Chapter 29: The Troublesome Two

Lyla, despite her personality, was an excellent hunter and undeniably beautiful. Because of this, she had many acquaintances and admirers in the Northern Town. As soon as dinner was over, the inn's patrons invited her and Dred to join them for drinks. She accepted enthusiastically, and the two quickly became the center of attention.

With Leon staying behind, Shou walked home with Falco, their hands clasped together. Falco was silent, but he refused to let go of her the entire way.

The next day, Dred expressed interest in seeing how their hunting party operated. Despite Falco’s obvious reluctance, Lyla insisted on joining them.

“Honestly, Lyla is a plague upon Falco’s life,” Gina muttered.

Shou remained silent, peeling potatoes beside her. Gold attempted to smooth things over.

“Well, they’re family. It’s normal for a mother to join a hunt or stay over.”

“It should be the other way around! Lyla should be the one hosting her son, looking after him, and asking about his well-being first! Not the other way around!”

“You’re expecting Lyla to act like a mother? If she were capable of that, she wouldn’t have abandoned a fifteen-year-old with nothing to his name.”

“Ugh, that makes me so angry.”

Fifteen years old… with nothing?

“Hey, Gina, even us younger guild members have personal accounts where we save the money from hunting slimes. How did Falco end up with nothing?”

Gina sighed. “I shouldn’t have said anything… Lyla and Falco always traveled together, so they hunted as a pair and never bothered to keep separate accounts. He wasn’t even officially registered with the guild as a junior member. When Lyla left, she took everything they had and set off on another journey, completely forgetting that she’d left her son behind with no means to support himself. The townspeople didn’t know what had happened at first, so they treated Falco like some fragile thing they couldn’t approach. Before anyone realized it, he collapsed from starvation. That was a real scare.”

“That’s awful…”

No wonder Gina was always so harsh toward Lyla.

“After that, he joined as an apprentice. But Falco was already too strong for the others his age, and he never really fit in. He always had this distant, glassy-eyed look, like he wasn’t really seeing anyone.”

“I see.”

“And yet, when Lyla returned, she just shrugged it off and said, ‘Well, he survived, didn’t he?’ Sure, maybe Falco became an outstanding hunter because of her, but still…”

Gina let out a deep sigh.

“Gina, don’t tell her too much. If Falco ever wants to talk about it, he’ll do it himself,” Gold cautioned.

“You’re right. Shou, sorry about that. It was a heavy topic.”

“No, it’s okay. I learned a lot.”

“Honestly, I don’t want that selfish woman staying at your place, but she’s still his mother. Falco won’t refuse her. If anything bothers you, come tell me, alright?”

“Thanks, Gina.”

By the time they finished their work, the hunting party had returned. Unlike when they left, they seemed energized.

“It’s been ages since I hunted with a magician outside the Lakes. There’s a lot of potential there.”

“Hmm. However, the sword is still more efficient for defeating monsters. Magic alone can’t keep up when dealing with large numbers.”

Leon and Dred chatted animatedly. Falco was as expressionless as ever, but Lyla looked pleased.

“Welcome back.”

“We’re home, Shou.”

Falco’s face softened in relief.

The group sat down for dinner, with Leon and Dred still engaged in discussion. They debated whether large-scale fire magic could efficiently take down more than five monsters at a time, or if close combat was ultimately superior. The topic shifted to fighting alongside magicians in battle.

As Shou quietly ate her meal, she thought to herself. Fighting side by side with a magician? Aren’t magicians supposed to be in the rear, providing support? Also, if Dred is using wide-area magic, wouldn’t it be more efficient to target single enemies unless they were tightly packed together? He must have an enormous magic capacity.

If it were me… I’d use wind magic to knock the monsters off balance, making it easier for the hunters to finish them off.

Or maybe water magic. Cold water to slow them down…

"Shou!"

Hmm?

"You stopped eating," Falco pointed out.

"Oh, sorry. Thanks."

"What were you thinking about?"

Falco asked gently.

"I was just wondering how I would use magic in battle."

Dred glanced at the yellow apprentice sash tied around Shou’s waist.

"You’re a healer. Focus on healing first."

His tone was dismissive. Hmph. Arrogant. Shou decided to ignore him.

"Wait, are you two the ‘Black Wolf and the Little Healer’?" Lyla suddenly interjected.

Huh?

"Shou, you already have a title?" Leon burst into laughter.

"I figured ‘Black Wolf’ referred to Falco, but I didn’t know the healer in question. So, it’s you—the one known for healing not just the body, but the heart as well."

Lyla gave her a curious look. Healing the heart? What nonsense. Rumors are terrifying.

"Well, Shou, tell us what you were thinking," Leon encouraged.

“…Alright.”

"First, magicians don’t fight alone. They can’t defend themselves."

"True."

"Since they use ranged attacks, they should focus on supporting the frontline fighters."

"That’s obvious."

"Fire magic is inefficient. Instead, use wind magic to strike the monsters’ legs and knock them over."

The room went silent.

"Then let the hunters finish them off."

A deep hush fell over the inn.

"Or, use cold water or wind magic to slow them down."

The cooling spells Shou had developed over the summer had been a massive hit in town. People were thrilled to have chilled drinks, something they had never considered before. Many had learned to use the spells themselves.

"And then, the hunters—"

"—Again with the hunters!" Leon burst out, making everyone laugh.

"But really, magicians are most useful in large-scale battles. Instead of focusing on maximizing power, they should consider how to be most efficient in a group setting."

Shou glanced at Dred. His expression was unreadable.

"If you want to test your limits, then sure, go ahead and see what you can accomplish alone. But if it were me, I’d focus on refining smaller, more controlled magic rather than expanding large-scale spells."

Silence.

"I’m getting my things," Dred muttered, standing up. Lyla followed. At some point, dinner had ended.

Leon smirked at Shou. Oh, great. Now I look like an arrogant kid.

Falco, on the other hand, gazed at her warmly. Oh no, he’s probably thinking ‘My Shou is smart and adorable’ on repeat.

Those two need to leave already.