Chapter 181

Clarice was in an extremely good mood.

“Hmph, hmm~. Hmm~.”

If you asked how good her mood was, she was humming a tune she had never sung before.

It was only natural.

Recently, Clarice’s physical condition had been in such great shape that it could be called perfect.

Originally, Clarice was unusually healthy for a Wizard, a race with inherent physical weaknesses.

Of course, even that “unusually healthy” level was still dangerously fragile by the standards of other human races, who suffered from chronic anemia due to low blood pressure.

But recently, her condition had improved even more, to the point where she felt as healthy as an ordinary human, not a Wizard.

Her sudden anemia-induced dizziness had reduced to only two or three times a day, and she could now walk around the mansion without using astral projection, without getting out of breath.

So, Clarice decided to accelerate her secret plan, which she had told no one about.

That plan was to become an Adventurer.

To be precise, Clarice wasn’t particularly interested in the Adventurer lifestyle itself.

What she was interested in was naturally reuniting with Karina and Serena while living as an Adventurer.

A fateful, unintended reunion with friends who had shared beautiful memories under the same roof.

Objectively speaking, what happened in the haunted mansion wasn’t a beautiful memory for Karina and Serena, nor was it an unintended or fateful reunion—it was a planned one.

But at least to Clarice, it felt like a perfect and romantic plan.

Sometimes, even the smartest people can be swept away by emotions and come up with foolish ideas, and Clarice was exactly that right now.

Through this process, she would reunite with the two, form a party, and live a happy Adventurer life.

That was why she had left the forest mansion.

“It’s been so long since I’ve walked outside the mansion with my real body instead of using astral projection…”

The scenery of the forest, which she hadn’t seen in a long time, felt overwhelmingly real.

The chirping of birds, the warm summer breeze brushing against her skin, even the threatening gestures of the monsters around her.

Ssshhh!

A Wildcat Monster blocked Clarice’s path, puffing up its fur and making threatening sounds.

“Oh my. Did I intrude into your territory and make you angry?”

But Clarice, unfazed by the monster’s threat, simply smiled as if she found its warning cute.

Ssshhh!

“…I don’t know how I would have reacted normally, but today, I’m in a very good mood.”

Despite the repeated threats, Clarice remained calm, smiling and muttering to herself. The Wildcat Monster, unable to hold back, lunged at her.

Or rather, it tried to.

But.

Boom!

Squeak, squeak…

Just as the Wildcat Monster was about to pounce, a beam of light shot from Clarice’s fingertips, creating a crater the size of a human torso right next to the monster. Seeing this, the monster couldn’t bring itself to attack.

Instead, it finally realized how dangerous the person it was dealing with was and trembled in fear.

Even if a Wizard’s body is weak, they are still Wizards.

Clarice, who usually couldn’t even leave the mansion due to chronic anemia from low blood pressure, still possessed the abilities of a Mage that were no laughing matter.

Without even showing the usual signs of casting a spell, she smiled kindly at the trembling Wildcat Monster.

“Today is a very good day, so I don’t want to resort to violence. You can run away.”

Squeak, squeak!

Did it understand her words?

The Wildcat Monster immediately turned and hurriedly hid in the bushes.

“Well then, now that the uninvited guest is gone, shall we head to Astram? I can’t wait to meet Karina and Serena.”

Clarice also turned and began walking toward Astram, leaving behind only a large crater where she and the Wildcat Monster had faced off.

“Ah… Come to think of it, Kurt and Marisia, was it? I’ll have to deal with them.”

She muttered in a calm tone, as if talking about needing to buy insecticide because there were too many bugs lately.

It was a few days before she arrived in Astram.

…

“Kurt! That’s so unfair!”

“Hey, it’s not like I went just for fun. I went to rescue people in distress.”

“That may be true, but exploring the ruins alone? And not just any ruins, but the deepest part of a hidden one!”

Mari had been sulking since morning after finding out that Arisa and I had gone to the ruins to rescue Adventurers.

“Hey, it’s not like I left you out on purpose. You weren’t at the Adventurer Guild, so I had no choice but to go alone.”

“Still! It’s so unfair that only you and Arisa got to have an exciting adventure!”

“Hey… Karina, Serena, can you talk some sense into Mari?”

“No, this time Mari is right. Exploring ruins that are now closed off and inaccessible… You went and enjoyed it without us!”

“And you even got your hands on a precious Artifact!”

Oh no.

Not only was Mari sulking, but Karina and Serena were also on her side.

It’s like dealing with kids who are upset because they weren’t taken to an amusement park.

“I’m so jealous! Who knows when the Ancient Empire’s ruins will open again!”

“I… I also wanted to see the Ancient Empire’s architecture in person…!”

“I was holding back, hoping all four of us could go together!”

“…I’m sorry.”

And so, I spent the morning listening to their complaints.

While trying to change the subject, I noticed Arisa entering.

She must have been very tired yesterday, as she was only now coming down to the Adventurer Guild’s hall.

But upon seeing me being bombarded by the three, she quickly assessed the situation and quietly retreated back to her room.

What a coward…

“Kurt! Are you listening?”

“I’m listening! I’m listening.”

After being pestered by the three, I finally promised to join them on a quest today and treat them to a full-course meal using the new Artifact I had acquired. Only then was I able to escape their nagging.

…

And so, I ended up leaving Astram with the three to complete a quest.

“…I don’t like hunting monsters that have no value as ingredients.”

“But a promise is a promise!”

“Sigh… Fine.”

Once I agreed to join them on the quest, they immediately dragged me into a mission I wouldn’t normally take.

Usually, I only hunt monsters that are useful as ingredients, leaving the rest to the three of them. But since this was a rare opportunity for all four of us to work together, I had no choice.

But really, why bother with monsters that aren’t even edible when you can hunt ones that provide both meat and money?

The quest they chose was…

Crunch!

I crushed the head of a Giant Ant with a roughly carved wooden spear and turned to Mari.

“Each one of these ants is as big as a large dog. This is disgusting. Did we really have to take this quest?”

“We had no choice! If we don’t deal with this quickly, even Astram could be in danger!”

“Eek! Its fluids splashed on me!”

“Hey! Don’t come over here covered in ant fluids!”

The quest was to exterminate the abnormally multiplying Akura Giant Ants.

Due to their habit of building deep underground nests and the Adventurers’ focus on the Ancient Empire’s ruins, the ants had multiplied unchecked. By the time they surfaced, their numbers had grown too large, leading to this urgent quest.

And so, we were stuck dealing with an endless swarm of Giant Ants.

“Still, since all four of us are together, couldn’t we have picked a better quest?”

“I didn’t want to take it either, but Wendy begged us with tears in her eyes, saying no one else would take the quest if we refused!”

“Eek! An ant’s eyeball just touched my hand!”

“Hey! You’re from the northern tribes, yet you’re scared of ghosts and now this? What’s with all the fear?”

“…But was this really the right choice?”

“…”

I looked at Karina, who screamed every time ant fragments splattered on her, and asked Mari, who averted her gaze.

Surprisingly, Karina was the most timid among the four of us.

Despite confidently assuring Wendy that she could handle it when Wendy begged with tears, Karina grew paler as we approached the quest area. Once we started fighting the ants, her usual bravery vanished, and she began to panic.

While the other two, as an archer and a mage, stayed in the rear, Karina had to face the ants head-on, wielding her Battle Axe.

Soon, her mind reached its limit, and she fell into a complete panic, swinging her axe wildly.

Seeing this, I shook my head.

There’s no helping it.

I usually try to do only my share during quests to maintain good long-term relationships with my party members, and the others have asked me to do the same…

But with her in a complete panic…

Maybe I should step in just this once.

“…Mari, Serena. Take Karina and fall back. I’ll handle this alone.”

“But… we can’t just leave all the burden to you…”

“Look at Karina. She’s at her limit.”

“…You’re right. Okay. We’ll take Karina and retreat.”

“Consider this my debt from the ruins repaid.”

As I said this, I focused my aura on the roughly carved wooden spear.

Or rather, I tried to.

But before the two could fully retreat with the panicked Karina, and before I could fully unleash my aura, I felt an unusual mana fluctuation—one even I, not a mage, could sense.

“What’s that…?”

I looked around to identify the source of the strange mana.

And then, in the distance, I saw the silhouette of someone chanting a spell.

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The chaotic sounds of the ants moving and the relentless crushing of ants with arrows, magic, and Battle Axes.

All the noise stopped in an instant.

Crack.

And as if time had frozen and then resumed, the frozen bodies of the Giant Ants began to shatter and fall.

“Magic…?”

And on such a large scale?

“My, what a coincidence. Meeting you here. Hehe.”

The one who approached us with these words was a beautiful woman with fox-like eyes and pale skin, almost corpse-like.

Who is she? Does she know us?

And then, Karina, upon seeing her, screamed.

“Eek! It’s a ghost!”

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