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That night, once we returned to Stollar, I sneaked to the counter of Gadius’ inn. Finia guessed that I was feeling somewhat down, so she remained in the room. The reason I was grumbling with Gadius over the counter was a way of relieving my stress.

“Gadius, pour me one moree.”

Since the inn’s cafeteria was already closed for the day, we were the only ones in the hall. Thanks to that, I could drink without holding back.

“One more, you say… You’re really something to get drunk with this.”
“You should know how weak my body is to the alcohol.”
“I still didn’t imagine that you would get drunk from an ale mixed with orange juice that is diluted further with water.”

As he said, if you diluted it this much, it was nothing more than juice with alcohol flavor. Getting drunk from that was just what you’d expect from my body. I suppose you could even call it a special constitution.

“You were weak with alcohol even in the past life, but this goes beyond it.”
“Oh shut it.”
“I suppose you took after Maria in that regard. She is also weak to alcohol. So, what happened this time that shocked you so much?”
“Ugh…”

It wasn’t anything shocking really. I knew better than anyone that Michelle and Cloud were already beyond the level of an ordinary person. But I thought they weren’t as good when it came to acting as Adventurers. Yet that proved to be a needless fear on my part according to what I saw today.

They were already first-class Adventurers even without me. I felt both happy and lonely about that.

“Is this what a parent feels when their child leaves them?”
“What are you blabbering about when you don’t even have a child.”
“I can’t just make one!”
“Yes you can. You would be the one birthing, however.”
“Screw off!”

I yelled back at Gadius while squinting my eyes, then slumped over the counter. I moved the alcohol glass away so I wouldn’t spill it, of course.

“Those kids are already fifteen years old. Cloud is already seventeen, even. There is nothing strange in them being able to work without you. They have experienced quite a bit of difficult battles too.”
“…I guess.”

They even defeated the Mountain Serpent. As for Cloud, he had once lost his hand after a fierce fight with Mateus. And Michelle exterminated that massive group of Goblins. Even Letina wasn’t to be underestimated. Even if she didn’t have a Gift, she continued to study diligently and was now skilled enough for me to acknowledge her as such.

I had to acknowledge their hard work and experience.

“Right, it would be rude of me to not treat them as full-fledged Adventurers at this point.”
“If you want, you could try looking after a different group of newbies.”
“That…”

Wouldn’t be so bad, I was about to say those words but stopped.

Even if I made a new party, it was up to fate whether we’d get along or not. My current party was something I built up from scratch, so to speak. Parting with them and creating a new party would feel wrong somehow. Or rather, it would be better to say that I feel reluctant to do so.

“No, that would feel wrong somehow.”
“Is that so? Then shall I mediate some other work?”
“Other work?”
“I mean what I said earlier. The only difference is you would be taking it along with your comrades instead of doing it alone.”
“Oh, you mean newbie training? I couldn’t feel that with Michelle, but I don’t have a good impression of that.”
“Well, you did make a lot of blunders in your past life.”

I was too overprotective and got too involved. Gadius often scolded me that it wouldn’t be training that way. I still had that nature even now, so I felt like I got too involved even in Michelle and Cloud’s training too.

But my worries were cleared up with this matter.

“Right, I suppose it’s about time to have the others experience seeing things from the outsider’s perspective too.”

Protecting the newbies from the outside, giving direction, and raising them responsibly. They were already strong enough to experience that too.

Then I felt a familiar presence behind me. There was a smell of a drug mixed with earth and grass. There was also the peculiar thick smell of the Elixir. The only ones who could give off the Elixir smell were my comrades. And with the drug smell added to it, it could only be Maria or Maxwell.

There was a big difference between their statures, and based on the footsteps and the creaking of the floor, I could narrow it down to Maxwell.

“You should be training your magic now. Oh well, if you are going to do that, can you take Letina along too?”

As expected, I heard Maxwell’s familiar voice. He didn’t seem to have planned to surprise me either, so he just addressed me normally, and nonchalantly approached and sat beside me.

And then he ordered the usual Alcohol from Gadius with accustomed conduct.

“Good grief. We are closed for the day, and you people keep coming.”
“We are comrades sharing a secret, be more lenient.”

Gadius grumbled and took out one pot from the shelf. It was the white wine that Maxwell loved. It was too strong for me and I couldn’t partake in it.

“I don’t mind taking Letina along, but I have to properly consider whether we tahye…the…job…”
“You are already fumbling your words. Are you drinking something that strong?”
“No, it was just one cup of orange juice with one-fourth ale.”
“Getting drunk on that makes you far weaker than Maria.”
“Yeah.”

Maxwell looked at me in amusement while pouring the white wine with used movements.

He took the glass to his nose and enjoyed the aroma to the full.

“It is a good wine. More importantly, Reid, you are in the middle of training so do not take work carelessly.”
“Gadius is the one mediating it so isn’t it fine?”
“I do understand that you are shocked to see your comrades that you treated as children grow. I suppose there would be no point in training with your current mental state. Gadius, I leave it to you.”
“Sure. I will find a good one this time.”

I couldn’t maintain my consciousness anymore as I was slumped over on the counter.

I heard the comfortable voice of my comrades by my side. There was no better place where I could sleep feeling safe.

At any rate, I drank my troubles away, and decided to take on the next job.