An Old Country Bumpkin Refuses

The return trip was much like the journey there.

After leaving Azalamia Forest, we took the carriage we'd left waiting there and spent a night on the road. The next day, we continued on until Baltrain's city walls came into view.

“Lisandera-san, Gardenant-san, thank you so much!”

“It's all right, it's all right. It was our job, too, after all.”

Once the walls came into view, I accepted yet another thank-you from Porta—I’d lost count of how many by now.

He'd woken up while we were camping, and after Nidly and Salikatz explained what had happened, he'd been bowing to Surena and me over and over.

After a day, he'd recovered enough to walk, at least.

Well, I'm glad there were no lasting injuries. Maybe there were some, but the potions might have done a lot to help.

As a swordsman, he was undoubtedly still a work in progress. But his straightforward gaze and demeanor seemed to reflect the way he approached the sword.

In that sense, I had a feeling he'd become a fine swordsman, though just how much talent lay dormant in him was another matter...