Galvis’s choice to make Roland the protagonist of his school project was by no means a whim.

As a Minstrel who had traveled the continent for many years, Galvis had seen far too many exceptionally talented young people.

But they were either arrogant and scoffed at his proposals, or they indulged in the sense of superiority their talent gave them, ultimately neglecting their training.

Among all those geniuses, however, Roland was a breath of fresh air.

He was humble and gentle with others. Even when faced with Galvis’s pestering questions, the most he would do was change the subject in exasperation, never lashing out with harsh words.

Moreover, not only had this young man mastered exquisite Combat Skills at a young age, but he had also successfully learned the Knight’s Breathing Technique in a matter of days. Now, he could even skillfully wield Fighting Spirit.

What was most remarkable was that even with such outstanding talent, he maintained an almost severe self-discipline, dedicating nearly all his time to honing his skills and increasing his strength.

Galvis often thought to himself.

’Isn’t a young man like this the perfect choice for a protagonist?’

But unlike his own straightforward purpose, Avril was another matter entirely.

Galvis couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of that dangerous woman who had betrayed the Elf Race and embarked on a life as a fugitive.

Although the rumors of her colluding with the Zor Elves had yet to be confirmed, her combat record against the Underground Creatures alone was proof enough.

She was no naive, innocent girl, but a decisive and ruthless Warrior.

So what was her purpose in disguising her identity to get close to Roland?

’Surely she hasn’t actually fallen for Roland’s handsome face, has she?’

Galvis muttered to himself, then immediately dismissed the absurd idea.

He simply couldn’t connect the image of that cold-blooded, merciless Valkyrie from the Silver Moon Guard with a young girl who had fallen in love.

’Forget it...’

The Minstrel shook his head, picked up his quill again, and continued to record the inspiration he had accumulated over the past month.

’Just as Roland said, at least Avril hasn’t shown any malice so far. As for hunting the Bear Goblin...’

Thinking of the ferocious creature described in the ancient texts, Galvis’s face showed no trace of fear.

’If we really run into danger, and Avril insists on maintaining her disguise... then I’ll just have to step in myself.’

’I can’t let the protagonist of my story die silently in some backwater place like this.’

As the quill scratched across the paper, the little details of their journey were smoothly recorded.

Flipping through the steadily thickening notebook, Galvis revealed a satisfied smile.

"Ha! Choosing Roland as the protagonist was a brilliant move!" he muttered to himself, somewhat excitedly.

"Give him a little more time, and he’ll definitely surpass even that Rudolph fellow from my teacher Visna’s work!

"After all, how can someone who inexplicably vanished into the river of history compare to a living Legend?"

The corners of the Minstrel’s mouth turned up unconsciously as he thought of the praise he might receive after completing his project.

While the Minstrel was still lost in his pleasant fantasies about the future, Teresa and Avril had already completed their respective tasks with astonishing efficiency.

Only a day later, the four of them were once again gathered around a wooden table in the inn.

The dim, yellow candlelight cast flickering shadows on the rough wooden table. Teresa slowly unrolled a sheet of yellowed parchment, her fingertip tapping a fearsome silhouette sketched on it in charcoal.

"According to the information from the Adventurer’s Guild..."

Her voice was low and grave as her finger traced a line across the paper.

"The Bear Goblin is as tall as two grown men stacked on top of each other, and its shoulders are wider than a tavern doorframe."

She paused for a moment, letting the terrifying image take shape in everyone’s mind.

"Its Power is enough to tear through Iron Armor with its bare hands, yet it’s so fast it can walk on fallen leaves without a sound. What’s even more dangerous is its intelligence..."

Her finger slid across a passage of text, and her voice dropped even lower.

"It knows how to set traps and will pick the most opportune moment to attack. The most troublesome part is that if it senses the situation is unfavorable, it will flee without hesitation. Then, it will lurk in the shadows like a Ghost, waiting for its next chance at revenge."

Teresa looked around at the others and said, enunciating each word clearly.

"A conservative estimate would be that it would take at least three to five exceptionally skilled Warriors, all working in perfect sync, to have a chance of killing it. And that’s assuming it doesn’t run."

"You don’t need to worry about that."

Avril suddenly chimed in, her light tone perfectly breaking the heavy atmosphere.

Her slender fingertips drew a smooth circle on the tabletop.

"I’ve scouted the terrain in Echo Valley."

The Elf Maiden’s long, silver hair swayed slightly as she gave a playful wink.

"Although it’s full of caves and labyrinthine paths, all the exits are inside the valley itself."

A confident arc formed on her lips.

"As long as we block the only way out of Echo Valley... it’ll have no choice but to face us head-on. Oh, right..."

As if suddenly remembering something, Avril added.

"It seems that because of the Bear Goblin’s arrival, all the Demons that used to inhabit Echo Valley have vanished without a trace."

"That’s good news."

Roland nodded lightly.

Although those ordinary Demons posed no threat to them, eliminating such distractions would certainly help avoid any unnecessary accidents.

Tapping the table rhythmically with his long fingers, Roland quickly processed the information the two had brought back.

After a moment of thought, he picked up a quill and circled the words "skilled at ambushes" on the parchment Teresa had brought.

"In that case..."

Roland put down the quill, his voice steady and firm.

"We’ll move during the day. We’ll use smoke to force it out of its cave and make it fight us head-on."

His gaze swept over each of his companions.

"The battle formation will be the same as always. Teresa and I will handle melee, while Avril and Galvis provide ranged support. Any questions?"

Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Roland then further refined the plan with more details.

At dawn the next day, the four of them set off for Echo Valley by carriage.

Just as Avril had said, the former gathering place for Demons was now eerily silent.

In the piercing light of the morning sun, Roland gripped the hilt of his sword and cautiously led the team deeper into the valley.

After passing through the narrow valley entrance, the view opened up dramatically.

An expansive clearing, encircled by mountains, lay before them.

The surrounding cliffs were dotted with several large cave entrances and dozens of smaller openings.

After confirming the area was secure, Roland gave the command in a low voice.

Soon, several piles of firewood were lit at the main cave entrances, and thick smoke began to billow inside.

Time ticked by. Just as the dense smoke began to seep out of the smaller openings, a dull, tremendous noise suddenly echoed through the valley.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a massive figure dart out of a cave like a bolt of lightning.

With almost no pause, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, the figure appeared before Roland, who was at the very front.

The weapon in its hand became a black blur, striking down from above with terrifying force.

Facing the surprise attack, the well-prepared Roland reacted swiftly, his Fine Iron Round Shield steadily blocking the black shadow’s ferocious strike.

"CLANG!"

The harsh sound of metal striking metal reverberated through the valley.

Roland’s brows furrowed. A numbing sensation spread through his shield arm, and he could even feel a faint, sharp pain in his fingertips.

What shocked him even more was that after just one exchange, a clear dent had appeared on the face of his Fine Iron shield.

’Such immense Power...’

Though his mind was racing, Roland’s hands didn’t stop for a second.

His Mithril Longsword traced a silver arc through the air, whistling sharply as it aimed for the creature’s vitals.

But the dark figure was exceptionally cunning.

Seeing its surprise attack had failed, it pressed its heavy weapon down hard on the Shield and used the recoil to retreat, its massive body moving as lightly as a feather.

"SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!"

In almost the same instant, three feathered Arrows tore through the air and embedded themselves deep in the ground where the dark figure had just stood, their fletchings still trembling violently.

"ROAR!"

Amidst the deafening roar, Roland cautiously lowered his Shield, squinting to get a better look at the enemy before him.

Just as the drawing Teresa had made showed, this Demon was enormous and powerfully muscled. It was clearly the target of their expedition.

The Bear Goblin.

Up close, however, its appearance had little in common with a "bear." Its hideous face looked more like a horrific combination of a Beastman and a goblin.

Its brown skin was covered in thick hair, its protruding tusks had a yellowish gleam, and its crimson eyes shone with a cunning and cruel light.

While the Bear Goblin’s roar was still echoing through the valley, the battle erupted once more.

Teresa was the first to strike.

She cut into the battlefield like a silver flash, her Foil becoming a downpour of cold light that stabbed precisely at the gaps in the Bear Goblin’s joints.

"DING! DING! DING!" The crisp sounds rang out in quick succession, but the tip of her sword only managed to leave faint white marks on its tough skin.

"Its hide is harder than Iron Armor!" Teresa shouted as she hastily retreated, her wrist already numb from the force of the impacts.

Just as the Bear Goblin swiped its claws at Teresa, three sharp Arrows shot toward it in a triangular formation.

Avril stood on a cliff ledge, her Bowstring still vibrating.

The Arrows flew with wicked precision toward its eye sockets, throat, and the backs of its knees, forcing the Bear Goblin to roar in frustration and withdraw its attack.

Just as the Bear Goblin was about to attack again, Galvis’s song suddenly pierced the battlefield.

His fingertips drew ripple-like sound waves from his Harp, and the Bear Goblin’s movements visibly froze for an instant.

"Now!"

With a low snarl, Roland’s blade shot out like a viper, the tip of his Mithril sword erupting in a blinding light.

"SCHLICK!" With a ripping sound, the blade finally tore through fur and hide, opening a bloody gash on the Bear Goblin’s side that was deep enough to show bone.

Foul-smelling blood gushed out, but the Bear Goblin let out a strange, wild laugh.

It abruptly turned and lunged for the valley entrance.

That was the only escape route.

"Don’t even think about it!"

Roland was already there, his sword held horizontally to block the path.

A furious clash of steel erupted, sending out a shower of blinding sparks. The gravel beneath their feet was instantly pulverized.

Its escape route completely cut off, the Bear Goblin suddenly went still.

The blood flowing from its wound began to eerily vaporize into a red mist, and its brown skin rapidly turned the color of molten rock.