"…I understand. Eat this, then get some proper rest."
Seeing how firm Duncan was, Artemis stopped pressing the issue. A timid, delicate attitude had never suited her temperament in the first place, and Duncan's reasoning was obviously the soundest course of action. After gently patting his head, she rose with a warm smile and walked away.
As the goddess of the Familia, Artemis went around asking after the general condition of each of her members. In the end, she came to Alise and Ryuu.
Because Ryuu had been casting healing magic continuously, she looked far more exhausted than Alise.
"Ryuu, how is everyone?"
"Lady Artemis?! Everyone is basically out of danger now, but that child…"
Ryuu, who had been focused on healing, jumped slightly when she heard the question. Then she looked toward Duncan.
"His name is Duncan."
Artemis repeated the introduction.
"Duncan… there are still many injuries left untreated on his body. My healing magic can't produce the same results on severe wounds as a Panacea can."
Ryuu answered, a little ashamed.
"That is more than enough. If not for you and Alise, no one would still be alive. But from now on, stop using healing magic."
Artemis's voice turned grave.
"Once lives are no longer immediately at risk, the priority is getting everyone out of the Great Forest. You and Alise are the key to whether everyone makes it back safely. Don't spend your mind on healing any longer. Duncan said the same thing."
"How can that possibly count as waste?!"
"It does. Ryuu, I know your heart is kind. But right now, what matters most is getting everyone home alive. Until this adventure is truly over, anything can still happen. You two are the last guarantee the group has. Healing can wait until later."
"Ryuu, listen to Lady Artemis," Alise said, taking her hand. "The lives of more than ten people are riding on us."
"…I understand."
Ryuu nodded. As a seasoned adventurer, she knew this decision was the correct one. But her sense of justice made it impossible for her to accept it calmly.
By the next day, everyone had gradually woken from their exhausted sleep. That much-needed rest had restored a good deal of strength to their battered bodies.
After a simple breakfast, the party—who had already packed their things—began the journey back.
For adventurers, the return trip was no easier than the search. In high-difficulty expeditions, the return could even be worse. One had to deal with an exhausted team, damaged weapons, depleted supplies, the transport of injured members, and the hauling of spoils. There were far too many stories of adventurers who, desperate to get home, let their guard down and were wiped out on the way back.
That happened often enough even in the Great Forest.
Thanks to Andares, a temporary monster vacuum had appeared throughout a wide stretch of the woods. The black scorpions that had driven other monsters away seemed to have perished alongside it deep underground. Only the occasional stray monster appeared, and those posed no threat at all. After two days of swift travel, the smoothness of the journey had noticeably improved everyone's mood.
For the Artemis Familia, this expedition had yielded extraordinary profits. Between the magic stones from the monster hordes and the unusually large number of drops they had gathered, it had been far more lucrative than any of their earlier searches.
If not for the fact that Andares had drained their potion stock completely, and the enormous cost of treating the Familia members afterward, they would have profited even more.
Most importantly, they did not have to bear the expense of hiring two second-tier adventurers.
The Guild might be stingy most of the time, but it could be surprisingly generous with certain commissions—especially those that were difficult, dangerous, and thankless.
"Yo~ Little Duncan, you worked hard again today."
With nothing better to do, Alise came over to say hello. A born social butterfly, she seemed able to get along with just about anyone. At least from Duncan's perspective, she was on warm, easy terms with every single member of the Artemis Familia.
Ryuu, on the other hand, maintained a curious distance—neither rejecting kindness nor ever quite stepping into true intimacy.
"You're not that old yourself, Alise. Stop calling me Little Duncan."
"Hm? I'm seventeen."
"That still makes you a kid. I'm already twelve too."
"Seriously? You really don't look it. Did you just hit puberty late? Or did leveling up too fast stunt your growth?"
Alise stared at him in exaggerated shock. Duncan's body really did not match the age he claimed. Mortals were not like Pallums, whose adult and child forms differed little in size. She had heard that the higher an adventurer's level, the longer their body stayed in its prime, but affecting childhood growth? That, she really didn't know much about.
"Don't you think that's rude?"
Duncan rolled his eyes.
"But you're the one calling me a kid. I'm older than you in every way—actual age, adventuring age, and level."
Alise grinned and poked his cheek. If not for the fact he was injured, she might have simply thrown her arms around him. The notion of "proper distance between men and women" seemed totally absent from her behavior. She was like a little sun in human form—especially considering Duncan still looked like a child.
"Leaving that aside… doesn't Miss Ryuu seem a little strange?"
Sensing that Alise was about to start teasing him again, Duncan changed the subject at once.
"Ah, so Ryuu gets 'Miss Ryuu,' but I only get my name?"
"You're the one who likes it that way. 'Don't be so formal' and all that."
"That's true," Alise admitted, nodding seriously. "Back when people called me Miss Alise all the time, I got goosebumps."
"And then? What did you mean about Ryuu?"
"That sort of distance she keeps… being outside the group but not actually far away…"
"Oh, that."
Alise looked at him. "Duncan, is this your first time meeting an elf?"
"Well… more or less."
"What do you mean, more or less?"
Alise tilted her head, confused.
"I did see some back in Campbell, but I never really got to know any."
"I see. Elves are all pretty severe clean freaks. Most of them don't show much warmth to humans unless they're fellow elves. Ryuu's homeland is one of the most rigid even among elves. Don't let appearances fool you—this version of her is already the result of years of effort. The first time I met her, she actually yelled at me."
"Are you sure that wasn't because you were pestering her?"
"What? What kind of person do you think I am?"
Alise complained.
"You're not malicious. But if there's commotion somewhere, you'll absolutely jump into the middle of it."
Having obviously been read too accurately, Alise fumbled for a moment before giving up and pressing on.
"Anyway, Ryuu's just like that. These days she can accept people's goodwill, and she can interact with others normally, but when it comes to physical contact, she still reacts really strongly. It took ages before anyone in our Familia could touch her without setting her off."
Then she flashed a smug grin.
"Though I'm the exception, of course."
"…And you're proud of that?"
"Very."
She puffed out her chest, utterly shameless.
Then, leaning closer, she added in a stage whisper:
"If you don't believe me, you can try it yourself."
....
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