It is spring.

Although it still gets quite chilly when the sun sets, the temperature has gradually risen, making it a very comfortable season to live in.

Of course, this applies not only to us humans.

For both plants and monsters, it is an ideal climate to resume activity. Herbs used as ingredients for potions grow abundantly in the forest, and monsters begin to appear in the shallows of the woods.

Because of this, it’s also the prime earning season for adventurers in the domain.

Those who failed to earn enough Holy Coins last year to obtain dungeon exploration permits or complete requests in the magical region are now heading out en masse to hunt.

At the same time, another group has begun to appear—those who specialize in hunting within the magical region.

Dungeons are certainly stable, but the real profit lies in the middle and lower layers.

If a party has members skilled enough to reach those depths, they can focus solely on dungeon exploration. However, not just anyone can do that.

Especially in Riana, where the magical region spreads out right next to the town, hunting there is often more profitable for simple earnings.

Several development outposts have been established in the magical region, and many adventurers make use of them.

Dungeon research has also progressed to a certain extent, and there are enough adventurers who hunt solely within dungeons. There is now enough leeway to efficiently allocate visiting adventurers to development support without wasting resources.

This aligns with the plans of Seriana and Liesel.

That said, the local adventurers aren’t about to be outdone.

They, too, are actively gathering materials and hunting in the magical region, starting with the First Forest, not just in dungeons.

And then…

◇

“It’s coming! Don’t mess this up!”

“Yes, sir!”

At the call of the man standing at the front with his shield raised, the young adventurers responded energetically.

These were rookies who had made their official debut this year and last year.

Well, the only real change was their title from apprentice to rookie. However, since Riana’s Adventurers’ Guild had invested time and money into training them, they were handling themselves well in a hunting ground where young adventurers of their age would normally be expected to die easily.

Their party consisted of six members—two veterans and four rookies, with two apprentices assigned to each veteran.

A six-person party is the average composition for hunting in these parts, but considering that four of them are rookies, the apprentice training system seems to be a success.

Right now, they were facing a pack of seven wolves. The rookies had split roles between immobilizing and finishing off the beasts, working alongside the other veteran.

During this active monster season of spring, I was told to accompany rookies on their hunts as a precaution.

So far, though, I hadn’t needed to step in.

There was no need to use 【Prayer】 on them; I was just idly floating through the forest, observing.

It was boring, but… well, this was part of the job.

I sighed and continued watching the battle unfold below.

◇

“Good work, everyone!”

The voices of the rookies rang out from behind the Adventurers’ Guild.

Since today’s fight had been against a pack of wolves rather than goblins, the excitement still lingered in their voices.

The two veteran adventurers, seemingly familiar with this reaction, responded with amused smiles.

“Yeah. We still have to file our report, but… today’s work wasn’t bad.”

Their final haul for the day included a basket of herbs and six wolves.

Unfortunately, the one believed to be the pack’s leader managed to escape, but the rest were taken down cleanly, and their bodies were brought back.

I could have tracked down and finished off the boss myself, but a single wolf wouldn’t disrupt the hunting grounds, so there was no real issue in letting it go.

With that included, the rookies were now heading inside to report their results.

“Alright then, I’m off. See you guys later.”

Rather than tagging along, I decided to head home.

Once they received their rewards, they’d probably grab a quick bite at one of the food stalls before heading to a celebratory gathering.

They wouldn’t enjoy themselves as much with me around.

After saying my farewells, I rose into the air on my 【Floating Orb】.

The Adventurers’ Guild remained as busy as ever, with people constantly coming and going. The food stalls lined up in front of the building were already bustling, despite it being just before noon.

There were plenty of non-adventurers among the crowd—likely people visiting the guild for requests. Judging by how many of them were heading toward the stalls, this area might have become a bit of a tourist attraction.

The city guards frequently patrolled this district, and the adventurers understood that, so they refrained from causing trouble.

Still, considering how adventurers used to be viewed with suspicion, it was quite a surprising sight.

Adventurers tend to be a rough bunch. In the past, the town’s residents looked at them with disdain. Has that perception gradually improved?

It’s only been a few years, but things sure do change.

“Oh?”

As I left the adventurer district and entered the commercial district, I spotted a merchant caravan returning from another city.

Its guards were also a mixed party of veterans and rookies, just like before.

Fighting and gathering materials aren’t the only jobs for adventurers.

Some of the rookies and apprentices are from merchant families, so escorting duties aren’t something they shy away from.

Through experience like this, they will eventually be able to work with nobles.

Especially in Riana, where monsters are abundant, escorting is a respectable job. These rookies are likely training to handle that as well.

That said, for most of them, nothing beats the thrill of a big battle with monsters and making a fortune from it.

Hopefully, they’ll grow into well-rounded adventurers in time.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera ・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind’s Garment】 ・【Floating Orb】+1 【Shadow Sword】 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 【Fairy’s Eye】 【Dragon’s Lung】 【Amber Sword】 【Danrem’s Thread】 【Serpent’s Tail】 【Ankle Bracelet】 【Amber Shield】 【Purple Wings】 【Red Sword】 【Monkey’s Arm】 ・4 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】 ・【】 ・39 cards

Elena ・【】 ・【Green Fang】 【Amber Sword】 ・4 cards

Alec ・【Strong Strike】 ・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・9 cards