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(No way… that adorably cute little butt… a-ah! No! Forget I said anything!)

But still! That had been close—far too close! If—if by some terrible mistake, Aria had witnessed it rather than I, a future full of regret would have followed!

…But for now, regrettable as it was—no, no! It was actually fortunate that vines were hanging down and blocking the view, so it was safe! I’d checked every morning that she was able to bathe without issue!

And right now! From here, it was about 70 meters in a straight line up to the top of the little hill where Susie was. This side was just 7–8 meters higher in elevation, so from here I could observe her from slightly above. At present, she seemed to be doing her daily sword training.

I didn’t think she would be going hunting anymore. She had likely already stockpiled enough food. Even now, I could see steam rising from the pot hanging over the hearth. It would be lunchtime soon, and honestly, I think my stomach was starting to growl too…

In fact, the smell of Susie’s cooking often drifted all the way here… and it was torture!

We were supposed to be living off foraged supplies during the trial! So why did she get to make food that smelled so delicious?! Sure, we were fine with our rations—dried meat, hardtack, things like that. Enough to survive. But there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that compared to how good hers smelled! It was seriously unreal that she was able to have this kind of food during the trial.

(Why is her feminine skill set so ridiculously high?! Strong, adorable, and a good cook? That’s just… totally unfair! Whenever Aria caught a whiff of her cooking, she started drooling like crazy; it was a disaster!!)

“You’re the one who’s always drooling, Millie!”
“Eeek! Don’t barge into someone else’s monologue, Aria!”
“I have no idea what you’re even talking about?!”
“I’m saying the young miss’ cooking smells absolutely delicious!!”
“Yeah, I’ll admit it—the smell wafting over here makes me hungry too.”
“Lady Susie would make a fine bride. No doubt about it.”
“See?! Katy gets it! You’d want her as your wife, too, right?”
“But when you say it, Aria, it reeks of criminal intent. You’d better stop it.”
“Why?!”

(…This back-and-forth routine seems to have become a fixture at this point.)

“Anyway, Millie. Is she training right now?”
“Oh! Yes, Ilta! She’s sword training!”
“…Then why can I feel her using Mana? She’s really using the sword?”
“Ah, you noticed? She’s channeling just a little Mana into the blade while she practices. You can see faint traces of the Mana’s light along her sword swings.”
“It’s hard to tell because her base Mana reserves are enormous… but yes, I can sense she’s using it, faintly.”

“Wow, so Milady’s Mana is that strong, too?”
“Very strong. She’s training to suppress it right now, but even so, it’s far beyond my own.”
“Whoa… really? So even her Mana is out of the ordinary?”
“‘Out of the ordinary’ doesn’t begin to cover it! Right now it looks small only because she’s holding back, but her potential surpasses AAA-Triple class—she’s in the Exceed Class!”
“Whoa! How amazing can the Young Miss be?!”

“See? Susie’s incredible! Exactly the kind of wife I deserve, right?!”
“Looks like Aria has finally resolved to commit a crime.”
“Katy?! You’re still using that joke?!”
“It’s because of you, Aria.”

“A-ah! But! Once the young miss finishes this Trial, what class will she choose? And in the future, what kind of Class Master will she become?! Just imagining it makes me so excited!!”
“Well, she’s already such a master of the sword! Maybe it’s obvious, but she could go from Swordsman to Warrior, or maybe through Vanguard into Swordmaster! Then on to Battle Lord! Or—she could inherit the Boss’ mantle and become a Warlord, leading the whole order!”

(Amazing… simply amazing future predictions, Aria!! I can already picture the village’s strongest warriors, all led by the young miss!! …But!)

“But the young miss also has top-notch aptitude for scouting! Her ability to locate prey over wide areas and the way she strikes swiftly and silently—it’s all first-rate! And don’t forget, she dual-wields! High-level Rangers wield twin blades to carve open the frontlines!”

“Dual blades are also used by some Bards. And I’ve heard Milady can use summoning magic too. Warlock should be in the running. And from there, she could transition into a Battle Mage if she wants to fight on the front lines.”

“Hold on—you’re forgetting she’s already a great healer! A skilled recovery mage is indispensable for the guard and for the village as a whole.”

As we ate the lunch Ilta had prepared, before we knew it, everyone was passionately debating what class the young miss might choose. Of course, her future was hers to decide, and we were just speculating idly. Still, when we imagined what lay ahead for her, for the village, for the village guard—we couldn’t help but feel thrilled!

“Well then, I’ll take Millie’s report back to the guard station. This’ll be the last interim update. Everyone, don’t let your guard down till the end!”
“Understood, Aria! Leave it to us!”
“Be careful on the way, Aria.”
“Thanks, Ilta. I’ll be back by evening, so I’m counting on you all till then.”
“Just don’t go committing any crimes, okay?”
“… Is that a running gag now?!”

Though the departure was a bit noisy, Aria set off toward Station One.

Now then! The trial was nearly over!

(Let’s keep giving it our all, young miss!!)

***

“Hey, Corin… don’t you think it’s about time to forgive her?”
“… What are you talking about, Mia?”
“……”
“I mean, Dana! Dana! It’s been five days already, you know? Don’t you think it’s time you spoke to her again?”
“Dana? … Who’s that? I don’t know anyone by that name.”
“Noooo! Don’t say that!! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Corin! I won’t do it again, I swear! I’ll never say it again! Please forgive me, Corin! Pleeease!!”

“H-hey! Stop hugging me out of nowhere! Geez!”
“No! Nooo! I won’t let go unless you forgive me! Uegh, uuhh… pleaseee! I’ll do whatever you say, just forgive meee!!”
“O-okay, okay! Just stop clinging like that! Will you listen properly? Will you study properly?”
“Sniff… y-yes! I will! I’ll study!”
“Alright then! Fine! I forgive you, so stop crying already!”
“Mm-hm! Thank you! I’m so sorry, Corin. Thank youuuu! Waaaahhh!!”
“D-don’t—don’t grope meeeee!!”