Unlike his previous solo adventures, Roland was traveling with Avril and the others this time, so riding individual horses was impractical.

Especially when camping in the wild, they had to carry plenty of food, all thanks to Teresa and her massive appetite.

So, when he decided to head out and hunt Demons, he had specifically instructed Galvis to purchase a carriage.

Surprisingly, despite the muddy roads, the Minstrel’s skill at handling the carriage was exceptionally good.

They could barely feel any bumps inside, and their pace was quite fast.

Before the sky had completely darkened, the party arrived at a nearby town.

After choosing a decent-looking inn, Galvis took Avril to the local Adventurer’s Guild to turn in their quest and collect the payment.

Teresa, meanwhile, remained in the lobby, her eyes intently scanning the menu hanging on the wall.

"Roland, are you getting anything to eat?"

the silver-haired woman asked, her eyes still glued to the wooden plaques carved with the names of the dishes. She unconsciously swallowed.

"No, that’s alright, Teresa..."

Roland, long accustomed to her antics, just waved his hand dismissively.

"You go ahead and eat. I’m going to my room to get settled. I’ll eat with everyone when Avril and the others return."

"Okay."

Teresa nodded and immediately raised her hand to flag down a waiter.

Her rosy lips moved in a blur as she rattled off a long list of dishes. After a moment, the young waiter started to look bewildered.

"Ma’am, please, just a moment..."

The waiter tried to recall the staggering order, his brow furrowed as he hurried to the counter.

"I need to... write this down..."

Catching the waiter’s flustered tone, Roland’s lips curved into a slight smile before he turned and headed upstairs.

He asked another member of the staff to help pour hot water into the bathtub. After a quiet word of thanks, he shut the door.

The closing door instantly shut out the lobby’s clamor.

"Haaaah..."

Roland let out a long sigh as his body sank into the hot water.

As he wiped the few specks of blood from his skin, his thoughts began to settle.

’The requirement for advancing to [Apprentice Knight]—"Slay one hundred hostile creatures using a Breathing Technique"—is complete. All that’s left is the requirement to "Form a party and defeat three powerful enemies"...’

At this, Roland frowned slightly.

It wasn’t that he feared these so-called "powerful enemies."

In fact, after a month of fighting side-by-side, the four of them coordinated seamlessly.

He was honest with himself: even though his Breathing Technique was far more refined than before, if he were to face Teresa, Avril, and Galvis all at once, he’d probably have to activate all of his Traits just to eke out a win.

With him on their side, fulfilling this requirement wouldn’t be difficult, provided they had a meticulous plan.

After all, according to the requirements on his panel, a "powerful enemy" only needed to be stronger than him, even if just by a slim margin.

Based on his recent observations at the Adventurer’s Guild, while there weren’t many Demon targets that fit the bill, such targets did exist.

The only problem was that they were almost all entrenched within the Land of Mist.

According to Avril, ever since the Magic Elements had reawakened and that land had become shrouded in a treacherous mist, even the Shadow Veil Organization’s investigations had been repeatedly thwarted. Many members had even vanished there completely.

Roland had no intention of recklessly stepping foot into such a perilous place without solid intelligence.

’Whatever... I’ll check the Adventurer’s Guild again later. If there are no suitable targets, we’ll just return to the Royal Capital to rest and regroup for now.’

’Besides, there’s no rush to become an [Apprentice Knight]. I can always increase my strength by unlocking other new Professions and gaining their Traits and Extra Benefits.’

His mind made up, Roland stepped out of the tub.

He dried himself off, changed into clean clothes, and pushed the door open.

But what he found strange was that the lobby, which had been bustling just moments before, was now unnervingly silent.

Roland frowned and looked down from the landing.

But a moment later, the wariness on his face faded, replaced by a look of resignation.

Down in the lobby, dinner plates were piled so high they covered two entire tables.

Even so, the utensils in Teresa’s hands moved with elegant speed, continuously delivering food to her mouth.

The surrounding travelers, who had been enjoying their own meals, were now staring wide-eyed, their faces masks of disbelief.

Their shock became even more pronounced when they saw the silver-haired woman asking the waiter for yet another serving.

’That Teresa... Is her appetite getting even bigger?’

Shaking his head at the sight, Roland slowly descended the stairs.

Seeing the innkeeper’s troubled expression, he reached out and tapped his finger lightly on the counter.

The crisp sound snapped the owner out of his stupor.

The old, wrinkle-faced man wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to ask.

"Can I help you, sir?"

Even as he asked, his eyes never left Teresa, as if he were afraid she might dine and dash.

Seeing the man’s expression, Roland immediately understood what he was thinking.

After all, he had seen this same scene play out more than once in the past month.

At that thought, Roland’s lips curved into a gentle smile.

"Hello. I’m with..."

He gestured toward Teresa, who was still happily eating.

"...that lady. Her appetite... is indeed a bit shocking, but you don’t need to worry."

As he spoke, Roland pulled a few Silver Coins from his pouch, placed them gently on the counter, and pushed them toward the innkeeper.

"This is to prepay for her meal."

Hearing this and seeing the Silver Coins, the innkeeper let out a huge sigh of relief.

He gathered the Silver Coins, the apprehension on his face vanishing completely. His gaze toward Teresa even took on a hint of warmth.

"By the way, I might have to step out for a bit. If the lady needs to order more..."

Roland gave a few more simple instructions, and after confirming the innkeeper would continue serving food, he walked over to Teresa’s table.

The mountain of plates in front of her almost completely blocked her from view.

Even though he’d seen this sight several times before, the corner of his mouth still couldn’t help but twitch.

"Teresa."

"Mmph?"

The silver-haired woman looked up, a few crumbs clinging to the corner of her mouth.

"Have Avril and Galvis not returned yet?"

When Teresa shook her head, Roland said softly,

"Good, I was about to head to the Adventurer’s Guild myself. I’ll just come back with them later. I’ve already paid for your meal, so don’t worry about it."

"Thank you, Mr. Roland."

After another few words of instruction, Roland turned and left the inn.

After asking a passerby for directions, he followed the street toward the Adventurer’s Guild and pushed open its heavy wooden door.

The next moment, the thick stench of blood assaulted him.

The instant the smell of blood hit his nostrils, Roland’s brow furrowed instinctively, and his right hand shot to the hilt of the sword at his hip.

However, once he got a clear look at the scene inside the Adventurer’s Guild, his tense body relaxed, and his hand moved away from his sword.

There, in the middle of the hall’s floor, lay several corpses, all dead in gruesome ways.