Life at sea was tedious, but for Heng, it was incredibly fulfilling. Over these few days, his life had been packed.
First, Lancer taught him how to craft "Lances." Though Lancer specifically noted he only knew how to make lances, the principles could be applied to other weapons. Heng's "graduation project" was a Sword and Shield (SnS) made from Rathalos materials, with the shield being crafted under Lancer's suggestion.
While using High-Rank Rathalos materials to make a weapon that barely reached the limit of Low-Rank stats was a waste of materials, learning always involves consumption. Since Lancer wasn't short on materials, he let him use them freely.
Additionally, he received a "photocopy" from Olga Marie regarding her collection of plant materials. To his surprise, Olga Marie even took the time to teach him the methods of "Combining."
If those two things were merely surprising, the third was completely unexpected: he actually learned the method of "Beast Soul Possession" from Aru. To put it simply, it involved drawing special tattoos that could accumulate a specific energy or "Battle Spirit" through combat. This aura could strengthen the user—though the initial boost was weak, there was potential for further development.
Recently, he had been trying to use Lancer's leftover scrap materials to make a model for "Armor." However, just as he finally finished the helmet, a series of urgent footsteps came from outside the door.
"Mr. Jack? Are you looking for Mr. Lancer? He seems to be busy with something and can't step away..."
Even though Teostra was killed by Lancer and Lunastra died of self-destruction, Jack's strength in holding off Lunastra single-handedly during the fight was not lost on Heng. Thus, he used honorifics for all three cats; their strength commanded that respect.
Strangely, Jack shook his head and pointed at Heng, then pointed outside.
Heng didn't understand the cats' language well enough to tell what a "meow" meant like Lancer did, but the gesture told him the cat wanted him to go outside. Confused, he left the room.
The moment he stepped out, he saw towering trees in the distance.
"We're back?!"
When he had first set out, it had taken him months. This time, it had taken only days. The massive discrepancy left him dazed for a moment, but then he ran back to his room with excitement to pack his things.
He hadn't found a way to "save the world," but returning home alive still made him incredibly happy. He had left with the resolve to die, after all.
Following behind Heng, Lancer could clearly feel the man's uncontrollable excitement. He understood; the man was getting closer to "home."
Thinking of this, Lancer's eyes dimmed slightly. Olga Marie, sitting beside him, noticed the loneliness in his gaze. After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and patted Lancer on the head. Lancer froze, then gave a soft smile.
"Thank you."
Though she had developed certain feelings, Olga Marie—who had spent twenty years focusing solely on magecraft and her family—was undoubtedly at a loss when it came to romance. Furthermore, the identity of the person she liked was very special, so she didn't dare show it openly. This was why she patted his head instead of holding his hand. Seeing Lancer's smile, she let out a small smile of her own.
At that moment, a commotion broke out in the distance. Several people in strange clothing, holding odd weapons, blocked their path.
Do highwaymen exist in this world too?
Lancer's past experiences had been quite intense, but he rarely traveled alone without an objective, so he hadn't actually encountered bandits. He was almost curious if they would say something cliché like "I planted this tree" when Heng, who had been sitting on the Rathalos's back, leaped off excitedly.
Even hovering at a low altitude, the Rathalos was about twenty meters above the ground. Before his body had been strengthened, a jump like that would have resulted in broken bones at best. Now, he did it with ease.
With Heng's descent, the commotion settled. Soon, Heng's voice drifted up, and under his direction, the "Rathalos" slowly landed. Lancer finally got a clear look at those blocking the way.
The people in strange clothes and weapons were looking at Lancer and the others with extreme wariness—or rather, they were looking at the innocent-faced Rathalos beside them.
The Rathalos was truly pitiful. Lancer's requirements for a mount were simple: first, it had to be large enough (three adults + one Loli + three cats required space); second, it had to be fast enough. Among the dragons that attacked them along the way, only the Rathalos fit the bill.
A Rathian could have worked, but the problem was that her back didn't have the hard shell of a Rathalos; instead, it was covered in poisonous vertical spikes. Who would dare sit on that?
Thus, this "lucky" Rathalos became their mount.
Through Heng's explanation, Lancer learned that these oddly dressed people were hunters from his village, usually responsible for gathering meat and driving away dangers from the perimeter.
Though they were called "Hunters," they were different from the "Hunters" in Lancer's memory. They felt more like simple trappers or woodsmen.
Under Heng's persuasion, they released the Rathalos. Heng then explained the situation.
It turned out that monster attacks near the village had been increasing lately. These hunters were under immense pressure while trying to capture numerous monsters. Seeing a Rathalos fly overhead, they had prepared to launch an attack. It was only because Heng spotted them and jumped down that they had been stopped.
After explaining this to Lancer, Heng looked at the middle-aged man before him with a look of tension. The man scanned Lancer's group with a serious expression, but regardless of how "unwelcome" Heng might have been in the village, he was still one of their own. The man had a baseline of trust in him. He continued his explanation to the anxious Heng.
"The village is fine; we're holding the line for now. But Schrade Castle... things are not good."
"Schrade Castle? What happened to the Royal Capital?!"
"Schrade Castle has been completely sealed. No one dares approach because of the sheer number of dragons surrounding it. But the siege has lasted for nearly a month now..."
At this, the man let out a helpless sigh.