A small opening in the forest revealed a picturesque scene, with rays of sunlight filtering through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor. There, nestled next to a now extinguished campfire, was Zero, sitting comfortably with his daughter Ushin sleeping peacefully on his lap. The remnants of their previous night's rest lingered in the form of a faintly smoldering pile of ashes.

As the morning light painted the world in hues of gold and amber, Ushin began to stir from her slumber, letting out a soft yawn as she greeted the new day "Good morning, Dad," she murmured, her voice still tinged with drowsiness.

"Morning, Ushin," Zero replied with a tender smile, his voice gentle and warm, betraying the strong bond between father and daughter.

Curious about the whereabouts of their companion Enrique, Ushin looked around and inquired, "Hey dad, where's Enrique?"

Zero pointed towards a distant figure making his way back to their resting spot and said, "He's coming back soon. I think that's him right now, actually."

Enrique arrived, his footsteps accompanied by the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds. Apologizing for the slight delay, he addressed the group, "Sorry I took so long. Well, let's head out. It should take us a while to get to the city."

The anticipation of their upcoming journey filled the air, and Ushin couldn't contain her excitement, exclaiming, "Alright, let's go!"

The trio set out on their journey towards the city, their footsteps forming a rhythm on the forest floor. As they walked, Enrique initiated a conversation to pass the time.

"So, how are your wounds? They healed alright?" Enrique asked Zero, displaying genuine concern for his well-being.

"Yeah, my wounds healed pretty quickly," Zero reassured him, grateful for his body's remarkable regenerative abilities.

Gauging Zero's sword skills, Enrique inquired, "That's good. So, how good are you with that sword?"

Zero humbly responded, "I'm decent with it. I need more practice, though. There's always room for improvement."

Enrique suggested, "Maybe we could spar after we get to the city. You know, to make sure we don't get stiff bones before the test."

Zero agreed with a smile, "Sure, I needed someone to spar with anyway. A little practice won't hurt."

As they continued on their path, the forest gradually opened up, revealing a peaceful countryside landscape. However, their peaceful journey was interrupted by a sudden commotion ahead. They spotted a carriage being ambushed by a group of bandits.

"Dad, we should help them!" Ushin urged, her sense of justice and bravery fueling her determination.

Zero, eager to test his newfound abilities, agreed, "Sure, I want to put my skills to the test as well."

Enrique, always ready for a fight, chimed in, "Might as well. My fists have been itching for some action!"

Without hesitation, they rushed into battle, their combined efforts taking the bandits by surprise. One of the bandits questioned their presence, but Zero brushed it off with a simple, "Doesn't matter."

With incredible speed and precision, Zero effortlessly decapitated one of the bandits, causing the others to falter in fear and confusion. He then proceeded to dispatch the remaining foes with calculated strikes, demonstrating his skill with the sword.

Ushin, fueled by adrenaline and excitement, gleefully joined the fray, laughing and shouting, "HAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS FUN!"

Her punches packed a surprising amount of power, sending the bandits crashing into each other and to the ground, further subduing their opposition.

An overconfident bandit attempted to sneakily stab Ushin from behind, but she swiftly caught his spear and taunted him, "Come on, did you really think that would work?"

Enrique, ever the protector, immediately intervened and punched the bandit's head clean off, leaving him no chance to harm Ushin.

Observing the action with a smile, Zero couldn't help but comment, "Save some for our sparring at the city, Enrique!"

Together, they effortlessly defeated the bandits, rescuing the grateful passengers of the carriage from harm.

"Excuse me, my name is Ann. Thank you for your help. Is there any way we can repay you?" Ann asked, filled with gratitude.

Enrique saw an opportunity and suggested, "A ride would be fine, and maybe a favor."

Curious about the favor, Ann inquired, "What type of favor are you looking for?"

After a brief discussion inside the carriage, Ann agreed to teach Zero how to read and write.

As the impromptu lessons commenced, it became evident that Zero struggled with the basics of literacy, causing Ann to express her exasperation at times.

"Dear gods, this is going to be a hard time," Ann exclaimed, overwhelmed by Zero's initial attempts at reading and writing.

Enrique, however, vouched for Zero's learning abilities, reassuring Ann, "He's a quick learner. Can you teach him?"

With a few hours of patient instruction, Ann agreed to teach Zero the fundamentals, though she remained skeptical about his progress.

Zero, eager to improve, asked after the first session, "Did I do good?"

Ann responded honestly, "No, not exactly."

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But with time and persistence, Zero surprised Ann with his determination and progress in reading and writing.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed, genuinely amazed by Zero's rapid improvement.

Excitedly, Ushin chimed in, "Yeah, Dad's the best!"

As they arrived at the city, Ann, grateful for their help and impressed by Zero's newfound literacy, gifted them 10,000 gold for an inn and food, allowing them to rest and recuperate after their adventurous encounter.

With a plan in mind, Zero questioned, "Alright, so do we head straight to the place of the knights' test?"

Enrique suggested exploring the city first, advising, "No, we just got here. We need to take a look around, check out some places, and find a place to sleep."

Ushin playfully chimed in, "Yeah, we gotta get you a shower, Dad. You stink."

Zero chuckled, taken aback by her playful yet honest remark. With the decision made, they headed towards the bustling city, eager to experience its wonders and prepare for the test that awaited them.

As they strolled through the lively streets, they came across a housing center, where Jeff, a friendly man, greeted them warmly.

After discussing their housing needs, Jeff informed them of the available options. They settled on a medium-sized house, which came with a price of 25,000 gold.

Curious about the process, Zero asked about the down payment and payment schedule, indicating a newfound understanding of financial matters.

Enrique, surprised by Zero's newfound knowledge, asked with amusement, "Wait a minute, where did you learn such words?"

Jeff patiently explained that they could earn the down payment by completing missions at the guild house, an option that intrigued Zero.

However, during the conversation, Jeff realized that Zero had been out of touch with the housing payment schedule, leaving him a bit embarrassed.

Understanding their situation and impressed by Zero's commitment to learning, Jeff kindly assured them that they could pay later with their earnings from completed missions, which lifted a weight off their shoulders.

Grateful for Jeff's understanding, Zero thanked him warmly, and they were handed the key to their new house, a place they could now call home.

Excitedly, they hurried to the house to freshen up, reflect on the events of the day, and prepare for the adventures that awaited them in the bustling city.

Enrique, bewildered by Zero's remarkable progress in both combat and literacy, couldn't help but inquire, "Who taught you all that back there? You could barely read and write just six hours ago."

Zero credited Ann, acknowledging her as an excellent teacher, stating, "She taught me a lot of things in those five hours. I'm grateful for her help."

Ushin beamed with pride, declaring, "Papa is very smart!"

Enrique, amused and touched by the father-daughter bond, urged them to focus on settling into their new home, saying, "Let's just head to the house, okay? We can discuss everything once we're settled."

Zero and Ushin eagerly agreed, and they entered the spacious and well-furnished house with awe and excitement in their hearts.

Observing their surroundings, Ushin couldn't contain her enthusiasm, "Wow, it's so spacious!"

Before they could settle further, Enrique playfully reminded them to wash up, poking fun at Zero's earlier playful teasing from Ushin.

"I don't get dirty, Dad. You go wash yourself. You reek!" Ushin teased with a mischievous grin.

Zero chuckled, taken aback by her candidness, and obliged, entering the bathroom to freshen up.

However, faced with unfamiliar shower controls, he struggled to decipher them, resulting in accidentally turning on scalding hot water. Hastily, he managed to shower under the scorching stream before emerging from the bathroom, calling out, "Hey, I'm finished!"

Enrique, having spent some time thinking about their next steps, discussed the need to pay for their accommodations and acquire necessities like clothes and food.

Zero proposed going to the nearby guild house to take on a high-paying mission first, followed by shopping and finally the knights' test.

Ushin expressed her enthusiasm, bouncing with excitement as she declared, "Alright, I'm ready to go! Where are we going first?"

Zero answered, "We're going to the guild house, Ushin, to take on a quick quest. Then, we can go shopping and finally take the knights' test. How does that sound?"

Excited to embark on their next adventure, Ushin nodded with a beaming smile, ready to face whatever challenges awaited her in the city.

Confused by Ushin's earlier inquiry about joining the knights, Zero hesitated, but Ushin's determined spirit pushed him forward.

Enrique, seeing his daughter's determination, urged them, "Hey, we should head out."

Zero agreed, "Uh, yes, we should. Let's make the most of our time in the city."

The group headed towards the guild house, where they were greeted by a friendly and welcoming guild attendant.

The attendant correctly identified them as the ones in need of money to pay off their house payment, a fact that surprised Zero.

Zero confirmed their purpose, asking for missions that were still available.

Carlos, the knowledgeable guild attendant, introduced himself and presented a range of missions from which they could choose, providing detailed descriptions of each quest.

Zero, feeling confident in their abilities, expressed interest in stronger missions, and Carlos, impressed by their determination, provided a list of mid-rank quests that might suit their skills and abilities.

1. Dark Swamp - A mysterious monster lurks in a dark lake deep within a cursed forest. The forest's mana is poisoned, and something dangerous hides within. BP: 85,000-100,000 Creature: Black Serpent (40 ft - 400 ft) Traits: Dark energy, poisonous aura, venomous bite, shadow hunting, dimensional travel Price for dead: 40,000 Price for alive: 600,000

2. A Giant Tree - THE BIGGEST BIRD is a giant, annoying bird that has learned how to speak and repeatedly screams, "I'm the biggest bird!" Please brutally murder it and bring me its head as a trophy. BP: 100,000-142,000 Traits: Wind generation, lightning resistance, steel feathers Reward for dead: 500,000

3. Underground Cavern - Big moles with a keen sense of hearing and smell. Their claws are extremely sharp and valuable. I want their claws. BP: 40,000-60,000 Traits: Echolocation, sharpen, earth manipulation, danger awareness Price per claw: 20,000

Zero turned to Enrique, a glint in his eye, and asked, "Hey, Enrique, do you want to take on the second one?"

Enrique, intrigued by the peculiar task, agreed with a grin, saying, "Sure, sounds fun! I can't wait to take on this loudmouth bird."

Ushin, not one to be left out, enthusiastically exclaimed, "I want to come too! I'm not afraid of any giant bird!"

Carlos confirmed their choice, assuring them that they made a formidable team, and left to retrieve the directions and payment details for the chosen quest.

During Carlos's brief absence, a stranger approached Zero, sporting black hair and a black coat, emanating an air of mystery.

The stranger introduced himself as Kai, expressing interest in joining their group, citing their interesting dynamic as the reason.

Zero eyed him cautiously, his instinctive protector mode kicking in, as he inquired, "Hmm, may I ask who you are and why you wish to join us?"

Kai responded, "My name is Kai, and as I said earlier, I wish to join your group. You all seem like quite an interesting bunch, and I believe we can be of help to each other."

Zero considered his request, evaluating Kai's demeanor and motives, before stating, "I'll let you join us as long as you don't try anything suspicious and can genuinely contribute to our cause."

Kai eagerly accepted the condition, shaking hands with Enrique and Ushin, who, never shy to speak her mind, playfully scolded him for calling her "little."

Carlos returned with the directions to the mission location and handed them to the group, commending them for their courage and determination.

Zero confirmed their readiness, standing tall and resolute, "Alright, let's head out. I have my sword, and you all have your gear?"

Enrique assured him, "I fight with my fists, so I'll be fine. Let's do this!"

Kai added, "My daggers are already sharpened, and I'm ready for action."

Ushin confidently declared, "I don't have a weapon, but I'll be enough for this pitiful birdie!"

Zero concluded, "Right, no more wasting time. Let's go!"

With a shared sense of determination, they set off towards the location provided by Carlos, eager to face their next thrilling adventure as a cohesive team, ready to overcome any obstacles that crossed their path.

To be continued...