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Everything had been sorted.
The house was clear of everything that belonged to me, although there wasn't much I had left lying around to begin with, and I had stored it all safely within the Sheikah Slate.
Aly was gone, and I was making my way to the center of town, where the adventurers had decided to meet soon.
But even after organizing my entire inventory, I wore a few important items on my person.
For one thing, I had decided to switch out the Champion's Tunic and replaced it with a Hylian Tunic, a layered gambeson-like top with patterned cloth, leather pads protecting vital areas, and a thin mantle of chainmail beneath it all for extra protection.
-It looked much more like a proper set of armor than the Champion's Tunic I wore previously, even though it was much less useful in combat.
A Knight's Broadsword also hung off my back, beneath the metal Knight's Shield and a shiny new Knight's Bow I had taken out of the slate. The blue and white plates adorning it made the bow look quite impressive.
Overall, I looked ready to go out into the wilderness and fight monsters, instead of a common village boy wearing a nice shirt.
This was all needed for an important purpose.
The adventurers still hadn't decided to accept me on the journey to E-Rantel.
Although Momon never refused me, he had specifically stated that his answer would decide on the opinion of the others within the group. They had to give the go-ahead before I joined up.
It was basically a job interview.
And even if I had literally never attended one before, that wouldn't stop me. There was a first time for everything, after all, and I seriously needed to get this job.
As I walked towards the center of town, my leather boots padding lightly on the dirt path, and various weapons jangling together off my back, I took a deep breath.
My palms were a little sweaty.
"Wait, so one of the villagers is coming with us?"
"-Oh, I hope they're a girl, and pretty!"
"...Wasn't Nabe the only one for you, Lukrut?"
"Ah! I mean-"
"I'm worried about some inexperienced villager coming along..."
"Guys, Momon already said that it was the same person we met at the gate-"
"Wait, you mean the short pretty-boy? Gah! My worst nightmare!"
"Lukrut, shut up…"
"But it's true! Guys with faces like that are the enemies-"
"Lukrut! Shut up!"
"You know, you're the same way, Ninya! You must be an enemy too!"
"Lukrut!"
Peter Mauk, leader of the Swords of Darkness, sighed dejectedly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Already, the group had devolved into complete chaos.
But he couldn't help the small hint of a smile as he looked at the friendly banter going on around him. After all, scenes like this truly showed how much his team had grown since they had still been rookie adventurers, and relative strangers to each other.
The only way they could laugh and joke around was due to the trust that had built up over the long months and years of risking their lives together.
And it was Peter's job to protect that trust.
Which meant he was prepared to be the critical eye, the hardass, and the one who would turn away this new would-be adventurer.
Having a farmboy tag along on the trip, only to get himself stabbed in the neck by a rogue goblin would be tragic, but it would also hinder the team as a whole for weeks to come. The chances of that happening were too high for him to risk.
The adventurer glanced at Momon and Nabe, the two powerhouses that joined the team for this request.
Those two were, obviously, very different.
While they were unknowns, just the fact that Momon wore armor made of full plate, each one clearly taken care of and made with excellent material, spoke to their skill. Nabe could use third tier magic as well, and was very impressive on the field. Neither of them were simple villagers, hoping to run off on a fun trip.
The two of them had proven their strength many times over during this journey, with Nabe showing her magical skill, and Momon cutting through an entire Ogre with a single swing of his sword.
So Peter frowned, and turned to look down the trail, where his party could make out a figure turning around the bend.
But when his sharp gaze was me with the approaching stranger, his eyes widened.
After all, the image Peter was faced with could not have been different than the man they had met an hour prior.
Light chainmail jangled beneath heavy cloth and leather padding, a hood thrown around his neck and leather traveling boots clapped against the stone ground.
Weaponry hung from his back. A broadsword kept within a decorated metal sheath, a pentagonal shield emblazoned with an unknown symbol, and a bow clad with light metal decorations, it's drawstring strung tight.
...It was definitely the same man they had met earlier. His ears, sharp and pointed but slightly shorter than an elf's, and his crystal blue eyes were all there. But he didn't seem like a normal villager.
The young man stopped in front of them, and nodded in greeting to Momon and Nabe, then the rest of the group.
"Ah... Hello. You're Link, right?"
Peter remembered the other village girl calling him that. For someone with Elven blood, it seemed like something of a strange name, but Peter had met plenty of people with unusual backgrounds as an adventurer.
The man nodded.
"..."
Nobody spoke.
"Um- so... Link. We heard from Momon you wanted to come with us."
Another nod.
"Well, we're going to be heading into the Forest of Tob in order to gather herbs... Since you live here, you should know that it can get pretty dangerous there."
Another nod.
Link was expressionless.
It was like talking to a stone wall, to be honest.
"...So, we're not sure if someone like you, who's not even an adventurer... should, you know..."
"..."
"Basically, you could die."
Link nodded.
"..."
-Peter inwardly groaned.
Couldn't this guy at least try to make this conversation a little less awkward?!
Peter glanced at all the members of his team.
And them too! They were just staring at him and this stupid one-sided monologue!
Why wasn't anybody talking?! He just wanted some slack!
Sure, Peter was the leader, but the others could at least try to chip in with some questions of their own to make this whole thing less awkward!
He sighed. Again.
"So, if possible, we're gonna need some kind of proof that you can handle yourself. Otherwise, I'm afraid we can't take you along."
A thoughtful look crossed the silent man's face, before he gave a nod of agreement.
"Great. So, would you like to have a spar, or something?"
Peter was sure that he could beat someone like Link, but a short spar was always a great way to get a read on a man's experience and skill. Even if Peter won, he was certain to learn a lot.
For instance, if this was Link's first time picking up a sword, and all that equipment he was wearing just came from his father or something, then it would be easy to tell.
However, if Link had clearly trained many times with that blade, and was decent in a fight, Peter might decide to let Link come with them.
But as the question registered, and Link realized what Peter had asked, a complicated expression crossed his face and the half-elf shook his head.
"..."
"Um. What do you want to do, then?"
Link looked around for a short moment, before his eyes fastened onto something, and he walked over to a nearby tree.
It stood at the edge of the area, and was decently large, although still somewhat young.
A red 'X' was cut into the bark of the tree at around eye-level. Peter thought that mark probably meant the tree was planned to be cut down.
Link drew his sword, a ring of metal on metal emanated through the square, and the blade was revealed.
Peter's eyes widened.
It was probably one of the most beautiful swords the adventurer had ever seen.
The metal and binding was perfectly taken care of, without even a single visible mar or scratch. The steel was shapely and well cut, the leather binding and crossguard almost gleaming in the midday sun.
But it was clear that the sword was not brand-new. The blade was very slightly worn down, and the grip, while greatly maintained, had clearly been used for a long time.
Link held it in his right hand, knees bent slightly in a near-perfect form, and in the time it would take to blink, the steel flashed forward through the air.
The tree toppled.
In a single one-handed swing with a broadsword, Link had completely cut through the tree.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The Swords of Darkness were made up of four members.
Peter Mauk, leader and general frontline fighter. Experienced with a blade, he was able to grab the attention of any monster they fought and deal great damage while trusting his back to the rest of the team. With an easy smile and confident demeanor, he was the face of the group as a whole.
Lukrut Volve was the team ranger. He wore light leather armor, and used a well-made bow and arrow during combat. With his long limbs and wiry muscles, he looked like a spider. In the wild, when the group was traveling, he was at his best.
However that didn't mean Dyne Woodwonder was useless. The druid was heavyset and tall, the largest member of the group, but probably the kindest. He always seemed to have a gentle expression that belied his imposing presence, and Dyne was often able to diffuse any arguments before they even began.
The final member of the team was Ninya, the Spellcaster. A talent holder, he was able to learn any magic-related skill in half the time it took for a normal person. He was small and thin, with a more androgynous appearance then the rest of the team. However, with the ability to use second tier magic he certainly wasn't a pushover.
The team as a whole was well-rounded, experienced, and determined to improve further upon themselves. This skill and experience was shown in the silver tags hanging around each of their necks.
But next to the pair standing beside them, it seemed as if they were simple novices.
It seemed to me like there was a vivid disconnect between the two groups.
And after just an hour or two of traveling with the adventurers, it was clear that there were two groups here, not one.
While the four Swords of Darkness, plus the herbalist Nfirea, made one group, the pair of Momon and Nabe were separated from the others.
The Swords of Darkness had a hard time pulling either of them into the conversation, and they volunteered no words of their own. Nabe seemed to ignore the people around her in favor of glaring off into the distance, only retorting when Lukrut the ranger made flirty remarks.
Momon, on the other hand, simply had the aura of intimidation constantly surrounding him. With the full plate armor concealing his body and expression, along with his chilly demeanor, it was hard to speak with the man.
However, I constantly noticed that Nfirea watched the tall adventurer closely. The look in the boy's eyes seemed admiring, almost bordering on hero-worship.
Clearly, Momon had done something to help out Nfirea and the herbalist held the man in very high regard.
Nfirea was very different from all the others in the party, even myself.
For one thing, he didn't hold a single weapon; all his items were made for travel or personal comfort. He had nothing for defense- no armor at all, just a simple cloth shirt and apron laid across his front. The boy's hands were clear of any calluses, although I could make out a few burns and scars, and he was thin, with hardly any muscle or fat on his body.
But Nfirea always seemed to have a smile on his face, and although his long bangs concealed his eyes, whenever I could make out the clear blue gaze beneath his hair it struck me as an honest one.
Of course, I was the least socially capable person I knew, so my read on him could have been very wrong.
"So Link! You gotta tell us- how the hell did you get so strong? I mean, no offense, but you've got barely any muscle on you at all!"
"Is it a talent?"
"Hm… I have heard about talents that increase a man's strength, but nothing like what Link here has shown…"
"Oh, if it's a talent, does it increase strength in other areas too? Like…"
"Lukrut, shut up…"
"Like, how much are we talking? And stamina, too?"
"Lukrut! shut up!"
"Come on, Ninya, I'm definitely not the only one who wants to know!"
"Lukrut!"
I smiled at the team's interactions.
It had been far too long since I had seen travelers on the road smiling and laughing together; there seemed to always be the threat of monster raids over people's heads. This might have been the first time I had seen such lighthearted banter in…
I shook my head slightly, biting my lower lip.
That wasn't me.
The action was noticed by the others, and the leader of the group, Peter, turned to me.
"Hey, Link, you alright? The others can get a little rowdy, sorry about that…"
I shook my head, waving him off.
Peter still looked concerned, but nodded and turned his head forward, towards the road we walked on.
All the adventurers and I surrounded a small horse-drawn cart filled with the group's supplies for travel, Nfirea sitting atop it, maneuvering the rickety vehicle down the dirt road.
However, we did not follow the road for long.
Our goal was not to immediately travel to the city of E-Rantel. Nfirea's main purpose on this outing was to collect herbs within the Great Forest of Tob. Carne Village was just a pit-stop for them.
In just a few minutes the conversation was cut short.
The adventurers around me soon let the grins slip from their faces, their eyes beginning to sharpen.
The forest loomed over us, casting deep shadows beneath the afternoon sun.
Nfirea took the lead.
"All right, it seems like we've got a few hours before it gets too dark to see within the forest. This area should be relatively safe, since it's within the King of the Forest's territory, but you never know what could happen here, alright?"
Everyone nodded, and the teenager sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"Although, you're all pretty seasoned adventurers, so I guess I don't need to tell you that…"
He shook his head.
"Well, let's get going!"
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*Author's Note*
I did it!
Even though a chapter like this doesn't seem like a lot of work, my schedule has gotten pretty busy with the fall starting up and the summer ending. But I made a promise to just get a little bit of writing done every day, even if it's just a paragraph, and I think it's been paying off. Normally, I set a writing deadline for myself and then procrastinate until that time, which has always ended in disappointment so I'm trying to stop doing that.
Anyways, if all goes well the next chapter should be coming out within a week. Thanks for reading!