The afternoon sun filtered lazily through the forest canopy as Yoshiya trudged along the dirt path, arms loaded with an absurd pile of loot. A great sword leaned over his shoulder like an oversized flagpole, a wooden shield was strapped awkwardly to his back, and various scraps of leather and ore clinked and rattled with every step. He looked less like a healer and more like a traveling junk dealer.
"Wow," Omina said cheerfully, hands clasped behind her head as she strolled ahead. "You look like a perfectly balanced adventurer party all by yourself."
Yoshiya shot her a flat look. "Balanced? I'm carrying half a forge, a junkyard, and what might be an entire kobold's closet."
She laughed, skipping a few steps forward. "Think of it as strength training for your mana reservoirs."
"That's not how mana works," he muttered, adjusting the great sword before it slipped again. "Next time, you carry the giant sword."
"Nah," Omina replied with a grin, "I'm the DPS. You're the support. Porters are support too, right?"
He groaned loudly enough to scare a passing bird from a nearby branch.
---
They eventually slowed their pace and started sorting through their loot as they walked, pulling items from pouches and belts one by one.
"Okay, let's see…" Yoshiya said, balancing the sword carefully as he listed aloud. "Kobold scales—good for armor or accessories. Rusted dagger—not worth much, but maybe good for practice forging. Leather scraps, copper ore, one fancy fang necklace that probably won't curse us… hopefully. Wooden shield, a small pouch of silver coins, and this monster." He tapped the brute's great sword with the back of his hand.
Omina's eyes sparkled. "Imagine what we can craft with this stuff once our skills improve. The scales alone could be part of a light armor set."
"And the necklace?" Yoshiya lifted it between two fingers, studying the crude arrangement of kobold fangs. "Magical properties, maybe?"
"Or just creepy fashion," Omina quipped. "Either way, we should get it appraised."
He nodded. "Even if some of this is junk, everything can be useful for training."
---
The road ahead wound through a stretch of forest, where wildflowers and low shrubs grew in patches along the path. Omina's eyes lit up the moment she spotted a familiar herb.
"Oh! That's windmint," she exclaimed, rushing toward the bush. "Mira mentioned this—it's good for basic healing brews."
She crouched down and began carefully picking the leaves. Without even looking, she held them behind her. Yoshiya, still buried under loot, sighed and awkwardly balanced the herbs on top of the shield strapped to his back.
Moments later, she spotted another patch. Then another. And another.
"Omina," he said slowly, as yet another handful of herbs landed in his arms. "Are you trying to craft potions… or build a mobile garden?"
She flashed him a mischievous smile. "Both."
By the time they reached a small clearing, Yoshiya was carrying loot, gear, and what looked suspiciously like half a herbalist's inventory. He stopped, dropped the shield with a soft thud, and slumped onto a flat rock.
"I've made a decision," he declared dramatically. "Our next investment… is a backpack. A real one. With straps. And compartments."
Omina nodded seriously for once. "Agreed. Preferably one enchanted to carry your share of the load."
"You mean our share," he corrected, pointing at the pile. She just grinned and handed him another herb she'd picked while he wasn't looking.
---
As the sun began to dip lower, painting the treetops in soft gold, the familiar outline of Orleaf's rooftops appeared in the distance. Their pace slowed as tired satisfaction settled in—a quiet, shared understanding that they'd taken their first big step forward as three-star adventurers. They hadn't just survived a fight; they had planned, executed, and looted like real adventurers.
Omina walked beside him, arms behind her head again. "Hey," she said suddenly, glancing at the great sword slung awkwardly on his back. "We should name that thing."
Yoshiya raised an eyebrow. "What, like 'Fang Breaker' or something overly dramatic?"
"I was thinking 'Porter's Burden.'" She grinned.
He sighed. "I regret everything."
Their laughter echoed lightly through the trees as they neared Orleaf, the weight on Yoshiya's back somehow feeling a little less heavy.