"Is everyone alright? Still one piece? Are we ghosts now?"
"Being a ghost wouldn't hurt my back. Oww."
"We're not dead, if that's what are you asking."
After escaping from the collapsed altar, the Grimm Slayer, Duelist, and Goblin Slayer faced the ground in the dark hallway leading to the dining room and didn't move a finger. They were sure they didn't lose any body parts, or at least after this fight. Nobody could see what was in front of their noses in this darkness, and the awful silence made them unnerved for any more surprises they might expect. Fortunately, there were none.
Duelist was the first to get on his feet and go toward the altar. "We better check on the others," he said. The armored guy and hooded girl nodded and followed him while looking at the remains of this now-destroyed sanctuary. The first thing they did was look up and gaze at the sky. Most of the ceiling was gone, and the rubble that fell covered almost every floor space that no civilized person would believe they stood on sacred ground once.
Under the light of the two moons, Grimm Slayer looked at her allies, and much to her surprise and Duelist's, it was the first time she saw Goblin Slayer's face:
He had gray, shaggy hair that almost obscured his eyes, scars on his cheeks, neck, and lips, and a young and handsome facial complexion, which the hooded girl wouldn't imagine when hearing his deep, gruff voice.
"What?" he asked, noticing how she'd been staring and almost spacing out.
"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing!" she answered, quickly turning her sight elsewhere. She looked at her surroundings, and after a few steps, she kicked something metallic and bulky. She looked at her feet and saw a very familiar object.
"Oh hey, I found your helmet, Goblin Slayer!" she exclaimed before picking up the helmet. The armored guy walked behind her. She turned around and handed the helmet. "Here, but it looks a bit damaged."
"I can always ask the blacksmith for repairs," he said before thanking the girl and putting on his helmet. Now that he got his usual look, nobody would believe Grimm Slayer of such a rare occurrence seeing that Adventurer's face.
The trio continued inspecting the ruins. Their allies didn't come out of hiding, but it was intentional. They needed to remain there for a few more minutes until they were sure it was safe. Meanwhile, as the ones above scattered and inspected the goblin corpses, the man in the black coat stepped on a piece of red cloth. He kneeled and inspected it, realizing it was the cut-off part of Grimm Slayer's cape.
"Hey, I found the missing piece," he said remorsefully while showing her the red cloth. "I'm sorry for ruining your cape. It was a desperate situation."
The hooded girl shook her head and said, "Don't worry. Everything happened so fast."
"I can sew it back together before returning to town. I can't guarentee to be perfect, though..."
She smiled. "It's okay, thanks."
The group continued looking through the ruins, and just as one would expect, the armored guy pushed some of the statue's remains to look at the Goblin Warlord's corpse. He saw the fiend with bleeding eyes and a tongue still sticking out. Even when there was beyond doubt of its death, that didn't stop Goblin Slayer from grabbing his sword of strange length and stabbing the corpse in the neck as good measure. After that, he carefully removed the makeshift crown and the black hat from the Warlord's head. It was out of shape and dirty but not demolished.
"You say this is yours, isn't it?" he said while showing it to Duelist, who looked more grateful.
"Yeah, it is. This old hat doesn't look particularly useful, but it holds some personal value." He thanked Goblin Slayer and wore the hat, feeling as if he was someone complete.
"Yo!"
The trio heard a chirpy voice nearby in the crumbling place. The rest of the party emerged from the secret basement and were in awe of the battle's outcome. While Priestess seemed the most shocked (especially when looking at the Supreme God's statue in shambles), the rest seemed more exasperated than anything. Desert Marksman shook his head and sighed while Wall Buster groaned.
"Dude..." Dagger Scout gulped. "This went a little farther than what we expected."
The big guy rolled his eyes. "I wish our quests wouldn't cause this much collateral damage wherever we go."
"At least there weren't any bees involved this time," the sniper added while wiping the dirt off his glasses.
"Don't ever remind me of that, Four-Eyes!"
After regrouping, there was much rejoicing, knowing that everyone went unscathed. However, the aftermath wasn't what the party hoped, even when they came out alive. They kept checking their surroundings and ensuring no goblin was left alive. The clergy girl only stared at the crumbled statue with fretting eyes.
"I, um, hope we won't get punished for this," she said.
"I don't think so," Dagger Scout responded confidently. "It wasn't our fault for that. Since it was the goblin's, I can easily say that he got some divine punishment from it."
"If you say so," she said before praying.
"Shit...you guys are NUTS! You know that?" Wall Buster barked at both slayers and his leader.
"We survived, didn't we?" Grimm Slayer said.
"It was reckless!" Priestess interjected in an unusually upsetting tone. It took the other companions by surprise due to her change of attitude. "What would you sister and friends would say if something happened to you?"
"Hey, hold on! Don't get mad at me!" the hooded girl pled, but the young clergy wasn't having any of that.
"We just did what was needed," Goblin Slayer said.
However, the armored guy's words caused Priestess to immediately shift her grievances towards him.
"And you! You promised me you wouldn't try that again after what happened in Water Town! I'll tell Guild Girl about forcing you take a break if you keep doing that!"
Goblin Slayer grunted. Even under the helmet, the Huntsmen could quickly tell he was wrapped in her little finger. They chuckled at the clergy, showing some backbone all of a sudden.
"What pair of daredevils, don't you think?" Duelist commented, but his party stared at him sternly.
Dagger Scout put his hand on his leader's shoulder and said, "Bro, you are the last person to say that after what happened today! You're lucky your girl isn't here to chew on you right now like them!"
"And that's why we aren't saying a word about any of this, understood?" Duelist looked at his companions, but they averted their eyes from him and acted coy. "Seriously guys?" He wasn't amused.
"Hey! You know this dumbass won't shut up, I can't lie, and Four-Eyes has loose lips!"
"Some friends you are..."
Even standing on the remains, they laughed and were glad the struggle with the goblins had ended. It was a job well done, but there was one last issue to handle before they could sing victory.
Later that night, after setting a camp on top of a hill in an open field, there was a debate about what to do with the remaining guns. They destroyed almost most of them, and the only ones left intact were from the goblins or the ones Desert Marksman used. They could keep them for themselves, but carrying them around would be a hassle, and gunpowder and pellets were limited. The other option was to sell, but they doubted if any weapons shop could give an exact price since guns were already foreign to people outside of Remnant.
The only option was to donate the guns to the Adventurer's Guild, hoping they would find them helpful against Grimm. They would need to explain everything when writing the report and hope to get an idea of whether there were more boxes of weapons in the region. Once they returned, there would be a lot of work.
But for now, they could relax under the stars and chat.
"Man, this whole quest should be written like an epic song! The bards should sing it in every town from here to Remnant!" Dagger Scout clapped while drinking some tea Priestess brewed.
"Hardly anyone would care what they sing," Wall Buster groaned, doing a little inventory check of their quest's findings.
"I, ummm, wouldn't mind listening to them..." Priestess said, checking the kettle's temperature.
Desert Marksman also brewed some of his personal tea, but as expected, no one but him, Duelist, and Goblin Slayer was willing to drink that strange brew. However, the man in the black coat only decided to drink that tea out of politeness.
"So, you say this tea can help me concentrate?" the armored guy asked the man with glasses.
"It helps me whenever we get on a quest. It keeps your senses sharp and ready."
"I see," Goblin Slayer said before gulping the tea. He still hadn't removed his helmet, and the Huntsmen wondered how he could do that. "I should make some for myself when I get the chance."
"Glad that you liked it," Desert Marksman said with a rare smile.
In the meantime, Duelist was busy fixing Grimm Slayer's cape, using his Phantom Limb to hold the needle with precise movement. He looked closely at the thread and the stitches that patched the cloth together.
"It looks great!" Grimm Slayer complimented as she looked at Duelist's work.
"I wish I had done better. I haven't practiced this for a long time." He took a deep breath and continued sewing it until the cape was put together again. He handed it to the girl and said, "There. By the looks of it, I can tell this cape means a lot to you."
"It does," the hooded girl said, tightly hugging the cape. "You could say it was a gift from someone important."
"I get it." Duelist grabbed his hat and stared at it. "Gifts like these should never be discarded and forgotten."
"Yeah..." she continued smiling, reminiscing momentarily until she turned to the others and saw them having a good time. She turned back at the leader, and something caught in her mind. "By the way," she said. "your power, the one I saw when fighting the goblin, is similar to mine."
"Oh, that? Not quite. I can only move at shorter distances, which tires me out rather quickly. My ability kept me alive long enough before all of you arrived, but I tried not to use it too much. At least everything worked out in the end."
"Yep, it did..." Grimm Slayer yawned. "I'll probably go to bed early."
"Alright, rest well," Duelist said to the hooded girl as she grabbed her blankets and a small pillow. She was warm and comfortable, but she couldn't sleep right away. Right now, she could only observe her allies, who were still full of energy.
"I'm telling you!" Dagger Scout continued chirping with Wall Buster and Priestess. "People should hear about what we did!"
Wall Buster rolled his eyes. "What's to hear? We killed goblins, destroyed a temple, end of the story!" he rebuked.
"Not that! We got goblins with guns, goblins mounting Grimm, and a cute healer that saved our asses twice! That sounds like an awesome story!"
"Nobody is gonna believe that stuff!"
"Some, umm, some of my friends would do," the young clergy said.
"See?"
"It doesn't matter. If you so desperately want a ballad about us, why do you write it yourself?" the big guy said.
The lanky guy began smiling. He got an enlightening thought in which everyone in his party wouldn't be pleased on going through his outlandish ideas.
Wall Buster looked at Dagger Scout with fear and annoyance. "No, no, absolutely not!"
"Oh, please! We could compose the best ballad in the region! I'll write the verse, and you can play the instruments!"
"Can he play music?" Priestess asked, looking at the big guy with estranged eyes.
"You betcha! This dude is very talented! He could put the best symphony from the high nobles to shame!"
"Would you shut up? She doesn't need to know any of that stuff!"
"Come on! Shouldn't you congratulate her for saving you in the nick of time?"
Wall Buster shook his head but slowly looked at the young clergy frowning at him. Was she mad? He still couldn't believe she was determined despite being green and innocent. Helping him kill a Goblin Champion with non-lethal magic wasn't something he imagined to be possible. The big guy wondered if that was something she learned from Goblin Slayer.
Wall Buster sighed. "She didn't do bad... for a shrimp." He turned around and only faced at the open field.
Priestess began pouting. She didn't take kindly to the fact that he would still act cold despite everything. "Don't call me that."
"Don't take it personally," Dagger Scout said, chuckling. "That's probably the biggest compliment you can get from him. I know he acts gruff and stuff, but he is just bashful."
"Keep talking crap like that and I'm throwing you to the town's well when we get there!" Wall Buster raged.
"See? That's his way to show appreciation."
"If you say so..." Priestess shrugged but felt content when looking at Wall Buster's back.
Grimm Slayer was also happy to see teammates getting along and having fun after a long, draining day. She began thinking about her own party and wondered what they had been doing in her absence. The hooded girl looked up at the dark sky, admiring the stars before closing her eyelids. Second by second, she entered into a state of deep relaxation and let her mind finally sink into dreams.
Adventuring in the dark, two little girls were alone in the woods. One had blond hair with twin tails, and she was pulling a small wagon with all her strength. Inside the wagon was a younger girl with short, black hair with red highlights and a red hood. She spent all her energy wailing for an hour until she fell asleep. She repeatedly asked for her mother, but the blond girl wouldn't answer other than, "We're almost there." They wouldn't know where they were heading, but only some tiny bravery was all the blond girl needed to press on. Their father always warned them to never go alone in the woods, especially at night. The blond girl, how stubborn she was, decided to disobey and go to look for their missing mother.
She never thought of how bad of an idea it was. She could hear noises among the trees and bushes, small movements that she assumed were the wind. And then she heard the growls. She could feel being watched by something in the darkness. The blond girl wouldn't let that fear stop her from continuing her journey. But the further she went, she got cuts on her legs and mud on her shoes. She didn't want to admit to being afraid, but her luck and courage ran out when one of the wagon's wheels got stuck in the bushes. The blond girl tried to yank the wagon, but it wouldn't budge.
She heard more growls and noises approaching. She knew it wouldn't work, and there was no time. The blond girl decided to carry the younger girl in her arms and run further into the woods. As she went on, she could see creatures with dark fur and red eyes. She began losing breath with each step, and just when her legs were about to give up, her foot got tangled by tree roots. She tried to quickly turn left before accidentally falling on the younger girl. The blond girl scraped her knees and couldn't get up.
The young girl began opening her eyes, looking at the tree leaves shaking. The blond girl tried to call her name, but the little one still felt doozy. She still wouldn't know where she was or what was going.
When she finally realized what was happening, a dark monster came out of the trees and jumped at her, biting her face before she could scream.
"Ahhhh!" Grimm Slayer woke up in a cold sweat. She sat up and breathed heavily for a few seconds. The hooded girl had a nightmare, memories from a long time ago. She never expected to dream that after years, yet she felt vulnerable again. She hugged her knees and let her mind be at ease momentarily. She pulled herself together and looked at her allies, still sleeping. Grimm Slayer worried she might accidentally wake them up because of her nightmare.
Priestess remained soundly sleeping, like an angel in a cloud. Wall Buster snored loudly without covering himself with blankets. He looked more like a bear. Dagger Scout was mumbling and chuckling in his sleep. Not even being in that state would keep him quiet for long. Desert Marksman looked stiff like a corpse, not moving a finger or making a sound. The only unusual thing about him sleeping was that he kept holding his weapon like some toy.
However, Goblin Slayer and Duelist were the only ones not around. How long had they been away? Grimm Slayer noticed the campfire was dying out, as it only had cinders and ashes. It wasn't long, so they probably went somewhere on watch duty. She became curious, so she got out of her sleeping bag and grabbed her boots before sneaking away from the campsite.
She looked in all directions for clues as to where they went. She wanted to carry her scythe, but it would stick out while sneaking, so she only took a knife and pistol. The hooded girl's silent steps were fast, so she could easily cover farther distances. She could finally hear another noise and decided to follow it.
Grimm Slayer saw Duelist also sneaking around. He was hiding in the bushes and seemed suspicious of that behavior. She began tailing him, masking her presence among nature. She watched her movements without making any sounds that could blow her cover. She should have gone back to sleep, but curiosity got the best of her, and she wouldn't stop until she knew what the man in the black coat was up to.
There was peace and quiet in the area. There shouldn't have been any danger, yet Grimm Slayer acted secretive.
The whistling wind camouflaged the silent steps. The hooded girl continued following Duelist's trail, but the further he went, the more she began losing sight of him. The vegetation and shadows made him disappear, and she didn't have natural night vision like Cat Ninja. She guided herself with only instinct, but she might also be lost and straying away from the camp.
In the darkness, she began seeing some faint light. She was almost running out of bushes and trees to conceal herself in. There was another more open field with clear vision under the moonlight. She couldn't see Duelist anywhere, but much to her surprise, she saw Goblin Slayer instead. He looked at the horizon, only showing his back to the hooded girl. She wondered what he was doing there alone but quickly realized he was on watch duty. Always vigilant. Never moving. He occasionally tilted his head left to right and rarely found the necessity to sit. Should the hooded girl come out of the bushes and talk?
"How long are you going be in the bushes?"
Grimm Slayer covered her mouth and didn't move. Goblin Slayer asked without turning around, and she felt caught. What would he say to her? Her heart raced.
"Heh, you really have keen senses."
Nearby, she heard another voice. There was some shaking in the bushes, and the next second, Duelist showed himself to the armored guy. "I guess you're more attentive than what I expected," he said while walking towards Goblin Slayer. The man in the black coat stood beside the Adventurer and leaned slightly, whispering to him. Grimm Slayer couldn't hear what Dueslist said, but it didn't seem as important as what came next.
"So, shouldn't you be sleeping?" Duelist asked.
"I'm watching for goblins," he said impassionately. "And you? You need to rest as well."
Duelist shrugged. "I haven't had a whole night of sleep for more than a year."
"Is that so?"
"Whenever I wake up, I try to keep myself busy with other stuff, such as training or studying in the library. That's the kind of routine I had ever since."
"I see."
Duelist looked up in the sky, gazing at the two moons with hypnotic intensity. "You know, the first night we arrived at this place, my party and I couldn't stop looking at the moons. Being outside Remnant felt surreal, as if we were transported to a different world. We were never that far from home, but we knew we had a lot of work ahead of us. I was determined to get us enough money to get by in our stay. This isn't a vacation. Most Huntsmen were sent here to help the people of this continent with the sudden Grimm infestation. And, of course, some were hesitant to travel here, and don't blame them for that."
"Why you say so?" Goblin Slayer said.
"Hunstmen train from a young age before applying to become one. I heard that Adventurers are mostly self-taught or went through formal training before applying to be Porcelain Rank novices. Most of them die at the age of fifteen when not being prepared. How long have you been an Adventurer?"
"Five years."
"Five years?" Grimm Slayer murmured to herself.
"Huh, that makes you twenty or something," Duelist remarked. "Huntsmen can apply at seventeen years old or younger under particular circumstances. We work on many missions to boost our ranks so some can become Silver or Gold within three years." The man in the black coat looked down, grimacing. "But no matter how good one can be, they still die young when not being careful or sacrificing themselves to save innocents and allies."
The hooded girl also understood how dangerous that profession can be, especially with family. She clenched her fists, holding her sobbing.
"Mind if ask you a personal question?" Duelist said. "What inspired you to become an Adventurer?"
Goblin Slayer didn't respond. He looked at the sky for a moment before looking down. Grimm Slayer wondered if he was touchy on that subject.
"It's alright if you don't want to answer," Dueslit said, shrugging. "For me, it was my grandpa." He took his hat off and stared at it with a tender smile. "He was a sheriff in a small village from the Kingdom of Vale. He dedicated his whole life to maintaining peace for me and Mom. Sadly, like every living being, there is an end. One day, Grimm appeared everywhere and attacked the villagers. There were Huntsmen, but the numbers were uneven, so they couldn't be in all places helping everyone at the same time. My grandpa made us stay home while he fought the Grimm alone until Huntsmen could rescue us. He was too old and weary but could kill a few Beowolves and Boarbatusks with minimal injuries. Grandpa was a force to reckon with, even after his prime. When the cavalry finally arrived, he was on his knees, not moving. Grandpa gave me his hat as a promise that he wouldn't die to Grimm." Duelist scoffed.
He became quiet as he gazed at the field. Grimm Slayer never came out of the bushes, but she was still curious to hear what else they could discuss. However, it was a one-sided conversation since the armored guy wouldn't say much. It was an awkward silence accompanied by coughs. Not the most impressive moment between guys.
"My sister."
"What?" Duelist tilted his head, turning at Goblin Slayer with confusion.
"My older sister...she was who inspired me to became an Adventurer."
"Was?" Grimm Slayer whispered. Her heart sunk about how the armored guy spoke in past tense. She only feared the worst scenario the more she listened to them.
"Really? Then I won't pry any more details. I already got the idea." Duelist looked at the palm of his artificial hand while sighing disappointingly. "My grandpa once told me that a true man must always be strong, but never told me what 'to be strong' meant before dying. I became a Huntsman to be strong like him, but I knew people who were much better than me. I respected them a lot. However, for some twisted reason, they sacrificed themselves for me. I began wondering why good people have to die instead of me. Do we only live to constantly fight until we perish? Why am I allowed to continue existing? I couldn't bear this burden of losing more people for my lack of strength."
"But it wasn't your fault," Goblin Slayer broke his silence. "They didn't die because you weren't strong."
"Then why is it?" Duelist retorted.
"They died because they believed your life was more important."
Even from the armored guy's straightforwardness, he acted empathetic. Something Duelist wouldn't imagine, but Grimm Slayer smiled without surprise.
"Heh, you think so? They don't call you the Frontier's Kindest for nothing."
"I'm not kind."
The Duelist chuckled. "Whatever you say." He put on his hat before looking back at the horizon. My mother, my friends, and the love of my life...They are all dear to me, and just like what happened in this quest, I'm willing to protect them, whatever it takes."
"I see."
They watched over the open field for a few more minutes before the man in the black coat began stepping away from Goblin Slayer.
"You're going to sleep now?" the armored guy asked.
"Not yet, but there's something I would like to request you."
"What is it?"
"Would you spar with me for a bit?"
Grimm Slayer raised an eyebrow. She found it strange and wasn't sure if Goblin Slayer was also confused underneath that armor.
"Why?" he said tersely.
"Since neither of us is tired yet, I thought of something to help us pass the time a little longer before then." Duelist drew his hatchet and took a fighting stance akin to a martial artist by positioning the palm of his artificial hand facing the armored guy. "Besides, I tend to know someone better of how well they fight."
"Is that so?" Goblin Slayer hummed briefly, tilting his head slightly until he looked back at Duelist. "Very well." He drew his sword of strange length, and the round shield strapped to his left arm took a defensive stance. He looked serious at the Huntsman's request.
"Heh. You're truly a swell guy."
"Would you be okay without having a shield?"
"My right arm makes us even, so don't think you have the advantage."
"I don't fight humans often, so I can't say if I'm fit for sparring."
"Just vision me as taller, less ugly goblin."
Goblin Slayer, known to be quiet and expressionless, laughed for a bit. The hooded girl's silver eyes widened, and she leaned forward to be more attentive to the moment between these two men.
"I see," he responded with his usual monotone voice.
They clashed their weapons before sparring. They swung and blocked each other's attacks. Their movements were firm and precise, but it was evident that they weren't going all out. It seemed much more playful, or that was what Grimm Slayer perceived. She couldn't help but smile ear to ear, but it didn't feel right to continue spying on them for much longer. The hooded girl turned around and returned to the campsite to sleep again.
She never knew when those two were done sparring after she fell asleep, but at least she had sweet dreams for the rest of the night.
Dagger Scout yawned as the group set foot on the Frontier's town. Wall Buster carried all the rifles and pistols on his back like a mule throughout the trip. Even when Priestess offered herself to help with a few of those, the big guy insisted on taking care of it. At least he appreciated the help. Desert Marksman was looking at the map and used a piece of coal to mark their next destination after they were done reporting the quest to the Guild. Duelist removed his Phantom Limb before entering the town and carried it on his back while wrapped in a blanket. The town's folks wouldn't stop staring at him due to his absent arm. Goblin Slayer boldly strode ahead of everyone, always catching whispers from the folks who believed to be a novice Adventurer because of his cheap-looking leather armor. He never paid attention to that chatter.
Grimm Slayer walked behind the group. She looked at how the town was livelier than before, and more so when she noticed that the Harvest Festival was in three days as decorations were already hanging on the buildings and food stands were up. There wasn't anyone yet, but it wouldn't be long before the hooded girl could see people lining up for food or playing some games for prizes. She arrived just in time to enjoy the festival with her friends.
They approached the Guild Hall with exhausted looks.
"This is it," Duelist said to the group. "After writing the report and handing these guns, we'll be in our separate ways from now on."
"It seems so," Goblin Slayer said bluntly. "I will write the report."
"That won't be necessary," Desert Marksman interjected. "I'll write it since there is a lot we need to warn about the possibility of more caches of guns in the region. It could be dangerous if more scoundrels get their hands on those weapons."
"Hold on! You, writing the report? Forget it, Four-Eyes!" Wall Buster stepped in and pointed at his companion with a severe look. "I will write the report since nobody will understand those scribbles you can handwriting!"
"Why can't I write the report?" Dagger Scout moaned.
"Because you will exaggerate the details!"
Goblin Slayer, Duelist, and the girls laughed at how these three continued bickering while entering the Guild Hall. They could still hear their loud conversation from outside.
"I supposed I will greet the others in the meantime," Priestess said with a bright attitude. "You should do that, Mr. Goblin Slayer."
"Is that so?" the armored seemed lost in thought as he scratched his chin underneath the visor. "I need to go to the blacksmith for important business."
"You can do that after you say 'hi' to everyone. Come on!"
"Okay."
The young clergy finally convinced Goblin Slayer, almost dragging him to interact with everyone in the Guild out of courtesy. Grimm Slayer awkwardly smiled while seeing the two Adventurers back in the routine. It was a genuinely typical day for everyone despite yesterday's hurdles.
As the hooded girl was about to push the door, Duelist said, "Hey, do you have a moment?" and she stopped.
"Need something?" she asked.
The man in the black coat had a stern look. "I should tell you that, despite being good in a fight, there's still some improvements in other areas you need to work as a Huntress."
"What do you mean?"
"You must control your breath, never step on leaves or branches, and keep your distance from your target. Otherwise, you make it a lousy stalker."
Grimm Slayer raised an eyebrow until her mind quickly processed the implication of what Duelist talked about.
"Wait, you knew!?" she exclaimed embarrassingly.
"Goblin Slayer and I knew well before he called you out. I had to stop hiding to divert his attention from you. Although, seeing you react like that now is amusing."
The hooded girl frowned. "It's not funny..." she said while pouting.
"But that's not what I wanted to talk about," Duelist said. He looked at the stitches of Grimm Slayer's cape. "I wanted to apologize for doing a crappy job fixing it."
"Oh, not it wasn't bad." She shook her head, acting modest. "It is still a impressive job."
"But I still feel I could done better." Duelist sighed, looking at the side while pondering for a minute until he turned back at Grimm Slayer. "My friends told me you're from Patch Island, wasn't it?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"Well, you might know about the local tailor. She could fix your cape better, or even offer you a new one for free."
"Really? How?"
"If you have the off chance to go back to the island, I want you to give a personal message on my behalf." Dueslist cleared his throat and looked straight. "Say: 'Your son is doing alright, and he will return home soon.' Can you do that for me?"
Grimm Slayer nodded. She was willing to keep her promise even when she didn't know when that would happen.
Moments later, Duelist's party stormed out of the Guild Hall with such a rowdy attitude that the town's folks jumped and wondered if there had been a disturbance.
"Please, dude!" Dagger Scout groaned. Can we stay here until after the festival?"
"Stop acting like a kid!" Wall Buster berated the lanky guy. "I already told you! We don't have enough money, and we still have other quests to finish!"
"We need to get supplies before heading east," Desert Marksman said, looking at the map. "Apparently, the Desert Kingdom is over there. I suggest getting comfortable clothes, water, and some leaves for my tea."
"We're not getting ingredients for your nasty tea, Four-Eyes!"
The Huntsmen continued walking toward the town's exit, signaling their leader to move on. Dagger Scout waved goodbye to Grimm Slayer while the other two nodded at her.
"I guess it is time," Duelist said. He turned around and followed his party, hitting the road once again. He strode casually as the distance increased between him and the hooded girl.
She looked down, and after gathering a lot of air until her chest inflated, she took one step and shouted, "I hope we can meet again!" across town.
Duelist stopped and looked over his shoulder. He didn't say a word but smiled, tipped his black hat, and faced the road again, marching toward his next destination alongside his party. The world was a vast place, and whether by fate or chance, he genuinely wished to cross paths with Grimm Slayer and Goblin Slayer someday.
And that's the end of this arc. It took me longer than what I originally planned, but I'm glad that I finally finished it. I don't know when I will update the next following chapters because I need to outline them first before writing. Hopefully, it will be a while before we go back to the action. Expect a lot of down time for the characters. I hoped you liked it.