Chapter 189. A Gift Received on an Ordinary Day

Valdrova donned her armor and left Hestia Village.

The villagers recognized her immediately and greeted her politely.

"Welcome, Sir Armored Knight!"

"I hope you're having a peaceful day!"

She had already become an important figure in the village, and everyone welcomed her warmly whenever they saw her.

Whenever that happened, she never knew how to respond, so she simply gave a slight nod.

It was an awkward gesture born from embarrassment, yet to others it carried an air of tremendous dignity.

Instead of heading toward the Labor Union as she usually did, she made her way to the Adventurers' Guild.

"Sir Armored Knight! You're here early!"

Nod.

"The Guild Master will arrive right on time. Please allow me to show you to the meeting room."

The guild receptionist welcomed her and opened the meeting room door.

Three people had already gathered inside.

Looking at them, Valdrova couldn't help but admire them.

They're all incredibly strong.

As the Aspect of Strength, she could easily gauge their power.

She could almost feel the years of hardship and suffering each of them had endured to obtain such strength.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

Do I really belong in a place like this?

"You're..."

A blond-haired archer looked at Valdrova and spoke.

"Aren't you the Armored Knight?"

His tone was completely different from the villagers'.

He looked at her with open disdain.

Valdrova simply nodded.

"Hmm..."

He seemed about to say something else but closed his mouth and leaned back in his chair.

Nor was he the only one.

The eyes directed toward the Armored Knight were completely different from the ones she normally received.

Did I do something wrong?

Valdrova found herself shrinking back.

For now, she simply took a seat and waited.

As time passed, more people entered the room.

The seats gradually filled, but the awkward atmosphere remained.

At last, someone arrived who shattered that uncomfortable silence.

"Hahaha! Greetings, everyone!"

The eyes of those sitting around in boredom suddenly lit up.

"Huh? Haven't I seen him somewhere before...?"

"I was just thinking the same. I swear I've seen him at least once..."

The towering man looked like an enormous wall simply by standing there.

Although none of them had ever met him before, he somehow felt strangely familiar.

Hearing their remarks, the giant folded his arms and grinned.

"Perhaps you've seen my face on a statue while passing by?"

"A statue? Ah... don't tell me..."

"Jonathan Sina! He looks exactly like Jonathan Sina!"

The adventurers clapped their hands as they shouted the name.

"I'm Jonathan Sina's ancestor. I'd appreciate it if you'd show the proper respect to a great warrior." 1

"A-Ah... My apologies!"

"A first mistake can be forgiven. Instead, why don't you buy me a drink later and we can have a good chat?"

Even his hearty laughter carried an overwhelming presence that crushed those around him.

Even Gold-ranked adventurers with strong pride shrank like frightened puppies before him.

Those who already knew Jonathan welcomed him warmly.

"Welcome, brother. After all that drinking, I'm amazed you still managed not to be late!"

"Can a warrior really lose to something as trivial as alcohol?"

Laughter erupted, and the room instantly became lively.

He didn't simply chat with acquaintances.

Jonathan naturally drew everyone around him into the conversation with remarkable charisma.

Valdrova couldn't help envying him.

I wish I could talk to people like that too.

She imagined herself at the center of such a conversation.

The moment she pictured it...

Her chest tightened until she could barely breathe.

Still, it seemed preferable to sitting in silence like now, wondering what she should say.

Valdrova simply waited for Erika to arrive.

As the appointed time approached, the organizer of the gathering finally appeared.

Blue hair.

Casual, free-spirited clothing.

The pair of horns that normally adorned her head were nowhere to be seen.

She walked to the host's seat and greeted everyone.

"Good afternoon."

She was the woman who had gathered everyone here to conquer the Land of Demons.

The Platinum-ranked adventurer known as Eri.

But unlike everyone else in the room, Valdrova knew only one name.

Erika, an Iorga Spawn.

Although her horns and tail were hidden, Valdrova could never mistake her distinctive aura and appearance.

Erika walked to the head of the conference table.

"First of all, I sincerely thank all of you for gathering here from every corner of the continent."

Her voice carried quiet authority.

"One person has yet to arrive, but we'll begin regardless. You have all gathered here under the banner of conquering the Land of Demons."

She pointed to each person in turn as she continued.

"From this point onward, all of you are teammates who will overcome countless hardships together. So first, let's introduce ourselves and—"

Her sentence trailed off.

Someone had suddenly raised a hand.

It was the blond-haired archer who had glared at Valdrova.

Erika knew his name.

"Go ahead, Mr. Virgil."

"Yes. Lady Eri, everyone knows how much you've done for the Adventurers' Guild and how you've led us in countless monster extermination campaigns."

"That's correct."

"You've always emphasized that an adventurer's true strength doesn't come from individual ability, but from the trust shared among companions."

"That's right."

"In that case, I believe I should bring this up before we begin."

His dissatisfied gaze turned toward a single person.

The Armored Knight.

"I question whether the man known as the Armored Knight should even be allowed to participate in this expedition."

Valdrova felt as though her heart had suddenly dropped.

"And why is that?" Erika asked calmly despite his aggressive tone.

"Everyone in the village praises the Armored Knight, but look at his record! Sure, he beat a few monsters to death with his bare hands, but during the extermination campaign he was nowhere to be found! If things become too much for him again, he'll undoubtedly run away!"

Run away.

Those words made Valdrova bite her lip.

She desperately suppressed her emotions.

Virgil continued.

"And look at what else he did! Because he couldn't speak, he quietly tried to steal another knight's achievements until he was exposed! Adventurers risk their lives to earn legitimate rewards. Someone capable of such shameless behavior is exactly the sort of person who destroys a team's unity!"

Virgil seemed determined to drive the Armored Knight out.

He passionately argued that such a person had no place here.

After listening quietly, Erika tapped her temple with one finger.

"Mr. Virgil."

"Yes."

"It would be best not to make hasty judgments before we've even begun."

She defended the Armored Knight.

"He didn't flee during the monster extermination campaign. He had already withdrawn before then. We don't know where he went, but he undoubtedly had his own reasons. Simply because he didn't appear doesn't mean you can conclude that he ran away."

"Then what about stealing someone else's credit?"

"It has already been confirmed that he couldn't speak about the matter because he was bound by the Oath of Silence. The issue was resolved amicably with the person involved, and I personally considered the matter very carefully. I don't believe it's something outsiders have the right to criticize."

"But if flaws like that negatively affect the entire team, won't that become a serious problem?"

Although Virgil had started the argument emotionally, many others seemed to share similar concerns.

Erika decided it was better to settle the issue now.

"Have you heard of an adventuring party called Ground Foot?"

The sudden change in topic caught everyone off guard.

"Yes. I heard they're Gold-ranked adventurers who received your support."

"And do you know what kind of people they were?"

"I heard they successfully explored the ancient ruins in the southern desert."

"But you don't know what each of them was like individually, do you? Their thief suffered from kleptomania and gambling addiction. Their mage was an alcoholic. Their priest had severe depression. Their swordsman had serious anger management issues. And every time they took even a single step together, they'd end up fighting."

"..."

"Separated, every one of them would probably have ended up imprisoned beneath some castle or confined to a monastery. But do they still seem like that now?"

"No... I don't think so."

"The moment individuals become a team, they're reborn as new people. Don't make hasty judgments before you've even begun."

"...Understood. I apologize."

Virgil reluctantly accepted her words.

"If anyone else has complaints, please speak now. I think it's important to resolve these issues before we begin."

"I have none."

"I understand well enough now, so I have no objections."

Satisfied, Erika addressed everyone present.

"Always remember this. There isn't a single flawless hero among the people gathered here. The same was true for the twelve heroes of the first expedition who ventured into the Land of Demons."

Finally, Erika glanced toward the Armored Knight.

Her eyes seemed to say,

It's alright.

As expected... she's truly Iorga's child.

Intelligent.

Well-spoken.

Charismatic.

Once again, Valdrova found herself admiring Erika.

At the same time, one question lingered in her mind.

Perhaps I don't belong in a place like this.

Getting along with everyone and overcoming hardships together...

That was the future she had always dreamed of.

But that was only if she succeeded.

What if she failed?

What if someone was seriously injured because of her mistake?

Valdrova didn't think she'd ever be able to forgive herself.

When that happens... I might really run away.

She couldn't shake the feeling that accepting this invitation had been far too reckless.

While she remained lost in thought, a middle-aged mage changed the subject.

"By the way, I heard one person hasn't arrived yet."

"That's right."

"Who exactly is important enough to keep everyone waiting like this?"

There were twelve seats prepared.

Only one remained empty.

Everyone present was at least Gold-ranked—people so valuable that even ordinary nobles couldn't treat them carelessly.

Since everyone else had arrived on time, being the only one late was inexcusable.

"They've been overwhelmed with work lately, so they said they'd finish the most urgent matters first before coming here. They should be arriving any—"

Knock. Knock.

"I was just saying... it seems they've arrived."

At Erika's gesture, the door opened.

The final, tardy participant entered.

Everyone was shocked by the person's identity.

But no one was more shocked than Valdrova.

Clang!

Her reaction was so violent that two pieces of her armor collided loudly.

Behind her helmet, her expression was several times more astonished than the sound suggested.

Mr. Ferda?!

Ferda Valdrova.

The lord of this village.

The Regent of Valdrova Castle.

Someone whose status went far beyond that of an ordinary noble.

The instant Valdrova saw his face, her mind went completely blank.

It felt as though she'd received an unexpected gift on a day that wasn't even a special occasion.

Unlike Valdrova, however, the adventurers looked distinctly displeased.

"Lady Eri, no one mentioned we'd be escorting nobles."

The others cautiously voiced their objections.

The Land of Demons was an incredibly dangerous place.

When entering somewhere so dangerous, minimizing risk was common sense.

Erika understood that perfectly.

"Unless there's an official commission to escort a noble, it's customary not to allow even observers."

Nobles always caused unexpected trouble.

If something happened to them, their inflated pride would inevitably lead them to start assigning blame.

Dealing with the aftermath would become a headache lasting weeks.

"However, Regent Ferda will not be observing. He will be participating as a full member of your expedition."

"The Grand Duchess's fiance... as one of the team?"

"Hmm..."

Even setting his noble status aside, the reactions remained mixed.

He had reached Four-Star Mage at a young age.

His magical ability was exceptional.

He had driven back the Demon Race.

His command abilities had also been proven.

But nobles exaggerated their accomplishments all the time.

Unless the adventurers had witnessed them personally, they had little reason to believe such stories.

Furthermore, possessing remarkable talent as a mage and being a capable adventurer were entirely different matters.

In this profession, there were worthless Fifth Circle mages and heroic Third Circle saviors.

Erika glanced at Ferda.

The look clearly said,

Say something.

Ferda nodded inwardly and stepped forward.

To reassure everyone, he declared confidently,

"You needn't worry about me."

Up to that point...

Everything had been perfectly fine.

"I only hope none of you trip over a rock and end up blaming me for it."

"..."

The atmosphere instantly became even colder.

Everyone wanted to curse at him...

But he was a noble.

No one dared.

Erika desperately suppressed the feeling that her Blue Circle was about to shatter and make her cough up blood.