A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

"Then I'll take your kind words."

"By the way, what are you doing standing next to me?!" Eric's tone suddenly changed, and he looked at Bray standing next to him with hostility.

The key point is that Bray brought another child with him.

"Hmm, this girl..."

“This isn’t a daycare,” Eric said, tapping the table.

Luo Shiqi could still take him in, because this kid seemed to have potential for development.

But he's not some pushover who helps everyone he sees in a pitiful situation... he doesn't do that at all.

"Achoo—" Luo Shiqi, who was working in the distance, suddenly sneezed.

“Alright, then I’ll take her to Sister Lizbern later…” If there’s anywhere in the safe zone suitable for these children who can’t survive, then it can only be Sister Lizbern’s “home.”

Sister Lizbern couldn't possibly raise so many children all by herself; in fact, many of the children would learn to help out, so it's not surprising that they would earn money.

They can all be considered sensible, making things easy for others.

It's quite rare for someone like Luo Shiqi not to go. Perhaps for that kid, there's no need to go to such a place; he can survive on his own.

Living by relying on others is far less secure than being self-reliant; that's what Luo Shiqi thought.

“Then why didn’t you just go to that place in the first place?” Eric said listlessly.

“It looks like they don’t want you here,” Bray said, turning to the little girl beside him.

That girl was Elaine, whom Bray brought back from afar.

Yes, Bray found himself with nowhere to deal with these kids, so he came to Eric again.

Eric is really useful.

"N-nothing..." Elaine hadn't placed too much hope in the first place; in fact, being rejected was perfectly reasonable.

Elaine's reaction was much calmer than expected, showing no sign of disappointment.

Sure enough, many children either break down or mature after experiencing such things.

I just hope they don't go astray during their upbringing; there's not much that can truly educate children in this era.

Everyone is struggling to survive, and has no time to care about anything else.

“The child’s matter isn’t the main thing.” Bray shook his head. He had come specifically to see Eric, not just for Elaine.

"I'm here mainly to tell you that it seems the number of demigods around us is increasing recently."

“…” Bray’s calm words struck Eric like a thunderbolt.

“Really…” Eric didn’t immediately ask “Are you sure?” or “Really?”

Bray wasn't the kind of guy who would make things up without a reason; he wouldn't even bother to speak about things that weren't particularly important.

“We were planning an expedition in two weeks,” Eric said in a deep voice.

"However, what you said makes me need to think about it carefully."

“…” Bray was silent for a few seconds.

Bray also knew about the expedition to the Imperial Capital Safe Zone, and he also knew the purpose of that expedition.

However, with the increase in the number of silver-grade ...

If it's a group operation, the target is too big, and it's easy to attract the attention of the Silver species.

To survive in the wilderness, you not only have to face monsters, but also learn how to make yourself "non-existent".

The best survival skill is to minimize your presence and avoid attracting the attention of Silver-ranked individuals.

“What do you need to know? I can take a look while I’m at it.” What would be a difficult long journey for others, Bray accomplished with ease.

After all, he had just returned from outside the capital with his men.

If Eric needs certain intelligence from afar, Bray could actually consider helping him find it.

“It’s no use. You can’t understand anything unless you see it for yourself,” Eric sighed, declining Bray’s offer.

Many things cannot be judged correctly based on verbal descriptions or limited evidence alone.

Eric needs to know exactly what happened back then, and the other reasons why the safe zone fell.

Only in this way can the security level of the safe zone be further improved.

Why was Eric so insistent on making the safe zone even safer? It was because he understood that the safe zone was actually not safe.

Without mines, the safe zone is vulnerable.

There won't be just one Silver card, even with the powerful Carrasco.

Only mine-laying beyond specifications can maintain the safety of the safe zone.

However, Eric didn't think it was the right thing to do to put all the pressure on one person, and he didn't need Bray to be that kind of person.

No one can guarantee that Bray will always be in perfect condition... no one can guarantee that he'll always be there. "So what are you planning to do?" Bray asked.

“That’s what I’m thinking about right now,” Eric said, pointing to his forehead with a hint of annoyance.

"Take this little girl with you and leave now, immediately," Eric urged Bray to leave.

"This is not a daycare center. Please, please don't put any more people here next time."

“I have no experience taking care of kids, one is enough to keep me busy.” Judging from Eric’s reaction, he was definitely not a kid-loving guy.

Kids can be a real nuisance.

“Oh…” Bray nodded in response.

He wasn't bothered by Eric's tone; he simply left Eric's office quietly with Elaine.

This time it's a bit troubling, because they couldn't shift the blame to Eric.

Don't you think it hurts that Bray so easily passed the buck to Eric?

Of course not. You know, Eric has made as many water mines as there are stars in the sky.

"I can only take you to Sister Lizbern."

“I’m not sure if you’ll be accepted,” Bray said to Elaine.

"It's really okay." Elaine only said that, without saying what she would do if she hadn't been taken in.

Bray gave Elaine a deep look, then left the place with her.

However, before Bray left, Luo Shiqi seemed to glance at the two of them.

He wasn't unaware that Bray was there; he just hadn't taken the initiative to greet him.

As expected, the boy was quite impolite and needed to improve his manners.

Learning etiquette has nothing to do with being pretentious or not; it's just about whether you'll accidentally anger someone and get beaten up.

"What are you looking at? That girl? You're not even an adult yet, don't give me that much to think about." Eric noticed Luo Shiqi's gaze and said.

"I have no interest in these things," Luo Shiqi said indifferently.

Luo Shiqi never had any illusions about relationships cultivated from childhood or childhood sweethearts.

If you ask why, it's probably because Luo Shiqi felt that this kind of thing was too vague and unreliable.

Does cultivating feelings from childhood mean that the woman won't run off with someone else when she grows up, and the man won't fall in love with someone else?

Luo Shiqi had heard a saying before: "Childhood sweethearts can't beat the newcomers."

"Hey, so aloof, kid," Eric teased Luo Shiqi.

"But you, you didn't say a word to the blind man, you're really heartless."

"What's there to say? Thanks?" Luo Shiqi asked, somewhat puzzled.

He had work to do just now, why would he give up what he should have done just because of a single sentence?

"You really still have a lot to learn, kid." Eric rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

“Lord Eric, I wish to go on an expedition,” Luo Shiqi suddenly said.

"..." Eric didn't dwell on the "Lord Eric" that Luo Shiqi mentioned, but instead glanced at the boy's youthful face.

"why?"

"Wouldn't you learn a lot this way?"

“You’re right, but I won’t allow it.” Eric decisively rejected Luo Shiqi’s request.

"Why..." Luo Shiqi looked at Eric with a puzzled expression and a heavy tone.

"It's very dangerous."

“Even in the safe zone, it’s not necessarily safe,” Luo Shiqi said, shaking his head.

Why do you always want to grow up immediately?

"Because it is necessary."

“You must remember that you are just a child who is not yet an adult,” Eric said.

"Just because of that? What's the difference between an adult and a minor?" The boy didn't understand at all what the difference was between an adult and a child.

Why do people always bring up the fact that adults and children are different?

He never even imagined that Eric would say such a thing; he thought the other would be more objective in his view of things.

"You think what I said was disrespectful, right?" Eric didn't need to guess; he knew exactly what Luo Shiqi was thinking.

Ah, he was probably thinking the exact same thing he thought when he was young—why adults always say "you're still a child," acting all high and mighty.

Eric didn't want to offer any explanation, and simply glanced at Luo Shiqi casually.

"The chances of dying if you leave the safe zone are very high, which completely contradicts your motivation of learning in order to survive."

“If you really think it through when you get back, then confirm it with me again in three days.”

Three days is a period of time that allows one's impulses to subside.

If Luo Shiqi still wanted to go on the expedition at that time, Eric wouldn't have been able to stop him no matter what.

Even if you manage to stop them, they'll probably find other ways to infiltrate the group.

However, this is on the premise that the boy's idea is really that strong.

---

"Bang—" After that, Bray had no idea what happened to Eric; he was more concerned about the motorcycle in front of him.

Since hiring someone to fix it was too expensive, Bray did it himself.

Despite trying to repair it for a long time, the motorcycle still didn't respond to the magic at all.

At first, the engine would make a few noises, but later it stopped making any sound at all.

"Dead fish eyes, what are you doing?" Naruko's mouth was stuffed full of food as she looked at Bray like a hamster, her eyes full of confusion.

"Fix the car," Bray replied.

"And where did you get the food you're eating? You didn't skimp on Nia's rations, did you?"

"Am I such a devil? Nia is my own daughter." Naruko was furious. Did she really think so badly of herself in Bray's eyes?

“These were all brought by your sister Lux,” she explained, rubbing her hamster-like puffed-out cheeks.

"Lux is here?" Bray was stunned. He hadn't seen Lux when he came back... If he had, he wouldn't have been so engrossed in fixing the car.

“Yeah, I’ve been sitting under that big tree all day with Levy in my arms.” Naruko nodded, looking kind of cute (?).

Following Naruko's gaze, Bray found his younger sister there.

Lux hugged Levy with a blissful expression, looking like someone addicted to petting a cat.

Then, Levy, who was being held by Lux, obediently hugged Nia, striking a contented pose as she basked in the sun for the first time in a long time =V=.

As for Nia, she kept changing positions in Levy's arms, half asleep =A=.

"Lux can't even sense it, you're not a true siscon."

“I am!” Bray answered firmly, completely refusing to deny Naruko’s accusations.

“Ugh…” Naruko looked at Bray with disdain.