Chapter 5 - Gutsy Mother

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“Welcome back, Yulg. Is it just me or you’ve grown more manly?”
“Come on, Auntie.”

Rolo’s mother beamed when she saw me, and I could only scratch my head, embarrassed. She’s someone I could never measure up to. Here I thought I would never meet her again, so it was a bit awkward.

“Come on in, come on in. And that good-smelling soup—put it over here.”
“I just threw it together, so I’m not sure it’ll suit your tastes.”
“I’m just surprised that the old troublemaker even knows how to cook for himself!”

Laughed off like that, I slumped my shoulders a little.
You understand things better as you get older. Rolo’s mother really was a remarkable person.
At the very least, I know I wouldn’t welcome someone like me into my home.

“Oh, right. We already took care of the monster, so you can rest easy.”

At Rolo’s words, the auntie’s eyes widened.

“You took it down, Rolo? Wasn’t it a dangerous one?”
“It didn’t stand a chance against the great Skysunder’s strike.”
“Skysunder? What’s that?”
“Yulg’s nickname. He’s kind of a big deal in the city, you know?”
“Hey, Rolo—don’t go exaggerating too much.”

Rolo went on enthusiastically, while auntie listened with a smile.
This place hadn’t changed at all.
And it’s exactly because it hasn’t changed that I feel like maybe I don’t really belong here.

“Tomorrow, I’ll head to Hirte with Yulg to file a report.”
“You’re doing well for yourself, aren’t you… an adventurer, huh.”
“Well… yeah, sort of.”

Rolo gave a dry chuckle.
Since he couldn’t bring himself to say he was kicked out of his party, I offered him a little support.

“Well, I’ll be around for a while. If anything weird or troubling comes up, let us know. We’ve got sharper noses than the average country folk.”
“Aren’t you a country folk yourself!? Some things never change with you, foul-mouthed brat!”

She brandished a ladle and scowled, and I responded with a sheepish smile.
There’s probably no one else who can scold an unruly brat like me and make it stick.

“Still, it is strange, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. I wonder why monsters are showing up from the forest.”
“And real monsters, at that.”

The unexplored region still holds many mysteries.
According to some big-shot scholars from the capital, it’s a kind of dungeon.
A dungeon that’s blended into the natural environment.

Sure, you’d sometimes see small animals or lesser monsters near the edges, but that Vampiric Goat we just took down was the kind that’s officially listed for extermination—not something that should be wandering out here.

“You don’t think it’s an overflow, do you?”
“No idea. That’s something we should probably confirm in Hirte.”
“Yeah.”

Rolo and I nodded at each other.
If it’s just an irregular event, there’s no major problem.
Well, it’s still a problem—but not a catastrophe.

But if monsters like the Vampiric Goat start regularly emerging from the unexplored region into populated areas, that changes everything.
That could mean something’s wrong inside the region—or worse, that a Stampede is coming.
If that happens, this village would be wiped out, and Hirte might be in serious danger too.
It’s definitely not something we can afford to take lightly.

“Yulg, why are you standing there at the entrance with that grim look? Sit down already, will you?”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind, alright?”
“Well, think about it after dinner. Come on now, Rolo too.”

As we were ushered into the dining room, we saw Rolo’s younger siblings already gathered at the table.

“Hey, it’s Yulg!”
“Thanks for the souvenir!”

Rolo’s younger brother, Bitts, and his little sister, Arco, greeted me with big smiles.
They were never shy kids, but seeing them face to face like this was oddly comforting.

“Wow, you two have gotten big.”
“I’m already twelve, you know? I even go into the forest!”
“Arco helps Mama around the house too!”

With no father in the Mercia household, they all supported each other to get by.
Sure, they had help from the community like most rural families, but from what I remember, they were always a little tight on money.
Tight enough that Rolo felt he had to become an adventurer and earn money from outside.

“You’ve grown up well.”
“I’m surprised too. But Bitts… maybe hold off on going into the forest for now.”

Bitts tilted his head.
If he were an adventurer, he’d understand how risky the current situation was. But this was his livelihood—we couldn’t expect him to just accept it.

“Why? The Morborin flowers are just about to bloom, y’know.”
“Because there might be more monsters around.”
“Oh… I think someone in the village said something like that too.”

That lack of urgency was concerning.
But I couldn’t blame him—truth be told, I felt the same way.
This village depends on the forest from the unexplored region for its income.
If no one can go in, it won’t just hurt the Mercia family. A lot of other households will feel it too.

“Look, it’s not forever. But at least try to hold off until we get back from Hirte.”
“Ehh… everything’s gonna get picked clean…”
“Your big brother’s got cash. You’ll survive the winter just fine.”

I brought up Rolo’s wallet, but I wasn’t planning to freeload either.
I’d worked hard enough to nearly make it into the royal selection—Silsasta wasn’t some back-alley party.
I’ve got a decent amount saved up.

“Alright, alright, enough with the complicated talk. Let’s eat!”

Auntie laughed heartily as she placed the pot I brought onto the table.
The hearty spread of local dishes warmed me more than I’d expected.
After all, you can’t get borderland cooking like Marcelle’s in Advente.

“Oh, right. Auntie, is there anything you want me to pick up from Hirte while we’re there? I can get it while I’m out.”

I asked while savoring the chicken stew simmered in tomato sauce, and she looked at me wide-eyed.
Did I say something weird?

“The brat who used to throw tantrums just watering the garden’s now offering to run errands? What, did you eat something bad in the city?”
“I didn’t eat anything bad—just got older. Even I can’t stay a kid forever.”
“My, my, you’ve become such a boring grown-up. Well, if you insist… maybe some cheese? Just a small one is fine.”

She smiled with a strangely triumphant look.

“I want to make your favorite dish.”