In front of the deposit counter, Ryu, snow, and Felicia were standing with a whole mist croc with them.
"I wish you will let someone who knows dismantling join your party!!... when you two form a party I was hopeful!!" the lady at the counter said to them with an exasperated look,
"It is fine, take dismantling charges" Snow spoke,
"Our party is fine with only us as members and getting Guild dismantler to dismantle is making dismantler uncle's job worth it," Felicia answered with an almost smug expression with her cat ears straight up,
Ryu was just standing because there was nothing he could add to this conversation.
'I should learn a bit of dismantling' he thought,
"That is not the issue, you guys. I've heard you leave dead bodies of monsters back sometimes if it is too much to carry… what a waste!!" the lady said with a somewhat irritated look and added
"You know if you had a dismantler, you can bring back just the quest item which can be used to make medicine and other stuff,"
At this, Felicia began to look away because just a few days before she left some monsters back in the forest,
"Payment… hurry," Snow said to the lady while looking a bit up.
"Yes… yes, I will do my job after all," the lady scoffed then looking towards Ryu she spoke
"Snow, will Ryu sign in as an adventurer next year? I have heard he is as good as apprentice mage"
"No…" Snow said and then after looking at Ryu she added "Not this soon"
"You don't want to turn this child like you, right?" Lady asked with an exhausted gaze,
"Payment… hurry," Felicia said, imitating Snow this time,
"Here," Lady said as she passed a silver coin for mist crocs and then a few bronze ones too. Then she looked at Ryu and spoke
"Please don't be exactly the same as these two," to which Ryu quietly nodded as Snow and Felicia pouted
"What does that mean!?" Snow asked with her cheeks puffed
"That was mean!!" Felicia said while shaking her hand, but Lady at the counter just shrugged and spoke
"Please move from the counter, those next in line are waiting"
And then they were moved from the deposit counter, Ryu thought
'Well, after all, they are infamous for it'
Both Snow and Felicia were famous for not having any party until they formed one together. After coming out of Adventurer's Guild, Felicia spoke
"Now I need to leave, I promise Inn auntie to help her tonight!!" she patted Ryu
"See you tomorrow," Snow said,
"See you next time," Ryu said as he gets his hair ruffled, and Felicia left for the Inn. Snow and Ryu started going toward home too when Snow spoke
"Today's pocket money" as she hands over a few bronze coins to Ryu,
"Thank you!!, I will use them while going to the Orphanage later!!" Ryu said as he became happy with the coins he got since Kit had left and Geld became a bit busy for regular visits Ryu instead began going to the orphanage for teaching swords to younger children,
'I would be able to buy new wooden swords,' he thought with smiling feeling his chest warm,
After they reach near home Ryu spoke,
"Snow, I will go to the orphanage straight today. I need to hurry," and rushed towards the direction of the church.
"Take care," Snow said before entering the home.
Ryu went to buy wooden swords on the way to the orphanage. when he reached Orphanage, he was welcomed by a sneak attack from behind
"Ryu!! Big brother!!" three little boys hiding near the gate hold his legs now 11 years old there were only a few children older than him in Orphanage as the most graduate from both school and orphanage at the age of 13,
so for children at Orphanage he was a talented and inspiring brother similar to Geld and Kit who used to visit for younger ones now,
"You guys get down! I brought presents for you," Ryu said, shaking those three. All of them look around the age of 6,
"Here, go share these with others today. We will practice false fight," Ryu said happily to which those three nodded and took 6 wooden swords inside followed by Ryu,
"You came today," Jue, who is 8-year-old, asks as he saw Ryu coming into the garden. Jue plays with Orphanage children regularly the Orphanage garden is kind of like a playground where most of the children visiting Church school came to play,
From sometimes now Jue had become cold towards Ryu,
"Hey there Jue, will you practice today too?" Ryu asked him, trying to maintain a smile while thinking.
'What is wrong with this brat!? I bet he will do the same thing today," Ryu sighed,
"Who would learn from you?" Jue spoke, turning his face sideways and moving away,
After a few mins, Ryu was exchanging blows with the three from earlier for practice, seeing his chance Jue sneaks behind Ryu and tried slashing at his back
"You again!! At least change your plan or position if they don't work," Ryu said as he parries away Jue's slash that was aimed at his back,
"Shut up!! You are cheating idiot" Jue shouted irritated,
"After all, you are still a kid," Ryu said with a giggle.
It had been a reoccurring thing now every time Ryu is practicing with other children. At first, Ryu thought it was a way of getting attention but then he run away throwing dirt on his face,
Jue picked up some dirt.
'Not this time, you little brat,' Ryu thought and dodged the dirt as he smacked Jue with the back of the sword and pushed him back a bit,
"Uhh… I will complain to Lina auntie just you wait!!" Jue shouted and left running,
'And there he goes… well back to practice,' Ryu thought as he sighed,
After practicing with others for hours, Ryu began solo practicing.
'Heck this skill won't work still,' Ryu thought as he tried focusing his mana towards his daggers. He was trying to inject the dagger with his unique darkness attribute. Disappointed at the skill still not working, he thought
'Is this a scam?! I want my money back this [Dark Reinforcement IV] doesn't work!!'
The skill [Dark Reinforcement IV] among all of Ryu's skills this skill is the only one that he couldn't use and has been struggling with it since he first saw his status.
[Skill: Dark Reinforcement IV- A skill formed due to Blessing of Demon God-SS mutating skills earned through level up. The skill is unique to the user and requires his foreign darkness attribute to work. The skill required a few conditions to be fulfilled for using it]
Ryu moves his mana, changing its attribute into that of his darkness, but it isn't working. He remembered doing a similar thing with the light orb Light Goddess gave him in the past, but it still isn't working,
'What is wrong with this skill!? it has been nearly 5 years; this blessing info is vague too!' Ryu thought as he seeks for his blessing again,
[Blessing: Blessing of Demon God- SS- this blessing is given by Demon God of a foreign world, this blessing affects the bearer on various levels and also can mutate skills rewarded by system, the blessing and bearer are equal pa.… blessing resist further info at the moment…]
'Let me read it!!' Ryu wanted to shout, but he held back so he won't look mad. As Ryu was lost in thoughts, a voice came from behind.
"Ryu!!" Aiena came rushing from behind,
"Priestess told me you were playing with other children today! So I can leave with you earlier!!" she added happily as she holds Ryu's hand,
"I was just about to go home too, Aiena nice timing," Ryu said with a thumbs up,
"Ryu, big brother leaving already? play more with us!!" One of the young boys said,
"Ryu, you didn't show us magic today!" A girl who looked around Ryu's age complained,
"I want to see a fireball!!" a younger child said. Ryu's hand was pulled by Aiena and so he answered
"Ahh, I need to help with home chores today, Later promise," as Aiena pulled him out of the garden,
Aiena had to do this responsibly because a few times Ryu end up coming home late at night whenever playing at the Orphanage and the Priestess complained about the children being sleepy the next day, so she had to be the proper adult stopping Ryu from playing.
'ehehe I was a proper adult, after all, I am responsible for Ryu, Aiena thought giggling,
'There she goes again' Ryu thought, putting his hand on his head since sometimes Aiena accepted that Ryu shouldn't be carried in arms after Ryu's heavy rejection to it but to Ryu's surprise
'Now she holds my hand whenever we went out together' Ryu thought Aiena who left carrying Ryu in her arms switched to holding his hand whenever walking together,
'If someone took a kid giggling like that on earth people would be suspicious, that is not it!! no matter where it happens people should be suspicious no matter earth or Pefrion… is it the benefit of beauty' Ryu sighed,
After reaching home that day, he was asked by Lina about what he did to Jue. Lina knew it was a regular occurrence so she knew there was nothing serious, but she still told Ryu to get along.
"Mom, he always runs after throwing dirt at me," Ryu said, pouting
"Ryu, you are the big one right, he was just seeking attention," Lina said as she patted Ryu,
'It feels nice to be spoiled by mom after all…' Ryu thought smiling as Lina patted his head and gave him some custard, for Ryu whose mother in his last life left before he become 1-year-old having his mother spoiling him was one of the things he looked forward to,
'I will be strong enough to protect her even if the world breaks apart!!' Ryu hardened his resolve to get stronger as he hugged his mother with a childish affection,