Volume 1 "What Is Courage?"
Ajkur was a small city in the holy kingdom of Mantim, located at the south of the kingdom and surrounded by forests for hundreds of kilometres, which were filled with creatures who would devour any unlucky human who dared cross their paths.
Adventurer parties would often form to keep the monsters at bay, while also making a pretty penny selling any materials that mages could use to craft potions or magical artifacts.
A brown-clad adventurer made his way through Ajkur's bustling streets as the morning sun climbed the sky. His destination was the local pub called "Courage for the Road."
Along the way, he passed adventurers who looked haggard and beaten. Most had sunken expressions, while others had red, desert-dry eyes from shedding too many tears.
Jlot opened the pub door and was greeted by the familiar smell of cheap booze, blood, and grime. It made him nostalgic for his adventuring days—until a slap on the back snapped him out of it.
"She finally let you out of her sights, Jlot?"
"I have to thank you for that. If it wasn't for Emma coming over with little Aron and Sophie to keep her company, I wouldn't have had a chance to relax at all."
Patting his belly, Guss—a man with a long, stuffy beard and a build like an ogre—chuckled.
"Haha, I know. Just thinking about when Emma was pregnant got me reconsidering my nighttime activities."
"Haha, like you could keep it in your pants. Didn't you say the same thing two years ago after Sophie was born?"
Scratching his head like he had no idea what Jlot was talking about, Guss returned to his table and gestured for Jlot to join him.
"On to serious business now. I heard from Rater that a goblin king has made camp in a cave about fifty kilometres west of here. If they start reproducing like rabbits again, we could have a monster outbreak in two years. But... I wouldn't mind making a few extra coppers killing a dozen or so."
"Still thinking about coin, are we? Didn't we make ten gold coins each just last year?"
"A bit about coin, a bit about Rater and the others. Without us three, the party's looking a bit flimsy with just the four of them."
"Don't worry. Even if they're a few members short, I wouldn't put it past them to take out the whole goblin army alone. Rater did learn a new spell, didn't he?"
"Yeah. You should have seen his smug face after he showed it off at the adventurer's guild. Oh, Saintess Essye, what I wouldn't give to use magic. Meanwhile, we're out here putting our lives on the line with just aura, while he casts a fireball once a day and gets all the glory."
"Yeah, let's hope that goblin king doesn't crawl eastward..."
The two old party members continued talking about their adventuring days, but soon the subject turned to something that scared Jlot more than any monster ever could.
"So, are you ready to be a father?"
"You know, even though I'm not afraid to charge into a pack of wolves with nothing but my sword, I'm not sure I can do a good job raising a kid. My old man was always out killing monsters, so I didn't spend much time with him. The whole city probably knows him better than I do. Sigh... I just hope I can be there if my child ever needs me."
"The fact that you're even thinking about how to be a good father already puts you ahead of most. Don't worry. If you mess up, you've got Alees to help you out. It's a team game. Anyway, I'm starving—let's eat before we head out."
The two friends continued chatting until noon, when Jlot finally remembered he had other things to do. He said goodbye to Guss and went about his errands.
He left the adventuring district and headed to the city garrison to request time off guard duty so he could help around the house while the baby was due.
When he arrived, he knocked on the captain's office door.
"Come in."
"Hello, sir!"
"Jlot, good. You're here. We're short on men with all this goblin activity. Glad you came early."
"Actually, sir, I wanted to talk about taking a few months off..."
"WHAT? You just started a few months ago, and you want time off already? You think this is an adventuring party that does whatever it wants? I told you, that lifestyle doesn't fly here!"
Despite the captain's fury, Jlot remained firm.
"Sir, my wife is close to giving birth. I want to be there to help."
The captain's anger deflated like a popped balloon.
"Ah. I see. I've just had dozens of rookies try to quit because of the goblin surge. Still, we need good men. I can give you half a year, but no more. We won't have a city to defend if everyone suddenly has pregnant wives."
"Thank you for understanding, sir."
"Now get out of my office before others get ideas."
Outside, Jlot exhaled. "That was the hardest part. Now just the market and I'm done for the day."
While walking through the bustling market, Jlot overheard a merchant arguing with an adventurer.
"Forty coppers for these dusty deer skins? They aren't even worth ten!"
As the merchant argued, a shadow flickered. Unnoticed, the pile of forty deer skins became thirty-eight.
"I'm sorry, sir. If I sell them cheaper, I lose money."
"That's your problem. Lower the price or else."
Jlot tapped the adventurer on the shoulder.
"What dimwit dares touch me?"
He froze. The emblem on Jlot's armor was red: a guardsman trained in aura.
"Tsk."
The adventurer clicked his tongue and stormed off, but there was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Thank you, Jlot. I don't know what's gotten into adventurers lately."
"They know the guard's understaffed. They're taking advantage. Be careful."
Jlot finished his shopping, crossing items off his list, until he heard a vendor shouting.
"Fresh strawberries! Best batch of the summer!"
Curious, Jlot approached.
"Buying for Alees? How is she—still cranky?"
"Haha! If she heard you, she'd throw a fit."
"When my wife was pregnant, I couldn't do anything right."
"I won't endure it much longer. Doctor says the baby's due any day now."
"Got a name yet?"
"If it's a boy, Daren. Still undecided if it's a girl. Anyway, how much for half a kilo?"
"Two coppers for you. Call it a pregnancy discount."
"Thanks!"
With his errands done, Jlot returned to a quiet residential area. Inside his home, Alees greeted him with a shout.
"Why are you late? Out with Guss again? I'm doing all the hard work growing our child while you joke around. How is this fair?"
"I love you too, Alees," Jlot said, pulling out the strawberries.
Her eyes lit up. She snatched them like a seasoned thief and pecked his cheek.
"Alright, I forgive you. I love you too."
"So, how was your day with Emma and the kids?"
"Nice enough. What about you? Did you get time off?"
"Only six months. With the goblin king around, that's the best the captain could offer."
"I'm worried about Rater and the others."
"They'll be fine. It's not like goblins are a major threat, even without two vanguards and a cranky thief."
Jlot gave her a sly smirk. She rewarded it with a smack to the back of his head.
That afternoon, Alees rocked on a chair, enjoying her strawberries. Jlot leaned against the doorway, watching her, thoughts spinning.
'I still can't believe that in just a few weeks... I'm going to be a father.'