2nd Welkalach of Secafiel 1237

Amy's POV

" Thank you for doing this young miss, it really helps that someone like you is inside here." one old woman says.

" Ha, it's thanks to her that you old bones could even move!" another old woman said.

" I wonder if you would like my grand-" " not another word." a third old woman tried to say something before the others cut her off.

Right now I am in one of the eldercare in the capital. Although dwarves live way longer than the average human lifespan, they are still not immortal. Which means they would still go old one day and die. Inside there are a lot of those dwarven and some elven old people's lives without disrupting their children's lives.

That is of course... when you are over a few hundred years old while your child is more than a hundred.

I still need to get used to the scale of lifespans in here... the fact that I am more than 40 years old and am still considered a child in these people's eyes is a bit... off. 

" It is all I can do while waiting for my friend. Plus I like to do this kind of stuff." I told them while giving a warm smile. Back on Earth, I always loves when I went to visit my grandma who still lives in one of the land cities in Germania. It is kinda sad that I no longer have any chance of meeting her anymore.

" What is the matter child?" oops, I think I accidentally show them that I am a bit sad... more than twenty years have passed but I don't think I would ever get used to this. The only saving grace is that I am with my friends I guess. I just wonder, how do those protagonists in isekai novels get used to the feeling of homesickness and move on.

" It is alright, it's just that I always remember my grandma whenever I was with you all," I said to them as I went to massage the leg of aunt Siry. 

" Well, even if she isn't with you anymore, I am sure she is watching you. I am betting everything that she would be proud seeing you like this girl." " Yeah, if only my son would be like you, I would definitely be a very happy grandma." one of them said as they all start laughing.

To be honest, I originally wasn't even planning to come here, it is only by chance that I found this place that made my life intertwined with the old folks inside here. It is since then that I would come here whenever I have the time, sometimes with Lucy too. But she isn't always free to come here with me because she still has her job as a hunter and soon, guild official. I heard from Mr. Welk that he is planning to let Lucy get a job in the guild to let her learn the ropes of guild management. It is kinda nice seeing her progress so much, but at the same time, I feel like I am staying stagnant. 

Petrasha is going forward with her duties, Christine is doing her best in her idol career, and even Bel who has such a bad experience with the humans has already recovered from her trauma and is moving forward. Though I am not sure what May is doing right now. She moved to Bel's house after she showed us it. It is really an impressive house but even though I know that I would be safe inside it, being so close to the lava is quite unsettling for me.

For now, the day for me is kind of simple. Wake up, prepare myself, and go out for a walk at the market. If I found anything that caught my eye or I suddenly want to make something, I would buy it and then head home to prepare, if nothing is bought then I would just find somewhere to eat and then head to this very same eldercare and talk with them. There really isn't something really special. Even though I will still train swordsmanship with Lucy, it isn't as much as before as I kinda lost motivation after Bel is saved.

" Oh, the lass is here again huh." one of the old women said as she came down from upstairs. She is Ms. Kasren, I heard from the others that she was once a commander in the dwarven army but she decided to retire after getting old.

" Yes, Ms. Kasren, are you going out again? You shouldn't force your body too much." I replied to her warmly.

" It is no concern of you young ones, just do your own stuff. I will go to the drain some manners into some new blood." Ms. Kasren said as she left the building.

" Ha, that again, she just can't retire." " She should just change jobs rather than retire." "That's why she is still respected." the elderly started to chat on their own again. Mostly about Ms. Kasren, I guess she is that famous and well respected in the citizen's eye huh.

" She really never changes huh." aunt Siry said. " That really is like her," she added again.

" Do you two know each other?" I asked curiously.

" To say we know each other is an understatement. You can say that without Sergent... or is it lieutenant Kasren, I wouldn't even be here. She helped save me when my village was attacked by monsters. Her ability to command her unit is second to none. Every single order is done to the finest detail and precision that it makes her team suffer almost zero losses..." aunt Siry starts to say a lot of stuff about Ms. Kasren. Well, it starts normally but in the end, it starts to be filled with only words of gratitude, admiration, and even imagination...

I mean, I don't think she would be able to command when sleeping while still being gracious as an angel... nor could one be able to command their troops while at the same time be at the capital on a vacation... but from her words, I can sense her admiration towards her.

" Oh, little Amy, why don't you learn a thing or two from her? I am not sure if you would join the military, but I am sure there won't be anything wrong with learning from her! I mean, I am sure you can use the knowledge from that in business too! My son learned from her and is now doing quite good at his work!" one of the elder men said. Learning from Ms. Kasren huh... I know military strategies can be used in the business sectors, like the Art of War. Plus, I have some free time... so I guess why not?

" I think it is a good idea." Lucy's voice suddenly appears behind us. 

" Oh, it's the vampire lass!" " I wonder if my grand-" " One mention of your grandchildren again and we will make sure you will lose yours." they start talking altogether again.

" Well, I am sure that it would be beneficial for yourself to learn under Kasren. Although I never fought with her nor the unit that she commanded, her fame is quite well known in this continent," said Lucy.

" But..." 

" Don't worry, we can still be together in the morning and night. It is just the afternoon and evening that you are learning with her. We won't be separated for that long." Lucy said as she walk closer and pat my head.

" Oi!" I said as I hit Lucy's hand, which makes the elderly laugh which makes both of us laugh too.

" Ha, young ones," " I felt younger being with these young ones." " Ah... she is taken, I want to-" " Get out of here." the elders start to chat again.

" Plus, your skill. It would be great if you would be the one doing the planning and strategizing. Though I hope that we won't be doing anything like that soon, it's a fantasy world, and also an isekai world. If we are following the troupes, then there surely would be something planning in the shadows." Lucy said. Well said, I am feeling the same thing too. 

" Hmm, fine..." I said as I stood up and prepare to leave.

" I guess I will be coming here more often then," I said to them as I waved goodbye.

" It will definitely be good for all of us!" " We will always welcome you!" " Should I-" " I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO GET OUT!"

As we walk out of the eldercare. I can see Lucy's face starts to darken.

" I guess the results are out huh," I said. Lucy has been talking with me about this incident ever since Bel crushed the human outpost in that cave.

" Yes, today we have found 5 more of these bases in the Estaria Kingdom, 3 in the Kingdom of Argerios. The old man is also asking all other kingdoms in the continent and other continents to search too." Lucy said, her face getting darker and darker.

" And..." I prodded deeper. I know that I wouldn't like the answer, but I still want to know it.

" The humans... they are using people as living batteries... from young to old... elves, dwarves, beastkin, demons, every single one that they can get their hands on. The males are directly used while they used the females for their own satisfaction first before using their internal mana as the batteries to charge their teleportation circle..." Lucy said. Urgh, this isn't something good... but it also proves one thing... all of those disappearances of people in the forests or caves are the human's doing. Urgh, normally in isekai troupes, it is the demons that are doing these evil things to the humans, not the other way around...

But if they could find this many in just a week, there is no telling just how sporadic they are in the continent. We always know that there are humans hiding, but never did we know there is this much... wait...

" How many casualties on our side..." I asked. Last time we are lucky because we have Bel on our side, otherwise, we would have lost Lucy or maybe all of us even...

" 126 elven hunters, 54 dwarven warriors, 81 beastkin fighters, and also 24 demon watchers, or, a quarter of the forces that we sent," Lucy said in an angry tone. Tsk... humans alone cant be compared to any other race in terms of fighting compatibility. But what hurts us is that they have those anti-mana weapons. 

" Is the search going to stop? The casualty is a bit too high..." I asked. Normally when a search mission has reached these high casualties, it would be called off and they would try to form a plan to counter it.

" No, it will continue. This number of death doesn't amount to the number of civilians that they harmed... just the alive civilians rescued already amounted to a thousand... not to mention the dead ones... we have to stop this once and for all. Lucy... this problem has started way longer than all of our age combined... the number that they killed is way above this number... we cannot stop here... not until they are all purged from this continent, at least all of their teleporters destroyed." Lucy said. Her face changed from being dark and sad to a face of pure hatred. I know how she feels... even in her town, there are peoples that went missing from time to time. Some of them are even her siblings that Mr. Welk adopted.

" You know, what if... just what if... we asked Petrasha for us to form our own squad? That all five of us would go and stop these? Although it pains me to say this... but we have Bel, right? We have her unique magic that could help us in case anything happens right? I mean, she made you survive something that is normally fatal! With her power, I am sure we could reduce the number of casualties!" I suggested this to Lucy. It is not as if I wanted to use Bel as a weapon, but in this situation, we have no choice. We do not have a counter for this weapon yet.

We have to rely on Bel until we have found a way to fight against this, which, may also require Bel to help us...

I don't want to use my friends for anything, but I really can't see another way other than this way.

" Ha, I don't think Petrasha would be free enough to join us. But I guess we can ask her for the squad. You will be the strategist, I will be the vanguard, while May can be the support and Bel be the cavalry. Petrasha can be in the production role for all of us, just like old times right?" Lucy said with a smile. Not an ounce of the anger from before remains. Just like before huh.

---

The year 2041 on Earth

" Seriously, what is going on with this stuff that you produced? It is so OP!" said Luca.

" Yeah holy shit. It is way stronger than the epic boss loot that Emiel got last week!" Marco yelled out too.

" I mean, that is why we let Peter do that right? His skills are top-notch! Also... I kinda broke one of the disposable spears that you made for me." Beno said with an awkward smile.

" Seriously? This is the 5th spear that you broke this week! Jeez, if it isn't because of you totally focusing on AGI and STR, they would have survived better... can't you put some points in DEX next time?" Peter asked and Beno easily replied with a no.

" To be honest, I think this role suit you more don't you think? The madman charging in and just killing everyone that he can see! He even had a title made specifically by the devs for him!" Luca said with a laugh while he is slapping at Beno's back.

" But I am freaking bad at dodging that it isn't even funny... " Beno said dejectedly. Normally in a guild fight like this, Beno would always be the first one to die. After all, he just directly charges inside the enemy and kills them, causing enough or extreme damage before he just... dies.

" That is why you should get your DEX up. It at least gives you more chances to dodge the attack! I seriously thought that I cant heal you on time you know?" I said to him.

" Bah, all well ends well right? Cmon, let's collect the loot and upgrade ourselves even more!" Beno said as we all went to collect our loot and log off to sleep.

---

" Those sure are good times. Though now I won't be the healer but the strategizer huh. Sounds like a good job change." I said in a joking tone.

" I mean, all of us would have a job change except for Petry. May from support to an archer, me from a vanguard to a damage dealer. And then Bel went from calvary to a pureblood berserker." Lucy said that. Hmm, you just changed the name of the jobs... they still do the same thing...

" I wonder what nicknames would Bel get this time huh. Bloody Dragon? Sounds fit for her." I joked, earning a grin from Lucy.

" Then you would be the Tactician Princess while I will be the Red Angel and May would be the Invisible Hunter!" Lucy said out the nicknames... why am I a princess? 

" A vampire is an angel huh, it fits you. Well, race you to Bel's house! Let's tell her the idea!" I said as I start to run faster.

" OI! I still don't have one of my legs! Damn it!" Lucy yelled as I dashed back to Petry's house, leaving Lucy behind!