Alright, Now It Begins!

The next morning.

"Ahhhhh. Now that was a good night's sleep."

I ate a quick breakfast, washed up, threw on my clothes, and headed outside.

The people who'd be setting off on the adventure were already gathered in front of the house. All three of them, that is.

"Nephew, you're up?"

"Hey. You're supposed to bounce out of bed, you slacker!"

"Ufu~fufu, that setting-off-on-an-adventure feeling! I'm trembling♥"

I stretched and grinned. Even I was excited today. An actual adventure!

But that wasn't the end of it.

The rumble of wheels rolled in close, and a moment later a crew of musclebound men hauled a carriage into view. The real surprise was up front — Rin was the one pulling it. Aki's eyes went wide.

"Oh my. And this is…?"

"A new-model carriage. The Grandure. Just picked one up. We're a proper Hero Party now, so we ought to move as one, right?"

Unless everybody had a horse of their own, a carriage was the better call. Heroes and horses — that pairing wasn't official lore for nothing.

Think of it like a pirate ship, except for heroes.

So yeah. I splurged on the new model. Annie used to ride this exact carriage line back when she was doing cart-girl work, too.

Auntie folded her arms beneath her chest and swayed her upper body from side to side.

"Ahaha♥ That's our Lashu. The boy has taste!"

Lumina was already on board.

"Hell yeah. Then I'm taking the driver's seat. I wanna feel the wind in my face!"

We climbed in. The interior was spotless — red carpet underfoot, fittings polished to a shine like someone had gone over them with acetone, and enough room for six to sit without crowding. It even smelled like a new ride. Insane.

I looked around, then asked,

"Anybody still need to pack something?"

"We've already got just about everything ready, dear."

I thought it over for a second at Auntie's answer, then nodded.

"Then I'll just duck out and get a few things in order. Need to upgrade my gear, too."

Lumina hopped up onto the driver's bench, laughing.

"Heheh. Look at the rookie hero showing his colors!"

"You're a rookie too!"

"Not when it comes to adventuring, I'm not."

"You just cannot let anyone have the last word. Yes, yes. You're so amazing, senpai."

I hopped down from the carriage and headed for the forge. Better take care of this before we left. It wasn't like there was going to be a blacksmith sitting out in the middle of nowhere.

It had been a while. The blacksmith came over the moment he spotted me, still mid-work.

"Oh! The pride of our territory. What brings you by?"

"Hello. Huh — you got a new anvil?"

Unlike before, the anvil was gleaming. I made a show of noticing, and the blacksmith flashed a handsome grin.

"All thanks to you!"

"Me? How?"

"Business picked up something fierce after you started using our forge. And once word about you got around, folks from the neighboring territories have been hauling their work all the way here on purpose."

"Ah. So you flexed on everybody."

"That's right! Gahahaha!"

Well, good for him. Nice to see it working out.

Giving me the credit felt like a stretch, though. This guy's craftsmanship was the real reason. In the end, the ones who are going to make it, make it. I was glad.

"So. Where are you headed today?"

I answered his question.

"I've got business in the capital for a while."

"Oh-ho. Finally setting out on an adventure, are we? Look at you. A hero taking his first real step!"

He was happier about it than if it were his own news. I held out the special byproducts and a pile of gold.

"I want to upgrade my gear. Anything here that'll work?"

The blacksmith studied the materials, then called over his apprentice.

A young man with soot smeared across his face came up, and the blacksmith gave him an order.

"Alright. What would you do with these?"

Had the kid grown enough to handle this? I decided to wait and see.

"Not difficult."

The apprentice spoke with a steadiness that hadn't been there ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before.

"Wisp's Hem originates from the spirits. Combine it with a Ghost's Faint Trace and you're looking at accessories."

"Next."

"The Void Orb is already perfect on its own. Socket it into the boots and you can add a magical function."

"Next!"

"And if we grind the leftover Wisp's Hem and the Void Orb fragments into the mask, we can push the upgrade even further."

I was stunned. Was this the same timid, trembling little herbivore of an apprentice from not that long ago?

My chest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swelled. I was getting genuinely emotional.

The blacksmith grinned and asked,

"So. What do you think of my boy?"

"He's grown a lot since last time."

The blacksmith laughed like it was his own victory and clapped the apprentice hard on the shoulder. Getting to hear that the kid he'd raised had come into his own — yeah, that would make anybody happy.

"Alright then. Give us a moment!"

"Yes. Please."

I rubbed my hands together and looked around — the forge, the street outside. So much had changed since the first time I'd walked in here. Maybe I had, too.

I'll still exist as myself, though.

That was the identity — the essence — of the man walking the path of the Beastly Hero. Of Rasiu. Of Lashu Leonhart.

Either way, I was looking forward to this upgrade. With special byproducts in the mix, new options were basically guaranteed. I was hoping they'd open up a wider range of ways to fight.

Iaijutsu, for instance.

Sure, the Dawn Guardian wasn't exactly a blade built for the quick-draw. But you never know. Maybe I'd invent some ridiculous iaido technique and just cheese my way through everything.

"Alright — they're done!"

Every upgrade was finished. I checked them one by one, and my eyebrows climbed.

The boots picked up another function? Oho. And the mask — okay, that's actually sick. The amulet completely glow-up'd. With this thing I can bounce back to a set location whenever I want!

The admiration came out of me on its own. Special byproducts or not, I hadn't expected the upgrades to go this hard. I bowed my head.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Ah — take this, too."

"This is…?"

What the blacksmith held out looked like a whetstone carved from obsidian.

"Tahlum? Cafe-loom?"

"Kahloom?"

"Ah, that's it! The butler asked me to make it. With this, you'll be able to deal fatal wounds to those black monsters that've been showing up lately."

Black monsters? The ones the laborers had talked about before?

Did those things have some kind of "won't die easy" ability? Either way, I was impressed.

They researched Kahloom and flipped it right back around? Coat a weapon in Kahloom and fight with it… Just who the hell is that butler…

I propped my chin in my hand, then took the whetstone. Up close it looked even stranger — expensive at a glance.

"You're just giving this to me?"

"It's a prototype anyway. Consider it a send-off. You're an adventurer now."

"Thank you. Stay well."

"You come back in one piece!"

I left the forge and headed for the lord's manor. I arrived just in time to catch Jayla receiving her official Hero commendation.

Oh. She actually pulled it off. Thank god.

I watched the whole thing through, then walked over. The solemn look on Jayla's face melted the instant she saw me.

"Ah — Lashu?!"

"Acting Lord. And Jayla-noona."

Both of them lit up. I told the two women I was leaving on an adventure today.

For a hero, setting out was the most natural thing in the world. It was also a goodbye. Even if it was only going to be a short one, having to walk away from beauties like these still stung.

The two of them looked just as reluctant. Renata ran her hand down my arm.

"Come back to us in one piece. You are our savior."

Jayla added her piece.

"If you come back hurt, you'd better be ready. I will actually kill you."

"Haha. I know. Congrats on becoming an official Hero, noona."

"Hmph. That just means I get to partner up with you from now on. Heh."

Even the showing-off was cute. I looked from one to the other.

"Yeah. I'll come back safe, so pray for me. And when I do — we're playing hot."

"Hahht♥ Lashu, did you just say hot…♥"

"Lashu, you really… You want to get scolded, don't you?♥"

They were into it. They were just shy because of where we were standing.

If it had been the three of us alone, they'd have been on me already. God, I wanted a threesome so bad.

I said goodbye to both of them. On the way home I stopped by Annie's general store.

Luckily, the door was open.

"Oh my. Lashu?"

Annie came out to greet me the second I stepped inside. She looked worn down, with dark circles under her eyes.

"Annie. It's been a while. Have you been sick? Why was the shop closed?"

"No… I was just depressed."

"You can't do that. You've got ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to burn the stress off somehow. Even when you're down, you're supposed to keep your chin up."

"That's… harder than it sounds."

It hurt to look at her. She met my eyes, then crouched down like she was trying to match my height.

That just makes me the taller one, you idiot.

I stroked her hair. A faint flush crept into her face.

"Your smile's pretty, noona. Take care of it for me."

Annie's face went even redder. I added that I was leaving on an adventure.

"Huh? O-oh. Where to…?"

"The capital. You won't see me for a while."

"R-right… Be careful."

She let me go surprisingly cleanly. The Annie I knew up to now would've clung. Maybe I'd been imagining it. Maybe she was the type who only flipped the switch during sex, like Auntie.

"Then pray I come back safe!"

I left the shop with a bright smile. One person left. Mom.

I went to her and told her everything.

"My son. You're so dashing! The most dashing in the whole world♥"

"I'm going to miss you, Mom."

"Saying things like that even after you've grown up♥ I can never win with you♥ You're trying to get your mother all worked up, aren't you♥"

"I'm not! I'll do well. I won't bring shame to Father's name."

"Fufu. And whose son are you, hmm?♥ I believe in you. Always remember this. No matter what weapon you carry — in the end, you have to trust the sword."

"I will. I'll trust your teaching. I love you, Mom♥"

I gently stroked the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swell of her belly.

"The baby, too."

"Haaang♥ I can't take it, heaang♥ nngh♥ nnhoook♥"

Mom and I shared a short kiss. Once we'd gone that far, I really didn't want to leave.

But I had to. Until Those Who Recite Sins were ripped out by the root, this country wouldn't survive.

I said my goodbyes and stepped out of the house. I laid a hand on the front door and murmured,

"Designate."

Now I could come straight back here no matter what happened. Act spoiled with Mom whenever I felt like it. Perfect.

I climbed into the carriage with a clear heart. And just to shake off the leftover ache of leaving, I yelled as loud as I could.

"Then to the capital we GOOOOO!"

The carriage started to roll. I wonder what kind of MILFs are waiting in the capital.