Chapter 48 Bill's Wish Come True

The new day had dawned, and with it came another rainy day. The storm outside was raging, with thunder rumbling in the distance and lightning illuminating the sky. Despite the gloomy weather, Suzuka found herself enjoying the sound of the rain as it pelted against the cave wall. She sat curled up at the entrance of the cave, a thin blanket wrapped around her, listening to the soothing sound of the storm.

Bill, however, was not so relaxed. He was worried about his apple trees, which were his livelihood. He knew that the heavy rain and strong winds could easily damage or even destroy them. He paced back and forth, glancing outside every few moments, fretting over their safety.

"Bill," Suzuka said, "Why don't you go out and check on the trees if you're that worried? I'll even come with you."

"Are you sure? You really want us to get wet?" Bill asked.

Suzuka nodded, "I'm sure. Or what? Big man Bill is scared of a little rain?" Suzuka taunted Bill.

With a nod, Bill rushed outside. Suzuka followed, putting down her blanket on the ground. They stepped out into the storm, the wind and rain whipping around them. They made their way to the apple trees, where they could see them bending and swaying in the wind.

As they walked, Suzuka scanned the area, her keen senses alert for any signs of danger. They reached the orchard that was only a few steps away from the cave and found that the trees were holding up well despite the storm. Bill was relieved to see that the apple trees were safe.

After checking on the trees, they made their way back to the cave, where they removed their wet clothes and sat by the fire to dry off. As they sat, Suzuka reflected on the journey she recently had taken, and the lessons she had learned. She knew that she would face many more challenges in the future, but with Bill by her side, she was ready for whatever the world had in store for her.

Bill was praying in silence for any passing adventurer to appear. He wanted to get rid of the girl who was staying at his cave for almost a year now. Bill was sitting right next to the girl, in his cave, deep in silent prayer. He was a solitary creature by nature, and he longed for the peace and quiet of his cave. For almost a year, Suzuka had been staying with him, and while he had been kind enough to let her stay and helped her, he was ready for her to leave. He wanted his cave and his solitude back.

As he prayed, he thought about the girl and how she had disrupted his peaceful existence. She had asked him many questions, and he had answered some of them, but he was tired of the constant chatter. He had listened to her stories and her troubles, but he was ready for silence again. He had shown her kindness and hospitality once, but he was ready for her to be gone.

He was a minotaur, a powerful creature who was not meant to be bothered by others. He liked to be alone, to ponder, and to meditate in silence. He did not want anyone to tell him what to do or how to think. He wanted to be left alone to live his life as he saw fit.

He knew that it was not the girl's fault, that she was just passing through, lost, abandoned, and he didn't want to be rude or unkind to her. But he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and longing for her to leave. He knew that as soon as she was gone, he could return to his peaceful, solitary existence, and that thought brought him comfort.

He finished his prayer, and opened his eyes, feeling a sense of calm and contentment wash over him. He knew that soon, his cave would be his again, and he could return to the life he loved. He just had to be patient and wait for the adventurer to come along, one who would take the girl with them and leave him in peace.

The next morning, Bill's prayers were answered. He and Suzuka were inside his cave when they heard the voices of people approaching. They stepped outside to see a group of adventurers emerging from the forest. They were trying to cross to the other side of the opening, passing by Bill's cave.

The adventurers looked strong and capable, each one was armed and armored for battle. The frontman was a big man, dressed in full plate armor and carrying a shield and sword. He had a stern expression and a confident air about him. The second person in the group was a woman, armed with two long daggers in each arm. She had a strong build and physique and was wearing hard leather armor. The third person was another woman, she had two short swords holstered on her hips and was wearing a combination of half-plate and half-hard leather armor. The fourth person was a man armed with a bow in one hand and a crossbow on his back. He was wearing hard cloth gear. The last person in the group was a man carrying a shield on his back and a short sword in his hand. He was wearing reinforced leather armor.

Bill and Suzuka exchanged a glance, Bill knew that this was his chance to get rid of Suzuka and regain his solitude.

As the adventurers walked past, Suzuka and Bill stepped out of the cave. The adventurers stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at the minotaur and the girl who was with him, the moment they saw Bill, their expressions turned to one of surprise and suspicion. They immediately took a battle stance, ready for any potential threat.

Bill couldn't afford to fail here, it was a golden opportunity to get rid of the girl. He was ready to do what needed to be done and sensing their hostility, put his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Hold on there, friends," he said, "We mean you no harm. We were just curious about your journey and wanted to say hello."

The adventurers were taken aback by Bill's calm demeanor and lowered their weapons slightly, but they still looked wary. The frontman, the big man dressed in full plate armor, stepped forward. "You are a minotaur, correct?" he asked, "What are you doing with this woman?"

Suzuka stepped forward, "I am Suzuka, and this is Bill. We have been living in this cave for a while now. I got lost in this forest, I was in an accident. He is Bill, he gave me shelter till someone could rescue me."

The frontman studied Suzuka and Bill for a moment, before nodding. "I see," he said, "We apologize for our initial hostility. We have had some bad experiences with a minotaur in the past."

Bill nodded, "I understand. But I am not consumed by rage like most of my kind. I am peaceful and mean you no harm."

The frontman nodded, "I believe you, most of the minotaurs would already charge at us by now. My name is Thomas, and these are my companions. We are going back to Rockmine, we finished our quest and are on our way back."

Suzuka's eyes lit up with hope, "That sounds great! I am lost in this forest for a long time with no way home, can I join you, please?"

Bill pulled a gold coin out of his pants pocket and pointed at the adventurers, "Bill can offer you a gold coin if you take her to the closest town, what do you say? Deal?"

Thomas considered this for a moment, before nodding, "Bill, we will escort her free of charge, no need for money, in exchange, when we close by next time, we would appreciate a friendly information exchange, deal?"

Bill let out a short laugh and answered the man, "Haha! That is a deal indeed. As long as the girl leaves." 

Suzuka and Bill were thrilled, they could hardly believe their luck. They both got what they wanted, it was almost too good to be true, if I had to say. 

As Suzuka prepared to leave with the group of adventurers, she turned to Bill and said a long goodbye. She told him how much she would miss him and all the time they had spent together in the cave. She thanked him for his kindness, his help on her journey, for being a friend, and for teaching her to fight and control her transformation.

Bill listened patiently, and with a smile on his face, he hugged her and said, "I will miss you too, little girl. I wish you all the best on your new adventure."

But as Suzuka said her goodbyes, Bill felt a sense of relief wash over him. He was happy to finally have his cave and his solitude back. He had grown tired of the constant chatter and the presence of another person in his space. He was looking forward to being alone again, meditating, and being at peace.

Suzuka quickly gathered her belongings, and with a final wave, she set off with the group of adventurers. Bill watched her go, feeling happy. But he also knew that one day, she would come back to visit him and tell him all about her new adventures. And he would be grumpy about it because he would need to listen to her stories and see her again.

"Bhaa! I hope that day never comes." Bill went inside his cave as he was talking to himself. 

Suzuka joined Thomas' party, and the six of them left Bill's cave, ready to go back to Rockmine town. As they walked, Thomas introduced the rest of the party members to Suzuka.

"This is Shara," he said, pointing to the woman with long daggers, "She's our rogue, and she's incredibly skilled with those daggers of hers."

Shara smiled and gave Suzuka a friendly nod.

"This is Olivia," Thomas continued, gesturing to the woman with two short swords, "She's our warrior, and she's a fierce fighter."

Olivia smiled and gave Suzuka a friendly wave.

"This is John," Thomas said, pointing to the archer, "He's our ranger and he's an expert with a bow."

John smiled and gave Suzuka a friendly smile.

"And that is Michael," Thomas said, pointing to the last man, who was carrying a shield on his back, "He's our paladin and he's incredibly strong and skilled with a shield."

Michael smiled and gave Suzuka a friendly nod.

"And there's also me, Thomas, the leader of this party, nice to meet you. By the way, I am also a paladin." With that, Thomas finished his introduction.

Now it was her turn to introduce herself to the party, "Hello there everyone, I don't want to disrupt everyone's attention so I will keep this short. My name Is Suzuka, or Suzu for short. If monsters attack you can count on me, I can handle myself in a fight. Don't worry about me."

They all walked in a cross formation, Thomas took the front, Suzuka was middle, Olivia was on the right, Shara was on the left, John was behind Suzuka and Michael was last.