After traveling for almost 7 hours plus 1 hour of rest midway, we finally made it back to Green-Dale town.
Our carriages entered the east gate and after it was parked to the side of the road by Mr. Gregg, the three of us, Mifumi-sama, Felin, and I jumped out of the carriage, raised our hands above, and shouted our cheers at the same time...
"""Yay!... We finally made it back!"""
Once everyone got out of the carriages, except for the Burden-Brothers, Fred-san gave his final instructions to us.
"Ms. Mifumi, your group can go home now. We'll handle the report to the Adventurers Guild and bring the NeoHeroes to the Guild Infirmary. However, you still need to report to the Guild tomorrow for your quest completion, to get your reward, and to attend the post-briefing for this quest."
"We'll do that then Fred-san."
"We learned a lot from everyone."
"Thank you, everyone!"
After Fred-san, Ms. Karna also had something to say for our group.
"Ms. Vier, Ms. Felin, and Ms. Mifumi, thanks for all your help today. If it's okay, I would like to have a chat with all of you after Renxa and Slain recover."
"We'll wait for your invitation, Ms. Karna."
"Just don't bring that guy renxa so we can have a proper chat."
"Mhm, that mister has bad manners."
"Okay. If Renxa won't apologize, then I don't need to bring him, right?"
"""Thank you, Ms. Karna / Miss."""
After Ms. Karna, I also had something to say to one annoying guy.
"I'm really excited for tomorrow, the Guild might promote Poru-III to Iron-Rank. If that happens let's all celebrate together, it will be my treat!"
"Kid, I told you that won't happen."
"Don't worry Nach, we won't abandon you even if Poru-III takes your rank."
"Nymh!"
"""Pfft... Hahaha!!!..."""
After saying our goodbyes to everyone, the three of us went home to our own families.
Mifumi-sama went back to the Lord's mansion where her family was waiting for her. Felin went home to the Orphanage where she and her mother were staying.
I also went back to my home. I'm sure my family, my mother, father, and my three older brothers are still at home waiting for me to return safely. Wait!... Terz-oniisan works at the Outpost town at the border so he's not at home these days.
After all that happened today, I'm really glad that the three of us came home safe to our families.
Normal Copper-Rank adventurers don't usually experience fighting a horde of Undead humans or being chased by a swarm of Undead monsters. Even for the advanced Bronze-Rank like us and Iron-Rank like the DryadGuardian, the level of that battle was just too much.
If the DryadGuardian wasn't there or if Nymh-san wasn't a member of our escort quest, all of us were probably goners by now.
Maybe I should file a complaint to Heleen-san for recommending that escort quest and ask for additional rewards as compensation...
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.
Huh?...
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.
.
"Where am I? What am I doing in this place?"
Suddenly I'm in an unfamiliar place again.
There are a lot of people around me and we are all inside a town which is surrounded by high walls, probably around 50 meters high.
There are also a lot of Auto-Mobile Relic, and I can see some soldiers carrying some Assault-Rifle Relic... Wait... Relic?
"That's right. I'm inside of my dream of Memory-Fragment and this scene is another fictional story of the 2nd-World. After I got home, I ate and fell asleep then I was in this place... Wait... Was it after the second time I ate and slept or the third time?"
As soon as I realized where I was, the emotions of the people around me began to flow to me.
What I feel is the emotion of comfort that they were in this place, the emotion of relief that they were inside of these walls, and the emotion of fear from the things that are outside these walls.
But even though they're feeling anxious about those that are outside these walls, they're still singing and celebrating that all of them are now safe.
"Ugh!... You're all too loud. What exactly is this story about?"
I just need to find the protagonist of this story. Just like in every other dream of Memory-Fragment, my presence would always be connected to the protagonist of the story. I'm sure he or she is just around here somewhere.
I surveyed my surroundings thoroughly and found a person I'm kind of familiar with.
"Hmmm... That guy, I think I already saw in my dreams once... Wait! Wait! Wait!... That guy! That's the Mister Soldier who was being chased by a swarm of Undead humans in one of my dreams before. Don't tell me that this dream is the continuation of that dream?"
"...\×√[ ~{√ |^¢§€÷ π{^¢ \×√ \^°..."
"Ehh?... What are you pointing at... Gyahhh!!!..."
I turned around and found that Mister Soldier was pointing at the Undead humans who managed to climb the walls of this place.
When those Undead humans jumped down from the top of the walls down to the crowd of people, the emotion of fear, chaos, and panic erupted from the people around me then it all flowed to me, overflowing my own emotion.
"Ha!!!... Don't lose yourself... This is nothing compared to the swarm of Undead monsters that we fought yesterday... Nothing bad will happen to me while I'm here. I just need to follow where the protagonist will go and this dream will end soon."
From there I just followed where the protagonist would go along with the other Soldier. One by one the number of his companions was reduced until he was the only one left. Thankfully, he managed to safely escape and ride the giant vehicle that could fly in the sky.
It's my first time riding this vehicle that can fly in the sky. So even if it's just in my dream, I'm quite thankful to Mister Soldier.
But not until the inside of the flying vehicle was filled with Undead humans.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!... What are you planning to do Mister Soldier? I know what is that Relic you're holding in your hand. That's a Grenade Relic right? If you use that here, it will destroy this vehicle and we will fall to the ground, right? I know nothing will happen to me but that's still a scary thing to experience, even if it's just a dream."
...CLICK!...
"Wait!!!"
...BOOM!!!...
"Gyahhh!!!... I hate you, Mister Soldier!!!"
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...THUD!...
"Ouch!... Why did I fall out of my bed..."
When I woke, I found myself lying on the floor beside my bed.
I stood up and tried to get back on my bed but before I was able to, the memories of my dream that I just had flashed in my mind, and the emotions that I had before I woke up flowed to me.
...THUD!...
All of those memories and emotions that had followed me in my reality had taken away the strength of my legs and brought me to kneel on the floor while I trembled all over my body.
It was scary.
What I'm afraid of are not the emotions of the people in my dream getting scared of those Undead humans but my own emotions from having to experience what it feels like to fall from the sky and crash into the ground while inside that vehicle.
"Ugh!... Relax... I just need to calm myself."
I can't believe that I had that kind of dream. The fight with the Undead monsters during the escort quest yesterday is probably the trigger of that dream of Memory-Fragment.
After I was able to calm myself and get back to sitting in my bed, I heard someone running up the stairs and heading to my room.
...BAMMM!...
"Vier-chan!... We got big news! You have to wake up! Huh?... Are you already awake? That's unusual."
"Why are you awake, Vier? You should be asleep."
"Well, all I did yesterday after we got home was eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat then sleep again, that is why I wake up earlier than usual."
"I also slept and ate yesterday, but I also played with the little kids."
"You have too much energy Felin. And what is the news that you need to slam the door so hard, Mifumi-sama?"
"I'm sorry about that, but look!... I read the news on the Art-Phone last night. Look and read this article."
Mifumi-sama sits on my side and shoves the screen of the Art-Phone right in front of my face so I can read the news that is displayed.
"Hmmm... the newest model Art-Phone23... features new functions... appraisal-skill and beacon signal and receiver have been added to the model Art-Phone23... Whoa!"
"See!... I can't believe that The Academy of Magic and the Adventurers Guild will include these functions in the new Art-Phone."
"That's right! It's amazing that you can use the appraisal-skill as long as you have your Art-Phone."
"Do you think we should get one for each of us?"
"I'm sure one of these will be expensive Mifumi-sama."
"I'm fine with only one Mifumi-sama."
"Vier-chan, Felin-chan, can't you see how important and useful this new Art-Phone is?"
"Mhm! You always use it to take photos, Mifumi-sama."
"Mhm! Felin is right about that."
"Well, I know I always take our photos together but it has more useful functions now. With appraisal-skill, we can check the Monster-Core by ourselves. We don't need to bring it to the Guild every time and ask Sakura-san for appraisal."
"I wonder if the Guild will let me disassemble our old Art-Phone."
"Of course not Vier-chan, they will be mad. Besides, we have to surrender the old one to buy a new one."
"Sakura-oneesan told me to tell her if Vier did that."
"Huh?... Is she asking you to spy on me Felin?"
"She is worried about you, Vier. She said to tell her so she can teach you a lesson."
"That's not worrying, that's threatening, Felin."
After Felin and Mifumi-sama pick me up at my room, we eat our breakfast prepared by my Mom. Then the three of us head out towards the Adventurers Guild earlier than our usual schedule.
"... Mmm!... Mmm!... Mmm!..."
For Mifumi-sama to sing like this while walking, she is really in a good mood today. The news about the new Art-Phone really did make her happy.
"You're that excited about the new model of Art-Phone Mifumi-sama?"
"You look happy Mifumi-sama."
"Vier-chan, Felin-chan, do you know how hard it is to find a Monster-Core with appraisal-skill? It's even harder to get a Dungeon-Artifact that has one."
Monster-Core and Dungeon-Artifact that have appraisal-skill rarely appear in the open market or the Merchants Association. That is because of two reasons.
First, monsters with an appraisal-skill on their Monster-Core are strong, probably around Rank-6 and above.
Second, Dungeon-Artifact that has appraisal-skill rarely spawn after defeating a Dungeon Boss-Monster.
That's why having an appraisal-skill in the Art-Phone is something a Sorceress like Mifumi-sama finds useful.
"The news in the Art-Phone said that the Mana-Train that will arrive next month will bring a limited amount, don't you think that High-Rank adventurer will have it first, Mifumi-sama?"
"Don't worry, Vier-chan. I asked Grandma and she said that the Guild would reserve some for the group that would pass the Adventurers Admission Exam."
"So we have to pass the Exam, right?"
"Mhm! To secure the new Art-Phone!"
"And to become strong!"
"I think both of you forgot that we need to pass the Exam to be accepted at the Adventurers Academy."
After walking for a while, we finally arrived at the Adventurers Guild.
We head straight to the receptionist counter where Heleen-san, our assigned receptionist, is stationed.
We greeted her and said our inquiries about the completion of our quest, the post-briefing, and our reward. However...
"Since all of you are here today, may I suggest that your group complete this Adventurers-Party form? Make sure that you write your Adventurers-Party Name in the designated box."
Mhm! I know it would come to this once I come to Heleen-san's counter. She's always nagging me about our Adventurers-Party name after all.
I told Mifumi-sama and Felin that I would think of a cool name for our group but all this time, I still wasn't convinced of every name I had come up with.
However, it isn't like we need to give our Adventurers-Party name now. We're not here today for that matter after all.
"We still have time for that, right Heleen-san?"
"Do you know how long I've been waiting for it, Vier-chan?"
Heleen-san smiled as she asked me that question. But somehow, that smile looks quite scary.
"Ummm... A month?"
...SLAM!...
Ekkk!... Don't hit the counter with your hands like that Heleen-san...
"More than a year!... I have been waiting and holding your Adventurers-Party form for more than a year!"
This is bad. Heleen-san is mad. I need to think of an excuse... Ummm....
"Ha!ha!ha... Is it already that long since then? It feels like it was just a month ago."
"Sigh!..."
Heleen-san calmed down. Did it work? Did my sarcastic excuse work?
"Listen up everyone, I'm not going to submit your group Exam form if you don't have an Adventurers-Party name."
...SLAM!!!...
"You can't do that, Heleen-san!"
"That's abusing your authority as a Guild staff."
"Don't do bad things, Heleen-oneesan."
The three of us got a bit antagonized and slammed our hands into the counter to voice out our objection to what Heleen-san had said.
"So I'm the bad guy huh?... Then let me write your Adventurers-Party name for your group...
...Hmmm...
...How about the name...
...The DwarfCat-earedElf...
...Okay! That sounds nice, I'm writing it then."
"""No!!! Please stop Heleen-san / -oneesan."""
"Fine!... I'm only waiting a day before the deadline for the submission of the Exam form, okay?"
"""We'll think of a name until your deadline Heleen-san / -oneesan."""
"Anyway, about your quest yesterday. Please head to the conference room on the second floor. Ms. Karna and Mr. Slain of the NeoHeroes are already there. The Guild Master and DryadGuardian will come later to discuss the post-briefing about your quest yesterday."
"Okay, we'll head to the conference room now, Heleen-san."
"Please don't write that weird name after we leave, okay?"
"There's no person like that Heleen-oneesan."
"Sheesh... Just go there already. I said I'll wait, right?"