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It looked like a structure built by giants. It was hard to believe that humans had built it. Even from a distance, its grandeur felt as if it were right in front of them.

Not far from Torveil, nestled between deep valleys, there was a massive gateway. Its name was the Gate of Giants. No one knew who built it, when, or for what reason.

And that gate was the very entrance to the Eastern Expedition Territory, leading to Fernland. It had remained unchanged for over a hundred years.

Ricardt stood a little away from the city, staring at the gate endlessly. The memories from that time, and the emotions those memories held, came flooding back—fear, worry, anxiety, and resignation.

The gate stood firm, as if it were sealing away a colossal demon that could bring about the end of the world.

“Man, this really feels good. I can’t stop touching it.”

Volka said as he played with Ricardt’s fluffy blond hair. While his skin had returned to normal, his hair remained the same. It seemed he’d have to live like this for a while.

Even with Volka’s playful touch, Ricardt didn’t really mind. But as he stayed still, others also tried to touch his hair, so he waved his hand over his head, shooing them away like flies.

In response, Volka and the other students burst out laughing. Molty smiled contentedly, and Ice simply watched in silence.

“What did uncle Alter say?”

Ricardt turned to Volka and asked. Alter was the branch manager and clan master of the Beringen Adventurers’ Guild in Torveil.

Surprisingly, unlike Reinfurt where they rented space in a thieves’ guild building, Torveil actually had its own proper guild building. But isn’t that how things should be?

“He just says the same thing. Something about higher-ups and telling us to wait for now.”

Ricardt and his group had come out to assist with the request. The main task was for the adventurers, and they were there to provide support.

But after what happened on the way, the guild had to come up with its own response. Whether to go to war or end things here, and if so, what kind of agreement they needed to reach.

It had already been a week since they arrived, and in short, everything was on hold.

Of course, in the meantime, they were enjoying what felt like an unplanned vacation. Warm baths, fresh food, and refreshing, exotic scenery.

“Hey! Over here!”

Someone called from behind, and when they turned, it was a guild member. He waved them over. The academy students, scattered across the field, gathered and approached him.

“Come to the branch. The branch manager says he has something to say.”

“What’s he got to say? Are we finally going to carry out the request?”

Volka asked. But the adventurer from the guild just shrugged.

“How should I know? Instructions from above are divided into public and confidential ones.”

Well, we’ll find out once we hear it, Ricardt thought.

Ricardt and his group entered the cylindrical, slightly tilted building within the city, which looked like something a witch might live in.

There was an attic on the second floor, and the cozy building seemed like a perfect place for an old woman to live.

Scrolls were messily stuffed into the bookshelves, and various herbs were hung from the ceiling to dry. A weak fire quietly burned in the fireplace.

The person sitting at the desk saw Ricardt and the others and waved them over. That was Alter, the branch manager. He was so fat that it was hard to imagine how he had ever become an adventurer.

Ricardt and the nine students approached him. Alter stared at Ricardt for a moment.

Ricardt was taller than others his age, his limbs looked quite sturdy, but his face still had the appearance of a child. And above all, that curly hair…

“No matter how much I look at you, I just can’t get used to it…”

“What can’t you get used to?”

“That you killed ‘Wolf’ Lorenz.”

“Isn’t he too stupid to be called a wolf? He needlessly stirred up a hornet’s nest.”

He was referring to how Lorenz had unnecessarily provoked the Rangers of Griffinswald, gaining nothing from it.

“Stupid, huh… He was famous for being cunning, though. He was always tricky for us to deal with. Well, anyway, our Master had a meeting with the opposing clan’s Master. The Rubens Guild demanded that we kill someone of the same rank as our ‘Clan Master’ in return.”

Just saying ‘Master’ referred to the Guild Master.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Yeah, of course it doesn’t. So, naturally, that was rejected. Next, they demanded we hand over the person who killed Lorenz.”

It was Ricardt who had killed Lorenz. The students standing behind him looked shocked, as if thinking, “No way.”

“And then?”

“Well, right there, our Master told me to give you this.”

Alter pulled out a golden cloak pin from his drawer and held it out. It was a carving of an eagle biting a snake in its beak, symbolizing Beringen, along with a laurel wreath symbolizing the Emperor.

“What’s this?”

“It’s something that symbolizes a Senior Adventurer. I don’t wear it myself because it’s too embarrassing. Don’t sell it, though. Ah, but you’re not officially an adventurer yet. Not until you graduate and complete the contract period. Anyway, it’s yours for now.”

While he wasn’t an adventurer yet, it basically meant they were treating him as a Senior Adventurer. After all, he could still choose not to become one halfway through.

“And these are for the rest of you.”

Alter pulled out a set of silver cloak pins from the drawer and spread them across the table. They also had the laurel and the eagle, but the eagle wasn’t holding a snake in its beak. These symbols represented the Intermediate level.

It was an extraordinary promotion, especially since they hadn’t even faced a deserter yet. It was also a provocation, made right in front of the opposing guild.

While they hadn’t outright said it, it was basically the same as declaring to their face, “Hand over the one who killed Lorenz? Fuck off, that’s never happening.”

Ricardt stared blankly at the golden pin in his hand before asking.

“Does this mean we’re going to war then?”

Alter shook his head.

“Large-scale wars don’t usually happen. Sure, there are some small skirmishes here and there, but that’s it. This time, they started something serious, but they probably didn’t expect it to turn out this way. They never imagined they’d lose a Clan Master to a bunch of Academy students. So, the conclusion is, we’ve agreed to return the prisoners without demanding any ransom. They took a huge loss, so we didn’t press for anything more.”

It meant that the negotiation had turned out relatively favorable for their side. For the time being, they wouldn’t have to worry about attacks from the Rubens Guild while completing their requests.

Of course, there was always a chance that those bastards might ignore the agreement and go rogue, but if they did, it would give other guilds a reason to attack them for violating the agreement. So, Ricardt and his group likely wouldn’t be ambushed again.

“That bastard Lorenz, I’d been meaning to tear him apart myself one day, but seeing his head cut off and burned wasn’t bad either. Hehehe. And honestly, it was fucking satisfying. For me, I mean. I think most of the guys in the other branches would agree. But, you should be careful. The Rubens guys are definitely going to be out for revenge. So, wear a hood or something, and cover up that golden broccoli hair of yours.”

“I didn’t make my hair like this on purpose.”

Ricardt said, touching his curly hair.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, back to business. You guys have work to do now, right? I wanted to let you rest for a few more days, but time is crucial when it comes to chasing down fugitives. Split yourselves into three teams, and follow the people I assign to you.”

Ricardt and the students looked at each other. It was time to split up. There seemed to be a fleeting sense of regret.

“Can’t we just work together?”

Volka asked.

“Don’t mess around. Fighting and working are two different things. Stop talking back and go learn by watching. Here, this is an advance payment. Normally, students don’t get one, but I’m giving it to you because you guys are cute. I took it out of my own paycheck, understand?”

The pot-bellied branch manager tossed money pouches onto the table one by one. Volka quickly grabbed them.

“Anyway, once you finish your work and head back to the Academy, we’ll see each other again. If things get dangerous, use my guys as your shields. Just don’t die. Now go. Head back to the inn and wait.”

Branch Manager Alter waved his hand as if to shoo them away, seemingly embarrassed by his own words. Ricardt couldn’t help but smile. What a cute old man.

Ricardt and the students came out of the witch-house-like building. And they looked at each other again.

“Are we really splitting up like before?”

One of the female students asked. But no one seemed eager to answer right away, until Molty spoke up with a suggestion.

“How about we mix things up?”

“What?”

“Let’s shuffle the teams. Don’t you like that idea?”

In other words, instead of sticking to their original three groups, Molty was proposing to mix the members and form three new teams.

“I mean, I’m fine with it…”

Volka muttered, uncertain. Surprisingly, Ice was the first to step up.

“I want to team with Ricky.”

Everyone’s eyes widened as they stared at him.

“What? You said to mix, right? I’m with Ricky.”

“Alright. Then I’m with Lara.”

Molty said, pointing to one of the female students, as if he had been waiting for this moment. Lara blinked in surprise, then awkwardly lowered her head, glancing around nervously.

While Ricardt wasn’t sure what was going on, Volka hurriedly pointed at the other remaining female student.

“I’m with Delphi.”

“What, we don’t get a right to refuse?”

Delphi frowned, clearly displeased, unlike Lara.

“There’s no such thing.”

Ice cut in bluntly. Who do you think you are?

In any case, after everyone had chosen their teammates, the remaining students were split into three groups of three. Coincidentally, with nine people, the numbers worked out perfectly.

Ricardt ended up in a different group from Volka and Molty, teaming up with Ice and a male student who had been sticking close to the female students. His name was Falen.

Falen looked somewhat intimidated, and for good reason—he was now stuck between Ice and Ricardt. It felt like being sandwiched between two monsters. Weren’t these two ranked first and second?

While Ricardt and Ice didn’t seem to care at all, Falen fidgeted nervously before awkwardly trying to make conversation.

“You guys are lucky, getting to pick the girls you wanted.”

Ricardt and Ice both turned to look at him. They stared at him in silence, their faces blank. Falen began to sweat, wondering if he’d said something wrong.

In truth, Ricardt and Ice simply didn’t know how to respond.

While waiting in the inn, the Beringen Academy students chatted and laughed. They seemed more relaxed now. The fear of facing something new or unknown had somewhat faded.

They joked and teased each other, throwing their heads back in laughter. Things that would have once triggered sharp reactions now were brushed off with ease and humor.

After experiencing major challenges, they had come to realize that things they used to react to sensitively weren’t actually a big deal.

Sometimes, hardship and adversity can break a person, bringing them despair. But overcoming those obstacles often makes you stronger and more resilient.

People called that growth, and perhaps the students were taking a step closer to becoming adults.

Their lives may have been surrounded by violence, blood, battles, and the deaths of comrades, but that didn’t mean they had to live in constant gloom or give in to those things.

Ricardt liked this feeling—watching the boys and girls grow. It made him wonder, what about himself? The question lingered, but he decided it didn’t really matter.

He wasn’t sure if there had been a need for war the hundred years ago, but watching this was undeniably heartwarming. Back then, there hadn’t been anything like an Academy.

For a moment, he wondered what it would have been like if there had been an Academy back then. Even if he didn’t have a family, it would’ve been nice to have friends like these.

Still, in the end, it was Ricardt himself who had led them to this point of growth. It was a deeply satisfying thought. It felt like something worth risking his life for.