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“Somehow, the Boss is more enthusiastic than ever today.”
“Yeah… He looks even scarier than usual… I guess the Gray Iron Demon is back in action.”
“You can’t blame him. He’s in a really bad mood today.”

“Huh? Do you know something, Kenneth?”
“Well, you know the village chief and the other two family heads aren’t attending today’s regular meeting because they’re heading to Dekenbel, right?”
“Yeah. Something urgent came up, and the three of them were summoned.”
“On top of that, most of the team leaders who were supposed to attend won’t be able to make it either.”

“Yeah, I heard there was some kind of request from the villages of Argosi and Veird.”
“This means the Boss has no choice but to attend today’s meeting, no matter what.”
“So, he’s in a bad mood because no one’s coming? I mean, I get it, but this just boils down to bad timing, doesn’t it?”
“That’s not it. The Boss was hoping nothing would come up so he could go to Cope Town today.”
“Huh? But that’s… The Boss can be pretty selfish… No wait, I spoke out of line… So, he’s in a bad mood because he couldn’t go to Cope Town?”

“Well, to put it simply… You guys know the Boss’ Susie, right?”
“Yeah. That cute red-haired girl. I’ve seen her around a couple of times. You too, right, Rufino?”
“Randolph, don’t you remember? Earlier this summer, when the Boss took down that Boa, she was there with him to retrieve it.”
“Oh, right! Wasn’t that the time when there were a ton of wolves and we had trouble carrying them?”

“That’s right. But did you know it was Susie who killed most of the wolves back then? You only saw her from a distance. Do you remember her?”
“Really? Oh yeah. I think Team Leader Long mentioned something about that. He said something about this girl, Susie, that the Boss had taken in—said she was really strong.”

“Rufino, Randolph, neither of you has the slightest idea what Susie is truly capable of, do you?”
“No, I mean, I thought it was impressive that she took down all those wolves by herself. But isn’t she related to the Cloud family? That more or less explains it. Or is there more? I do know she’s quite cute. Randolph! Back me up here!”
“Y-Yeah! I know that too!”
“You two… What am I supposed to do with you? Then, do you know a Red Death Stalker appeared early last month?”

“Yeah, I heard about that. The kids were hunting on their own and stumbled upon it, right? I heard they were supposed to be in a safe zone, but they somehow ended up bumping into one.”

“I remember that too. It was surprising they came out alive. The kids couldn’t have taken down that huge scorpion by themselves. Were there adults with them? Maybe three members from the lower-ranked 2nd Team could take one down.”

“There were no adults. And it wasn’t just one—it was five Red Death Stalkers that attacked them.”
“W-What?! There’s no way anyone could handle that! Even three members from 2nd couldn’t do anything about five of them! Their exoskeletons are insanely tough! You have to strike at the joints, and even then, with three people they’d have their hands full with just one. But five… Red Death Stalkers have a Threat Level of 7! That’s high-tier—mid-tier at the very least. You’d need the 6th Team there!”

“Well, the thing is… they were apparently wiped out in an instant.”
“ “What?!” ”
“They say she sliced through their armor and finished all five in an instant. I’ve seen the kills myself—clean, beautiful cuts! I’m telling you, that girl has the strength to slice through solid steel!”

“W-Wait a second! By ‘that kid,’ you don’t mean…?”
“Huh? Well yeah. Who else would I be talking about?”
“The way you said it made it sound like she took them all down by herself.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying!”
“ “WHAT?!!!” ”

“And as you’d expect, the sword she used at the time broke. So not long after, the Boss placed a custom order from a workshop in Cope Town—and it was supposed to be finished today.”
“So you’re saying the Boss was going to pick it up and hand it to her personally?”
“Exactly! Do you get the full picture now?!”

“I do. I get just how strong Susie is now, and how the Boss feels about her. What I don’t get is how you know so much about this, Kenneth.”
“Yeah, and why do you sound so weirdly happy every time you talk about Susie? Are you… a stalker? You’re creeping me out, man.”
“HUH? Y-You fool! What the hell are you talking about? It’s only because I have a membership card!”

“ “What?” ”
“I have a membership card, so I get the newsletter updates!”
“W-Wait! What are you even talking about? What membership card? What newsletter?!”
“Obviously, I’m talking about the Susie Cloud Fan Club! SCFC for short!!!”
“ “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!!” ”

“YOU ALL! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!!!” At that moment, Howard’s furious voice roared like thunder.

◆◆◆◆◆

• Behind the Temple – 13:20

“Lavi… can I really protect them?”

Clutching his chest, Ryder muttered to the gravestone.

Ryder Haggard knelt alone in the cemetery behind the temple. A well-tended white headstone stood before him, engraved with the name Lavinia Cloud. A fresh bouquet had been placed upon it. Ryder’s gaze remained calm as he stared at the name.

Six years ago, Ryder had completed the knight candidate course at the high school and joined the Royal Capital’s Knight Order. For two years, he fought on the front lines against ghosts, demons, and Demonic Beasts along the western frontier.

His achievements were recognized, and in record time—just two years—he was promoted to a position in the Royal Capital. Life there had been comfortable. His rank earned him respect, and training alongside some of the kingdom’s most elite knights allowed him to sharpen his abilities even further.

But the more he was recognized, the further he was drawn away from the battlefield—from the front lines—and deeper into the capital. And that shift left Ryder feeling restless.

Many from Amukham joined the knight order, but few served until retirement. Most who sought life on the front lines eventually found their way back to Amukham.

Both the knight order and those who returned maintained a strong bond with the village. The order continued to welcome new recruits from Amukham, knowing that in times of crisis, they could entrust the front lines to its people.

Ryder was one of those who chose to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors. After five years of service, he made the decision to return to Amukham. More than anything, he wanted to protect—protect as many as he could. It was a promise he’d once made to a girl he knew.

“If I had to ask you about every little thing, you’d scold me again.” With a wry smile, Ryder stood.

(Still… when I look at her, I can’t help but think of you. And your words.)

“I’ll be back, Lavi. But I have to go now, or your father will give me hell.” With a faint smile, Ryder turned and walked away from the cemetery.

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