I spent the entire journey on the roof of the carriage, engrossed in training the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art. The carriage would sometimes shake and rattle, but thinking of it as floating on a boat in a windy sea, it wasn't a big deal. Even a shaking carriage can't stop my training, is what I'm saying.

Indeed, the Heavenly Demon's explanation that the Night Sky Star Moon Art was an introductory martial art was not an exaggeration; the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art was an incredibly tricky martial art. To use two forces with opposite properties at the same time. Just thinking about it made me feel like I was on the verge of qi deviation.

Do you see the steam rising from my head? This is the steam created when ice and flames meet. Of course, that was nonsense.

While I was getting friendly with qi deviation like that, the carriage ran and ran and arrived at the next village.

I was a little nervous when passing through the city gate, but the checkpoint was passed without any problems. As we passed through the city gate, Neyman winked at me as if to say, "See?" I had no choice but to nod and admit it.

And so, the six thugs who had been rolling around in the back alley were forgotten into the back alleys of the incident. They would probably be quite disappointed, but I was glad. It is a very common thing for someone's misfortune to become someone's happiness. Those pathetic guys will have to plead their case in the afterlife.

Fortunately, we were able to spend the night in this village without any problems. Perhaps because the advice I had given Linda was effective, Linda did not get caught up in any commotion. Instead, when I sent her to buy beef jerky before leaving the next day, she came back covered in mud.

I clapped my hands and asked.

"Well done, our food-in-charge Linda. What kind of trouble did you get into this time?"

Linda answered confidently.

"Yeah, I fell!"

"That's something to be proud of."

Why is she so confident when she's covered in mud?

"Hmm."

It seemed like a lie, so I examined her closely, and it really seemed like she had fallen on her own. There were no particular injuries, so it didn't look like she had been hit by anyone.

"Was there a mud puddle on the way?"

"Yeah!"

It seems she had taken a big fall in a mud puddle. Thanks to that, the beef jerky was also covered in mud.

"...I can't eat this."

"No, that can't be!"

Linda clutched the bag tightly and insisted that she had protected the beef jerky, but the reality was not so.

"Linda. Reality is a very cold thing. Various things happen regardless of your will. Now, look at this dirty beef jerky. Anything that falls in the mud becomes like this."

"...No!"

When I held the inedible beef jerky in front of her eyes, Linda stared at it with a shocked face.

Actually, we had enough food to last until the next village, so I grabbed the scruff of Linda's neck, who was about to go back and buy more, threw her into the driver's seat, and then set off immediately.

And so, the extra food that Linda had bought was thrown away on the way.

The food-in-charge Linda, who had failed her mission, drove the carriage with her lips pouting.

According to Neyman, the next village is the last one. So it was the last base on the way to the Maia Kingdom. Since it was located on the outskirts and was closest to the border with the Maia Kingdom, the security was not very good. There were immigrants who had fled from Maia, magical beasts would often roam around, and bandits would appear here and there to steal from the immigrants, and the immigrants who had been robbed would also turn into bandits and join the chaos... In short, it was a mess.

"On the contrary, it's good."

Because when you say mess, you mean the Maia Kingdom. The closer I got to my hometown, the more I could smell it. The terrible smell of my hometown. The asses I had to kick were already starting to appear before my eyes.

I calmed my pounding heart and devoted myself to training. Because the more ways there are to kick their asses, the better.

I imagined kicking them with a frozen foot. They wouldn't be able to stop having diarrhea for a while.

I chuckled and spurred on my training.

Thanks to consistently pouring in time, I finally achieved a small result.

"...I did it!"

Although I couldn't use them at the same time, I could now skillfully create cold energy and flames in both hands. It means I no longer tremble my hands. The duration of the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art has also become quite long.

The Heavenly Demon muttered in a displeased tone.

[Tsk... you've been struggling with that one thing for a long time.]

"But I did it."

How long I struggled is not important. What's important is that I did it in the end.

The Heavenly Demon, who was looking at the blue flame on my hand for a moment, said.

[I need to subdivide the realm a bit.]

"Subdivide?"

[It means to divide the stages. Because my level and yours are different.]

"Aha."

[I will call your current realm the First Stage.]

That means, the First Stage is the level where you can use both Ice Art and Flame Art respectively while maintaining the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art.

"Then what about the stage where you can use both Ice Art and Flame Art at the same time?"

[I think I'll have to set it at around the Fifth Stage.]

"Hmm."

Now is the First Stage, and using both at the same time is the Fifth Stage. The final form will probably be the Tenth Stage. I have a long way to go.

"Hoooo..."

I let out a long breath and released the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art.

I suddenly wondered if I would be able to breathe out white breath like Frost when the realm of the Ice Art became higher.

Clip-clop— Charrrr—

While I was training, the carriage was running without rest. Linda was holding the reins. Her skill in handling the horse was now quite proficient. The way she sat in the driver's seat and drove was also natural, so I could trust her with the carriage.

I raised my head and looked at the sky. We had set off when the unripe sun was just peeking its head from the east, but now the yellowish sun was high in the sky. I was so engrossed in training that I didn't realize how much time had passed.

Above my head, feather-like clouds were floating in the blue sky, but in the distance, dark clouds were gathered. It felt like Maia was welcoming my return, so I felt good.

Naturally, the members of the mercenary corps came to mind. How had they been doing while I was away? The faces of the members came to mind.

First, the leader of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps. Gustan of the Greatsword. Naturally, he is the one who created the mercenary corps. He uses a ridiculously large greatsword, so he was naturally given the nickname Gustan of the Greatsword. In a word, he is a man like a magical beast. His fierce eyes and muscular body naturally make you step back. And yet, his hobby is cooking, which doesn't suit him at all, so he's a weirdo who spends most of his time in the kitchen. I told him to trim that messy beard if he wants to cook, but he doesn't listen to me at all.

And, the co-founder of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps. The Red Witch, Scarlet Bellucci. She is a sister with hair as red as fire. She usually spends her time puffing on a long pipe, and her characteristic languid eyes and the acrid smoke of the pipe combine to create a captivating atmosphere. If you approach her rashly, you have to be prepared to be engulfed in flames. Only after seeing the flying fireballs will you realize that the moth was not far away. Because my sister is also called the Witch of Fire.

My sister, a nature enthusiast, is always ready to actively burn everything except nature. She, who enjoys using fire magic, was naturally given the nickname Witch of Fire. The Red Witch, the Witch of Fire. They are used interchangeably, but in any case, both are nicknames that refer to my sister.

The Sherwood Mercenary Corps was naturally formed around the two founders. The leader and my sister would pick them up from somewhere, or bring them, or they would come on their own. People who came with their own stories gathered to become the current Sherwood Mercenary Corps.

And the guys who gathered like that each became quite famous, and their faces are quite splendid. The Golden Fighter, the Spirit Caller who brings disaster, the Unbelieving Saintess, the Two-Faced Magic Swordsman, the Braggart Swordsman, the Talking Fox, and...

"Wow! It's a village!"

I was awakened from my thoughts by Linda's shout.

"...A village?"

As if she had heard my muttering, Linda peeked up at the roof where I was and said.

"Yeah! We've arrived, Devil. Look!"

When I looked where Linda was pointing, a gloomy village with dark clouds was revealing itself in the distance.

"Hmm."

It was a rather Maia-like village.

***

We entered the village. It was definitely a messy atmosphere, unlike the other villages we had passed through. There were many beggars on the street, and it was generally gloomy. People would glance at us with wary eyes. But since we were carrying swords, they didn't approach us rashly.

We decided to part with the two mercenaries here.

"Here, take it."

I took out the money pouch I had prepared and handed it to Daryl and Neyman, who had worked hard to get here. Because grudges and rewards must be clear. There are often guys who try to give less than the completed amount by making all sorts of excuses. As someone who has experienced such things a lot, it's best to give the payment cleanly like this. For you, and for me.

Neyman tossed the clinking money pouch up and down and muttered.

"It seems to be more than we agreed on."

I nodded.

"I put in a little more. Go buy something delicious with it."

It was my sincerity for their clean work.

"I'll do that."

Mercenaries are guys who don't know how to refuse. Neyman grinned and then put the money pouch in his pocket. Daryl had already put it in before I even asked.

"Are you going back right away?"

At my question, Neyman looked up at the sky and answered.

"...I should."

The sun was still high in the sky. It had tilted slightly to the west, but it was still high up. If they went back by horse or carriage right away, they would be able to reach the village they had passed before the sun set. We had set off early, and we had driven the carriage faster than usual, so we had arrived earlier than expected.

Neyman looked at me and said.

"There's a lot of work here, but the situation is not good."

"It seems so."

Neyman held out his hand to me.

"Well then, I hope you have a safe journey."

"You too."

Neyman shook my hand, and then shook hands with Shushruta and Linda.

I also shook hands with Daryl, and he unexpectedly asked me this.

"By any chance... are you the Two-Faced Magic Swordsman himself?"

My eyes widened at the familiar name that had come out of an unexpected place.

"What... me?"

Daryl nodded with a serious expression.

"Yes."

He didn't seem to be joking.

"As far as I know, there's only one mercenary-turned-magic swordsman that strong."

It seems he had thought it was magic when he saw me create wind. And since I'm also quite good with a sword, it wasn't strange that he came to the conclusion that I was a magic swordsman.

I let out a small laugh and shook my head.

"No."

"No?"

"Yes. I know him, though."

Neyman interjected with an interested face.

"How do you know him?"

I answered nonchalantly.

"Because we're in the same mercenary corps."

"...What?"

The two mercenaries' eyes widened.

Daryl stuttered and asked.

"The Sherwood... Mercenary Corps?"

"Bingo."

Daryl, who had been dazed for a moment, asked for a handshake again.

"To think that I would meet a member of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps...! This is an honor."

"Haha, what honor. Keep it."

Neyman, not to be outdone, held out his hand again.

"No wonder you seemed like a madman...!"

"...Hey."

I shook hands with the two mercenaries with both hands. They had faces as if they had met an idol. Since this place is close to Maia, and they are in the same profession, they seemed to know the Sherwood Mercenary Corps particularly well.

The Sherwood Mercenary Corps is like my family, so whenever I hear things like this, the corners of my mouth twitch.

"Haha, I didn't know the Sherwood Mercenary Corps was so famous even outside the country."

"It's famous. It's one of the strongest mercenary corps."

"There was a rumor that the Sherwood Mercenary Corps had disbanded, but it seems to have been a false rumor."

Halt.

The twitching corners of my mouth slowly came down.

"...What did you just say?"

(End of Chapter)