"You think that's the same thing? Farming and smithing... is combat power really a factor in either?"
Watching the young man's naive expression, the middle-aged adventurer chuckled.
"Heh. Judging others by yourself."
"You must've come to Orario in the last couple of years. No surprise you don't know how things used to be."
"What do you mean?"
"Tsk tsk. You've never seen the terror of that Priestess of Desolation back when she was active... If she hadn't poured all her energy into agriculture these past few years, Orario'd probably have a few fewer familias by now..."
"Huh? Tell me more, old man."
The middle-aged adventurer glanced at the empty mug of iced ale on the table, and the young man caught his meaning at once.
He waved over a server and pointed at the old hand beside him.
"Miss! Get my buddy here another iced ale, it's on me!"
"Heh, since you're so eager to learn, I'll fill you in."
...
At the corner table, the group watched Leon savoring the house iced ale alongside his small dishes, each of them wearing a different expression.
None of the ladies said a word; they just sat there quietly.
Because everyone knew that, at times like this, the familia's number one mouthpiece would step up of her own accord.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Laurier, the liveliest of the bunch, couldn't hold back. She reached under the table and gave a little tug on Leon's sleeve, her face bright with excitement. After a furtive glance left and right, she dropped her voice and chirped:
"Sisters, did you all hear that!"
"They're talking about us! This is the first time! Looks like we've made a bit of a name for ourselves in the adventurer circles now! Hehe!"
When Laurier finished, Aura, sitting prim and proper beside her, gave a slight nod and offered a quiet guess:
"Aside from the factors of becoming High-Class Adventurers and the Denatus, it should have something to do with the Guild's notice."
"With the news of Mr. Leon, Jeanne, and Rose all promoting to Lv. 2 at the same time getting out, plus Miss Persephone reappearing in everyone's sight after so many years and promoting to Lv. 4, in outsiders' eyes our Demeter Familia suddenly took a huge leap in strength. Naturally that draws attention."
"That's probably it."
Jeanne folded her coat and scarf neatly to one side and sat with her legs together between Rose and Leon, joining the discussion with a serious expression:
"Everyone's well aware of Orario's situation right now. Evilus is hunting for an opening every second of the day, the Dungeon's right there watching like a tiger, and on top of that there are all those ambitious kingdoms near the city. You could say we're surrounded by enemies on all sides."
"In a situation like this, putting the news of our promotions out there and making a big show of it doesn't just boost our personal reputation and the familia's, it also intimidates the forces lurking in the shadows itching to make a move."
"And for the administrative bodies that keep order in the city, it's all upside and no downside. They'd love nothing more than to broadcast a name like that and put to rest the doubts the outside world's had these past few years."
She paused, lowering her voice a touch:
"My guess is, the hand pushing public opinion behind this... that pig at the Guild had a lot to do with it."
Leon took a swig of ale, contentedly pinched a slice of braised beef and stuffed it into his mouth, and spoke through his chewing:
"I heard... Royman's slogan for this whole campaign is: Make Orario Great Again!"
"..."
"This old geezer, does he actually want to recreate the glory of the Zeus and Hera era? He's not short on ambition, I'll give him that..."
...
As the group chatted about all sorts of topics under the sun, the dishes they'd ordered were quickly brought out in full.
"Everyone, all your dishes are here! Enjoy your meal!"
Syr finished with a beaming smile, tray in her arms, then turned on light steps back to the door to keep greeting customers.
Leon pulled his gaze back from her lively, swaying gray ponytail, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"What are you smiling about?"
Leon, his attention already turned to the food in front of him, shook his head. As he portioned out the lemon roast chicken, he murmured in a wistful tone:
"Nothing."
"Just remembering the first time Jeanne and I came to the Hostess of Fertility. Tsk tsk... Back when I was scraping by in Orario, every step was careful, like walking on thin ice."
"Back then, Jeanne and I were both just Lv. 1 small fry. You all know how it is, in a place like Orario, Lv. 1 is a complete nobody, dead bottom of the food chain."
"With no strength to our name, we were terrified of slipping up and getting tangled in some kind of trouble, then bringing disaster down on ourselves out of nowhere."
"Tsk, never thought a whole year would fly by just like that. Now I'm already Lv. 4. Even if I run into that lord again this time around, I won't be the meek little pushover I used to be."
"This shift in mindset... tsk, how do I put it, it's a strange feeling, you know?"
He raised his full mug of iced ale and drained it in one go, casually wiped the ale from the corner of his mouth, and a carefree grin spread across his face:
"Once I had strength, I realized only later that I really had gotten a lot more confident."
"Even the way I carry myself has changed a bit."
"Now that I snap out of it and compare the old me to who I am now... it really feels like a lifetime ago."
The group: "..."
At that moment, Iri, busy stuffing her face, suddenly had her eyes light up. Cheeks puffed out like an adorable little squirrel, she asked curiously:
"Leon, Leon, who's this lord you're talking about?"
At that, Leon shot a meaningful glance toward a certain spot and said with a smile:
"Ah, that's a long story."
"Big brother Leon, your chicken wings!"
"Heh heh, I'll tell you all about it when we get home!"
...
...
More than ten days had passed since the gathering at the Hostess of Fertility.
The overcast skies that had hung over them for nearly half a month finally cleared, scattering reluctantly once the snow stopped. Once again, winter sunlight poured down over this thousand-year-old city.
Leon's home, in the small courtyard.
A ringing clash of steel rang out, blade after blade.
Sword light and blade shadows wove together fiercely, the keen edges refracting a cold, biting glint in the chilly sunlight. Every swing, every thrust carried a sharpness and danger that made the hairs on your skin stand on end.
The two figures in the yard kept their footwork steady, trading attack and defense.
New wounds opened on them from time to time, crimson beads of blood spattering into the cold air.
Yet the blood didn't put the slightest hesitation in their eyes. If anything, it seemed to ignite some kind of will, driving each of them to press the attack even harder. An outsider who didn't know better, witnessing the scene, might think this was a blood feud fought to the death.
...
...