A way to go travel

"I see."

a voice came from the entrance of the store. Both Sero and Historia looked toward the door, where they saw Jin Rolan standing with sero's younger sister Jin ramy.

Sero realized that her grandfather had overheard the words she said, and she felt bad about it. She avoided looking at her grandfather and kept her eyes down.

“Grandpa..”

Jin Amy watched with saddened eyes, while Historia also looked worried. After a brief silence, Rolan finally spoke.

"I know… I’ve always known that you love traveling. But I never let you go. Why? Because I was too worried. I didn’t want you to end up like your parents…"

 He took a deep breath before continuing, his voice filled with regret.

 "I was the one who stood in the way of your dream, and for that… I sincerely apologize.”

Sero heard what her grandfather said and turned her head back to look. Then, Rolan continued speaking, 

..

“But still... I can't allow you to go yet.”

Hearing those words, Sero felt hurt and responded,

 “Why??”

“Because you still don't understand how dangerous the outside world is. And you’re not strong enough to face it yet.”

"I'm not a kid anymore! I've gotten stronger than before, haven't I?"

Then… Sero suddenly remembered Yota and Vanniez and spoke up, 

"I also have friends who will go with me. They seem pretty strong."

Even though Sero didn’t really know much about Yota and Vanniez, she mentioned them without hesitation—just to convince her grandfather to give his permission.

..

"Friends? Do you really think you can truly trust them?”

“You still don’t understand anything about the outside world. And do you really believe your friends are strong enough to protect themselves?"

"That's exactly why! I want to explore the outside world—I want to learn about it because I don’t know anything yet! And... my friends are strong enough to protect themselves. As for me, I’m strong enough to defend myself too!"

Before her grandfather, Rolan, could say anything else, Sero stopped listening and walked out of the shop.Her younger sister, Amy, felt sad, and although Historia tried to stop her, Sero refused to listen and left anyway. Sero walked out of the store, feeling somewhat mad at her grandpa. She started wandering around the city.

 Meanwhile, Vanniez and I spent the entire day exploring. By the end of the day, we finally returned to our lodging. My body felt exhausted after walking around all day.At the register counter of the lodging where Yota and Vanniez were currently staying, another guest arrived to check in.That person was Perogoutis, who had taken on the appearance of James.

“One room for tonight.”

 He said to the receptionist.Since no one noticed his true form, he felt proud of himself.

(Hah... Last night, I really got lucky running into that fool. Otherwise, I would’ve had to waste time looking for someone to mimic, I’ll stay here for the night, and by tomorrow, I’ll move on to another city.)

Perogoutis thought to himself. For a moment, Vanniez crossed his mind.

(That guy... I’ll settle the score next time. Right now, my own safety comes first.)

“The room costs $55," the receptionist said.

Perogoutis was irritated by the high price, but as he reached into his bag to take out the money, the receptionist at the counter suddenly noticed something.

They gasped and shouted, "AHH! That’s the guy who robbed the bank last night!!"

Perogoutis was startled and became flustered.

'What? Me??'

As soon as the receptionist shouted, the people in the lobby panicked. Some were frightened, while others, filled with anger, tried to capture him.Meanwhile, the receptionist quickly alerted the city's defense force

Perogoutis suddenly panicked and bolted out of the lodging.

'Shit! What the hell is going on?! Who even is the guy I copied?! Don’t tell me… was he a criminal?! Damn it, I’m screwed!'

Meanwhile, as Vanniez and I were resting in our room, we heard the commotion outside. Curious, we looked out the window.

Perogoutis, still in James’ form, ran through the city, looking for a place to hide.He wanted to return to his true form, but since his real body was that of a wild wolf, transforming in the middle of the city would only cause more trouble. Deciding it was safer to find a deserted area first, he hurried away.

Meanwhile, after arguing with her grandfather and storming out of the shop, Sero stood by the large body of water in the city, staring at its surface.Her younger sister had followed her and softly called out, 

“Sis..”

Sero turned to look at Amy.

“Amy? Why did you come out here? Did you come alone?”

Amy looked at her sister and spoke softly.

“Please don’t be mad at Grandpa. He… he’s just worried about you, that’s why he says those things. And… you know, Amy actually agree with you about exploring the world. You don’t have to worry about Sis Historia or Grandpa, and you don’t have to worry about Amy either. Just go and chase the dreams you want to achieve.”

“One day… I’ll follow after you too.”

Sero noticed the sadness in Amy’s expression. Stepping closer,Then she gently patted Amy’s head.

“Amy… I’ve made up my mind.Grandpa was right. I still don’t fully understand the dangers of the outside world. And… I’m not strong enough yet.That’s why—I’ll make myself stronger first. Then, when the time comes, I’ll go explore the world.”

Amy realized that the words her sister spoke weren’t truly how she felt.

“Big sis! You don’t have to do that! You’re already strong enough. Don’t waste any more time—just do what you really want to do. Don’t worry about Grandpa either.Amy will try to explain it to him!” 

As Sero and Amy were talking, suddenly, Perogoutis, disguised as James, sprinted toward them. Sero immediately sensed that Perogoutis was a dangerous person.

Without hesitation, Sero quickly positioned herself behind Amy, extending her arm and shouting,

“『Ice Cube!』”

With the power of ice, she froze Perogoutis's feet as he ran toward them.Perogoutis, furious, drew out his two daggers and began to slice through the ice. However, he remained in James's form, never having fully reverted back to his true form.

Perogoutis looked at Sero and said, "If you want to stay alive, don't get in my way. I have no intention of fighting with children."

Sero, hearing this, replied fiercely, "I’m not a child! I will make sure to catch you!"

Sero then prepared to use her ice powers again.

[Among Elves, certain individuals possess elemental powers, passed down through their bloodlines, such as water, wind, fire, and others. This power is not exclusive to Elves but can also be found among humans, beasts, and wizards, who may have unique or extraordinary abilities of their own.]

“You damn kid!" Perogoutis shouted. 

"You don't listen to adults, huh? Before I really get angry, you should leave—"

Before Perogoutis could finish his sentence, Sero used her ice powers to launch a sharp ice shard straight at his abdomen. Perogoutis winced in pain, feeling the slight sting of the wound. Unable to tolerate it any longer, he decided to retaliate and attacked Sero in anger.

Perogoutis threw one of his daggers toward Sero and the others. Sero, seeing her younger sister Amy holding out her hand, quickly avoided the dagger. The speed of the dagger was so intense that it hit the large body of water behind them, making a splashing sound as it struck.

Sero told her sister Amy to run and inform the city's protectors, while Amy, though worried about her sister, quickly ran off to ask for help. Sero, focused and prepared to fight Perogoutis, noticed him charging toward her, raising his dagger. Perogoutis, not intending to kill Sero but to intimidate her by striking the ground with it. Sero swiftly dodged like the wind, quickly maneuvering around Perogoutis' side and delivered another blow to his abdomen. Perogoutis felt the force of Sero’s strike, the second hit from the young girl.

Sero proudly spoke about her actions, saying, “See? That’s the result of my daily training!” 

Perogoutis, enraged, tightened his grip on his dagger and slammed it into the ground with great force.

“『Ground Smash!』”

The ground where he struck with his dagger suddenly cracked, and the area where Sero was standing collapsed, causing her to lose her balance and fall.

As Sero fell, Perogoutis swiftly moved towards her, striking with his dagger like a flash. Sero, fortunately, managed to dodge the attack, but due to the speed of his strike, she received a slight wound on her cheek.Sero was frightened because it was the first time in her life that she had seen blood coming from her body, and she lost the strength to continue fighting Perogoutis.

Perogoutis looked at the fallen Sero and spoke,

 “You should thank me for not ending your life.” 

After saying that, Perogoutis decided to run away, but unfortunately, someone arrived from behind and struck him with a powerful blow to his back. Perogoutis winced in pain and turned to see Sero's grandfather, Jin Rolan.

 “Seriously?? One after another?” he muttered in anger.

“Did you just hurt my granddaughter?" 

Jin Rolan’s anger flared up, and he was ready to fight Perogoutis.Sero looked in awe at her grandfather in front of her, feeling regret and sorrow for the things she had said earlier.

“Grandpa..”

Perogoutis pulled out more daggers from his belt, ready for the fight. Jin Roland also clenched his fist tightly, preparing for the battle.

[Jin Rolan]

[He has white and grey mixed hair and stands at 183cm (6'0"). He doesn't use weapons for combat; instead, he relies on his strong fists. As for his abilities, Rolan is highly skilled in using Ice and Air, He is the first in the Jin family to pass down these abilities. Unlike other elves, Rolan was born without golden hair, which led him to face prejudice in his childhood. Over time, he became a strong figure in the city and is now regarded as a hero by the people.]

Perogoutis and Rolan started fighting. Both of them were attacking swiftly and fiercely, and Sero watched their battle with amazement.

Perogoutis struck Rolan's arm with his dagger, but due to Rolan's arm being as tough as steel, Perogoutis's dagger broke. As soon as Rolan saw the dagger break, he swiftly adjusted his arm and forcefully thrust at Perogoutis with great speed.

“『Ice Smash!』”

Perogoutis felt the cold and powerful strike and was sent flying forwards.Sero watched in awe as her grandfather demonstrated his combat skills, then said with excitement,

 “Wow, Grandpa! That was amazing! You truly deserve to be honored as the city's Hero!”

Rolan looked at Sero and started shouting, 

“Are you crazy?? Why did you go out there alone?? And why did you fight with that person? Shouldn't you have run and asked the authorities for help??”

Sero knew she was wrong, so she didn't say anything in return. 

At that moment, a weakened Perogoutis stood up slowly, and he felt his body had no strength left to continue fighting. The power from the transformation was gradually fading as well. Realizing that his true form might reveal itself if he stayed here any longer, Perogoutis became worried and decided to run away again.

Sero noticed that Perogoutis was running away. 

“That guy is escaping, Grandpa!”

Perogoutis kept running without looking back, but suddenly, something flew swiftly toward him and embedded itself in his back. It was an arrow that could cause someone to pass out for hours. The person who threw the arrow was none other than Rohan, one of the city's heroes. Sero's younger sister, Amy, had come along with Rohan.

Perogoutis fell down and soon fell into a deep sleep. Due to the ability of the arrow, his abilities were completely halted, and he couldn't return to his true form. Instead, he remained in James' form as he drifted off to sleep.

『Rohan』: "Wow, I didn’t expect to find you here... ‘Legendary thief.’ "

Rohan looked around and saw Sero and Rolan. He greeted them,

"yo..it's been a while.."

Rohan, Jean, and Kikui were once students of Jin Rolan. After Jin Rolan retired, the three of them became the main protectors of Carfey Lane City. Rohan carried Perogoutis, which was still in James’s appearance, and bid farewell to Jin Rolan.

“See you later.”

After Rohan left, Sero looked at her grandfather. Worry filled her heart over the mistakes she had made.

"Grandfather... I'm sorry! I'm sorry for what I said earlier and for what I just did. And also... about traveling—"

Before Sero could finish her sentence, Rolan spoke.

"It's fine."

Sero looked at her grandfather.

"I saw what you just did. Attacking that guy... that was pretty impressive. You're not the same as before—you've grown stronger, Sero. Because of that, if you want to travel, I won’t stop you anymore. And... I, too, apologize for what I said earlier."

Amy, Sero’s younger sister, was shocked when she heard that their grandfather had given permission for Sero to travel. Sero herself couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“W-What? Are you serious?? Did you really give me permission to travel?”

..

"However, there's one thing. Since you said you have friends to travel with, I want to know how useful they are. So, you’ll need to bring both of them to the training place tomorrow. I want to test them myself."

When Sero heard her grandfather say this, she became a little worried. The reason was that she didn’t know anything about Vanniez and Yota. However, without thinking too much, she decided to trust both Vanniez and Yota, and accepted her grandfather’s request.

“Now, let’s head home and have a warm meal. It’s been a while since I fought, so I’m a bit tired."

The three of them happily made their way back home.

.. 

In the center of Carfey Lane, in a place called "Carfey Lobby" where the 6th city leader and the city's main protectors are located, Kikui, Jean, and several ministers of the city were preparing for a meeting.

After some time, Rohan entered the large meeting room.

"Sorry, sorry, I’m late," Rohan said.

Jean, with an impatient tone, spoke up, "Rohan! You’re the only one left. We’ve been waiting for you."

Rohan smiled and sat next to Kikui and Jean.

"I finally caught James, so that’s why I’m late," Rohan explained.

After hearing that, Jean didn’t say anything further and just sat quietly.

Kikui glanced at the two of them and remained silent.

The 6th city leader, Carjura Vence, began the meeting. He started asking questions to the city's protectors: Kikui, Jean, and Rohan.

"I heard that your recent mission failed. Can you provide an explanation for that?"

“As the city's protectors, you’ve been able to complete your missions successfully in the past, but this time, for the first time, it ended in failure. Can you explain that?”

The team’s officers, Kikui, stood up from her seat, looked at the 6th city leader, Carjura Vence, and spoke.

"This time, the mission we carried out in Yusofe Town ended in failure, so on behalf of our team, I sincerely apologize.We encountered something unexpected on the journey to Yusofe city. We came across people we didn’t anticipate meeting along the way."

The city’s ministers were shocked by Kikui’s words, and even the 6th city leader, Carjura Vence, was slightly taken aback.

“The God of Sins?? Why is he there? He’s never left his kingdom before, so what is he doing there?”

one of the ministers said.

Kikui listened to the minister’s words and continued speaking.

"It was raining heavily that day. The rain was so intense that the sky was completely dark, and the strong winds were blowing. Because of this, our team decided to take shelter in a nearby village. After the rain stopped and we left the village, we encountered them on our way to Yusofe Town. Although we didn’t know exactly what they were doing there, it seemed like they were searching for something or someone.”

..

“Then, we unexpectedly came face-to-face with that person... the God of Sins. We all sensed the danger of the encounter, which made us decide to abandon the mission and return to the city instead."

..

“Hmm, I understand now. It’s because of you guys that we learned such important information, and for that, I thank you guys. Although we don’t know exactly what that person intended to do, it’s better that we were prepared in advance”

 “Also, Kikui, Jean, and Rohan, there is still a special mission for the three of you. However, since you guys just returned to the city yesterday, before you take on any new missions, you guys can all have a month off."

"As for the next matter I want to discuss in this meeting, it’s about the two incidents that happened in the city last night. First, the wild wolf that rampaged in the city, and secondly, the group of people who broke into the second bank. They attempted to damage the reputation of Carfey Lane. Although we captured the three thieves—James, Mark, and Bony—we still haven’t caught that wild wolf. Therefore, starting tonight, we will double the city's security. We’ll thoroughly check all travelers before allowing entry to the city, and we’ll also thoroughly check anyone leaving the city before granting them permission to exit."

"With that, this meeting is concluded."

Kikui, Jean, and Rohan walked out of the meeting room. Jean and Rohan, after a long period of time, finally reached the moment where they could take a break, so they were feeling quite happy. Kikui looked at them and said, 

"Even though it's time to rest, we still have to train regularly every day, all three of us." 

Rohan and Jean heard this and their spirits dropped. They said, 

"Huh... all three of us?"

 "What? Don’t you want to do it?"  Kikui responded in an annoyed tone,

 "No... it’s not that..."

Rohan and Jean, no longer objecting, accepted Kikui's decision.

..

[ The God of Sins ]

[ The name "The God of Sins" emerged after the war that ended 50 years ago, and gradually, it became a name that everyone feared. The person known as "The God of Sins" was one of the victorious figures in that war 50 years ago, and he was labeled as one of the most wicked people in the world. ]