After returning to Hexi town, we first headed to the Adventurer's Guild.
　The purpose was to report on the defeat of the Ancient Plant and to consult with the guild about this Fluffy Fluffy.

''Excuse me, I'd like to ask you to buy some demon materials.''

Very well. Now please put the material on the assessment table.

　Then the receptionist points to the assessment table with his hand, but that thing won't fit on it.

"Well, it's just not big enough to fit on there.

Would you like me to take you to the dismantling yard for a bigger fish?

No, it's too big to fit in the demolition site, so if you could, could you please check it out of town?

　You can't put that thing out in the city, can you?

Too big to fit in a wrecking yard?　With all due respect, did you really defeat such a demon?

　Oops, I'm getting suspicious.
　Well, I don't know. I can't just take out the ancient plant here.

"What's going on?

　And when we were in trouble, Milisha-san, the assistant guild leader, came over.

''Assistant Guild Chief, since these people have defeated the demolition site's inaccessible demons, we were asked to come outside the town...''

"Demons that can't fit in the demolition yard?

　Milisha-san, who was told by the receptionist, looked at me suspiciously, but as soon as she saw my face, she changed her mind.

''Isn't that Lex-san!

　Mr. Milisha hurriedly turned to the receptionist and scolded him.

'This man is Mr. Lex!　I'm not the super-VIP who's building a street in the Forest of Demonic Beasts!

"Yeah?　This is the Lex from the clearing?

　Wait, I thought I just got a very disturbing name!

I always tell you to check your guild card first!　....I'm sorry, Mr. Lex. I'm very sorry for the lack of training on the part of our staff.

Uh, no. More importantly, what's the land now...

''So, you wish to purchase the demon material, but I can handle it for you.

　Uh, yeah........................Oh, well.

''Well, since I defeated an S-ranked demon in the heart of the Forest of Demonic Beasts, I'd like to request an assessment.

I see, an S-ranked demon in the heart of the Forest of Demonic Beasts...?

　Milisha nodded her head.

'My apologies, I must have misheard you a little. Could you tell me again, please?

''You're not wrong. We defeated an S-ranked demon in the heart of the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

Well, wrong...

　Milisha, who had been nodding in agreement, stopped moving.
　At the same time, Liliella-san who was beside her and Mohammed who was in her arms covered her ears with their hands.
　What are you guys doing?

''We defeated an S-ranked demon in the heart of the Forest of Demonic Beasts...?

　........My ears perked up.
　What are you shouting at all of a sudden?

Hey, didn't you just say that you're in the center of the Hexenbiest Forest?

''And I heard you took out an S-ranked demon...''

'Not a fucasi?　You're just trying to drive up the purchase price.

No, that's that rookie. That's Lex from the clearing.

"Lex of the Clearing?　That wizard of hellfire who explores while burning down the forest?

　The guild is getting noisy inside.
　I'm sure I heard the wrong thing about that two names.

It's a very good idea to be able to have a good time with them.　Have you really arrived at the heart of the Forest of Monsters?　Did you really defeat an S-ranked demon?

　Mirisha's disbelief and astonishment is evident as she confirms to me that she can't believe it.

'I was there with him and I'm sure of it. I will testify as a member of his party.

　And Liliera, who was beside me, can attest to the truth of my words.

How in the world are we going to get to the center of the forest?　Even if she headed straight for the center of the forest, it would still take her a few days to get there!

He was flying through the air.

...the sky.

The sky.

....

　Milisha-san holds her head and makes her body writhe in agony with her giggles.
　It's kind of a movement like a plant-based demon.

''........Well, let's not think about that. More importantly, can you show me that S-ranked demon?

Well, could you take us out of town, please?　It's long and long, so it won't fit in the demolition yard for a bit.

'All right, I'll get the chopper. I'll go get the demolition crew and you can wait outside of town first.

　You're not going to be able to do that.

..........

　Milisha-san and the demolitionists looked at the Ancient Plant and Elder Plant laid out outside the town with a dumbfounded look on their faces.

''What is this big, no, giant tree...?''

This is an entity plant. It's a tree monster.

The Ancient Plant?　The legendary demon that was said to be the living forest?

　Rieliela-san said the same thing.
　In a previous life, I thought they were demons that produced huge weeds.

"I'd like you to evaluate this.

Yes, yes....

　Milisha understood with a dumbfounded look on his face and gave the order to the demolitionists who were brought along.

It's huge!　What the hell is this thing?

Is this really a monster?　Isn't that just a big tree?

I mean, it's not just a tree, but a tree this big, and it's not just a normal tree that gets cut down and brought back.　How the hell did you cut it down?

My God, the Elder Plant looks like a twig.

I mean, it's a freaky sight to see so many Elderplants.

　The adventurers who followed along with me are expressing surprise when they see the Ancient Plant.
　It's just a big wooden monster.

　Then, with a bang, a scream came from the demolitionists.

'No!　The blade won't go through!

"I've shaved off more than my sawtooth!

What did you say?

Oh, I'm sorry. The bark of the Elder Plant and the Ancient Plant is harder than steel, so it can't be cut with ordinary steel tools.

　I shouldn't have, I forgot to tell you.
　Well, if I knew someone from a previous life, I would have hummed and processed the material, no matter how hard it was, no matter how hard it was.
　He said there was some kind of trick to it.

'Wasn't it a legend that it was harder than iron!

　Milisha-san fearlessly approaches the Ancient Plant and presses the knife she took out against it.

I'm not even going to be able to see any damage from the knife, despite the fact that it feels like wood to the touch. Is this really wood?

　In the end, the demolitionists' tools can't dismantle the Ancient Plant, so they say it's a cop-out.

''Um, how did Lex-san defeat this demon?　If the branch was cut off, that means there was a way to cut it off, right?

''Yes, I cut the blade of the mutant we defeated last time, using enhanced magic to increase its attack and cutting power on the processed weapon.

Well, I'm going to need a sharp edge to my magic. Oh, I see. You go back to the guild and find an adventurer who can use enhanced magic to make it sharper. Tell them the guild will pay you.

Hey!

　Milisha-san immediately instructs me to call an adventurer who can use enhancement magic.
　But I'm sorry to make you waste your money on an assessment of an Ancient Plant or something like that all the way.

''Um, since it's my assessment, I'll cast the enhancement magic.

'What?　Oh, come to think of it, that's right. It's only natural that Lex-san can use it too, right? Then I'm sorry, but could you cast an enhancement spell on the demolitionists' tools?

I understand. High strength!　High Slash Boost!

　I cast an attack enhancement spell and a sharpness enhancement spell on the demolitionists.

''Okay, let's do it again!''

Oh!

　The demolitionists thrust their saws and axes into the Ancient Plant with great gusto.

'Oooh!　What the hell?!

It feels like you're impaling yourself on slime.

　The dismantlers shout in surprise at the fact that he easily tore into the Ancient Plant's body.

''Oh come on, I can barely feel it cut!

"Magic is this amazing!

　The demolition team is surprised at first, but they soon get used to it and begin to work hard.

It's too much volume to put in the guild's dismantling station. Besides, isn't it a good idea to break up such a large chunk into smaller pieces? ''Yes, once we've shaped it up to a certain extent, I thought it would be a good idea to leave guards outside the town to auction it off in the royal capital.''

　Milisha-san's mumbled words entered my ears.

''Is it another auction?''

Oh, Mr. Lex, do you have any experience with auctions?

''Yes, when we took down the Green Dragon before, they said they couldn't buy it from the guild, so they wanted to auction it off.

"I see, the dragon, that makes sense........the dragon!

　A perplexed look on her face as she repeated my words.

Yes, it wasn't a dragon in very good condition, but the price was pretty good.

The dragons in the auction, just before...

　Mr. Milisha was mumbling something to himself, but I couldn't hear it because it was drowned out by the loud voices the demolitionists were making and the sounds of the demolition process.

''Haha, let's not mention that. Anyway, when it comes to S-ranked demon materials, I thought it would be better to put them up for auction than to buy them from the guild. If we can get Lex-san's approval, I'll send an errand to the royal capital immediately.

Okay, then.

　I'm used to asking for auctions, and it's best to leave the hassle to you.

''A conversation I've never heard of is flowing so quickly, but am I really sure I'm right to party with you?''

　When I was talking with Milisha-san, for some reason, Liliera-san was shoveled.

''What are you talking about, Liliera-san, aren't we B-ranked peers like me!　Soon, Liliera-san will be able to defeat a demon of this level!

Ugh, that sounds like a relief to me.

　That's not true, though.
　Ririela's ability is real, having risen to the B rank when she was about the same age as me.
　I have the accumulation of past lives and previous lives, but Riela-san has risen to this point without them.

　That's why Liliera-san has talent without a doubt.

''It's all right!　Liliella said she's definitely going to be strong!

'Uh-huh. I'll do my best.

　And that's when I was having that conversation.
　A cheer went up from the demolitionists who were dismantling the building.

'What is it?'

Let's go see.

　Not only us, but the adventurers also stepped into the work area to see what was going on.

Wow, I've never seen a magical stone this big before.

''How much is it worth?

　What the dismantlers found was the core stone of the Ancient Plant.

''Wow........I've never seen a magic stone that big before.

Is that the magic stone?　I've never seen that before.

　Milisha-san exclaims in surprise.
　And Lilliera-san looks like she's never seen a nuclear stone before.

''This is amazing!　This is the biggest magical stone in the history of our guild!　I don't know if there's anything like it in the history of the entire Adventurer's Guild.

　Hmmm, I wonder if it's that great of a thing?
　Nucleus stones of this level were common in previous lives and previous lives.

''And the fact that the demon stone came out proves that this giant tree is definitely a demon.

""Oh!"

　A cheer goes up from the adventurers.
　Then Milisha-san raises one hand and declares.

''In the name of Milisha, who belongs to the Adventurer's Guild of the town of Hexi and is the assistant guild leader, I hereby declare that the S-ranked demon 'Ancient Plant' has been defeated by the B-ranked adventurer Lex-san!

""Woohoo!"

　Hearing Milisha-san's declaration, the adventurers raised a bullhorn in excitement.

''Why are you all so excited?''

''Of course I did, because I defeated an S-ranked demon!　An S-ranked demon is the kind of opponent that many high-ranking adventurers and armies would gather to defeat in a group. They're not the kind of people you can defeat alone by mistake!

　Liliera-san explained while raising her voice.

''Well, I was too surprised by the sight to be excited, but it's a tremendous feat if you think about it in a normal way.

'What?　But for an S-ranked guy, he wasn't much of an opponent.

It's your numbness, my dear.

　Really?

''Oh, I'm sure the Ancient Plant I was dealing with was the weakest of the S-ranked ones, wasn't it?　I hear it was a frail encampment plant.

""That's not true!"

　For some reason, they all denied me.

'Hmmm!　Anyway, I'm sure that Lex-san will be ranked A with this. We also have a track record of defeating mutants last time, so there won't be any trouble at the meeting.

　Huh?　Can you get an A rating anymore?　That's very fast.

"...wait a minute.

　And that's where Liliera-san waited for Milisha-san to come to her.

''How can I help you?''

What do you mean he was a straight-A student?　Since you're capable of defeating S-ranked demons, isn't it suji to promote them to S-rank?

That's true.

'It's strange to stop at an 'A' grade all the way through, isn't it?

　The other adventurers agree with Lilliera's words.
　I don't mind if I'm A-ranked, though.
　To that, Milisha-san replies back.

''In a word, it's because that's the rules of the Adventurer's Guild. As a guild rule, adventurers' ranks can only basically go up one rank at a time. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, but the higher ranks will certainly not be the exception.

Why is that?

''To put it succinctly, we're not going to let the promotion to S-rank go wild.

'Won't you be ramping up to an S rank?'

''Yes, being an S-ranked adventurer is the highest level of existence in the guild, a sort of title given to those who have accomplished heroic things.

　Heh, that's what an S-rank meant.

''Therefore, just because you have done the equivalent of an S-ranked activity, you run the risk of degrading your S-rank if you go on an S-ranked spree.

What do you mean by 'degraded'?

''What kind of dignity does an adventurer need?

　The adventurers who were listening to the conversation questioned Milisha-san.

''As you all know, in order to advance to the adventurer rank, the rate of accomplishment of requests, competence, and character are required.

'What?　Was it?

Have you ever heard of this?

I've never heard of that before either.

The only problem with this is that it's not so bad if you have common sense. But if you have a significantly lower grade, even a low rank promotion will be an obstacle. For example, even if you have the ability to solve a merchant's request for escort, wouldn't you be able to introduce someone who caused trouble, such as stealing a client's luggage, to the client as a high-ranking adventurer?

　Certainly, I can understand that.
　If that person caused a problem with the client, the client's safety would be in danger, and it would be a liability issue for the guild.

''Above all, many of the clients of high-ranking requests are nobles and great merchants. If we introduce such troubled adventurers to them, and if they were to mistreat them, there is a risk that they would be caught as criminals. The reason we are so cautious about promoting them to higher ranks is also to protect our adventurers.

　After being told that much, Liliera-san and the others couldn't say anything and fell silent.

''However, since you were able to accomplish so much in such a short period of time, Lex-san's promotion to S-rank will not be in the far future. Besides, even without the matter of defeating the mutant species originally, your achievements in combating the expansion of the Forest of Demonic Beasts and establishing the Street Road had made your promotion to the A rank a certainty.

Is that so?

''Yes, in that sense, Lex's promotion has been delayed because he's been too active in a short period of time.

　I didn't know I was so good at that!

I didn't know that!　But at least the Ancient Plant can usually be defeated by high-ranking adventurers, right?　If that's the case, if it's you and your S-ranked adventurers, you're the kind of guy who can take them down with just one finger tip, right?

''What does Lex-san think S-ranked adventurers are.......''

　For some reason, Milisha-san let out a sigh with a tired look on her face.

''Anyway, please wait for a while until we finish dismantling and auctioning the Ancient Plant. I've finished calculating the rewards for the mutants and blade wolves, as well as the forest incineration and the accumulated city roads, so please pick up that one at the reception desk later.

I understand.

　In the end, it was still going to take some time to dismantle the material of the Ancient Plant, so we had to go back into town.

　◆

We came to the Adventurer's Guild and decided to receive the rewards of mutant species and other rewards at reception.

The first reward for the special kill request is 600 gold coins for killing the mutant species, followed by 4,050 gold coins for 27 blade wolves.

''Six hundred and forty-five gold coins and four hundred and fifty?

　Liliera-san stares at me with a shocked face.
　No, I didn't do anything important like that, okay?
　I'd rather have too much...?

'Um, I think there were about ten Blade Wolves that I brought in, right?

　Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's about all I brought back when I defeated the mutants. And the blade wolf that I defeated on the way to the hospital was left alone because I didn't have time to collect it.

''As for that one, I've added the amount that Ivan-san's team applied for as the one Lex-san defeated.

It's Ivan and his friends?

　When did they get here?

You were busy flirting with Liliella, so I'll file an application on your behalf.

　Yeah it's getting hard to be thankful.
　Nevertheless, since the amount of reward has increased significantly, I have to be honestly grateful here.
　Thank you Ivan-san and the others.

''Next, the material purchase price for the mutant species........''

'What?　You bought it and got paid for the mutants earlier, right?

　What do you mean?

''No, the portion you just mentioned is a reward for defeating them. Since mutants are valuable research materials, we will separately add a material purchase price.

　Surprise!　I never thought I'd get to buy the material separately!

Well, there will be more...

　Liliera-san murmured in a stunned manner.

''As materials, I will buy one fur, one large blade, four small blades, a head of bones, one magic stone, as well as some internal organs and meat for research. In total, we have 1,500 gold coins.

So that means 6,150 gold coins?

No, and since the work to stop the expansion of the Forest of Monsters and the establishment of the street is worth 420 gold coins, that makes a total of 6,570 gold coins.

"6,570 gold coins?

　Liliella-san has become a device to tell you how many gold coins from earlier.

　I put the reward I received into a magic bag and leave the window.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

　Pulling the hand of a stunned Liliera-san, we head towards the tavern in the guild.

　◆

Squeak!

　The mofo mofo is chewing on the meat on the table, looking delicious.

'Tasty?'

Coo!

　Fluffy raises one hand and gestures to me that it's delicious.
　Haha, he's so cute.
　Or rather, this guy's attitude seems to have changed since the first time we met... is it just my imagination?

....

　But contrary to her mofo, Liliella-san has been silent since a while ago.
　She doesn't seem to be eating very well, is she not feeling well?

Um, Liliera?　Is there something wrong with you?

....

　When I call out to her, Liliera-san looks up.
　Her eyes were complicated, as if she was worried about something.

''Hey, don't I slow you down?''

'What?　No, I don't think so...

　Liliella, what's going on?

No, I know. I'm not much more than an obstacle to you, I'm so weak that you'd unconsciously protect me.

No, I don't think so.

No, it's me. I know. I know I can't keep up with you. If I go with you, I'm going to cause you an awful lot of trouble.

Mr. Liliella...

　What am I going to do? I don't think so at all.

But I promised myself that I would repay you, too. You cured my mother's illness and helped everyone in the village and that's not all. You gave us our home back. I can't give up on repaying you for that just because I can't do anything for you!

　Mr. Liliella stands up, banging the table with a bang.

'Please, put some training on me, Mr. Lex!　At the very least, I need to be strong enough not to slow you down!　I will endure any painful training for that!

Liliera's eyes were filled with a very, very strong will as she said this.

''Is it training........''

Yeah, I'll do anything!

　I shudder at his words.

'You said you'd do anything.

'What?　Yes........

Well, whatever...

Uh, what, what, what? What's going on?

　So, I see, Liliera-san was that determined.

'I understand. 'I understand, and I have accepted Liliera-san's determination.

So long!

'Yes!　I'm going to train you seriously to live up to Liliella's determination!　My!　Seriously!　I'll train you to be a top-notch adventurer!

　I'm on fire!　Mr. Liliella is trying to reforge his inexperience with unyielding determination!
　It reminds me of a time in a past life when I became an apprentice to a master in order to defeat the Demon King.
　Rieliela's image overlaps with her own, when she said she would complete her training no matter how painful it was in order to defeat the Demon King.
　The days of training that he later regretted to the point of death, Liliera-san said he would complete the days of training too!

Oh, um...I still think it would be nice if you would be a little more moderate...

　Liliera-san looks a little pale and cracks a joke while trembling with wariness.
　I understand. You're serious about your training, so of course you have that much presence of mind!

Kyuun.

　For some reason, the mofo mofo had popped his own hand on Liliella.