Chapter 29: Joining the Party

As we continued chatting, we eventually reached the river.

It was a reasonably large river, and as I gazed into it, I could see fish swimming. The prospect of fishing here seemed quite delightful.

However, the riverbank looked quite disturbing, with several orcs roaming around. Whether it was their territory or something else, they seemed to be patrolling a specific area.

“Alright, let’s take care of this quickly. Sonia, I’ll need your support. Haku, can you launch attacks from behind?”

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

As Sonia whispered an incantation, Lily’s body shimmered with a faint glow.

After a brief moment, Lily dashed forward and pierced a nearby orc with her sword. The strike carried significant force, likely augmented by body reinforcement magic among the support spells.

Due to its thick layer of fat, the orc didn’t collapse with that initial strike. However, Lily swiftly sliced through its flesh, bringing about its end.

Other orcs noticed and approached, but Sonia’s ice needles pierced through their eyes with unparalleled precision.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Lily closed in and slashed. The orcs countered with their weapons, yet they couldn’t catch Lily with their hefty attacks.

I, too, used water blades to methodically sever orc heads one by one. Attacking them from spots where they couldn’t see me was easy.

Their reinforcements arrived along the way, but we dealt with them effortlessly. After a few minutes, a pile of orc corpses had piled up.

“Well, I suppose that was it.”

After making sure there were no reinforcements by scanning the surroundings, I cleaned the blood off my sword and sheathed it.

There was no reaction in my nearby detection magic, so this should indeed be the end. I sighed and casually turned my head.

The orcs were surprisingly numerous. The request mentioned about six of them, but judging by the pile of corpses, there were probably more than ten. Perhaps there’s a nest nearby, considering reinforcements arrived midway.

However, the current task was to defeat the orcs appearing by the river, so there’s no need to go searching for their nest.

I stored the orc corpses in my [Storage]. Dealing with over ten bodies was quite a challenge, but I managed to store them all.

“As expected, [Storage] is handy. It would have been a struggle just to carry one normally.”

“Is it useful?”

“Yes, tremendously. Thanks, Haku.”

The power of [Storage] lies in being able to bring back all the materials from the hunt without leaving anything behind.

Often, even after defeating creatures, it’s difficult to carry them back because of their weight. That’s where [Storage] comes in handy, and it’s one of the reasons why having [Storage] is crucial.

Nevertheless, I ended up purchasing a pouch because I kept getting too many invitations due to [Storage]. However, it’s evident that orcs won’t fit in it due to their size, so it doesn’t serve as a disguise.

There appears to be a type of bag with the [Storage] effect, but it’s extremely expensive.

Perhaps I can argue that this pouch also has the same capabilities as [Storage].

As it was close to noon, I ate some portable rations and took a short break before heading back to the guild.

The bald man at the currency exchange seemed to have gotten used to it, as he didn’t comment on me using [Storage] anymore.

I quickly went through the appraisal and exchanged the items for currency. This time, due to the higher quantity, the amount was quite substantial. I reported the completion of the request at the reception and shared the rewards.

“Thank you, Haku. You’ve been a great help.”

“Haku’s magic was amazing. I’ll have to work hard to reach that level too.”

“Thanks for accompanying me.”

Despite the quantity, things concluded rather quickly, likely due to the efficiency. Well, I’m still recovering from an illness, so this pace suits me just fine.

After parting ways with Lily and the others, I headed back to the inn. As I entered the room, I lay down on the bed.

It feels like it’s been a while since I last came to this room. I spent some time in the guild’s infirmary due to injuries. It’s a bit wasteful to have paid for the room during that period, but well, it can’t be helped.

“Welcome back, Haku.”

“Yeah, thanks, Aria. You too, welcome back.”

As soon as I returned to the room, Aria appeared.

Normally, Aria uses stealth magic to disappear, but when I was sleeping in the infirmary, she showed up quite frequently. I vividly remember her tutting and disappearing every time someone came.

Stealth magic might be effortless for fairies, but if I were to give it a shot, I likely wouldn’t last a day. I highly doubt I could handle dual magic circles.

Thinking about it, I can’t help but feel that I burden Aria quite a bit. She doesn’t seem to mind at all, so I keep my words of gratitude casual.

“How was the hunting in the party?”

“It was probably easier than I expected.”

My means of attack are limited to magic, but the weakness of magic lies in close proximity. If someone gets too close, the mage’s visualization of the magic can break, making it challenging to employ large spells due to the risk of collateral damage. There are also numerous instances where mages find themselves unable to use magic.

Therefore, avoiding being in close proximity is an essential task for a mage. So, forming a party pretty much takes care of that issue right away.

Unlike fighting alone, having allies means the enemy’s attention is split. Furthermore, if your allies disrupt the enemies, it becomes even more challenging for them to target you.

I learned this during the ogre battle, attacking while dodging enemy attacks is challenging and nerve-wracking. It’s especially true when you consider that a single hit could mean the end.

This time, I temporarily joined a party and worked together, and it was noticeably easier than usual. After all, if there are no attacks coming at all, that’s quite a relief.

Even with low-level magical creatures, handling them becomes more challenging as their numbers increase. It’s manageable if they come sporadically and in small numbers like usual, but when there are many like this time, it becomes a matter to consider.

Thanks to Lily’s disruptions, I could freely use magic as I pleased. In the future, when taking on more challenging quests as an adventurer, the presence of companions will undoubtedly become crucial.

“Why not form a party?”

“It’s not a bad idea, but…”

Honestly, I’m beginning to think that it might be okay to form a party with Lily and the others. They genuinely care about me, and I can trust them as companions.

However, the issue that arises here is Aria. Whether they’d be okay with having Aria around or not.

Aria is a fairy, and fairies are incredibly uncommon creatures. If I were to share Aria’s existence with Lily and the others, would they treat me the same way?

I don’t know much about those two. But there must be a reason for them to become adventurers.

What is Lily’s and the others’ goal? If it’s money, how would they feel about Aria, who is like a money tree? Considering that makes it difficult to make a decision.

Aria is an irreplaceable presence that has given me hope to live. If it comes down to parting with Aria, I would choose to continue alone.

“If you’re struggling because of me, why not keep it to yourself?”

“Huh?”

“As always, I’ll stay hidden. Haku, if you want to form a party, I won’t stop you.”

“But, then what would happen..”

“Don’t worry about me. Haku, what do you want?”

The option of not confiding in them. Certainly, that’s also a possibility. Aria could continue to stay hidden and accompany me while I am in a party.

But, is that really possible?

If it were temporary, it would be fine. However, if we’re constantly together, flaws will inevitably surface. At that point, if we can’t avoid scrutiny, Aria’s existence might be exposed.

Moreover, limiting the already infrequent interactions with Aria would also be a downside. Conversing through telepathy might be possible, but her appearing like this and chatting freely is more comforting.

Even if it doesn’t get exposed, keeping secrets from allies induces a sense of guilt. In the near future, it’s clear that I would anguish over it.

Is it a good idea to turn a blind eye to that? On the surface, everything remains the same, and I gain companions.

If I plan to continue as an adventurer in the future, having companions will probably be necessary. Should I take advantage of this opportunity now?

“…”

“Well, if you can’t decide immediately, it’s fine to put it off. Those guys seem like they would welcome you into the party anytime if you expressed that desire.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

In the end, it appears to be the only reasonable conclusion. If I can’t make up my mind right now, I don’t need to force it. It’s a crucial decision, but there’s no urgency. For the time being, I’ll stick with the current situation and leave the future in my own hands.

Hmm, so this is what indecisiveness sounds like. It feels somewhat pathetic.

“Take your time making the decision. It’s your life, after all.”

“Yeah, thanks, Aria.”

“You’re welcome.”

Alright, let’s stop dwelling on this and let’s focus on what can be done now.