The warmth of touch had transferred from Banning’s hand into the heart of Emilia.
— (Indeed, no matter when, as long as Banning is there, everything would be fine.)
As if coveting the warmth of a duvet on a winter’s morning, Emilia had tightly gripped Banning’s hand, as though holding on to him would ensure he would never leave.
Nevertheless, Emilia had a vague sense that even though she was holding Banning’s hand, he still seemed immeasurably distant.
This alienation was not due to physical distance, but rather the disparity in their abilities. Although she had no concrete evidence, Emilia had a faint understanding that Banning had grown considerably since coming to Sunny Town, and that his entire aura had undergone a transformation.
If things continued this way, there would come a day when she was not even qualified to stand beside Banning – Emilia thought thus.
— (The direction I should be striving towards is not to hold Banning’s hand, but to keep up with his pace.)
With this in mind, Emilia let go of Banning’s hand, then fervently answered Banning’s previous words.
“Banning, you don’t have to come back. I will come to find you.”
At that very moment, Emilia had made a decision, a firm resolution.
She would become a bounty hunter again, become a more outstanding mage, challenge the advancement trials, so she could fight alongside Banning, rather than merely relying on his protection.
Seeing the change in Emilia, Banning had shown a look of surprise and joy. Hepatted Emilia’s head and ears, then helped her stand up.
“Alright, then I look forward to seeing you again.”
This time, Banning had extended his right hand to Emilia, a handshake of acknowledgment, and Emilia firmly gripped Banning’s hand. As long as it was for the sake of being with Banning, no matter how hard or difficult the practice and trials were, she could persevere.
Not far from them, Branch Chief Oleg watched this pair of young people with a smile on his face, filled with emotion in his heart.
— (How wonderful… this is what youth is…)
·
After saying goodbye to Emilia, Tyler followed Branch Chief Oleg to his home to get the recommendation letter. Only with this letter could Tyler prove that he was a representative of Sunny Town in the unfamiliar Delis Town.
Watching Oleg penning the recommendation letter, Tyler thought of the “Future Death Scene” and his increasingly widespread reputation in Sunny Town recently.
He had an inspiration and asked Oleg to change the name of the representative of Sunny Town to “Felix.”
“Felix?… Is this your real name, Lord Banning?” Oleg was a bit surprised, unsure of the intention behind Lord Banning’s request.
Tyler smiled and told Oleg that the name was just a code, he didn’t need to think too much about it, and just write as he said. ]
Oleg was a smart man, he didn’t ask any more questions, obediently rewrote a recommendation letter, sealed it with wax, and handed it to Lord Banning.
Before leaving, Banning also entrusted Oleg with a task.
“Branch Chief, Emilia plans to challenge the advanced trial in the future, I hope you could find someone to guide her.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve long considered Emilia as my own granddaughter, and I’ve already prepared mentors for her.”
Because his combat profession (Professional Mercenary) is far from Emilia’s (Junior Mage), Oleg had made acquaintance with some Tier-2 Intermediate Mages a long time ago, waiting for the day when Emilia regains her spirits, to impart experiences to her.
Now, Oleg has not only waited for Emilia’s resurgence, but he also gained a grandson-in-law-to-be, it could be said that he was blessed with double happiness.
.
“Then I’ll leave this matter to you, Branch Chief.”
“Rest assured, leave it to me!”
Oleg confidently made a promise, then watched Lord Banning leave with some reluctance.
Just when Tyler was about to step out of the door, Oleg couldn’t help but asked the question that had been bothering him for some time.
“Lord Banning, the person who passed the Purple Trial a few days ago… could it be… you?” Oleg asked cautiously.
Banning turned back, giving Oleg a puzzled look.
“Branch Chief, if I had that kind of ability, why would I come to such a small town?”
After saying that, Banning left.
Leaving Oleg standing in place, still trying to figure it out.
.
Standing on the streets of Sunny Town, Tyler methodically reviewed the tasks at hand.
Those who needed farewells, he had bid adieu to. Speaking of which, Garvit the calvary, had set off for Emerald City just yesterday.
In fact, Garvit herself had insisted on staying to serve Tyler, but Tyler disliked the feeling of having an extra person around, especially a grown-up male.
Therefore, Tyler had ordered Garvit to return to Emerald City and do what she needed to do. He assured her that if he needed him, he would go to Emerald City to find him. This finally managed to send off the loyal Garvit.
Now, to return to the main topic, after the goodbyes, Tyler’s next task was to collect his new equipment.
As Tyler approached the equipment shop, he was stunned by the scene at the entrance.
A dozen craftsmen were sprawled around haphazardly, their faces filled with a satisfied expression as if they had completed a fulfilling task.
Looking inside the shop, Tyler saw a similar scene.
These craftsmen had really put in all their passion into crafting his new equipment.
Moved by the enthusiasm of these elder men, Tyler couldn’t wait to step into the equipment shop. He saw four pieces of equipment laid neatly on a large workbench.
They looked familiar, but upon a closer look, he could spot the differences.
Tyler activated his appraisal ability and immediately confirmed the names of the new equipment. They were:
The “Fir Dragon Bow” with dragon scales fused onto the arm;
The “Shadow Sword Dragon Steed” with a faint dragon pattern on the blade;
The “Venomous Blade – Poison Dragon Claw” with delicate dragon teeth extending from the blade edge;
And the “Dragon Boots – Shadow Step” that had been reinforced with a layer of dragon skin. 𝑜𝓥𝓵ℯxt.𝗇𝓔t
Even with a quick glance at the changes of each piece of equipment after the upgrade, Tyler was so excited that he clenched his fists.
As to how to utilize these four pieces of equipment, he needed some time to digest it.
At that moment, the commotion Tyler had caused in the shop woke up the craftsmen one by one.
Surrounded by the craftsmen, Tyler sincerely thanked everyone and praised the changes in his equipment.
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that you’ve made these pieces of equipment ‘evolve’!”
“In the future, if someone asks me ‘Who crafted your equipment?’, I will definitely tell them loudly…”
“My equipment was crafted by the craftsmen of Sunny Town! Each and every one of them are top-notch craftsmen!!”
The words of thanks and praise were indeed a bit flattering, but each of them was Tyler’s heartfelt feeling.
At this moment, the sincere praise and recognition from the young man brought tears to the eyes of the craftsmen who had worked hard for three nights!
At this point, the lead craftsman brought out a wrapped item from the inner room and handed it to Tyler.
“Handsome lad, take a look at this. This is a gift that we old men came up with on a whim yesterday. We worked overtime to make it for you.”