“You actually took down Doragon!?”

Early that morning, while the village chief and the villagers were anxiously waiting, Alina returned to the village all by herself.

But that wasn’t all. What surprised the village chief most was that Alina had actually defeated the legendary Doragon.

“Of course I did. If you don’t believe me, you can go up the mountain and see if you can still sense Doragon’s aura.” Alina took a sip of tea and smiled.

“Village chief, this…”

The Golden Alchemist looked at the village chief doubtfully. He still couldn’t believe Little Alina could defeat a monster on Doragon’s level all by herself.

“I don’t need to go. There really is no trace of Doragon’s aura left on Bone Burial Snow Mountain.”

The village chief sighed. He truly couldn’t sense that overwhelming aura anymore.

“Hehe. So, Village Chief, that means I passed the test, right?”

Alina looked at the village chief with eager anticipation. With that adorable look, it was hard to say no.

“Well…”

The village chief was at a loss. He’d set that test because, in his eyes, Little Alina wasn’t strong enough to defeat the legendary Doragon. But to his surprise, she’d actually done it.

“Grandpa Village Chief, you’re not going to go back on your word, are you?”

When Alina saw the village chief hesitate, her lips drooped and tears began to well in her eyes.

That’s right—she was using her second ultimate move: Angel’s Tears.

“Little Alina, don’t cry! The village chief would never break a promise!”

“That’s right! The village chief always keeps his word.”

“Village chief, say something! Look, Little Alina’s crying!”

Sure enough, the moment she used that move, the villagers gathered around her panicked.

The village chief stared at them, speechless. Weren’t they the ones who’d said they’d help him find a way to keep Alina in the village? And now they’d all switched sides?

But he’d already broken his word once. If he did it again, he’d have no excuse.

Besides, while Alina was away, the village chief had given it serious thought. He trusted the village’s teachings. He also trusted that teachers as powerful and upright as the Sword Saint, the Knight King, and the Golden Alchemist wouldn’t turn her into some twisted monster.

After all, they’d each endured countless trials out in the world and lived for over a hundred years before settling here as the Humans’ pillars of support.

And Little Alina was still so young. It would be cruel to take away her chance to live her own life. Maybe it was time to let her go out and see the world for herself.

“All right.”

After thinking it over, the village chief finally agreed to Alina’s request.

“Yay! Thank you, Grandpa Village Chief! Mwah~!”

Overjoyed by the village chief’s answer, Alina jumped up, kissed him on the cheek, then skipped away.

“That girl…”

The village chief touched the spot she’d kissed and shook his head helplessly.

“Hey, Little Alina, how about one for me, too?”

The Sword Saint pointed at his cheek and called after Alina as she ran off.

“Big Sister High Priestess said the Sword Saint is a dirty old lecher!”

Alina’s reply drifted back from far away, making everyone burst into laughter while the Sword Saint was left with a dark look on his face.

……

Late that night, Alina had already packed her things, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t fall asleep.

Everyone had thrown a big farewell party for her that evening. Alina had lived in the village for so long, and she was so lovable, that plenty of people couldn’t bear to see her leave all of a sudden.

The villagers had said a lot at the party. The Knight King had told her never to forget the spirit of a knight. The Golden Alchemist had told her to always remember the alchemists’ creed. The High Priestess had told her to take care of herself. And the Sword Saint, being the shameless man he was, had asked Alina to bring back a pretty girl for him.

The village chief had said the most. Above all, he’d told her never to think she was special just because she was out in the world. Plenty of creatures looked harmless, yet were incredibly powerful.

For example, there was a slime and a skeleton soldier among the Dark Races. They’d both been at the very bottom of the Dark Races’ pecking order, but according to information he’d gathered recently, the two had grown terrifyingly strong. With Alina’s current abilities, she absolutely couldn’t afford to provoke them.

Everyone had rambled on and on at the party, but it was all because they cared about Alina. She could feel that affection, and it only made her even more reluctant to leave them.

“The people in your village are way too ridiculously strong.”

As Alina stared blankly at the full moon outside, Lamia, who’d been hiding beside her all this time, finally showed herself.

At first, Lamia hadn’t cared when Alina said she was taking her to her village. But once they were within five kilometers of it, she’d hidden herself completely. She could sense that there were far too many monsters in the village.

“Hehe, you can sense them?” Alina asked with a smile.

“Of course.”

Lamia nodded firmly.

“Especially that village chief. He gives me the same feeling as that female knight who chased me back then.”

“The village chief is that strong?”

Alina was surprised by what Lamia said.

She knew the village chief was strong, but she’d never known just how strong he was. Now it seemed he might be even stronger than she’d imagined.

“Obviously. There aren’t many Humans who can put this kind of pressure on me. We Doragons stand at the pinnacle of the world, so anyone who makes me feel this way has to be one of the strongest of the strong.”

Lamia rolled her eyes at Alina, then crawled back into her backpack and yawned. “I’m done talking. It’s late, and I’m going to sleep. I didn’t get any sleep last night.”

With that, she drifted off. Alina looked at the tiny Lamia curled up in her backpack, a little bubble puffing from her nose. She fought the urge to pop it, then climbed into bed herself. Her journey began tomorrow, after all, and she needed to be well rested.

……

The next day, everyone gathered at the village entrance bright and early to see Alina off.

“Little Alina, take this sword. It’s the best one in the village. Consider it a farewell gift from your village chief.”

The village chief took a one-handed sword from his back and personally handed it to Alina.

At the village chief’s words, Alina eagerly accepted it. But when she opened the scabbard and looked inside, she was stunned.

Unlike the legendary swords she’d heard about, this one was covered in rust and looked as if it might break at any moment.

Seeing Alina’s expression, the village chief stroked his beard with a chuckle. “Don’t underestimate this sword. It’s called Parting Grief, the proud creation of a master swordsman from a bygone age. It’s several hundred years old. It may look rusty, but it’s incredibly sturdy—the best sword in the whole village. So, hand over the one you’ve been using.”

“All right.”

Since the village chief put it that way, Alina accepted the village’s finest sword and handed him the one-handed sword she’d been using.

“There’s one more thing you must remember, Little Alina. When you’re out in the world, keep yourself in check and stay humble. There are far too many powerful people out there. Even among the Humans, there are plenty of top-tier experts, like the Great Sage and the Progenitors. I’m only average compared to them, and they’d have no trouble dealing with you.”

“Uh…”

As she listened to the village chief’s earnest warning, Alina was stunned.

Wait, was the world outside really that scary?

“All right, I’ve said enough. You should get going.”

As he spoke, the village chief took the luggage from the Sword Saint and placed it in Alina’s hands.

“Okay! I’m off, everyone!”

With her luggage in hand, Alina waved to all the villagers, then slung it over her shoulder and set off on her journey.

“Take care, Little Alina!”

“No matter when, Di Village will always be your home! You’re always welcome back!”

“Little Alina, wherever you go, remember—you came from Di Village, and we’re all here behind you!”

The voices of the people of Di Village called out behind her. Alina didn’t turn around. She simply waved over her shoulder, then slowly clenched her fist to show them she’d never forget anyone in Di Village.

“World, here I come!”

The moment Alina left the village, her heart cried out. From this day on, she was a true adventurer! She was finally going to start living her own life!

……

“Um, Village Chief… As the Sword Saint of this village, how come I’ve never heard of a famous sword called Parting Grief?”

The Sword Saint waited until Little Alina had disappeared from view before asking in a low voice.

“And weren’t the Great Sage and the Progenitors you mentioned killed in the Abyssal War over five thousand years ago? There shouldn’t be many people outside who could beat Little Alina now. And saying you’re only average compared to them is a bit much.”

The Archmage beside him adjusted his glasses, wanting the village chief to give them an answer.

Seeing the curious looks on everyone’s faces, the village chief could only sigh and answer grumpily.

“I made up the name Parting Grief. The sword I gave Little Alina was just one I grabbed at random. Otherwise, there’d have been no good way to get her to trade in the one-handed sword she’d been using. We can’t just let weapons from Di Village wander off into the world. As for the Great Sage and the others, I only brought them up to scare Little Alina. She needs to know her limits. Who can guarantee nothing will go wrong if someone with that much power has no sense of caution?”

“You’re a real bastard.”

After hearing the village chief’s explanation, everyone spoke in unison, shot him a look of disdain, and flipped him off before scattering to get on with their own business. The village chief was left standing there, his face livid.