After submitting their contribution points at the guild, Yoshiya felt the itch to train. The bustle of adventurers around him faded as he found a quiet space at the training yard, shield in hand.
He closed his eyes, recalling the notes from his book. *Guard Skill wasn't just about holding steel in front of him—it was about wrapping mana around it, strengthening its surface, making the shield an extension of himself.*
The first tries were clumsy. His mana slipped away in thin streams, unable to hold shape. But slowly, as he pressed his will into the shield, a faint glow spread across its surface. With each attempt, the shimmer grew steadier, until when he struck the shield with his wand, the mana barrier pulsed and held firm.
"Better defense, higher block rate…" Yoshiya whispered to himself, breathing hard but smiling.
Omina arrived, carrying bread in hand. She leaned against the post, watching him. "At least you won't look useless next time," she teased, though her grin betrayed her pride.
They sat under a shaded tree to share lunch. Between bites of bread and dried meat, their talk drifted to their equipment.
"Our weapons feel like they're lagging behind," Omina admitted, running a cloth over her sword.
"Not for long," Yoshiya said. "Brenn should have finished by now. Let's see what he made for us."
---
Brenn's forge roared when they arrived. The blacksmith wiped soot from his brow and grinned as the two entered.
"You're in luck," Brenn said, pulling two gleaming items from the bench. "Just finished these before the shop got swarmed. Adventurers have been storming in since morning—I sold half my stock today."
He handed Omina a blade unlike her old one: pitch black steel, with faint red veins running along its length like flowing magma. The edge gleamed razor-sharp.
Omina's eyes widened. "This is… beautiful."
Then Brenn passed Yoshiya his weapon: a wand longer than before, its polished staff crowned with five embedded blue gemstones that glowed faintly with stored mana.
Yoshiya turned it over in his hands, feeling the resonance of energy flow through it. "It's perfect," he murmured.
"Use them well," Brenn said simply, already turning back to his forge as the sound of other customers filled the shop again.
---
With new equipment in hand, they returned to the outpost, eager to look for their next quest. But the air inside was heavy with tension. Adventurers crowded the hall, voices urgent.
At the front, Akira raised her voice to still the noise. "Listen up. This is no ordinary posting. Scouts have confirmed the location of a goblin base west of Orleaf. This isn't a small group—it's a horde. Hundreds."
A ripple of murmurs surged through the crowd.
"This raid will involve every available adventurer," Akira continued firmly. "We move at nightfall. Prepare your gear and your resolve. For Orleaf's safety, this base must be destroyed."
Yoshiya felt the weight of her words settle deep in his chest. His grip tightened around the shield, the faint glow of his new *Guard Skill* still fresh in his memory. Omina's hand rested casually on her new blade, though her eyes burned with the thrill of the coming fight.
Around them, adventurers strapped on armor, checked their weapons, and gathered potions. The atmosphere brimmed with anticipation—the calm before the storm.
By dusk, Orleaf would march to war.