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We had to part ways with Letina after graduation. That fact could no longer be changed.

For that very reason, we started hunting every day from that day on, trying to stay together as much as possible.

There was less than half a year left until graduation. About five months. We were doing our best to adventure together and create as many memories as we could during that time.

That day, as usual, we were out in the forest and enjoying the adventure, gathering herbs and hunting.

Though, it’s too presumptuous to call something like this adventuring, I guess. Still, Letina enjoyed what we were doing.

Normally, a Marquis’ daughter like her would have never been allowed to go into the forest with commoners like us.

But given my standing and Marquis Yowi’s broad-mindedness, she was allowed to do so. I couldn’t express how thankful I was for the Marquis for this point.

Probably because I was indulged in such feelings, I ended up being a little lax on my exploration. However, Michelle managed to detect it in my place.

Our party had already become able to function sufficiently.

“Ah, Nicole. Something moved over there!”
“Huh, ah, you’re right.”
“Isn’t it rare of you to overlook something like this?”
“Yeah, well, I was absorbed in my thoughts.”
“About Letina?”
“…Yeah.”

While speaking in quiet voices, Michelle and I set up the bow and katana respectively. Letina behind us also set up her staff while answering me.

“Please don’t. We are finally having fun like this, so I wish to forget about that for now.”
“I mean, I was just thinking that we have to thank Marquis Yowi.”
“I am fully aware of that. I know that the time we have now is the extension that father has provided us—It’s coming!”

Along with Letina’s warning, a largish wild boar jumped out from the grasses. It was just a boar, so normally we wouldn’t even need to stay vigilant against it.

Even so, a grown-up boar’s charge that had the same weight as an adult could still become a dangerous weapon.

However, Cloud easily stopped the boar that charged with its head lowered.

“Nice work, Cloud!”

He was pushed back a little and his left leg slides back, but he still stopped it in place. The sense of stability coming from him wouldn’t lose to even the first-class warriors.

I felt impressed in my heart, he sure has grown too.

He even followed up by dealing a strike to the head with his sword hilt. There was quite a heavy sound that followed it, so the boar might have taken significant damage from it.

The reason he opted for the hilt instead of the blade was that the boar was too close. The adaptability he displayed was also proof of his growth.

The boar whose charge was stopped had faltered from that blow, momentarily stopping in place.

Next, Letina’s Firebolt flew towards its feet. She wasn’t a Gift Holder, so her output wasn’t that high. No, well, considering her age, it was quite powerful, but our party had a wonderful Archer to take on that role.

The fact that she understood it and chose to go for its leg was also proof of her growth like Cloud.

The Firebolt burned the boar’s hind leg and its knee gave away. With that, it was my turn to charge, so I rushed on and dealt a sword strike to the nape of its neck.

The muscles around its neck that supported its charge attack were too thick, so my slash wouldn’t be able to deal enough damage.

Of course, that might not be the case if I used the thread enchantment, but it was the one that rushed to us this time, so this was the best response I could make at the moment.

“Pugi!”

The boar screamed and swung its head around in an attempt to brush me off. I tried to jump back and dodge it, but my food got entangled in the grass and momentarily delayed my movements.

I bent back and barely dodged the direct hit. Still, I failed to avoid it completely, and the tip of its nose grazed my chest.

Fortunately, my chest was protected by the leather armor, so it didn’t amount to an injury, but it still broke my balance and made me fall while spinning like a spinning top.

I intentionally rolled along the ground without killing my momentum and mitigated it like that.

Michelle seemed to have thought that I was flung away and I heard her swallow her breath, but she wasn’t naive enough to forget to attack.

She instantly drove one arrow into the neck of the boar that was facing sideways, stopping it from any follow-up attacks.

Due to the series of attacks, the boar started to stagger. After it tottered a bit away, Cloud once again moved to attack.

His strike that had a lot of weight put into it unlike mine held enough power to make the boar flinch.

Being overpowered by these attacks, the boar finally collapsed sideways.

These types of animals found it very hard to stand back up once they fell down. Not to mention, we had an archer with us that would never let go of such an opening.

As the boar struggled to get up, one arrow silently pierced through its throat. The arrow appeared so suddenly that it looked as if it had always been there.

“Woah—”

I let out a voice of admiration without thinking.

This attack without a doubt belonged to Michelle. However, her lethality and accuracy were in another league compared to before.

Before, her shots were accurate and strong, but they still felt somewhat unpolished, but this shot felt completely different.

If I were to compare it to something, it felt similar to sliding a blade into the enemy’s throat.

It seemed that only I had realized what a terrific feat this was, as neither Letina nor Cloud showed any particular reactions.

With its throat pierced, the blood seemed to have flooded its lungs, and without ever managing to stand up, it started convulsing and died on the spot.

Then finally, I heard Michelle release her held breath.

“She has turned into one frightening girl…”

I stood there, digesting Michelle’s dreadful power.