Compared with the rugged mountains and dense forests of Blackwater Territory, the land around the River Kingdoms' royal capital was far more open.

Aside from developed fields and roads, the surrounding area consisted mostly of swamps, lowlands, and scattered patches of dense forest.

Those wetlands were difficult to cultivate and covered in miasma year-round. Few people ventured there, so they naturally became lairs for all kinds of monsters.

Lizardfolk were especially common among them.

They loved damp, dark places like this more than anything.

Deep in a swamp choked with rotting leaves, several semicircular nests of deadwood and mud stood crookedly between puddles.

Faded scales hung from frames at the entrances, giving off a ghostly green sheen in the humid air.

Between the deadwood nests, Lizardfolk crawled with blue-gray backs hunched, using webbed claws to pick through the fish bones left from the previous night.

Older individuals occupied the central mud platform, scraping the skull of some large aquatic beast with bone knives.

The hatchlings tore at half-rotten frog carcasses. Their tails, not yet fully armored in scales, slapped muddy water in every direction.

A hoarse roar suddenly ripped through the swamp's quiet.

Two adult male Lizardfolk wrestled in a mud pit, their claws raking against each other's scales with an ear-piercing screech.

Thick tails lashed back and forth. The foul mud they splashed sent the feeding hatchlings scattering.

One of them exploded upward. Its huge mouth, packed with sharp teeth, clamped onto its opponent's shoulder, and dark red blood seeped into the muddy water at once.

The injured one hissed in pain, then slammed its skull into the other's abdomen with savage force.

Their kin did not intervene. Instead, they formed a ring, slapped the ground with their claws, and cried out in excitement.

Only when the elder struck its bone staff hard against stone did the brawl stop.

The two scarred warriors separated, panting. The fierce light in their vertical pupils had not faded. They licked their wounds, scales opening and closing from the heat of battle.

In this swamp, where the weak were prey for the strong, this was only another bloody part of daily life.

Only the most ferocious individuals could win mates and the richest prey.

Before the aftermath of the fight could settle, an ethereal song drifted in from the distant swamp.

The melody rippled through the damp air like water, carrying an ancient rhythm that spread across the entire camp.

The Lizardfolk warriors licking their wounds froze, and the fierce light in their vertical pupils dispersed.

Several young Lizardfolk curled in the mud. Their tails tapped the surface of the water, sending out drowsy ripples.

Even the oldest leader lowered its bone staff. Its rough scales rose and fell with deep breaths.

The song grew clearer, like countless tiny droplets dancing across their scales.

The hisses and roars throughout the camp faded away, leaving only the swamp's familiar frog calls and the wind.

All the Lizardfolk sank into a strange stillness, stone-still except for the tips of their tails swaying to the rhythm of the song.

That final thread of wakefulness was rapidly sliding into sleep.

While the Lizardfolk drowned in the trance of the song, sharp whistles tore through the mist.

Three feathered arrows pierced the thin fog with perfect accuracy and drove into the eye sockets of three Lizardfolk.

Before dark green blood could splash, two black shadows shot out of the reeds.

Cold light flashed.

The slender black-robed figure in front sprang forward, her rapier piercing cleanly through the throat of a dazed Lizardfolk guard.

The sturdy figure behind her swept his longsword across. Cold light passed, and two ferocious heads spun into the air.

Only when the eighth corpse struck the ground did the Lizardfolk wake from the trance and release piercing rallying hisses.

Dozens of enraged Lizardfolk surged forward, but arrows kept striking from the shadows during their charge, each one precise and fatal.

Worse still, the lingering song abruptly shifted key. The strange melody made their heads swim and their movements stiffen. Their attacks missed again and again.

The slender figure seized the opening and broke into the enemy formation. Sword light wrapped around her like silver thread, and severed limbs flew wherever she passed.

The sturdy figure focused on their lower bodies. Every heavy swing sent severed tails flying.

When the final arrow nailed the Lizardfolk elder to its nest, the entire camp was covered with twitching remains.

Sching!

With a crisp sound, Roland flicked the mithril longsword. Droplets of blood drew a dark red curve through the air before the blade returned cleanly to its sheath.

Then he turned toward the silver-haired woman checking the battlefield beside him.

"Teresa, any survivors?"

After receiving a negative answer, Roland let out a long breath and summoned the occupation panel with a thought.

When he saw that the [Knight Apprentice] requirement of "use breathing method to kill 0/100 hostile creatures" had been completed, he nodded in satisfaction.

A month had passed since they left the royal capital of the River Kingdoms.

Thanks to the detailed intelligence Avril and Teresa gathered, their work had suffered almost no delay.

Often, as soon as they cleared one monster lair, they rested briefly and rushed straight to the next target.

His use of the breathing method in real combat was still rough, but that efficient pace had allowed Roland to complete the kill requirement.

More importantly, after this period of tempering, his command of the breathing method had become much steadier.

At the very least, after activating the [Focus] Trait, he could maintain the breathing method through intense battle, if only with some effort.

At the same time, a month of fighting side by side had made the four of them increasingly coordinated.

The battlefield before them was the best proof.

Lizardfolk relied on powerful bodies like other monsters, but their intelligence far surpassed most of their kind. When they fought together, they could display astonishing tactical coordination.

If an ordinary adventurer squad or mercenary band tried to attack a camp occupied by nearly a hundred Lizardfolk, they would need careful planning to win.

Even then, casualties would be hard to avoid.

For Roland's group, however, the process was much simpler.

Galvez used his ability from a distance to disrupt the enemy formation.

Avril hid in the shadows and used precise arrows to eliminate targets with ranged threats or command roles first.

The remaining battlefield was left to Roland's sharp swordsmanship and Teresa's ghostlike movement.

With this cooperation, even a Lizardfolk camp of this scale was swept away like rotten wood in a storm.

"In that case, changing into [Knight Apprentice] only lacks..."

Before Roland could finish the thought, a clear voice came from the distance.

"Roland!"

He followed the sound and saw Avril waving her arm as she walked over quickly.

The scattered limbs on the ground and the heavy smell of blood in the air did nothing to dim the Elf girl's bright smile.

"Avril, did any escape?"

"Reporting, sir!"

Hearing Roland's question, the Elf girl deliberately straightened, set her face, and answered with solemn exaggeration.

"No escaping monsters were found!"

"All right, Avril..."

Roland shook his head at her playful act.

After a brief exchange, the three of them dispersed through the camp.

While searching for valuables, they began removing the deep green, exceptionally hard scales from the Lizardfolk foreheads.

These things were like the pointed ears of Kobolds or Goblins: proof to bring back to the Adventurer's Guild in exchange for a bounty and confirmation that the commission was complete.

Roland did not lack money at the moment, but free coins were still free coins.

The dim sky darkened further. By the time the three had nearly stripped the camp clean, a horse neighed in the distance.

"I say, everyone..."

A melodious tune drifted over with the voice.

Galvez wrinkled his nose and sniffed hard at the blood in the air, complaining, "It's almost dark. Shouldn't we be moving? I don't want to camp here tonight."

Unlike his previous solo trips, Roland had Avril and the others traveling with him this time, so separate horses were inconvenient.

Especially when camping in the wilderness, they had to bring enough food for Teresa's astonishing appetite.

Therefore, when they decided to go out and exterminate monsters, he had specifically told Galvez to buy a carriage.

Unexpectedly, despite the muddy roads, the bard was surprisingly good at driving one.

Inside the carriage, they could hardly feel the jolts, and their travel speed was quite fast.

Before the sky had fully darkened, the group arrived at a nearby town.

After choosing an inn that looked decent, Galvez took Avril to the local Adventurer's Guild to turn in the commission and collect the payment.

Teresa remained in the hall, her gaze fixed on the menu hanging on the wall.

"Roland, do you want something to eat?"

The silver-haired woman asked, but her eyes stayed on the wooden plaques engraved with dish names. Her throat moved once.

"No, Teresa..."

Roland had long since grown used to this side of her and waved a hand.

"You eat first. I'll go back to the room and wash up. When Avril and the others return, we'll eat together."

"All right."

Teresa nodded and immediately raised a hand to call the waiter.

Her rosy lips opened and closed in quick succession, listing one dish after another. Before long, the young waiter's expression turned strange.

"Miss, please wait a moment..."

The waiter struggled to keep that astonishing order in mind, brow furrowed tight, then hurried toward the counter.

"I need to get a pen and write this down..."

The awkwardness in the waiter's voice made Roland's mouth lift. He turned and went upstairs.

After asking another waiter to pour hot water into the bathtub and thanking him, he closed the door.

The wooden door shut, cutting off the noise from the hall.

"Hah..."

When his body sank into the hot water, Roland let out a long breath.

As he wiped away the small bloodstains on his skin, his thoughts settled.

"The [Knight Apprentice] requirement to 'use breathing method to kill one hundred hostile creatures' is complete. Now only 'organize a squad to defeat three powerful enemies' remains..."

Roland frowned slightly.

He was not afraid of so-called "powerful enemies."

In fact, after a month of fighting side by side, the four of them had developed considerable coordination.

If he judged honestly, even with his current, more practiced use of the breathing method, fighting Teresa, Avril, and Galvez at the same time would probably force him to activate all his Traits just to barely win.

And now, with himself included, completing this requirement would not be difficult as long as they made a careful plan.

After all, according to the panel, a "powerful enemy" only needed to be stronger than himself, even by a narrow margin.

Based on his observations at Adventurer's Guilds during this period, monster targets that met those conditions were uncommon, but not impossible to find.

The problem was that almost all of them were entrenched within the Misty Lands.

Ever since Mana Elements revived and that land became shrouded in strange mist, Shadow Veil's investigations had met repeated obstruction, according to Avril. Quite a few members had even disappeared there completely.

Before obtaining reliable intelligence, Roland absolutely did not want to step into such a dangerous place recklessly.

"Forget it... I'll go to the Adventurer's Guild later and take a look. If there is no suitable target, we'll return to the royal capital for now and rest."

"There is no need to rush the change into [Knight Apprentice]. As for improving my strength, I can also do that by triggering other new occupations and obtaining Traits and Extra Buffs."

After making up his mind, Roland stepped out of the bathtub.

He dried himself, changed into clean clothes, and opened the door.

The hall, which had been somewhat noisy a moment ago, was now strangely quiet.

Roland frowned and looked down.

In the next instant, the vigilance on his face faded, replaced by helplessness.

In the hall, plates had nearly piled across two entire dining tables.

Even so, the utensils in Teresa's hands were still moving with elegant speed, delivering food into her mouth without pause.

The travelers who had been dining nearby stared wide-eyed at the sight, disbelief written across their faces.

When they saw the silver-haired woman ask the waiter for more food, the shock in their eyes deepened.

"Is Teresa... eating more and more?"

Roland shook his head and walked down the stairs.

The innkeeper wore a troubled expression. Roland extended a finger and tapped the counter.

The crisp sound brought the innkeeper back to himself.

The old man, his face full of wrinkles, wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned his head.

"Sir, what do you need?"

Although he asked the question, his gaze never left Teresa, plainly afraid she might run off without paying.

Roland understood at once.

After all, similar scenes had happened more than once during this month.

He gave the innkeeper a gentle smile.

"Hello. I am with..."

He pointed at Teresa, who was still enjoying her food.

"That lady. Her appetite... is indeed rather astonishing, but you don't need to worry."

As he spoke, Roland took several silver coins from his belt pouch, placed them on the counter, and pushed them in front of the innkeeper.

"This is her meal payment in advance."

Hearing this and seeing the silver coins before him, the innkeeper immediately let out a long breath.

He put away the silver coins. The anxiety on his face vanished, and the way he looked at Teresa even gained a bit of warmth.

"Also, I may need to go out for a while later. If this lady still needs more food..."

Roland gave a few brief instructions. After confirming that the innkeeper would continue providing food, he walked to Teresa.

The mountain of plates in front of him almost completely blocked his line of sight.

Although he had already seen this sight several times, the corner of his mouth still twitched.

"Teresa."

"Mm?"

The silver-haired woman raised her head. A few bread crumbs still clung to the corner of her mouth.

"Avril and Galvez haven't returned yet?"

Teresa shook her head, and Roland said softly, "Perfect. I'm also planning to go to the Adventurer's Guild. I'll come back with them later. I've already paid for the meal, so don't worry."

"Thank you, Mr. Roland."

After giving her a few more quiet reminders, Roland turned and walked out of the inn.

He asked a passing pedestrian for directions, followed the street toward the Adventurer's Guild, and pushed open the somewhat heavy wooden door.

The next moment, a strong smell of blood rushed toward him.

The instant the bloody smell entered his nose, Roland's brow tightened, and his right hand shot to the hilt at his waist.

But when he clearly saw the scene inside the Adventurer's Guild, his tense body relaxed, and his hand left the sword hilt.

In the center of the hall floor lay several corpses in miserable states.