The area around Mob's village is close to the Great Dark Green Zone of Furan, so powerful demons sometimes appear there.
　Even so, they are much weaker than those in the backcountry, and there is an overwhelming gap in strength between the same species and the same level.
　Roughly speaking, the demons that come to this area are strong enough to be defeated by humans, but the demons that live in the depths are absolutely unbeatable by ordinary humans.
　This is probably due to the special abilities possessed by the demons and the influence of the surrounding environment.
　The goblins that live around this forest only slash with clubs and rusty swords in their hands, but the goblins that live in the depths of the forest use magic and slashes without hesitation.
　Goblins in the depths of the earth use magic and slashing without hesitation. They also have enhanced bodies, and their strength is too different even at the same level. It is easy to say that they are affected by the environment, but when you actually face them, they are a threat that can't be reduced to that.
　In other words, what I'm trying to say is that the goblin and Luceris are currently engaged in a serious battle.
　This is what is called a level up.

"Ggee!
"Kuh ... ...

　The goblin's club was caught by the kite shield, and Luceris, who was slightly frightened, immediately put all his strength into his legs to push back. The goblin's center of gravity shifted as he tipped the kite shield slightly to catch the force.
　The goblin's center of gravity collapsed, and Luceris seized the opportunity to attack.

"Teehee!

　---Gogyu!

　The goblin's jaw was hit cleanly by the Morning Star's iron ball, and a sickening sound of bones cracking echoed through the air. Without losing its momentum, it spins around and delivers a painful blow to the goblin coming from behind.
　The goblin's face caved in, and its ugly face became even uglier.
　As he delivered the final blow, the other goblin quickly closed the gap.

"Gyoaaa!
"Behind you!

　The goblin pounced on him from behind. The goblin jumped from behind.

"Wah, shoi!

　But Luceris also turned around and jumped, and with a strange shout, gave the goblin a great knee kick. She also had a high level of fighting ability from training with children and occasionally with cockerels.

"--------, vacuum knee kick?

　The story is as old as a fossil. But it was such a brilliant blow that it made the old man think so.
　She looks like a Muay Thai fighter from some fighting game, but I'm sure it's not a technique used by a saintly looking girl. The gap is terrible.
　Moreover, she is mercilessly using a blunt weapon to deal a crushing blow to the writhing goblin.
　The saint was fierce. The old man knows that if he were to marry her, he would be a butt.
　Her fighting skills were too impressive for a cleric.

Goblins are a bit strong around here. I had a hard time with them.
"No... I was able to deal with them without difficulty... The final blow was quick.

　Despite her appearance, the saint is very extreme.

"But goblins? "But goblins? That's not very challenging.
"Even if they are demons, they take each other's lives.　It's a sinful act, Xelloss...
That's true, but... However....

　Goblins can't be stripped of anything but magic stones.
　If they are defeated, the corpse must be burned with magic or buried in a hole, making them unpopular with mercenaries. It would be better if it had a metal weapon, but in fact it only attacks you with a club in hand. Because of its high fertility, it lived in large numbers and was a troublesome demon.
　No other demon was so disappointing and unworthy of defeat. Zeroth never gets tired of stripping, but he does get mentally overwhelmed.
　Although he's used to it, it's no wonder he's seen so many gruesome sights. And it's humanoid.

But where have they gone?　I can't believe I've been looking for them for so long.
I'm sure they're safe. I feel rather sorry for the demons that have to deal with them.

　The old man can see. I can see the children happily attacking the demons.
　I've been following them as they scattered to the hunting grounds, but I haven't found any of them yet.

If we don't find them soon, they're going to do something to us. "If we don't find them soon, they're going to do something.
That's right. I wouldn't be surprised if they were dealing with a blood bear. If we don't get him soon, he's going to go for the big one...

　There is something wrong with the direction of your concern.
　They are not worried about their own safety, but on the contrary, they can only imagine the two of them fighting against the demons from one side to the other. The children's fighting ability is that high, and they have a cunning side to them.
　The training with Kokko and the others has developed the children into something far different from the common sense of this world.

The goblin's corpse should be taken care of for now. If left unchecked, a plague could break out.
"Please do. I can't use magic, so magic would come in handy at a time like this.
You can use it.　Would you like to learn it?　My occupation might change to [Holy Mage].

[Holy Mage]. It's a magical profession that can perform healing and magic without a hitch.
　It's not that I'm not a good person, but I'm not a good person. Because it is a half-baked job, it was not very popular in Sword and Sorcery.


　In any case, even if you learn a combat skill, the [Holy Mage] profession also significantly reduces the fighting ability and defense ability effects of the warrior skill. If you are attacked by a mage, it is fatal. In fact, the mage is more useful than the mage because he can increase each combat ability by learning the fighting skill.
　There is no point in learning the fighting skill, it is better suited to the production profession.
　Your speed is increased, but your HP is depleted more than other professions when you are hit by ranged attacks or magic. They are surprisingly paper armored. If you are playing a game, it is not so easy to avoid them.

"Well, if that happens, I could be brought before the Inquisition...
Please tell me if that happens. They must be crazy people who don't want to listen to anyone.
"How can you be so sure?　Do you have some kind of religious prejudice?
I just don't trust the four gods. That's all... that's all.

　To him, the four gods are the enemy. Inevitably, the fanatics who blindly follow the four gods are also enemies.
　From a historical point of view, there is no way that those who would dare to imitate the Inquisition would listen to a mage who is not on good terms with the priests. It is obvious that this will inevitably lead to a battle.
　He thought that they would impose their incoherent quarrels and then point their swords at him. It was definitely the old man's prejudice.

"Shall we dispose of the carcass, then? [Fire]
"Carcasses... or at least bodies, I hope. No, the meaning is the same, but I'm a little concerned about the word.

　A strange smell of burning corpses wafted through the forest.
　Goblin meat stinks. When roasted over a fire, it emits a nauseating stench.
　There is no part of the body that can be used as a material, and goblins are demons that require a lot of work even after death.
　After that, the old men went around the area to look for the children again.

　This is a very good story.

Case 2: Johnny and Coco.

　Johnny, a mercenary boy with slightly long hair tied up in a rude manner, was hiding in the bushes, watching his surroundings.
　There was the sound of metal clashing swords and magic flying around, and the scene was in the midst of battle.
　In front of me were five mercenaries and ten orcs armed with weapons. The mercenaries are surrounded and outnumbered.

'Well, what should I do~? In this case, should I go in and help them?　But there are so many of them...

　Johnny was calm.
　Even if we go in to help them, the Orcs have the advantage in terms of numbers. But we can't just abandon them.
　Even if I help, I'm only a child and there's only so much I can do.
　My partner is a black cock. He's hiding in the bushes as well, watching for an opportunity to strike. He will not be defeated, but he does not want to be surrounded.
　I'm hunting to gather information and test my style, but I don't want to commit the folly of trying to do something rash. He had heard of many cases where this had failed.
　Johnny signaled his partner with his hand and chose to go around and attack from the rear of the siege. He decided to let the mercenaries hold out for now.

"d*mn it!　We can't hold them!
Get back!　It's a big move!　If we stay calm, we can escape!
You're right, but there's so many of them and so few arrows left!
I'm running out of magic too.
If only I could kill two more...

　The party of mercenaries consisted of orthodox members.
　There were two swordsmen, one heavy armor soldier, one archer, and one mage. However, their movements were uneven, as if their abilities were not up to the task.
　It was as if something big was missing, and they were unable to coordinate. Johnny thought about this as he watched them, but he could not determine what was missing.
　I'm not experienced enough to know that, and I'm rather proud of myself for noticing it.

"Okay ... we're out of the siege. Now...

　After getting through the Orc siege with his partner, Johnny sent out a hand sign to tell them to split up and attack on either side. The Kuro Cock seemed to have grinned in understanding.
　Well, he was a chicken, so I couldn't see his expression, but I had a feeling.
　One of them and one of the chickens got out of the encirclement net, split up, and started to take action to kill them one by one.
　Instead of using swords, they decided to use thick knives for stripping.

"First one...

　Johnny ducked behind an Orc and held up his knife.


　When the time was right, he jumped on her neck from behind and used the momentum to plunge the knife into her head.

......

　Even if you are a demon, a blow to the vitals will kill you. Even if it doesn't die right now, it will eventually die if left unattended. It was a brilliant surprise blow.

"Okay, that's him next.

　The covert skills he had developed by stalking after strangers on the street. He made full use of this ability and set his sights on his next target. He is more of an assassin than a mercenary, and his methods are quite vicious.
　But there is no such thing as cowardice when you are on the brink of life or death. If you don't kill them, they will kill you, that's the harshness of the natural world. This was taught to him by the old mage who lived behind the orphanage.
　He was a cunning child, but as a child, he was pure. He attacked the next orc from behind in the same way and killed it by slitting its neck.
　He struck a quick blow and hid in the bushes to avoid getting blood on his hands. His partner, Kuro Cock, also killed two Orcs, leaving him with six. The mercenaries must have found a way to survive.

"Hey...
What's going on?
Orcs are falling all by themselves?

　No, there was an uproar among the mercenaries. Similarly, the orcs became alarmed and stopped their movements and began to search their surroundings.
　It was a miscalculation for both of them to be so alarmed that they stopped their movements. It is not surprising that the number of Orcs has been decreasing due to the situation in front of them.

It's a good thing that you've got a good idea of what you're doing.

　You can't help but be wary of an unidentified attacker. The mercenaries don't know that Johnny is on their side. The mercenaries don't know that Johnny is on their side, and they don't know that anyone is helping him.
　However, if they stop now, it will be a problem if they can survive. If you can't make a quick decision whether to retreat at this moment or take a chance and kill the orcs, you will not survive.
　The smallest carelessness can be fatal. This is also what the old man told me.

"Hmmm... I guess I have no choice...

　Johnny looked around and set his sights on the orc on the outskirts.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm not sure what to do.

　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for, and what you can do to help.
　It was a desperate move that would probably kill the orc instantly and without suffering. It was a very merciful and painful attack.

"A child!
No way... how is he so strong?
When we were that age... d*mn!　d*mn it.

　But to the mercenaries, the truth was astonishing. But to the mercenaries, it was a shocking revelation, and there was a tinge of pain in their words.
　Johnny was almost of age, but his appearance was that of a young child who had grown slowly due to lack of nutrition caused by his poor life.
　But the fact that such a small boy had been slaying Orcs for so long, they could not seem to accept the reality.

(Go to hell...) . (Go to hell...)

　To add insult to injury, a black shadow moving at high speed through the grass approached the Orc, killing him instantly with a single blow.
　It's a black cock.
　He crept up from behind the orc like the wind and stabbed his black feather horizontally through the ear hole. His special skill is unbelievable.
　A black angel or a dark hunter. He is a black angel, a dark hunter, or a critical worker. And his blows were fast and accurate. This is the moment when the common sense of the mercenaries was destroyed.

What the hell is that ......?　But it's all black...
What did you ...... do?　Just when you think you've passed by, an Orc is killed.

　The two girls, a mage and an archer, can't believe what they're seeing.
　Wild cockerels are not the kind of demons that can defeat orcs. In the natural world, they were predators and could be easily defeated by amateurs.
　However, the black cockerel in front of me is much stronger. He defeated the orcs that had been forcing him to struggle until now with such speed that he didn't know what he was doing, and he was coolly sucking on some leaves.
　Its movement was that of a black gale, clearly a demon of a different rank. It's strength is on a different level.

"Hey, don't just stand there, why don't you kill the orcs?　I've only got four left. ......
「「「「「... 」」」」」

　This is a hunting ground. This is the realm of the weak and the strong, where the slightest carelessness can be fatal. This is a hunting ground where the slightest carelessness can be fatal.
　The strength of Johnny and Kokko was astonishing, but that did not mean that they could be careless. Orcs, unlike goblins, are tough demons.
　They are strong and sturdy enough to take one of your arms if you are hit by even a single blow. If their numbers are reduced, they can be defeated somehow.

I'm not sure what to do.　I'm going to hit them all at once!


「「「「 Oh, oh, -------- --」」」」

　The mercenaries have found a way out and are boldly taking on the orcs. No, I can't deny that they are pushing themselves somewhat.
　When Johnny saw that they had started to fight, he decided that he didn't need to support them anymore and quickly stripped the Orcs he had defeated of their magic stones.
　Not long after, the mercenaries finished their fight, and a signal shot was launched into the sky as the sun began to set.
　A few moments later, a carriage with a loud laugh arrived in the area.

　.

　Xelloss looked for the children with the help of markers, but the trouble was that the children's whereabouts changed rapidly.
　They don't stay in one place and change their location in a short time. This makes it difficult to find them.
　The ring that locates the children's whereabouts also has a fixed time interval due to the amount of magic power that can be contained within it, but the children disappear in between. It was a difficult task to find them.

　When Xellos and his friends arrived at the next hunting ground, a carriage that looked like something they had seen before passed by at a great speed.
　It seems that [High Speed Jonathan] is playing an active role in an unseen place.
　However, after he passed by, there seemed to be a few casualties.

"No, no, no, no, no!　Open your eyes, Kane!
Don't you dare die in here!　We're gonna get our dream!
We're gonna get our dream!　You're not done with me yet!
Open your eyes, -----!　What am I supposed to say to Julia?
"Please, don't die!　Don't leave me here!

　Please don't die! Don't leave me!" You can hear the cries of grief from all over the hunting grounds.
　He was also very active in other ways.

"・・・・・・・・・・
Mr. Xelloss?　The man in the wagon...
I don't know him, sir.　I've been run over by him before, but I've never spoken to him.

　Just because you know my street name doesn't mean you can blame me for what [High Speed Jonathan] did to you. We are not friends or anything.
　Even if I warned him, I don't think he would listen to me.

"Well, here they are ..........

　When the old man looked around, he saw Johnny and Shadowcocko with five mercenaries.
　They seemed to be very grateful and were shaking hands with the leader of the group.
　Luceris ran up to Johnny.

"Johnny!　You're here... I finally found you...
"Oh, Sister. You're too late.　The Orcs are already dead.
Orcs?　You were fighting such a demon?　You're not injured, are you?
You're worrying too much~ I could have taken care of it if I just took advantage of the opportunity.　Well, I don't know what would have happened if I had taken it head on.

　Johnny is cocky, but he's not proud of it.
　He's just telling it like it is, I guess. However, the listeners were not in a good mood.
　After all, Orcs are known for their strength. They also have high defense and are tough demons. As a pack of creatures, they can be quite dangerous depending on the situation.

By the way, Johnny, where are the other kids?
"I don't know.　I don't know. I think they're hunting somewhere. I took them down one by one, but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.
"Well, with the coco as an escort, I don't think an orc will be much of a challenge...

　The old man doesn't distinguish between evolved species, and uses the word "coccoon" to describe all of them.
　The black cockerel is a new species that evolved from the archer cockerel and specializes in stealth, and like the shadow cockerel, it is a high-activation assault covert assassination type demon. Like the shadow coccoon, it was a highly-activated, covert assassination-type demon. It also excelled at sniping and using bows, and was clearly an assassination specialist. The number of specially evolved Kokkos, including the three Kokkos of Ukei, Senkei, and Zankei, continued to increase.
　These three coccoons had evolved into the Ultimate Force Master Cockerel, the Ultimate Darkness Master Cockerel, and the Ultimate Blade Master Cockerel.
　They look like ordinary coccoons of different colors, so it's hard to tell them apart. They also seem to evolve faster when they are faced by strong opponents. It could be said that the abnormal evolution of the coccoons has progressed because they were trained by the old man.

Excuse me....
"Hmm?　What is it?

　The old man turned to the young man who called out to him somewhat hesitantly.
　You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.
　In addition, the other members of the group, including the young man, showed something other than exhaustion in their expressions.



"Actually, the kid helped me out earlier. ‥‥‥‥ Um, are you a parent or guardian?
"Well, it's kind of the same thing. But did he help you?　Were you surrounded by orcs?
Yes ... I almost lost my companion. Thank you very much for saving me.
I didn't save him, but I'm rather grateful, so please don't worry about it.

　These mercenaries are all young. They were probably three years older than Johnny and the others.
　It is normal to take that long to deal with orcs. Compared to ordinary mercenaries, you can see how the children of the orphanage have grown up abnormally.

"Ah~ ......, that's how fast the average mercenary grows. I'm not sure if my surroundings are abnormal.

　Normal mercenaries don't do dangerous things, they play it safe. That may not always work out perfectly, but in demon hunting, discretion is the top priority.
　You don't use capture magic to immobilize a vicious demon and beat it to a pulp like Xelloss did. In addition, there is no such thing as letting other people attack you and leveling up just to finish you off, and you will steadily get stronger through experience.
　In the first place, the strength of the people in this world is temporarily fixed at the maximum level of 300. In order to advance beyond that point, you must acquire the [Breakthrough] skill. The limiter is lifted by attaining a higher level of physical fighting ability or magical skill, and the upper limit of strength is fixed again at level 500. In the same way, if you acquire the [Critical Breakthrough] and [Extreme Breakthrough] skills, you will become as strong as Xelloss.

　And when your occupational skills reach a certain upper limit, a release condition will occur, but since the conditions and skill levels vary from person to person, you cannot rely on the conditions of others. .
　The way you train, the opponents you have defeated, the number of opponents you have defeated, as well as your own qualities will all contribute to the variation in your strength, and the range of strength will vary greatly even for the same [Limit Breaker]. The upper limits of HP and MP, and physical ability are just such things.
　In short, the children who were training with the old man and the children who were doing kumite, etc., acquired more skills than those who were trying to become mercenaries, and by training while playing every day, they became abnormally strong.
In Sword and Sorcery, the upper limit of occupational skills changes with physical level, but in this world, the level of technical skills and occupational skills alone can be increased unilaterally.
　In short, it is like the difference in ability between a child who has learned martial arts and a child who has never heard of it. The orphanage's children have low physical levels, but their abilities are high due to the compensating effects of their fighting skills, and although he is not directly teaching them, he is indirectly contributing to their abnormal growth.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.　I'm not sure.

　In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these skills integrated and developed, you can generate new occupational skills, and the effects of those occupational skills will affect your physical abilities, and the synergistic effects will greatly affect your physical corrections.
　In the case of Xellos, he has a variety of other skills that he has unlocked, so the synergistic effect is outrageous. The children were stepping into the same path as the old man.

So, I was surrounded by orcs. ...... Are you listening to me?
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just thinking about ...... the end of the terrible children....
She's so strong. How can she be so strong...impossible. How can she be so strong? She's stronger than all of us with more experience. ......
"All I can say is that I work out every day. He learns to fight and use weapons, he learns how to mask his presence by following others around every day, and he uses his appearance to get information out of people.
"Isn't that a crime?　Learning how to fight is fine, but stalking people is not.
It's an invasion of privacy. Fortunately, I haven't been involved in any crimes.

　If you make a mistake, you'll end up breeding tough criminals.
　Even orphans are prone to become criminals, and this is a problem in many countries.
　If Johnny and the others become criminals, they will be a nasty threat in many ways.

As for me, I'm worried about her being too strong. If she can easily defeat a demon around here, then she can beat most of them unless they are really big. It's good for now, but if things continue like this, it could lead to carelessness.
"You mean I could die from that carelessness?　That's the danger.
It's okay if it's just you. The problem is getting other people involved... your friends die and you survive. Maybe you'll break... you're too strong to endure the death of your friends.
I understand.

　The dark expression on the young man's face told me that he had recently experienced the death of one of his friends.
　He must still be carrying that wound and struggling to get through it. This is because the others who were listening had similar expressions on their faces.
　Xelloss also sometimes gets carried away by his power. He's too strong for his own good, so he can't control his strength.
　He lacks the experience to decide whether to fight with all his might or not. He feared that if he continued to fight as if it were a game, he would one day make a mistake that he could not recover from.
　In fact, the world of Sword and Sorcery is completely different from the real world, and there are times when I become indifferent to the value of other people's lives in the midst of battle. Sometimes it frightens me unnecessarily.

People who die are never seen again. If it's an accident or illness in a strange place, I can live with it, but if it's a failure in battle... ......
"Well.... It's hard to be left behind when your friends die.
It's a bit of a cliché, but you have to accept it slowly and keep trying. When you're going through a tough time because your friends are dead, it's best to do the easiest jobs possible.　I know you have a lot to lose, but if you push yourself too hard, you might lose something else. That's what mercenary work is all about.
"You get it, sir. We lost our party leader ... a childhood friend ...
We lost our party leader ... a childhood friend ..." "With such a grief-stricken face, you can't help but notice, can you?　Well, you're going through a tough time right now, aren't you?

　After listening to a heavy story that he did not want to hear, the old man put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, as if to disguise the heavy atmosphere. To be honest, the cigarette smoke is bitter.
　I have experienced the sudden death of someone close to me, but I have never experienced an unreasonable death during a battle.


　It's frustrating that all I can do is make up my own mind with my novels.

"I want to be strong... so my friends don't die...
"If you're in pain, you can talk to your friends. You can at least share your grief. However, I recommend that you don't take it on alone. You'll get overwhelmed and cause the party to split.
I don't know why we're so weak... if we were strong, we could have protected them. ......
I don't want to know the details. I don't know what I can say to comfort you. The only thing you can do is to accept the unacceptable reality and keep on struggling. Just remember that you're not the only one suffering.
That's all you can do, isn't it? I'm in so much pain.
We'll have to discuss how to proceed. One person missing can change the dynamics of the party. If you don't have a leader, that's even worse. We should organize what we can do now first. Don't try to make all the decisions by yourself, maybe you were the sub-leader.

　When you form a party, the leader and sub-leader will be determined by your experience.
　Those who make self-indulgent judgments tend to be left out of the leader's circle, and those with calm judgment are often accepted. The reason for this is that as one accumulates experience, one begins to see what role one can play.
　However, few parties can survive until that time comes. Most of the time, the party will split up and disband, or one of its members will die, and the party will realize its inexperience.
　As a result, the party is faced with two choices. Either they disband, or they continue to struggle to move up. A party of acquaintances is on the brink of not being able to get through the hard times.

I don't know what you guys are going through right now. I'm not even going to ask. But if you're going to continue being mercenaries, you have to trust your friends, and it's nonsense to blame each other for your failures. Keep worrying with your friends. The answer will come naturally...
I hope so.... To be honest, I feel like I'm walking in the dark right now.
We all do, don't we?　I know it's hard, but it's important to calmly analyze the circumstances of your friends' deaths and figure out where you went wrong. Even if there is no failure, there are still many dangerous situations.
　It may sound cruel, but if you don't use the experience next time, you will lose your friends again.　
I'm sorry. I'm sorry you feel so bad... I'm really not good at this...
Don't worry about it. Sooner or later, you'll go through it. Sooner or later, you will experience it. There is no shame in being weak....

　I'm aware that I'm talking big.
　I'm aware that I'm talking big, but having been involved in a mercenary party with such a heavy burden on my shoulders, I'm wondering if I'll ever get stronger.　You can't know that!　What are you doing here asking me for advice? I'm not sure what to say, but I can't say anything else.
　The old man's sense of guilt was not half bad. I don't understand why this situation has become so troublesome, but at the same time, it's a painful development because I can't answer in earnest.

Well, I wonder what area the other kids are in... ......

　I'm not sure if you'll be able to find the right one, but I'm sure you can.
　Johnny follows along with Kokko.
　The old man did not know that a party of young mercenaries bowed silently behind him.

　.

　On the way to the next area with heavy footsteps, Luceris noticed that Johnny was acting strange.
　He had a serious look on his face, unlike his usual uninhibited demeanor, and kept his head down.

What's wrong?　Johnny, ......
"Sister, those brothers ...... and their friends died, didn't they ......?
Yes, that's ......

　A chance encounter with a mercenary whose companion died, that is the future that could happen to Johnny and his friends.
　The next day, the friends you were laughing with today will be dead bodies. Such is the world of mercenaries.
　The old man let out a deep sigh, wondering if the heavy talk would continue.

Yes, they lost a friend. And ...... it can happen to you too.
We're strong. We're not all going to die. ......
"Johnny, ...... you need to stop thinking like that. Even if you are careful, there are plenty of situations where your friends will die. A little carelessness can lead to great destruction. You may not understand it now, but keep what happened to them in the back of your mind.
"Ze, Xellos!　You don't have to be so harsh with your children. ...... You don't have to be so hard on them yet. ......


Yes, there is. And Johnny and his friends are going to a dungeon. There are countless traps in dungeons, and the chances of dying are much higher than hunting.

　Knowing that a party of mercenaries had died, Johnny felt more than a little uneasy.
　The fear of death turns into caution. As long as he wanted to be an independent mercenary, if he was careless about the danger of his life, he might end up dying soon. It's a world of self-responsibility, and that's what you need to know while you're here.

Even if you have all the skills, physical abilities, information, and equipment, you will still die when you die. That is the reality, and the most dangerous place is the dungeon. Chasing a dream inevitably comes with determination and responsibility.
I'm sure you're right, but is this something these kids need right now?　If they are bound by fear, they may not be able to do anything. It's too harsh.
It's better than dying, right?　To live, you have to take responsibility for your actions. You are responsible for your own life, the lives of your comrades, and in some cases, the lives of others. I think mercenary work is much harder than you think.
We are ...... naive, aren't we?　I thought it would be easy to make my dreams come true if I became stronger.
You're too naive. It's not a job that can be managed with momentum and a sense of fun. The death of one of us can change the way we are. Didn't you learn something good today?

　Xelloss speaks plainly, as if to himself.
　What he was saying to Johnny applied to him as well, because it was a story he could really relate to.
　When you die, you die, and the price of life is low. On this day, Xellos learned the meaning of the word again.

　The rest of the day was spent in silence as the three of them searched for the other children.