Chapter 586 – A Moment in Swen

After submitting their report on the battle against the mysterious army, Tauro and the rest of Black-Gold Wings decided to remain in Swen until the investigation expedition returned.

The Adventurers’ Guild had asked them not to leave the city yet because the story in their report was almost too extraordinary to believe without further confirmation.

Even so, reports from military messengers and adventurers who returned ahead of the main expedition gradually confirmed that Tauro’s account hadn’t been exaggerated. Word of Black-Gold Wings’ achievements began spreading through Swen.

Adventurers who reached the city before the investigation expedition started telling others what they had witnessed, and the story soon reached ordinary townspeople.

The Adventurers’ Guild had tried to keep the details quiet until the expedition returned and formally confirmed them, but that became impossible once excited adventurers began drinking and talking.

“Have you heard? Black-Gold Wings—the team that became famous here after exposing those impostors?”

“Yeah. The story sounds ridiculous, but every adventurer who came back early says basically the same thing.”

“No way… Are you saying one adventuring team stopped the Northern Empire from invading this region?”

“Even so, defeating more than a thousand monsters sounds exaggerated.”

“Haven’t you heard? The returning adventurers are all saying it happened. Apparently it’s true.”

“Seriously!? And their leader is still just a kid, right? Maybe he has [Hero] or something!”

The people of Swen were excited by the sudden appearance of a team being hailed as heroes, but they were also frightened by the possibility that the Northern Empire had been preparing some kind of operation against the region. If war broke out here, their own homes and livelihoods could easily be destroyed.

It was no longer a distant problem involving someone else.

Some people tried to reassure themselves that everything would be fine as long as their own land didn’t become a battlefield, but most understood how fragile that hope was. Their gratitude toward Black-Gold Wings only grew.

Tauro and his companions escaped the commotion by retreating to a forest on the outskirts of Swen.

The Adventurers’ Guild had told them to remain within the city area, so they went to the secluded spot they normally used for experiments.

“The city really is in an uproar…”

Once they reached a quiet part of the forest, Aeris erected a barrier against monsters so the group could relax.

“The whole team is getting attention, but most of it comes from the leader’s ridiculous performance with [Puppeteer],” Ankh said with a laugh.

“And you’re the one who defeated the enemy commander.”

Ragune nodded in agreement.

Their Adventurers’ Guild report had also identified the mysterious army’s commander as General Barbatos, one of the Northern Empire’s Four Heavenly Generals. Somehow, even the information connecting the army to the Empire was already beginning to leak into the city.

“The investigation expedition returns tomorrow. Once they confirm our report, we should leave. There are probably Imperial spies in Swen too, and I don’t like having strangers stare at us everywhere we go,” Aeris said, clearly fed up with the attention.

Aeris and Zion had used high-level healing magic to treat many wounded adventurers from the investigation expedition. Combined with Aeris’s appearance, that had already led some Swen adventurers to speak of her almost like a goddess.

Ragune and Ankh had also displayed exceptional strength in front of many adventurers, so their names were appearing more and more often in the city’s gossip.

Tauro, meanwhile, was being described as an unprecedented [Puppeteer] who had crushed an army of monsters. Some rumors even claimed that he possessed [Hero].

“Everyone’s getting attention, but they’ve got my ability wrong. It isn’t [Hero]. It’s that garbled-text skill people usually call useless,” Tauro said with a wry smile.

“Hahaha! Leader, you’ve always been abnormal. Of course even a supposedly useless garbled skill becomes ridiculous in your hands,” Ankh teased.

“I was lucky that it awakened when it did. Without it, I probably would’ve died a long time ago.” Tauro smiled bitterly as he remembered his past.

“And now you’re Count Graunewald’s adopted son, Honorary Viscount Giro Sugar, and the inventor Giro Sugar whose work has contributed so much to the kingdom. You really have come a long way,” Aeris said, acknowledging the years of effort behind everything Tauro had achieved.

“As expected of Lord Tauro!”

To Zion, Tauro was both her lifesaver and someone she deeply respected, so the praise came from the heart.

“Tauro already proved how extraordinary he was when he saved our village!” Ragune added.

“Hahaha… Aeris is right. We should leave Swen as soon as we can,” Tauro said.

Being surrounded by his companions like this made Tauro realize once again just how extraordinary the path that had brought him here had been.

“We’ve already informed the Dragonfolk Village about the Northern Empire’s movements. There’s nothing else we can do here for now,” Aeris added.

“Yeah… though, Leader, you definitely overdid it this time! Hahaha!” Ankh teased again, and the others joined in the laughter.