Soon, Takeru and the others bid farewell to Kahabell and the rest. Takeru also found Kahabell alone. He could sense that Kahabell carried many chronic injuries, seemingly on the verge of terminal illness.
However, faced with Takeru's offer of treatment, Kahabell chose to refuse. Now, she was already satisfied. Her child had grown up, and she had met Yusuke again, confessing her past love.
But it had also plunged her into even greater sorrow. Marrying and having a child with a man she didn't love, having her former beloved reappear before her, yet having lost the right to love him...
So, it was fine to just let things be now. She could still hold on for a few more years. After a few years, her child would be old enough to be self-sufficient. Then, quietly bidding farewell to the world in a few years would be enough.
Looking at Kahabell, Takeru silently sighed in his heart and respected her choice. However, he still took out a recovery potion and handed it to her. If she changed her mind later, she could drink it directly, or leave it for her child.
"Thank you very much, Brave One. I can see that you are a strong person. It may be presumptuous, but I hope you can look after Yusuke a little more. I beg of you."
Quietly taking the recovery potion Takeru offered, Kahabell even prepared to kneel directly before Takeru. But faced with her action, Takeru simply used telekinesis to stop her.
"Yotsuya Yusuke is now my teammate. Regardless of the reason, I will protect him as best I can." Looking at the devoted Kahabell, Takeru stated directly, then left without looking back.
There were two reasons for seeking out Kahabell before parting: one was personal interest, the other was sympathy.
The personal interest was naturally that curing her illness might be a side quest, and the sympathy was that such a devoted woman ultimately dying from the torment of illness was indeed quite unfair.
Unfortunately, although she was grateful for his actions, she still chose to refuse. Regarding this, Takeru could only let it go.
After bidding farewell to Kahabell, Takeru directly caught up with Hachiman and the others, who had gone ahead. They had already found a ship heading to Jiffon Island.
"Hey, Takeru, what did you talk about with Kahabell in the end?" Seeing Takeru arrive, Iu inquired curiously.
The others also looked at Takeru with interest. After all, Takeru and she had only just met, so there shouldn't be too much to talk about.
However, Hachiman had some idea. He could naturally tell Kahabell's physical condition. Although her complexion looked rosy on the outside, internally, it was very bad.
"I just had a question to ask her." Looking at the curious group, Takeru brushed it off.
"Is that so?" Hearing Takeru say this, the others didn't quite believe it, but they couldn't find any reason to refute it. Moreover, this seemed to be the only answer. Why he needed to avoid the topic was what puzzled them.
Soon, Takeru and the others successfully boarded the ship. Takeru noticed that the people boarding didn't seem to be ordinary civilians, nor ordinary passersby, but rather individuals resembling adventurers.
One bald man in particular surprised Takeru. He possessed considerable magical power, though he was concealing it.
Although he sensed something unusual, Takeru signaled Hachiman and Mio not to act rashly and to quietly observe how things developed. No matter what happened, Takeru believed he could handle everything.
Soon, the ship departed smoothly. The journey was relatively calm.
As the ship was about to arrive, the bald man actively approached Takeru and the others to strike up a conversation.
However, compared to the three extra players, Takeru, Hachiman, and Mio, the five official players, Yusuke Yotsuya and the others, were far more conspicuous.
"What an honor, a Brave One actually coming to our Jiffon Island. So you saw the notice recruiting mercenaries?" The bald man enthusiastically asked Yusuke.
"Mercenaries?"
"Is that not it? Look, there it is, Jiffon Island!" Seeing Yusuke's confused expression, the bald man paused, then discreetly pointed to a conspicuous volcanic island in the distance and directly stated.
Upon arrival, everyone could see the island more clearly. At what seemed to be a port, two girls were waiting excitedly for the ship's arrival.
"Welcome to Jiffon Island. We are the Tanabata Festival Priestesses of Vaikedamania. I'm Yana!" A girl in red attire smiled and spoke to everyone.
"And Aoiu!" The girl in blue beside her also stated her name.
"Welcome, mercenaries, to Jiffon Island!" The two girls enthusiastically addressed everyone. The five walking at the front, Yusuke and the others, were immediately adorned with flower leis by the two.
"Um... we're not mercenaries..." Looking at the two's enthusiastic demeanor, Yusuke hesitated, scratching his cheek.
Hearing Yusuke's words, the smiles on the two girls' faces froze. After confirming again, their smiles completely disappeared, they took back the flower leis, and their expressions turned cold.
"We just said we weren't mercenaries..."
"Their attitude got so much colder!"
Seeing the shift in their attitude, Iu and Yuka couldn't help but complain.
Takeru, however, had already surveyed the island's situation upon arrival using his Observation Haki and roughly understood the island's condition and the reason for the two's attitude change.
Because Takeru sensed that besides ordinary residents, there were many Orcs on the island.
Although they somewhat resembled evolved goblins, Rigurd, they were clearly distinct from goblins and much larger in build compared to goblins and ordinary humans.
Most importantly, the Orcs resided in the castle at the island's center. Clearly, the island seemed to have been occupied by Orcs.
Connecting this to their attitude toward mercenaries, the mercenaries on the ship earlier, and the bald man's questions, the situation became clear: their homeland had been occupied by Orcs, so they wanted to hire mercenaries to drive them out.
"Anyway, we need to decipher the meaning of that unknown word first. Um, do you know what Vaikedamania is?" Looking at the complaining Iu and the other girls, Yusuke gave a dry laugh and then inquired of Yana and Aoiu.
"It refers to the harvest season!" Hearing Yusuke Yotsuya's inquiry, Aoiu answered.
"Then do you know what a Jiffon Buffo is?" Hearing Aoiu's words, Iu inquired again.
"Why should we tell you for free!" Yana spoke discontentedly. Originally delighted that everyone had come because they accepted a mercenary mission, but instead they came for information. This disparity made it hard for her to control her anger.
"Yeah, yeah!" Aoiu couldn't help but echo.
"In that case, it's fine if we accept the employment, right?" Looking at the two girls, Takeru stepped forward and said calmly.
"Thank you for your help! You are truly wonderful, Brave One!" Hearing Takeru's words and seeing his appearance, the two girls immediately came before Takeru, their eyes sparkling as they looked at him.
'Their attitude changed so fast!' Watching the two's actions, everyone broke out in a cold sweat.
"Brave One, this way, please. This is the Jiffon Buffo!" Soon, arriving at a grassland, Yana and Aoiu pointed at grazing animals resembling cows but with goat horns, speaking to Takeru.
Seeing this, Takeru curiously approached the Jiffon Buffo, examining this peculiar species with interest. It looked like it might taste good and seemed usable as material to manifest into high-grade ingredients.
"So, the mission is to offer those cow-like animals during the harvest festival, Vaikedamania!" Connecting everything, everyone learned the specific mission details.
"We can't hold Vaikedamania this year!" Hearing Iu and Yusuke's words, Aoiu spoke regretfully.
"Huh!" Hearing Aoiu's words, Yusuke and the others were surprised. If it couldn't be held, that meant the mission would fail, and they would die.
"Is it because of those green monsters in the island's castle?" Hearing Aoiu's words, Takeru inquired calmly.
"Eh, Brave One, you know?" This time it was Aoiu and Yana's turn to be shocked.
"Takeru, do you know something?" Hearing Takeru's words and the shocked expressions of Yana and the others, Yusuke looked at Takeru expectantly.
"I have some guesses, but as for the specifics, I think Yana-san and Aoiu-san will tell us shortly, right?" Hearing Yusuke's words, Takeru looked directly at the two.
Although his guesses were already ninety percent accurate, having them state it themselves would lend more credibility.