Chapter 107

Aisia had not been in a good mood lately.

To the extent that even eating the food Kurt made didn’t bring her much joy.

So, Aisia, who would normally refill her breakfast three times, only refilled it once this time before sighing quietly in her room.

“Haa…”

Aisia’s worry.

It was, of course, related to Marisia.

When Marisia first returned to the village, Aisia had firmly planned to teach her decades of experience as a forest keeper and pass on her skills.

Naturally, she also intended to send Marisia’s companions away with a stern attitude.

But before she knew it, things had turned out like this.

Once, Kurt had mentioned three elements necessary to persuade Aisia.

First, resolving the emotional issue of hostility towards Kurt’s group.

Second, demonstrating the group’s abilities to alleviate her anxiety.

And finally, changing Aisia’s heart to trust and support Marisia.

And it wasn’t just Kurt who was thinking about these elements; Aisia was too.

Although Aisia hadn’t known Marisia had run away, she couldn’t possibly view her only daughter and her adventurer companions favorably, especially since she had opposed Marisia’s adventurer life from the start.

Even if the group had good Elven qualities, that was separate from the skills needed for adventuring.

Adventuring wasn’t a job one could do just by being a good person.

No parent would want to entrust their daughter to unreliable humans.

And fundamentally, Aisia had no intention of allowing Marisia’s adventurer life.

There were three reasons Aisia couldn’t allow Marisia’s adventurer life.

But now, not long after Kurt’s group had started staying as guests, Aisia’s thoughts were changing at a frightening pace.

Of course, it wasn’t that she suddenly wanted to allow Marisia’s journey.

Letting a young half-Elf, only twenty-four, go independent?

If Marisia were a full Elf, it might have been considered domestic violence.

But the problem wasn’t Marisia; it was her companions.

“What should I do…?”

She had worried they might be bad humans, but they were kind, sincere, and well-mannered, embodying true Elven qualities.

Initially, her hostility towards them for adventuring with Marisia had melted away.

While it was good Marisia had met good people, the better their Elven qualities, the more it pained Aisia to think of separating them from Marisia.

If only they had issues with their abilities, she could have persuaded Marisia to part ways.

Even if their skills were on par or better, she could have found fault.

But a Barbarian younger than Mari who could sense mana and use aura.

A Dwarven Mage who, despite Dwarves supposedly being unable to handle mana, used magic skillfully.

A warrior who could use aura, a mage whose very existence commanded a high price.

They were high-end personnel with no shortcomings.

Honestly, if not for Mari’s age, it would have been a commendable party.

And then there was the Lizardman, who was beyond standard.

“What’s this…! A Transcendent! That’s cheating!”

While Karina and Serena were promising talents, Kurt was on a whole different level.

In any country, he could secure a high position just by showing his skills; in smaller nations, they’d offer him power second only to the king.

If he wanted, he could unite Beastkin and establish his own kingdom.

The title “Transcendent” carried that weight.

And it wasn’t just his combat prowess.

His knowledge as a hunter, comparable to her 160 years of experience, and his cultured, erudite nature despite being a Lizardman with no formal education.

And his cooking skills, which seemed to have transcended along with him.

No matter how she tried to find fault, they were perfect party members.

At this point, even Aisia felt she shouldn’t miss this opportunity.

“Moreover, recently even the senior forest keepers…”

Yes.

What weighed on her heart more was the subtle change in attitude of the senior forest keepers.

Even though they had sided with her when Marisia ran away, after being treated to a meal by Kurt, they subtly changed their stance to support Marisia.

Could it be they were won over by a meal?

The trap meant to trouble Kurt was now tightening around her neck.

But still, Aisia’s heart didn’t change.

No matter how reliable the party members were, adventuring risked one’s own life, not just the party’s.

Adventuring was too dangerous to allow just because the party members were trustworthy.

If not for that, Aisia’s opposition to Marisia’s journey would just be a mother’s selfishness not wanting to part with her daughter.

Clench.

Realizing this, Aisia noticed her fist was clenched so tightly her palm turned white.

“…This won’t do.”

Initially, she thought simply keeping Marisia in the village until the group gave up would suffice.

With Elven time perception, even a short time would be years for short-lived humans, so holding out for 1-2 years would make them give up.

But her 160 years of forest keeper intuition whispered that dragging this out would put her at a disadvantage.

“Ultimately, I need to make a decisive move.”

Thus, Aisia had no choice but to make a decision.

She had completely failed to counter Marisia’s companions.

She could no longer hate them.

In fact, she was starting to feel goodwill towards them.

So, she needed to focus back on Marisia.

No matter how good and skilled the companions were, if Marisia’s own skills didn’t meet the adventurer’s benchmark, even they would have to give up.

With her mind made up, Aisia stood up with a determined expression.

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.

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Meanwhile, unlike the gloomy Aisia, Mari’s side was quite cheerful.

The hostile atmosphere from when they first arrived in the Elf village was completely gone.

Sensing the change most acutely as Aisia’s daughter, Mari spoke brightly.

“Hehe! At this rate, getting Mom’s permission for adventuring isn’t far off!”

“Indeed. It feels like she’s gradually opening up to us,” agreed Karina optimistically.

However, Serena was more cautious.

“But we can’t let our guard down. While we’ve made a good impression, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll allow Mari’s adventuring.”

“Right. Just becoming friendly isn’t enough. We need something decisive to persuade Aisia.”

“Ah~. You worry too much. At this rate, it feels like Mom’s almost convinced!”

“If you’re that confident, then maybe… But I have a feeling something’s about to happen.”

“Hahaha! What could possibly happen? Trust my intuition as her daughter!”

Just as Mari confidently declared, the door burst open.

“Marisia. Prepare to go out. Today, we’ll test whether you truly have what it takes to be an adventurer.”

Something had happened.