Winter. I spent my time in hand-to-hand combat training with Barack-san at the Adventurers Guild, and at some point, Sophia, Maria, and even the rear guard Laeva started partic.i.p.ating and it turned into training for our whole party.

「Ha!」「Ya!」「Haa!」

Intense sounds of weapons and our battle cries reverberated in the training center.

This winter, I've come to admire Laeva who is doing her best raising her level for alchemy by subjugating monsters and is doing this s.h.i.+tty uncle's hard training at the Adventurers Guild. Thanks to that effort, she is manifesting the physical abilities distinctive to beastmen, and her growth might be the best amongst us.

Even though it can be said that she has grown the most, her starting line is still different from ours. She hasn't leveled that much this winter, so she has yet to catch up to Sophia and Maria. Nevertheless, Barack-san said that our party is already top cla.s.s in Volton.

「Still, Tak.u.mi. Speaking strictly of destructive power, I think your party is at the top in Volton.」

「Please cut it out, Barack-san.」

I think I had a completely unpleased face.

「We are a party of Alchemist and Blacksmith and guards. We registered at the Adventurers Guild so we could collect materials.」

「Even if you say that about you party, everyone of you can use magic, can't you? There is no adventurer party like this anywhere. Moreover, that magic isn't just Fireb.a.l.l.s and those basic stuff, all your members can use intermediate level attribute magic. The Oneechan, Sophia, can even use Spirit magic. So, being at the top shouldn't be strange, should it.」

In the middle of a break after finis.h.i.+ng the mock battle, Barack-san a.s.sessed our party.

「I think that if your party is joined by pure attacker or a tank (s.h.i.+eld user),it would be the top even in the country. Hey, how about doing an escort request? If you complete the escort request, the Oneechans will all rank up.」

「Hmm, how many days would it take?」

「Well, it's at the town of Kilbas/Kirbas so it will be 4 days if using Tak.u.mi's carriage.」

「Isn't it useless if only our carriage is fast?」

「Ah, no worries. They have a Demon Horse carriage because it's the Papeck Company so it's alright.」

Haa, I guess we could do it.

Sophia nodded when I looked at her.

「I understand. We'll accept that request.」

「Ooh, I see, that's good. We have information that in between Volton and Kilbas, there have been a stream of thieves coming from the direction of Triaria Kingdom. Heath and the other high ranking parties are unavailable.

You've saved me trouble, if it's your party then Papeck Company would have no complaints either.」

「Wait a minute Barack-san, I didn't hear anything about things like thieves.」

「What, you guys have already suppressed thieves before, no?」

「Oof, well, that's true, but」

「Then there's no problem.」

I've somehow been forced into doing the escort request. And there's even information that thieves appear frequently too…………

「It's gonna be fine. Your ranks are based on the number of requests that you've completed, but if we're talking about your true strength, Tak.u.mi and Sophia, whose true strengths are higher than B rank, are more than enough. Maria is a solid C rank. Even Laeva being F rank is because she hasn't been registered for that long.」

「When will the departure be?」

「a.s.sembly will be at the south gate in the morning of the day after tomorrow. I'll process the acceptance of the request.」

And so it has been decided that we'll leave for another town for the first time in a long time.