Setting Out
"This ought to be far enough..." muttered Cairn, stepping off the road and concealing himself behind a tree before pulling out the Interspatial Pouch and slinking inside. The pouch became invisible when he was inside, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
"The prodigal son returns..." quipped Zarah, standing behind Fleur at the already cleared dining table. The latter was reading from the pages of an ancient-looking grimoire, but she took the time to raise her gaze and give Cairn a half-lidded stare before returning to her studies.
"The gate was closed, and I got distracted," contended Cairn, shrugging his shoulders before looking around and asking, "Where are the others...?" He could extrapolate that Kaia and Sera were on their way down from his room using the proximity function, but it never hurt to make conversation.
"Reine is in the kitchen, Elle and Mari are still setting up their workstation, and I presume that Noblewoman's Party is somewhere kicking stones as they wait for your dumb ass to arrive."
"Man, someone's testy this morning..." muttered Cairn, turning his gaze to the dining room's entrance as Kaia and Sera, who were quickly becoming good, perhaps even best friends, arrived.
Contrasting Zarah's and Fleur's less-than-welcoming reactions, Kaia and Sera smiled when they saw Cairn. Instead of greeting him, however, Sera tolled Cairn's brain like a gong as she narrowed her eyes, smiling as she remarked, "I see you were able to receive my mother's blessing. She was worried you might refuse it."
"Yeah..." replied Cairn, smiling awkwardly as he took a moment to check his Status. It mentioned nothing about a blessing, but since his HP and even MP Regeneration had been boosted, similar to when he had finished a hearty meal, it was clear Andrika had done 'something.'
"I'm happy for you," said Sera, grasping Cairn's right hand and bringing it to her lips before kissing his index finger. In response, he used said hand to caress her head gently so as not to mess it up. Then, shifting his gaze to Kaia, he asked, "Can you go and bring Elizabeth's Party to the clearing near the well?"
"Of course," responded Kaia, placing her hand over her chest and bowing slightly before turning to depart. Her actions were a bit formal for Cairn's taste, reminding him of when they first started traveling together, but he imagined she would return to normal once Sera acclimated to their group and stopped egging on her sense of duty.
"Well, I'm gonna grab something to eat real quick," said Cairn, gesturing to the kitchen with his thumb. He expected Sera to want to accompany him, but she returned a radiant smile and replied, "I understand. I shall wait here and depart with you once you return. Please give Ms. Dakota my regards."
"Sure thing..." replied Cairn, an awkward smile adorning his face as he beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen. He knew Sera felt it was her duty, her purpose, to support him, but he didn't expect her to be so...unabashed. It wasn't a bad thing, per se, but he got the distinct impression she wouldn't lose her smile even if he became a villain and started torturing and killing people indiscriminately...
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Seeing Cairn approaching with Sera, the Mage Apprentice, Leona, raised her brows and asked, "It's just you two?"
"Hey, don't exclude my favorite fluff," said Cairn, emphasizing who he was talking about by petting Kaia's head. She was a little embarrassed to have her head pat in front of other people, but she smiled and puffed her chest out all the same.
Nodding her head, Elizabeth metaphorically stuck her nose to Cairn's ass by pointing out, "If you recall, Leo, Sir Cairn and Lady Kai'ankh were able to venture into the Den of Greed with just the two of them. I'm certain this newest addition to their Party is equally capable."
Shifting her gaze to Sera, Elizabeth stepped forward, extended her right hand, and adopted a practiced smile as she said, "My name is Elizabeth. As seen by my chosen weapon and attire, I am a Knight. Might I have the honor of hearing your name and occupation?"
Though Cairn tensed slightly when Elizabeth asked for Sera's occupation, he quickly learned his worries were unfounded when she bowed her head slightly, ignoring the hand proferred to her as she replied, "My given name is Sera. As for my occupation, I am a High Priestess."
Retracting her hand, Elizabeth smoothly remarked, "It's very reassuring to have you with us," before turning to the visibly pale Leona and asking, "Is there anything else you would like to add?"
Composing herself as quickly as she could, Leona bowed toward Sera and expressed, "I spoke out of turn. As a mere Mage Apprentice, I should not have questioned the capabilities of others..."
Covering her mouth, narrowing her eyes, and giggling, Sera remarked, "What an amusing group of people. However, while it's apparent you've already realized my true identity, there's no need for formalities. You and your group are here at the grace of Sir Cairn. So long as he abides you, I will treat your injuries and ailments as if you were my dearest friends and allies."
"Well, that secret didn't last long..." said Cairn, scratching the back of his head with a slight frown. He wasn't really angry, but it was beginning to dawn on him that anyone who recognized him could fairly easily deduce the identities of the people around him, just as Kaia's Karakut appearance could be used to identify him.
Lowering his hand, Cairn passed his gaze over Elizabeth and the rest of her Party as he said, "Listen. Just as I don't give a shit about the politics of the Runegraad Kingdom, I don't especially care about my appointment as Champion. My only goal is to become powerful enough to live and do as I please while protecting the things I care about. I'm not here to solve anyone else's problems, just as I wouldn't expect the average person to step in and solve mine."
Fixing his gaze on Elizabeth, Cairn ended his speech by stating, "If you simply want to get stronger, I don't have any problem with you following me around. But if you betray my trust by using my name or status without my approval, don't be surprised when I tell you to fuck off and wipe your own ass..."
"I'll keep that in mind and carve it in my heart," replied Elizabeth, bowing her head low and respectfully. Leona and Yuuna mirrored her actions, but Johnathan, seemingly not caring about the conversation, just stared into the distance with a bored look, his gaze focused on a spotted deer hidden amid the trees...
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[Two Days Later]
Though it would have been infinitely more efficient to let Kaia carry the Interspatial Pouch while they waited within, Cairn wasn't comfortable with the idea of entrusting everything to her while the rest of them sat on their asses. Instead, since Kaia had already attuned to Sera by praying to her, Cairn gave her permission to travel ahead of them while they followed the road and helped anyone they encountered along the way.
"Is this the best you can do, you snarling sacks of shit...!?" shouted Cairn, his expression concealed beneath his helmet, but everyone present could imagine him grinning like a jackal as he thrashed a group of Three-Horned Wolves with his bare hands. By separating from the rest of the group and entrusting Elizabeth's Party to protect Sera, Cairn was able to compel the group of Level 10-12 pack hunters to surround and focus him, their vicious teeth and claws failing to deal even a single point of damage as, thanks to her [Sacred Pact], the Damage Mitigation granted by his [Heavenly Divine Body] had doubled to 1000.
Grasping one of the grey-furred wolves by the head, Cairn smashed it into the ground with enough force to pulpify its skull while another seized the opportunity to close in and bite his neck from the left. Two others bit his mantle and arm, digging their feet into the ground and pulling in opposing directions, but since the protective membrane of [Heavenly Divine Body] extended to his equipment, Cairn equipped an [Aberrant Aegis] to his left hand, extending its blade into the stomach of the wolf attempting to bite his neck before rising to his feet, ignoring the wolf failing to sink its teeth into his mantle while raising the arm the other was dangling from.
"Tenacious little bastard, ain'tcha?" asked Cairn, taking advantage of the fact the first wolf had dissolved to stab the second in the stomach, killing it instantly. By then, the wolves along the perimeter had fled, leaving only the one behind him. It flinched and tried to run when Cairn turned around, but he managed to grasp it by its thick scruff, causing it to yelp and whine as he picked it up like a puppy and carried it over to the rest of the group.
"This one's for you," said Cairn, proferring the German Shepherd-sized wolf to Johnathan. His [Huntsman] Class allowed him to kill and butcher monsters without them dispersing into 'essence.' The downside was that they provided no Experience at the time of butchering, but since the meat and materials retained the monster's Mana, meals prepared with it could grant various buffs and bestow a fraction of the original Experience to the consumer.
Unsheathing the dagger at his hip, Johnathan unhesitantly slit the throat of the Three-Horned Wolf before accepting it from Cairn, holding the poor creature upside down by the tail as the blood drained from its slit arteries. It was a fairly gruesome sight, but no one, not even Sera, flinched as they would have suffered an equally grisly fate had they been weak enough to become the wolves' prey.
Seizing the opportunity now that the battle had ended, Elizabeth returned her longsword to its sheathe and said, "While I could never grow weary of witnessing Sir Cairn's indomitable might, I can't help feeling that my Party could be doing more to contribute..."
"These monsters are too weak," contended Cairn. "Besides, what can be more important than protecting our only healer when we don't know how long we'll be out here?"
Though Cairn's argument was sound, a slight frown marred Elizabeth's face. Her primary reason for following him was the rumor stating that the allies of a Champion grew at a monstrous pace, but if things continued as they were, the only person who would grow was him.
Seeing through Elizabeth's thoughts, Cairn revealed his face, grinning as he said, "Relax. I'm not trying to gatekeep you or anything. I explained to you the existence of Levels, right? Well, with the Levels of you and your Party, you would have to massacre well over a thousand of these wolves for each of you to Level up a single time. It's better to save the Durability of your equipment for opponents that matter."
Closing her eyes and exhaling a faint sigh, Elizabeth muttered, "If that's the case, I will do my best to endure. However, if there's anything I can do to contribute, please let me know. Standing back and watching others work makes me...uncomfortable."
"That's what makes our Elizabeth different from most Nobles~" chimed Yuuna, sporting her usual smile. "She treats others well and works hard to grow stronger without undermining those around her. She's way different from Leona~"
"Hey! What are you saying right in front of the person you're talking about!?' exclaimed Leona, looking aghast as she couldn't believe Yuuna was slandering her in front of the Champion and Saintess.
"Who was it who used to pour milk on me and make fun of my breasts back at the Academy~?" asked Yuuna, maintaining her radiant smile as she peered at Leona through narrowed eyes.
"That...you know I didn't mean anything by it..." muttered Leona, averting her eyes and hanging her head to avoid everyone's gazes. In truth, she was still jealous of Yuuna's looks, but how could she not be? All the guys she was interested in only had eyes for Elizabeth's status or Yuuna's tits. As a result, she was the only one in their group who graduated from the Royal Academy as a virgin. Not because she was particularly prudish but because most of the guys that approached her of their own accord simply failed to meet her standard...
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