Today was another peaceful day in Lax Village.
　When I looked into the Adventurer's Guild branch, I saw that Gashita was training and other things.

''That's auspicious.''
Oh, brother!　Shush!

　Gacita is the oldest adventurer in Lax Village, and the only one who has grown out of the village.
　He is the only adventurer from the village and the only one who is truly from Lax.

　When I met him, he was the only one who wouldn't give up, saying he was the best.
　He used to look at me like I was the enemy of him.

People are always growing up...!
What's up, buddy?　Crying all of a sudden?

　Gasita, who was only a self-centered lump, is now the head of the Lax Village Guild.
　The guild has expanded with the growth of the village and the adventurers who have come from outside to seek work.

'I've seen guys who don't grow up no matter how many failures they make, so Gacita's growth seems precious...!
Please don't...!　When I think back to the old days, I'm still embarrassed as if my face were on fire...!　How could I be so confident, back then?

　Recalling those days when he was in the cocky mood, Gashita was really blushing.

But it was because of the guidance from my brother that I was able to...!

　By the way, it seems that Gacita was currently training without a specific quest.
　At the outdoor shooting range for long range attack type adventurers to train on, Gasita picked up a pebble from the ground.

''I feel like I've made some progress.

　Gacita threw the pebble into the sky with a flutter.
　It was thrown with considerable force, and the pebble rose up and up and up, stopping at a certain point and falling according to gravity.

　Meanwhile, Gacita squeezes the bow and arrow, his main weapon, and releases it.
　The bow and arrow flew towards the falling pebble, hitting it well and shattering it to pieces.

Oh!

　Isn't that amazing?
　He hit such a small stone, and not by standing still, but by anticipating its movement while falling.

If you could instruct me from Aniki, I'd feel bad if I didn't learn to do this much...!
Gacita, you can call yourself the greatest adventurer in all of Lax.
Please don't!

　Gacita is adamant about the title she once called herself.

''That's why I'm black history for having been so hot back then!　I'm not even close!　All I have to do is practice!
''I will even be prepared to be humble...!

　I can't help but think of the past if Bashbarza also had this honesty.
　I'm not sure if I have the talent to raise a person, because I ended the son entrusted to me by my benefactor Granbaza-sama in such a horrible way. I was once depressed that I was not able to do anything.

　For such a person like me, Gacita, who had become a respectable person, was a lifesaver.

Thank you, Gacita.
No, I'm the one setting the example.

　According to Sesha and others, the current Gacita is already at a level that would be acceptable for an A-class adventurer.
　However, in order to obtain an A-class adventurer, one must go to the center guild and undergo an examination, which makes Gashta reluctant.

I'm not worried about my grade, but about the Lux Village!　What's going to happen if I'm gone for a long time?

　And so on.

"Where did you go when you were a D grade student looking down on me as an E grade student, when you were a D grade student?
Is that a long time ago?

　Gacita was about to cry with a look of 'don't touch me again'.

'Oh God!'　If he's going to bully me with my past, my training is over!　I'm going to see if there are any new quests out there!
Sorry, sorry, sorry, don't fiddle with it.

　I followed Gacita, who was sulking, to the guild lobby.
　There is a receptionist there, whose job is to mediate quests to adventurers day and night.

　I guess Gacita is also trying to get new quests here.

'Huh?　What's going on?

　It's a strange flurry of activity.

'Dariel-kun!　There you are!
Hey, is that your father-in-law?

　The guild master and former village chief, the father of my wife Malika, who is also my father-in-law, came running up to me.

''What's going on here?　Is this an emergency quest?
'Yes!　The robbers are here!

　Robbery?

　It's another crazy robbery.
　But even though it's in the midst of reconstruction, there's not much you can steal from Lax Village, which is still just a rural area.
　........well, there is.
　There are things worth stealing in Lax Village that are worth stealing...!

My son!
'No!　It's mithril!

　I got a joke, and I reflected on it.
　The father-in-law followed up with, 'No, my grandson is cute enough to want to steal him out, but...'

"We were attacked while transporting them from the Mithril Mine to here. The adventurer escort is responding to the attack, but they're struggling. We have just received a distress call.
Okay, sir. I'll take care of it.

　I would like to do something as the village chief, but the management and administration of adventurers is the job of the guild master, your father-in-law.
　This man who used to be the village chief also used to be the village chief, but he has left that role to me to focus on being the guild master, so he shouldn't interfere without a second thought.

''Gilmouth, I'm going to go.''
'Oh, Gacita's always reliable. And.....

　My stepfather looks at me.

"Darriel, I'm sorry, will you come with me?
What's going on?

　There's something about asking me, who has been appointed village chief and is out of line as an adventurer, to do something for you.

"One of the convoy that was attacked, a particularly fast one, came to report in. We have a description of the attackers. Three men.
Three?

　That's a very small number, isn't it?
　Isn't a select few a bandit's way of life?

''And as I asked him for details about his physique and build, the brave man who was listening next to me changed his color...''
'Radey?　Was that guy there?
Coincidence?　So he immediately ran off. It's a situation where the brave man changes his blood. That's why I wanted Dariel-kun to move as well, just in case...?

　The three of them reacted to Radey.
　I'm sure you're right.

　I was going to ask you about the details of the attacker, but it seems that it is a matter of time before things get out of hand.
　I thought it would be quicker to see the situation in person, so I ran out.

Let's go, Gasita!
Yes, sir!

　Accompanied by Gacita, who has now become an elite member of the team, I was heading down to the Mithril convoy that was said to be under attack.

◆

　There is only one road connecting Lax Village to the Mithril Mine, so it was obvious that if I ran up that road, I would hit the site.

　In fact, I was astonished when I ran to the scene.

　Already there was the heroic Radey, his party members, spearman Sesha-san and shieldman Satome, on the spot.
　The Mithril robbers they were facing........

''The convoy........is it too late!

　The adventurers who had originally accompanied the convoy as guards had been destroyed in a valiant fight.
　Several of them were lying here and there on the ground holding their weapons.

　The culprits who had defeated them were now nestled in the pile of mithril with no one to protect them.
　Those guys.........

"....Ah!

　I was surprised at a glance too.
　I was surprised at first glance, and it should have upset Radie.
　The culprits of the attack on Transport Mithril were a familiar face to us.

I'm not going to be able to get to the bottom of it.
Altamir the Archmage.
And Zester the hammering hero.

　The three of them were the criminals who attacked the convoy and tried to steal Mithril.

"...Tsk, I didn't know they'd be here already.
'It's because you're goofing around. You've been torturein' the zakos too much.

　They were defeated by the Four Heavenly Kings in the Rasperda Fortress, and were never seen again afterwards, but here we are again after all!

"....Pigalo, Altamir, Zester...!　Can I be happy to know that you are safe...?

　Radhi must have come up with the description of the robber that the reporter had given him.
　That's why I ran over here, breathlessly, as fast as I could.

"Don't lie to me," he said. They must have thought we'd lost and were going to get screwed.
That's not possible...?
Our competitors destroyed themselves without any effort and dropped out. But don't be alarmed. We still have a chance to turn things around!

　Pigalo, who was still looking down on the humans, said in high spirits.

'We shall take the mithril and be strong!　The One Who taught me how to do that!　He is our leader!　He is the god who will raise us to the realm of the strongest!