The weather was growing hotter, the ground seeming to crack under the scorching heat. A sudden morning rain brought a refreshing breeze for the entire day. Thus, despite having only three members, the now-renowned Names Casual Magic Guild, the top magic guild in Stan Town, decided to go on a picnic outside town to enjoy the pleasant day.
Between Stan Town and the Wilderness Forest lay a small lake called Clearwater Lake. Its waters were crystal clear, teeming with plump fish, surrounded by thickets and shaded trees, with a few vacation cabins built by wealthy residents. In short, it was a delightful spot for a getaway.
It had been over two weeks since the defeat of the First Apostle, Adams.
“Jiji!” With a peculiar cry, splashes erupted on Clearwater Lake’s surface. A little girl in a white dress leapt from the water, droplets sparkling in the air. Remarkably, her dress remained dry, its hem swaying around her bare feet. She held a fish nearly as tall as she was.
The fish thrashed but couldn’t escape her grip. Her tiny wings fluttered, and Little Valkyrie Jiji, her face beaming with joy, wobbled through the air to a group under a large tree.
The mouthwatering aroma of grilled fish wafted from the spot.
Under the tree’s shade, a blanket was spread out. Ye Chui, Debbie, and Lesha lounged on it, nibbling on fruits, snacks, and Green’s freshly grilled fish. Another figure sat with them, a beautiful girl with golden blonde hair.
Her appearance was striking, her outfit unique: a white blouse, a blue skirt, and black stockings accentuating her crossed legs. Her silky blonde hair was tied in a ponytail. This student-uniform-like attire clashed with the world’s aesthetic.
The girl was the long-absent Krypton Swordmaster Gilga.
Heroic spirits couldn’t wear real-world clothes, but their appearance could be altered by their summoner’s will. Some unscrupulous summoners made their spirits wear embarrassing outfits, which was deplorable. Ye Chui wouldn’t let Debbie do that. He had Debbie change Gilga’s usual golden battle dress to this more casual look.
It was fresh, pretty, and stylish.
At first, Gilga resisted, but after realising the quirky outfit was quite cute, she gradually accepted it.
She was now eagerly stuffing golden grilled fish into her mouth, looking adorably gluttonous. The fierce, heroic warrior exuded a girlish charm. A breeze lifted two strands of her hair, like playful antennae, making her impossibly cute in Ye Chui’s eyes.
Injured by the Red Demon’s ambush, Gilga couldn’t be summoned for a month. Only recently had Debbie managed to bring her back, fully restored to her peak.
“Enough already! We can’t eat all this fish!” Green exclaimed, exasperated, as he took another fresh fish from Jiji under the tree.
“Jiji, jiji, more, lots more!” Jiji ignored him. The lake fuelled her collecting obsession. Her tiny body dove back into the clear water. Heroic spirits didn’t need to breathe, and the Valkyrie’s unique nature allowed underwater combat. Little Jiji used this talent for fishing, with remarkable results.
A grill stood under the tree, tended by Green, the guild’s designated multi-titled errand boy, sweating as he cooked fish and other foods brought from town. It looked like they’d have plenty of leftovers.
On the wire grill, a piece of fish was perfectly golden. Green wiped his brow, placed the fish on a plate, and extended it forward. A faint blue shimmer appeared, and his hand, holding the plate, passed through, reappearing by the blanket near Ye Chui. He set the plate down and retrieved empty ones, using spatial movement like Old Merlin’s.
After witnessing Merlin’s fighting style, Green, feeling insignificant in the Names Casual Magic Guild, begged to become Merlin’s apprentice. Merlin was reluctant but took him on for Ye Chui’s sake. Green had since learned some spatial magic essentials, transforming his lack of presence into indispensable errand-running skills.
Debbie, tired from sustaining two heroic spirits, lay beside Ye Chui, forking fish into her mouth while glaring at Lesha, who sat nearby.
As the weather warmed, wasn’t Lesha’s nun dress even shorter?
Seeing Lesha shamelessly lift her collar to fan herself, Debbie couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, when’s the church’s envoy coming?”
“Soon, I’d guess?” Lesha replied with a grin, clearly enjoying teasing Debbie with her figure.
“I wonder how much our reward will be,” Ye Chui said eagerly.
After defeating the Dark Magic Mentors, Ye Chui earned 1,720 gold coins, but most went to Lesha for rebuilding the church destroyed in the battle. The church was supposed to fund the reconstruction, but Lesha’s request was still pending. She speculated the funds would arrive with the envoy granting Ye Chui’s reward, so she borrowed around 1,500 coins from Ye Chui and Debbie.
Debbie’s question about the envoy was really asking when Lesha would repay them. The guild’s funds were running low. In the past two weeks, the Names Casual Magic Guild had hosted lavish feasts and picnics but hadn’t taken a single mission. Their gold was nearly gone.
It wasn’t that Ye Chui and Debbie were indulging as nouveau riche. Their guild’s high status made people hesitant to approach them, so they hadn’t received any missions since the five-star Dark Magic Mentor task.
“My guess is you’ll get at least 3,000 gold coins, and the church’s grant for rebuilding will be 1,500,” Lesha said, smiling. She turned to Debbie. “I’ll pay you back once it arrives.”
“Hmph.” Debbie stuffed a grilled sausage into her mouth, chewing eagerly. “The envoy better hurry.”
…
At the same time, outside the Stan Town Mercenary Guild, Ross was lovingly feeding carrots to her horse.
Downwind, her companion of two years, had endured a tough cargo escort mission. She deserved a treat.
Ross stroked Downwind’s mane, feeding it a carrot with affection.
Then, a terrifying roar echoed from the distant sky.
Everyone in the guild square looked up in alarm.
Matt, the crossbowman, holding a goblet by the statue of Holy Swordsman Sauron, exclaimed, “What’s that?”
In the sky, a speeding figure grew from a speck to a massive shape. It was a black, winged beast with sharp teeth, horns, and a thick, spiked tail, similar in size to Ye Chui’s Dragon Treasure but uglier and more terrifying.
In the guild’s stable, horses and bulls roared in fear, trembling.
It was a rare, fearsome flying beast!
“Roar!” With a deafening cry, the beast landed in the guild square.
The wary, armed crowd then noticed a white-robed figure on its back.
“Is this Stan Town? What a remote place, making me come all this way,” the white-robed man said, dismounting and patting the beast’s head. “Poor darling, you must be starving.” His gaze swept the crowd, landing on the stable. “Oh, Dugo, my dear, your meal’s ready.”
At his words, the beast named Dugo roared terrifyingly and lunged at the stable, targeting Downwind, the closest horse.
“What are you doing!?” Ross shouted, aiming her sword at the man.
“And what are you doing?” the white-robed man replied calmly, sneering. “I’m Jamil, the church’s envoy. Dare to raise a hand against me?”
