Looking at a g girl, I was reminded of something my mother used to sternly tell me: "hink of it as a bother."

  Perhaps that's why this memory came to mind in that moment.

  "What's wrong, Nel?"

  Despite her appearance, emotionally she's younger, and seeing her cry made me instinctively worry and start trying to figure out what had happened.

  Fet about my own disappoi over today's ck ress—right now, Nel's tears were the priority.

  "Liberta!!""Whoa!"

  As I rushed over in , she leaped at me with enough force that I barely mao catch her.

  After that, she tried desperately to tell me something, but with her face buried in my chest, her muffled words were inprehensible.

  "She's been like this since we got back. She wouldn't go inside, saying she wao wait for you, and has been g here ever since."

  Silently, I looked to Teresa for help, but she too wore a troubled expression, her hand on her cheek.

  Without knowing the full story, it seemed we'd be stuck like this for a while.

  "What's wrong? Did someone bully you?"

  But I couldn't just stand there doing nothing, so I gently patted her back with my right hand and stroked her smooth hair with my left.

  "...Yeah."

  After calming her down a bit, I finally got a clue as to what had happened.

  "I see. That must have been tough."

  If Nel felt she had been bullied, then something must have happeo make her feel that way.

  At that age, there are plenty of kids who casually say hurtful things without thinking.

  I remember being brought to tears like that when I was a child. Back then, it was my mom who forted me.

  "Yeah."" you tell me what happened?""Yeah."

  Little by little, she began to calm down. She nodded or shook her head in respoo my questions, showing me what she meant.

  "Dasse.""Dasse?""Ah, the son of a soldier from the neighborhood. He's a notorious brat around here, always swinging sticks around. His father's the captain of the local security force, and he looks down on us merts. Nasty guy."

  The name didn't ring a bell. He wasn't a named character in the game.

  So, he must be one of those fettable background characters.

  Teresa, still looking troubled but now a bit irritated, muttered, "That guy," and filled me in on who he was.

  "So, what did he do?""I was talking with Amina about going on an adventure, and he suddenly butted in and started making fun of me for it. At first, I ignored him. But then, but then..."

  It seemed she had been happily talking with anirl named Amina about going on an adveh me when this boy, Dasse, interrupted and said something that deeply upset Nel.

  "Yeah, that must have been tough."

  He probably mocked her for saying she was going to hunt mochi. In FBO, hunting mochi to level up is so looked down upon that it earns you the title of "weakling."

  To make fun of someone for saying they were going on an adveo do that—while not the worst thing—could still be pretty hurtful.

  For a child, those casual words sometimes cut deeper than a sharp bde.

  "...He made fun of merts. He said merts are weak, that all we do is t money while someone else protects us. He said a girl like me could never achieve her dreams, that our shop is shabby and will definitely go bankrupt.""That's... not okay."

  Yeah, it seemed Dasse had crossed a line you just don't cross.

  Making fun of someone's dreams is absolutely uable.

  That's something even a child should uand.

  I hugged ightly, her sobs a mix of anger and sadness.

  "Alright, I get it!! I'll prove to you that you bee a great mert, Nel!!"

  And holy, Dasse's words were a big no for me too.

  "Really?""Yeah, really!! I'll prove that you bee a great mert even without levels!!"

  If you've pyed FBO, you'd never dare say merts are weak.

  After all, those merts among the hardcore pyers are something else.

  "I know this! Merts are one of the stro csses among adventurers!!"

  They're the breeding ground for attack record holders, to the point of being called crazy.

  Seeing Nel look up at me with uainty, I grinned and decided to throw my pns out the window to focus on what o be do.

  "Look forward to it!! I'll show you something amazing!!""Yeah!!"

  My fident attitude made the g Nel smile.

  "Alright the's go talk to the shop owner!!""Okay!!"

  The first hurdle would be ving the shop owner, our sponsor, but we'd mah my presentation and Nel's tears.

  ---

  And so, the day of reing arrived.

  Not that it ged mue—I just woke up early and got ready as usual.

  "Liberta!!"

  And our star of the day was fully pumped.

  She wasn't in her usual clothes but had ged into sturdy attire suitable for the outdoors, plete with leather boots, a hat, gloves, and even a short sword at her waist for self-defense.

  Yep, the shop owner's overprotectiveness was evident in how she was better equipped than I was.

  "Good! You didn't oversleep!!""Of course not!!"

  Whether it was my encement or just a good night's sleep, she was back to her fident self.

  "Good m, Liberta. Take care of my daughter today.""Good m."

  Today, not only Teresa but the shop owner himself was here.

  "Hey, Zink, I'm here!!"

  Just as we were about to firm our pns after m greetings, a man's voice called out from the backyard entrance.

  "Hey, hey, Dent. Yoing to scare my daughter."

  The sudden voice made Nel jump and hide behind me, prompting the shop owo scold the ma.

  "My bad, my bad."

  Without a hint of remorse, an older man with graying hair tied batered the backyard. He was slightly shorter but didn't seem to be a dwarf.

  "These two? The ones I'm esc today?""Yeah, that's right. I trust your skills to keep them safe."

  His lean but toned body didn't give off a fragile impression. The well-worn bow and arrows on his back didn't look shabby either.

  As we chatted casually, I noticed his fingers were rough and calloused—a sign of extensive use.

  "To hire a k like me for esc to the hills... You could've gotten some F-rank kids to do this. Since when did you start making so much money?""It's the result of saving up bit by bit. I 't do this often, you know. And I'm entrusting you with my precious daughter. I chose you because I trust you."

  That was reassuring. He seemed reliable.

  "I get it. Trust es first, whether you're an adventurer or a mert. Otherwise, you'll starve.""It's rare to find adventurers who uand that these days.""Shop owner, shop owner."

  If he was trustworthy, we o get moving.

  "Ah, right. Dent, the kids are getting impatient. we get started?""Got it. I borrowed the horses as you asked. I'll return them by evening.""Thanks."

  The shop owner had arranged for horses. The differen mobility between a child's legs and a horse's was signifit.

  If we could ride early in the m, we'd save a lot of time. That way, we could eveure a bit beyond the hills.

  "Alright, kids, let's get on the horses.""O-okay.""Yes."

  Dent uhe reins from the roadside and brought over a chestnut-colored horse.

  To a child, it looked as big as a mountain. Nel looked nervous but mao nod, while I wondered how we'd eve o simply lifted me by the armpits.

  "First, the boy.""Whoa!!"

  In no time, I was seated on the saddle.

  Even a child weighs over ten kilograms, yet he lifted me effortlessly. Was this the be of levels?

  ", the girl. Boy, don't let her fall."

  Then he lifted Nel just as easily and pced her in front of me.

  Startled by her first time on a horse, Nel grabbed the pommel, and I held her waist to steady her.

  "Alright, boy, stay like that. There we go."

  Finally, Dent nimbly mouhe horse himself.

  "Nel, here's some lunch. Eat it over there. There's enough for Dent too, so help yourself if you'd like.""That's a big help. Dried meat alone wouldn't be worth it."

  ook the lunch from Teresa.

  "Alright, let's head out.""See you ter!!""Take care.""Have fun!""Yeah!"

  With Nel's farewell, the horse began to move slowly.

  "It's moving!!""Yeah.""Of course it is."

  It must have been her first time on a horse, as Nel looked back excitedly. I held her waist to keep her bahough it was a bit nerve-wrag.

  Having ridden various mounts in FBO, I had a rough idea of how to handle a horse. That's why I couldn't share Nel's pure excitement.

  "Liberta! It's so high!!""Yeah, it is.""I see so far!!""Yeah."

  Just seeing her smile like this made me gd I brought her along.

  Even on the way to the south gate, the ge in perspective from riding a horse seemed to eain her.

  "Halt!""Alright."

  When the guards stopped us, Dent showed them the request form to prove it was a legitimate job.

  "Eek!"

  Nel let out an undylike sound.

  W what was wrong, I followed her gaze and saw a chubby b at her—no, at me?—with a resentful look.

  "Alright, yood to go.""Thanks.""Bleh!!"

  That must be the infamous Dasse. He must really dislike us, as he stuck out his to Nel. Dent gave her a questioning look, and even the guard turned around, though he k wasn't directed at him.

  "Hey, that's rude. Stop it.""Okay."

  I figured she was just trying to retaliate a bit, so when I scolded her, she turned forward with a huff.

  Seeing Nel smile at me, Dasse's expression twisted even more.

  Probably, he wasn't just upset but angry at me, the guy o the girl he liked, telling him to knock it off.

  But Nel seemed to think he was just upset.

  Satisfied with the effectiveness of her toig, she happily ehe view outside the gate.

  She only thought I was scolding her for being rude, not realizing the deeper tension.

  "Boy, you've got it tough.""Not really."

  Dent, the adult in this situation, seemed to see through the exge and sympathized with me. But pared to the bad luck I've had with drop rates, this was nothing.

  Seeing Nel's smiling face as she got excited about the forest, pins, and birds in the sky riceless.

  Though...

  "My butt hurts.""Yeah, mioo."

  After riding for nearly an hour.

  Horseback riding isly fortable.

  "Kid, you'll get used to it with practice."

  For kids like us without levels, even an hour was enough to strain our lower bodies.

  Even I, who was used to riding, felt a bit sore.

  For Nel, who had been boung around without much regard for ba was no wonder she was rubbing her hips after dismounting.

  By the way, Nel, gring at the horse won't do any good—it's not their fault.

  "So, yht us all the way here to hunt mochi and level up?""No, I won't be leveling up due to certain circumstances."

  As long as I wore the "Training Bracelet," my level wouldn't increase. And once equipped, it couldn't be removed for 24 hours.

  "Then, the girl... no, she's wearing ooo. So what are you pnning to do?"

  Knowing this, Dent uzzled about why we had e here if not to level up safely.

  "I want to hunt some ras."

  With a smile, I decred my iions to him.