Until the bird carriage carrying the little girl disappeared from sight and the Hero sat down at the station, she finally had the chance to open the money pouch handed to her by the Cruising Bishop.
After counting, she found that this reward (275) was more than double her many years of accumulated pocket money (125), which surprisingly startled her.
However, the traveling expenses (1000) left by her mother were still well preserved, which was much more than this amount.
Nevertheless, for the bounty of hunting Goblins, this amount was sufficiently ample.
As a Noble, she wasn't overly excited about the money, but having earned her first reward in life, the Hero decided to indulge in the luxury of renting a Chocobo Cart by herself.
Then, encountering no accidents along the way, she returned to her rural village at noon.
Finally back to her long-missed home, the Hero, without the usual trepidation and melancholy but filled with anticipation and joy, knocked on the front door and unlocked it with her key.
The Gleaming Scale Serpent at her feet also seemed to consider this place its home, happily hissing as it followed her inside.
"Here now—oh, it's my granddaughter."
Hearing the noise, the grandfather who saw the door open by itself, adjusted his glasses, and even his usually stern face showed a hint of a smile.
"It's been such a long journey indeed, if you hadn't returned tomorrow, I was planning to come looking for you."
'Yes, Grandpa, I'm back!'
The Hero wrote down briskly in her notebook, lifted it up after finishing, the elegant handwriting expressing her joyful mood.
But despite her quick writing, it could not match the pace of speaking, and Grandpa noticed something slightly off, his expression turning a bit strange.
"My granddaughter, you—"
[Grandfather's Perception (Scholar +37)]
D100+37=d100(41)+37=78
Note: Grandfather's scholar level set as previous knowledge, namely LV37, 100+ will offer suggestions
The Hero eloquently wrote down the experiences of the past few days to convey to her grandfather.
"Such writing, it would be a pity if not bound."
Grandfather nodded while tidily stacking the read pages.
"But, so that's what happened, quite an unexpected incident."
The elderly man was half-amused and half-serious as he flipped page by page through the autobiography the Hero was currently writing.
"Though it's indeed the fishing festival there, and I did urge you to go have a walk with your friends, I hadn't anticipated...
"Ultimately, you joined the Church, but it seemed you had well investigated before choosing, so there's nothing much I can say."
"As for the Martial Monk profession, my understanding is rather superficial, I can only offer you some advice on physical training, after all, even a Battle Mage needs training...
"But regarding the offering of the Holy Sword, and what path you should take next, Grandpa can no longer help you."
The old man looked somewhat melancholic, but the Hero, unperturbed, shook her head.
Seeing this, the grandfather's demeanor also softened.
"I know, whether it's your parents or you yourself, in fact, everyone hopes... no, demands that you must become a Mage.
"But whether it's the existence or the application of Strength, there truly is no distinction of high or low.
"What matters is who possesses this strength and how it is used. Just as a person's nobility doesn't come from birth or lineage, but from here—"
The grandfather pointed at his head.
"And here." He then pointed at his heart on the left of his chest.
The Hero seriously nodded.
"Grandfather took most of his life to realize this truth, so he also hopes to teach it to you." The elder gave a slight smile.
"So granddaughter, go forth on the path that is uniquely yours.
"But since you just got back, you probably haven't eaten yet, fill your stomach first, rest a little.
"What to do next, you can decide tomorrow.
"There's no rush for the matters at hand, only with proper rest can one thoroughly contemplate, and even if you cannot find the answer, at least by trying your best, you can."
5. Cooking Demon Puppet
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
[Hero's itinerary for tomorrow—]
3. Searching for Knowledge Hunter
5. Go to village church
6. Visit village tavern (Adventurer Guild)
7. Visit village blacksmith
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
Yesterday afternoon, after writing many pages either as a journal or autobiography for reporting to Grandpa, the Hero simply ate something and went back to her room to sleep soundly.
The next day, having slept well, the Hero awoke bright and early.
While at the Viscount Mansion, by this time she would have already left the city to kill Goblins.
But even a Hero born from revenge isn't an unceasing machine.
Having recently tumbled around in a sewer, now back in a home where she wouldn't be frowned upon, it was natural to want to rest for a while.
And as Grandpa said, not allowing one's mind to rest properly makes it difficult to think clearly and solve problems.
Therefore, the Hero decided not to go out today, and instead was planning to, unusually, read a book.
'First, look at the map, investigate the distribution of Goblins nearby, then make plans for a gradual extermination!'