The debate eventually came to an end.

Tabbris and his right-hand man left the information on where and when the gathering for the expedition would take place before leaving the premises.

The mission will also serve as a sort of test for the girls, where they could let loose and demonstrate how they advanced in their studies.

Gerald went and explained that to the rest. Though he received mixed responses, that didn't change a thing since his word was the one that counted in the end.

"I'll let you be on your own for a few days, but just in case something happens, I'll leave you a few spells scrolls…" That's what he said before handing each of them a bunch of scrolls.

They received Thorns, Fireballs, and Ice Shields for their protection. Even if something truly bad happened, they should at least be able to escape safely.

Besides, it's not like they were completely helpless. Both Xilia and Sera were great at offensive magic, while Elly focused mostly on support and defense.

"Is Qiona coming with us too?" Elly asked after they got all the details figured out.

"Of course!" Gerald answered enthusiastically. "She also needs some real-life experience! It's going to be a good exercise for her because she needs to see the world, otherwise, she might end up a narrow-minded person."

Before returning to his things, Gerald gifted each of them a Golden Space Pouch to carry their items in. After receiving the Ring, he had no need for those things anymore, so he might as well give it to someone who could make better use of it.

His hand was already repaired and he even ordered another one just in case something unpredictable happened to the current one.

Since they were going on a bloody expedition, possibly even attacking an Orc's stronghold, Gerald had plenty to do in the next few days.

The spells scrolls he already had should be enough to fight a small army, so those weren't a concern.

He collected plenty of rusty and broken weapons from the Goblins, as well as some armor and metal scraps. It was time to melt it down and make something more useful, like maybe cannonballs?

The Orc Elite's armor already netted him about fifty golfball-sized projectiles, but he decided to make a few hundred more just in case.

"Welp… Back to work, I guess!"

Gerald tossed the metal scraps out on the ground in the back garden and started working on them between his palms with his Magic Forge.

He spent an entire day like this, sweating like a dog, although dogs can't sweat, but only managed to make another fifty or so cannonballs.

"Eh, it's not the amount I wanted but… I guess it's enough for now." He wiped the sweat off his brow and drank some water to quench his thirst. Concentrating for so long was quite exhausting even though his Mana reserves remained full-ish for the entire day.

The time was mostly peaceful, however, the guards came nagging him from time to time. Apparently, some strange dude was trying to look inside the walls of the Mansion, and he even started asking a bunch of questions.

In hindsight, it was probably nothing, but of course, the guards just had to confirm with their boss, and as such, they kept pestering Gerald to the point he even considered breaking a bone or two just so that guy would leave.

Luckily he left towards the evening, clearly unsuccessful in whatever he tried to do, and didn't come back even the next day.

It has been a stressful few days, and for a young healthy male full of energy, the best way to calm down, apart from the internet, was among a group of young ladies.

Of course, the first choice was Madam Daisy's Funhouse. The girls there were professionals and knew how to take care of their clients, and Gerald was somewhat of a regular.

Though it wasn't easy to forget a tall, battle-hardened man walking around with a hand made entirely out of silver. It attracted more than just looks.

As for why he didn't have any romantic relationships with one of the four that lived with him? Let's just say that he had some bad experiences with his previous partners. The modern world wasn't exactly male-friendly anymore.

In either case, Gerald felt his attention was better spent elsewhere, and having playful but at the same distant interactions with the girls was proving to be the best choice of action.

Even then, some sparks of jealousy were still visible every now and then, despite his best efforts to keep a balance.

A romantic relationship with one of them would just result in an unnecessary mess, a sight all too commonly seen back on Earth.

It would be unlike him to repeat his mistakes.

For all those reasons Gerald decided to simply satisfy his lust with the help of experts. It was more enjoyable that way anyway.

The day finally came!

Elly, Sera, Xilia, and Qiona woke up early, ate a hearty breakfast, and left the Mansion at the crack of dawn.

Meanwhile, Gerald was still snoring like a bear in his soft bed, and even if the world was ending, he would probably ask for another five minutes.

In either case, the show had to go on!

The warriors gathered at the Guild under the Phoenix Knights' banner. Some came alone, a few in pairs, and even more came in a group.

It was somewhat of a comical gathering, a mix of all sorts of armors and professions, from iron-clad frontline battle-hardened warriors, all the way to young girls in bright clothes, even an Elven child was among them.

The Black Onyx group attracted quite the attention. Regrettably, their cloaks weren't quite ready yet and they had to make do with what they had.

However, should anyone try to test themselves against this seemingly weak group, they would be in for a rude awakening!

Each of these frail-looking girls was a master magician capable of slaying armies of enemies singlehandedly!

Well, not really…

They were decent amateurs at best, but you should let the young ones dream. They were the future generation after all!