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Sun: "Are you feeling better now?"

D: "Yes, young master... I mean, Sun."

Sun: "Do you think you can go back to adventuring? Or would you rather rest more? The choice is yours."

D stands up.

D: "I'd love to be by your side."

I smile warmly at him.

Sun: "Welcome back, D."

We go to the guild association building again.

Sun: "D, the last mission gave us a lot of experience and money. Let's split it as a guild, okay?"

D: "Are you sure? I was absent."

Sun: "It doesn't matter. We're all family now. Oh, I forgot to introduce him to you. This is Miguel, our newest member."

Miguel: "Oh, hi! I've been dying to ask: are you a dragon? Like a real one?"

D: "Yes, purebred dragon. Although my size does not match most of my kind."

Miguel: "You've adapted very well to humans."

D: "I was rescued by Sun's family when I was a child. I have always lived a human life."

Sun: "That's right. He looks like a human in a costume, but he's our trusted pal."

Slinger: "Why did we come here again?"

Sun: "I wanted to upgrade D's Stocker as well. D, can you give it to Shiina?"

D: "Shiina?"

Shiina: "It's me."

She smiles warmly. D hands her his leather Stocker. She returns it, now coated in silver.

D: "Thank you, Shiina."

Shiina: "You're welcome! Your guild rank is now C."

D: "C? Sun, did you finish a C-rank mission?"

Sun: "Well, it was exciting. A little dangerous, but epic too. It was worth it."

D: "I'm sorry to disagree with you, my master, but you could have called me to help. I was healthy enough to fight."

Sun: "Don't fret about it. Having too many members at once can complicate things, you know? I'm not saying you're weak enough to be taken hostage, but it's easier to know what's going on."

D: "I understand, my master, but what if you were mortally wounded?"

Sun: "Well... I have my ways. You're about to embark on a mission with us now, right? Forget the details of the past, look to the present and the future!"

D: "As you wish, Sun. If I ever drag you down on a mission, forget me and run away."

Nebula: "We can't do that, D. We're five members now, but no matter what happens, no one gets left behind."

D: "Nebula..."

Sun: "That's our choice, not yours. We will never abandon you, understood?"

D: "Yes, my masters."

Slinger: "Why are we wasting time here? People are staring at us."

Sun: "Sorry, lost track of time. Shall we go to the village? We have a lot of items to test."

We go to the village.

Sun: "I forgot to ask, D. Are there any items you'd like to buy? The villagers mostly have magic and summoning weapons."

D: "I am fine with my body, Sun. Dragons scale better when they don't have to adapt to weapons."

Sun: "Oh yeah, I forgot about that too. We can still find some permanent buffs that don't require space."

Nebula: "Oh, yes! Like this orb Sun bought for me."

She takes the crystal orb from her Stocker and hands it to D.

Nebula: "Touch it and your magical compatibility will gradually increase."

He touches it with no hesitation.

D: "It really works, even though I'm not a magic user."

Sun: "I'm sure we can find more of these, for different classes and uses."

Slinger: "Where were you planning to visit?"

Sun: "To the forge we go!"

We head to Barik's place.

Sun: "Barik, this is my trusty dragon friend, D. D, this is our trusty blacksmith, Barik."

D bows in respect. Barik waves.

Barik: "It's an honor to already have your trust, Sun."

Sun: "Eh? I thought I never introduced myself to you."

Barik: "Names fly in the air. It's not that hard to find the name of a famous hero."

Sun: "Famous? Being famous here is not good news..."

Barik: "What do you mean? We give you discounts."

Sun: "I don't mean 'here', as in this village. The guild association is very competitive. They might send someone after our heads."

Barik: "Really? I don't leave my place often, so I don't know much about the outside world."

Sun: "I can relate..."

Barik: "Karen was the one who figured it out. She never mentioned asking other adventurers, so I think you're fine."

Sun: "Thanks for reassuring me, Barik. I've been pretty paranoid lately, and for good reason."

Barik: "You're welcome. Have you found any items I can use as materials?"

Sun: "Oh, yes! Here are some true ice fragments. They never melt."

I take them out of my Stocker and hand them to him.

Barik: "Impressive... I never thought I'd create something with ice. It's not usually the best material, but these are a different kind."

Slinger: "If they can't melt, how come did you melt us?"

Sun: "The ice itself is true. Our bodies froze like normal ice."

Miguel: "A queen who freezes everything eternally would be a bit too powerful, no match for a C-rank."

Slinger: "Then that queen was really weak. I could've ended her on the spot."

Nebula: "I don't think so. I tried to hit her several times, but her reaction speed was insane."

D: "An ice queen?"

Sun: "Don't worry, D. It was our choice to let you rest."

Barik: "You guys fought a strong foe, that's for sure. I'm afraid she wasn't the only ice queen."

Sun: "Maybe one day we'll find one who can turn everything into true ice, Miguel."

Miguel: "Don't even mention it. It gives me the chills to think about fighting such a powerful enemy."

Sun: "So, what kind of weapons can you make with that ice?"

Barik: "Most types. What are you looking for?"

Sun: "Well, I already have a sword and a pistol that Slinger didn't want... Nebula, Miguel, do you have any ideas?"

Nebula: "I wish I had that ice staff the queen used, but it exploded into ice."

Miguel: "I'm good enough with the rabbit and the crow. I don't need a staff to summon them."

Barik: "Wait a minute, Sun. You said you have a sword? I can sharpen it and increase its penetration."

Sun: "Like permanently? That would be amazing!"

Barik: "And Nebula, I can craft an ice staff just fine. But to apply magic to it, I need William's help. And you'll have to describe how you want it to look."

Nebula: "Really?! You're so reliable!"

Barik: "Since this is going to be a bit more difficult, I'll have to ask for a higher payment. If you can't afford it, don't worry."

Sun: "We can afford basically anything. Don't show mercy to our Stockers, Barik."