Child.

Lena has already went to sleep, or attempted to at least. They had put the fire out and both agreed to sleep, but for whatever reason Elstat got up, probably believing Lena's asleep, and sat down at the edge of the cliff outside the cave. Lena being unable to sleep herself decides to join him, It's kind of cold outside so she keeps the blanket on her while going to sit next to him.

"hah, sorry did I wake you up?" Elstat laughs awkwardly.

Lena just takes a seat next to him without saying anything.

They just sat there looking at the extended forest from the high up view until Elstat had finally broken the silence.

"Would you be interested in hearing the rambling of an old man?" Elstat said while keeping his focus on the view in front of him.

Lena nodded.

"Remember when I asked you about dragons?"

Lena nods

"Well you see I too did encounter a dragon before. Although it wasn't the same one-sided as you sadly. For me it was a terrifying experience, one that no matter what I didn't want to experience again. You see I used to be a hopeful adventurer alongside my friends, we would dream about hitting scores so high we would be known the world. We were a normal party of 5 who were nothing special. It took us a year till the first of us finally was ranked up from wooden to silver, and gold took us almost twice or more than that, But even then It was still fun seeing each other grow even though it was slow. We all had families too, mothers and fathers that would wish us to come back healthy, and even one of us had a wife of his own, yet we still adventured wishing for great dreams. God knows how long into our adventuring we found a quest about getting rid of a dragon whose been using a cave on some rich nobleman's land as his own, and with us being way over our own heads thought that maybe it's time we finally take the first step towards becoming global. We took it and started heading towards the noble's grounds, it was like a 2 or 3 day trip from where we were so the fact that the quest even reached our adventurer's guild was a bit confusing. We arrived there and the noble man welcomed us with open arm he had prepared a night stay for us so that we could fight the dragon at our best the next day. The next day came and we headed at the cave where the dragon was staying, but lucky for us it wasn't there when we first arrived. We took the chance and quickly started trapping the place all over, and when we were done we started casually talking as if it was a bar and not a dragon's layer. We talked about how this was gonna be our big break, and that how from here on out no more will we be some gold adventurer nobodies. As we talked and laughed time passed and the dragon finally appeared. We could hear it roar from the distance as it closed down to us. It landed a couple of steps away from the cave and slowly entered it all the while looking absolutely terrifying. I stood there in shock unable to move, and I wasn't alone all of us were like that, finally realizing what were really up against all of us stood in shock. Except one, even under the pressure of the dragon he still stood his ground and told us to get our shit together. I don't know if he was actually that strong or if he was just playing a front to help us get ourselves moving, but it did help. Seeing how he continued moving we all realized the situation we were in, if we don't move now we are dead. We quickly started moving according to our plan. It was a terrifying battle, every move we did was as close to death as it could be. A single straight hit from that dragon and it would've been all over for us. It is nothing worth pitying. In the end we had ended up losing a lot of things, I almost lost an arm, One actually lost his arm, another was on the brink of death, another was screaming, and the last lost his head. We had lost of a friend of ours, but you see. As we fought the dragon we didn't even notice, or more like we didn't want to notice. For if we direct our attention away from it if even for the split of a second, we would join them. I myself almost died if it wasn't for him, The same man who told us to get our shit together, He practically did all the work himself the whole time. From coordinating a plan to actually fighting the dragon and driving it away. It was all him, but even then he still felt regret and guilt over losing a long time friend under his own command. We weren't even able to kill that monster, only barely drive it to escape. We had severely injured it, but nowhere near enough to end its life. We all stayed quite as we headed back to the noble's mansion. He thanked us and helped us receive medical help. Only talking when needed we kept like that until we finally reached our town where each of us went back to his "home". All our families were happy to see us other than the parent's of our dead friend. They despised us, for they always hated the idea of him adventuring yet we encouraged it never truly understanding what we are doing. The next day we all met up at a bar in town and discussed how to split the rewards. The biggest portion went to the parents of our dead friend while the rest was shared equally, after we had all agreed on how to split the rewards they all slowly started leaving. but that isn't why I went to the meet up, I was there to confirm something, and I made sure to do so. I asked if we were gonna just stop adventuring. And He snapped, The same person who saved my life is knowing screaming and shouting at my stupidity. He talked about how A friend of us is in pieces buried somewhere on the other side of the globe, and that how he has a family wife and kids to take care of. 'WHAT IF I ONE DAY DON'T SHOW UP HOME? WHAT ABOUT MY KIDS ELSTAT? FOR FUCK SAKE HOW COULD YOU EVEN STILL WANT TO CONTINUE?!' I couldn't argue for everything he said made sense, But I had nothing else for myself. My family didn't care much about me for I was a failure compared to my older brother and nor did I have a woman and kids to care for. I left my share of rewards to my mother and father and left to this kingdom where i continued adventuring. 8 years later here I am telling my sob story to a girl who's sleeping with her head laying on my shoulder." Elstat sighed as he finished his long monologue.

he poked Lena but she didn't wake up so he carried her back to where they were staying and laid her back down where she should've been sleeping he gave the defenseless girl a smile and went back to sleep himself.

The next day Elstat woke up to see Lena is making breakfast. They had a nice and warm meal. They packed up and started moving towards the dragon that is just a couple of hours away.

after a few hours.

"there, over that should be the cave at which the dragon is staying. As soon as we get there I want you to stay behind and just watch from afar. If anything happens you are free to escape on your own." elstat said while gulping down his built up saliva

Lena just nods

"Here goes nothing." with both hands holding the grip of his huge 2 handed sword Elstat takes the first step as Lena follows.

As they reach the top and finally have the dragon in there view Elstat laughs.

It was a only a child. Not a fully grown and nurtured adult dragon, but merely a child dragon. One which their skin isn't as hard, their scales aren't as hard, their fang's aren't as sharp and neither are their teeth, But even with all of that it was still huge compared to the two adventurer's and most probably strong enough to put up a worthy fight.

"HAHAHAHA!" "EVEN THIS I COULDN'T DO RIGHT WHAT A JOKE! HAHAHAHA!" elstat laughs like a maniac while lena looks at him confused.

the dragon child notices them and turns its head towards the laughing man. It stood there just looking at him until he finally calmed down and waved Lena to stay at the side.

"Let's stick with what I told you even if it is a child." Elstat said.

Lena tilted her head in confusing thinking 'a child?' she didn't even realize it.

Lena found a little rock on the side which she put the bag next too and sat down on herself.

With his 2 handed sword gripped in his arm and clad in his bulging almost twice his size armor Elstat screams as he runs towards the child dragon. The dragon realizes what's happening and spreads it's wings making itself appear even larger than it already is.

As they fought Lena realized something, 'Elstat isn't fighting to win'. He is merely clashing heads with the dragon without deploying any kind of strategy, swinging his sword aimlessly while screaming whenever he moves around. He is waiting for something to happen, an opening? no, that wasn't it.

They kept fighting for a while as Lena just sat and watched from the side. Elstat was merely tired while the dragon was basically dead, yet Elstat refuses to finish it. why? One of its wing's has bean torn off and two of its limbs are practically useless. Yet the struggle continues as if he is still waiting for something to happen.

Then When Elstat is about to head in for its other wing the child quickly looks around and notices the girl sitting on her own in the side, and rushes towards her. Elstat realizes it's happening and quickly moves towards Lena as he screams. Lena lifts her head and notices the dragon is rushing towards her while limping on 2 legs, but even with that its speed is nothing to laugh at. Elstat quickly jumps in front of Lena and puts his 2handed sword in the ground as the dragon's claw pierces his thick armor right through his torso.

He looks down to his torso only to see a fountain of blood flowing from where his intestines should be.

'haha... atleast Lena should be safe now. so that's what it feels like huh.' Elstat thought to himself as he slowly raised his head to where Lena should've been, but she wasn't there. he looked around only to realize she had already moved away from the dragon's attack.

"hahahaha... you really shouldn't have payed attention to that last part." Elstat said as blood seeped from his mouth.

Lena stood there as she looked down at the man who sacrificed himself in vain, but even then he held a warm smile while trying to crack a joke. Sadly the world isn't so merciful for exactly after he was done the dragon roared as it swung The man around and finally threw it somewhere off the mountain into the huge forest beneath, no way in hell he would have survived such a fall with a wound like that. Only thing left of the man is the huge 2handed sword he implemented into the ground before taking the hit.

Lena looks up to the dragon whom is one leg in the grave as it roars in victory. She pulls out her bland looking sword and Runs around the dragon quickly. The dragon stumbles on one of its broken limbs and falls to the side. Lena tries cut through the nape of the dragon, but her sword breaks as it makes contact with the dragon's skin. She quickly jumps away. She looks at the grip of the sword she just broke as the dragon suffers to stand back up.

'That's as far as you go huh?' lena said while looking at the grip of her parting gift with kouko.

She sighs and takes a few steps towards where Elstat last stood. She puts both of her hands on the grip and slowly with all her strength pulls up the huge 2handed sword he had left behind.

The child has fallen to the ground, it's practically dead now as it whimpers with one eye looking at Lena. It had lost too much blood fighting Elstat and now stepping on one of its broken limbs made its body give up. The child continues to whimper as one of its eyes is half closed looking at Lena.

"sorry, but don't blame me." Lena says as she swings the sword from above her head to the ground cutting the dragon's neck.

'Elstat did mention something about this being a child yet its skin was hard enough to break my sword. I really did underestimate dragons. I was very lucky that we had run into a child or else I would have ended up dying for no reason.'

Lena thought to her self as she started looting the valuable parts of a dragon.

After taking what she needs she packed up and started heading back. While on the way down the mountain she looked at the forest and wondered where Elstat would have ended up falling and if his body would ever be found. 'irony' thinks Lena as she continues moving down the mountain.

While on her way still down the mountain she notices something shiny in the distance she hurries towards it and realizes what it is. It's a part of elstat's armor, precisely his right gauntlet, she packs it up and continues moving.

It took her 3 days to finally reach the capital.

As she entered through the huge gates, she looked around to notice that nothing has changed. It's the same as always, as it should be.

She moves towards the inn she's staying at first to put down the luggage she had with her, she packs the dragon loot into a different bag and carries Elstat's sword on her back. As she walked towards the adventurer's guild some people noticed the sword on her back and knew to whom it belonged.

"Hello! How can I help you today?! OH! LENA! long time no see! where have you been! and why do you look so terrible?"

Lena sighs at the girl who hasn't changed at all and gives a slight smile.

"hello, trestina long time no see."

"so where have you been?"

"places you don't have to worry about it really, I'm an adventurer after all."

"that's exactly why I'm worried you know." trestina says as she shrugs.

"So what do you need this time?" trestina says.

"Oh I would like to report in and sell the loot I have on me" Lena said as she put down her bag.

"I will take your report thank you, and also come here a second." trestina says as she waves Lena to come closer.

"I'm not supposed to say this but for loot I would suggest you sell it in your guild's own loot specialist. they tend to have better prices than here." trestina said quietly and winked at Lena to keep it a secret.

Lena thanked her and decided to submit in the loot the day after.

The day after.

After taking her time waking up and having an enjoyable already prepared breakfast Lena walks with the loot and Elstat's sword on her towards the Wild land's guild.

As she entered everyone immediately recognized the sword on her back and said nothing. She Slowly walked towards the guild's receptionist who pointed her towards the guild's loot specialist. When she reached the guild's loot specialist she puts down the dragon's head along side its fangs and claws with some of its skins and scales. The man looks in amazement for even though it's that of a child's this is still some valuable stuff. He asks her to wait a second and calls for the guild master. After a little bit the guild master calls for Lena into his office.

Lena took a walk to the second floor and slowly entered said office.

"Hello, hello, and welcome my dear adventurer." the short guild master welcomed Lena and pointed towards a chair she can sit down at.

Lena just sat down at the chair without saying anything.

"Now, now, no need to be so cold a normal good morning would make you so much cuter you know." the guild master said

Lena stayed quite.

"*sigh* Anyway, I heard you came back with quite the collection of dragon parts those will be dealt with as usual, and you will be given the price you deserve as I will buy them from you in market value, but you see that isn't what I'm interested in."

Lena notices where the guild master and towards it herself.

"That, now that is what I want." Said the guild master as he looked at the Huge 2-handed sword that stood next to Lena.

"Why would you need it though? As far as I can see it's just a regular well-forged 2handed sword. With your assets getting one that is like this or even better wouldn't be that hard." Lena said questioning the short man.

"You're right there is absolutely nothing special about that sword physically, but you see, It's not about the sword, It's about the message behind it. Just think about it my dear adventurer, The sword of one of our strongest returned by a weak adventurer who was saved by him after he had sacrificed himself. Isn't that just so inspiring? And you. You would be the symbol for that inspiration. With a symbol of the strongest helping the weakest, Those down would only get more and more motivated. That's what I want!" said the man as he slowly got excited over the development that was about to start.

"Now Lena, name the price and it shall be yours." The man said he put down his hands down on the desk in front of him and laid his chin on them.

"*sigh* I guess I shouldn't have worried about it that much huh..." Lena said as she shrugged.

"huh?" the man confused says.

"That's what I came for too. wielding a 2-handed sword isn't my style I came here to sell it to you." Lena said.

"HAHAHA!" the man laughed for a bit then said "And here I thought you were gonna leave it with you as some kind of reminder of that whom sacrificed himself for you. You, You're going places."

"yeah yeah whatever. Now before I tell you how much I want I have a couple questions."

"Sure, go ahead ask I believe you deserve them." The man said while catching his breath after the laugh.

"You had a hand in it right?" Lena asked with a sharp gaze.

"in "it"? what do you mean?" The man said confused.

"Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Elstat his death, you had a hand in it right? At first I didn't think much of it, but hearing you talk just now you must have did something to achieve what you wanted. There's no way you thought of all that in the short time you told me to come in." Lena said explaining her reasoning for the question.

"hah... your sharp, but not sharp enough. Your correct yet not. You see I didn't kill Elstat, He wanted to die himself." said the guild master.

"He wanted to die?" Lena in confusion asks without realizing it herself.

"Yeah, but not any death you see. He told me his very sad sob story a while back, and told me about how he wanted to be like "him", Wanted to die for the sake for another. After a while I thought of something, and gave him an opportunity for what he himself wanted, But you see you guys got lucky. You were supposed to run away from the dragon and not defeat it, for it being a child was nowhere in our plans. But gladly that Elstat was so weak he couldn't even defeat a child! Now Isn't that funny for a guy who wanted a heroes death?" the man gave a slight laugh after.

"But wasn't that against you? you wasted the 4th strongest member in your guild." Lena said.

"wasted? didn't you hear anything I just said Lena, I exchanged him Lena, I chose the majority over him. I'm a guild master Lena. Not a friend, Not a husband, Not a child, I'm a man who makes money off others dreams and suffering. Whatever brings me more money Is what I will take." the guild master said with a serious look.

"Then what about the sword? If the dragon was an adult and I had ran away how would you have brought it back?" Lena asked.

"Ah that's simple I would've merely put up a quest for it and put a huge reward on top of it." The man said with open eye's questioning why a question like that was even asked.

"then onto my last question. As a guild master you've got to know something about this atleast. The demon lord do you know anything about him?" Lena asked relaxed.

the guild master gave a serious gaze to Lena one that is fiercer than any of the other he had shot towards her just to then smile and say.

"yeah. I do. Something that isn't known to the public at least."

"And that is?"

"You know Lena, This information is truly top secret so me just telling you it would be a bit anticlimactic, but I'm really like you you see, so sure, I will tell you it, But if this gets leaked anywhere or you tell anyone no matter how important they are to you or how insignificant of a person they are trust me Lena adventuring would be the last of your problems."

Lena nods silently.

"Well then, The reason behind the demon lords disappearance is that he was hurt badly." The guild master said as if it is the most normal thing ever.

"hurt badly? by whom? and how? what?" Lena questioned the sentence she just heard The monster who is supposed to rule over everything and anything was just hurt badly out of nowhere and disappeared right after?

"You see that's the problem. We have no idea of how or who. All we know Is that a single man walked into the middle lands and after about a day or two walked out as if it was a walk in the park, and following it the next day the demon lord disappeared. It's been 3months and we still have no idea of whom that is or where the demon lord is. He is most likely healing somewhere regaining his strength, which only spells trouble god knows what he will do once his back."

Lena's eyes widen at a thought that she kept to herself. "I see."

"so yeah that's about it, now about the sword!" the guild master quickly shifted the subject

Lena sighed as she has no more reasons to continue this conversation. She takes quite the sum of cash off the short man and leaves the dragon loot in his office. As he she leaves through the door the the short man stops her.

"Oh Lena I forgot to tell you, I received a word from the adventurer's guild from your report. Congratulation's on your promotion to gold looking forward to the cash you will be bringing me!"

Lena sighed and left.