Journey to Find Heroic Spirits

"Really?" Gretel was tempted by Yuxian's words, but she felt he was trying to trick her, yet couldn't pinpoint anything wrong.

Seeing her waver, Yuxian immediately made up his mind. "It's settled then! I'll discuss this with Kobayashi. She's more familiar with things, so she can help find a school that's closer."

With that, Yuxian left. He had been sweating, knowing Gretel was smart and not easy to deal with. If he hadn't found her weakness, Yuxian wouldn't have been confident in persuading her.

After discussing with Kobayashi, they finally decided on Longtomb Elementary School, the closest to home, as the school for the children.

Illya was told to go directly into sixth grade, while everyone else, including Kanna, was placed in third grade.

With Little Jeanne watching over them, Yuxian felt at ease. The children were all sensible, and it would be good for them to experience the school atmosphere. Keeping them home all the time would make them lose touch with ordinary life, which would be detrimental to their growth. This was why Yuxian insisted on them going to school.

Although Heroic Spirits don't grow, Yuxian felt this was incorrect. He had noticed significant changes in Jack, for one.

If she hadn't grown at all, she wouldn't be able to adapt to ordinary life now. She'd still be the murderous loli who pulled out daggers at the slightest provocation, and Yuxian might have already been disemboweled by her.

However, the current reality was that Jack had become very obedient. While many of her views still differed from the norm, Yuxian saw her behavior. Her playing games with Fafnir at Kobayashi's last gathering was the best proof.

Yuxian never treated them as Heroic Spirits. When not fighting, they were just ordinary children. It didn't matter if their bodies didn't grow; Yuxian didn't mind them being eternally lolis at all.

But in other aspects, Yuxian truly hoped they could become like ordinary children, learn more things, and do what they loved.

With the school matter settled, Yuxian waved his hand and took everyone to buy school supplies.

Since they couldn't resist, the little ones had to comply with the arrangement to go to school.

They went with Yuxian to pick out things they needed for school. Being able to buy things they liked was also a good thing.

ps:

Thanks to Countdown Three Two One for the blades!

Section 67, Chapter 7: Salty Master Rescue Squad

It was time for some enjoyable shopping again.

Since he was at the mall with Kobayashi and Kanna, Yuxian didn't let the little ones run around this time. They obediently followed behind him.

However, they didn't miss buying anything they needed. Yuxian spent money lavishly, causing Kobayashi to clutch her wallet tightly.

But she didn't skimp on Kanna. As a programmer, her salary was quite good, and this amount of spending was no problem for her.

After buying all the necessary items for school, the group took the opportunity to find a small restaurant outside for a celebratory meal for the children starting school.

Yuxian understood the principle of "a carrot after a stick." Letting them have a happy evening tonight would make them less resistant when he sent them to school tomorrow.

As expected, with delicious food before them, the little ones were quickly engrossed in what they were eating.

Everyone had a pleasant gathering. Kobayashi, as usual, got drunk and was so unsteady she could barely stand. It was only with Tohru's support that she managed to get home.

After the four children went to school, Yuxian became even more idle. He bought a game console and sat on the living room sofa playing games with Mash. His days were spent in utter decadence.

Finally, one day, Mash couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stand by and watch Yuxian continue in his state of sloth.

She resolved to change Yuxian's ways. Throwing down her controller, she said, "Senpai, if you continue like this, you'll become the second Osakabehime!"

Yuxian replied while playing his game, "It's just a few days of leisure, Mash. Don't be so strict!"

"A few days?!" Mash's voice suddenly rose, and she said angrily, "It's been half a month!"

Yuxian casually brushed her off, "It's only been half a month. Next month, I'll definitely find something to do next month..."

"No!" Mash saw through Yuxian's insincere promise at a glance. This delaying tactic wouldn't work on her, but she didn't have a better solution and didn't want to force Yuxian too much.

Mash thought seriously for a moment and decided to gather everyone to brainstorm a way to get Yuxian moving.

Without Yuxian's knowledge, the "Salty Master Rescue Squad" was officially formed, with Mash as the leader, Siegfried and Little Jeanne as deputy leaders, and Illya, Gretel, and Jack as members.

The group's first meeting was held in Siegfried's small room. The purpose was to help the Master get back on his feet and stop being so lazy.

Gretel spoke first, "Master is too cunning. He sent us to school and is hiding at home playing games. That's absolutely unacceptable!"

"I agree!" Illya seconded.

"I think we should create a training plan for Master, just like last time," Little Jeanne's suggestion was more constructive, proposing a specific plan.

"That won't work. Teacher Chiron was here last time. None of us here can teach him anything, and Mr. Siegfried isn't good at teaching others," Mash shook her head, rejecting Little Jeanne's plan.

Without anyone to teach them, they wouldn't simply torment Yuxian. At their core, they all wanted Yuxian to become better.

"I'm sorry..." Siegfried apologized habitually. Compared to Chiron, he was indeed not a good teacher. If he had to fight a dragon, he might not lose to Chiron, but when it came to teaching disciples, he was miles behind.

"Jack, do you have any ideas?" Mash asked Jack, who was standing by idly as if it had nothing to do with her, as a formality.

Jack was, after all, a member of the group. Although she didn't expect any useful suggestions from her, her close relationship with Yuxian might provide some crucial information to inspire everyone.

Jack tilted her head, her expression one of confusion. "Master is fine. Why does she need saving?"

"No!" Everyone unanimously rejected the idea, stating that Yuxian must change his current lazy state and absolutely could not continue like this.

"Hmm..." Seeing that everyone disagreed with her, Jack began to think.

She tapped her chin with her finger, her big eyes blinking, and slowly mentioned something.

"Ah!" x5

Mash smacked her forehead in frustration. "How could I forget this? Thanks to Jack for reminding me," she chided herself.

"Then let's start making a plan!" Little Jeanne's face was eager, clearly excited.

The members of the group then began to discuss the specific operational plan. They carefully assigned their respective tasks, striving to make every step seamless.

Once the plan was finalized, Mash said seriously, "Everyone must keep this a secret. No one is allowed to leak the plan midway!"

"But is it really okay to deceive Mom?" Jack said hesitantly, always listening to Yuxian and feeling that this was wrong.

Gretel immediately retorted, "Master always tricks little kids. What's the harm in us tricking him a little? Besides, we're doing this for his own good, he definitely won't blame us."

Gretel's reaction was intense. She grabbed Jack's arm and said sternly, "Jack, you absolutely cannot tell Master. Otherwise, I won't be friends with you anymore!"

Seeing that Gretel wasn't joking, Jack thought about it and felt that this wouldn't have any negative consequences for Yuxian, so she nodded in agreement with everyone's plan.

Little Jeanne chimed in, "Although using such methods isn't ideal, as long as the outcome is good, everything will be fine."

She was a righteous and rigid Santa Claus, but at the same time, she had the occasional impulsive personality of a child and easily accepted such a plan.

"Since everyone agrees, then it's settled," Mash concluded. "Mr. Siegfried, your task is the most important. You must act realistically and absolutely cannot reveal any clues."

"I'm sorry, I'll try my best..."

"Not 'try,' you must do it!" Mash said firmly.

"Sorry, I will definitely do my best..."

Mash understood that this was Siegfried's habit and didn't dwell on it further. She believed that as a legendary hero, this small matter wouldn't be difficult for him.

"Then should we change the name of our group?" someone suggested.

"No way! 'Salty Master Yuxian,' how fitting!" Mash waved her hand dismissively. She had long been fed up with Yuxian's decadent state these past few days.

The first meeting of the Salty Master Rescue Squad concluded successfully.

Everyone went home, ate, and slept as usual, as if nothing had happened.

Yuxian remained completely oblivious to the changes around him. It had to be said that once people become lazy, they become increasingly dull.

Section 68 Chapter 8 It's Li! Delivery Hero!

"Brother Fei, is something wrong?"

Yuxian looked at Siegfried, who stood before him, with confusion. Seeing his troubled expression made Yuxian quite puzzled, wondering what kind of difficulty could stump a legendary hero.

"I'm sorry..." Siegfried looked very troubled and said softly, "A colleague got sick and took leave, and the express packages have piled up. I can't deliver them all at once, and I can't keep the customers waiting, so I hope Master can help. I'm truly sorry..."

"Huh?" Yuxian was dumbfounded. This was asking him to deliver packages too.

Although he was reluctant, Siegfried's sincere request made it impossible for him to refuse. Besides, it was only for a day or two, so it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

He nodded. "Alright, I'll help you. You're really having a tough time."

"Thank you! I'm really sorry to trouble Master to help me..."

Yuxian briefed Mash. Since it was the weekend, the children would be resting at home, and Mash needed to take care of them, so she couldn't go help.

"Don't worry, Senpai. I'll take good care of Jack and the others at home. You can focus on helping Mr. Siegfried!" Mash quickly patted her chest to assure him.

Following Siegfried to the courier company's warehouse, Yuxian felt a bit intimidated by the mountain of packages piled up.

How many deliveries would this even be!

"Master, we need to pick out all the packages going in the same direction so we can deliver them all in one trip," Siegfried began to work with practiced ease, his movements so skilled they were almost heartbreaking.

Yuxian watched, feeling a pang of guilt. They were all from Chaldea, yet Siegfried was living such a hard life.

The sorting work was simple, and Yuxian could pick it up after a little instruction. Although his speed was a bit slow, he was at least helping.

As he carefully sorted the packages and categorized them by delivery address, he said to Siegfried, "Brother Fei, I actually have quite a bit of money, enough for us to spend. Why don't you just quit your job?"

Siegfried's hands moved quickly, and without looking up, he replied, "I'm very sorry, Master, but I wish to earn my own living."

"But this is too hard on you," Yuxian couldn't help but say.

Siegfried placed the package in his hand down and glanced at Yuxian in surprise before immediately resuming his work.

He said calmly, "Compared to fighting dragons, this kind of work is no different from a vacation for me."

Yuxian thought about it and realized it did make sense. He also detected from Siegfried's words that he was quite satisfied with his current life, so he didn't say anything more. Everyone had different pursuits; not everyone liked a lazy life like his.

After the sorting was finished, Siegfried took a courier uniform from a locker and handed it to Yuxian. "This is a spare uniform. Master, please make do with it. You'll get complaints from customers if you don't wear a uniform. I'll go back the delivery truck."

"Okay." Yuxian took the uniform and put it on quickly. It was a bit ill-fitting, but wearable. He didn't demand too much; he was only there to help, so he couldn't ask for more. It would be bad if he ended up causing more trouble.

By the time Yuxian had changed, Siegfried had already backed the delivery truck into the warehouse. His driving skills were excellent, and the truck was parked at the perfect distance for loading the packages.

After they loaded the sorted packages into the truck, Yuxian sat in the passenger seat while Siegfried drove, embarking on the arduous mission of making every delivery.

"Brother Fei, we won't be able to deliver all these packages in one day, will we?" Yuxian asked from the passenger seat, having become idle again. He doubted whether they could finish delivering this entire truckload of packages.

"This is actually the work of two people. It would be quite difficult for me alone, which is why I asked Master to help," Siegfried explained, his attention focused on the road ahead as he drove carefully.

"Then what do we do? Will we get complaints?" Yuxian frowned.

"Hmm..." Siegfried pondered for a moment, then suddenly said to Yuxian, "Master, please fasten your seatbelt!"

Swish!

With a step on the gas from Siegfried, the delivery van's speed instantly increased by another notch, and Yuxian found himself pressed tightly against the seatback.

"Hey, hey! Be careful! That's against traffic laws!" Yuxian urgently called out to Siegfried, urging him to drive safely and not break the rules.

"My apologies, I will keep the speed within the permitted range..."

Siegfried didn't slow down, and Yuxian noticed that the speed displayed on the vehicle's dashboard hadn't exceeded the limit, meaning they were still within the regulated speed.

This must be what they call an experienced driver.

At this rapid pace, the packages in the van dwindled at a visibly fast rate. Yuxian felt he wasn't contributing much, relying entirely on Brother Fei.

He moved like the wind, taking three steps at a time when going upstairs and descending in mere seconds. Each delivery was like a battle, completed in the shortest possible time.

If this continues, he'll definitely become the Delivery Hero...

From morning till evening, in just one day, the two of them managed to deliver all the packages. Yuxian couldn't help but click his tongue at this astonishing work efficiency.

Siegfried, the genius of deliveries, the delivery company has struck gold!

On the way back, Siegfried slowed down. There was no rush, so no need to drive at breakneck speed. The two of them leisurely made their way back, chatting about everyday matters.

Siegfried was a man of few words, generally not one for much conversation. However, with Yuxian, he spoke more than usual, and at least there were no awkward silences between them.

Perhaps it was because Yuxian's presence was rather unique, or perhaps the life of a delivery driver had made him more articulate.

"Master, thank you."

Siegfried suddenly said this very earnestly. Yuxian's trust in him deeply moved Siegfried, making him feel guilty about deceiving Yuxian.