"Clop, clop."
Gauss sat in the caravan wagon, leaning against parcels of all sizes.
The distant hillside slowly receded from view.
Sitting in the same compartment with him were three others, including Haylir.
Bell and Mia were resting inside the compartment.
Haylir, on the other hand, was sitting enthusiastically at the edge of the wagon, legs stretched outside, swinging continuously with the bumps as she enjoyed the scenery.
Today, the weather was clear, the azure sky like a piece of pure sapphire. Sunshine pierced through the thin woven clouds, spreading into a golden, silky halo, softly outlining the distant bluish-green mountains. The gentle breeze brought the fresh scent of dew-laden woods, making the air humid and uplifting everyone's spirits unconsciously.
After registering at the Adventurer's Guild and a brief afternoon acclimatization, the four set off the next day towards their destination, Birch Village.
Considering the long journey, it might take two days to walk there.
Gauss suggested finding a caravan traveling in the same direction to cover a portion of the journey, and then walk the rest to their destination.
Naturally, the three accepted his suggestion with eagerness.
Finding a caravan didn't take much time, and sharing half a compartment to travel with a well-equipped Adventurer Squad was definitely a good bargain.
Perhaps growing tired of the scenery, Haylir withdrew her gaze and looked at Gauss, who was also sitting at the back of the compartment, striking up a conversation.
Yesterday's gathering and afternoon acclimatization not only allowed everyone to understand each other's combat styles but also made them a bit more familiar with one another.
"Speaking of which, it's really surprising. Gauss, I never thought you were a prospective Mage."
"Sorry to ruin your imagination of Mages."
"It's not that exaggerated, just that the Mages I've encountered and known were always wealthy, so you're quite unique."
"I wanted to become a Mage when I was young, but unfortunately, I seem to lack the talent for learning Spells."
In the casual chit-chat.
The caravan carried the squad across the grassland, through forests, around mountains, and over rivers, finally arriving at the designated drop-off point.
The journey was very safe, without any monster ambushes or sudden accidents.
This relieved Gauss but left him with a faint sense of regret.
"Let's part ways here."
"It's only about an hour's walk from here to Birch Village. Just follow this country road, keep going straight, then turn left at the fork; the second village is Birch Village."
"Thank you, sir," Haylir thanked the caravan steward.
"Please stay safe on your journey. Although goblins are seemingly minor creatures, never let your guard down," the steward kindly advised.
The four watched as the caravan drove farther, eventually disappearing from view.
Suddenly, they felt the surrounding environment turn eerily quiet.
"Let's reach Birch Village before it gets dark."
"Agreed."
No one planned to rest; they immediately started moving along the country road.
The relatively smooth dirt path was flanked by dense trees. The cold evening breeze occasionally swept by, giving a chill down the spine.
As if infected by the environment, Haylir, originally filled with excitement about the mission, also calmed down.
As the four cautiously advanced, when the sun set and the last shred of sunlight in the air faded away, they finally reached the designated location.
"Birch Village"
At the fork leading to the village, a crooked wooden sign bore the name.
Even before entering the village,
they could hear the commotion coming from the central square, vaguely catching the sound of crying.
Gauss felt his heart sink, realizing something had happened in the village, connecting it to their mission, he sensed something ominous.
"We must gather forces now and rescue Jenny and Elsa!"
"It's already dark! I think it's better to prepare weapons for tomorrow and then..."
"Tomorrow? By tomorrow, it will be too late! Those filthy green skinned vermin won't wait for us to prepare."
"My poor child!"
The central square was crowded. Around the dimly lit bonfire, some men were fervently shouting, some looked hesitant, while women sat on the ground wailing, their faces filled with grief and pain.
"Excuse me, is this Birch Village? We are the adventurers who took on your commissioned quest. Is the village chief here? We'd like to understand the situation," Haylir called out to the crowd, breaking the chaotic chatter.
Her shout interrupted the villagers' disputes, and under vigilant gazes, an old man with a cane stepped out from the crowd.
"Hello everyone, I am the village chief of Birch Village."
He nodded, straightforwardly revealing his identity.
"Welcome to Birch Village, adventurers. Normally, we would warmly welcome guests from afar. But as you can see, the village is in such a state now; please forgive our lack of hospitality."
"It's fine, Chief. Please tell us the specifics; we came for the commission." Haylir waved a hand, simultaneously presenting the quest document to prove their identity.
Hearing her response, the chief immediately breathed a sigh of relief. While checking the document, he began recounting the recent tragic incident in the village.
The situation wasn't complicated: two women from the village were captured by a group of goblins.
This was partly due to the villagers' complacency. This goblin group had been active in the forest surrounding the village for a few months, but they had never attacked people before, merely occasionally stealing chickens, ducks, and other livestock.
Yet, to reduce property loss, the villagers raised a fund, gathered the commission, and published a bounty in Gray Rock Town.
For the past couple of days, the goblins seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Feeling somewhat relaxed, the villagers were awaiting a squad of adventurers to come and eliminate the goblins hiding in the forest and didn't overly guard against those green-skinned creatures.
But who would have thought, come nightfall today, the village experienced its first incident.
Two women were taken.
Now it was completely dark, impairing mobility.
Except for close relatives of the victims, other villagers were unwilling to stumble into the forest and risk battling goblins; human nature is ultimately selfish.
Thus, opinions clashed on the square.
One side, driven by reason, felt it was too dangerous to fight at night, fearing lives might be lost without rescuing anyone.
The other side believed that waiting until tomorrow would irrevocably worsen the tragedy since it was still possible to save the kidnapped women who had just been taken.
After all, they're only a few goblins, child-sized. As long as everyone united, they could surely bring the captured women back.
Both arguments had merit, leaving the chief unable to make a decision.
Luckily, at this moment, this unfamiliar adventurer squad appeared like a godsend.
While the chief didn't say it, he had already placed his hopes in them.
From his perspective, aside from the black-haired man, the four wore fine equipment, unmatched by ordinary villagers.
The chief and other villagers collectively turned their gaze to the four adventurers.
"Sorry, we need to discuss it first," Haylir apologized with a slight bow amid piercing gazes before pulling the others aside to strategize.
For a moment, the once bustling village descended into a certain inexplicable quiet, but beneath the silence was a surge of thoughts.
Everyone awaited their decision.
A new adventurer squad, obscure in town, now bore the hopes of an entire village.
Gauss caught glimpses of the silent villagers and began to feel the pressure.
True adventure is always filled with the unexpected.
Initially, he thought this was just a routine clearing mission.
Arrive at the location, rest, scout the next day, gather intelligence, plan an attack, slay the goblins, and complete the quest.
Little did he know, the meticulously planned schedule seemed to encounter a twist at the very first step.