The Greenbear Village was located far from the royal capital on the outskirts. Christophe ran a small clinic on the edge of that village. However, there was hardly any work at present.

There are almost no monsters around this village, so there are no injured people.

So, what he had to do was practice his daily healing magic and tend to the herb garden attached to the clinic, which had become Christophe's current source of enjoyment.

Even now, he never misses a day of training in healing magic. From morning till night, whenever he has free time, he practices his magic in the air, striving to improve his magical skills.

Compared to the past, the speed of healing magic had increased. However, the situation where it wouldn't activate unless touched remained unchanged.

This year, he turned forty.

Now, Christophe had completely aged, and his longing for adventure had faded.

A spell that has no effect unless it touches the body.

With his abilities, he felt a sense of sadness but also acceptance, thinking that he would never have the chance for a brilliant career.

Right now, Christophe thought, it was best to help people within his means in this quiet village and peacefully spend the rest of his days. That was the most appropriate way for him to live.

That said, the people in this village were so self-sufficient that there were hardly any helpers needed.

One day, while living such days, a letter arrived for Christophe.

The sender was a man with whom he had some interaction during his days as an adventurer, and the content was an invitation to a "reunion" being held in a nearby town. This gathering was held every few years and is organized by someone, and takes place.

However, Christophe wasn't very enthusiastic about it.

Many of his peers have made decent progress in their respective fields and are leading happy lives.

Those who have made a name for themselves in the knightly order, those who have changed their course and succeeded as merchants, and those who, while building a stable family, continue to act as adventurers...

On the other hand, very few people returned to their hometowns without being able to do anything like Christophe, and at past reunions, there were times when his day-to-day living situation was a cause for concern.

In the first place, people whose lives are not going well tend not to participate much in this meeting, and in Christophe's case, this often made him stand out even more.

Christophe was thinking of skipping this time, but a line written in the postscript of the letter moved his feelings just a little.

The person who will be in charge of organizing this time is a person named Triteria, who was somewhat close to him.

It is said that recently, that Triteria has been appointed as the guild master of the Adventurers' Guild. Although it is a local guild, only those who have achieved a certain level of results can become guild masters, so it was quite an achievement.

To celebrate his friend's special day, he thought he might send a few words of congratulations. That feeling became the motivation to finally get moving.

Christophe wrote a short reply to Triteria saying, "I will participate."

On the day of the event, he put on slightly better clothes that he wasn't used to wearing regularly and headed towards the Town of Azarira.

Azarira was filled with an energy that was incomparable to the lively Greenbear Village where Christophe lived.

Many people were coming and going along the cobblestone path, with stalls selling various goods lined up. The tavern located at the center was the venue for tonight's reunion and was already bustling with many men and women.

Christophe took a deep breath at the entrance and opened the door with a bit of nervousness.

He informed the receptionist about his participation in the reunion and showed them the letter from Triteria, and was then guided inside.

Inside, it was more bustling than Christophe had anticipated.

Glistening dresses, polished high-quality leather armor, or finely tailored noble-style formal wear. Everyone has dressed appropriately for today.

Christophe also brushed off the dust and thought he had chosen the best travel clothes, but he still felt a bit out of place among them.

In a standing buffet-style venue, only a few tables were set up. At the edge of the venue, there were also some chairs, and a few people were sitting there and engaged in conversation.

Christophe tried to head to a corner seat to avoid drawing attention to himself.

It was at that moment.

"Hey, Christophe! You really came after all!"

With a cheerful voice, a large hand patted Christophe on the shoulder.

When he turned around, there stood Triteria, a stout figure with a friendly smile.

She has gained quite a bit of dignity compared to before, but the kind look in her eyes hasn't changed.

"Triteria... It's been a while. Congratulations on becoming the Guild Master."

"U-um, thank you! What, you came all the way here just to tell me that?"

"Yeah."

After saying that, Triteria gave Christophe's back another strong pat.

Such is Triteria, who is surely one of the main characters of today. From all around, voices are teasingly calling out, "Guildmaster!"

"Well, have fun, Christophe!"

"Yeah, got it."

She said that and then disappeared into the circle of other participants.

Christophe was genuinely happy for his friend's success. With this, today's goal had been achieved, so he thought he would have a meal and then head home.

While thinking about such things, Christophe took the food and headed to the corner table.

At the venue, stories of success, tales of adventurous exploits, and family bragging were unfolding all around.

From the very edges of their words, a solid confidence and hope for the future overflowed.

Christophe did not force his way into that circle.

Unlike them, he doesn't have a story that people can look forward to.

At the corner table, sipping ale slowly as if savoring it, he watched and listened to the commotion with a smile, as if it were someone else's business.

He was genuinely happy to see that everyone was finding happiness in their own way.

"Oh, isn't that Christophe! How have you been?"

Suddenly, a former warrior, now a bit more stout, approached with a mug in hand. It was Gongor, with whom he had completed several quests in the past.

"Long time no see, Gongor."

"Hey, long time no see. Did you come from the village today?"

Gongor tilts his large mug and grins broadly. His face is slightly flushed, indicating that he has been drinking quite a bit.

"Yeah, that's right. But this town has grown quite a bit, hasn't it? The atmosphere is different from when I came here when I was young. It's lively and never gets boring to watch."

"Hey, hey. This is still a rural town, you know? If you went to a Labyrinth City, you'd probably faint from shock."

"A Labyrinth City? I've heard of it. Have you ever been to Gongor?"

"Yeah, well. It was amazing, really. I went there a bit when I became a C-rank adventurer the other day, and I almost collapsed from fear."

Gongor puffed out his chest a bit proudly, but there was something that bothered him even more.

"You've become a C-rank adventurer. I remember you were a D-rank before, but that's amazing!"

"Yeah. The other day, I somehow managed to get promoted to C-rank adventurer... It was really tough. At my age, I can't push myself like I could when I was younger. While looking up, there are so many younger and more amazing people than me... Recently, there's this adventurer famous for 'Lightning,' who's super beautiful, younger than me... and on top of that, she became an S-rank adventurer? It's incredible. It feels like the dawn of a new era compared to our time."

"...Woah, an S-rank? Times sure do change. But people are people, and there's no point in comparing. It's a result of Gongor's hard work, step by step, on your own two feet. That's truly impressive."

Christophe sends his heartfelt blessings. Many adventurers are overwhelmed by the gap between their ideals and reality, and many give up on aiming higher.

The adventurer ranks start from G-rank and currently go up to S-rank, but many people get stuck around G to E rank or give up due to the frustration of their growth slowing down.

That's why Gongor's C-rank was a remarkable achievement.

"...Hehe, thank you. But even so, I'm still far from becoming an S-rank adventurer, which was my dream. At this point, it seems like I can't go any further."

"But you have come this far, and Gongor has talent. You might still be able to go even higher."

(...Unlike me, you know)

"...Yeah. I'll keep trying my best, though."

Gongor scratched his head shyly. Then, lowering his voice a bit, he asked Christophe.

"How's Christophe doing lately? Are you getting along well in the village? You're still working as a healer, right? You said it was a peaceful and nice village, but is there enough work for you?"

Christophe felt Gongor's genuine concern and a hint of curiosity, and he couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Well, yeah. Greenbear Village is really peaceful, and everyone is healthy. To be honest, there's hardly any work for a healer. It's a good thing, though."

"Eh? Is that okay? What about living expenses and stuff...?"

"I'm just barely getting by. It's not like I can do much, but I can still hunt monsters. I can handle the occasional monster that appears near the village. Just managing as a bodyguard and healer."

"Haha. I see. Well, if that's the case, then that's good... Then, how about marriage?"

"It would be nice to have someone, but unfortunately, it seems like I'll be spending my life single as it is."

"Hmm... staying in the village... is it a bit tough? Most people end up leaving the village, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, it's got nothing to do with me. How about Gongor?"

In response to Christophe's question, Gongor's previously cheerful expression changed completely, and he began to fidget and blush shyly.

"Hehe... actually... I got married the other day!"

"...Y-you got married? That might be even more surprising than Triteria becoming the guild master."

Christophe's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but stare intently at Gongor's face.

The news that Triteria, today's organizer, has been promoted to Guild Master is, of course, amazing, but since he had heard about it in advance, it wasn't that surprising.

In terms of the degree of surprise, this Gongor's marriage announcement was even more surprising. At Christophe's reaction, Gongor pouted slightly and looked a bit sulky.

"What? Is it really that strange for me to get married?"

To Gongor, who spoke in a joking manner, Christophe responded with a wry smile.

"No, no, just kidding, just kidding. I always thought Gongor was a nice guy, so I figured you'd get married someday. Congratulations, really."

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

At Christophe's smiling congratulations, Gongor scratched his cheek bashfully. The happy news from an old friend was genuinely pleasing, and Christophe's lips naturally curled into a smile.

"Hehehe, no way. I never thought I'd be getting married at this age. My partner is also of a good age, but well, we were at the same party together and all that."

"Oh, I see. So you get along well with each other? That's great."

"Haha, that, yeah."

Gongor was blushing as he spoke with genuine happiness. His carefree smile and the sense of fulfillment that seeped from the very edges of his words.

He knew in his head that it was pointless to compare himself to others, but for him, who was just a humble healer in a remote village, going through each day aimlessly, Gongor's current state was just too dazzling.

(...Gongor seems to be living his life properly.)

Christophe took a swig from his glass, as if to mask the small ache deep in his chest with the bitterness of the ale.

(I wonder if I can still dedicate myself to something new from now on...)

However, the slightly raised positive thoughts were soon blocked by the wall of reality and dissipated.

(I'm already forty. I can't start anything new at this point. Besides, I don't really have any particular talent. I was only half-hearted as a healer, and in the end, I couldn't even become an adventurer... This is where I belong. This current position is probably the right life for me.)

At this age, he finds it difficult to take new steps and constantly thinks about the risks of failure.

Life isn't easy either. Just managing to earn a living each day leaves him with no energy to take on new challenges. He doesn't have that kind of luxury right now.

Once today is over, the same days will begin again tomorrow.

He swallows the slight feelings of envy and impatience that rise up, along with the cheers, deep down his throat.

The alcohol had started to flow just right, and as everyone shared updates on their lives and reminisced about their past exploits, the energy in the room was reaching its peak at that very moment.

The heavy oak door of the tavern was opened.

At first, no one paid any attention, thinking someone had arrived late. However, one person near the entrance let out a scream-like cheer, and it spread.

The noise suddenly quiets down as if it were a lie, and everyone's gaze is focused on a single point at the entrance.

Influenced, Christophe also turned his gaze in that direction.

Standing there was a young female adventurer clad in light armor that seemed to weave the moonlight into its very fabric, with a longsword emitting a bluish-white glow at her waist. Her long hair swayed as her confident emerald eyes sharply and powerfully surveyed the entire venue.

At first glance, almost everyone gasped at the sight.

Christophe recognized her. Yes, it was like that woman adventurer from that rainy day...

"[Lightning] ... I-it's Sylvia-sama...!"

Sylvia. Upon hearing that name, Christophe completely remembered.

Chapter 6