By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter SS2

Jeff and the Kids

“Bro! I bought something!”

“Nice, sit down and eat it while it’s hot.”

The Founding Festival was underway, and the streets were busy. Fitting in perfectly with the fervor of the crowd, six boys and girls had their arms full of food they’d bought from the festival stands. The man who prompted them to sit took a seat in the break area himself and handed out the drinks that he purchased.

“Here, my treat. Don’t drink it too quick.”

“Thank you!”

The kids, all under the age of fifteen, thanked him and dug into their food.

“Delicious!”

“It’s so good!”

“How do you like eating food bought with money you earned yourself? Pretty good, yeh?” the man asked. The kids responded with their actions, wolfing down the food with vigor.

“Whew, all done. Hey, Jeff, how should I go about getting stronger and making more money?”

“Huh? More than you do now, you mean? Let’s see here, you’ve all got decent equipment, right? I can keep checking to see how your combat skills are improving, but other than that, I haven’t got much else to teach you.”

“How can that be? You’re B Rank.”

“Moron. S Rank, F Rank, it’s all basically the same. You just get there with enough training and experience. You kids don’t have enough training or experience yet, but I’ve taught what I can teach as far as the basics. Beck, what are you panicking about?”

“I-I’m not panicking, not really.”

Then Jeff picked up on the cause of Beck’s uncertainty. “It’s Ryoma, isn’t it? Sounds like he’s been helping you kids out. He’s about the same age as you too, so I guess he’s making you self-conscious.”

“Heck no he’s not.”

“I knew a guy who made me feel that way, so I get it. But Beck,” Jeff said and looked up, a serious expression on his face, “don’t compare yourself to him. I’m serious. You’d think he was an ancient elf with all the skills he’s learned. For me, I was seventeen or eighteen before I could really make a living on my own.”

“Really?!”

“Of course. Before I got good enough to beat monsters without much trouble, I had to pay for food, medicine, and equipment the same way you do. Being an adventurer’s all about gradual improvement. Just make sure you’re making enough to eat, and you’re good.”

Jeff ate as he talked about his past and his mistakes, imparting adventuring tips on the children. Ryoma watched them pleasantly from his food stand, but due to the noisy crowd, he didn’t hear how his name was brought up multiple times.