“We have time, we should arrive to the spot marked on the map tomorrow” Maggie said as she studied the map, diligently playing the role of the party’s scout.

“What do you think we will find there?” Lucas asked Margaret, hoping her tenure in the troops of the General will grant some insight.

“Lot of high quality items, that is for sure. There were a lot of merchants with confiscated goods and even more adventurers. I doubt you are the only one who had his dungeon loot taken” Margaret said “as for the guardians, I really don’t know. I certainly wouldn’t stick around if I knew half of what I know now” she finished after a short pause, clearly uncomfortable by the subject. Lucas thankfully picked up the cues, so he quickly changed it, not pressing further.

“Even if I could learn something more, it certainly isn’t worth enough to rub in her previous affiliation” Lucas thought to himself, worryingly looking at Margaret, hoping he didn’t upset his friend too hard. He spotted Maggie doing the same and he caught her eyes, apologetic look on his face. She sighed and waved him off, Lucas managing to communicate he didn’t have any bad intentions with his question.

“I really thought we are done with that piece of shit” Ted said, breaking the moment of uncomfortable silence.

“We are, this is just our reward for the job well done” Lucas said, sure of it. After this is done, he hoped the last material remnant of that cursed night would finally be erased so he can put it in an unbreakable vault in his mind, hopefully preventing it from haunting him.

The conversation changed course to lighter themes, a lot of bantering and teasing as the party made its way towards the place where the vault was supposed to be, unity between them stronger that they have ever been. As Lucas took part in this conversation, there was a something that was bugging him. Aside from Margaret, who literally upgraded her class through blood, sweat and tears, the rest of his party was chronically devoid of every opportunity to do so. Going back on the events in recent memory, he was starting to be afraid he was the reason their growth was being stifled, as their reliance on him to close out though fight was bigger with every passing fight, especially now when he had a skill which was essentially instant kill.

Racking his brain, trying to emulate Bruce’s way of thinking out of the conundrum he currently thought he was in, he found it harder and harder to concentrate on the chatter and looked more and more switched off, so much so that others started to notice something was wrong.

“Everything okay?” Maggie arrived next to him, startling him a bit.

“I don’t know. I was just thinking of the general state of things” Lucas responded.

“And you think things are looking bleak? From where I’m standing we are almost perfect” Maggie asked.

“That is just the thing. We are doing very well and yet, nobody except Margaret got any chances to advance your class and that is what worries me” Lucas said, going on to explain his theory and what is he currently trying to do. After finishing, Lucas noticed he got the attention of the whole party, everybody listening to him intently.

“Wow, he does love us” Margaret said mockingly, breaking some of the tension, making Lucas lose some of his anxiousness.

“Why don’t we just ask Bruce?” Maggie said after chuckling a bit.

“I would rather avoid going back to New Flame, I have a feeling we are one step removed from being drowned in bullshit there” Lucas responded.

“Why would we walk back? You have the stone” Maggie said, her voice sounding incredulous. Lucas looked at her confused for just a second, before remembering the stone Goldilocks gave him when they were departing.

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“You actually forgot about it?” Ted asked, before bursting into laughter, others quick to join him. Lucas quickly took the stone from his ring, his cheeks burning. He turned the stone in his hand, studying it. After some fiddling, the System announced he could send either to Bruce or Goldilocks, or to both. Content he learned how to use it, Lucas put it back into the ring, deciding to write a note to Bruce as soon as they make camp. The conversation went back to where they left off, only thing different was that the Lucas was the target for most of the jokes, an honor he most certainly deserved.

“The airhead here had volunteered for guard duty, he just forgot” Ted said, his friends once again laughing at Lucas’s expense, before going to sleep one by one, leaving Lucas to his guard duty. He took the stone out of his ring once again and starting composing a message in his head. Halfway there, he stopped, a little panicked remembering he didn’t have neither pen or paper. Luckily for him, the others were more responsible, as he found paper waiting him back near the tents, Margaret leaving him a rather rude note whose content better left unsaid. Lucas smiled as he went back to his spot and started writing.

Bruce,

I was thinking about the state of our progress and I’m wondering about my role in the growth in others and should I maybe take a back seat for a while, because I’m afraid they are being a little over reliant on me?

Lucas

Folding the paper in half, he put it on the stone, activating the System menu for it and choosing to send the note to Bruce. White light muzzled and the paper was gone, Lucas setting the stone next to him as he returned to the fights they had in the Rat King’s dungeon, lucky to get the chance to analyze them, hoping to improve for the next time.

Lost in minutia of the battle with the Rat King himself, Lucas was a bit confused when the stone flashed white for a moment, completely forgotten he expected the response from the old Loremaster. Composing himself, he took the small note that passed through the stone, eagerly opening it to read its content.

Lucas,

It is hard to tell you the reason without proper evaluation (which was something we should have done when you were back here, but as usual, you are being late to tell your worries) but your prediction is the most common cause, so if you have something in mind, go for it.

Bruce

Lucas reread the note, hoping he missed something. Disappointed in Bruce’s answer, Lucas angrily scribbled “What?” on the back and sent the note back to Bruce, answer getting back to him swiftly.

Foolish youth, just sit out a bit.

“Was that hard?” Lucas angrily thought as he set the note and the stone next to him, starting to plan how the next fight should play out, figuring out he was to be uninvolved except to save someone from major harm or death. Dreading the conversation that was to come in the morning, Lucas settled in and waited the rest of the night out.

When one by one his friends start waking up, Lucas got up from the rock he served as his guard post and approached the tents, taking the chance to get some moments of respite while Chen was preparing breakfast.

“So, have you contacted Bruce?” Maggie asked after the breakfast had been served, Lucas only nodding in response and handing the note for her and others to read. After some time, as the note circled around, Ted spoke up.

“So, he agrees with your bullshit? The old goat had gone mad”

“Ted, calm down. Bruce even said that he can’t be sure that is the reason” Maggie said softly, trying to calm her brother.

“I have to agree with Ted here, Mags. Lucas might be the strongest, but we are certainly not some children waiting for him to solve our problems” Chen said, his voice betraying simmering anger he felt within him.

“Nobody said you were” Lucas responded, trying to control his emotions. He needed to stay calm and reasonable, that was his duty to his friends. Anything else might get them killed and he would prevent it, no matter the fight.

“Let’s not overreact here” Margaret chimed in, her gaze full of sympathy falling on Lucas “Misguided or not, Lucas is just expressing his worry over us” she finished.

“I’m willing to prove him wrong” Maggie said “and the best way is to do just Bruce said to him to do: Make him sit out the next fight”

Hearing Maggie’s word, Lucas felt the urge to exhale in relief, but he knew he had to control himself, trying to avoid provoking his friends further. There was a moment of silence before Chen and Ted grudgingly agreed with Maggie’s words and started making plans for the next battle which excluded Lucas. Taking his chance, Lucas went to take a nap, exhaling in relief before his mind went blank as he fell to sleep.