Velira and Mira rushed to Eren, only to find his hand raised, staring at the ceiling. Everything inside the room was as normal as it could be.
When they asked Eren, he simply replied, "Lightning? I didn't see any…"
Velira and Mira returned to their previous work in a daze.
But I thought I heard something.
They both thought the same thing as they went back to chopping vegetables and eating lunch.
Meanwhile, Eren just stared at the screen:
[Status]
Martial General Body Technique: Can only be replicated after reaching Second Form of the Lesser Wyvern Sword Technique.
Eren looked at it in a daze.
Second Form, huh? He looked down at his hand—the one that had been injured.
Tch. Will take a while, he thought.
Meanwhile, at the tavern, Velira quickly rushed back to the kitchen as her lunch break had ended.
"Shall I help?" she asked Mira, to which Mira nodded gratefully.
She pointed toward the hornbeast carcass left outside in the tavern's yard.
"You know how to butcher those beasts?" Mira asked.
Velira gave a firm nod.
"All right. While I do this, you go butcher the hornbeasts."
Hearing that, Velira paced toward the tavern's door, exiting after grabbing the necessary tools from the rack. She headed straight to the yard outside.
Meanwhile, Mira returned to check on Eren—only to find him once again staring at the ceiling, dazed.
"Does it hurt, Eren?" she asked, worried.
Eren didn't respond.
Of course it does, she thought inwardly, clicking her tongue as she turned and went back to the kitchen.
Eren remained still, eyes locked on the floating system prompt.
[Next Reward Progression: Map of the Eloquent Dungeon]
Unlocking Condition: Unlock the Inventory to gain qualification to acquire the map.
Now this… Eren's thoughts spiraled. A dungeon map?
Do I have to leave Aunt Mira and Velira behind if I want to go to the dungeon?
His mind raced.
Or maybe…
Can't I just take them with me?
His thoughts swirled like a storm, as he stared at his right hand—the same one that had been injured.
So many plans... Tch. If only you'd get better soon. Wonder when that battalion doctor's gonna come.
While Eren's mind spiraled through the possibilities, inside the tavern Velira was making trip after trip from the yard to the kitchen—bringing in freshly butchered hornbeast cuts.
"Is he all right?" she asked Mira.
Mira nodded—hesitantly.
"He doesn't look pained, but…"
"But?"
Mira paused for a moment before replying. "He looks a bit dejected…"
Velira hastily turned toward the door. "Then I should see him for a while."
Mira reached out and gently grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Leave it. We should give him some time."
Velira looked at Mira for a while, searching her expression. Then, with a reluctant nod, she agreed. "All right."
She turned back toward the yard, while Mira looked at her—then toward the gate. Both women—deep in thought, worried for Eren… who, right now, had something else entirely on his mind.
As the sun moved across the sky and shadows stretched long, the sky slowly darkened. Velira had made multiple trips from the yard to the kitchen—successfully butchering all twenty-five of the hornbeasts and delivering the meat to Mira for cooking.
As Mira stirred the pan, Velira stood beside her, observing how she worked—entranced by the rhythm, the aroma, and the blend of spices.
"Woah… the smell of the spices," Velira remarked in a light mood.
"Yeah, we bring them from Morrowfen. That's the closest trading town," Mira replied as she continued stirring the bubbling pot.
Velira added with a grin, "No, not just the spices. It's the way you cook. I've never seen any of the cooks in the whole battalion cook like this."
She sounded genuinely happy.
"Oh, you flatter me," Mira chuckled, just as a sudden neigh of a horned horse echoed from outside.
Velira's expression shifted immediately. "The battalion. As I told you—it's here." She moved quickly toward the hallway. "Since Eren can't help right now, I'll take the orders."
Mira nodded as Velira strode briskly toward the tavern's gates.
There—just outside—sat a man atop a powerful twin-horned horse, fully clad in heavy armor. Upon seeing Velira, a sudden sigh of relief left his body.
"Flameguard company commander, what are you doing here?" he asked, voice hoarse and clearly exhausted. "We've been searching since yesterday evening."
Velira glanced to the side, hesitating. "I'd been searching for a strong monster... and…"
She paused. After a moment, she continued, "I lost the way."
From within the helmet, the armored man's brows furrowed. "What?! You forgot the way?" He sounded genuinely stunned.
Velira Highvale—the first to reach the Adept rank in sword arts in centuries… lost her way?
He couldn't believe his ears.
Velira, embarrassed, murmured, "Well… I'm human too, all right?" Her cheeks flushed slightly.
The armored man sighed.
"Well, anyway, Ms. Velira—the battalion has set up camp near the mountains on the outward side of town. If you want to meet your squad, you can head there."
Velira nodded in acknowledgment.
The armored man tugged his reins, the horned horse lifting a leg to depart, when suddenly he pulled to a halt.
"Oh! I almost forgot." He turned back toward her. "I—along with the other company commanders and the platoon leaders—will be here in a few hours for dinner. Could you inform the tavern owner and make sure there's an adjustment for some extra meat?"
Velira nodded once more.
"All right." With that, the armored man rode off atop his twin-horned steed, vanishing down the path.
Velira remained at the threshold.
A single word left her lips in a quiet murmur:
"Commander."