Altruistic Warrior

“Anyway, meeting Aine has brought some excitement to our dull lives. If we had to choose between dungeon raids and leveling you up, we’d all choose the latter.”

But didn’t Barkrud just say he liked dungeon raids? I looked at him to see if he was reluctantly agreeing to help level me up. Understanding my concern, he shook his head.

“I like both. Fighting monsters in both cases. And I like Aine.”

“Oh… I really like all of you too.”

“Good.”

His broad smile was infectious, making me smile too. Barkrud had a way of disarming people in a different way than Jenin.

“And to be honest, we don’t want you to be disrespected by those jerks because of your level. Even though we know those who look down on you are idiots.”

Jerks who look down on me because of my level… Someone immediately came to mind. Hans, who had tried to kill me but ended up being taken down by Kelian’s artifact handkerchief.

“So, you’re not against it anymore, right, Aine?”

Taking advantage of my momentary speechlessness, Jenin grabbed my hand and mimicked a gesture of promise. Although she moved my fingers on her own, it ended up as a promise.

“To level up, we’ll need to go to rare dungeons anyway. Eventually, we’ll reach that SSS-grade rare dungeon too,” Jenin said, trying to reassure me. She didn’t seem to be lying just to make me feel better. Seeing them talk so nonchalantly about it stirred conflicting emotions in me.

Of course, if the Warrior’s party decided to help, I could level up. But more importantly, I wouldn’t have to be separated from them. How long had it been, and already I felt this way…

“Then… please take care of me.”

With my cheeks flushed red, I bowed to them. Kelian and I simply kept holding hands tightly.

“Now, try this.”

When the conversation seemed to wind down, Sayiris offered the dishes she had ordered. Her orders were still strange and unfamiliar, but once I tasted them, they were incredibly delicious, melting in my mouth. My spontaneous praise brought a dangerous smile to her face.

I had come to genuinely appreciate the elaborate staff I had once struggled to adapt to, so it seemed my tastes were gradually aligning with Sayiris’s.

❖ ❖ ❖

“See you soon.”

After the meal, Kelian and I headed to the Lekanon temple. Senior Priest Terrio seemed slightly surprised by our early visit but quickly composed himself and performed the purification skill on me.

“You must have been diligently purifying yourself. It requires less divine power than before.”

With a sincere and kind expression, the devout senior priest spoke, making me barely manage to squeeze out a “Yes…”

“Terrio. The High Priest is waiting for you.”

Another priest called for Terrio from outside the room. It seemed he wasn’t the only one summoned as Terrio also glanced at Kelian standing beside me.

“Hero. Your meeting with the High Priest, as promised…”

“Is it today?”

“If the High Priest permits, it could be another day, but since you’re here, it would be good to meet today. Is it inconvenient for you?”

“I don’t mind.”

Kelian, who responded nonchalantly, looked at me sitting on the sofa.

“I need to step out for a while.”

“Oh, go ahead.”

At my prompt response, Terrio made a friendly suggestion.

“How about exploring the temple in the meantime? With its 100-year history, you might find it quite fascinating.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

I hadn’t had a relaxed visit to the temple in recent times, but exploring this grand structure in the imperial capital seemed like a worthwhile experience.

“I’ll assign you a guide.”

At the senior priest’s command, the priest who had come to fetch Terrio and Kelian became my guide. I wasn’t sure if a guide was necessary, but hearing that the temple was so vast many visitors got lost, I quickly agreed.

“I’ll return to you as soon as possible.”

“…”

Kelian, who I thought would leave quickly, hugged me tightly and made such a statement. Anyone would think he was going far away. But I was delighted by his words and ended up smiling foolishly.

“Yes, return as soon as you can.”

“…Should I not go?”

“Just go.”

Sensing Terrio’s uneasy gaze behind us, I urged Kelian to leave.

“I will show you around the temple.”

After they left, I followed the young priest who bowed politely.

Walking down an open corridor without windows, the priest explained that we were heading to the prayer hall, where visitors prayed.

Wearing the white robe Kelian gave me, like a shawl, I walked down the corridor, admiring the beautiful ceiling, something I hadn’t noticed before. The previous visits were too dark and stressful to appreciate it properly. I was in awe.

“Everyone who sees it for the first time is impressed.”

The quiet priest couldn’t hide his pride and continued to boast about the temple.

“But even this is nothing compared to the grandeur of the prayer hall. Normally, only those with significant contributions or high ranks in the empire can enter, but for the Warrior’s party, exceptions can be made.”

Though his tone seemed to boast about the privilege, I nodded, appreciating the opportunity to visit the renowned prayer hall.

The priest led me down a staircase and through a long corridor, finally stopping at a massive tawny door. After struggling to open it, he ushered me inside, where I finally saw the impressive grandeur he had been boasting about.

“Wow…”

It was a colossal statue. In the center of the expansive prayer hall, wide enough for children to run around, stood an intricately beautiful male statue, carved from stone, gazing down with lifelike eyes.

“It’s a statue of the god, unlike any in the empire.”

“Did the god make it?”

“Of course not. It’s the final work of Antonio, a sculptor who claimed to have seen the god in a dream.”

Saika apologized with a confused expression. His trembling hands handed me the robe, which I snatched back to cover myself. While I could tell he hadn’t meant any harm, I was too embarrassed to stay in the room, so I urged Priest Paeon to move quickly.

“Priest, let’s go…”

“Oh, yes.”

Finally composed, Priest Paeon led me out of the prayer hall. I could feel Saika’s intense gaze on my back, but I resisted the urge to look back. Perhaps I should have worn heavier clothes despite the heat to avoid this kind of embarrassment.

As I followed Paeon to the choir practice area, someone approached us and swept me into a strong, familiar embrace. Kelian, who had marked my body with countless traces, looked at me with more beauty than the statue I had seen earlier.

“Are you finished already?”

“Yes.”

I had expected the meeting with the High Priest to take longer, but it ended sooner than I thought.

“Was everything okay?”

“Yes, it was…”

My answer trailed off as I remembered Saika Ail. Though his appearance was completely different from Kelian’s, they shared the same surname. I had to ask.

“Kelian, do you have any siblings?”

“No.”

His immediate and unwavering response left me speechless. I guess Saika was unrelated after all. Perhaps it was just a common surname.

“I missed you, Aine.”

Kelian’s words, though we had been apart for only a short while, sounded as if we had been separated for a year. It was both touching and a bit absurd, but it warmed my heart, so I hugged him tightly.

“I missed you too.”

As we embraced, I felt the prickling gaze of someone nearby. Turning my head, I saw Senior Priest Terrio and Priest Paeon watching us intently. Their expressions clearly said, “You two are overdoing it.”

❖ ❖ ❖

The “Level Up Aine” operation started with inviting me back to the Warrior’s party. Kelian looked at me mournfully, urging me not to leave the party abruptly again, while Jenin echoed his sentiments and Barkrud nodded in agreement. My guilt surged like a river, and I promised repeatedly not to leave the party without notice.

“You said you’re level 29? You’ll soon reach 30, so we should get equipment suitable for that level.”

“I recently bought a mid-level club, so it’s fine…”

“Let’s go!”

Even though I already had a weapon I recently purchased, they dismissed it as trash and immediately dragged me to the weapon shop district.

The capital’s shopping district was much larger and busier than any I had seen before. Without Jenin pulling me along and Kelian watching over me from behind, I might have been swept away by the crowd. Jenin’s playful smiles each time she pulled me back made me smile in return.

“What kind of weapon are you looking for?”

A blacksmith with a commanding presence asked as he looked over our group. His respectful tone was almost unnerving. Jenin greeted him with a light gesture and explained.

“We’re looking for a club suitable for someone in their 30s level range.”

“A club? That’s a unique choice of weapon.”

“It’s not for me, it’s for Aine here.”

Following Jenin’s gaze, the blacksmith looked at me.

“Can you show me the weapon you’ve been using? Something you’re familiar with.”

“I had to throw away my old club because it broke beyond repair. This is a recently purchased one that’s been working fine.”

Although I felt I didn’t need a new weapon, the party’s enthusiasm left me no choice but to pull out the mid-level club from my inventory.

The blacksmith examined the club carefully and then asked in a surprised tone.

“Where did you get this…?”

“Just from a shop. Is it a good weapon?”

“No, it’s the worst weapon I’ve ever seen.”

“…”

I thought it was decent compared to my previous, cheap club. But looking at the blacksmith’s expression, I decided not to voice that opinion.

“Such a waste of materials. No, the materials are poor, and the craftsmanship is even worse.”

He had nothing but complaints about the perfectly good club. I carefully retrieved the club from him and placed it back in my inventory.

“It needs to be durable since she’ll be using skills.”

Kelian, who had been watching silently, spoke to the blacksmith. For some reason, the blacksmith flinched and then nodded.

“That’s a given since it’s made in our workshop.”

“I’d like it made of mithril.”

“…Mithril, you say? Do you have the materials?”

After that, Kelian and the blacksmith were silent for a moment. It seemed like they were making a deal. But making a club out of mithril? It was a weapon for me, who hadn’t even reached level 30 yet?

I didn’t want to belittle the club that was my lifelong weapon, but mithril was a name that usually appeared when talking about legendary weapons used by Warriores, so I was very flustered.

“Kelian…”

“Aine.”

Just as I was about to dissuade him, Kelian, who had paused the deal with the blacksmith, quickly turned around and looked at me.

“Back then, when you collapsed… I was very worried.”

In this context, he wasn’t suddenly bringing up the time I fainted from exhaustion… It seemed he was talking about when I had collapsed fighting Hans.

“I don’t want to see that again.”

“…”

“So.”

It seemed he meant for me to quietly accept the weapon, whether it was made of wood or mithril.

My pupils trembled as Kelian gently pulled me into an embrace and looked down at me with pleading eyes. He wasn’t the type of person to do this, but if he had ordered me to take it, I would have refused more easily. However, with him holding me and begging, I couldn’t bring myself to say I didn’t need it.

“Okay…”

“You made a good decision.”

He smiled at my reluctant answer and left a short kiss on my forehead. Then he returned to his cold demeanor and finished the deal with the blacksmith. Feeling somewhat deceived, I looked around… Jenin and the rest of the group were all squinting at Kelian.

“Disgusting…”

“Acting pitiful…”

Especially Jenin and Dain whispered something to each other, but I couldn’t hear them well from my side.

“With regular materials, it could be completed in half a day, but since it’s mithril, it will take a day.”

“Then I’ll come back at this time tomorrow.”

“Very well. Ah, and…”

The blacksmith, who was much more respectful when dealing with Kelian, hesitated for a moment before handing him something.

“Could you write your name here? My children admire you, the Warrior…”

“…”

“No, it would be better if you engraved it on this stone tablet.”

He handed Kelian a stone tablet the size of a human head and a dagger. Though the blacksmith’s actions were a bit strange, Kelian, as if used to it, carved his name into the stone tablet with the dagger.

“I’ll keep this as a family heirloom!”

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Whether he cared or not, Kelian turned around and approached me. The group that had entered together now exited the workshop together.

The next shop they suggested going to was fortunately nearby, but due to the crowd that had gathered in the alley by the workshop, it took a while before we could finally enter the shop. This time, it seemed like everyone had gathered to see the Warrior’s party. From the first time we visited the Lekanon temple…

“You all are more famous in the capital.”

You were already famous elsewhere, attracting spectators wherever we went, but in this capital city, it felt even more pronounced. Especially Kelian, it seemed there was hardly anyone who didn’t recognize him. Jenin scratched her cheek.

“Is that so? It does seem that way… Probably because Kelian grew up here in Rilkai.”

Following her gaze to Kelian, he added.

“This is my hometown.”

“I see…”

It was the background of the story Jenin had told around the campfire, about Kelian being called a Warrior since he was eighteen. No wonder no one around here didn’t know him, considering he was regarded as a Warrior at that age.

Despite the many things to see, the sheer number of people drained my energy, making Rilkai suddenly feel like a familiar city. In reality, there wasn’t anything familiar about it, but knowing it was Kelian’s hometown…

But I realized I knew very little about Kelian.

It was a sudden realization. Even considering the short time we’d spent together, it was quite shocking that I didn’t even know his hometown, despite having a relationship with him. I remembered hearing more detailed stories about the other members of the party.

“…”

I suddenly grabbed Kelian’s arm next to me. He kindly bent down, not knowing my thoughts.

“Kelian.”

“Yes, Aine.”

He had gone to the trouble of bending down, so I whispered in his ear.

“I want to know more about you.”

“…”

“Could you tell me more tonight?”

Since it was bright out now, we were walking around shops, and we would have dinner in the evening, I thought it would be good to talk quietly at night. Kelian’s expression seemed to darken a bit.

“Do you not want to?”

Was it too soon to ask such things? When would be a good time to ask? Of course, if he didn’t want to, I wouldn’t insist. I was curious because I liked him, not because I wanted to make him uncomfortable.

“Of course not.”

Kelian answered in a low voice, as if suppressing something. Even though there was no reason to, his voice sounded absurdly seductive. He often whispered in such a low voice during intimate moments.

‘I want to go deeper.’

‘You’re so hot inside…’

‘I’ll spread my legs more, Aine.’

…like that.

“Aine.”

“Ah!”

Jenin, who placed a hand on my shoulder, widened her eyes in surprise at my exaggerated reaction.

“Were you really startled?”

“Oh, no. I was just lost in thought for a moment… What is it, Jenin?”

“I wanted to know what you think of this.”

While she led me around, showing me various magical equipment, it seemed that Kelian was also browsing the items with Sayiris.

I was so surprised that I thought my heart might drop. To think such thoughts in broad daylight, in a shop no less! I was so shocked I wanted to hit my head. I lightly smacked my forehead to get a grip, and Jenin tilted her head curiously.

“Aine, what are you doing?”

“Just trying to snap out of it.”

“Haha, that’s funny.”

Fortunately, Jenin seemed to find my actions amusing.

We continued looking at all sorts of functional clothes with magical enchantments, jewelry like necklaces and rings, and other artifacts. I ended up almost forcibly wearing the items they picked out for me. As we diligently browsed other shops, the day gradually came to an end. It was completely dark by the time we returned to the inn.

“An artifact mage is like a blacksmith; they can’t be considered a proper mage.”

“Enchanting artifacts with magic is still magic. They use magic skills, so why can’t they be called mages?”