Published at 17th of July 2024 7:28 am

Chapter 411: If You Intended to Form a Bond, You Must Not Neglect Other Bonds.

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

After finishing our meal, when I was feeling down, Tia kindly shared her skewer of roasted bear meat with me. We then hunted two more brown bears and, having completed our task, left the forest.

Beyond the trees, we emerged into a grassy field with a clear view, leisurely walking along a pathless route while basking in the still high sun.

“Um, Ed-san? Are you really okay?”

“Ah, I’m fine, really. Besides, Yuto, you are helping out too.”

“Haha… well, sort of.”

At that moment, I was carrying a backpack filled with the requested items and a large, whole brown bear pelt on my back. A pelt in good condition was highly valuable and could be sold for a good price, but carrying such a bulky item was quite challenging.

Yuto also had a small pelt—or rather, a piece of pelt—on his back. This was something he had skinned himself and cut into smaller pieces for easier transport. Although its value as a sale item was significantly lower, it could still be brought to a shop to be processed into small items like bags without any issues.

“Hey, Yuto, is it heavy? Is it? If you want, I can carry it for you.”

“N-no, I’m fine! This much is no problem at all!”

“Is that so? Fufufu, Yuto, you are quite reliable! But since it’s a special occasion, I’ll help too!”

Mao moved behind the struggling Yuto and placed her hands on the pelt he was carrying to support it. The sight of the two of them walking together, occasionally stumbling but matching their pace, was quite heartwarming.

At that moment, I felt the weight on my back lighten. When I turned around, I saw Tia smiling brightly.

“Ed, I’ll help you out.”

“Haha, thanks.”

“Onii-sama and Tia-dono are together too. Well then, let’s all return triumphantly!”

“Yeah!”

Engaging in light-hearted chatter, laughing, and playfully teasing each other, we returned to town without any issues. Our first destination was, of course, the Adventurers’ Guild. Upon seeing Yuto enter the building, a young receptionist’s face lit up.

“Yuto-kun! Welcome back. Good job on your work.”

“I’m back, Alma-san! Here you go.”

Yuto handed over a bundle of medicinal herbs, and the receptionist carefully inspected their condition before smiling.

“Yes, everything looks good. Here’s your reward.”

“Thank you, Alma-san.”

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Yuto-kun. We received reports that a rather strong demonic beast had appeared in the outskirts of the forest recently, so I was worried.”

“Oh, that… um, I was attacked too.”

“What!?”

“But it’s okay! Ed-san… these people saved me!”

Yuto stepped aside slightly, so I took a step forward. The red-haired receptionist, Alma, scrutinized my face.

“Hey there, young lady. We meet again.”

“You are… It seems your work went well.”

“Yeah, pretty much. So, here’s what we got.”

With that, I placed the pelt on the counter and then took out five transparent containers from my backpack. Floating in the light green liquid inside the containers were the livers of the brown bears, the requested items for this job.

“…Indeed. So, what will you do with this pelt? It’s in good condition, and I think it could fetch a nice price.”

“Then, I’d like to request an appraisal for now. Whether I sell it or not will depend on the price.”

“Understood… Most people who lose their Adventurer’s Card tend to be quite careless with their work, but you seem to be quite meticulous. That’s somewhat reassuring. So, you helped Yuto-kun?”

“The place where he usually gathers herbs was ravaged by beasts, so I had no choice but to venture a bit deeper into the forest, where I was attacked by a brown bear. Ed-san and the others happened to pass by…”

“And we took the opportunity to knock it out, that’s all there is to it.”

“I see… Thank you for saving Yuto-kun.”

At my words, Alma bowed deeply, but her attitude seemed a bit excessive, making me tilt my head slightly in confusion.

“Hey, you… Alma-san, right? Why do you go so far for Yuto? I mean, no offense, but he’s just an apprentice, right?”

While it’s true that apprentice adventurers before adulthood should be protected, it’s another matter for guild staff to show such favoritism. To my natural question, Alma responded with a wry smile.

“Well, actually, when I was a child, Yuto-kun’s father saved me… I doubt he remembers it, though.”

“Really!?”

Yuto himself was the most surprised by Alma’s revelation. Then, Alma turned to Yuto with a gentle smile.

“Yes. My mother and I were in a carriage that was attacked by bandits. At that time, Gajit-san… Yuto-kun’s father, defeated the bandits. He was so cool… That’s actually why I’m working here; Yuto-kun’s father inspired me.”

“Wow! Dad did that… Oh, so that’s why you asked about my father’s name when I registered?”

“Yes, exactly. You looked so much like him, I just had to check. And then it turned out you were Gajit-san’s son…”

“Hoho. Fate is a curious thing indeed. So, Yuto’s father was quite the hero! Then it’s only natural that Yuto himself would be impressive!”

“Wait, what’s going on all of a sudden, Mao-chan!? That’s… embarrassing…”

“Hywa!? N-nothing at all!”

“Oh, Mao-chan, there’s no need to be shy here.”

Tia said, laughing as Mao, her face flushed, moved behind her. It’s hard to tell whether Mao is bold or just shy… Ah, that reminds me.

“Hey, Yuto. About what we were talking about earlier.”

“Oh, right! Um, Alma-san! Actually, I was thinking of joining Ed-san’s party for a while, what do you think?”

“Ed-san’s party? Um…?”

“On the way back from the quest, I was the one who invited him. The movement of demonic beasts has been getting more active, and it seems Yuto has a pretty good talent for swordsmanship. So, I thought it might be a good idea to teach him the basics of being an adventurer, slowly guiding him over six months to a year. So, while he seemed quite eager himself, he insisted on getting permission from ‘the receptionist who has been taking care of him’ before making a decision.”

“Well… I don’t have any authority over such matters, but I do think it’s a good idea…”

Despite my explanation, Alma showed a slightly conflicted expression. Just like when I invited Yuto to join us, she was probably unsure about entrusting her benefactor’s son to someone she had only met that morning.

Of course, as she said, a receptionist has no authority to interfere in party compositions. So, I could have ignored her and pushed forward without any issues. However, it’s always best if everyone involved is satisfied and can work together harmoniously.

“Alma-san, canI have a word?”

“? Yes, what is it?”

I beckoned her over and whispered in her ear.

(Actually, my younger sister seems to have taken a liking to Yuto. As her brother, I want to give them a chance to spend time together.)

“…Ah, I see.”

Just like when I first invited Yuto, providing a clear and understandable reason can help dispel doubts. Even in the short time since we arrived, anyone observing Mao and Yuto’s interactions would see that what I said was true. Alma nodded deeply and smiled at my whispered explanation.

“Well, Yuto-kun, I support you joining Ed-san’s party. However, I think it would be best to avoid taking on requests that take you far from town.”

“… Ed-san?”

“I understand. We’ll mainly stay here, and we’ll handle requests suitable for both us and Yuto’s level in parallel. If Alma-san could manage those requests, how does that sound?”

“That sounds perfect! Do your best, Yuto-kun.”

“Yes! Thank you, Alma-san! And once again, please take care of me, Ed-san, Tia-san, Mao-chan!”

“Leave it to me! I’ll train you well.”

“Nice to meet you, Yuto-kun. Fufu, isn’t this great, Mao-chan… Mao-chan?”

“Hmph, Yuto has been looking at that receptionist a lot. Huh!? Could it be that Yuto prefers girls like her?”

“Mao-chan…”

“You really are something…”

“……”

At the moment of our party’s formation, Mao’s unfortunate comment left us all exchanging indescribable looks.

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