Chapter 203: School Trip

The next morning, a group of energetic heroes, a slightly sleep-deprived blacksmith, and a noticeably fatigued regular adventurer gathered in front of Lutz’s workshop. Without exchanging many words, the three set out for the lumberjack village.

By the time they arrived near the village in a shared carriage, it was already close to noon.

“Hey, Lutz-san, nice of you to come! And who’s this new guy… a relevant party?” 

The leader of the former lumberjacks, Kevin, greeted them loudly, eyeing Kasim’s sword hanging from his waist.

“Well, it happened that way. He wants to join in monster-slaying,” 

Lutz replied with a shrug.

“Quite an odd fellow. Is he eccentric or just suicidal?” 

“Kevin-san, maybe ease up on the choice of words; it hits a little too close to home for everyone,” 

“Can’t help it,” 

Gaha! Kevin laughed heartily.

“So, are we heading out right away, or will we stay overnight and leave tomorrow morning?”

“Hmm…”

 Lutz looked up at the blue sky, pondering. Last time they came for the sword test, they entered the labyrinth in the early afternoon and exited in the evening. With no particular rush and Kasim seeming a bit off, staying overnight here might not be a bad idea.

“This is not exactly a favor. Also, it’s not an inn fee, but Claudia asked me to give you some dried meat as a souvenir,” 

Lutz handed a leather bag to Kevin, who opened it and whistled appreciatively.

“This kind of consideration is really appreciated. It’s not easy to find beasts in the forest, and we’ve been having a hard time getting meat,” 

Kevin guided Lutz and the others to the village, and the decision to stay overnight brought the most joy to Kasim. Due to the fear instilled by the Flame Demon, he couldn’t sleep alone, and having reliable men like Lutz and Ricardo by his side allowed him to sleep deeply.

Unable to ask them to sleep together, the proposal was a godsend for Kasim, who was sleep-deprived again today. He couldn’t be more thankful.

“Kevin-san, right? Don’t worry too much about us. We’re fine with sleeping all together without separate rooms,” 

Kevin responded with a wry smile, understanding the situation.

“This is it,” 

Kevin stopped and pointed. However, what he pointed at was more of a storage shed than a house.

Even Kasim, who just said that sleeping together was fine, had a dismayed look on his face.

“Isn’t this a storage shed?” 

Kasim asked, more to confirm than to blame.

“Well, well, I understand what you want to say, but don’t say it out loud. I’m cramped enough in the village. If it’s just sleeping at home, that’s fine, but when it comes to welcoming guests, it’s a bit much,” 

Kevin had his reasons and circumstances too. However, from the perspective of the villagers who survived the tragedy of the monster attack, Kevin was just the man who abandoned the position of the leader at the most difficult time.

“If the monster is evolving, and if that’s true, it’s not just a crisis for this village but for the entire territory, right? Kevin-san, shouldn’t you be treated not as irresponsible but as a hero?”

Kasim expressed his anger as if it were his own. While he felt that Kasim was somewhat green, Kelvin couldn’t help but be pleased with those feelings.

“The world’s crisis or personal life—which is more important? Someone who can answer ‘the former’ without hesitation is a hero. However, I have no qualifications to hold people’s lives in my hands,” 

Kevin muttered with a somewhat lonely expression. Kasim didn’t agree with that and wore a dissatisfied look, but he didn’t argue.

The men entered the storage shed. Even though they expected it to be cluttered, it was the opposite. There was nothing. All the accumulated wood had been used for house repairs, and broken axes had been sold to the town’s scrap dealer.

Although there was nothing, they were asked to relax. That was the first time that the expected pattern of “nothing” really meant nothing.

Lutz and Ricardo sat down, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Kevin, who had gone outside and returned with some pieces of wood, lit a fire for warmth. He explained that he exchanged some of the dried meat with the villagers for firewood. Lutz was surprised and grateful that he wouldn’t be able to welcome guests if the former leader didn’t go to such lengths.

They didn’t express their gratitude or bow their heads. Doing so would only make Kevin feel miserable.

Suddenly remembering, Lutz received the leather bag he had Ricardo carry and handed it to Kevin.

“As promised, it’s crossbow bolts. How many of the ones I gave you last time are left?”

“I’ve used up all of them. Right now, I’m only practicing with a plain drawstring. Since it’s a thing, I can’t ask any old blacksmith to make them,” 

Kevin explained. 

“There were fifty, right?”

“It’s just fifty of them. They didn’t last up to three days.”  

“Yeah…” 

With a face that mixed astonishment and bewilderment, Ricardo asked Lutz with curiosity. 

“I think he’s diligent in practice, but is it really that surprising?”

“Ricardo, this guy draws the crossbow while standing without using the sights,” 

“Huh…?”

Ricardo couldn’t quite grasp what was being said. Perhaps finding his reaction amusing, Kevin responded with a hearty laugh, emphasizing his muscular arms through exaggerated poses.

“Look, Ricardo, that’s the physique of someone who could handle dual-wielding.”

With a massive body and muscles that seemed ready to burst, it was evident that this physique could effortlessly swing a heavy, traditionally two-handed weapon like a sword and deflect attacks with one hand. If someone like this were to attack with dual swords, the opponent would likely feel as if they were caught in a natural disaster rather than a battle.

“So, that’s my goal, huh…” 

Ricardo couldn’t bring himself to look at the man with admiration straightforwardly. It was somehow different from what he had imagined.

As the men chatted, the atmosphere among the four relaxed. They engaged in casual conversations, strolled around the village, and killed time. In the evening, Kevin brought a meatless soup, and everyone dipped their bread into it, enjoying their meal.

No one mentioned how to fight the monster. They had done everything they could, and all that remained in their hearts were those thoughts.

“What, is Kasim already asleep?” 

Kevin returned after clearing the tableware, looking somewhat exasperated.

“Early to bed, early to rise, a good child’s rule. But doing that doesn’t necessarily make you a good child,” 

Lutz laughed, and Ricardo and Kevin returned forced smiles. Oblivious to the comments made about him, Kasim was in a good mood within the confines of his dreams.

Eventually, Ricardo yawned widely, and as Lutz lay down with his bag as a pillow, Kevin solemnly spoke.

“Hey, Lutz-san, aren’t you scared?”

“I’m scared, of course.”

Treating it as the end of the conversation, Lutz turned his back. Kevin had many more things he wanted to say, but the atmosphere didn’t seem right to bring them up.

“I see, I see, so that’s the kind of guy he is.”

He wasn’t a battle maniac, nor was he someone with a loose screw in his head. He was scared to fight the monster, but he had decided to come and do it anyway.

Kevin silently bowed his head. Lutz, who sensed movement behind him, closed his eyes without saying anything.

In the dimly lit storage shed, the only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the rhythmic breathing.

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