A soft golden light slipped through the wooden shutters, gently illuminating the small room.
Outside, the village was slowly waking up. The distant sound of carts rolling over dirt roads mixed with the quiet chatter of merchants preparing their stalls.
Somewhere below, the smell of fresh bread drifted up from the inn's kitchen.
For once, everything felt calm, Peaceful.
Curled beside me, Ivy slept quietly, her breathing slow and steady.
If nothing disturbed this perfect moment, I could easily sleep for another hour.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
( But the world have another plan to me, or I just jinx myself with this monologue.)
"Knock harder, how do you expect someone to ear something if you just tapping the door?"
" Well I don't want to be brutal, and you better stop screaming, if Lucas-san is mad I will kill you there."
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
Half-asleep, Lucas lazily stretched my arms, casually using his psy to check the presence outside the room.
(Hmm… it's seems like Sarah… and someone else ?)
En attendant, les voix du duo à l'extérieur ont commencé à s'élever et commençais à ressembler à une dispute.
That still wasn't enough to make him get up.
(Maybe they'll leave in a minute and I will go back to sleep…)
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Gerald, stop knocking so hard! You're going to startle him. If Lucas-san gets annoyed, he might refuse to help us."
Judging by her tone, Sarah was clearly arguing with the man beside her.
"Listen, Sarah, we need to sort this out quickly. I'll apologize if I bothered him, but right now we need.....wait a second….. how do you call him ?"
A little puzzled by the sudden shift in the conversation, she answers.
"What, here's this a problem with calling Lucas-san like that ?"
"He's a elf and your casually calling like this and you're already calling him that so casually?"
There was a brief pause.
"Wh-What does it matter to you that I call him like this?" Lira snapped.
"Why don't you worry about finding a girlfriend instead of sticking your nose into other people's romances business?"
"First of all, dear sister, what you think is a matter of love is just probably a basic politesse and---"
He take a good second of inspiration before screaming.
" IT'S NOT THAT I CAN'T FIND ONE IT SIMPLY THAT I DON'T WANT TO."
He snorted.
"And honestly? An old cow like you chasing fresh grass shouldn't be telling me anything about relationships."
"I am not old!" she shot back immediately.
"I'm in the prime of my life. It's just that young men these days fall in love at first sight."
She paused, clearly emphasizing her next words.
"And besides… I've already found someone I like."
"Ahhh, I knew it. That's exactly what I thought, aren't you ashamed to hang around the little boys in the village, I even heard you dropped the inn just to go around with him."
- Lucas's POV-
A little surprised by the revelation I just listened right now, and seeing the not so much surprised face of Ivy, I quickly regained my focus and listening to the duo.
( A shame that I just want to sleep right now otherwise this drama will be very welcomed.)
And just after that through the voice rise again.
"He asked for a tour of the village! And since nobody was at reception, I thought it would be better if I handled it myself and not lost your customer!"
"Sure, as if I'd believe you. He looks barely 15 and you already up to your devious tricks."
Without a pause, he continued-
" You'll soon have 3---"
AAAAARRRGH!
It seems like she just punch him somewhere and I highly doubt it was pleasant.
"What the hell was that for?!"
She casually replied.
"Has nobody ever taught you not to reveal a woman's age?"
"Well, that rule doesn't apply to old hags like—"
AAAAARRRHH!
"Stop hitting me!"
"Then stop talking and just SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!!!"
Soon after that, the hallway was filled with the sound of scuffling and yelling.
Their voices overlapped so much that it became impossible to understand anything.
Meanwhile, my sleep quietly slipped away.
(Well… that's it. No more sleep.)
With a sigh, I sat up.
"I'll see what they want," I muttered.
If it wasn't important, I'd simply go back to bed.
Beside me, Ivy stared with unusually focused eyes, as if she were seriously considering eliminating the disturbance entirely.
"Oh, come on. Don't look at them like that."
I gently stroked her head.
"I'll deal with it. If it turns out to be pointless, you can… do whatever you want afterward."
Of course, I was joking.
The sudden disappearance of two villagers would raise a few questions.
After getting up, I walked to the door and opened it.
Outside, Lira and Gerald were literally pulling each other's hair.
They stopped a few seconds later when they noticed me standing there.
Looking at them closely, the resemblance was obvious.
( Same eyes, same hair color, same skin tone.)
I have to say, they're definitely related—their eyes, their hair color, their skin tone.
If it weren't for their completely different builds—and the obvious presence of breasts on one of them—it would have been easy to mistake them for twins.
For several awkward seconds, they simply stared at me.
The silence became increasingly uncomfortable.
The more this went on, the more embarrassed I became, looking at them both with the strange expression on their faces, as if they were seeing something otherworldly.
And ignoring the fact that Sarah is clearly drooling like a dog, I turn my face to the sibling, and spoke.
"So… what's going on?"
---
It have take a little time, but they finally explained the situation and it was something simple.
The village chief wanted to gather all adventurers, mercenaries, and fighters currently in the village for an announcement.
At first, I assumed it had nothing to do with me.
Then I remembered the hundred monsters Ivy and I had eliminated in the forest yesterday.
And since the chief was currently paying for my room, refusing the invitation didn't seem like a great idea.
So I promised them I would come.
A few minutes later, I finished put my clothes back on, placed the eggs carefully inside my bag, and left the room with Ivy resting in my arms.
Carrying her is surely an easy task, and that's to my advantage. I like her menthe smell.
As I began walking down the stairs, i noticed some noise around, Ivy remained perched comfortably in my arms, her vines loosely wrapped around my sleeve.
Suspecting something a bit dangerous, for a moment I considered asking her to return to her Poké Ball.
But in the end, I decided against it for a simple reason.
(If something happens, having her ready to smack down head is better.)
Reaching the ground floor staircase, I looked up at the surrounding area.
By the time I reached the staircase, I sensed roughly thirty individuals.
Most of them were clearly adventurers or mercenaries.
What they all had in common was simple :
They were armed.
" Ivy, you see that?"
"SNI" (✷‿✷)
I don't know why but she seems rather happy about this situation than anything.
My eyes quickly analyzed the room.
" Well I think there's are three main groups in the inn right now."
The first one, the largest, was a mixed gathering of humans, Half-human, and even some dwarf who seemed particularly animated.
They looked like a group of acquaintances rather than an organized unit.
( I will call them Group One.)
The second group was clearly different, there are composed exclusively of humans and some Half-human.
Which caused me to frown a little at the moment, uniform armor placement, disciplined posture.
(Private soldiers… or something close.)
They were also far better equipped than the first group.
(So for this one Group Two.)
And then the last group, but certainly the most striking in the entire room, is made up exclusively of elves.
Seven elves.
Principal four adults at low and the remaining three looked cute young—perhaps around my age, or a little older in the look.
Given the lifespan differences between humans and elves, it was difficult to tell.
( Maybe children of nobles, or at worse pretty well rounded given there equipment.)
Their equipment was far too refined for ordinary adventurers.
" And Group Three, there all practically separated into groups, not counting the 3-4 wolf at the back of the pack, and are mostly humans, with a few half-human and seven elves in a inn."
( Still, it's bad news to see so many armed people there, it means at least that the reason for their presence is either extermination, and this area certainly needs it, or some other reason that justifies them all being armed.)
( As long as I'm carrying a weapon, at least I won't stand out in this atmosphere, and I won't be considered an easy target if anything goes wrong.)
I take out my baseball bat, which I should probably rename in the meantime.
It was still a ridiculous weapon for this world, but it would serve as both a tool of persuasion and at least a line of defense.
I left it half-visible inside my bag, just enough to show the handle.
Then I walked down the stairs.
I enter the room as simply and calmly as possible, and it already seems I've overdone it; the eyes of every group are fixed on me and on Ivy.
I make eye contact with each group, and it seems more serious than I thought, especially with the elves.
The reaction was subtle at first, but all the elves were immediate stiffened.
One of the archers inhaled sharply.
The mage's eyes widened slightly.
Even the armored knight turned his head completely toward us.
Their gazes locked onto Ivy as if they had sensed something unusual.
Which, in a way, they probably had. Elves were known for their deep connection with nature.
( And Ivy…well, she was practically a walking concentration of plant energy with a skin of snake.)
One of the younger elves whispered quietly.
"…Do you feel that?"
Another nodded slowly.
"It's like standing next to an ancient forest."
The adult mage narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly analyzing the small green creature in my arms.
"Not a monsters.....…nor a normal beast."
The knight crossed his arms.
"But whatever it is, it carries a powerful natural aura."
Meanwhile, Ivy stared back at them with her usual calm bored face.
She turned her head towards them, and turned back with a high degree of condescending.
Like she looked at some trash that even not have the right to look at her.
She clearly noticed their attention.
I gently scratched under her head.
"Relax, when do you become so mighty?" I murmured quietly.
She made a small content sound.
"Sni…"(≧▽≦)
Unfortunately, that only made the elves stare even harder.
The rest of the room soon followed their gaze.
Within seconds, nearly everyone present was looking at us.
(Maybe I should have used the Poké Ball after all…)
Still, standing still would only make things worse.
So I calmly walked toward the small group of individuals standing apart from the others.
Determined not to remain idle, I head towards the 'wolf' group, much to their surprise, but that's not my concern at the moment.
As I passed closer to the elves I just make a little smile at the group and I noticed something interesting.
The three younger ones were staring at me with undisguised curiosity.
One of them finally whispered to the others.
"…Wait."
"…Isn't he a bit young?"
The second elf tilted her head.
"He looks at most like Vale… maybe around sixteen." The third frowned slightly.
"…And he's carrying that creature like it's completely normal."
Meanwhile, Ivy looked perfectly satisfied with the situation.
She simply rested her head against my arm, completely ignoring the tension she had just created.
(Yeah… she is going to attract attention.)
And right on cue, a old man stepped onto the wooden platform.
The room slowly quieted.
As he steps onto the platform, some of those present seem to lose focus on me, though I'm sure not everyone does.
Then, after a few seconds, he begins the longest speech I've heard since arriving in this world.
"Good afternoon, dear guests. I'm sure not all of you know why you're here today, but I'll explain as best I can."
"My name is Eugene Frankfurt, and I'm the chief of this village, which was once an outpost against the monster invasion through the great chasm that became Orario. My parents grew up here, as did my grandparents. I've been in this position for almost 47 years, and I've never wanted anything more in my life."
"But it's fair to say that in recent years, the situation in our village has steadily worsened. Not drastically, but with the gradual increase in the number of monsters in the area and their lairs reproduction, the decrease in game for hunting."
"The most disheartening thing is that among the groups of young people who left for Orario, some died en route because of monsters and bandits, others were kidnapped by the Amazons, and the few who managed to reach their destination were caught in the dark period."
He shook his head.
"Those who returned can be counted on the fingers of two hands, and they were never the same again. Because of this, the population continued to age, the hunters began to age and dwindle in number, and the monsters ended up multiplying en masse."
"Since then, new predators have begun to appear, first Wolves, then Kobolds, and finally the Bugbears, the most troublesome of all." We did, of course, start sending out extermination quests to the guild, but very few were willing to travel for three weeks for a pittance."
"The situation continued for a few months until Familia Artemis showed us mercy and exterminated the monsters in the area. During this period, we managed to diversify our products and secure a contract with a traveling caravan thanks to retired artisans and some magicians who develop basic items."
At that, several people in the room nodded.
"Since then, things have started to improve, but the increasing presence of monsters has sometimes hampered trade, as has the growing shortage of magic stone resources for our magic artisans."
"Gradually, their visits decreased, and sales declined, as did the resources for crafting, and therefore the money needed to recruit adventurers to exterminate the monsters. This, in turn, reduces the livestock in the surrounding area and starves our inhabitants."
"To break this vicious cycle, I recently decided to appeal to the inhabitants for support to finance the caravans and enable a large-scale extermination of all the monsters in the area, preparing for the caravan's arrival before the start of winter."
He clasped his hands.
"So I called all of you here today."
"My intention was to organize a large-scale extermination of the monsters surrounding this region before winter."
Then his expression changed slightly.
"However…"
"This morning, something unexpected occurred."
The room grew tense.
"Our patrol, along with the representatives of House Elbart, discovered the aftermath of a large-scale destructive spell."
"A monster nest containing over one hundred creatures had been completely annihilated."
Murmurs spread across the hall.
The chief raised his voice slightly.
"So if the mage responsible for this feat is present…"
He looked across the crowd.
"I would ask them to step forward."
---
Reader im not dead or something like so enjoy your chapter with peace in mind.