Alan's armor remained the same.
Only his shield was new.
"The size doesn't seem much different from your old one, but how does it feel to use?"
"I still need a little time to get used to it, but the weight feels way better than before. I think I can hold out against much heavier hits now!"
"I see. So, Philia, were you helping Alan test it out?"
"Yeah. He wanted to see how well he could block attacks with it, so I ended up sparring with him all morning. That's why we're late."
It turned out both of them had simply lost track of time while training.
"Well, I'm just glad neither of you fell ill or got caught up in any trouble."
"Very true. Besides, you're only a few minutes late anyway. Don't worry about it."
With that settled, I headed to an eatery with Philia and the others to grab some lunch.
After we finished eating together, we returned to the Adventurer's Guild to pick up a request.
"What should we do today? Head back to the grasslands like yesterday?"
"Well, the forest still seems out of our league... Reina-san, the grasslands are the better choice, right?"
"Yes. In my opinion, you'll be able to hunt much more consistently in the grasslands, so that's what I'd recommend."
With Reina-san's endorsement, we decided to take on another quest in the grasslands today.
Looking over the available notices, we settled on a horn rabbit subjugation request.
It required ten horn rabbit carcasses.
The terms specified bringing them back in good condition, offering a reward of thirty copper coins.
"We'll take this one."
"Understood."
After conferring with Philia and the others, we finalized our choice and handed the slip to Reina-san.
Once she processed the paperwork, we left the Adventurer's Guild, headed outside the city walls, and set out for the grasslands.
The grasslands were completely unchanged from yesterday, stretching out in the same familiar expanse.
"Leticia-san, could you ask Garm?"
"Yes, of course."
Leticia-san gave her reply and sent Garm ahead to search for horn rabbits.
Thanks to Garm's scouting, less than five minutes after arriving, we engaged our first group of horn rabbits.
There were four targets in our first encounter.
Philia opened the battle with her magic, cleanly severing the heads of two horn rabbits.
The remaining horn rabbits nearby caught on to our presence and launched an attack.
"Hah! Compared to a wild boar, this doesn't even sting!"
Alan braced himself, cleanly catching the attacks of both monsters on his shield.
As the horn rabbits rebounded off the shield and tumbled to the ground, Alan slashed their heads off, bringing the fight to a swift end.
"Everyone's gotten so strong... I barely have anything to do now."
"Come on, Erik, just having you there makes a huge difference! Knowing you're watching my back lets me take risks on the front line."
"He's right. You're the cornerstone of our party, Erik-kun."
"Having you around gives all of us a tremendous sense of security."
Having sat out the fight, I had muttered my complaint with a dejected sigh, much like Philia and the others used to do.
Naturally, that prompted an immediate wave of reassurance from them.
"I appreciate hearing that, but isn't that the kind of praise you should be giving Alan, since he's the frontline tank?"
"Hmm, well, Alan is certainly reliable and makes us feel safe, but if we're talking about pure peace of mind, you definitely provide more, Erik-kun."
"I think it's probably because you're always so calm, Erik. I mean, I still get rattled from time to time, but you never lose your composure, do you?"
"That might be it. Erik-kun is always level-headed, after all."
Hearing their sincere words brought a warm smile to my face.
With morale high, we set off once more in search of horn rabbits.
We spotted our next group within five minutes.
This time, however, there were six of them—a slightly larger pack.
"Looks like I'll be able to join in this time... Leticia-san, it looks like you'll be holding back again. Are you all right with that?"
"Yes. It's better for the party as a whole if I conserve my strength. I don't mind at all."
Leticia-san readily agreed with my proposal and moved to the rear to stand by.
With our roles decided, we initiated combat against the six horn rabbits.
Philia opened the assault with her magic, attempting to eliminate two right off the bat.
However, having perhaps sensed our presence a moment too soon, one of the two managed to dodge.
"Ah, sorry!"
"Don't worry about it. It's fine. We can handle five."
Enraged by the loss of their packmate, the five horn rabbits charged forward in retaliation.
Three of them lunged straight toward Alan, while the remaining two darted at me.
Matching the first one's leap, I struck it down with [Swordsmanship] before deftly deflecting the second with my shield.
Alan held his ground against his three assailants, catching every blow cleanly on his shield.
Once the monsters were staggered and sprawling on the ground, Alan and I severed their heads, bringing the skirmish to a close.