

“… … .”

Anyway, like that.

[Notice of confirmation of official warrior promotion test location and date.]

The day of the test has come.

*

A total of 6 parties will participate in the exam we will be taking.

Everyone is a standard group of 4 people, and my group is the only group of 3 people.

But don’t worry.

In general, public opinion seems to be more excited than worried.

It’s the second party of the person who raised the first hero party or something.

By using such grandiose terms, the public’s expectations were raised a lot.

Amos especially gave me a lot of strength.

Anyway, it was a good thing for me.

Unlike temporary exams, formal exams are large in scale and are a rite of passage that allows one to truly be called a ‘hero’.

So, it is bound to be exceptionally popular.

As I moved to the assigned C-class dungeon area, I was recalling the information about this dungeon.

When we stopped for a meal, a group of people approached me.

“Ian.”

Helena and Lucia, with Vivian in the lead.

His expression was tense, perhaps because he was about to take a test.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Please tell me.”

“Do you know about the dungeon that will be tested this time?”

“Yes.”

I explained the dungeon to them every time they entered it.

It would be too easy if I gave everything, so I only filtered out what I needed.

Since it is a formal exam, does that information become more necessary?

“You know… . This time, we want to take on the challenge without Ian’s information.”

“… Yes?”

Helena spoke after Vivian.

“We want to pass the exam entirely on our own.”

It was a very firm and firm tone.

Just like that expression.

“You can’t just rely on Ian.”

Lucia also agreed.

I burst out laughing at that amazing will.

“You won’t tell me even if I ask you to tell me again later?”

The three nodded resolutely without any response.

It was a reaction that had already made up my mind.

From C-level dungeons onwards, the level becomes different from those below.

They are strong enough that the three of them can take down a D-class dungeon without difficulty, and my guess is that they will probably be able to pass the test without any information.

Still, I couldn’t help but worry.

‘But I say this, I can’t help it.’

I decided to respect them.

“Good.”

The three nodded again.

They were all solemn and nervous, but they were trustworthy.