Apparently, I was the only one who noticed Ivy had raised her hand, so I quickly lowered it for her and focused on listening.

"Mii..."

Ivy gave a distant look, her voice low, as if remembering a fierce battle.

… I see. If she’s fought a griffon before, no wonder she stopped me from turning down the guild master’s request.

But Ivy... did you actually win against the griffon?

It’s supposed to be a high-ranked, insanely powerful monster, right?

"Mii-mi mii!"

Back then, I was small and could only drive it off, she says. But now, I could take it down without any trouble… Really?

That’s promising.

Could it be that the times I’d found her tired and asleep, even though we hadn’t done much, she’d been fighting monsters on her own?

Thinking about it, maybe showing her strength instead of hiding it would be beneficial in the long run. If she’s strong enough to handle a top-ranked monster, there’s no need to keep it under wraps. Displaying her strength could actually work in our favor.

If Ivy can handle high-tier monsters, it means she has the strength of a top-ranked party. With healing magic, which can be a rare asset, the guild and even the lord would think twice about letting go of someone as powerful as her.

The question now is how to showcase that strength.

"Now, about positioning the vanguard with Mark and Twin..."

"Excuse me!"

Shannon had been discussing strategy, dividing the front and back lines for an effective fight against the griffon. Though it felt rude to interrupt, I raised my voice.

"...I’d appreciate it if you let me finish, but go on."

"Ivy can act as bait to draw the griffon."

"Bait?"

"Yes. She can create barriers that can withstand the griffon’s attacks. She’s faced one before, so she’s confident it will work."

"Hmm… Can I test that?"

"Mii."

Ivy’s affirmative chirp seemed to convey permission to Shannon.

"Grid Gear, double speed!"

With a grinding metallic sound, Shannon clenched her teeth.

—In an instant, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room.

I barely processed the clang of something colliding when Ivy, perched on my shoulder, had already activated her magic.

Around me, a half-dome barrier had materialized. In front of me stood Shannon, her sword drawn.

It dawned on me, in hindsight, that Shannon had attacked and Ivy had protected me with a barrier—all within seconds.

"Whoa, she blocked Shannon's double! Impressive."

"Did you see, Anoa? She layered a shock-absorbing barrier and even adjusted it to shield us from the impact!"

"...Incredible. The guild master mentioned her strength, but seeing it is something else."

I’ve heard that masters can gauge each other’s power from a single exchange of blows.

Through posture, movement, the flow of magic—all of it allows them to read each other like an open book.

It was strange yet humbling to be surrounded by warriors who could assess Ivy’s ability from a brief encounter.

The vanguard and rear guard all stared at Ivy and Shannon, immersed in conversation.

…Though a bit intense, I think we demonstrated Ivy’s barrier skill effectively.

"If it can block that attack, I trust it can withstand a griffon’s strike. Ivy, what’s the duration, strength, and range?"

"Mii."

"Range is unlimited. At the same strength, she could maintain it for days."

"Impossible! She’s lying! Even group incantation magic at the church can’t manage that!"

"Mii!"

With a commanding cry, Ivy projected multiple barriers, as if to silence the doubter.

"What?!"

"This is…"

Barriers appeared everywhere—above, on the floor, between people—glowing softly.

Each one was as strong as the one that had just blocked Shannon’s attack.

It was as though Ivy was declaring that creating so many barriers was effortless for her.

Is she doing this because she didn’t like being called a liar?

… You silly thing. There’s no need to let that bother you.

"Grid Gear, quintuple speed!"

Crackling!

All the barriers around us shattered, as if Ivy’s protection had been an illusion.

Just a blur remained where Shannon had been standing, and before I knew it, the barriers had crumbled.

… So this is a first-ranked adventurer’s full power.

After breaking through the last barrier, Shannon returned to her original spot.

All of it happened in a matter of seconds—an astonishing display of skill.

Ivy and Shannon exchanged glances.

"Ha!"

"Mii!"

It felt like they were acknowledging each other, a moment of understanding and respect.

Showing each other their strength seems to have broken down a barrier between them.

Shannon clapped her hands to refocus the group, then gathered up the scattered strategy notes and adventurer profiles.

"Forget the previous strategy. Ivy and I will handle this. It’d be absurd for anyone to get hurt on such a simple task, so let’s wrap this up."

She dismissed their earlier plan with confidence.

And not a single adventurer complained, including the priestess who had challenged me.

Everyone must have realized, from that exchange, that these two are capable.

I don’t understand everything, but I’m sure that’s what’s happening.

I’m definitely out of place here.

In any case, Ivy seems more determined than usual.

This time, I’ll stick to translating for her. It’s the best way to get results. After all, she’s more dependable than I am.

I’ll make sure there’s no miscommunication between Ivy and everyone else.