Smells like mushrooms in here… or maybe wet wood?

The walls are, from the looks of it, are on the verge of breaking at any moment but for some reason, it had lasted for years and it still hasn’t been replaced or fixed.

“What do you think, dragon? Could it be that the reason she left is because the house is broken down like this to the point that it looks like an abandoned building and is now inhabited by ghosts?”

My dragon, whom I’m carrying like a baby, looked to me for a few seconds as if surprised that I have asked that question out of the blue and hen swayed his head, left to right.

Well, of course that’s not the reason. It’s from our argument really.

So, I guess it’s my fault then? I don’t really know.

I think she mentioned something as me not being much of a use. Aren’t I been useful in these past few days?

Well, no need to repeat myself. I already told her that and she didn’t acknowledge it. Isn’t all she did is to fire arrows at the ones I’ve rooted? Is that so hard now?

Whatever, she left and that’s that. It’s only waste of time to delve deeper into that.

Although for some reason, I felt lonely when she left me. I wonder why? Didn’t the two warriors left me but I didn’t have a squat of loneliness when that happened. In both cases, the party ended in a heated argument with clear hatred against each other so why does this one has this feeling?

Ah… maybe it’s that…

She’s like that girl in my school days. The only one to have actually talked to me…

I already forgot her name and face though but I at least remember how she treated me. It’s like Kyle. Very blunt and honest with her feelings. Often times using insult as a way to tease me. Maybe, like how that girl made me feel loneliness when she left, is what I’m experiencing right now but in this case it’s Kyle.

Now that I think of it, aren’t I a bit of a masochist?

Ha… I’ll forget about her eventually anyway like how I’ve forgotten about that girl.

Plus, I don’t even needed her in the first place.

The only reason that I wanted to find teammates is because I don’t want to expend all that much mana in quests. But considering how we do quests, aren’t I almost doing all the work? I mean, she’s only killing off the targets while I root them. Plus, sometimes when we get overwhelmed like what just happened today, she offs and runs and begs me to kill them all off.

Really, she says I’m useless but isn’t it the other way around?

Screw her! Screw it! I’ll go solo from now on! I should have done this when I was starting out!

I don’t even need teammates! They’re useless and very much often, annoying and a waste.

I know of plenty of adventurers whom had been rich by going solo. Using their wits and strengths, they are able to achieve their goals and get to where they are today.

Goes to show that going solo isn’t all detrimental.

Also, it’s not like I have long to live. There’s probably 2 or so years before the seal placed on the Demon King would be broken and in that time, I would probably die.

From now on, I won’t be stingy with my mana this time…

But I have already accepted that and it’s not like I can do something to prevent that. But as long as I’m still alive today, with still a goal in mind, be it impossible to actually achieve or not, I must try my very best to achieve it anyway.

To be one of the richest man in the world. I know it’s stupid and ridiculous but I must achieve it before time runs out. As it’s the only worthwhile thing that I can do in this meaningless life of mine.

(???)

This morning… the sun shone way too brightly. I felt like I was going to be blind.

Anyway, I better start early so I can rest later. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm.

The quests in the morning are often pretty good too so that’s also something.

And like always, my dragon had snuggled up to me sometime at night.

Although, I would like to let him sleep here, it would be troublesome if he had to cry again, waiting for me so I’ll just bring him with me like this.

Unlike the past week were my dragon is basically a walking skeleton, he’s a lot chubbier now. The bones are still visible though but it’s not that alarming.

Had I known that dragons eat even raw things then this sort of stuff wouldn’t happen to him from the start but it already happened and I can’t do anything to change it now.

Let’s leave the past to the past and stay at the present.

Walking on the creaking wooden floor and after having to step on a bug of sorts, I’ve finally made my way to the door which had always given me a splinter every time I use it.

And as I opened it, the sun struck my eyeballs and burned them to crisp.

In other words, I’m completely blinded by the sun.

But seriously, isn’t the sun shining too brightly today?

For the love of… this is too intense! I can’t even walk properly!

Every time I take a step, I either almost get tripped or I get poked in the eyes by the freaking sun! Ah! This is too much.

This lucky dragon…! Fast asleep and completely ignorant to the misery that which his father has been suffering from currently…

Hu hu~

As I inched closer and closer towards the main streets, the brightness of the light begun to diminish to which eventually went back to normal. To what I mean by normal is the sun’s brightness’ had returned to a state where living creatures can actually see things now.

Somehow my pupils had constricted to the point that everything is way too dark but eventually, my eyes adapted and I can see fine now.

“What was that just now…?”

That couldn’t be normal, can’t it? For one, it may seem to be a spell casted by someone.

Ah… Maybe a terrorist perhaps? Who knows?

For one, it doesn’t concern me right now so I shouldn’t care about it much.

After walking for a while, I finally reached the streets. To which the eyes of the people suddenly dropped on me…

“Wow is that a dragon!? A fire dragon at that!? How did you get it!?”

“Wait, isn’t this the guy who tried to cast the storm spell? Why does he have a dragon?”

“I remember you walking around with a malnourished animal on your shoulder. Did you trade it for that dragon!? How did you trick the guy!?”

Eh…?

Why am I suddenly recognized? More specifically, my dragon?

Well at least they aren’t insults but admittedly, they aren’t much of a compliment either. More like they’re bewildered because I have a dragon.

Although, why now of all the time that I’ve brought my dragon with me?

But yesterday and the day before that, there are some people who noticed us and approached us, saying how cool for me to have a dragon and stuff like that but not to this degree.

Also, they didn’t think that I was depraving my dragon when I first brought him with me and thought that it was some other animal? Well that’s good I guess.

Although unfortunately now, it’s incredibly cramped. I can’t get through this much people gathered here!

What the heck is going on!? There’s a lot more people here than usual!

“Don’t block the way!”

Oh…?

I seem to recognize the voice.

It’s the voice of one of the commander from the day where the demons invaded the kingdom.

I thought he got fired? Oh wait, I seem to recall that the guy is from a noble family…

Bribery is a luxury…

The people, after hearing him shout, had looked towards the direction to where the voice came from and had moved to the sides as ordered.

The commander, followed by 15 lucky soldiers which didn’t die that day, headed towards the castle where the king lives.

So the source of the light seem to be in the area close to the castle then? Well at least they’ve responded quickly. But I highly doubt that something very bad had happened since obviously enough, the castle is where most guards are stationed at.

Anyway, I presume that these people are trying to head towards the source too then? To see who caused it and to see the culprit get apprehended. It’s the nature of people anyway. Gossiping regarding certain topics just to join in the conversation and too feel informed is the act of some people in any community.

Not like it concerns me though. Such unimportant things like this, I’d like not to pay it any mind starting from now on. And that includes teammates which, often than not, will leave me after a week or so.

Would you look at that, I feel accomplished for some reason.

Let’s not waste any more time here. Let’s head towards the adventurers guild.

(¬?¬)

“Ah…”

That sound which had escaped my mouth unconsciously.

The reason why is because the quests are pretty hard today.

Even though I’m early and hardly no one is here but a couple of adventurers talking, the only quest in the beginner side of the board is gone. Taken by whom? Probably these fellows here.

Welp. I’ve got no choice but to pick something in the middle tier. Something not too hard, is a hunting quest and elimination quest, and has a good reward.

After looking through all of them, I’ve picked something that fits the criteria and doesn’t require me to test some old dudes newly invented machinery or something on my bare skin.

And so I handed it to the receptionist.

“Good morning. Have you taken a quest to your liking?”

Passing over the parchment to the ever so composed receptionist, I said my thoughts.

“I’ll take this one.”

After reading what the quest was, she looked at me with an uneasy expression.

“Ah… a quest to eliminate the tribe of goblins near the Flores village… Are you sure about this? I would like to suggest you to pick an easier one. For someone who had just started out a few weeks, this much may be too difficult for you. I recommend you take the quest about helping on the reconstruction on the walls of the kingdom. Sine it’s almost finished, the work wouldn’t seem to be all that difficult.”

Oh yeah, the walls were damaged during the invasion. But nonetheless…

“No, I’ll take this one.”

Having to hear of my selfish request, she lets out a sigh.

“A-alright. But be careful as goblins are very cunning depending on the situation. Hm? Your partner seem to have taken a quest herself earlier. Then that would mean you’re going to do this alone?”

So she’s the one who took the easy quest. Ha! As expected for her. For an archer who couldn’t hit a moving target, of course she would choose the easiest quest.

I pity her but it was her choice to have left me so she’s on her own now.

Although why is she still considered as my comrade? Oh right, she’s labelled as my slave so she can’t leave my party unless I’m the one who removed her. In that case, removed!

Shocked from what I just did, she looked at me with a more uneasy expression.

“Sir… I know that you are capable of casting a storm spell but for a quest to this degree and having to do it alone… I strongly suggest that you pick another.”

“No. I’ll do this one.”

“…Very well. Have it be done before sunset tomorrow. Be careful out there.”

Alright.

The first quest that I’ll be doing alone. A tribe of goblins versus me alone.

If I can do that much that day then I’m confident that I can destroy a small tribe, right?

After all the reward would be 10 gold. More than enough reason for me to take this quest.

And so, as I’m carrying my sleeping dragon, I left off to the village of Flores.