The following morning began peacefully. After almost a month away from the capital, I was finally able to wake up in my own bed. The room was quiet, and for a few moments I simply remained looking at the ceiling while organizing my thoughts.
There were still many responsibilities ahead. I needed to thank the mansion's servants, speak with the king again about the meeting of the nations, and continue preparing for the war that was inevitably approaching.
But before all that, I felt like doing something simple.
A normal mission.
Something that would remind me of the days when my only concern was completing jobs from the Adventurers' Guild.
I got up, changed clothes, and went downstairs to the main hall.
The women were already gathered, having breakfast.
Elara noticed my presence and smiled.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I expected."
Scarlett gave a small laugh.
"It was impossible to sleep badly after that journey."
Sitting down at the table, I began eating with them.
While we talked, I mentioned what I was thinking.
"Today I intend to accept a simple mission at the guild."
Lyannis raised her eyes.
"Something urgent?"
"No."
"I just want to get back to the routine for a little while."
Vespera agreed.
"Sometimes that also helps clear the mind."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"Then we'll all go."
I shook my head.
"There's no need."
"It will probably just be eliminating some monsters near the capital."
Scarlett rested her chin on her hand.
"Even so, I'm going with you."
I looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
She answered without hesitation.
"Of course."
"It's been a while since we've gone on a mission with just the two of us."
The others smiled.
Elara was the first to agree.
"Then we'll stay here and take care of the mansion."
Liriel added.
"I'll take the opportunity to review some notes about the purifications carried out in the Dragon Kingdom."
Her assistant smiled.
"I also want to organize everything I learned during the journey."
After breakfast, Scarlett and I headed through the streets of the capital.
People greeted us as we walked.
Some recognized our group from previous battles.
Others simply made small gestures of respect.
The city seemed quite busy that morning.
Merchants announced their products.
Blacksmiths worked in front of their workshops.
Children played through the streets without a care in the world.
I watched everything carefully.
It was precisely this tranquility that we needed to protect.
A short while later, we arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.
As soon as we entered, several adventurers looked in our direction.
Some came over to greet us.
"Good to see you back, Takumi."
"Looks like the trip was a success."
I simply thanked them.
I didn't want to attract too much attention.
I went to the counter.
The receptionist smiled.
"Welcome back."
"Thank you."
"I'd like to accept a simple mission."
She began looking through some documents.
After a few seconds, she found a sheet.
"I believe this one would be ideal."
She handed me the report.
I quickly read it.
A small colony of goblins had settled in an old cave south of the capital. It wasn't a major threat, but some merchants had reported attacks while traveling.
It was exactly the kind of mission I was looking for.
"We'll accept it."
She registered our request.
"Good luck."
We left the guild shortly afterward.
Scarlett walked beside me as we followed the road.
"Is the place far?"
"Not very."
"We should arrive before noon."
The journey was peaceful.
We talked about various subjects along the way.
She told me some funny stories from before she joined our group.
We also talked about the Dragon Kingdom.
"The princess really seems to like you."
I smiled discreetly.
"She's a good person."
Scarlett answered naturally.
"I noticed that."
"That's why I wasn't bothered."
I looked at her, slightly surprised.
"You weren't?"
She shrugged.
"After everything we've been through together, I've learned that your heart always finds room to protect more people."
Her words made me think for a few moments.
We continued walking until we finally found the entrance to the cave mentioned in the report.
I stopped a few meters away.
I focused my magical perception.
"I can sense several presences."
Scarlett slowly drew her sword from its sheath.
"How many?"
"Approximately twenty."
She smiled.
"Fewer than I expected."
We entered carefully.
The light from outside gradually disappeared.
We soon encountered the first goblins.
As soon as they noticed our presence, they ran toward us, shouting.
They didn't waste any time trying to talk.
I raised my sword.
The first one fell with a single strike.
Scarlett advanced immediately afterward.
Her movement was fast and precise.
Two goblins were defeated before they could even react.
The others tried to surround us.
I used a small wind spell to throw them off balance.
Scarlett took advantage of the opening.
Within a few seconds, several more enemies had fallen.
The battle ended much faster than I expected.
The few survivors fled toward the back of the cave.
We followed them until we found the group's leader.
It was a goblin slightly larger than the others.
Even so, its strength was far below ours.
It tried to attack us with a huge axe.
I easily dodged.
With a single strike, I ended the battle.
Silence filled the cave.
I carefully inspected the area to make sure no other monsters remained hidden.
"We're done."
Scarlett sheathed her sword.
"It really was a simple mission."
We left the cave.
The sun was already beginning to slowly descend toward the horizon.
I took a deep breath as I felt the fresh air once again.
As we began the journey back to the capital, I realized that little mission had served exactly the purpose I needed.
For a few hours, I was able to set aside the weight of my greater responsibilities.
But as I looked at the distant sky, I was certain that this tranquility would not last for long.
And thinking about that, I continued walking beside Scarlett, carrying with us confirmation that the mission had been completed and the feeling that much greater challenges still awaited us.