Shifting Sands and Impending Departures

“Return…… you say?”

“Exactly as I said. Because the place where I belong is beside Master.”

“Oh…….”

Sian blinked, not understanding Theodore’s words for a moment.

Then, she barely recalled the contents of the original story and widened her eyes.

‘Come to think of it, he’ll be coming to the mountain with the female lead when the time comes!’

In fact, Sian had considered the worst-case scenario where Theodore would never return once he left the mountain.

She was worried that if he went down the mountain, met the female lead and other companions, and perfectly followed the original route, he would completely forget about someone like her.

But listening to Theodore’s words, it seemed like he wouldn’t forget her easily.

She had been worried that he might find a master who he was briefly indebted to as a child bothersome later.

If he was coming back to introduce the female lead whom he would marry, as she wished, then she would welcome it with open arms.

Sian smiled brightly and replied.

“Yes, be sure to do so.”

“Yes, Master.”

Thus, the two people with completely different thoughts smiled brightly at each other.

“That damn geezer!”

A rough voice echoed loudly in the small village.

The girl with beautiful ash-blue hair was in a disheveled state for some reason.

Her clothes were tattered like rags, and her face and body were covered in sand and dust as if she had rolled in a sand pit.

But even so, the girl’s appearance was extraordinary to the point that her light did not fade.

The boys in the passing desert village glanced at the shouting girl.

Even her angry appearance looked attractive.

“Yuri, calling your father a geezer……”

In front of the girl, a gaunt man with a listless face drooped his shoulders.

The man, who had the same hair color as the girl, kept looking at the girl even though he was speaking in a resentful tone.

“If you’re over 50, you’re a geezer, what else are you! Huh?”

“Y, Yurina……”

“If you’re senile, you should age gracefully, why are you causing trouble for me!”

The girl, called Yurina, screamed as if she couldn’t relieve her anger even by shouting, and pounded her chest with her small hands.

The girl’s name was Yurina Dane.

She was the sole heir of the Dane Merchant Company and a promising adventurer who was skilled and talented enough to follow the company even at a young age.

In addition to that, Yurina, who also possessed a beautiful appearance, had fans in the Adventurer’s Guild without her knowing.

“Why did you believe the rumor that there’s a mountain of gold in the desert kingdom……!”

“Keugh…….”

At Yurina’s shout, Anderson, her father and the master of the Dane Merchant Company, lowered his head deeply as if he was apologetic.

Although he was her father, Anderson had a youthful appearance to the point that he didn’t look that much older than his daughter Yurina.

That was because he had reached the level where he could use Aura.

Originally, he was a promising knight, but he was disappointed with the state of the empire and turned to adventuring.

Around the time he had a daughter late in life, he created a merchant company for adventurers.

It was a merchant company that he could establish because he was a skilled adventurer himself, and the start was quite smooth.

But about 5 years ago, Anderson learned from a reliable informant that there was a mountain made of gold without an owner in a certain desert kingdom.

Unfortunately, being gullible, he firmly believed that and decided to cross the desert.

Of course, Yurina, who was suspicious of the information from the beginning, didn’t easily believe it.

Even so, the merchant company ultimately belonged to her father, Anderson.

His will was so firm that Yurina had no choice but to follow him in the end.

She hated waiting in a small desert village located on the border without following the company.

In the end, she also followed her father, Anderson, to the desert kingdom to find the golden mountain.

But as she expected, the golden mountain was just a groundless rumor, and as a result, they only suffered to the point of almost dying and barely returned alive.

“But…… it’s not like we didn’t get anything at all.”

Anderson timidly raised a bundle containing the spoils of war that he had been compensated for after clearing the dungeon.

As he said, the company had not just suffered in vain.

In the desert kingdom, there were various dungeons that adventurers rarely visited.

And there were many valuable things that could not be found elsewhere on the continent.

Because adventurers didn’t go there often, the spoils were even more valuable.

Of course, it wasn’t a reward worth wasting 5 years to obtain.

The Dane Merchant Company was establishing itself on the continent to some extent, and if they had spent that time elsewhere, the size of the company might have been much larger by now.

“Is that what you have to say right now? More than half of the people you took were eaten by monsters!”

Yurina’s finger pointed to the company members who were behind her.

Before they could even be filled with the joy of finally escaping the hellish desert, the companions who were barely moving their exhausted bodies floundered like paper dolls.

Those who had been with the Dane Merchant Company since its early days were all safe, but most of those who were hired to cross the desert lost their lives.

Considering the casualties, it was an adventure that had far more disadvantages than advantages.

“Even if we wrote a contract and crossed, we have to give condolence money to the bereaved families, and we have to replenish the 부족한 people. Selling those dungeon spoils won’t even cover the losses, you damn geezer!”

“Keueung…….”

At Yurina’s nagging, Anderson finally lowered his head.

As she said, this trip was a complete failure, so he had nothing more to say.

“Ah……!”

Then, Anderson suddenly lifted his head with a thought that flashed through his mind.

Yurina flinched at Anderson’s sudden reaction.

“Wh, what is it.”

“Come to think of it, I heard that if you go west around this time, you’ll meet a benefactor!”

“What are you talking about again?”

Yurina frowned at the absurd words.

But again, Anderson was stubborn.

“I’m serious. I’m sure this time. If we go west, we’ll definitely have good luck rolling in?”

“I’m really tired of hearing that!”

Yurina was disgusted and angry at Anderson’s nonsense that had started again.

But unfortunately, Yurina couldn’t stop Anderson this time either.

‘If only the company became mine…….’

Yurina, who clenched her fist, trembled.

If this time again, they only suffer and get nothing, she will retire the senile old man and take over the company and run it herself.

Yurina followed the delighted Anderson with disgust.

“I heard that the Dane Merchant Company has returned from the desert.”

“What……?”

Sian’s eyes widened at Kali’s sudden words.

Yurina has returned from the desert.

Those words were slowly entered into Sian’s head.

It was when Sian was barely mulling over that fact.

“And I heard that they went straight west.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

Sian pondered.

Certainly, to match the original story, the Dane Merchant Company should be slowly coming towards the mountain.

The desert is at the eastern end, and the mountain is at the western end, so they should start there right away.

It took longer than expected for the Dane Merchant Company to return from the desert, but even so, Sian was still dazed.

As expected, she was not ready to send Theodore away yet.

“Continue to monitor the Dane Merchant Company and track their route.”

“Shall we guide them to come to the mountain?”

“No, you don’t have to.”

When the time comes, the Dane Merchant Company will definitely pass under the mountain.

All she had to do was send Theodore down at that timing.

Even so, her heart continued to feel stuffy.

At first, she wanted the Dane Merchant Company, where the female lead was, to return from the desert quickly so that she could entrust the young Theodore to them.

Now, she wants them to come as slowly as possible.

This won’t be good for Theodore’s future.

When she sends Theodore away, she has to send him away with a bright smile as much as possible.

Sian vowed inwardly as if she was hypnotizing herself.

“And call Kunta.”

“I understand.”

As soon as Theodore turned 15, Sian ordered equipment from Kunta.

It was specially made armor and weapons made of Mana Stone.

Although Mana was incompatible with Theodore, it was different when used as equipment.

The weapons containing her energy would definitely protect Theodore.

“Hmm…….”

“Is something not to your liking?”

Sian stared intently at the armor that Kunta had shown her.

Equipment made of Mana Stone, which contained Mana, generally had a dark light.

But that point was also subtly stylish, so among adventurers, equipment refined with Mana Stone was said to be well-received not only for its performance but also for its appearance.

But for some reason, Sian’s eyes kept seeing shortcomings.

Sian raised the armor that covered the arm and spoke in a dissatisfied voice.

“Isn’t it possible to make this part lighter?”

“…….”

“It looks like it will be uncomfortable when holding a sword.”

Because the one who would wear this armor was Theodore.

Theodore could also handle spirits and was excellent at magic, but he liked using swords the most.

So she was worried that the equipment on his arm would be cumbersome if it was heavy.

Kunta sighed as he looked at Sian.

“Excuse me, Sian, but if that equipment is for your disciple Theodore to use, I don’t think you need to worry at all.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Hmph…….”

But even at Kunta’s words, Sian continued to tilt her head.

It was when he was examining the equipment with meticulous eyes.

“Master, did you call me?”

“Theo.”

Theodore, who had come down to the drawing-room, approached Sian.

Sian turned around and looked at Theodore who was approaching.

Theodore’s gaze rested on the equipment that was scattered in the drawing-room.