-----Silvia’s POV-----

Elise, Junko and I were currently at the mayor’s mansion alongside Father Marcus…

We are sitting in front of the mayor and a few of the most important people of this town.

The insides of the mansion are pretty simple compared to the outsides. There are a few portraits and paintings here and there. There are a few mirrors as well. Most of the furniture is made out of wood. The place could only be described using the word "cozy."

“So many coins! Hehehe!” Elise was looking at the paper that was given to her to confirm that her compulsory request was completed. She has been giggling like that for a few minutes...

The reward for destroying the entire group of bandits was apparently around the 800 Yutz. That’s quite a lot apparently... 

I was told by Elise that she normally spends 120 Yutz a month to pay for her share of rent, food, and clothing back in her hometown.

Well, there has been some talk about giving her, and by extension us, the job of examining the hideout of the bandits. Anything we find there is ours to take. That would be our compensation in order to make sure there are really no more bandits around.

Ah… My identity was also revealed. Ru’s Job as a Hero was also exposed... The one at fault? Father Marcus.

“Ms. Ravencroft… I am deeply ashamed that the inn of my family is not up to your standards!” A small woman with glasses bowed to me for the 16th time now…

“Not at all! I think your inn is lovely! The beds are very comfortable and the food is good! You don’t need to bow, you know?” I smiled.

The one who spoke is called Orella. She’s the daughter-in-law of Mara and the mother of Lara. She’s the owner of the inn. She has short brown hair and green eyes. She’s 1.62 meters tall. She's wearing a white blouse and a long black skirt. Honestly, she looks like a secretary.

(Speaking of them, everything went according to my plan! Mara and Lara proposed to Ru and the three of them are currently having some fun!) Arrat spoke in my head.

Sigh… I guess before we continue with this boring reunion, I should talk about what happened until now.

Everything went according to what we had planned. The cute goblin sisters, Elise and Junko took care of all the bandits without any kind of trouble. 

They gave no mercy to the bandits. Some of them died, others got away with a few broken arms or legs. All of them lost their teeth though...

To be honest, that was the expected result. Thanks to the cute goblin sisters, the human martial artist (voyeur) and the adorable dogkin nun, I didn’t have to use my magic at all.

That was the best result... After all, me using offensive magic would have been a risk for everyone involved.

I was extremely worried about Ru and Ya though… I was already having a headache from the stress... 

I was about to teleport myself there, but an unexpected person arrived before I managed to do so... It was Mara. She was young again… 

If I had to guess how, I would say it was Arrat’s doing... She didn’t confirm nor deny that.

Mara asked me to teleport her to the place where Ru and Ya were. I complied with her request since teleporting there myself would have been dangerous… Using that kind of magic makes me very tired…

Yeah, my body is still not used to using that kind of magic yet... The burden is just too much… That’s one of the side effects of the Lifespan Reset ritual... The burden on my body should be decreasing if I continue to level up though.

I’m currently at level 4.

Anyway... Sending Mara yielded the best outcome according to Arrat.

Mara returned with a black horse while carrying an unconscious Ru and a very lively Ya. The horse was also dragging the corpse of the boss of the bandits.

Sigh… I know he was unharmed, but seeing him like that still made me extremely worried…

I was planning on taking him back to our room and nursing him back to health (just cuddling until he woke up), but that plan was thwarted by Father Marcus… He started talking with the rest of the townsfolk about the “Golden Hero” who was sent by the gods to save them from the bandits...

Since the bandits have been a pain in the butt for the people of this town, the people were ecstatic that they were finally gone. Naturally, a party of enormous magnitude ensued...

The people wanted to meet their saviours, especially their "Golden Hero"…

We had to leave him hidden in one of the barns near the inn. The people were too excited about meeting him and well… I didn’t want any of them waking up my tired soulmate!

After making sure Ru was okay, Mara showed her change to her family. They couldn’t believe it at all… I had to pitch in and help her explain that... It was not fun at all!

Then Arrat told me that Ru had kissed Lara, the waitress that was rude to us when we arrived at the inn... Ah! Before I forget... Lara apologized to us! She’s actually quite the sweet girl, you know?

Well, Mara asked for our blessing to marry Ru. Not only for her, but for Lara as well… We gave our blessings after Lara apologized. 

I’m not proud to admit it, but we kinda forgave Lara because she cooked a tasty breakfast for us… She’s a superb cook, I dare to say that she’s even better than me!

That’s not too difficult though...

Aaaaaaanyway! The cute goblin sisters have been helping the townsfolk with the captured bandits, or helping them with the horses of the bandits. We got lots of spoils!

I also heard that the sisters have been having fun at the party a while ago... Us, however, have been stuck here in the mayor’s house having the most boring discussion ever!

It is already daytime! I haven’t gotten any sleep! I’m soooo tired and moody! I want to see my cute golden gobbo…

Sorry, I just want this meeting to end so badly…

Anyhow...

Junko and Marcus have been arguing for the last few hours. Junko was and still is extremely pissed at Marcus... She did not take well the fact that because of Marcus, Ru had to sleep in a barn...

Elise has also been asking about the reward repeatedly. When she was told about the numbers, she started muttering something about where to take Ru for a date… I get that… I will start making some money soon to take him on dates as well.

Knowing him as well as I do, he must have been thinking about doing the same since he went on that date with Elise and Junko.

I have a few business ideas for the future. After all, you cannot enjoy time with your soulmate if you’re dirt poor as we currently are.

But we can talk about that later…

The Mayor, Orella and the rest of important people of this town have been pestering ME to stay in their town until the project to build a highway to Sholukhur is finished.

They are asking me to stay for the next 4 or 5 years… Obviously, I said no.

Why? I don’t want our group to be stuck here because of me. Ru and his sisters will surely want to go on adventures. I also want to go on adventures as well, so that’s my reason to say no.

Well… For the last 5 hours, we have been stuck here because they don’t know when to drop the topic…

Honestly, I’m at my wits end because of them…

Why haven’t I left? I tried… These guys are way too good at using their social skills to make me feel bad and about leaving this meeting...

“You flatter our inn too much! The building is not suitable enough for someone of your caliber. The woman who exterminated the Demon King should only have the best!” Orella tried to flatter me again.

“My ancestors have been telling the story of how the mighty Calamity Witch ended the era of darkness and terror imposed by the Demon King. The tale of how one elven woman crushed that powerful evil and its army like they were lowly insects!” The mayor spoke with glee.

The mayor is a short man with white hair, glasses and a beard. He’s at least 1.58 meters tall. He's wearing some white robes. The quality doesn't seem to be too great and honestly, the colour doesn't suit him...

“Those stories are exaggerated!”  I replied with a bitter smile.

“Don’t be so humble! The tales of thine bravery are many! Those tales speak of how you entered the castle of the Demon King alone to battle hordes of monsters and to end the vile fiend that led them!” The mayor doubled down on praising me…

Okay, that’s actually an exaggeration! I studied the routines of the Demon King and his army from afar… I managed to find a suitable opening and nuked the area around him twice with magic in order to kill him and his army! That’s all I did!

What!? I’m a mage, not a warrior!

“That’s not…-” I was about to speak but…

“Oh! I heard those stories too!” A muscular bald man called Rigant joined the conversation. That’s the husband of Orella, the son of Mara, and father of Lara.

“Indeed! Those stories were quite famous in the capital! My maids used to tell me those stories when I was little!” Orella nodded to herself.

It is kind of rude that you’re talking about me while I’m present…

“I won’t forgive you for this!” Junko was looking at Marcus with anger.

“Why are you still angry? I’ve already asked for your forgiveness!” Marcus argued back.

“Your apologies are not accepted! Because of you, my husband is sleeping in a cold barn!” Junko retorted quite angrily…

“What’s up with that!? When were you planning on telling me that you got married!?” Marcus looked very annoyed.

“You weren’t home yesterday when I went to tell you! I left you a letter! It should have been enough!” Junko retorted.

We are not married to him yet… It is only a matter of time though.

(We are ready to host the ceremony any time!) Arrat said enthusiastically.

(Hehehe! He asked for my help! His faith in me is stronger now, right!?) Electra has been giggly all morning…

Sigh… I want to see him…

“I beg of you, mighty Calamity Witch... Please stay with us and help us during our time of need! Whatever you may need, we will procure it for you!” The mayor tried to ask me to stay again…

That’s it! I’m done! I won’t stay for another hour in this building!

“Nope, I won't… For the last time, I’m on a journey with my husband…” I said with an annoyed tone.

“But, what shall we do if more bandits appear...? The King and his armies are busy dealing with the situation at the borders with the Yutkan Empire. The Adventurer’s Guild is also not helping at all…” The mayor lamented.

“Hey! We are also having our fair share of trouble!” Elise got really offended.

“Like? We have been here suffering and asking for your help for weeks, and they only send three people to help us. Two of them died before achieving anything substantial!” Rigant yelled back at Elise.

“I don’t know? How about controlling the population of wyverns in the mountains to the east at the border with Ruthenes? Or the stampedes of the Quadrihorns in the center of the country? How about the forest of Treants that appeared near the border with the Principality two months ago? If you have complaints talk with the guildmaster.” Elise replied very angrily.

“You little…-” Rigant was about to snap.

“Rig, shut up! Why should we quarrel about these petty matters? It is certainly not her fault, and the situation of the country is not good either. We cannot be ungrateful to one of the companions of our Golden Hero.” Orella held the hand of Rigant to calm him down.

“You’re right… Sorry…” Rigant sat down after apologizing.

“Apologies accepted.” Elise went back to examine the paper she was given a while ago. She was muttering some insults though...

Sheesh… Elise has also been very affected by this matter. It is not fair for her to be blamed because of the Guild...

I took a deep breath before speaking again…

“While I understand your situation, I also have my own things to do. If you’re worried about more bandits appearing, then why don’t you go to one of the many forests around this area and try to level up and raise the level of your skills? In my time, that’s how we did things.” I said to them.

“But we don’t have enough men to do that…” The mayor lamented.

“Then include the women and children as well.” I said to him.

What? That’s how we did things in my village. My whole clan was trained to fight. It doesn’t matter if you were a child, a man, a woman or an elder. There were several dangerous monsters and other dangerous individuals back then.

Everyone fought as one… Well… I had to fight on my own because of my little aiming problem…

“Seriously... Why didn’t you include some mercenaries when you were coming to establish this town? It would have been better than depending on the country or the guild.” I asked with an annoyed expression.

Everyone sighed heavily.

“We didn’t have the money for that.” Rigant replied with a harsh expression.

“The nobles, especially the Count of Alorari, were quite insistent on us receiving the smallest budget possible.” Orella explained with an annoyed expression.

“Aye… His majesty was forced to agree to that budget thanks to the situation at the border… They thought that the resources of the country should be placed on other important areas...” The mayor said with a pained expression.

…

“So, let me get this straight… You’re all here because of a project of the Kingdom to build a highway to Sholukhur because that’s the closest city to the border with Yutkan, right?” I asked.

They all nodded.

“Okay… Then why the fuck do they decide to give this project the smallest budget possible? No offense but your king and the nobles are fools!” 

I can’t deal with nobility… Fucking pricks! They are so fucking annoying…

“None taken. It is as you say, Ms. Ravencroft. Our current king is not suited for the task of ruling. He’s a weak man who is too easy to sway… If I had to guess why they gave us so little budget, it must have been because Uncle Timothy and I were involved in this project.” Orella explained while looking at the mayor.

“You’re also a noble, right?” I asked.

“Ehh!?” Elise was completely dumbfounded.

“Former nobles actually. Orella and I are members of a now ruined house of this kingdom. Don’t bother asking for our family name. Our house perished a long time ago...” The mayor said to me with a serious expression.

I never imagined that his name was Timothy…

“There are a few nobles who still hold grudges against us. Mainly, the Count of Alorari. I’m certain this was a political move of that slimy bastard!” Orella was extremely angry.

I kinda get the big picture now and why they are so desperate for me to stay here...

“So, you’re worried that the count is planning to build the highway himself huh...? He’s only waiting for you two to give up… Hmm… It is also possible that he gave funds to the bandits to harrass you. Sigh…” I sighed heavily.

What a pain! I hate dealing with nobles!

“We cannot discard that possibility… It is not like we can act on those assumptions. We used a couple of favours to be included and lead this project in order to regain some of our former glory.” The mayor explained with a bitter smile.

“And because of those assumptions, you want me to stay and protect you, right?” I asked.

“It would be helpful… We don’t have much of a choice here…” Orella said with a sad expression.

Frankly, I get that they are having problems and it will most likely become a problem for Ru as well because he’s going to marry into their family…

(This problem has an easy solution though. May I suggest something?) Electra said to me.

(Please. usually I would think of something, but I’m too sleep deprived to do that…) I replied.

(You need people to protect this place, right? Then how about asking Ru’s parents and the rest of his tribe to do it while you’re away? They get food, clothes and they can get used to people. This will also help them to level up and evolve since they can still hunt.) Electra explained very enthusiastically.

Ah… Why didn’t I think of that before…?

(You can also set up a teleportation network using your castle as a base. You should be able to return here anytime if things get dangerous for Ru's tribe.) Arrat then joined in.

Ahh… There was also that option…

No good… I can’t function like this… I’m gonna go and hug my hubby and sleep until tomorrow...

(Thank you very much for your help! I’ll figure something out.) I said to the two goddesses.

“I will not be staying here. Sorry, but I have my own things to do.”

“Is that so…?” The mayor was in despair...

“However, I think I have a way to help you out. You’ll have to be very open minded about it.” I said to the mayor.

“Very well. What do you need us to do in order to receive your help?” Orella seemed really interested in my idea.

“Nothing too complicated... Like I said you’ll need to be very open minded and respectful with them.” I replied with a grin.

“Them?” Rigant ask.

“Indeed. I will be asking some very important people to help you out. They are the relatives of your Golden Hero.” I said before turning around to leave.

“Ehh? Are you gonna bring goblins to help us out?” Rigant was dumbfounded.

“Got a problem with that?” I asked Rigant with a blank expression.

“Nope. As long as they help us I’m fine with it.” He replied.

“I would like to meet the Golden Hero before that though.” The mayor said with interest.

“Indeed! I want to know what kind of person he is!” Orella nodded in agreement.

Well… You are all in for a surprise…

“We’ll see... Now, if you don’t mind I wanna go and take a nap with my husband!” I said to them before I started walking away.

“Ah! Wait for me Silvia!” Junko stopped arguing with Marcus and ran to catch up with me.

“Sheesh! Don’t leave me behind!” Elise followed us.

We were finally free… We finally managed to escape the incredibly boring meeting...

GodlyKamui

Heya! New chapter! Yes, I'm late again... What a surprise... I deeply apologize about that. Sadly, life and responsibilities got in the way yesterday and we all know how that song and dance goes... Well, chapter is here. I hope you like it. I'm looking forward about seeing the reactions of Orella, Rigant and Timothy when they meet their "Golden Hero." Thanks for reading!