“I’m disappointed we didn’t find Kasama,” Lena sighed, kicking a pebble.
“Me too,” Lucia added. “That would have been one less orc in the world.”
Cassian walked in silence, lost in thought.
She was disappointed too. But not for the same reasons.
That feeling. That feeling of losing control of her body just because Kasama was nearby. Of feeling so vulnerable. So weak.
She hated it.
But at the same time…
Lena fought well, Cassian thought, discreetly observing the warrior in front of her. I really thought she’d last a few seconds, max. But she held her ground.
And Lucia’s barrier. It would be interesting to learn how to make one. Magic that activates automatically under certain conditions. Handy.
Hiro, meanwhile, was thinking back to the fight.
That exact moment. When Kasama was on the ground, protecting his face. When he, Hiro, was about to strike him from behind.
He had a flash of insight.
A sensation. As if something inside him was about to unlock.
He could feel it. He was on the verge of reaching a new level in his sword mastery.
He clenched his fist.
Don’t forget this feeling. Whatever you do, don’t forget it.
But his sword was broken now.
He didn’t have one anymore.
His passive skill was no longer active.
No matter, he thought, shaking his head. We’ll reach our destination soon. It’s just a reconnaissance quest.
He suddenly realized.
We’ve been through a lot on this journey.
A sudden thirst hit him. He reached for his storage ring and pulled out a black bottle.
He drank.
Lucia stared at him with horrified eyes.
Does he really have the nerve to drink that in front of Cassian?!
Hiro’s gaze met Lucia’s.
He smiled.
Then made a discreet hand signal: act like nothing’s wrong.
He kept drinking.
Lucia looked at Cassian.
She has no idea what’s going on, Lucia thought with a touch of pity.
She slowly approached and hugged Cassian.
“Huh?” Cassian snapped out of her thoughts. “Lucia? What’s…”
Lucia hugged her tighter.
Cassian has no idea about the romantic rivalry surrounding her. About the slightly-too-present attention Hiro gives her.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
She’s just caught in the middle of it all without really understanding.
Lucia squeezed Cassian tighter while glaring intensely at Hiro.
Hiro felt judged. He averted his gaze, taking another swig.
Cassian didn’t pull away from the embrace.
Who would say no to this? she thought with a slight smile.
There are two good, big reasons why this is nice.
“Hiro,” Lena suddenly said. “I’m thirsty too.”
She held out her hand. “Pass me the bottle.”
Internally, Lena thought: indirect kiss. Indirect kiss. Indirect kiss.
Hiro was about to hand her the bottle.
Then he saw Lucia violently shaking her head, her eyes wide.
Lena noticed.
Her gaze hardened.
Is she trying to prevent the indirect kiss?!
She shot a glare at Lucia.
“Uh…” Hiro, under pressure, stammered. “It’s just milk. There’s water in the ring if you want.”
“I still want a taste,” Lena insisted.
Lucia panicked.
She’s already tasted Cassian’s milk. Hiro drinks it regularly. And now it’s Lena’s turn?!
NO. NO. NO.
Cassian suddenly created a glass of ice in her hand.
“Hiro,” she said calmly. “I want some milk too.”
Lucia froze.
“I’m tired of drinking water every day,” Cassian continued. “Pour me some milk from an unopened bottle. A new one.”
I don’t want to share the same bottle, she thought.
Lucia’s face became a perfect picture of the word despair.
Her shoulders slumped. Her eyes went blank.
“Lucia?” Cassian blinked. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Lucia murmured in a dead voice. “Everything’s fine.”
“HELP!”
Everyone turned sharply.
A voice. Masculine. Panicked.
“PLEASE! ANYONE!”
The group rushed toward the source of the cry.
They found a man hanging upside down from a tree, his ankles tied with a rope.
“OH THANK YOU!” The man frantically waved his arms. “THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME!”
Lena cut the rope with a swing of her sword.
The man crashed to the ground with a thud.
“Ouch.”
“You okay?” Lena asked, helping him up.
“Yes, yes.” The man dusted off his clothes. “I was just scared of dying like that. Thanks again.”
“How did you end up tied upside down?” Lucia inquired.
The man blushed slightly. “I… I got caught in my own trap.”
Silence.
“Are you serious?” said Cassian.
“I’m a hunter!” he defended himself. “It happens to everyone!”
“Really?” Lena raised an eyebrow.
“Well, okay, not everyone, but…” He sighed. “I didn’t expect to run into people here.”
His gaze landed on Cassian.
An elf. They really are outsiders.
“Come,” he said, motioning to them. “My cabin isn’t far. I’ll get you something. It’s the least I can do.”
---
The cabin was small but cozy. Animal hides covered the walls. Hunting tools were neatly arranged.
“Just because I got caught in my own trap doesn’t mean I’m useless,” the hunter said, pouring tea. “I’ve had some amazing hunts, you know.”
“Oh yeah?” Hiro sat down.
“Oh yes.” The hunter grew animated. “Once, I killed a mountain bear. Three meters tall. It was charging, and me, calm as could be, I aimed between its eyes and…”
He went on.
And on.
And on.
“… and then the werewolf transformed, but I had anticipated its movement, so I…”
“Wait,” Lena interrupted. “A werewolf?”
“Yes!”
“Here?”
“Uh… yes?”
Cassian exchanged a glance with Lucia.
He’s completely lying.
The hunter seemed to realize he’d lost his audience. He gradually calmed down.
“Well,” he said after an awkward silence. “What brings you around here?”
“We have a reconnaissance quest at the village of…” Hiro stopped.
He suddenly realized he’d never bothered to learn the village’s name.
“Lapithathon,” Lucia supplied.
The hunter’s face lit up.
“You’re adventurers?!”
“Yes,” Hiro confirmed. “Why?”
The hunter leaned forward, his expression turning serious.
“A few years ago, Lapithathon fell into the hands of a man named Haloy.”
“Haloy?”
“He manipulated the villagers by posing as a god.”
Silence.
“What?” said Cassian.
“Lapithathon is a closed community,” the hunter explained. “They know almost nothing about the outside world. I had a hard time doing business with them at first. It took time before they trusted me.”
He sighed.
“But one day, Haloy just came. He showed a few magic tricks. Nothing extraordinary, but to them… they were miracles.”
“They believed him?” asked Lena, incredulous.
“Completely.” The hunter shook his head. “I tried to reason with them. No one believed me. The villagers are ignorant of what happens outside, unlike me.”
“And Haloy took advantage of that,” murmured Lucia.
“Exactly.” The hunter nodded. “Since then, he’s isolated the village even more. He convinced them that people from outside are minions of demons. That those who can use mana are demons disguised as humans.”
“Wow,” Cassian muttered.
“That’s why I live a certain distance from the village,” the hunter continued. “The villagers are hostile to all outsiders. I can’t get any closer. But I don’t want to abandon them either.”
He looked Hiro straight in the eye.
“They don’t know the outside world. But I do.”
Hiro’s expression turned serious. “Give me more details.”
“For over a decade now, Haloy has lived like a god,” the hunter said. “He had several statues erected in his honor. He even created many festivals for his glory.”
“A decade?!” Lena exclaimed.
“Yes.” The hunter sighed. “I don’t know exactly what happens inside the village itself, but they all live for Haloy.”
“How is that possible?” murmured Lucia.
“I’ve noticed something over the years,” the hunter continued. “Haloy shares his power with the villagers. The most fervent followers receive more power.”
“He’s manipulating them with strength,” Hiro realized.
“Exactly.” The hunter nodded. “It pushes the villagers to work for him with even more fervor.”
He stood up, hands clasped.
“Please. Save the villagers.”
DING.
Hiro blinked.
A quest window had just appeared before him.
[NEW QUEST: Liberate the Village of Lapithathon]
Objective: Defeat Haloy and free the villagers from his control.
Reward: ???
“We’re just here on reconnaissance,” Lucia said calmly. “We’ll report the information to the adventurers’ guild. Competent people will handle this.”
“Exactly,” Lena confirmed. “It’s above our level.”
Hiro didn’t agree internally.
The system was asking him to liberate the village. He couldn’t ignore that.
“Before we return to the guild,” he said slowly, “we need to see the village with our own eyes. Observe discreetly. Provide more information to the guild.”
At the slightest opportunity, I’ll use that as an excuse to complete the quest.
Cassian was half-listening.
This Haloy must have a good life, she thought.
She imagined herself in his place.
People who worship you. Who obey you. Who consider you a god.
It would be like living in paradise.
She smiled slightly.
“By the way,” Hiro said, turning to the hunter. “I don’t have a sword anymore. Could you lend me one?”
“Of course!” The hunter got up and rummaged in a corner of the cabin.
He returned with an axe.
“Here.”
Hiro blinked. “That’s not a sword.”
The hunter froze.
Then his face twisted.
“Kids these days only think about using swords!” He raised the axe. “Sword this, sword that! That’s all they know!”
He continued to complain.
“In my day, we used axes, maces, spears! But no! Now it’s always swords! Always!”
The group looked at him strangely.
The hunter didn’t even look past his thirties.
And he was complaining like an eighty-year-old man.
“Uh…” Lena hesitated. “How old are you, exactly?”
“Twenty-seven!” he replied proudly. “So what?!”
Cassian stifled a laugh.
This guy is weird.
