Chapter 215 – Respect is Earned, not Given
Chapter 215
Respect is Earned, not Given
Date : Day 20 of Frostfall 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
The days blurred together for the Freedom Party over the next nine days. They fought and continued advancing through the third floor of Akela Dungeon.
Their established strategy remained the same.
Hyoren and Jackey stood at the front as the two frontliners. Arianna guarded their rear, while Elise remained alert and made sure nothing could surprise them. And nothing did.
By the third day, their work had become almost automatic.
They would fight through five or six encounters before finding another dead end where they could deploy The Sanctuary and rest. Then, after recovering enough, they would continue again. Five encounters. Six encounters. Rest. Advance. Again and again.
Today was the ninth day of their dungeon dive. The Freedom Party was resting in another familiar dead end. The Sanctuary hummed softly beside them, its pale blue glow illuminating the camp as they ate.
Hyoren finished his soup down to the last drop before placing his bowl down. He leaned back slightly and let out a quiet breath.
“This floor is...”
He paused. For once, even Hyoren seemed to have trouble finding the right words.
“Insane.”
He shook his head. His long dark hair swayed slightly with motion.
“It honestly makes me feel like I'm going crazy.”
Elise smiled softly.
“I know what you mean.”
She placed her own bowl down.
“It's just one exhausting battle after another.”
Her emerald eyes wandered around the corridor.
The same cracked stone walls. The same flagstones beneath their feet. The same broken crates. The same ancient ruins.
Cracked stone walls stretched into the distance. Dust had gathered undisturbed in corners where no footsteps had passed for years. Thin strands of cobweb clung to cracks between the stones, trembling faintly whenever their movements disturbed the stale air.
Above them, pale blue magic lamps embedded in the ceiling quietly illuminated the corridor. Their cold light washed over the ancient stone, leaving the deeper recesses of the passage in muted shadows.
Elise looked down to the corridor again.
“Everything looks the same... Without Mapping skill, we'd have no idea where we've been.”
Arianna put down her spoon.
“Indeed. I was taught in the Academy that dungeons could be disorienting, but I never imagined it could be quite like this.”
She shifted her sitting position and glanced around.
“The first and second floors were still manageable. But… This floor is on an entirely different level.”
Jackey finished his second bowl of soup and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, before deciding it was time to join the discussion.
“Yeah! This dungeon is weird!”
He grinned.
“Well, dungeons are supposed to be weird, right? But compared to the other ones I've been in...”
He pointed his thumb toward the horde outside the barrier.
“This one is definitely the weirdest!”
Everyone laughed.
Hyoren smiled.
“Today marks the ninth day of our dive. We've already reached the end of our scheduled stay, so we should leave tomorrow.”
He looked around at everyone.
“If we stay any longer, we might actually lose our minds.”
Everyone nodded.
Elise gave a small sigh.
“I wouldn't be surprised.”
Hyoren then turned toward her.
“How's our mapping progress?”
Elise closed her eyes.
Her Mapping Skill immediately brought the mental map of the third floor into focus. After checking the map, she opened her eyes.
“We slowed down after deciding not to push ourselves so hard.”
A small smile appeared on her face.
“But we've still managed to map forty-seven percent of the floor.”
Hyoren tapped his chin.
“Forty-seven percent...”
He thought for a moment.
“We might be able to finish the rest during our next dive.”
He paused.
“Or at least most of it. We can finish whatever remains after that.”
He smiled.
“Considering how large this floor is and how difficult it is to advance through because of high spawn, I think we've made good progress.”
Jackey immediately raised his fist.
“Yeah! Freedom Party is strong!”
He pumped his fist into the air.
“WOHOO!”
Everyone laughed again.
Freedom Party had spent nine days walking through the same-looking corridors and fighting more goblins than they could count. It was enough to slowly wear down anyone's mind.
Yet Jackey somehow continued to keep the atmosphere from becoming too heavy. His simple way of thinking was strangely useful in a place like this. He joked when things became too absurd. He complained when something was annoying.
And even in a situation that should have been mentally exhausting, he simply said whatever was on his mind. That straightforward attitude helped keep the others from dwelling too much on the absurdity surrounding them.
Arianna smiled at him.
“Sir Jackey's mind is surprisingly resilient.”
She clasped her hands together and giggled.
“If he weren't constantly lifting everyone's spirits, I believe I would have succumbed to this floor's absurdity much sooner. Ohoho.”
Elise nodded.
“She's right.”
Her silver hair swayed slightly as she turned toward Jackey.
“Having someone like Jackey around really does help.”
Jackey rubbed the back of his neck.
“Eh? Really?”
He looked embarrassed.
Hyoren smiled at him.
“Yeah. Our minds are probably still intact because of you, Jackey.”
Jackey's grin returned.
“Hehehe. Then I'll keep doing my job!”
Everyone laughed once more.
After the laughter faded, Hyoren looked toward Elise.
“Elise, can we reach the safe room tomorrow?”
Elise closed her eyes once more.
She checked the route through her mental map. Every intersection. Every T-junction. Every dead end. Every spawn point. The entire corridor they already walked through was already recorded in her mind. She carefully scrutinized the map to find the route to this floor’s Safe Room.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and nodded.
“Yes, Hyoren. From here, I found the route to the Safe Room.”
She paused briefly.
“We'll still have to pass four spawn points, though. So it'll probably take us around four hours.”
Hyoren nodded.
“Four encounters. That's manageable.”
He looked around at his companions.
“As long as we don't get delayed, we should be able to reach the safe room in one day.”
Jackey raised both fists.
“Then we're almost out!”
Arianna smiled.
“A welcome thought indeed.”
Elise smiled softly.
“Just one more push tomorrow.”
Hyoren nodded.
“Exactly.”
He looked around at his exhausted party.
“Alright. That's enough for today. Let's get some sleep.”
The others agreed.
The Freedom Party gathered their things and entered their respective tents. Hyoren and Elise went into the large tent, while Arianna and Jackey entered their own smaller tents.
Tomorrow, they will begin their journey back to their home.
***
The journey back to the Safe Room the next day was uneventful. Just as Elise had predicted, they encountered exactly four spawn points along the route back to the Safe Room.
Each encounter followed the same familiar pattern they had repeated countless times throughout their nine-day dive. By now, there was no need for complicated discussion. Their bodies already knew what to do.
Eventually, after passing through the fourth encounter, they finally reached the shimmering portal.
One after another, the Freedom Party stepped through it. The familiar sensation of passing through the portal washed over them. Then—the empty Safe Room greeted them.
The moment they entered, the tension that had kept their bodies ready for combat seemed to drain away. Their postures immediately relaxed.
Jackey didn't even bother trying to maintain his dignity.
“PHEW! Finally! I can relax!”
He practically collapsed onto the floor.
His axes clanked loudly against the stone as he let them fall beside him. He leaned backward, supporting his upper body with both arms while stretching his legs out in front of him.
Arianna wasn't much better.
She slumped down beside him without the slightest concern for the noble etiquette she had spent five years learning at the academy. Her Quadraflux Weaver clattered against the floor. She leaned her back against the wall, legs spread out carelessly, her posture so thoroughly undignified that any instructor from her academy would probably have fainted on the spot.
But Arianna was far too exhausted to care.
She let out a long breath.
“Forgive me for this manner… but... could we… rest for a little while first, Leader?”
Nine days inside that absurd floor had truly exhausted all of them.
Hyoren glanced at Elise. Elise glanced back at him. They exchanged a brief look. Then both smiled softly.
There was no reason to argue. They had all earned this moment.
Hyoren sat down as well, placing his shield beside him.
“Don't worry. You deserve it.”
He paused.
His body was still aching from the countless battles. His shoulders felt sore, and even his legs carried the dull fatigue accumulated over nine days.
He let out a small chuckle.
“No. WE deserve it.”
Elise nodded.
“Yeah. Rest, everyone.”
Jackey immediately took advantage of the permission. He rolled onto his back and stretched himself across the floor.
“Yesss! Thanks, Big Bro!”
Arianna smiled faintly. She leaned her head against the wall and simply allowed her tired body to relax.
For a while, none of them spoke.
Elise took out her waterskin and handed it to Hyoren. Hyoren accepted it and took several long drinks. The cool water felt refreshing after so many days inside the dungeon. Once he finished, he handed it back to Elise. She drank from it as well before lowering the waterskin.
The four of them simply rested.
The Safe Room was quiet.
The shimmering portal leading back into the dungeon proper remained active, its surface constantly shifting with different colors. Beyond it lay the route toward the third floor they had spent the past nine days exploring.
In the center of the Safe Room stood a raised platform. A teleportation runic array engraved across its surface pulsed with a soft blue glow. And in the middle of the platform stood a pedestal. Upon it was a swirling crimson orb.
The familiar sight of it meant they were truly back in the Safe Room.
After resting for a few moments, Hyoren finally rummaged through his storage bag.
He pulled out his Guild Card.
The information displayed on the front card was its public information, the details that could be seen by anyone.
Full Name : Hyoren Enjo (氷連 炎上)
Nickname : Hyoren
Race : Human
Age : 22
Date of Birth : 13th Crownfire
Origin : Shimoda Village, Akela Territory, Kingdom of Altaria
Role : Warrior
Class : Sword-and-shield Tank
Guild Rank : Bronze
Guild Branch : Frontier City Akela
Party : Freedom Party
Title : Hero of Riverville Town
Active Quest : Akela Dungeon Exploration Quest
Hyoren's eyes stopped on his title—Hero of Riverville Town.
He smiled wryly. Whenever he saw those words, he couldn't help feeling that he was undeserving of the title.
He didn't dwell on it for long. Instead, he flipped the Guild Card over.
Hyoren poured Aethell into it. The previously hidden information slowly appeared across its surface. Unlike the public information, these details were private. No one could see them unless Hyoren himself willed it.
Level : 18
Experience to next level up : 7,117/26,124
Status :
Strength : 20
Vitality : 21
Dexterity : 15
Agility : 15
Magic : 18
Skills :
Forest Walking Lvl 1
Spear Mastery Lvl 4
Throwing Lvl 2
Magic Manipulation Lvl 5
Instinct Lvl 3
Dissection Lvl 1
Magic Blade Lvl 4
Light Magic Lvl 4
Strong Legs Lvl 2
Sword Mastery Lvl 4
Shield Mastery Lvl 5
Dark Magic Lvl 4
Magic Eyes: Diagnostic Sight Lvl 1
Spell Learned:
Basic Light Magic : Healing Light, Accel Zone
Basic Dark Magic : Enchant Maledict, Shadow Bloom.
Active Skill :
Spear : Piercing Thrust, Meteor Thrust
Sword : Quick Slash, Sweeping Slash
Shield : Provoke, Shield Bash
Throwing : Precision Throw
Unique Skill : Berserker
Blessing : Divine Protection of Twin Goddesses
Hyoren stared at the numbers. He was astonished.
Three levels…
He had gained three levels from a single dungeon dive.
Elise leaned closer and peeked over his shoulder.
“Ooh... your level went up by three.”
Her emerald eyes moved across the rest of the information.
“And your Light and Dark Magic finally leveled up too.”
She smiled.
“Good for you, Hyoren.”
Hyoren smiled back.
“Thanks, Elise.”
He looked over the skill list again.
“Though I feel like my skill growth is starting to stagnate. My level jumped from fifteen to eighteen, but only two skills increased.”
Arianna, who had recovered enough to sit more properly, joined the conversation.
“I believe that is because of the nature of this floor, Leader.”
She rested one hand against her knee.
“We defeated a tremendous number of monsters, but we did not actually make as much use of our individual skills as we did on the previous floors.”
She glanced at his Guild Card.
“Therefore, our level increased rapidly from the sheer number of monsters we defeated, while our skill growth did not keep pace.”
Hyoren nodded thoughtfully.
“That makes sense.”
Jackey suddenly sat up.
“But you became much stronger, Big Bro!”
He pointed enthusiastically at Hyoren.
“And you're only a little bit away from Silver Rank!”
He grinned widely.
“A veteran!”
Hyoren scratched his cheek, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Veteran...?”
He glanced at Jackey.
“But I only registered as an adventurer three months ago...”
Jackey's grin grew even wider.
“That's what makes it crazy!”
He raised his fist into the air.
“Your progress is absurd, Big Bro! I'm definitely not wrong for following you! Let's become the strongest in the world! WOHOO!”
His declaration immediately made everyone laugh. Even Arianna covered her mouth as she giggled. Elise smiled warmly. Hyoren could only shake his head with a helpless smile.
After the laughter finally ended, Hyoren looked around at his party.
“How about you guys check your progress as well?”
Elise nodded.
“Let me go first.”
She reached into her storage bag and took out her Guild Card. After pouring Aethell into it, she turned it around and showed everyone her current status.
Level: 20
Experience to next level up : 17,501/31,610
Status:
Strength: 15
Vitality : 15
Dexterity : 31
Agility : 30
Magic : 16
Skills :
Bow Mastery Lvl 6
Forest Walking Lvl 4
Silent Step Lvl 5
Tracking Lvl 5
Sword Mastery Lvl 2
Dissection Lvl 3
Mapping Lvl 3
Poison Mastery Lvl 3
Trap Dismantling Lvl 2
Aethell Sense Lvl 1
Enchant Magic: Sacred Wind Lvl 1
Active Skill :
Bow : Charge Arrow, Double Shot, Tracking Shot
Unique Skill : -
Blessing : Blessing of the Verdant Mother
Hyoren leaned closer, examining the numbers.
“Two levels.”
His eyes moved down the list.
“But your skills didn't increase at all...”
He paused.
“Oh, wait. Your Poison Mastery has increased by one since the last time I saw your status, Elise.”
Elise nodded.
“I didn't contribute much to the fighting on this floor.”
She glanced at her Guild Card.
“And my Poison Mastery increased when I was concocting poison before we went diving.”
She smiled softly.
“So I guess this third floor really is bad for skill growth. Fufufu.”
Arianna smiled, seemingly trying to reassure her mentor.
“Mentor, an increase in level is still good.”
She adjusted her purple robe.
“Once we reach level fifteen and above, gaining another level becomes much more difficult. And increasing our level still makes us stronger. Our attacks become more powerful, our speed increases, and we can activate more magics and skills”
She gave Elise a reassuring smile.
“So even if our skills remain stagnant, we're still getting stronger.”
Elise nodded.
“I guess you're right.”
She smiled softly.
Jackey immediately pulled out his Guild Card.
“My turn!”
He poured Aethell into the card, and the back of his Guild Card began to glow.
Level : 19
Experience to next level up : 712/28,736
Status :
Strength : 23
Vitality : 15
Dexterity : 18
Agility : 21
Magic : 7
Skills :
Axe Mastery Lvl 5
Throwing Lvl 3
Dual Wielding Lvl 5
Keen Instinct Lvl 5
Dissection Lvl 1
Strong Legs Lvl 3
Evasion Lvl 2
Physical Enhancement Lvl 1
Active Skill :
Axe : Power Slash, Rotating Slash.
Dual Wield : Cross Slash, Whirlwind Slash.
Throwing : Precision Throw.
Unique Skill : -
Blessing : -
Jackey's eyes immediately lit up.
“WOHOO! Three level ups!”
Then he looked down at the rest of his status. His grin slowly disappeared.
“But why do none of my skills level up?”
His tabby cat ears flattened.
“Noooo...”
The contrast between his excitement and sudden disappointment made everyone laugh again.
Hyoren chuckled.
“Jackey, you only...”
He paused, trying to imitate Jackey's straightforward way of speaking.
“‘Whack the skulkers’... without technique. Without form.”
He made a rough swinging motion with his arm.
“You just kept swinging your axes left and right.”
Elise nodded.
“Hyoren is right, Jackey.”
Arianna covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.
“Ohoho... Sir Jackey, perhaps you should try to...”
She giggled again.
“‘Whack’ with elegance next time. Ohoho.”
Jackey crossed his arms and nodded seriously.
“Understood!”
He raised his fist.
“Next time, I'll whack those skulkers with elegance!”
That earned another round of laughter from everyone.
Jackey looked at them with a confused expression.
“What? I said I'll do it!”
Hyoren simply shook his head with a smile. He then looked toward Arianna.
“Arianna, your turn.”
Arianna nodded gracefully.
“Certainly, Leader.”
She reached into her purple storage bag and carefully produced her Guild Card. After pouring Aethell into it, she turned the card around and showed her status to everyone.
Level : 17
Experience to next level up : 20,999/21,770
Status :
Strength : 5
Vitality : 13
Dexterity : 7
Agility : 16
Magic : 39
Skills :
Magic Manipulation Lvl 8
Aethell Sense Lvl 4
Runic Theory Lvl 4
Magic Conversion Lvl 5
Earth Magic Lvl 10 (MAX)
Fire Magic Lvl 7
Wind Magic Lvl 5
Water Magic Lvl 4
Advanced Earth Magic Lvl 1
Terraforma Magic Lvl 1
Lava Magic Lvl 2
Spell Learned :
Basic Earth Magic : Stone Bullet, Boulder Throw, Earth Wall, Earth Spikes, Sand Storm.
Basic Fire Magic : Fire Javelin, Fire Ball, Combustion, Ring of Flame.
Basic Wind Magic : Wind Arrow, Wind Slicer, Wind Barrier.
Basic Water Magic : Water Needle, Mist Fog.
Advanced Earth Magic : Earth Hammer.
Terraforma Magic : Earth Fissure.
Lava Magic : Lava Surge.
Unique Skill : -
Blessing : -
Hyoren smiled.
“Your level increased by three as well.”
He looked at the experience remaining before her next level.
“Actually, wait, you're only a little more than seven hundred experience away from level eighteen. That's pretty fast growth.”
His eyes moved toward her attributes.
“And I see your Vitality and Agility have been steadily increasing too, Arianna.”
The crimson-haired mage smiled.
“Yes. I don't want to become a burden whenever we dive into the dungeon.”
She glanced toward Jackey.
“So I asked Sir Jackey to train my stamina.”
Jackey immediately nodded proudly.
“Miss Purple is a hard worker!”
Arianna smiled at him.
“Thank you, Sir Jackey.”
Hyoren tilted his head slightly.
When did they actually train…?
He never saw Arianna do training her stamina by running or exercising alone, let alone with the Cat-clan Beastkin. And to be honest, running and exercising during winter is kind of hard.
But he shrugged.
Well, maybe they did run around when I didn't see or they did train on the indoor training grounds...
He remembered that Akela Castle and the Knight Garrison had training grounds. As the daughter of a Baron, she could ask the knights for permission to use those. It was not his place to pry. They worked hard, it was enough for him.
Hyoren looked at the three of them.
“We're all getting stronger.”
His expression became slightly more serious.
“But again, we can't become complacent. One mistake is all it takes for the dungeon to swallow us whole.”
He took a deep breath.
“But that's something to worry about another time.”
His gaze shifted toward the middle of the room. The crimson orb remained on its pedestal, slowly swirling within itself. The teleportation orb that would take them out of the dungeon.
Hyoren looked back at his party.
“For now... how about we go back home?”
Everyone immediately cheered.
“Yeah!”
“Let's go!”
“Finally!”
The Freedom Party was ready to leave the Safe Room.
After nine exhausting days inside the third floor of Akela Dungeon, it was finally time to return home.
***
The Freedom Party quickly exited the dungeon. After leaving the dungeon's entrance behind, they made their way toward the Adventurer's Guild branch.
The heavy wooden door closed behind them as they stepped inside.
The guild was busy. Several adventurer parties were already inside, with some reporting their dungeon progress to the clerks while others waited nearby.
As usual, the Freedom Party joined the queue at Sherly's counter, the one they frequently used. She was the one Ina trusted to manage this branch.
There was only one adventurer party ahead of them. It was a five-man party with a well-balanced composition.
Their leader immediately caught Hyoren's attention.
He was a young man with spiked red hair and bright blue eyes. From the way he spoke with the clerk, he seemed energetic and confident. A long but surprisingly thin greatsword was strapped to his back, its blade faintly glowing even while sheathed.
The rest of his party was equally interesting.
A lightly armored Lion-clan Beastkin woman stood beside him. She carried two daggers at her waist.
From that posture and weapon choice. A scout…
Beside her stood a human woman wearing Luminara's priestly vestments. The white and gold embroidery on her clothing was noticeably luxurious.
She is the healer…
A female dwarf stood nearby, carrying a hammer and shield.
Her equipment clearly marked her as the party's tank… Her footwork also seems solid…
And finally, there was a female elf mage holding a staff whose surface glowed with shifting green and blue colors.
Definitely a mage… and she seems to be a dual elemental mage… wind and water…
Hyoren quietly observed them.
And their leader appeared to be their physical damage dealer…
It was a well-rounded formation.
Though their particular formation made Hyoren smile wryly.
Although... one man and four women.
He glanced at the party members again. Judging from their expressions and gestures, the women seemed to harbor feelings for their leader.
That's a harem party…
He almost chuckled at the thought. Then he shrugged inwardly.
But it's not my place to judge…
After all, he had two lovers himself.
Before long, the adventurer party finished reporting their dungeon results.
They turned around.
The red-haired leader immediately noticed who was standing behind them. His eyes widened in surprise. Then his face broke into a bright grin.
He walked straight toward Hyoren. The other four members of his party followed behind him.
His energy was almost comparable to Jackey's. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Hey! Is that really you? Freedom Party's Hyoren Enjo?”
Hyoren furrowed his brows.
Elise, Jackey, and Arianna also exchanged confused looks.
What does he want…? And who is this guy?
Hyoren nevertheless nodded politely.
“Nice to meet you. And yes, I'm Hyoren Enjo. May I help you?”
The red-haired man immediately extended his hand.
“Yes! I've been dying to meet you!”
Hyoren took his hand and shook it.
The man's grin widened.
“I'm Fits Walder! Leader of the Bronze-ranked party, Shining Force!”
Hyoren's eyes widened slightly.
Shining Force...
He remembered Ina mentioning them before. They were one of the leading parties quietly following the Freedom Party's progress. Among the parties operating in Akela Dungeon, their progress was one of the fastest, second only to Jigor's Unbreakable Will and Hilde's Merry Go Round.
“I see.”
Hyoren nodded.
“So, may I ask what you need, Mister Fits?”
Fits immediately shook his head and raised his hands.
“Please! Don't be so formal with me.”
He grinned.
“I really look up to you!”
Hyoren blinked.
Fits then continued.
“And I just wanted to say thank you.”
He glanced toward his party members. They remained behind him, apparently leaving the conversation entirely to their leader.
Fits turned back toward Hyoren.
“We're actually a party from the capital. We heard a new dungeon had opened here, so we decided to come and try it out.”
He scratched his cheek.
“We'd already cleared two Bronze-tier dungeons before coming here.”
His expression became a little more serious.
“But this dungeon...”
He shook his head.
“It overwhelmed us.”
Fits gestured toward the dungeon entrance behind them.
“And then your party came out and actually cleared it way faster than we did!”
Hyoren opened his mouth, but Fits continued before he could respond.
“Not only that, you released all the information about the floors you'd already cleared.”
He gestured enthusiastically with both hands.
“The map, the monster composition. Even the hidden chambers! And information about how to clear each Guardian!”
Hyoren glanced toward Fits's party members.
None of them interrupted. They simply watched their leader with quiet agreement. Some of them nodded in agreement.
Hyoren looked back at Fits.
“Fits, right?”
He smiled awkwardly.
“I don't think I deserve all that praise. I was just doing what seemed normal.”
He shrugged.
“Adventurers should help each other, shouldn't they?”
Fits stared at him for a moment. Then he crossed his arms.
“You haven't seen enough of the greed among adventurers yet, Hyoren.”
His tone became more serious.
“I've seen plenty of it in the capital.”
He raised both arms slightly as he began explaining.
“Those greedy elites think that holding all the cards makes them gods. They expect everyone else to bow just because they reached the deeper levels first.”
He shook his head.
“You know, some adventurers might think you're being soft for sharing all that dungeon information.”
His expression softened.
“But they don't understand.”
He placed a hand against his chest.
“They think power gives them status.”
He looked directly at Hyoren.
“But respect isn't something you're entitled to.”
His grin returned.
“You earn it.”
He pointed toward Hyoren. He continued to assert his view.
“Respect is earned, not given!”
He nodded.
“And you've earned it every time my party makes it back alive because of the information you gave us.”
Fits then bowed respectfully.
“So... Thank you for all the information you shared!”
Hyoren was taken aback. He hadn't expected such a sincere speech. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
Then—several adventurers nearby began applauding. Others nodded in agreement.
“We've been able to safely dive into the dungeon because of the Freedom Party!”
“That red-haired guy is right!”
“Thank you, Freedom Party!”
“You've earned my respect too!”
More voices joined in.
Hyoren looked around in surprise. The attention was making him increasingly uncomfortable.
Fits straightened up and grinned.
“See?”
He spread his arms.
“They agree with me.”
Hyoren opened his mouth, ready to deflect the praise as usual.
“But…”
Fits spoke before he could. He knew from the Hyoren expression that he was going to deflect it.
“Anyway, I won't take up any more of your time.”
He glanced over the Freedom Party.
“Your party clearly looks exhausted.”
Fits gave another small bow. This time, it was deeper and more respectful than before.
“Once again, thank you. And see you later.”
Hyoren could only nod. He was genuinely speechless.
Fits turned around and gestured for his party members to follow him. The five members of Shining Force then began walking away.
Hyoren watched them leave without saying another word.
Beside him, Elise, Jackey, and Arianna watched the departing party with warm expressions. They had all seen how Hyoren usually reacted whenever someone praised him. He would deflect it. He would downplay it. He would insist that he had merely done what anyone else should have done.
But this time, there was no way to dismiss it. The respect he had earned was no longer something only his own party recognized. Other adventurers had seen his actions. They had benefited from them.
And now, they were openly acknowledging him for it.
Elise smiled softly. Arianna's expression held quiet pride. Even Jackey wore a wide grin. Their leader had finally begun to receive the respect he deserved.
And for the three of them, seeing that was something worth being proud of.