They managed to just reach the campsite before nightfall. The battle with the Sylvs had ended up taking up their time, not to mention stopping so the unusually large Sylvan could pass without noticing them. But now that they were there, they were reviewing camp protocol. Thankfully, it was warm enough they didn't need to make a fire, as making one would only invite trouble. While certainly cooler at night, it only got to about 15 degrees Celsius or so, at least as far as Kuroki could tell. He had yet to see a thermometer in this world, but it certainly felt around that. That was why, when indoors at least, it was still quite comfortable to sleep the way they did, especially with covers.
Naturally though, they would only remove some of their gear when they slept out here, not all of it. A few of them ended up having to be reminded of that fact, as they nearly took it all off the moment they set up the tents. This was the first time camping outside for most if not all of them, and they were used to the norms of this world more than they were as adventurers. As monsters could appear at any point, it was important to be ready to defend at any point if the lookout raised the alarms. As such, most people would just remove their outer layers, their shoes and socks, and their packs and bags. They would sleep with their weapons nearby or even in hand, although the latter was really only for those who did not use bladed weapons. They would use tents to help provide some shelter and maximize the effectiveness of their rest, which would make it easier to stand guard during the night. It would be a bit rough of course, but that's why adventurers always brought energy pills with them. After all, Kuroki's group had the youngest members, especially Ryuu. The only reason they were able to keep up was thanks to the Gifts granted by the Wishes. Kuroki himself was fifteen, despite his lack of height or any notable body or facial hair yet, so there were a few people in other parties younger then him, but also many older.
In truth, his party was abnormally young, which was why the guildmasters were so easily bribed surely. Although there were plenty of exceptions, the average F-Ranker was probably about 14 to 15, although there were plenty of E-Rankers who were that age as well. But seeing a D-Ranker that was under 17 was apparently not too common in average. However, the Frontier was different. The monster population was higher, and that put strain and increased cost on food supplies even though they could serve as food themselves sometimes. As such, more kids became adventurers when they were younger. Not only was it a job that was constantly in higher need in the frontier regions, but they could make money for themselves and their families. H-Rankers only saw combat if some stray rabbits encountered them though, and typically just stuck to training, herb gathering, and the like. G-Ranks were still in training too, but they could handle the normal horned rabbits that were usually around.
Horned Rabbits were only difficult to deal with Kuroki's party thanks to Flopsy, and the fact that they had even less experience fighting them then H-Rank adventurers. For them, who had known a world of humans for so long, trying to fight monsters had ended up being far more difficult then human and humanoid enemies.
So that was why no one found Kuroki's party too out of place for F-Rankers. But there were quite a few who did not witness the battle who questioned why a party made of adventurers who had only just joined not even two weeks ago was being promoted to E-Rank without and exam.
Course, at the same time, E-Ranks didn't get scrutinized as much, and they had many adventurers and even knights who witnessed the battle vouch for them. Had Riza attested himself, it probably would have been fine, but he had been away, chasing down that Devil.
Or rather, one sidedly pushing her back. I guess his S-Rank isn't for show. He was able to overpower a foe that Ozlo and two friends of his had trouble with together.
Kuroki hadn't been told who helped specifically, but apparently Ozlo had called upon two others who were also A-Rank adventurers. That meant that Riza was stronger then three A-Ranks put together.
Speaking of Ozlo, naturally being A-Rank at fourteen was incredibly rare. Not impossible, since apparently Anna was at B-Rank and near A-Rank when she had to turn herself to stone so she didn't go berserk and kill people. And Riza apparently ranked up fast as well.
While thinking of such things, there were other stones Kuroki was also focused on. As they had planned, their campsite was surrounded by rocks and ruins. There were only a few choke points into it, and the entire area was overgrown with Naria Root. Ryuu had tried to pick some, but Kuroki stopped him, mentioning it was left alone on purpose by others so this place would remain a great camping spot. Indeed, although their fellow adventurers had done a great job cleaning up, there were still some signs that someone had set up camp.
In fact, there was a clearing in the center with a large stone, that was probably used to tend to a fire. They were not making one themselves, but when it was colder, especially near freezing, adventurers would make one for warmth as they stood watch. That said, monsters were less active in the winter as well, so it was safer to do so.
But the stones Kuroki was focused on was the Wardstones he had made. He would be creating a large barrier ward around the camp, to prevent noise from leaving. This did not stop outside noise from entering through, so while the noises they made would be muffled outside of the camp, the noises any approaching monsters made would be perfectly hearable. At least if they made any.
Kuroki had been working on them for awhile now. Normally a mage would have to maintain a barrier actively, but Wards were another story. They could use ambient mana, just for a reduced result normally, unless you had a major setup or such. But to create one that would cover this camp, even as they were sleeping, meant he would need to have something anchor it even as he slept. That was where Wardstones came in, but one had to be very careful.
In truth, Kuroki had only learned a little about Magical Artificing and Enchanting so far from Amyris. That wasn't from a lack of teaching, but rather the subject was complex and difficult, and took people years or decades to really get a grasp on. Right now, Kuroki could really only make Wardstones. And that was due to specifically focusing on them, since Amyris mentioned he would need them to camp normally.
To create a Wardstone, one first needed the right materials. The stones needed to be very well made, smooth and well crafted, and very even and symmetrical. They also needed to be made of the right stone. Just random stone wouldn't cut it, you needed one that would be able to hold mana well, but not be overflowing and supercharged with mana. Too much, and you risk an overload, especially if you are unskilled and not careful. Too little, and the wards would be weak and not very usable. Thankfully, Kuroki was able to get some Precut unused Wardstones. Or rather, Amyris had gotten him a lot, probably like a hundred, since that was more mason work and easily available on the market. Some people had wardstones premade for sale as well, but it was better and more effective for a mage to make his own.
Then there was the paint. One would have to use a special paint that was good for imbueing mana, but again, they had to make sure not to use one that involved more power then they could handle, or else they would risk destruction. With that in mind, Kuroki worked hard to paint the magic symbols on each one by hand. Apparently the mana would flow and balance itself based on these symbols, and the less perfect it was, the less the effects would be. It was a per flaw thing, and it was something Kuroki had trouble with. His father had never so much as let him have a paintbrush, determined to make him a "man's man" as he called it. So while fascinated by art almost as much as magic, he only had what he did in school to go by.
Still, in the end he had created seven working Wardstones, and twenty two failed attempts. That was about a 25% success rate, which Amyris praised him on, since apparently it was usually much lower for those just starting out. He had wanted to get at least eight successes, but Amyris made him go to bed. Literally had to force Kuroki into bed to get him to stop, Kuroki was so single mindedly into it the night before. Kuroki loved magic after all, so he had become enthralled in the process.
Naturally, Amyris caught him at it again in the middle of the night, and dragged his naked butt back to bed and sealed the door with magic this time. Kuroki could be truly stubborn when it came to magic, and Amyris realized he wouldn't be able to teach Kuroki advanced magic seal picking until much later to prevent these sorts of episodes too often.
In any case, Kuroki was only using six Wardstones. Wardstones had to be used in even numbers, and they needed to be placed symetrically and equally, or at least as much as possible. However, Wardstone placement wasn't always so easy. Kuroki had to account for any minor traces of leylines going under their feet, as well as the mana concentration of the plants, rocks, and such near each location. Furthermore, it took all three mages working together to really get them placed evenly, because you needed to balance them quickly when setting them up for camp to avoid accidentally creating a feedback loop and sending out a mana pulse, which might attract monsters instead. Furthermore, each location had to make sure the mana nearby wouldn't overload them or interfere, and they had to be very careful andm ake sure no one accidentally left their own wardstones behind. If it was still active, it could disrupt the new ward setup, which would make it fail and possibly attract anything that was mana sensitive.
Only after making sure they were all as evenly aligned as possible, with everything set up right, was Kuroki able to use them as anchors for his Anti-Sound Ward. Of course, it wouldn't eliminate all noise from the camp, so they still had to avoid being too loud, but at the very least, it would help and make it so any light conversation they had wouldn't cause them trouble.
Once all that was done, Kuroki was finally able to go to the tent, take his shoes and socks off as he took off his cloak and overshirt, leaving him with in just his shorts, undershirt, and his Grimoire. He lay down and stretched out his feet and toes, wiggling the latter.
"That was a lot of walking, even for us".
"I am glad we have enhanced stamina and all, but that was rough. It was different from the plains which were flat" Kaede agreed. "Plus the location was a lot closer, even if we factor in the carriage".
Riku let out a sigh as he laid on his side.
"When are we having dinner?"
"Soon. Though it's not going to be warm mind you".
"Yeah, I know".
Without a fire, they couldn't cook anything, but this was normal for adventurers. Besides, while they had the smell nullifying Naria plants around, there was no guarentee the smell of cooked meat wouldn't get carried by the smoke and wind. Plus, this was a test. They could take risks on their own normally, in safer environments. But not here, and not now. And especially not with that Overgrown Sylvan around.
To be honest, the vets were concerned that there might be other dangers lurking about, and they had every right to be. Everyone was a bit on edge, but that just made this more important. They had to know who was skilled enough to be taking harder jobs, and who needed more training, given the potential dangers of the newly risen Demon King. Even if it was unlikely any of them would ever face him, his influence effected the world. Monsters got riled up, territories shifted, and people's darkness could get amplified without even being near him, but just be existing on the same world as him.
Kuroki looked out of the tent opening at the twin moons above, watching them rise into the night's sky. He wondered if the Demon King had anything to do with their arrival to this world. The timing was a bit too notable to be coincidence, but this was a phenomena that happened all the time. There was no indicator this time was any different, and most of all, it was predictable. Kuroki couldn't rule it out, but personally, he thought it might be a red herring. Still, there was always the chance more elements were involved. And the Devils that served him clearly knew of their arrival. Yet they tried to kill them, not capture them, which made it seem less likely they were involved with the summoning.
All in all, it was very weird.
Eventually they all started to eat. As it turned out, there was no set dinner time, and actually they couldn't all eat at once. If they got attacked mid-meal, that would be bad. As such, they took turns standing guard and eating. Their meals consisted of dried fruit and meat which was easy to keep and transport over long periods of time. Of course, it was also possible to have brought fruit you purchased this morning, but this exam had more considerations than that.
While it was true it was testing them for E-Rank, that was not the only thing the guild looked for. They also considered their futures, how far these adventurers were thinking ahead, how much help would they need in the future and how well they would do. That was also a reason they had come to this more dangerous section. It wasn't just the fact that all these F-Ranks would be overkill for weaker areas of their equivalent rank. It was also for them to see stronger foes, to see what they had to work towards and how much they needed to improve. Show them the threats, and give them the goals.
Witnessing the giant Sylvan had been beyond their expectations, but the battle against the Sylvs and the Vrak'shalen had been insightful. If it had only been their individual parties, against the Vrak'shalen would have been difficult, but the sheer number of the Sylvs despite essentially being newborns meant that they really needed them all. Especially for those who were taking the tests individually, as the other members of their party were either E-Ranks or above, or did not qualify for E-Rank yet.
And this too was part of that. Preparing food for longer adventurers, or having preserved food that would last awhile already on hand in case an emergency quest happened, like another Goblin invasion. By showing that they were thinking ahead, everyone would do better.
Interestingly, every single one of them seemed to be on point on that approach. Kuroki wouldn't say they were all very buddy buddy, and Ezeri and Themist seemed to have a bit of a rivalry going on. However, everyone was making sure to get along and cooperate, which had caught Kuroki a bit off guard. At the very least, he was certain the average person here was more mature then they would be at his age.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Now that he thought about it, Ozlo, Dia, and others also seemed way more mature, so perhaps kids got mature faster. However, there was also the Guildmaster and Riza, so he questioned if perhaps adults somehow got less mature in this world for a moment.
Vanessia looked his way. "You just thought something incredibly rude, didn't you?"
"Not at all!" Kuroki lied, wondering how she knew. Besides, he realized there was a plethora of examples for that in his old world as well.
Either way, dinner ended without a hitch. The Wardstones were in place, and people were taking shifts on watch before night fell even while everyone else relaxed a bit. This wasn't them lacking caution, but rather making sure their bodies got proper rest so they recovered stamina properly and were ready for combat. People took their boots and socks off and laid or sat down inside or outside of their tents, or even just walked around barefoot. A few of them dug a hole that was their makeshift toilet. There was absolutely no cover for it, so everyone would see you poop, but they couldn't put the toilet outside of camp because that would be far too risky, and along the way a few of them had to do it in front of others anyways. After all, adventurers couldn't wander off away from their parties in forests that contained monsters, and certainly not during an exam. That would hurt their score.
Of course, since no one really had toilets inside aside from the rich merchants and nobles, this was something they were used to. Even Kuroki's party was getting used to this.
It was also encouraged they go regularly to avoid absolutely having to go when battle started and soiling themselves. A few adventurers even had special clothes for dealing with such things, as Kuroki remembered the guild did even offer many services, including diapers for new adventurers. Anything to make it easier to deal with and adapt to emergencies and combat, and prevent humiliating themselves by ruining their clothes. Kuroki felt it was a bit strange when thinking of his old world, but he had grown up in a world where there were not terrifying monsters with strange abilities sometimes who might try to hunt you down and consume you.
Considering he himself had been scared shitless a few times since arriving already, and how close he got when he thought that Giant Sylvan might attack him, he decided not to judge them. He briefly even reconsidered his previous hesitation towards them, but at the very least shelved that thought for later. Or possibly never.
Eventually, after everyone ate and relaxed and such, night came over the camp.
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The first shift was manned by four adventurers. Riku and Ryuu were among them, and they seemed to still be able to keep themselves awake just fine. Perhaps because they somehow managed to sleep during the carriage ride over. There were a few others with them, including Eiza, an Elf boy from Themist's party who seemed to be an archer, as well as one of the independent adventurers, Leo, who appeared to be a spear user and was a Dog Beastkin, floppy ears and tail and all. However, the way he fought with a spear surprised Riku. With him, it wasn't all about stabs, but slashes played a big part as well. He would use the length to increase the distance between the blade and himself, increasing the centrifugal force and making it quite deadly. Furthermore, the metal used was clearly of a stronger alloy then most of the metals used in the other's weapons. Perhaps because it was only a spear tip, he could afford it more easily, rather than an entire sword made of it.
"Who taught you to use a spear like that?" Riku ended up asking him.
"Ah, its a bit self taught, but I was inspired by the adventurer known as "Combat Hero" Yuyan. Apparently, he uses a combination of spear tactics, martial arts, bo staff fighting techniques, and some magic. Rumor has it his magic can penetrate any defense, and that no matter how strong or powerful you are, none of that matters against him. Only being skilled will save you, raw power means nothing. At least, thats what the legends are".
"Legends? How long have they been around?"
"Not long. He is only fourteen after all, but already a very high ranking adventurer".
"Woah".
Riku had seen Ozlo's ability, so it didn't surprise him too much, but it sounded like he might be a higher rank then even Ozlo. That seemed like quite the feat.
They maintained a light conversation while keeping watch not just to pass time, but also out of necessity. During this, not a single one forgot their main job. However, they also had to keep each other awake. Talking helped with that, so their chats served to help keep them engaged and not drifting asleep.
"Your party seems really strong considering how young you all seem" Eiza mentioned.
"Actually, Kuroki is fifteen".
"Wait for real?!"
"No way!"
Eiza himself was only fourteen, and Leo was twelve. Incidentally, Eiza was the youngest in his party too, so he was also used to being the shortest, especially since he wasn't a High Elf but a Wood Elf. But both were absolutely taller than Kuroki.
"Yep".
"Was his father half-dwarf or something? Cause that would explain a lot".
"Nah...and before you go thinking of questions to ask him, don't ask about his family anyways".
"...I see. I think I understand his lack of growth now".
"Mhm".
Leo picked up on it immediately, while Eiza seemed a bit confused.
"Hold on, what do you mean?"
Leo just gave him a look. "Not everyone has a happy home life. We should just leave it at that".
The way Leo looked, Riku could tell Leo knew all too well about what Kuroki had gone through. He was taking the rank up test as an individual when he was just twelve. Riku had the benefits provided to him by the Starfall, so he and the others were outlier cases. However, Leo had none of that, which likely meant to get here, he overcame a lot. Riku suspected some of it was before he became an adventurer.
Ryuu however, only picked up on pieces of it all. He was the youngest here, so more things tended to fly over his head then others. Although it was true he wasn't exactly the sharpest eight-year-old either way, there were probably far more that were smarter then him that would have put the pieces together.
Eiza looked over at the wardstones, looking for a less somber topic.
"It is pretty impressive he was able to make so many Wardstones himself. I hear they are really hard, despite being one of the more basic and beginner projects for mages".
"Yeah. He complained that he never got higher then a twenty five percent success rate".
"...from what I have heard, that's fantastic for a beginner though?"
"Yeah, Amyris said the same thing. But Kuroki can get a bit...obsessive...in what he loves. And he loves magic".
"Ah, I know the type all too well. Still, it probably helps the Magician of the Silver Hour is teaching him. He might be one of the greatest mages on the continent after all".
"I have been wondering....why does everyone call him the Magician of the Silver Hour?"
"I heard its because he has some sort of ultimate spell he used to defend a city's population, known as the Silver Hour. Apparrently, its full nature made it absurdly powerful in terms of protecting people. While active, its actually impossible to harm any civilians, and his allies will never lose anyone while its effect is active. Furthermore, its area of effect is wide enough to cover an entire city and the surrounding area".
"That...that sounds amazing. Do you know any more?"
"Unfortunately not. For better or worse, it hasn't been needed in some time, though I heard if the battle in the city ever took a turn for the worse, he was ready to deploy it immediately. The only reason he didn't was because everyone already had been brought to safety, and because it was impossible to cover both the city and the battlefield in the plains, so he had to choose to stay near the civilians".
"Ah...that makes sense".
In other words, the fact there was no casualties inside the city was likely Amyris' doing as well. Riku had to admire the mage, he was an incredibly good person.
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When the second shift came around, it ended up being Kaede, Themist, Sooto, and Riyzi. Sooto was the mage from Ezeri's party, while Riyzi was actually a sort of magic user as well, but not so much a mage but a magic tinkerer. He was busy at work, while Sooto was busy with their calibrations to their staff. It seemed to be the equivalent of a warrior having her sword sharpened. Sooto however, was busy making sure their staff was also ready for combat at any time.
"I hate the second shift. It's absolutely horrible and annoying" Themist complained, yawning a bit.
"At least it gives me time to tinker with some things" Rizyi said, working on a device. He seemed to utilize magical devices rather then magic itself, although it seemed like he could use some magic at least. However, like Kaede and Riku, it seemed not enough to count as a mage.
"ANd while you do that...its time for gossip!"
"Oooh! Gossip? Wait, but with Rizyi here?"
"I think I will just excuse myself..."
"No, stay! You are an important part of our guard and we need more opinions on this! Mainly, on who Kaede has a crush on in her party!"
"Um, what?"
Themist was going right for the metaphoric throat right from the start! She seemed grounded and sensible normally, but it seemed she had this side to her as well.
"Hold on, but all of the sudden...what if one of the boys wakes up and listens".
This comment by Themist caught Rizyi off guard.
"I am a boy!"
"Shush! You look enough like a girl, and you are so innocent it doesn't matter anyways! Besides, you have like four older sisters so you have more experience then the rest of us".
"Geh?!"
"Besides, everyone knows gender doesn't matter, especially when it comes to gossip!"
"Its because of my siblings I want to avoid being dragged in!"
"Well too bad. Now, spill the beans! Or we tickle you, who do you think Kaede is into in her party?"
Under threat from Themist's glare, the independent adventurer Rizyi was not given a choice. Not that she actually would have carried on with it, but he was caught too off guard to realize this.
"Fine! Then...none of them! She is probably in love with Ozlo instead!"
"Booo, that is too safe. Sooto, hold him down while I take it off!"
"Wait wait, fine! Uhhh...Kuroki! That why she follows him!"
"Oooh, admiration turned to romance!"
"Guys! Thats not even...you just wanted to make stuff up!" Kaede glared, realizing Themist was absolutely messing with everyone.
However, Sooto ended up going next.
"I think its Ryuu! He is innocent and cute, and only two years younger then her!"
"Oooh, Sooto thinks Kaede prefers them younger!"
"Stop saying such insinuating things!"
Themist however ignored Kaede's pleas.
"I think its Riku! She definitely has a crush on Riku!"
"I do not! Shut up shut up shut up!"
Kaede got really riled up, but that only made them even more certain they nailed it.
"Ooooh, I got it right. You love Riku".
"Waaah! Shut up!"
"Well, this is over, so you don't need me anymore" Rizyi said, trying to leave.
"But now we have to guess who you have a crush on Rizyi!"
"I am far too busy with my studies and adventuring for such a thing!"
"That sounds like you might be protesting too much there!"
"I had to endure it Rizyi, now its your turn".
"Hold on Kaede! I didn't want to participate at the start, don't get revenge on me!"
Such a conversation unfolded. Vanessia, who was watching in the shadows, let out a chuckle.
"I am not sure what is scarier, this conversation, or the fact that Themist reacted each time I shifted the shadows while talking about this so passionately. This must be the first Rank Up Exam I proctored where they had a conversation about love interests and didn't drop their guard. At least, not completely.
"Oh, and we gotta know how you rate their cuteness, both faces and full bodies! Especially their butts!"
Incidentally, Kaede never did figure out if Sooto was a boy or a girl.
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And then, eventually those four went to sleep as the third shift came in. This was Kuroki, Ezeri, a shielder girl from Themist's party named Grelles, and the close quarters mage named Aiaza.
"Looks like it's been all clear so far" Kuroki mentioned as he sat down on a log.
"Yeah. No signs of any combat. Looks like everything worked perfectly. Monsters don't like it when their smell is taken away, so they tend to avoid fields full of Naria plant if they can help it".
"That makes sense. They are hunters after all, losing one of their senses probably discomforts them".
Naria fields sort of acted like a repellent in that capacity, only it didn't repel them directly but indirectly instead. It was a clever little detail to notice.
"It looks like they snacked a bit" Ezeri noticed, brushing off crumbs. "Knowing Sooto and Themist, I am sure it became a den of gossip. I hope they didn't get any points taken off as a result".
"I wonder what they talked about..." Kuroki muttered, unaware he was better off not knowing all the topics, especially the later ones.
Ezeri averted his gaze. "Probably about monster killing techniques and famous adventurers, surely".
Ezeri wasn't entirely wrong or lying, since famous adventurers ended up being relevant to the later topics as well.
"Sounds like hell" Grelles mentioned, seeing through Ezeri's words.
As they kept an eye on the approaches, Kuroki decided to use his mana to actively scan the area using his Echomap technique.
"Looks like nothing is approaching so far, but I couldn't sense the Vrak'shalen, or the Giant Sylvan, so unfortunately my confidence that it was a perfect detection technique has faded".
The Vrak'shallen was one thing, they hid inside of shadows so it was possible that there was no way his sensory abilities could detect it when it relied on air and water. But the Giant Sylvan had gone totally unnoticed by him, and he was not sure how. Somehow, monsters were able to initiate some sort of stealth that made them much harder to detect. He thought it was weird, that it didn't make sense, but apparently much about monsters was still unknown, in part to them being alien to this world. They had learned some things and developed basic rules and knowledge, but there was a lot still cloaked in mystery.
While they sat, they passed around some juice to drink. They hoped the sugar would help them stay up for their shift, and began to chat some more as they did to help stimulate them.
"So...anyone else's first time camping?"
"Mine".
"Mine too".
"I think its the same for all of us right?"
Kuroki had been forced to go camping by his father a few times, so Kuroki had negative feelings about it right from the start. Still, this was camping with magic, so he felt it was very much different that he just said it was. Besides...
"After all, its not like anyone goes camping recreationally".
"That is true".
"Maybe in areas with more peaceful forests, but only crazy people. Who would want to go without comforts to relax?"
"The wilds are dangerous even in the safer regions after all".
This was a world full of monsters, so naturally no one really camped recreationally. Only for traveling or work.
Ezeri looked at the wardstones. "Those must have taken a lot of work. Nicely done".
"Thanks. I wanted to make an eighth, but I ran out of time...or rather, master forcibly dragged me to bed...twice..."
"What did you do, pretend to go to sleep, then rush out of bed the moment it was safe and get to work again?"
"Yeah. He was...really mad. Especially since making Wardstones can be dangerous".
"Ah, you didn't even bother to get dressed and did it naked? Yeah that was dumb of you".
"I was really into it and I really wanted to make an eighth you know!"
"You must really love magic".
"I do! I want to master it all. Divination, battle magic, magical constructs, magic creation, barriers, wards, manipulations, summonings, everything!"
Kuroki was clearly quite passionate about it, as his eagerness was laid bare before them. It looked like a borderline obsession, but if it helped them survive the ordeals here and helped make the world safer, Ezeri wasn't going to complain.
"So I guess you became an adventurer to make money and for training then?"
"Yeah. Also, I am trying to find some people. There was an incident, and we got separated. How about you?"
Ezeri blushed. The sixteen year old looked more bashful and embarrased then Kuroki had been in his first few days in this world.
"Come on Ezeri, you should tell him. It is only fair, he answered you after all" Aiaza mentioned.
"Oh fine! I became an adventurer...because even if I never do it myself, I wanted to help people and...and...be someone who helped save the world".
Aiaza mumbled that last bit out. Everyone heard it, but it was quite the statement to hear all the same.
"Sounds like a story behind that" Aiaza said.
"...a few years ago, when I was ten, my parents who were merchants traveling to set up a new shop in a new city were attacked by monsters. One of them was an usuaul one, known as the Devourer of Worlds, known for consuming everything and anything, especially people. I thought we were done for, but then...he appeared".
"He?"
"A brilliant adventurer, who looks youthful despite his age. His easygoing personality sets people who are in danger at ease, and he is extremely skilled at rescue missions. Able to seemingly pull swords out of nowhere, and able to wield many blades at once, including using magic to do so. The one with several nicknames, including Shining Hope. Riza Luminar".
Kuroki heard a name he was not expecting. So apparently Ezeri had been personally saved by Riza? Also, he had such a nickname like Shining Hope?
Either way, their watch carried on as Ezeri accidentally went into a fullblown explanation of Riza, which made Kuroki regain some respect for the young looking grandpa once again. Apparently, Riza did his job properly.
And so, the next day approached.