CH 96

Chapter 96: Epilogue

After the Stampede ended, Yuto spent the entire day not being able to move.

The cause was using too much Magic Power.

Because Yuto experienced an extreme case of Magic Exhaustion, as a result, it was followed by intense muscle soreness that made his entire body not only ache but placed it in unbearable agony.

During that time, Eliz and Mari took turns looking after him during the day.

With the two’s insistent help, Yuto wasn’t too troubled even though his body wouldn’t move at all.

Yuto: (I think I owe them a big debt now…….)

Yuto made a mental note to make sure to return the favor back when he gets better.

Yuto made sure to engrave that decision into his heart.

By the time the whole day passed, the pain throughout his body was much better. But he wasn’t well enough to resume his Adventurer activities.

His Magic Exhaustion was that serious.

Mari: “Morning, Yuto. You’re able to get out of bed now?” Yuto: “Mari, morning. I’m still not at full condition though.”

Yuto got out of bed and was stretching when Mari visited Yuto’s room.

In Mari’s hand, she held a paper bag.

From there, Yuto smelled a familiar scent.

Mari: “Aren’t you hungry? I got you some breakfast at Gold Rock. Can you eat it all? IーIーIf you like, I can help you eat.”

Eliz: “STOOOOOOOP, YES!”

The door suddenly slammed open with a <WHAM!!>.

With her brows angled downwards, Eliz takes the paper bag from Mari.

Eliz: “Miss Mari! You’ll be late for work! I’ll take care of the rest!”

Yuto: “EーEliz?!”

Mari: “I still have time. And Eliz, you’re here much earlier than the time in the agreement. Can you explain why?”

Yuto: “Agreement?”

Eliz: “I had you under surveillance to make sure you didn’t do anything weird!”

Yuto: “Surveillance?!”

Completely forgetting that Yuto was right there, Mari and Eliz glared at one another with sparks flying for a while.

Yuto: (The two of them get along so well….)

….was what Yuto thought, and to avoid getting pulled into the argument, he quietly began eating the Gold Rock breakfast.

When Mari and Eliz left the room, Yuto had another visitor come.

It was the Lone Wolf, Thames. Thames now looked as though she was released from a long-years of worry and looked refreshed.

She has been like this since the Stampede ended.

Yuto is not sure what caused her change of heart. But Yuto was equally glad to see the positive changes that were apparent from her face.

Thames: “How’s your body?” Yuto: “It’s good. I’m able to move around now. In 2 or 3 days, I should be able to go back to the Dungeon.”

Thames: “I see.” And Thames looked downwards and fell silent.

But she straightened her tail as if to harden her resolve.

Thames: “..........I’m sorry…...about how I acted in the Party….” Yuto: “Ummm? Was there anything to apologize about?” Thames: “On the first day, I put your friend, Eliz, in danger. I should be disqualified as a Shield Defender.”

Yuto: “Please, don’t worry about that. No one can do things perfectly the first time.”

Thames: “It wasn’t my first time. Before I became an Adventurer, I was a Shield Defender.”

How she was a Governor’s daughter. How her father raised her as a Shield Defender.

How she became an Adventurer to become stronger.

And how she lost everything in the Stampede 4 years ago……..

Yuto listened as Thames explained her past.

Yuto knew about the Stampede 4 years ago.

He knew that one of the territories was wiped out.

But he never would have imagined that Thames was a victim of that Stampede, and she was the daughter of that territory’s Governor.

Yuto: “I…….see……..”

Thames: “Yeah. That’s why I could have done my job as a Shield Defender from the beginning. But I didn’t. I was too busy trying to compete with you and clouded my judgement. Even though I was a Shield Defender, I acted as a Swordsman. ……...that…..was completely my bad. I’m sorry.”

Yuto: “Oh no. That’s okay. With everything considered, I was not bothered by it.”

Thames: “But that’s not good enough for me!”

Thames suddenly raised her voice and rose up abruptly from the stool she sat on.

Thames: “If you don’t do something because you can’t, then it can’t be helped. I understand that. But I didn’t do what I was capable of doing! And because of that, I put Eliz…….the people I should be protecting in danger! I’m…….the worst Shield Defender there is…….”

Thames’ voice dwindled at the end of her sentence, and sat down hard on the stool with her shoulders sagging to the ground.

But Yuto smiled upon Thames.

Yuto: “Let’s…...not keep hurting ourselves like that. No matter how much you look back on the past, there is no one waiting for you there. You’ll only keep hurting yourself with those thoughts. Rather than doing that, why not think about what we can do going forward!”

With that, Yuto straightened his back and looked straight towards Thames.

Yuto: “Miss Thames. Will you be willing…….to join my Party as a Shield Defender?” Thames: “..........hey, Yuto. Were you even listening to what I was saying at all? I’m the absolute worst Shield Defender soーー”

Yuto: “Yes, I heard everything. But that doesn’t matter to me. I’m not asking Miss Thames from the past, but I want the Miss Thames right now to join my Party. With the Miss Thames right now, I want to be able to do more. So please, please become my Party member as a Shield Defender!”

Thames: “....................”

Thames blinked as she mulled over Yuto’s words.

But with a mischievous smile like she used to do in the past, she opened her mouth.

Thames: “Sorry. I can’t be a Shield Defender in your Party.”

Yuto: “...........huh? But why……..?” Yuto’s face paled a few shades of white.

With her tail swinging side to side, Thames told Yuto boldly.

Thames: “I’m not a Shield Defender anymore. Right now, I’m a Holy Knight.”

Yuto: “A….Holy…...Knight…..? Wait, did your Occupation change?” Thames: “Yeah, so Yuto. Do you need a Holy Knight to join your Party?” A wide smile spread over Yuto’s face as he nodded several times.

<<<<>>>>

After Thames left, Yuto took a nap, and when he woke, took out the Skill Board.

With the Stampede from before, he had cleared an Emergency Quest.

But because he could not move his body at all, he could not confirm the rewards up until now.

Yuto: “Okay, okay……...I wonder how things are looking now……….”

As Yuto pulled up the Skill Board….

>> Level 39 → 43

>> Skill Point: 0 → 36

Yuto: “A……..Amazing……… It’s gone up a lot!!”

Yuto’s voice trembled with surprise.

He has gained more Levels and Skill Points than any other Quests he has cleared before.

Among them, he received a large amount of Skill Points. With this much, he’ll be able to upgrade any Skill he pleases.

Yuto: “I can’t believe I got so much from that Emergency Quest. I guess it shows how dangerous a Quest that Stampede was…….”

Without a doubt, that Stampede was indeed an extremely dangerous situation.

But he received this much reward because he had also cleared multiple Quests at once.

Once the Emergency Quest was completed, he received an Extra Quest.

And he also cleared a few Repeat Quests ー Specific Monster Slaying Quests for defeating a 1,000 of each type.

So with all things considered, he completed multiple Quests at once and received a large amount of rewards for that reason.

Yuto: “That reminds me…...that Extra Quest…...it didn’t have any Clear Conditions but…..did I technically clear that Quest too?” Yuto glances at the Quest screen.

And there, he couldn’t find the Extra Quest being displayed anywhere.

When the Stampede ended, the Extra Quest also ended as well.

Next, Yuto checks his Inventory Screen.

Among his Inventory, he found an unfamiliar bag inside.

Yuto clicks on the bag icon and sees the word [Extra Quest Reward (3,000 Slain)].

Yuto: “OHHH!! It’s the Extra Quest reward! If it says 3,000 here, then maybe I could have gotten a better reward if I defeated more……..?”

Realizing that fact, Yuto held his head and groaned with regret.

Yuto: “........AHHHH!! I didn’t have time to be dealing with that Magic Exhaustion……..if only I defeated more Monsters…..!!”

He may have received a different item.

Yuto wanted to have defeated more Monsters to receive the highest reward possible.

Yuto: “I already defeated a lot of Monsters by the time I was done with the Special Quest, so I should have already had a lot of Skill Points. If I put those Skill Points into my Magic Skills, I could have maybe defeated more Monsters…………..(sigh)......”

Yuto let out a huge sigh of disappointment.

But there is nothing to be gained from regretting the past.

This was the highest reward Yuto could have received at this point.

Yuto: “If I get a similar Quest in the future, I should think it through more carefully before I act!”

As he made a new resolution in his heart, Yuto takes out the Quest Reward.

Inside the Bag Icon in his Inventory, he found a single Scroll.

It’s the same kind of Scroll as the Spell-Learning or Occupational Scrolls.

What kind of things could be written inside……..?

Yuto swallowed hard as he opened the Scroll.

The Scroll was an Occupational Scroll.

Although he couldn’t read most of the words, it was written in the same format as the Swordsman and Spellcaster Scrolls from before.

But Yuto could barely whisper the words that he could read….

Yuto: “Occupation Assignment……….Hero………?”