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Since we have two users of Transfer Magic, each of us is packing light. Most of us are carrying water and light afternoon snacks in the form of preserved foods. In the first place, this isn’t supposed to be a protracted battle so it’s to be expected.

“Well then…” munch munch “Shall we get going?” (Maxwell)
“Stop talking while you’re eating dried meat. As carefree as ever aren’t you.” (Cortina)
“With this group gathered up, what could go wrong?” (Maxwell)

Cortina played the straight man as Maxwell started chanting the Teleportation spell while munching on dried meat.
Lyell and the others looked on with nostalgic eyes.
For us who had moved to this city, it had become a daily scene, but for them, it’d been 17 years since they got to see this kind of scene play out.

“You’ll get used to it right away?” (Nicole)
“I suppose. Seeing it almost daily it becomes pretty nostalgic after a while.” (Maria)

Maria mumbles emotionally while holding onto me.
It seems she felt considerably guilty for causing the party to disband.
Maxwell started explaining the plan moving forward, clearly unaware of our mood.
Well, being unable to read the room is his special ability.

“After this, we’ll be in the southern forest where the Queen Blossom is believed to be, we’ll go by foot after teleporting in.” (Maxwell)
“Is it impossible to go directly to the target?” (Lyell)

Lyell was the first to react to his statement.
Previously, Lyell and Gadius had complained about the humidity in the forest, this time they were even clad in body armor made from the evil dragon’s scales, so they had issues with breathability.
Hearing that we’d be going through the forest by foot, I nodded along with a reluctant scowl.

“There are treants as well, can’t just carelessly go around there. In the first place, I’m limited to places I’ve been to before.” (Maxwell)
“That may be but… the middle of the forest…” (Lyell)
“It’s so muggy.” (Gadius)
“You’ll get used to it. You’re from Matara after all.” (Maxwell)

The Matara Alliance. A country in the eastern continent with steep mountains and the sea with many wide harbors; it was a very humid country.
Gadius who hailed from there should be pretty resistant to the heat.

“Doesn’t mean it’s any less uncomfortable.” (Gadius)
“You guys have it easy. In my case, I’ll have my hair clinging onto me tightly.” (Cortina)
“Shave then.” (Gadius)
“Shave the prided tail hair of a catkin!? You… Just you wait. I’ll shave that beard of yours.” (Cortina)
“I won’t let you shave a dwarf’s identity! The beard is the dwarf, the dwarf is the beard!” (Gadius)

And with that, Gadius and Cortina started to try to grab onto each other’s tail and beard.
This too was a nostalgic scene that we hadn’t seen in 17 years.
Lyell jumped in to arbitrate here.

“Now now, I know tensions are high after so long, but we’re right about to head out…” (Lyell)
“Don’t act like it’s other people’s problems. Lyell let me shave you too!” (Cortina)
“Where!?” (Lyell)
“Your head.” (Cortina)
“Ehh. I don’t wanna go bald. I’ve already started to thin out recently.” (Lyell)
“What? Lyell, you’re already balding? Really?” (Maria)

As Maria replied in shock, Cortina started jumping up and down trying to get a look at the top of Lyell’s head. Despite looking young, Lyell’s already approaching 50, unlike the long-lived dwarves or catkin, his age has already begun to show. Maria who doesn’t show any signs of aging is the abnormal one here.

“Somehow… this isn’t anything like I’d expected,” Letina muttered while watching the noisy heroes.
“Hm? What is?” (Nicole)

For Letina whose ideal of the heroes was a taciturn group who could communicate through their eyes, the scene in front of her must have been quite a shock.
But this is the reality.

“Lye… Papa, is a pretty hopeless father.”

While being held in Maria’s hands like a doll, I point to Lyell with a snap and say as such. Sure, that guy’s a dependable ally in battle, but around the house, forget about it. Because he’s always on call to help subjugate monsters around the village, he spends very little time with us, let alone fixing things up around the house. We understand that he loves us, but he has a ⓢⓗⓘⓣⓣⓨ way of showing it. After a long time of not seeing each other, he’ll smother us and fact is, it’s too overwhelming for me.

“That… doesn’t seem to be the case though? Look, he seems friendlier than expected, surely he’s pretty popular…”

At my blunt statement, Letina tries to gloss over it with a hasty defense, but without firsthand knowledge, it’s flimsy at best and she breaks off towards the end. Meanwhile, Michelle is frantically holding back her laughter at watching a sight-unseen back in the village.

“Hey now, could we drop it already? It’s about time we get going, it’ll be dark before long.” (Maxwell)
“It’s still morning, Maxwell. Could it be you’ve finally gone senile?” (Maria)
“Maria, for even you to say that…” (Maxwell)

Maxwell couldn’t hide his shock at the rare barb from Maria. But I know, amongst us, the most wicked one is definitely Maria.

“Well fine. Let’s go, I’ll open the 「Gate」.”

The burden of magic power for Teleport, which interferes with a person’s individual location data is too high for such a large group, so instead, it seems Maxwell is using Gate, which interferes with the ground’s location data instead. It’s not like he couldn’t use Teleport with 9 people with his level of magic power but it’s better to use less if possible.

Thin silver fluctuations appear on the ground as proof of the “Gate” being opened. At this point, Lyell jumped in, followed by Cortina, Maria, and then Maxwell.

“I’ll go in last, you lot hurry in.” (Gadius)
“Um, got it.” (Nicole)

Gadius is the last one as usual. Lyell is the first to head in to deal with any threats. Next is Cortina to gather intel and make snap judgments. Then to help Lyell out if he runs into trouble Maria goes. The order is decided with that in mind. Gadius is last in to avoid putting the late-comers at risk.

Their teamwork hasn’t changed in all these years. Michelle, Letina, and Tricia jump in one after the other, finally it’s my turn and Gadius follows close behind. And like that, we finally reached the southern forest of Raum.