Adventurer of Many Professions

Chapter 167 - 167: Clearing Arya's Doubt!

As dusk settled over the quiet street outside, a warm golden glow filled the small townhouse. Inside the kitchen, the sound of a knife rhythmically chopping against a cutting board echoed softly.

Arya stood by the counter, slicing beef with practiced precision. The savory aroma of spices already danced through the air.

"You know," she said with a playful sigh, "ever since I awakened as an Archer, cutting things has gotten so much easier."

Raymond, seated comfortably at the guest table, leaned back and smiled. "Makes sense. With the class awakening, your arm strength definitely improved. It's no wonder slicing meat feels like a breeze now."

He remembered the old days, how she used to struggle when cutting tougher cuts or splitting bones. Back then, he'd always step in to help. But things were different now. She was growing stronger, and it showed in more ways than one.

"But don't forget, these knives are part of the reason too!" Arya grinned, holding the kitchen knife up with pride and giving it a theatrical twirl through the air.

Raymond chuckled. "True enough."

A while back, he'd taken the old kitchen knives to Pierre's Blacksmith Shop. But instead of just getting them sharpened, he rebuilt them from scratch, improving their quality using his own Forging skill. The blades were now sharper, more balanced and technically, they were better than the starter weapons sold to new adventurers.

If someone knew how to fight, they could probably slay low-level monsters with one of these "kitchen" knives.

"If they're working well, then I guess it was worth the effort," Raymond said, a trace of pride in his voice.

To a craftsman, there was no better reward than hearing someone praise their creation, especially if that person was using it daily. And though Raymond was much more than a craftsman now, that satisfaction never faded.

Half an hour later, dinner was ready.

The table was soon filled with plates of steaming beef stew, sautéed root vegetables, and fresh bread. Arya and Raymond sat down across from each other, the candlelight softening the world around them.

As they began eating, Raymond glanced up. "So… how did it feel? Your first commission with us?"

Arya paused mid-bite, then tapped her chin thoughtfully with her spoon. "Hmm… Let me think…"

She looked up at the ceiling as if

She wasn't alone.

Raymond remembered the stunned faces of the villagers in Budak Village, too. At the time of the explosion, they had felt only the shockwave and rumble. But when they reached the central square and saw the crater left behind, their jaws dropped.

He'd watched it happen, the shift in their eyes. Where once there had been curiosity and cautious respect for Sylph, now there was fear. Quiet, trembling fear.

No one dared mention the hole she'd blasted into their precious square. Not even the chief. All official discussion happened at arm's length, and everyone else kept their distance from her after that.

That wasn't just because Sylph was an awakened magic user. It was because she wielded something devastating, Explosion Magic. And everyone now knew what it could do.

"I still remember the first time I saw her use it," Raymond said, his voice lower. "It was on our first commission. I was cornered in a sewer, swarmed by mutant rats. If it weren't for that explosion, I'd be bones in the dark right now."

Arya's eyes widened.

"It's true," Raymond went on with a slight grimace. "I was way in over my head. Hundreds of them; small, fast, coordinated. The leader was massive. And I couldn't outrun them. I was seconds away from being devoured when Sylph dropped her spell."

He exhaled, recalling the way the blast had rattled the stone walls and filled the tunnels with heat and smoke.

"If she hadn't known Explosion Magic or if she hesitated, I wouldn't be here. That was the turning point for me."

Arya listened quietly, her fingers wrapped around her cup of tea.

"That's why that commission was ranked Bronze Level even though the monsters weren't strong," Raymond explained. "They were weak individually, but there were so many of them. Swarming enemies like that are exactly what Explosion Magic counters best."

She nodded slowly, taking it all in. "So… from Porcelain to Bronze, most monsters travel in packs?"

"Exactly," Raymond said. "Strength in numbers. That's why we don't see too many lone predators until we reach Silver-level commissions. They act alone or maybe in small groups."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before adding, "But that's still a long way off for us."

Arya smiled faintly. "Still… your first commission sounds terrifying. You and Sylph had no one to rely on but each other. Me? I had three experienced Black Iron teammates backing me up."

She shook her head and laughed lightly. "Honestly, compared to you two, I feel like I had it easy."

Raymond gave a wry smile. "Yeah, after that sewer mission, nothing else ever felt too dangerous. It taught me to be careful. To plan ahead for every commission like my life depended on it, because it did."

He looked up at the clock, then rose from his seat and began gathering the dishes. "Alright, I should head out. I need to meet the buyer and check how many materials he was able to collect. I'll need them to brew more mana recovery potions."

Arya quickly stood. "I've got the dishes! Go ahead, I'll clean up here."

Raymond gave her a thankful nod. "I won't be long."

As he stepped toward the door, Arya called out one last time, "Be careful out there!"

He looked back and gave a small smile. "Always."

Then the door shut behind him, leaving Arya alone in the cozy warmth of the home they now shared, thinking about how far they'd both come, and how far they still had to go.