Evan returned home just as the sun was about to set. As he opened the wooden gate, his eyes immediately fell on his mother crouching in the front garden, carefully tending to a patch of colorful flowers.
On the terrace, Reyna sat on a long wooden bench, her body slightly slouched, chin resting on both hands, looking rather listless.
Evan gave a faint smile at the sight and greeted them. "Hi, Mom! Reyna, I'm back!" His voice broke the silence in the yard. Without waiting for a reply, he sat beside Reyna and pinched her cheek, teasing, "What's wrong with my sweet little sister? Why do you look so gloomy?"
Reyna slowly lifted her head. Her eyes looked weary. "I'm bored," she said flatly. "There's nothing to do at home, so I just sit here watching Mom work. That's it." She pouted, then let out a sigh.
Evan nodded lightly, quickly understanding the problem. Back when they were in the village, Reyna would always play with her friends or help out in the fields. But since they had arrived in the city, more than two weeks had passed, and Reyna hadn't had any activity to keep her busy. Naturally, she felt bored.
Catherine, who was trimming dry leaves, overheard their conversation. She turned with a smile and said, "How about we start selling food at the market? We could earn some money, and Reyna would have something to do instead of staying home all the time."
Reyna turned quickly, finding the idea quite appealing. But Evan thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Selling at the market sounds fine, but what would we sell? There are already many food vendors there, and the competition is tough. Besides, we don't have any special dish that could stand out." He spread his hands as he spoke.
Catherine smiled awkwardly and lowered her gaze a little. She knew well enough that her cooking skills were ordinary. Her food was tasty enough for family meals, but far from unique or special to sell in a busy marketplace.
Hearing that, Reyna's brief enthusiasm faded again. Her shoulders drooped as she leaned against the bench, staring blankly into the distance. But the very next moment, Evan said something that made her sit up straight again.
"In that case, how about you train instead? I always bring back monster meat. If you train diligently, it won't just keep you busy—it'll also make your body stronger," Evan said, looking at her seriously.
Reyna immediately jumped up from the bench, her mood changing in an instant. She hugged Evan's arm tightly as if she would never let go. "Really? I can become strong? Will I be as strong as you someday?" she asked, her eyes sparkling brightly.
Evan chuckled softly, then gently tapped her forehead. "How could it be that easy? Training will be tough, and you might even give up halfway."
Reyna winced, her lips pursed into a pout. But after recalling all the boring days she had endured, she clenched her teeth and said, "It's fine if it's hard. I'll try first before deciding to quit." Her eyes now shone with determination.
"Alright then. Tomorrow morning, before I head out hunting, I'll give you your first training," Evan said, encouraged by his sister's resolve.
Then he turned to his mother. "Mom, please make some soup and a few other dishes with this meat. Preserve the rest so it can last for a week." He spoke while unloading several sacks of meat from the cart.
Although preserved monster meat would lose some of its energy and nutritional quality, there was no other option. The city had no ice to freeze it. Besides, since becoming an adventurer, Evan's appetite had grown drastically—he could now eat ten times more than before. That much meat might not even last ten days if he was serious.
---
The next morning, Evan woke Reyna up for training. The little girl still looked drowsy, so Evan told her to wash up first.
He then began running, jumping, and lifting a large stone. Not because he was restless or crazy, but because after eating nearly ten kilograms of swift deer meat yesterday, Evan felt his body had become much stronger. This increase was the most significant so far. Especially his legs—he felt they were incredibly powerful now, able to run as fast as lightning.
---
Once Reyna was fresh and ready, Evan took her for a run around the house for ten minutes. The result: the girl was already panting heavily, looking as if she was about to give up.
Seeing this, Evan knew Reyna lacked motivation. So he said, "How about this—if you get strong enough, I'll take you hunting in the forest."
The moment those words left his mouth, Reyna's exhaustion vanished, replaced with excitement. "Alright, deal! But how long will I have to train before I can go to the forest?" she asked.
"About two months. By then, you should be able to handle low-level monsters," Evan answered after a short thought.
"What?? Two months is way too long!!" Reyna exclaimed in shock.
"Of course, if you train really hard, it's not impossible we could go in just one month," Evan added, smiling inwardly.
Reyna thought for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I'll train hard this month, so don't lie to me. You have to take me on an amazing adventure." She gripped Evan's hand tightly as she spoke.
"Don't worry, I'll take you to fight a strong monster," Evan reassured her. But in his mind, he was thinking of the horned rabbit—the very first monster he had fought.
"Alright then, continue your training, and eat more of the meat I brought yesterday so it'll be effective. I'm going hunting now, and I'll check your progress when I return," Evan said before leaving the house. But instead of heading toward the forest, his destination was the Adventurers' Guild.
---
Upon arriving at the guild, Evan found Helena at her usual spot. Since not many people visited at this hour, Helena wasn't busy and was chatting with a few other receptionists.
As Evan approached, he caught bits of their conversation—words like "young adventurer," "swift deer," and "handsome" slipped out of one of the receptionists' mouths.
His lips twitched, and he thought, "Looks like the rumors have already spread. I might soon become famous among adventurers."
"Helena," he called, ignoring their chatter.
Helena turned, her expression suddenly bright for some reason. Then Evan heard her say, "You must be the adventurer who hunted that swift deer, right?" Though she asked, her tone was full of certainty.
Evan had no intention of hiding it, though he also didn't plan on boasting. "That's right, I'm the one who hunted the swift deer yesterday."
The moment he finished speaking, the guild fell silent.