Hatoru, some tavern.

  "Cheers~! Drink up!"

  "Haha~, today’s really been a great day!"

  "Hahaha, tell me about it! Next, we’ll be representing the White Cat Clan in the tournament—this is our chance to make a name for ourselves!"

  As soon as Odo said this, Rajas and James looked at him with strange expressions.

  James picked up his wine glass, carefully covering most of his face as if drinking, while his eyes scanned the surroundings.

  Seeing no one was paying attention to them, he whispered:

  "Odo, have you had too much to drink? Did you forget our real purpose?"

  "Uh, that......"

  Reminded by this, Odo sobered up instantly.

  He also whispered:

  "I remember...... of course I remember! It just slipped out."

  "Even slipping out isn’t allowed! Don’t forget we’re getting paid a fortune. What if you get carried away and mess things up later?! "

  "N-No way, don’t worry!"

  "Hmph, you better not——!"

  Rajas snorted, his tone full of warning.

  "......"

  "Alright, come on, let’s keep drinking~!"

  James held up his glass and urged loudly. The three resumed drinking.

  At that moment, a figure suddenly approached their table and sat down without asking for permission.

  "Good morning, gentlemen! Drinking so early in the morning—did something happy happen? Care to share?"

  In an instant, a murderous aura enveloped the entire table.

  James, Rajas, and Odo froze, holding their glasses and staring at the person with cold killing intent in their eyes.

  "Who are you——?"

  "Aw, don’t be so tense? I’m just a curious passerby!"

  As the mysterious person claiming to be a passerby spoke, they quietly rolled up their sleeve, revealing something hidden underneath.

  "How about this—I’ll cover your tab today~?"

  When the three saw what was in the mysterious person’s sleeve, they immediately understood their identity, and the murderous aura dissipated.

  "......Hahaha, I see! We love generous friends~!"

  "No need to be polite, friend—join us~!"

  James handed over an empty glass and poured wine for them.

  "Hehe, then I’ll be rude~!"

  The mysterious person replied politely.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  But as soon as they finished speaking, they picked up the glass and whispered:

  "I’m here to confirm—are you sure you can get the White Cat Clan’s tournament spots?"

  "Don’t worry!" James replied with a neutral expression. "There’s no one stronger in the entire royal castle who meets the requirements now. Even if there was, we’ve already pushed them out with tricks."

  "Excellent~!"

  The mysterious person looked at James with satisfaction.

  "You’re very capable. Would you consider working for our tribe in the future?"

  "Hehe~, interesting offer."

  James smiled, took a sip of wine,

  then set down the glass and looked at the mysterious person.

  "That depends on how much you’re willing to pay~."

  "Hehe, straightforward!"

  The mysterious person didn’t pursue the topic further, but changed the subject abruptly.

  "Since things are going smoothly, I won’t disturb you three. Enjoy your drinks. Your remaining reward will be paid once the White Cat Clan loses their Upper Seat."

  With that, the mysterious person stood up and left immediately—

  as if they really were just passing by to make a friend.

  "......"

  After the person left, James, Rajas, and Odo exchanged glances.

  They tacitly didn’t talk about the matter.

  "Come on, keep drinking!"

  "Yeah, drink......"

  ......

  Another day passed quickly.

  Early in the morning, Hulim went to Miko’s residence to find her.

  As soon as she entered the royal residence, she heard the sound of training coming from the courtyard.

  She lightened her footsteps and walked in.

  There, Miko was practicing desperately in the courtyard.

  Her face held a determined expression. Even though sweat had soaked her hair, she didn’t stop......

  "......"

  That’s the reason, isn’t it......

  Why Miko had applied for the study tour early to come back, and why she’d said before she wanted to improve her combat skills against others—all for this. She wanted to represent the White Cat Clan in the tournament.

  She was very talented, and she’d witnessed the White Cat Clan’s predicament. So she wanted to do something with her own strength.

  Her feelings were understandable, but......

  It wasn’t until much later, when the practice target was completely chopped to pieces, that she collapsed to the ground as if exhausted.

  She lay on her back, gasping for breath.

  "Tired?"

  A shadow suddenly blocked the sunlight from Miko’s face.

  "Huh? Hulim, why are you here?"

  "I came to see you. So...... why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

  "......"

  Miko fell silent.

  Instead of answering Hulim’s question, she looked dejected.

  "Hey...... Hulim, am I really weak......"

  "Well, you are a bit weak."

  Hulim nodded.

  "Really...... Huh——？？！"

  Miko was stunned.

  That wasn’t the answer she’d expected at all?!

  "Th-That...... what did you just say?"

  "Hmm?"

  Hulim tilted her head.

  "Aren’t you usually sharp-eared?"

  "......"

  "I said, you’re weak."

  "Ugh——!"

  Miko felt like a knife to the heart.

  "You’re not just weak—you also lack self-awareness."

  "Ugh——!!"

  Her heart felt another sharp blow.

  "Not being able to assess your opponents is also quite fatal."

  "Ugh——!!!"

  "And......"

  "No! No more! I’ll really die if you keep going!"

  Miko hastily stopped her.

  "......"

  Hulim stared at Miko silently.

  Then she said slowly:

  "Do you still feel like giving up now?"

  "I......"

  "It seems you do."

  "N-No! I don’t! Really not!"

  Miko jumped up suddenly, grabbed Hulim’s shoulders, and shouted loudly.

  "Is that so? Good......"

  Miko let go of Hulim’s shoulders. After Hulim’s straightforward words, her emotions gradually calmed down.

  So Hulim continued:

  "Miko, you don’t need to waste time on meaningless people."

  "Waste...... time?"

  "Yes. Like I said—you’re weak——!"

  "Ugh!"

  Miko, who had just cheered up, felt like a rock had hit her on the head.

  "But...... it depends on who you’re comparing yourself to."

  "Huh?"

  "Miko...... compared to the Demon King, aren’t you weak?"

  "W-Well, of course I am!"

  "Right. Compared to the Demon King, everyone in this world is weak. Even Heroes need to cooperate to defeat him. But even aside from the Demon King, there are many powerful beings under him—S-rank, A-rank, even B-rank...... Any one of them is someone you can’t defeat right now."

  "But are you really weak? You have to know that your strength has already surpassed most people in this world. If you’re weak, then what about those who are weaker than you?"

  "So don’t be limited by temporary strength, and don’t resent temporary inadequacy. I know the efforts you’ve put in. Failure makes you frustrated, but......"

  "Miko...... you will grow stronger."

  "I...... will grow stronger?"

  Miko stared at Hulim, murmuring the words.

  "I will grow stronger......"

  "......But what about those three now——"

  "Don’t worry."

  Hulim interrupted Miko calmly.

  "The three of them won’t be representing the White Cat Clan in the tournament."

  ......

  Ps：Thanks for Skylar’s support! Adding an extra chapter for Skylar today!!