"That actually worked!" Pethra exclaimed in disbelief as she emerged from behind the trees, accompanied by Raum, who was keeping a watchful eye on the mage girl to ensure she wouldn't attempt anything against Aron.

Pethra stood next to Aron, her gaze fixed on the fire pit. For the first time in her life, she felt sorry for a monster, hearing their screams and watching how helpless they were. She couldn't help but feel her heart ache.

Pethra could sense the heat emanating from the pit, as if the flames were reaching out to touch her, making her wonder and admire the destructive power of the man beside her.

'...So much…Power.'

As she turned to look at Aron, she noticed the satisfaction etched on his face. She realized that he had taken pleasure in unleashing the fire on the trolls. It served as a reminder of how dangerous this man truly was. However, Pethra lowered her head to Aron and spoke in a deferential tone.

"Honored to be in your presence, Arch-mage. I apologize for my previous behavior and hope you can forgive me."

"Hmm?" Aron looked at Pethra, surprised by her sudden change in demeanor. He had expected her to be more frightened, given their previous interactions. But her respectful tone and bow caught him off guard.

"What do you mean by 'Arch-mage'?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Pethra kept her head down as she answered, "From what I know, only an Arch-mage is capable of unleashing such destructive magic without using incantations."

Aron nodded in understanding. "I see." Then he explained, "Well, sorry to disappoint, but I don't think I'm an Arch-mage or even a mage at all. I'm more of a warrior."

Pethra lifted her head and glared at Aron with surprise. 'But how is that possible?' she asked herself, but immediately bowed again, showing even more respect than before.

"It doesn't matter; your magic is higher than mine; therefore, I must show you respect no matter what."

It is worth noting that mages hold a profound respect for one another, particularly from the younger ones, towards those who possess greater skill and knowledge. By demonstrating respect, you can establish a meaningful connection with a powerful mage, potentially opening the doors to learning from their expertise or even becoming their disciple. However, even if one's intentions do not lean towards such aspirations, mages, in general, maintain mutual respect for each other.

'...Damn Josh! How foolish he is to dare attack an Arch-mage level…sigh…I guess I'm lucky that he found my magic useful.'

Aron smiled, appreciating her sentiment. "Respect is always appreciated, and it goes both ways," he smiled. "I assume I can count on you to help with the remainder of my quest?"

Pethra's eyes widened in surprise at Aron's request. "Of course! It would be my honor to assist you in any way possible," she replied with enthusiasm, grateful for the opportunity.

Observing Aron's abilities, she hoped to learn a few things. She even liked how he utilized her magic to create the deadly trap, a method she hadn't considered before. In a way, Aron unintentionally forced her to think outside the box.

Aron nodded approvingly. "Good, when the fire—"

Before Aron got the chance to finish his sentence, he sensed something heading his way at high speed. Pethra, who stood in front of him listening to his words, suddenly and without warning found herself in Aron's arms, her face pressed against his chest. Aron wrapped his arm around her waist, and since Pethra was much shorter than Aron, the little witch was completely covered by Aron's entire existence.

"!!!" Pethra's face flushed instantly, and her inside was freaking out. Many thoughts ran through her mind, and most of them were not appropriate for her age. But can you blame her? The little witch had never been this close to a man before, and to make matters even worse, Aron was on a whole new level of beauty. She received a huge blow to her heart; being embraced by the most handsome man she had met in her life was too much for her little heart.

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BOOOM!

The sound of a heavy impact jolted Pethra out of her thoughts. She glanced to the side and saw that Aron had moved a significant distance from their previous spot.

"Tsk... I forgot there were six trolls," Aron muttered in annoyance.

ROOOOAR!

"!!!" A mighty roar shook Pethra's body, and instinctively, she held onto Aron tightly. She turned around and spotted a huge troll—much taller and larger than the rest. Then she noticed a large rock embedded deeply in the ground where she had previously stood. She immediately understood that Aron had saved her life. That rock would surely have killed her.

Aron quickly scanned the area, looking for the source of the attack. His eyes landed on the giant troll, which was now charging towards them. He drew his greatsword and stood in a defensive position, ready to face the beast.

Pethra, still recovering from the earlier shock, swiftly regained her composure and retrieved her staff. She cast a spell, creating an earth wall in an attempt to shield herself and, surprisingly, Aron from the troll's assault

However, the troll's brute strength easily shattered Pethra's earth wall. Reacting swiftly, Aron released Pethra from his embrace, his focus fixated on the approaching troll. Without hesitation, he engaged the creature in combat, wielding his greatsword with precision and brutal skill.

Aron inflicted a deep cut in the troll's arm, leaving only a fragile piece of flesh preventing it from falling to the ground.

"GRAAAAWWW!!"

Aron smiled in satisfaction upon hearing the troll's scream of pain, but his smile quickly faded.

"Tsk... That damn regeneration... I need to make a wound that won't heal."

'AAH! The head'

The troll's arm began to regenerate rapidly, causing the creature to howl in agony. Desperate, the troll swung its other arm in an attempt to strike Aron. Reacting swiftly, Aron defended himself by angling the greatsword's long blade to intercept the attack, resulting in another deep cut between the troll's fingers and wrist.

ROOOAR.

"HAHAHA~ do you like that?"

The troll roared in pain, attempting to fling Aron away. However, before the troll got the chance to move its arm, Aron utilized his strength to shift the greatsword to the side, effectively severing half of the troll's hand. And that was not the end of it.

With a smooth motion, he rotated his body in a half-circle, planting his feet firmly to maintain balance amidst the sheer momentum. Aron then delivered a powerful strike to the troll's knee, causing it to lose balance and kneel. Seizing the opportunity, he pointed the greatsword's tip towards the troll's head, exerting all his strength.

"UGHHHHAAAA!"

Unfortunately…

[You have killed Unknown Creature]

[+150 XP]

[You have killed Unknown Creature]

[+150 XP]

[You have killed Unknown Creature]

…

Five system notifications appeared right in front of Aron. In that split second, his attention shifted slightly, distracting him and causing his strike to slice through the troll's shoulder instead of decapitating it.

'Tsk… Annoying!'

FUSHHH.

A sudden shift in the wind caught Aron's attention. He turned to the side to investigate, but before he could react,

"OH! Shit!"

A giant gray-skin fist came hurtling towards him. With no time to react or dodge, Aron gritted his teeth and braced himself for impact. The force of the blow sent him flying backward, crashing hard onto the ground, rolling and rolling until his back hit a tree. Due to the force of the impact, one of the tree branches, a thick and pointy one, pierced his upper arm.

"ARON!" Raum yelled from afar. He and Pethra were at a somewhat safe distance from the fight. Pethra unconsciously started taking steps toward Aron, a look of worry on her face. She didn't quite understand why, but seeing Aron injured caused her heart to skip a beat. After all, he had saved her life just moments ago.

Pethra replayed the events in her mind, starting from when she first saw Aron emerge from the bushes. Initially, he seemed like a crazed and dangerous man, unafraid to kill and torture. Then he spared her life with the sole purpose of utilizing her magic.

However, deep down, Pethra really liked his interest in her magic, his inquisitive nature, and his thirst for knowledge. It impressed her so much that she answered all of his questions to the best of her ability.

On top of that, he treated her with respect, valued her opinions, and involved her in planning the troll trap—something her previous party had never done. Overall, Aron recognized her worth, respected her as a person, saved her life, and the most important thing...

'...Damn, he's handsome!' Pethra blushed, her cheeks turning red. She quickly shook her head, dismissing such thoughts.

What she meant was that Aron treated her as a human being rather than a mere tool, unlike her current group.

GRRRR.

Raum's voice and Pethra's sudden movement caught the troll's attention. Consumed by rage, it would attack anything and everything, and now it chose its next prey.

ROAAR!.

The troll roared and charged towards the little witch and the raven. Its sole intention was to rip, kill, and devour the beings in its path.

Unaware that a certain man had already recovered and was planning its death, the troll didn't feel or notice a giant black greatsword flying with astonishing speed, slicing through the air until…

"UGHHHH!!" The troll howled in pain as it collapsed onto the ground. It gazed at its feet and saw that there were none. Its two legs were missing entirely. Moreover, it didn't even get the chance to think about them because a giant greataxe held by an angry man covered in dark-red flames descended upon its head.

"Die!"

Was the last thing the troll heard as its head fell into a fiery abyss.