The Path of an S-Rank Adventurer: The Boy Who Was Expelled from His Party Awakens to His True Power [Weapon Master] and Eventually Becomes the World’s Strongest

Haise’s Journey 2

The next morning.

When Haise got up from the sofa, Presea, completely naked, rose from the bed.

Her well-shaped chest glittered in the sunlight, captivating Haise for a moment.

…But he averted his gaze after about ten seconds.

“You’re not wearing clothes.”

“Oh, it was hot, so I took them off.”

“Seriously…”

“? Where are you headed?”

“Breakfast.”

The festival was already underway from the morning.

Leaving the room, they headed toward the town center.

Stalls were open, and the air was filled with tantalizing aromas.

Haise bought seafood soup and bread, sitting on an empty bench to eat. Presea, carrying the same items, sat down beside him.

“This smells great… But there’s no sea nearby, right?”

“Who knows.”

“This bread is sweet… It’s flavored with fruit pulp.”

“Hmm.”

“The seafood soup is delicious… I wish I could store it in my item box, but mine doesn’t have a time-stopping feature.”

“Enough already!”

She kept chattering.

Haise found himself exasperated by how different Presea seemed compared to when they first met.

Though she had started eating after him, Presea quickly finished her food, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the breeze.

Finally quiet, Haise began munching on his sweet bread, opening his map to plan their route for the day.

“Can I make a suggestion?”

“Talk to yourself. Suggestions are for companions.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to myself. If you’re heading to the eastern forest kingdom, avoid the main highway.

The map shows it as a flat route, but it’s actually a rough path. The forest kingdom Yggdra has a policy of leaving nature untouched, so the roads aren’t well-maintained.

Instead, take the detour through Radl Forest. Merchants’ wagons have created a trail there, making it much easier for pedestrians.”

“…”

“That’s all for my monologue.”

Presea fell silent again.

It was Haise’s first time heading east. He wasn’t in a rush but preferred avoiding unnecessary trouble.

If an elf like Presea said so, she was probably right.

“…”

Haise pondered over the map in silence.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

“Radl Forest, huh.”

Following the highway out of town, they came to a fork in the road.

One path led to the forest kingdom Yggdra, while the other was the detour to Radl Forest.

A signpost marked both routes.

“After walking across plains for so long, a forest doesn’t sound bad.”

With that, Haise headed into Radl Forest.

“…Heh.”

It annoyed Haise that Presea seemed to chuckle behind him.

The distance between them had shrunk to just ten meters now.

With a sigh, Haise ventured into the forest.

“…Wow.”

It was a beautiful forest.

Though not as maintained as a highway, the path was clear where wagons had passed repeatedly.

The trees, adorned with red and yellow autumn leaves, filtered sunlight into radiant beams that illuminated the forest.

Haise activated his Weapon Master skill.

“Shotgun.”

Holding a break-action shotgun, he loaded the shells before gripping it in his right hand.

In his left, he held a Desert Eagle as they walked through the forest.

There was a faint presence of magical beasts.

“Stay alert.”

Presea moved closer, holding her bow.

With a click, the bow transformed.

“A sword?”

“Yes, a Sword Arrow—a weapon that shifts between sword, bow, and staff.”

“Impressive.”

“Elves don’t use these. Actually, I’m the only one who can handle it.”

“Hmm.”

When Haise fired several shots into the bushes with his Desert Eagle, goblins dropped one after another.

A hobgoblin emerged, and Haise blasted its head apart with a shotgun.

More goblins rushed from the opposite side.

“Tch!”

This time, Presea cut them down.

“Whoa.”

Her agility reminded Haise of a monkey.

She danced gracefully, slicing goblins’ necks one after the other.

The moment she finished, her sword shifted back into a bow. In a flash, she nocked and fired four arrows into the hobgoblin’s head, felling it instantly.

Finally, a giant goblin larger than a hobgoblin appeared.

Haise discarded his shotgun and Desert Eagle, equipping a grenade launcher in his right hand and a grenade shell in his left.

“What’s that?”

“An M79 Grenade Launcher.”

“?”

Loading the shell, he aimed at the giant goblin.

The beast roared:

Gwooooooo!!

“Big mouth, huh? Must be hungry. Well then—have a tasty treat.”

Boom! The grenade shot directly into its mouth and exploded.

Its head vaporized, and the body burst apart.

“Don’t mess up this beautiful forest.”

“…Alright, I’m sorry for that one.”

Haise apologized, seeing Presea’s disapproving glare as goblin remains scattered everywhere.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

As the sun set, they found a suitable cave for camping.

Haise set up tents, started a fire, and prepared tea—two cups.

“Here.”

“…Why?”

“Felt like it.”

“Hmm.”

Presea accepted it.

Her item box, unlike Haise’s, only held essentials like a tent, sleeping bag, basic utensils, and preserved food.

With their tents set up and a table for cooking, Haise began slicing vegetables and meat.

“…That’s some item box capacity.”

“I splurged on it. It’s probably the largest in the capital.”

“Impressive. As expected of an S-rank adventurer.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey, sell me one? I’ll pay.”

“Sure.”

Haise prepared dinner for two, casually.

He stir-fried meat and vegetables, served it in toasted bread, and made an egg soup.

For dessert, he sliced fruit and placed it on the table.

“…You’re pretty skilled.”

“I used to be a porter. Cooking and odd jobs were part of the deal.”

“Interesting. Everyone has a story, huh?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

They began eating.

Presea widened her eyes slightly after the first bite, glancing at Haise, who ignored her.

After finishing their meal, cleaning up, and having more tea, they sat in silence until Presea broke it.

“…Your weapons are amazing.”

“Yeah.”

Haise laid out three weapons on the table: the Desert Eagle, grenade launcher, and shotgun.

Each was unique, from another world entirely.

“I don’t fully understand it, but I can instantly summon these three.

There are others, but I can’t fully materialize or use them.”

“Interesting.”

“Yeah. But these three are powerful. If I run out of ammo, they disappear, but I can just resummon them, and I can create multiples.”

He demonstrated by lining up several Desert Eagles on the table.

Each one shimmered faintly before appearing in his hand.

When Presea tried to pick one up, it vanished into light.

“And only I can use them.”

“I see.”

Haise dismissed the weapons and finished his tea.

“Thanks for the meal and the story. I’ll have spirits keep watch tonight, so you can rest until morning… And if you ever want to hold me, just let me know.”

“Do you say that because you know I’m not interested? Honestly…”

Haise entered his tent and soon fell asleep.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

The next morning.

Upon exiting the forest, a spectacular view of autumn leaves stretched below.

“Wow…”

“This is the forest kingdom Yggdra, in the height of autumn. You’ve come at a good time.”

Presea was now walking beside Haise, having stopped maintaining distance.

Haise said nothing and started walking.

Ahead lay a deep gorge, beyond which spread a stunning forest.

Reds, greens, yellows, and oranges painted the landscape, with a grand nation surrounded by walls visible in the distance.

“That’s the forest kingdom Yggdra.”

“And the towering mountain behind it… That’s Mount Gagazia, the sacred peak.”

Indeed, beyond Yggdra, a colossal mountain loomed, bare of trees and strikingly blue.

Its summit was shrouded in clouds, its height formidable.

“This path merges with the highway here. From this point, it won’t be rough anymore.”

“…”

At some point, Presea had become a full-fledged guide.