Upon arriving at Rastal Village, we were warmly welcomed by the guild master, Altro.

It seems news of the Arceus Salvation Party had reached his ears as well.

The moment he witnessed our return, he came to greet us with a speed unfitting of an old man.

“As a resident of Rastal Village, I couldn’t be prouder.”
“You are the true Silver Sword Saint.”

And so on…

By the way, the official reward from the guild will be available tomorrow. Well, it can’t be helped. The incident itself was an irregularity, and it’s already late at night.

After informing them that I would visit the guild in the morning, I decided to head home.

By home, I mean Ray’s mother’s ancestral house. She had already passed away, but the house had been left untouched, likely out of consideration from the villagers.

“Phew…”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I reflected on today’s events.

White Wolves.
The members of the Arceus Salvation Party.

There had been many battles, and along the way, I had obtained something that should have been impossible.

That was—the 《Crimson Gem》 I now held in one hand.

The members had used this to summon monsters, seemingly transferring them into the space from nothing.

It was a truly absurd power.

Where in the world had they obtained something like this?

And speaking of absurd powers, that wasn’t the only thing on my mind.

――――――

List of available Cheat Codes:

• 《Attack Power Up (Small)》
• Full use of fire attribute magic
• Visual display of the target’s HP
  ★ Target’s attack power rewrite (small)

――――――

Target’s attack power rewrite (small).

It was an ability I gained after the recent battle.

Judging by the name, I could somewhat guess what it did… If my guess was right, then this was another power far beyond common sense.

I wanted to test it out, but of course, now wasn’t the time. It would be troublesome if something unexpected happened.

For now, I should just get some rest—

“Gotcha!”

“…………”

—Or so I thought.

I easily dodged Ray as she dived onto the bed toward me. Fortunately or unfortunately, Engen Style was proving useful even in times like this.

“Muuu.”

Ray pouted in frustration.

“Arios~! Why did you dodge?”

“Of course I dodged…”

It would’ve hurt if she crashed into me.

“…………Stare.”

Ray fixed her gaze on me like a predator watching its prey.

And then—

“Eiyaa!”

Once again, she lunged at me, and once again, I evaded her.

“Tei!”
Sasa.
“Yaa!”
Sasasa.

“Haa… haa… Geez. Stop using your full strength!”

“You’re one to talk…”

This was… well, that.

Her signature 《tickle》 attack.

She used to do this a lot in the past, but as time passed, I had learned to dodge more often. That was simply the result of the growing gap in our physical abilities.

…That’s it.

“Ray. Right now, I’m not a bodyguard candidate. I’m just someone expelled from the Macba household. Which means… I can act more freely than before.”

“…Huh? And?”

Ray tilted her head in confusion, while I smirked mischievously.

“Fufu. In other words, I won’t get scolded by Father if I retaliate.”

Engen Style.

First Form.

Godspeed Tickle.

“Eh, wait… AHAHAHAHA! S-Stop, ahaha, wait, no, ahahaha!”

Ray burst into laughter, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

“You two, dinner is ready—…huh?”

Mary walked in and saw the scene.

“W-What exactly are you two doing…?”

A tickle fight between two grown adults.

A moment that could only exist in the carefree countryside.

By the way, Mary’s cooking was, as always, exquisite.

The more I ate, the more I craved, and it seemed she had remembered my tastes well, preparing many of my favorite dishes.

And to think she insisted, “You don’t need to pay”. How fortunate was I?

Someday, I’d have to save enough money to repay Mary’s kindness.

For that, I’d need to take on more guild requests.

And so, this lively yet peaceful night passed in the blink of an eye.