"Then, let’s raise our glasses to celebrate Roya’s party’s promotion to D-rank!"

"Cheers!"

Clink.

The sound of numerous wooden cups clashing together echoed throughout the tavern.

Today, we were celebrating the promotion of Roya’s fledgling adventurer party from E-rank to D-rank. As usual, we gathered at the dining area of the inn where I had stayed when I first arrived in this world to hold the celebration.

This inn is run by a macho old man who makes incredible food, and even now, I occasionally come here with Lilia or Lange for a meal.

"Ah, nothing beats a drink after work! And Roya’s group is finally D-rank adventurers now. That means you’ve graduated from being rookies, right?"

"Yeah, more or less. But the staff at the Adventurer’s Guild said that the most dangerous time is right after promotion from E-rank to D-rank, so we’ll need to stay vigilant."

"Roya’s right. They say that it’s during this period, right after leaving the rookie stage, that people tend to get overconfident and accidents happen."

That makes sense. As Roya and Fal said, people tend to make their biggest mistakes once they start feeling comfortable with their work. It was the same in the world I came from. And here, a single big mistake could cost you your life.

"Roya’s grown a bit, and Fal and I are well aware of the risks, so we’ll be fine. It’s true, though, having one clumsy person in the party makes the rest of us more cautious."

"Hey, Nicole. Who are you calling clumsy?!"

"You all still seem like a close-knit party, which is great. Well, with calm and composed people like Fal and Nicole in the group, you should be fine."

"Hey, Tetsuya, don’t you start saying that too!"

"Honestly, you’ve improved a lot. Back when you first started, you’d just charge straight at monsters without thinking."

"Even Fal…"

That was pretty much how Roya was when I first met him. Well, with Fal and Nicole around, they should be fine.

"It’s a shame Fia couldn’t join us today… But I’m glad I got to see Albera again after so long!"

"..."

…I take that back. With Fal around, they’ll probably manage… I think.

By the way, Albera is a cute blonde girl with twin tails who works at this inn. I’ve always been curious how such an adorable girl ended up being the daughter of this inn’s macho proprietor.

Nicole, as usual, seems to love all things cute.

"Anyway, tonight’s on me, so eat and drink as much as you like."

"Thanks, Tetsuya!"

"Appreciate it. I’ll enjoy this meal!"

"Thank you, Tetsuya!"

Business has been going well lately, so I’ve been making a decent profit. Besides, the food here isn’t too expensive, and no one here is much of a drinker, so it won’t cost me much.

"The food here is as delicious as ever. Considering the price, this place is amazing."

"Indeed. The seasoning has changed a bit too. This stew tastes even better now."

"Lange, Lilia, thank you for joining us today!"

Fia couldn’t make it, but Lange had just returned from finishing a request, so I invited him to join, and he agreed.

"I enjoy celebratory occasions like this, so I’m happy to be here. Congratulations once again."

"Yeah. It’s really moving to see Roya’s party, who were just rookies when we met, reach D-rank."

"Th-thank you! Lange and Lilia, I’m so grateful for all the advice you’ve given us!"

"Don’t mention it. When I was a fledgling adventurer myself, I also received plenty of help from my seniors. If you’re thankful to us, make sure to pass that kindness on to the rookies you meet."

"Yes, of course!"

Lilia is a former B-rank adventurer, and Lange is currently B-rank. Customers at the outdoor shop often come to them for advice as well.

And whenever they give advice, those customers usually end up buying at least one item from the shop. It’s not something we enforce, but it’s become an unspoken rule.

"…By the way, Lange, let me just say this. These three are my dear friends. Don’t go casually hitting on Nicole, okay?"

I felt the need to warn him. Roya’s group are the people who saved my life. Of course, if Lange were serious about Nicole, it’d be a different story, but I wouldn’t want him approaching her on a whim.

"Tetsuya, you worry too much. Don’t worry, I know they’re your life savers. I wouldn’t make a move on Nicole just for fun."

Looks like my concern was unnecessary. Nicole is quite pretty for a beastfolk girl, so I was a bit worried.

"…Besides, I already asked her out for a meal when we first met, but she turned me down."

"..."

So he already tried!

"I also got rejected outright by Berna and Ferry… It’s starting to hurt my confidence."

Well, Nicole is a bit unusual, and Berna and Ferry probably get a lot of invitations from men.

In any case, I’m glad Lange isn’t about to disrupt Roya’s party.