Wow.
I didn't know you were here to repair the bridge, Kartatz.
I just figured I'd have to carry everyone back over again.
You're a lifesaver.
Thanks!
I heard that the bandit boss was captured and things were safe around here again,
so they hired me to rebuild the bridge.
Stop patting me on the head! I'm not a kid!
For crying out loud...
And to take care of the rest of the bandits,
the knights from Felskeilo and Helshper
are joining forces to create a special task force.
Huh.
And that bandit boss...
Did you do the deed?
Huh? Whatever do you mean?
I know you're the one who defeated him, so I'm assuming you finished him off.
I didn't want to cause any trouble with Helshper, so I handed him over.
I see. I guess I'll ask Sis what kind of punishment the guy got.
Oh, that reminds me.
Once I get back to Felskeilo, I need to punish Mai-Mai myself.
Godspeed, Sis.
But you know...
Caerick and Caerina were both great kids.
Now she's doting on her grandkids.
What the heck happened?
Bear Hunting, a Queen, a Bath, and Monsters
Lady Cayna, we were able to safely return to Felskeilo thanks to you.
Here's the sum we agreed on.
Thank you so much again.
Likewise.
I feel much better now!
Are you gonna be doing more adventurer work, missy?
That's my plan.
I see! Well, if you ever feel like it, come see the Flame Spears again!
We'll welcome you with open arms!
We'd have no problem taking you on as our caravan's exclusive bodyguard, you know.
We would pay you handsomely, of course!
Well, let's remember that for next time.
If you'll excuse me.
Well, then...
I don't have anything planned, so I guess I'll head over to the Adventurers' Guild.
Let's see if there are any interesting quests.
As usual, the board's overflowing with quests.
The world sure is full of trouble.
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe... Catch a tiger by the toe.
I... choose... you!
Acquisition of the ingredient horned bear meat.
The client is The White-Tailed Black Rabbit?
"White-Tailed"? I could swear I've heard that somewhere before.
It's the high-end restaurant where Skargo, Mai-Mai, and Kartatz eat together.
Aha!
This one it is!
I'd like to take on this quest.
Sure, no problem.
The quest is all yours.
Alrighty, I'm gonna go hunt some horned bears.
Take care.
Oh, sorry.
Oh, no, I wasn't paying attention myself.
That's the girl who walked across the river.
Could that technique actually be... Nah, that can't be possible.
Oh, Miss Cayna!
Hey, Lonti! It's been a while!
P-Perfect timing.
It is?
Y-Yes. Well... I wanted to ask a favor of you, Miss Cayna.
F-First, allow me to do some introductions.
This is a fellow classmate at the Academy, and my friend.
Um... Th-This is Mye.
My name is Mye. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Aw, you're so polite. I'm the high elf, Cayna.
So what's this request?
I-I'm terribly sorry, Miss Cayna,
but would you permit us to accompany you for a while?!
Huh?
Um... Sure, I guess?
Really? Thank you very much!
Isn't that great?
Yes.
I don't mind...
But could you tell me what's going on?
Er, yes. You see, um... The thing is...
Lonti wanted to find someone reliable who could be my bodyguard.
Your bodyguard? I still don't really get it. Is she a runaway or something?
I-I'm sorry.
Lonti is just accompanying me. This was all my idea.
So—
Okay, hold your horses.
I'm not sure why you're panicking,
but I'm not going to report you two to anyone.
Another runaway, eh? The other day it was a prince.
Maybe this one's a princess.
Yeah, as if.
But I'm actually about to leave town on a quest.
Did you two just want to come along, or...?
Huh?
If you're a runaway, it'll be harder to find you outside of town.
Of course...
Hey, everyone. Do you mind letting us through?
Thanks!
Impressive.
Yes. Her skills are guaranteed.
She is the mother of High Priest Skargo, after all.
Hurry up and go through.
K-Keeping this position is harsh.
I can't bend any further.
So good!
What's the matter?
Lonti, Mye, you're not going to eat?
A-Aren't you scared, Miss Cayna?
No. The forest is high elf territory.
What should I be afraid of?
W-Well, we weren't talking about that.
Yes...
I-I've never seen a Cerberus before.
Oh, don't even worry. The beasts and stuff will stay away with Cerberwoof around.
I-I see. Cerberwoof...
I think I'm more scared of Cerberus than any bea—
Eek! N-No, never mind!
Go on, eat.
Th-Thank you for the food.
It's good!
By the way...
What quest are you doing, Miss Cayna?
I'm hunting some horned bears.
Oh, I see.
Wait.
You're hunting horned bears?!
Apparently a place called Inaba's Rabbit or something wanted some horned bear meat.
Inaba's Rabbit?
I've never heard of it.
Do you mean The White-Tailed Black Rabbit?
Oh.
Yeah, that's it! It was something like that.
And I'm stuffed!
Okay, I'm gonna go get ready.
What?
Cerberwoof, make sure you watch over those two.
What is she getting ready for?
I honestly have no idea what Miss Cayna is thinking.
What was that?
I-I'm not sure!
Miss Cayna!
Did something happen?
Yup. Just the right temperature.
Hey, ready for bath time?
Huh?
B-Bath time?
Come on, it's going to get cold.
B-But...
M-Mye?
Let's not waste this opportunity, Lonti.
Huh? What?!
I see. So you used explosion magic to open a hole in the ground,
rearranged the stones from the riverbank into bricks and stacked them together,
then drew water from the river and warmed it with magic.
Pretty much.
Y-You make it sound so easy, but most people wouldn't be able to do this.
It's no surprise that you're High Priest Skargo's mother.
You know Skargo, Mye?
Wh-Why, yes! I see him sometimes when I go
visit the church.
Don't tell me Skargo tried to put his mitts on you when you visited.
Wh-What?!
Huh?! Wait, did he, Mye?!
Master Skargo?
I guess I'll need to discipline him when I get home.
Y-Y-You've got the wrong idea!
He just gives me advice shometimes!
Oho, Mye... Looks like you've got the hots for my boy.
Huh?!
Guess I'm right.
Wait, really?!
First, he gives you gentle guidance after you ask for advice,
then his sweet words hit you right in the heart as you're entranced by his beauty.
Oh, to be young!
I-I can't believe Mye is reacting like this.
So you must have lied to me when
we were talking about relationships before and you said there wasn't anyone you liked!
Well, how in the world am I even s-supposed to say something like that?
Then you should've said something to the queen before any betrothal talks happ—
Shh! Shh!
Ah, so you really are a princess.
Oh, no! She found out!
I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!
Falling in love isn't a bad thing.
Actually, it's pretty important.
I-Is it? Um, do you have any objections if we start a courtship?
Courtship?!
I mean! I have absolutely no plans to start one! Not in the least!
I'm definitely not going to get in your way.
Skargo's all grown up.
I-I see...
Not to mention, Mai-Mai has two kids in Helshper and is on husband number two!
My kids are free to do whatever they want.
"If you want my daughter's heart, then you'll have to defeat me first!"
Man, I wish I could've said that!
No one in this world could defeat this mother.
Looks like the "baring our bodies and souls" mission has been compweted.
Come on, you two. It's totally safe. Come on over.
S-Safe?
W-We won't be eaten?
I'm the one who summoned this white dragon. It's completely obedient to me.
Paw.
Now the other paw.
Heel.
Watch closely, now.
Now, beg!
Watch...
...closely?
See?
Y-Yes...
We definitely saw.
See? Isn't he nice and soft?
Y-Yes.
Very.
Was this your first time seeing one?
O-Of course it was!
Of course! Other than my father's, at least!
Your father?
A-And my little brother's...
Well, I mean I guess they are beasts.
B-Bea—?!
Dragons.
Dragons?
Huh?
Y-Y-Y-Yes, of course! Dragons! I'd only heard tales of them before.
M-Me, too.
Tales?
The knight leader told me about them once.
He mentioned there was a dragon protecting some ancient ruins he had visited before.
That's what I heard, too.
Has this knight leader been around for a while?
He only took the position a few years ago, so I'm not sure of his age,
but he's a dragoid.
Huh... Is he strong?
He is. He can easily split a stone in two!
Oh?
Do you get to go outside like this often when you're at the Academy?
Not exactly.
We do collect medicinal herbs and hunt small critters from time to time,
but we usually return the same day.
Do you get to go, Mye?
As long as I have a bodyguard, yes.
I see. That must be rough.
I consider myself lucky for even being able to attend the Academy.
I see.
Oh, yeah.
Lonti, is Primo escaping much lately?
Primo?
She means the prince.
She does?
On the day that the prince escaped,
we happened to run into Miss Cayna, and she caught him.
She overheard me almost say "Prince," and that's how...
...she got "Primo"?
Yes.
I can walk on walls and on water. There's nothing I can't catch!
I would've loved to see that.
Do you think I can learn to do that?
Well, walking on water is one thing,
but walking on walls is a personally-crafted spell, so probably not.
Uh, M-Miss Cayna? Please stop luring Mye down the wrong path!
Wrong path?
I'm not sure if I can teach you.
But if you want to learn, you'll have to undergo a trial.
A trial?
You mean like... fight and defeat you?
Yeah, that's never happening.
Right...
Hup! Hi-yah!
Heh. There I go, kicking something so insignificant again.
A-Are you all right, Mye? Hang in there!
I-It usually takes a handful of knights
to even have a chance at defeating a horned bear.
Yet she defeated it so easily!
Well, this is Miss Cayna we're talking about!
Right...
How does this not shock you, Lonti?
I-I think I just got tired of being surprised.
I see what you mean.
Item Box
Horned Bear
There we go.
Now if we just deliver this to That Rabbit Off Yonder, this quest is complete!
You mean The White-Tailed Black Rabbit.
They call it that sometimes, too.
All right. Let's head back to town.
Collecting ores and bodyguard duty?
The rewards sorta suck.
Aren't there more thrilling quests anywhere?
The young lady who went hunting horned bears should be coming back soon.
I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask her.
I tried using Search, but I couldn't see her status or level.
Even if I'm wrong, she'll just treat me like some weirdo.
All right.
Pardon us.
Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild, sir.
How may I help you today?
I'm searching for someone.
Do you know anything?
Sh-Shining Saber?
What? Indeed, I am Shining Saber.
From the Silver Moon Horsemen Guild!
What?! You know of the Silver Moon Horsemen Guild?
From the VRMMORPG, Leadale!
Let's do this, Cohral!
Right behind you, Shining Saber!
Sub-Leader! It's you!
Wait, are you Cohral?!
After they shut down Leadale...
Before I knew it, I ended up in this world.
Where am I?
Am I inside Leadale? Ow!
This isn't a dream!
Uh, hey. Hello?
I don't see the admin, my guild members, or anyone else. What is this?
What the hell is going on?
I survived as an adventurer,
and this is the first time I've run into someone I know!
Ten years... That long?
It's only been about three years for me,
but this is the first time I've run into someone I know, too.
Sub-Leader!
Cohral!
This is great!
Yeah, I definitely made something else entirely.
I really wanted to recreate what she made, but...
These should've been the right ingredients, too.
Guess I'll start all over again.
Wh-What the?!