My Girlfriend is an S-Class Adventurer

On the day the half-wolf group arrived at the vicinity of Oukiwa, the sky was dark, and there was a heavy fog hovering over the region. It was late afternoon, and the loud thunder that split the sky in half denoted the approach of a storm.

"Let's hurry... we have to arrive at the Strogueher estate before the rain starts." Luke spoke and then snapped the horses' reins to make them go faster. Immediately a flash of lightning could be seen in the sky, and the rumble of thunder soon echoed up into the mountains.

Since the Makator was working again when they approached Oukiwa, Ayumi had already been warned that the half-wolf gang would arrive in Oukiwa that day.

In addition, the Strogueher Matriarch had warned them by a message that Oukiwa was very different from what it used to be when Luke left town more than six months ago.

However, even having been warned of the divergence, Luke was startled by the current Oukiwa.

Thanks to the clouds that covered the region, the day seemed to have turned to night, but not many streetlamps were lit in the roads, nor even many municipal guards making rounds. The low haze that hung over the city's main avenues made everything still cold and empty. The same streets that the half-wolf had seen packed with hundreds of people during the Tournament of Legends, were now covered only by an anguishing frigid wind.

Anyone might think that the explanations for this situation were the winter or the imminent rain. Still, these were never reasons for the drunks and adventurers to stop visiting the taverns every night.

While they were slowing down with the wagon to the center of the city, they saw a single guard in obsidian armor walking with a lantern in his hand on the sidewalks of a wide avenue. This guard was as surprised to see a wagon on the street as Luke's gang was surprised to finally see someone. When the guard realized that the person driving the wagon was the Tournament of Legends Champion, he was even more surprised.

"Good afternoon!" Luke greeted him, pulling the reins of the wagon.

The guard raised the lamplight to better illuminate the surroundings, and make sure it was really the 'Half-Wolf'.

"Oh! So, it's really you? It's been a while since you left Oukiwa, Champion."

"I've been traveling with some friends." Luke pointed to Meredith, who was next to him in the front seats. "What happened to the town? I've never seen it like that..."

With unhappiness, the guard nodded. "You didn't hear about it? Ah... you must have been really far away, then. Two months ago, there was a battle in the Main Dungeon here and the famous Horizon Clan was totally wiped out."

Luke arched his eyebrows, thinking that maybe it was some kind of silly joke. Even Luke, who very much avoided knowing about Adventurers and Dungeons for much of his life, knew that the Horizon Clan was one of the most influential Clans in the entire Empire and that almost all of its members were at least Class-B.

"Is this serious? Because to me it doesn't make sense. The Dungeons of Oukiwa are mining Dungeons. There's no reason for Clans to fight in a Dungeon here, there shouldn't be fighting over territories like there is in Vasconcelos." Luke stated, suspicious.

Again, the guardian nodded with revulsion. "I know how absurd that may sound, and is the population doesn't believe that story either, which is why the city is so empty. Most of the Adventurers no longer wish to work here and they have scattered to other cities." Then the guardian moved closer, looked both ways, and whispered to the two half-beasts in the carriage's command seat. "Also, there are rumors that monsters are managing to escape from the Dungeon after the Adventurers stopped making incursions."

"Monsters?" The half-wolf was amazed and interested in the subject. The guard just nodded reluctantly once again. "All right... I have to go. Just be careful on the streets."

"The Spirit of Hera is protecting me!" The man in armor spoke, and only then did Luke notice that there was a golden cross tattooed on his obsidian breastplate.

After understanding why the streets were empty, Luke led the horses to arrive at the Strogueher estate.

In front of the large iron gate, there were Shiro and Oliver, the head guard of the Family, with their swords stuck in the ground. Besides them, Luke recognized six other guards because they had been watching his training with Alexis before the Tournament of Legends.

When Luke stopped the carriage in front of the estate, Shiro completely lost his rigid posture when he saw the red-haired woman standing next to Luke.

" Hey there, big guy! Long time, huh?" Meredith spoke, smiling at her childhood friend.

"So, it was true..." Shiro looked intently at the half-fox, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. "So, you really did go and get them..." He spoke to Luke. When Ayumi revealed to Shiro that the half-wolf went looking for his friends, and that they weren't dead, Shiro was disbelieved, at least until he saw Meredith personally.

"I had to bring them close to me." Luke shrugged and smiled at his great friend.

Then Meredith hugged Shiro with great nostalgia as she stepped down from the wagon. The half-fox realized how much bigger he was now and praised him for it, but also teased him for not losing his compassionate look.

Soon after, Matthew got out of the carriage, and to Shiro's surprise, one of his best childhood friends was now a short guy who was barely over six feet tall. Matthew's plan was actually to pretend not to care about Shiro because he wasn't convinced that Shiro had looked hard enough for them in the Lower City, but he soon couldn't hold back and surrendered to his feelings. Matthew hugged the big man and almost let tears escape.

This was a time of meeting and reuniting, so Luke didn't rush anyone.

Ynosuke, Zack, and John were duly introduced to Oliver, Shiro, and the other guards.

The red-haired giant and the black-haired giant faced each other for a second, and everyone could feel the tension in the air, but afterward, they shook hands firmly and greeted each other. Internally, Shiro and Zack just wondered who was taller, but thought it would be too childish to measure that in public.

Next, everyone entered the Strogueher estate, and the other six guards stood guard at the main gate.

Oliver immediately led the gang to Ayumi's Residence, which was the place where everyone could stay. Since the house was huge, with more than ten bedrooms, everyone could settle in there, at least until the tension with the First Servant was annihilated.

From a distance, Luke saw a person at the residence door. This was Martha, who was always there on standby to meet any demand. This reminded Luke of the days when he would return from the Vasconcelos Dungeon with Nathalia, and the maid was always waiting for them in front of the house as if she already knew they were approaching.

"Good evening, Martha. It's a pleasure to see you again after so long." Luke greeted her.

"Good evening, Mister Luke. It's a pleasure to see you again too, but I'm afraid we'll have to dispense with the greetings, because there is someone very anxious to see you." The servant girl pointed to the door.