"Eh? Not only did you win, but you also killed them already?"

Theo walked over from the chaotic battlefield, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of Cash and his subordinates' bodies.

"I played a part too. But I remember getting ambushed by them and then passing out. Damn those enemies!"

No, you completely passed out because you accidentally stepped on a pebble and fell. Don't act as if you had any impact on this battle!

Shami ultimately couldn't bring herself to reveal the hurtful truth.

"But what's with this sticky liquid all around?"

Theo looked around the clearing, which was covered in sticky sap. Those were the remains of the slimes that Cash had cut down while the "Regeneration" skill was in cooldown.

Shami crafted a more believable battle story.

"It's just sap. Initially, we pretended we couldn't defeat Cash and got captured. Cash tied up me and the elf, and then gathered his men for a wild party to celebrate. Everyone was excited, and they naturally brought a lot of sap with them, so things got heated and a bit out of control. Later on, the elf and I took them by surprise."

Theo looked disappointed, "Really? Something like that happened? And I was knocked out because of an ambush then."

"Why do you two sound like you're discussing an orgy? Stop emphasizing that you got knocked out by an ambush! Are you trying to convince yourself by repeating it over and over? Clearly, you just fainted from a regular fall!"

Lureya, who was cleaning the battlefield with a broom nearby, couldn't help but chime in.

Theo looked at Lureya with awe in his eyes and bowed sincerely.

"I understand, Elf Lady. But I hope you won't forget the role I played in this battle when you return to the village."

"Zero contribution!!!"

Soon, half of Yili Village's residents came to help Lureya clean up the surrounding environment.

Shami credited everything to the flat golden-haired one.

With the credibility of the Elf Race, no one questioned anything and they all thanked Lureya earnestly.

"No, it was nothing... Just a small assistance..."

Having already taken new clothes from the Storage Space and purified her body using the "Self-Purification" skill, Lureya stood in front of everyone with a fresh appearance, accepting their gratitude.

"Of course. Being able to easily vanquish an exiled swordsman hunted by the Adventurer's Guild for five years, the elf lady truly is a formidable elf!"

"It's... It's nothing..." Lureya felt a bit guilty.

"Please allow us to build a church in the center of the village to commemorate you for our descendants."

"Better not, haha, that makes it sound like I'm dead... (awkward)"

"There are a few young men in our village who have admired the elf lady for a long time. If the elf lady doesn't mind, they can serve you."

"... Sorry, I appreciate the offer, but as an elf adventurer, I'm more used to exploring alone."

After finally enduring the villagers' enthusiastic praise, Lureya could finally take a break.

Honestly, the victory in this battle was seventy percent due to Shami.

She looked at Shami standing quietly in the distance among the crowd, who was staring at her.

She twitched her pointy ears, blinked her gemstone-like eyes, and shyly averted her gaze, a slight smile appearing at the corners of her lips.

What a thrilling battle it was, looking back, it felt like it had just happened moments ago.

Such tense and exciting life-or-death moments never occurred in the Elf Forest.

It made her want to give this pretty boy a hearty hug.

The blonde girl rotated her toes around on the ground.

Curious how this pretty boy managed to surpass and defeat Cash in the end...

Must have been a spectacular scene!

[Favorability +5]

[Loyalty +5]

[Favorability: 20]

[Loyalty: 15]

Nearby, in the back of the crowd, Shami frowned slightly.

Is that all the increase?

The flat golden hair is really hard to deal with!

Still, it's something gained...

...

The felled maple trees were dragged back to the village for firewood, Cash and his men's bodies were transported back by cart, fully entrusted to Lureya, leaving the cleanup to be done on-site.

"So much sticky stuff?"

"What's it, glue?"

The knowledgeable old village chief Lugo touched a bit with his hand and sniffed it to quickly identify it.

"This sticky stuff... all sap?"

The old village chief then frowned.

"But the maple trees here don't produce sap. Such a quantity of sap, I only saw when I followed the heroes to fight slime hordes in my youth..."

Shami began to sweat slightly.

"Old chief, you don't understand. These saps were brought by Cash and his men, for this strange culture among exiled swordsmen." Theo added, trying to look helpful: "After all, I did a lot in the battle too, so I know some things."

The old village chief, who was always half-closed-eyed, opened them quite a bit.

"Oh~ learn something new every day... really learned something..."

"..."

Shami wiped a bit of sweat.

Never underestimate Theo, he's truly a key player who comes through in crucial scenarios!

As everyone returned to the village, it was already dusk, the sunset's glow from the sky burning like fire, casting shadows over the entire maple forest.

Of course, Shami couldn't use a Teleportation Gate, so he obediently followed along, but was honored to be allowed to share the same carriage with Lureya.

As the hero, Theo was also given this privilege, but he solemnly declined.

"Sorry, I don't want the village widow to misunderstand."

"Who cares about that! Even if you wanted to get on, I'd kick you off!"

In the end, Shami and Lureya sat in the same carriage.

The two sat on opposite sides, and with no one speaking, the carriage sank into a silent atmosphere, with the sound of wheels grinding against the ground and conversations from the villagers occasionally seeping in.

Shami was lost in thought.

With the exiled swordsman incident concluded, he could stabilize and grow for a while.

However, over time, there were more and more matters he needed to consider.

First, how to manage the growing number of slimes.

Second, when to revive a second monster.

Third, how to compensate for his lack of knowledge and improve his skills and combat abilities. After all, he couldn't keep using "you know what" as his ultimate move; not everyone was like Cash.

Also, when to claim Cash's bounty at the Adventurer's Guild, how to sell off Cash's weapons, and many other matters...

Lureya noticed Shami hadn't spoken, staring blankly at the carriage floor, right where her feet were.

She quietly pulled her feet together, yet Shami still kept staring.

What's up with... his blatant staring... He really should review the lesson on how to secretly look at a girl's feet without getting caught!

The blonde elf coughed lightly, but Shami still didn't budge.

Lureya's expression froze.

Didn't he hear?

Is he exhausted?

Indeed, in the battle with Cash, although she attacked head-on, her energy was depleted early. Shami was not only a strategic mind but also handled the main assault in the later stages.

Fine, given his great performance today, she decided to overlook his clumsy peeping...

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More chapters to come!

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