At the easternmost point of the Kingdom of Lindale was the city of Yurluk.
The forest adjacent to Yurluk was also a place where miasma tended to accumulate, and although there were no dungeons, demons were likely to appear.
Materials such as demon skins and fangs were durable and were popular as coats and armour. If you sold the materials, you could make money.
In order to obtain materials, you had to hunt them.
Yurluk was the city of dreams, where adventurers who wanted to get rich by defeating rare monsters gathered.
But while the dream may be beautiful, the reality was not.
“Oh, my God, help me! My leg! My leg!”
“I can’t believe there’s a demon this strong. Please! Somebody help!”
“Ouch… I’m stuck.”
“I don’t know what to do…!”
If you get greedy and go deep into the forest before you have the ability to do so, you will end up in the position of being hunted by demons, just like this party of four.
Two of them were injured and unable to fight. The other two managed to endure, but it was extremely difficult to escape from the three B-ranked black wolves while protecting the injured.
The black wolf was about the size of a wild bear, and its speed was faster than that of a dog.
All was not well—until a clear voice resounded like the voice of Heaven.
“Mizu tate akuashīrudo.”
A wall of water appeared between the party and the black wolf to protect them. The black wolf drew back once in alarm.
“Well done. Kaifuku hīru.”
A female adventurer rushed in late and quickly healed the wounded man’s wounds.
The leader of the party confirmed their name as he hung onto hope.
“Are you Stella, B-ranker?”
“Hello. The first thing we need to do is eradicate the black wolf. Please help me.”
Stella stood up in front of the black wolf.
Once the black wolf recognized you as its prey, it would persistently pursue you. We couldn’t just run away to the vicinity of the city and involve the low rank adventurers.
“Minami akuau~ēbu.”
Stella poured a large amount of water at the black wolf, drenching it. The damage was not so bad.
The black wolf, which had escaped from the water, turned its fangs toward Stella and the others again and came running.
The people in the party were trembling from their feet, unable to do anything, partly because of the fear they had just experienced. Stella had already anticipated this, and went alone to the front of the black wolf.
“Reifū kōrudogeiru, hyōketsu furījingu.”
The surface of it was body was instantly covered with white ice as cold air was generated to envelop the black wolf.
Before the black wolf’s fangs could reach Stella and the others, it was iced over.
“This was the power of a short chant…”
“This is no time to be surprised. He’s still alive and it’s hard to hold him for long. Please use that sword to cut his throat.”
“Ah, yes!”
Stella was right, the black wolf’s eyes were scurrying around.
The leader of the party, who was the only one who could move, rushed to finish off the black wolf. The huge body of the black wolf fell down with a thud.
“Thank you very much. What can I say to thank you?”
“No, sir. Then I want a reward. Please transfer thirty percent of the Black Wolf’s reward to my guild account.”
The leader’s mouth dropped open at Stella’s words.
“Is it not okay?”
“No! Are you sure that’s enough of a reward? Because Stella-san was the one who defeated the black wolf, so I thought she would rather ask for the full amount.”
“I’m glad I have someone who can use a sword, because my magic would have ruined the fur with tears. That’s what I’m talking about. Now I have a request!”
With that, Stella activated her physical enhancements and rode like a fast horse deep into the forest.
That day, Stella returned to the guild from the forest just as the sun was setting. The halls were already closed except for the emergency counter, and the place was sparsely populated.
“I couldn’t make it in time for today’s delivery, as expected. Oh, that smells good.”
Looking up from the stairwell at the restaurant on the second floor, I saw it was crowded with adventurers after work.
When the jolly old adventurers noticed Stella’s return, they waved to her over the railing on the second floor.
“Oh, I heard you were busy again today. The priests who were saved were worried that Stella had gone deep into the forest.”
“If I didn’t know Stella well enough, I’d be in a hurry to go solo into a more dangerous region than the one where the black wolf appeared.”
“Come on, Stella, come here. I’ve explained to them that everything is going to be fine, but they’re still worried about you, so show them that you’re okay.”
Osama and the others beckoned Stella to run up the stairs.
The upstairs was filled with delicious aromas, and I felt like I was about to lose my mind trying to decide what to eat, but I persevered. When I went to Osama’s table, the four people from the party I helped during the day looked at me with impressed expressions.
“I’m fine, as you can see. Oh, did you deposit my reward?”
“Yes, yes! Of course.”
“Thank you very much. Can I eat here, too?”
“Here you go…”
Ignoring the atmosphere of the emotional reunion, Stella began to order rice as if nothing had happened.
The four of them at the party were left speechless by her easygoing attitude.
But now Stella’s stomach was craving for rice.
She had been running all day and hadn’t eaten at all.
“Stella, you can eat off my plate until I get your order.”
“Thank you! Huh… it fills my stomach.”
Stella tossed it into her mouth without hesitation and tasted it. Then other tables called out to her to share.
“Here, eat this new one, too.”
“You can have one of these, too.”
“You can have this meat, too.”
“I’ll take it without reservation!”
Once the food was ordered and delivered, the table was filled with Stella’s favourite things.
The four party members asked the adventures,
“They adore you, don’t they, Stella?”
“That’s true. Most of the people in Yurluk have had the experience of being saved by Stella. If it weren’t for Stella, I’d be in the belly of a demon right now.”
“Stella is Yurluk’s pride and joy. That’s why I’m giving her a small favour by sharing with her.”
“Stella is Yurluk’s treasure!”
Stella listened to Osama and his party’s boasting and the beautiful sisters beside her. Her body got all mushy while eating.
The gazes of the four party members she helped today also glittered and embarrassed her.
“Please do this kind of thing when I’m not around.”
“But if we don’t you’ll never know how great are.”
“I know what I’m capable of, I’m confident in my recovery magic and I’m faster than others. I’m a water-based mage too. See?”
“…That’s what I’m talking about.”
The gazes towards Stella turned of sympathy.
She saved a stranger’s life in a dangerous area. She also went into the backcountry alone and returned safely. She was a solo B ranker even though she was a non-combat mage without a party.
But Stella had no idea that she was a good adventurer.
Osama shrugged his shoulders as if he had given up and drank his words of persuasion with beer.
(I’m not as good at magic as the knights in the strike force, except for healing. I’m not talented with a sword, and I can’t shoot a bow.)
Stella was convinced and ate her rice.
There were so many people who were better than me. Even her recovery magic, which she had thought was second to none, was not the best.
I had learned that modest self-evaluation was good.
(It has been almost a year since I came to Yurluk. Yet I feel like I’ve been here for years.)
It had only been a year, but I felt more at home in Yurluk’s Guild than on the front lines where I had been for five years.
They were kind to me even though I had no special status. They didn’t feel disappointed when I offered any amount I wanted for my reward.
More than anything, this was the first time since Raymond that someone was willing to look at Stella, accept her, and share a meal with her without wearing coloured glasses. And it was a big group.
“Haha.”
Laughter overflowed as I realized once again that this was where I belonged now.
Stella, was now twenty years old.
She was enjoying her life as an adventurer in Yurluk, the easternmost city, and the land farthest from the front lines.
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