Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

"Don’t say things like ’farewell dinner’..."

Roland stepped forward and gently flicked the Elf Maiden’s smooth forehead.

"You make it sound like this is our last meal together."

"Hee hee..."

Avril rubbed the little red mark on her forehead, giggling as she leaned in so close her breath almost brushed against Roland’s cheek.

"Roland, are you... worried about me?"

Her gaze was locked firmly on Roland’s face, a teasing smile playing on her lips as she tried to catch his every subtle change in expression.

But Roland’s next reply left her slightly stunned.

"Of course."

Roland answered the Elf Maiden’s probing question with almost no hesitation.

Although Avril’s motive for getting close to him was still a mystery, the time they had spent together was enough for Roland to be sure she meant no harm.

Besides, her decisiveness back when she joined him to clear out the Demons without a second thought had already led Roland to see her as a true friend.

With that, Roland beckoned to Avril to follow him, then turned and walked straight to his room.

Seeing this, Avril gave a casual wave to Hobbit and followed with light steps.

Entering the room, Roland took an exquisitely crafted pouch from a wooden cabinet on the side and placed it on the table.

"These are some Potions I’ve prepared. They’re not incredibly potent, but they might just do the trick in a critical moment. Also..."

As he spoke, he took out the items he had prepared one by one.

"This is a suit of Leather Armor, custom-made to your size."

"I originally wanted to forge something sturdier, like Chain Armor or Plate Armor, but considering your combat style, I went with flexible leather instead. Besides that..."

The items on the wooden table gradually piled up into a small mound.

Avril watched Roland’s back as he continued to pull out more items. She gently bit her lower lip, the bright, slightly feigned sparkle in her eyes quietly fading away.

In its place was an indescribable, softer and more complex emotion, flowing silently through her fixed gaze.

However, Roland didn’t notice the complex emotions swirling in the Elf Maiden’s eyes.

He just stroked his chin, surveying the items piled on the table.

"Hm, this should be about enough... Wait!"

As if suddenly remembering something, he strode over to a corner of the cabin.

When he turned back, he was holding a brand-new Longbow.

"I’ve watched how you fight. Compared to a Short Bow, this Longbow will let you leverage your Power advantage more easily."

With that, Roland handed the Longbow to her.

Avril took the Longbow, her fingertips brushing over the smooth, warm wood of the bow’s body as she examined it carefully.

This Longbow had a satisfying weight to it, meticulously crafted from high-quality, dark Purple Heart Wood.

The grain of the wood was fine and flowing, polished to a smooth, warm finish.

The limbs were not a simple arc but a crescent-shaped curve full of powerful beauty, perfectly suited for an Elf’s method of drawing a bow.

The grip was wrapped in supple leather, fitting every inch of her palm so snugly it felt as if it had been custom-made for her.

The tips of the bow were clean-lined, inlaid with faintly shimmering silver threads.

"This craftsmanship..."

Avril gently plucked the Bowstring, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

’Roland’s forging skills are actually this good?’

Just as the Elf Maiden was marveling to herself, her gaze suddenly fell upon a spot on the inner side of the bow near the grip, and her breath caught.

There, clearly and solemnly engraved, was some conspicuous text.

Avril Star Language.

The Engraving of each letter was deep and fluid, bearing an unmistakable, personal mark.

Avril’s heart warmed, but her expression remained unchanged. She just let out a long breath, still wearing her usual playful smile.

However, the slight rasp in her voice betrayed her inner turmoil.

"Roland, all these things... did you prepare them just for me?"

"Of course."

Roland nodded lightly.

Since the Blacksmith Guild had a relatively abundant supply of resources, he had been using his own money to forge various necessary tools while honing his [Basic Forging Skill], and Avril’s Longbow was one of them.

"So..."

Seeing the open and honest look on the young man’s face, Avril unnaturally averted her gaze, tucking her brown hair behind her ear. Just as she was about to say something more, Roland’s words cut her off.

"But your Longbow was probably one of the easier things to forge."

As Roland spoke, he pulled out two more items from the corner.

A brand-new Harp, and a slender Foil that glinted coldly in the sunlight.

"Teresa’s Foil was so thin-bladed that it took me a great deal of effort to forge it successfully. As for Galvis..."

Thinking of the many demands made by the Minstrel, Roland shook his head helplessly.

"That guy was the most demanding. I think next time..."

"TWANG!"

Just as Roland was complaining, the crisp twang of a Bowstring suddenly sounded by his ear.

"Er..."

He turned to look at Avril, who had her head slightly bowed, her expression hidden from view.

Although he wasn’t sure what had happened, Roland instinctively sensed that something was wrong. His tone softened as he asked cautiously.

"Avril, is... is there something wrong with the Longbow?"

"There’s nothing wrong with the Longbow. I love it. It’s just..."

The Elf Maiden raised her head again, the bright sparkle returning to her eyes.

"I feel especially hungry today, so I want to eat a lot of things, like..."

Avril reeled off a long list of dishes, only stopping after a moment to say with a smile.

"For my farewell dinner before I set out, I think you’ll grant my request, won’t you... Roland?"

"This..."

Roland recalled the lengthy list of dishes and frowned in confusion.

"Avril, when did your appetite get as big as Teresa’s..."

However, before he could finish, another crisp twang of the Bowstring rang out.

Seeing this, Roland instinctively swallowed the rest of his sentence and nodded lightly.

"No problem. But to make this much food, I might need... a little more time than usual."

"That’s fine."

Avril patted Roland’s shoulder lightly and tilted her head playfully.

"I’m not leaving until tomorrow morning. I don’t have any plans tonight, so I can wait."

The moment she finished speaking, the Elf Maiden’s light pat suddenly grew heavier, turning into a solid punch.

"THUD!"

After the dull thud, the Elf Maiden ignored Roland’s pained frown and turned to leave the room.

’That girl... wasn’t she just fine a moment ago?’

Roland gently rubbed his aching chest and shook his head helplessly.

’Is the pressure of hunting the Wolf King really that great?’

After a quick tidy-up, Roland turned and headed for the kitchen.

Although Avril had ordered a wide variety of dishes, thanks to his superb Culinary Skill, every single one was eventually served perfectly on the table.

The sky gradually darkened.

Galvis, back from a banquet, and Teresa, returning from training, also came home.

For a time, the courtyard was filled with cheerful conversation and laughter.

After dinner, Roland quickly cleaned up, then lay down on his soft bed and drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, after seeing Avril off, Roland set out for the port.