After Dan Heng took the keys, March stretched lazily, then turned to look at Stelle and Nero and asked, "So what do we do? Call it a day and rest, or keep wandering around a bit?"
Stelle shook her head and said, "I'm tired. Let's go back to the room and rest."
March narrowed her eyes. "Weren't you full of energy just now? You got tired that fast?"
Stelle turned to look at Nero, who was standing there like he was spacing out. "Let's rest early. Look how tired you've made the kid."
Nero blinked and said, "I'm actually fine, but… sure, let's rest."
Nero really wasn't that tired. Just now, he had only taken a look at what the system was saying, as usual reporting the rewards.
[Ding! The host's attention has exceeded 140,000. Reward skill, Wind Sword Formation. Reward: 400 Stellar Jades.]
[Ding! The host's attention growth rate has begun to increase. Reward, 300 Stellar Jades. Reward: Strength Enhancement.]
[Ding! The host's strength has increased again.]
[Ding! Before the next settlement, once the host's attention exceeds 150,000, flying sword acquisition will be triggered together with a special event.]
[Ding! The special event triggered by the host is about to begin. Please pay attention to your surroundings in the near future.]
The system roughly delivered about five messages like this. Aside from the routine rewards and strength boosts, there were also reminders about the upcoming special event and flying sword.
All of this put Nero in a pretty good mood.
However, as his strength kept increasing, Nero did notice some issues.
Maybe it was thanks to the system, but when his power increased, he didn't feel a very abrupt sense of discomfort.
There wasn't that feeling of breaking through a limit after a container had already been filled to the brim. Instead, he had already adapted very well by the time he gained the strength.
To give an example, it was like other people filling their small bottle to the top when they gained power. If the bottle's capacity wasn't enough, it might burst, like that bug that was bloated to death by Aha's power.
But Nero's feeling was more like he had been given a huge container from the start and was just slowly pouring water into it.
Even though Nero himself was the type to slosh around when a bottle wasn't even half full, other people's bottles might be 500 milliliters, while his bottle might be five liters.
This situation made Nero genuinely sigh in his heart, the system is really convenient.
"Let's rest." March spread her hands. The expression on her face was a bit subtle. "Hopefully nothing weird happens again this time.
"That Oleg guy at least looks pretty sincere, what do you think?"
Stelle lowered her gaze slightly and said, "No comment."
March puffed out her cheeks and said to Dan Heng and Nero, "See? She can always say completely irresponsible lines in such a carefree way."
"That's actually a lot like you," Dan Heng said bluntly, then added, "But if you ask me, all I can say is you can never be too careful."
"I agree with Teacher Dan Heng. After all, didn't Cocolia also seem pretty enthusiastic at first? But that old leader does look more down-to-earth," Nero said.
March nodded as well. "Then let's listen to Dan Heng and stay on guard! After all, getting stabbed at the inn last time feels like it was just yesterday."
"Even if you count the day I spent sleeping, it actually hasn't been that long," Stelle spread her hands.
"Let's assign someone to keep watch tonight," Dan Heng said.
March froze for a moment. "K-keep watch? That's so old-school?! Isn't that something only adventure parties in fantasy novels do?"
"What we're doing now, and our situation, really isn't much different from an adventure party," Nero said.
"R-right…" March blinked, then immediately raised a hand to cover her head and yawned. "Ahh, suddenly I feel sleepy…"
Stelle looked at March, then at Nero. Finally, she looked at Dan Heng.
"Looks like the night watch can only be chosen from the two of us. So… lead by example, Dan Heng."
Dan Heng glanced at Stelle, didn't argue, and said calmly, "I don't need much sleep. I'll do it."
Just as Dan Heng finished speaking, they heard Bronya's voice from behind.
"I'll keep watch."
Everyone turned around and looked at the Silvermane Guards commander, who seemed to have calmed down and was walking toward them.
March spoke up and asked, "Bronya, you're done talking with that Oleg guy? He didn't deliberately make things difficult for you, did he?"
March was a kind and innocent kid, and when it came to being reliable, she was actually not as good as Nero, who looked the youngest.
Bronya shook her head. At this moment, her attitude when facing the Trailblazing Squad was no longer as forceful as it had been in the Backwater Pass.
"It's nothing. We didn't see eye to eye, and there are some things we couldn't reach a consensus on."
After saying that, Bronya's gaze fell on Nero's face.
This young man had snapped back at her more than once, and every time, he had left her red-faced and speechless.
But outsiders from beyond the stars and locals from the lower district were different in identity, and they also looked at things from different perspectives.
When others confronted Oleg, the standpoint and way of thinking they used would naturally be different as well.
On some of the matters where she couldn't reach an agreement with Oleg, if it were someone like this outsider speaking instead, Bronya thought that she might actually reflect carefully on the issue.
Then, Bronya sighed again and said in a slightly downcast tone, "Learning so much all at once… I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight. If you trust me, leave the sentry duty to me."
March blinked and spoke with a bit of concern. "It's not that we don't trust you, but if we let you keep watch, I'm not really at ease… You're a Silvermane officer who came down underground. The chance of something happening to you is higher than for us, right?"
Bronya only shook her head and said, "If they have similar thoughts, I can't really blame them… The Silvermane Guards do owe the people of the lower district."
"If back then someone could have stood up and clearly told Lady Cocolia about the consequences of doing that… forget it, hindsight is meaningless."
Then Bronya raised her head, her gaze becoming a bit firmer, and said, "There's no need to worry about my safety. Oleg from Wildfire promised he wouldn't harm me. I believe someone like him will keep his word. Go rest."
Nero raised a hand and rubbed his chin, then said to Bronya, "See? Once you calm down, you can think things through properly! If you'd been like this earlier, would you really have needed to chase us all over the Backwater Pass?"
Bronya lowered her head to look at Nero, revealed a relieved smile, and said sincerely, "Sorry."
"No need to apologize," Nero said. "What I want to say is that we actually don't need to assign anyone to keep watch at all.
"Right now, the Fragmentum product plan hasn't really been put into practice yet. If I just put a hand warmer made by my Flaming Brilliance Creation out in the corridor, most people wouldn't dare come near, right?"
"Also, the backpack I left with Sister Natasha has tripwire mines I got from Pom-Pom inside. We can install them in the corridor."
"Even if someone isn't afraid of the hand warmer made by my Flaming Brilliance Creation, they can't possibly completely ignore it."
"When someone with ill intentions is attracted by the hand warmer, the tripwire mine can make them eat until they're full!"
Nero finished speaking with full confidence, but didn't hear any response.
Only then did he realize that his companions around him were all looking at him with a strange expression.
Nero blinked twice and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Why isn't anyone saying anything? Is my method not good?"
Dan Heng sighed and didn't say anything.
March, "Sometimes…"
Stelle, "We really don't know…"
Bronya, "Should we say you're cute, or terrifying…"