AN: Yo, your lazy author here → :D, present you chapter 25. Enjoy!!

PR by Zenla, the royal proofreader

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In the living room after dinner.

Roland «So you're leaving tomorrow morning for a week?»

Aenthar «Yes, and I'll be taking Komodo with us, I even made a backpack for him. We will be able to carry more things back with him.»

Yaereen «Is that so? You're sure there won't be any problem with him?» she asked with curiosity

Aenthar «None.» With a big smile «He understands the commands well enough, and is very obedient, even with Kerrina and Muriem.»

Muriem «That's right! The last time Kerrina and I went to hunt, he followed us properly and when Kerrina told him to attack he didn't hesitate. He has become quite smart!!»

Aenthar, grinning «Of course!! Don't you see who his master is?»

Roland «I didn't know the other could give him orders...»

Aenthar «That's because you never tried, or more like you never needed too, which is another proof that I raised him well. Feel free to praise me as much I you like, I don't mind.»

Yaereen «Don't get full of yourelf son. Not everything will happen the way you plan them.» She said half serious, half teasing

Aenthar «You know mom, I made myself some rules to follow in my life to avoid or deal with troubles. One of these rules is 'zero risk doesn't exist'.»

Muriem «Don't worry aunt Yaereen, we will take good care of him»

Roland «Won't that be the other way around?»

Muriem «Uncle Roland...» she said while pouting.

Yaereen «Hahaha, it'll be fine, I've seen you 2 girls training hard with Aenthar and his pet. But still, be carefull out there, parents can't help but worry about their family.»

Muriem «We will be carefull aunty.»

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The next day, early in the morning, I went with the girls to the adventurer guild for their registration, of course Komodo waited outside. By the way, I recently reached E rank thanks to the E and D ranked beasts and monsters I killed during my exploration. Once we were done, we left the village. The place we are going to is around 2 days away from Argot, where I found a relevant amount of metallic ore. We will be mining as much as we can carry then come back. There is also a reasonable amount of beasts and monsters there, a good place to start party adventuring.

I had my staff, pickaxe, khukuri and hatchet, but didn't bring my bow and arrows, I leave it all to my wolf huntress. Kerrina had her bow and arrows, a dagger, a carving knife and wore leather equipment. Muriem had a small halleberd, a hatchet, a carving knife and the same protective gear as me. Though her halleberd was slightly different from a ordinary one. Usually, on the other side of the axe part there is a hook, on hers there is a hammer head.

Why a halleberd and not a staff? Muriem tend to use only 1 extremity of the staff when attacking. During the past 3 months she trained in the use of the halleberd, and acording to Old Johrgard, she has a good affinity with that type of weapon. I wonder if the thoreim blood made her fit for weapons with an axe blade.

All their equipment was made by me, except for Kerrina's leather armor, which I made with Muriem. We also had a few useful items in our backpack. On Komodo's back was a 2 persons tent for the 3 of us, there would always be 1 person on guard outside the tent and 2 inside. Not like I would mind the 3 of us being inside at the same time.

Muriem, giggling «Our first trip as adventurers together... I'm so happy, so excited!!»

Kerrina «That's right. The air is different from when we go hunting, this place really feels wild. It's a very nice feeling.»

Aenthar «You've always seemed more relaxed outside of the village.»

Kerrina «Yes, I guess I really like strolling in natural places, I like it when there is only the scent of the animals, plants and trees in the wind. I don't mind villages, I guess I can bear cities, but the atmosphere of the wilderness sings to me.»

Aenthar «You're just like Komodo.» I said while scratching him on the chin, he likes that.

Kerrina «Not funny!»

Aenthar «But don't worry.» I held her with one arm and gave her a little kiss on the cheek. «I like you more than him.»

Kerrina «Thanks!» while looking at me with a bright red face and narrowed eyes

Muriem, smirking «Kerrina is cute when she blushes. It doesn't happen often, how sad.»

Kerrina didn't respond, she was slightly pouting, but still looked happy.

Feeling somehow excited myself, I started whistling Zelda's theme while snapping my fingers in rythm.

Muriem «What is this melody? It's kinda nice!»

Aenthar «It's music for the begining of a trip. It would have been better with the right musical instruments... I should learn about musical instruments when I have free time in the future. I would be able to make nice music for you. Muriem could even sing along with me.»

Kerrina «That would be really nice. Now that I think about it, I sometimes catch you guys humming from time to time. I would love to hear you 2 sing a real nice song someday.»

Aenthar «Then you won't be disapointed. In fact, each night during this trip I will sing just for you 2.»

I always liked listening to music and singing in my previous life. I did know a little how to play the flute and the piano, and I would have loved to know how to play the guitar and the violin. I should have plenty of chances to learn in Tristam City. And I'll have Muriem learn to play an instrument as well. Heck, I will have some musicians play ''The ride of the valkyries'' for some nobles and rip the profit.

For me who always moved around with my mp3 player, being able to enjoy music again as I travel would be really good, espeially if I were to enjoy it with my girls. I wasn't a good dancer, and in this life I always avoided dances as a result, but it would be nice to learn to dance as well. Muriem enjoys it very much, and dancing with the girls would always be good.

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After 2 days without any encounters with monsters, we reached the collection point. It was a place with few trees, with a few large pieces of rock stiking out of the ground. The vein I found was around 7 meters underground, and it extended deeper. The quality of the mana indicated a decent amount of metal was present in the stones underneath.

I started digging using earth magic, untilI reached the vein. I made a narrow hole going down to the vein in a strong slope, then at the bottom of it I used my pickaxe with strengh and speed enhancement while the girls and Komodo were keeping watch outside. After getting a few pieces of ores, I went back to the surface to appraise them.

I didn't recognise the ore. There was clearly a decent amount of metal in it, but it was nothing Old Johrgard ever showed me before, and I was sure he showed me all the important ores and ingots a smith must know. Then it hit me. In my previous world, I remembered the periodic table. I didn't know the details, but I knew that most elements were metallic in nature.

And also that most of them were mixed, ionised, or cristalised. Many of those metallic elements weren't identified and refined for a long time, like titane and aluminium. In fact, I can recognise the metallic ore through mana sense only when there is a strong ratio of a single or 2 elements in the stone, otherwise I won't feel the metal.

That, or I can't sense cristalised metallic elements well. I'll have to study that later. I will have to go to all the places where I felt metal and take samples, samples that I'll have to thoroughly study with my mana sense. And I will have to increase my ability in alchemy to separate the differents elements and better recognise them.

On the long run, I could even make this world's Periodic Table, or something similar, and that would help me even better for creating new things. I learned something very valuable with this trip. That would be awesome!

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There were no major incidents during the trip back to Argot, we just killed a few beasts and monsters on the way. It was mostly Kerrina and Muriem, and I didn't need to enhance them with magic. Komodo was happy to have the meat afterward. At night I would sing 1 or 2 songs to the girls, calm or love songs. I sang ''what wonderful world'', new world version, and they enjoyed it very much. For the love song, they really liked ''Come with me'', new world version, from Phil Collins.

On the final night before getting back to the village, after singing ''Come with me'', I was sitting near the campfire, with the girls sitting next to me. The atmosphere turned serious, and the girls looked at me, a little puzzled. The song made me think about the future.

Aenthar - «You know, I really want the 2 of you to stay by my side. I want you to travel with me around the world, I want to explore this world with you by my side. It will take years, and I want to spend these years with you.»

Muriem - «Aenthar...»

Aenthar «I want to learn more about this world, to bring new things to this world. Travelling can be dangerous, and exploring the Frontier will be even more dangerous.»

Kerrina «That is something we already know.»

I stood up, moved a step forward then turned around to face them and went down on one knee. I looked at them in the eyes.

Aenthar «Some people will like me, some will want to follow me. I would want to have some of them staying with me as well. Some people won't like me, some will try to harm me, or try to harm you because you're with me.»

Kerrina frowned, and Muriem looked really anxious after hearing that.

Aenthar «Next year will be a turning point. I want us to learn as much as possible at Lana Academy, then we will be on our way. When we leave the academy, we will come here one last time, but afterward we won't be here for years, we won't see our families for years.»

Kerrina «Aenthar, you're an incredible guy, and my most beloved friend. You've always been really helpful to me, and to my family. I learned a lot from you, and I really enjoy all the time we spend together. You're really strong, and kind. Why wouldn't I want to be with you? Why wouldn't WE want to be with you?»

Muriem - «She is right. Besides, you saved me when I had no hope anymore, and you were there for me when I had no one. Just like Kerri, I learned so much from you, and the time I spend with you is the happiest time of my life. If there is something I can do for you, I won't hesitate. I you want me to stay with you, then I'll gladly stay, no matter what happens!! Even though I love Roland, Yaereen and Namir very much, for me, you're the most important person in the world.»

Kerrina - «My parents and Arren, they know that I want to stay with you, they know that we won't see each other for a long time, but they are ready for it, and they support me.»

Muriem, looked at Kerrina, who also glanced at her. Then after nodding to each other

Kerrina «It doesn't matter where you go, what you do, with whom you are, we will stay by your side.»

I stood up and held my hands toward them, they stood up and took them in theirs.

Then Kerrina moved toward me, pulled me down towards her and kissed me. It lasted for a few seconds but it felt longer. When she released me and looked to the side while blushing. I was still a little surprised by her sudden act, and barely noticed Muriem's face getting closer. Unlike Kerrina, she put her tongue in right from the start, and it lasted a little longer. I think.

Aenthar «I guess that means you girls are mine from now on...»

Kerrina «That's right.»

Muriem «Please, take good care of us!»

Aenthar «With pleasure.»

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AN: Did I miss you these past 3 days? The first day I was thinking about the ending of one part and the beginning of the other, the second day I was just being lazy, the third day I SLOWLY started to get back to work.

Conclusion: When I stop writing for a day, laziness overcome me :(

I was also thinking about the damned dialogs. I guess that's what made the laziness stronger...

I tried to write more dialogs, just to see what it looks like, and I find it kinda... weird...