The following morning, I woke up a little earlier than usual.
Although I had decided to make the most of this peaceful period to rest, I couldn't bring myself to stay completely idle. I had grown so accustomed to maintaining an active routine for so long that simply spending my days doing nothing felt strange.
After having breakfast with the girls, I decided to leave the mansion.
My destination was the Adventurers' Guild.
It had been a few days since I had last been there.
As soon as I passed through the estate's gates and began walking through the streets of Vailor, I noticed something that had been happening for quite some time.
People recognized me.
Some residents waved.
Others greeted me.
A few children pointed discreetly.
Some merchants even paused their work just to wish me a good morning.
I still wasn't completely used to it.
In the past, I could walk through the city without attracting attention.
Now things were different.
The fame I had gained after so many battles had changed a great deal.
I continued walking while returning the greetings.
It wasn't long before the guild's enormous building came into view.
That place had been one of the first things I had come to know when I arrived in this world.
In a way, everything had begun there.
I pushed open the main doors and stepped inside.
The interior was bustling as always.
Adventurers chatted at tables scattered throughout the hall.
Others were looking over missions.
Some had just returned from recent jobs.
The familiar atmosphere brought a pleasant feeling.
For a few moments, it felt as though nothing had changed.
But it only took a few people noticing me for me to realize that many things really had changed.
"It's the Hero!"
"Takumi's here!"
"Look who showed up!"
Several voices echoed through the hall.
Before I could even react, several adventurers were already approaching me.
Some just wanted to greet me.
Others wanted to thank me.
Some simply showed their admiration.
It still made me feel a little awkward.
"Good morning."
I greeted everyone with a smile.
One younger adventurer looked especially excited.
"Mr. Takumi, I heard you were the one who defeated Vaelthor!"
I scratched my head.
That story was already starting to bother me.
"It wasn't just me."
"But you led the battle."
"I had help."
"And even so, you still won."
I couldn't come up with an immediate answer.
Because, in a way, he was right.
Even so, I didn't like it when people ignored everyone else's efforts.
Scarlett.
Liriel.
Rai'kanna.
Elara.
Lyannis.
Vespera.
That victory would never have been possible without them.
After talking with the adventurers for a while, I finally managed to reach the main counter.
The receptionist smiled when she saw me.
"It's been a few days since you've been here."
"I was resting."
"You earned it."
I ended up laughing.
"Maybe."
She handed me several letters that had arrived over the past few days.
I thanked her and put them away.
Then I walked over to one of the tables farther from the crowd.
That's when I noticed a few familiar faces sitting near the window.
Veterans.
Adventurers who had been in the guild long before I arrived.
Some of them had decades of experience.
When I approached, one of the men smiled.
"So the hero decided to pay us a visit."
"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"
The group burst into laughter.
I sat down with them.
For a while, we talked about all sorts of things.
Old missions.
Guild stories.
The changes that had taken place over the years.
It was interesting to hear about their experiences.
Many of those adventurers had faced situations I couldn't even imagine.
One of the veterans studied my face for a few seconds.
"You're worried."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Is it really that obvious?"
"To someone my age, yes."
The others agreed.
I sighed.
"I'm thinking about the future."
"The Demon King?"
I nodded.
The conversation became a little more serious.
One of the men rested his arms on the table.
"Do you know the difference between a young adventurer and an experienced one?"
"What is it?"
"The experienced one knows he's never completely prepared."
I remained silent.
He continued.
"When I faced my first dragon, I thought I needed to feel ready before the battle."
"Were you?"
"Not even close."
A few laughs rose around the table.
"But I survived."
Another veteran continued.
"Sometimes we simply do the best we can with what we have."
Their words stayed with me.
They weren't grand pieces of advice.
Nor were they inspirational sayings.
But they felt sincere.
And perhaps that was exactly why they had value.
I spent a little more time talking with them.
When I finally said goodbye and stood up from the table, I felt that my mind was a little lighter.
After leaving the guild, I continued walking through the city streets.
With no particular destination.
Simply observing.
Over the past year, my life had changed beyond belief.
I used to accept simple quests.
Hunt ordinary monsters.
Try to save up a few coins.
Now I was known throughout several kingdoms.
I possessed titles.
Lands.
Responsibilities.
In fact, thinking about responsibilities reminded me of something important.
The reports.
I still had to review several documents sent by the administrators of my territories.
When I arrived at the mansion, I found one of the maids looking for me.
As soon as she saw me, she quickly approached.
"Lord Takumi."
"Yes?"
"More reports have arrived."
I blinked a few times.
"More reports?"
"Yes."
I sighed.
She handed me a small stack of documents.
I took the papers.
There was definitely far more administrative work involved in being a landowner than I had imagined.
I headed to my office.
The room was quiet.
I sat down at the desk and began reviewing the documents.
The first reports were related to agricultural production.
The harvests continued to show positive results.
The warehouses were full.
Trade remained stable.
No major problems had been reported.
I kept reading.
Another document contained financial data.
Profits were also increasing.
The trade routes were operating normally.
The investments I had made months earlier were beginning to produce tangible results.
That was good news.
Not just because of the money.
But because it showed that the regions were prospering.
After a while, I heard someone knock on the door.
"Come in."
Lyannis entered.
She looked at the number of papers spread across the desk.
"And here I thought being an adventurer was difficult."
"You have no idea."
She laughed.
"How are the reports?"
"Better than I expected."
That was true.
Practically all the information was positive.
The economy was improving.
Security was increasing.
The towns were growing.
People seemed to be living better.
Lyannis stepped closer.
"That means your investments paid off."
"Thankfully."
"Are you satisfied?"
I thought for a few seconds.
Then I nodded.
"Yes."
Because I truly was.
For a long time, my concerns had revolved around monsters, battles, and survival.
But seeing towns prosper because of decisions I had made was also deeply rewarding.
It was a different feeling.
More peaceful.
More quiet.
But just as important.
I spent most of the afternoon reviewing documents.
By the time I finally finished, the sun was already beginning to sink below the horizon.
I stretched my shoulders.
I was tired.
But satisfied.
At that moment, I realized there was another kind of responsibility besides fighting battles.
Protecting people didn't just mean defeating enemies.
It also meant making sure they could live well.
As I organized the last few papers, I found a particular set of reports.
They had come from a region I hadn't visited in quite some time.
I looked at the seal on the documents.
Kingdom of the Giants.
That immediately caught my attention.
I began reviewing the information.
The data looked positive.
The lands were developing.
Construction projects were progressing.
Trade was expanding.
Even so, something bothered me.
I was relying solely on reports.
I hadn't seen that region with my own eyes in a very long time.
Perhaps it was time to change that.
The idea remained in my mind as I put away the documents.
A little later, I left the office and walked through the mansion's corridors.
The girls were already beginning to gather for dinner.
I talked with them as usual.
But part of my thoughts remained focused on the reports I had read.
Especially the ones from the Kingdom of the Giants.
When night finally fell and everyone began retiring for the evening, I made a decision.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to visit those lands soon.
Not only to inspect the administration.
But also to reunite with old acquaintances.
As I gazed at the night sky through my bedroom window, I felt that this would probably be my next destination.
And for the first time that day, I began seriously planning a journey to the Kingdom of the Giants.