After meeting up with Moth-san and the others, I returned to Saile Village while escorting Sir Dahl and his subordinates. That petty, jealous man seemed intent on confronting me again, but the moment he was glared at by Karl, he tucked his tail and fled. Given that dragons are also objects of worship, it’s no wonder he was terrified.
It appears he had been pestering me because I seemed like a dubious yet feeble mage. He must have never imagined I was the master of a dragon, and now his face had turned from pale blue to stark white.
If the reason for his bullying was so trivial, perhaps I should have flaunted my third and fourth arms I usually keep concealed under my sleeves to avoid unnecessary provocation. That might have spared me some pointless headaches. What a missed opportunity.
As for Karl, who had given that intimidating glare, he seemed to lose interest in the villagers who cowered without him even using his [Intimidation] skill. He lay down on the ground and simply fell asleep. Perhaps it’s the composure of the powerful? His presence is indeed impressive!
“Looks like business negotiations are progressing well.”
“There’s a high demand for supplies with the storm. It seems lumber is the main product.”
The main products from the Birdy Perch area include the branches of the mother tree used as lumber and the leaves and bark, which are valued as medicinal herbs. During the harvest season, fruits are also sometimes added to the list of goods. On the other hand, the goods Sir Dahl purchases from Saile Village include crops like wheat and ordinary vegetables that can’t be cultivated in Birdy Perch, as well as forest delicacies.
The forest is a dangerous place for the villagers, but the outer edges are relatively safe from monsters, allowing for the collection of wild vegetables and fruits. However, making loud noises, such as cutting down trees, can attract powerful monsters like Cyclops so the villagers prefer to purchase lumber from Birdy Perch.
The village’s militia can handle the weaker monsters found in the grasslands surrounding the village, but the creatures dwelling in the forest are too strong for them to deal with. It’s quite pitiful that resources are nearby yet out of reach. However, should human players ever make it this far, it seems likely that quests to expand the village might emerge. Any player who triggers such quests should certainly give it their all!
“The quests sound promising, but I’m interested in the monster that scared the villagers.”
“What does it look like?”
I had already informed everyone about the said monster. Usaji frowned in disgust at the mention of its creepy appearance, while the two men were keenly interested just like me.
“I’m also interested in how it looks, but the real issue is that the villagers won’t be able to live in peace unless that monster is dealt with.”
Monsters like the Cyclops and Wind Wolves that inhabit the forest typically do not attack unless one venture deep into their territory. However, it seems this one creature has come close to the village. There’s no guarantee this won’t happen again, so it was difficult for the villagers to rest easy.
“Should we go after it if it’s a rare monster? We might get some rare materials.”
“That’s not a good idea, Usaji. We’re on an escort quest right now.”
“Yeah that’s right…”
While Usaji’s attraction to rare items is understandable, Eiji’s point is more valid. Abandoning our escort duty to chase after an unknown monster is definitely not an option. Besides, we know nothing about the creature’s appearance or strength, so there’s a risk we might be defeated. I personally think it’s wiser to be cautious about engaging in combat.
“We could consider it if there was a request. But for now, let’s stay put.”
“I get it, Leader. Still, these people are really rude, giving us wary looks and keeping their distance.”
We were no different from terrifying monsters to the villagers who were on edge because of the threat of monsters. This was natural since we were not in production jobs such as merchants like Sir Dahl but rather in hardcore combat jobs. While their caution was understandable, the open fear they showed was particularly displeasing to Usaji, who was normally cool-headed but now was furrowing her brows in a rare show of annoyance.
“Don’t be so upset, Usaji. Just a little more patience… Oh?”
While I was trying to calm Usaji, reassuring her that we only had to hold out until Sir Dahl’s negotiations were completed, someone approached us. Despite the attempts of other villagers, especially the young men, to stop her, she broke free of their restraint and ran toward us. At first glance, she appeared to be just another ordinary girl, but her face was familiar.
“U-uhm, it’s been a while!”
“Yes, it has been a while, Miss Margaret.”
There was no other female villager I could recognize other than Miss Margaret. Although the time spent together had been brief and not much time had passed since our parting, I felt a tinge of nostalgia.
“How is your mother doing?”
“Yes! She’s fully recovered now!”
“That’s good to hear. And those behind me are my companions.”
“Nice to meet you! My name is Margaret!”
Eiji and the others greeted Miss Margaret one by one after she bowed her head. Perhaps due to a good first impression, she seemed unafraid of us, unlike the rest of the villagers. Is this how players who wanted friendly relations with humans as monster characters managed to gain favor?
After exchanging greetings with everyone, Miss Margaret cautiously approached Karl, who was lying on the ground. When Karl opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on her, she flinched slightly but then bravely kneeled down to meet his gaze at eye level.
“You’re little Karl, aren’t you? Do you remember me…?”
“Grrrrrr… Guuun…”
Karl sniffed Miss Margaret as she brought her face closer and recognized her as the girl who had played with him when he was younger. He made a sound that seemed almost affectionate.
Miss Margaret looked up at me with pleading eyes. She was probably asking for permission to touch him. When I nodded in approval, she gently stroked Karl’s head, and he narrowed his eyes in pleasure. It was a heartwarming scene.
“Hey, idiot!”
“Don’t go, you brats!”
“Uncle! Can we touch him too?”
The adults of the village watched with bated breath as Miss Margaret stroked Karl, but in that moment of distraction, the children were also unable to contain themselves any longer and rushed forward.
The children’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, mirroring Miss Margaret’s desire to interact with the dragon Karl. There was no way I could refuse them when they were looking at me with such innocent hopeful eyes.
“Karl, is it okay?”
“Grrr.”
“He says it’s fine. But! Do not hit or pull with all your strength, and do not do anything to him that you would dislike. Can you promise that?”
“””Yes!”””
“Good, you’re all such well-behaved kids. Enjoy playing with him to your heart’s content.”
“””Yay!”””
As soon as I gave my permission, the children swarmed around Karl. I was worried about whether they had listened to the instructions I just gave them, but they seemed to follow them carefully and did not treat him roughly. They played around and exclaimed, “His scales are so hard!” and “He has four wings!” and stuff like that.
Karl, for his part, seemed to benefit from his recent playtime with the young dragons at the “Dragon Sanctuary,” so he handled the children without causing any harm. He gently swung his tail and created a gentle breeze with his wings, showing his familiarity with such interactions.
Karl, who usually seeks affection from me, now seemed like a big brother tending to the little ones. He has grown so much…!
“Sir Isam, may I have a moment of your time?”
“I don’t mind, but… Sir Dahl, who is this old man with you?”
While I was intently watching Karl and the children, I heard Sir Dahl calling from the village, so I turned in his direction. And there was Sir Dahl accompanied by an old man. Although it was not yet confirmed, the reactions of the villagers suggested that he might be the chief of the village, or at least a person of great importance in the village.
“Let me introduce you. This is the village chief of Saile Village.”
“Pleased to meet you, village chief. My name is Isam.”
“Um, yes…”
As expected, the old man was indeed the village chief. However, he was extremely nervous in my presence; he was likely unaccustomed to facing a creature other than a Birdian face-to-face. It’s possible that he also felt intimidated by my companions and Karl behind me.
“Sir Isam, are you aware of the problems facing Saile Village? The village chief wants to eliminate the danger threatening the village. That is the same for me. Would it be possible for the village chief and I to jointly request your help?”
“Are you referring to the matter with the monster? Even if you request my help, what about the escort mission I am currently undertaking for you, Sir Dahl?”
“There’s no one in this village who would attack us. If you insist, I believe we will be safe as long as Sir Karnaghtul is present.”
“Hmm…”
I pondered while resting my chin on my hand. It was true that the villagers had not attacked Sir Dahl. It seemed there were regular dealings with them, and while disputes might arise, they rarely escalated to violence. Therefore, for Sir Dahl, the real issue would be if the village were exposed to danger, which would then make trading difficult. Ensuring the village’s safety would also be in his interest.
However, I couldn’t make any rash promises. We hadn’t been informed about the nature of the monster, and it was uncertain whether we had the capability to defeat it. Diving in with little information was likely to end badly.
“I’ll accept the task on the condition that it’s an investigation, not a subjugation. If that’s acceptable, I don’t mind a lower reward.”
“An investigation… I see. So, if it turns out to be too strong, you’ll bring Sir Jigoro and the others to subjugate it?”
I nodded in agreement. If we were to be annihilated, the quest we were currently on would also end in failure. It would be awful to fail due to a detour when the escort mission was going smoothly.
“Understood. We’ll go with those terms. That’s alright with you, village chief?”
“Ye-Yes, that would be fine. We leave it in your hands.”
The village chief seemed unreliable. Even though he was supposed to make the request with Sir Dahl, the decision was almost entirely between the two of us. I haven’t consulted my companions, but since it was from the same requester, it should be okay. With that in mind, I accepted the quest “Investigating the Anomalies in Saile Village” that appeared in my virtual window.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
After accepting the quest, our group, minus Karl, made our way through the “Great Wind Forest” while kicking away the approaching monsters as we walked. The “Great Wind Forest” encompassed the “Ancient Spring” which was the exit of the “Ancient Travel Tower” and spread out around it like a cloak. It was a vast forest that was composed of several fields, each with its own field boss according to the number of fields it encompassed.
The Tarrasque monster we had previously defeated was the boss of the river field within the “Great Wind Forest”. There were also bosses for the forest field, the hill field, and others. How did we know this? It was obvious; we had looked it up on Birdy Perch.
“Based on what the villagers have said, the monster appears to be ‘a round creature with wings’ Does that ring any bells?”
“No, not really with just that description. Besides, I don’t know much about mythology or anything like that…”
“Same here. Plus, the creatures in this game world tend to be quite original, don’t they?”
Although I had asked casually, I realized that Eiji and Usaji’s points were valid. Despite the villagers’ terror, there was no concrete information on the creature’s appearance. We speculated that some skill might be influencing their perceptions, but the truth remained unclear.
So, we had no choice but to rely on the fragmented information and use our imagination. However, it was impossible to accurately identify a creature described simply as “a round monster with wings”. I lacked sufficient knowledge of monsters to make an identification based solely on a silhouette, and as Usaji mentioned, if it was an original monster we had never encountered before, there was no way we could have known about it. Essentially, we had almost no clues to go on.
“…It might be a demon, you know. They tend to have unique appearances.”
On the other hand, Moth-san seemed to suspect that it might be a demon. Demons were known to be active in various places, so it wasn’t an implausible suggestion.
“Magic Sonar… Oh? There seems to be something gathering ahead. It might be the monster we’re looking for. What do you think, Moth-san?”
“I’ve confirmed it too. It’s probably in a battle. It seems to be a pack of Wind Wolves, but… I’m sorry, I can’t quite make out what the Wind Wolves are fighting against.”
[Void Magic] skill allowed detection of magic power from a distance, but a high level in [Assassination] could conceal it. Therefore, Moth-san’s [Ultrasound], which could almost certainly capture a physical body, provided more reliable information than my skill.
However, this [Ultrasound] skill was not foolproof. In the midst of battle, when enemies moved at high speed, it became difficult to clearly distinguish their shapes. In addition, creatures with a wide hearing range could detect the [Ultrasound] emission, making it less effective against bat-type monsters.
“If it were a Cyclops, we would recognize it, so this might be a good lead. Let’s try to approach as quietly as possible.”
Being engaged in combat meant that the opponent was focused on the immediate threat, providing us with an opportunity to approach without detection. And so, we tried to approach stealthily.
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