The morning sun shone on his face. Ethan's eyelashes fluttered. He stared blankly at his surroundings for a good while before finally coming to his senses.
"I really am living in Yukumo Village now…"
With a splash, Ethan stood up. Crystal-clear water droplets rolled down the lines of his body, refracting a rainbow of light.
He stretched his limbs a little, and Ethan was astonished to find that even though he had been soaking in the hot spring water all night, he felt no discomfort at all. On the contrary, he felt energetic and full of strength. Even the rough skin he had developed in the wilderness seemed a bit more supple.
Yukumo's hot springs are truly amazing…
A plate of Onsen Tamago was sitting on the stone platform beside him. He touched it, and it was still warm. The egg was savory, tender, and smooth, leaving a fragrant aftertaste in his mouth.
A wave of warmth spread in his stomach. Ethan let out a sigh of comfort. "Ah." He then changed his clothes and left the room.
Kouhei and Kaori were no longer in the house. Only Iwata Hirokazu was tidying things in the living room, apparently preparing to go out as well.
Seeing Ethan emerge, Iwata Hirokazu greeted him, "How is it? Are you getting used to the stay?"
Ethan gave a thumbs-up, then pointed at Iwata's bag, and tilted his head.
"This, you mean…"
Iwata thought for a moment, then secretly revealed the contents of the bag to Ethan. It contained various bottles, jars, and sundry items that were hard to make out immediately.
"Uncle Kayne says I can't be a Hunter, but I disagree. I'm going to prove myself!"
"It's great that you've arrived. The farm doesn't need my help anymore, so I can finally show what I'm made of without any worries!"
Ethan's eyes widened. He quickly waved his hands, trying to stop him.
How do you plan to prove yourself, hey! You're not going to run out into the wilderness and fight monsters just like that, are you!
I ran around the wilderness without weapons or armor because I had no choice, but you doing that is too irresponsible with your own life!
"Shh!"
Iwata looked left and right. Seeing that his parents hadn't noticed his little movements, he winked conspiratorially at Ethan.
"What are you thinking! I wouldn't be so reckless as to just go straight into the wilderness. I'm planning to go register at the Hunter Training School, take the assessment, and only go out after officially gaining Hunter status!"
"When I'm not around, remember to cover for me! Don't let my parents find out!"
Leaving those final words, Iwata slipped through the crack in the door and disappeared in a flash.
Ethan's outstretched hand grabbed at the air, then dropped down helplessly.
I haven't even learned a few words yet. How am I supposed to cover for you?
Shaking his head, Ethan left the house. He followed a cobblestone path for less than a hundred meters, emerged from the bamboo grove, and a farm nestled against the mountain and beside the water came into view.
Calling it a "farm" wasn't quite accurate. Besides large plots of cultivated crops, there were decaying logs for growing various mushrooms, triangular insect traps for catching bugs, neat rows of beehives, a mine shaft extending into the mountain, and even a pier reaching into the river with fishing nets set up.
"Meow! Are you the new resident, Kirin, meow?"
While Ethan was curiously looking around, a cream-colored Felyne walked out of the field. Seeing Ethan from afar, it quickly scampered over to him, bowed first, and then spoke.
Ethan had given up on correcting his name. He nodded resignedly.
"I am the Felyne Housekeeper, hired by Lord Kouhei, meow! Please take care of me, meow!"
Ethan recalled the Felyne's pronunciation and awkwardly responded: "Please t-take c-care."
"What a strange accent, meow…"
The Felyne Housekeeper muttered quietly. Ethan awkwardly closed his mouth.
"Ahem, to get to the point, meow! Lord Kouhei already told me about your temporary stay, meow! Actually, there's not much you need to help with on the farm. All the various facilities have specialized Felynes responsible for them, meow!"
"If I had to say, your job is to help check for gaps, meow. Sometimes the responsible Felyne might be too busy and will need your help, meow~"
"Next, I will introduce you to the specifics of the farm, meow…"
…
The morning passed quietly as Ethan familiarized himself with the farm work. After lunch, Ethan was released from his light, almost leisurely duties. He followed the stone steps all the way to the Yukumo Village Gathering Hall.
Of course, the Hunters here preferred to call the Yukumo Village Gathering Hall the "Yukumo Bathhouse." The reason was simple: compared to the common tavern style of other Gathering Halls, where the smell of barbecue and beer mixed with the clamor of Hunters chatting and joking, the Yukumo Gathering Hall, built upon high-quality hot springs, appeared exceptionally elegant and leisurely.
Pushing aside the curtain at the entrance and walking into the red building, Ethan first glanced at the large area of warm spring water separated by a curtain on the right. Through the gaps in the curtain, he could vaguely see the distant mountains and valleys.
Tsk. Soaking in an open-air hot spring and enjoying the scenic views—Yukumo Village truly lives up to its reputation as a resort. They certainly know how to enjoy life.
To the left was a redwood corridor. According to Kayne, this side should lead to the small lodges provided by the Gathering Hall for the Hunters.
Perhaps because there weren't many Hunters in Yukumo Village, or because the Hunters staying at the Gathering Hall preferred to soak in the hot springs, the quest counter looked quite deserted.
Beneath two large red lanterns, a little old man was sitting cross-legged by the counter, pouring sake into a gourd, oblivious to the liquor wetting his white beard.
He was flanked by the two Quest Maidens. The one on the left, wearing a pink robe, was resting her cheek on one hand, idly poking the huge Felyne tumbler behind her with the other. The one on the right, wearing a blue robe, was kneeling quietly in place, though if you looked closely at her eyes, you'd find she was also spacing out.
Ethan's entrance was quiet, but it immediately brought the blue-clad Quest Maiden (Sasayu) back to reality. She quickly tugged on the sleeve of the girl next to her, whispering a reminder.
"Konoha, someone is here."
"I know, Sasayu~"
Konoha secretly stuck out her tongue, then leaned forward over the counter, lifting her arm. She greeted him enthusiastically:
"Hello! Is there anything I can help you with?"
Hmm, what an enthusiastic Quest Maiden. You weren't like this in the game…
Ethan muttered a complaint in his mind and subconsciously said, "I came to look for someone…"
As the words left his mouth, he closed it in frustration and began to rummage through his mind for the vocabulary he had memorized from the Felyne Housekeeper that morning, trying to piece together a complete sentence.
Konoha, however, was slightly taken aback, then quickly reacted. "Are you here to look for Mr. Kayne?"
Huh?
Ethan's eyes widened. How did she guess that?
Konoha chuckled. "I heard yesterday that Kayne brought back a young man who doesn't speak the common tongue. That must be you, right?"
"I'll take you to find Mr. Kayne!"
Konoha scurried out from behind the counter. As she led the way for Ethan, she curiously scrutinized the rather mysterious young man.
Hmm? You know what? He's quite handsome!
Sasayu shook her head helplessly. Ugh, this girl just can't sit still. It's so much better to just quietly slack off…