"There it is."

Naofumi barely registered Rachel's voice. He could barely even comprehend a coherent thought when he first saw it.

On a field of berries, a creature that shouldn't exist lay sleeping on its side. At first glance, it was a tiger with rich tawny fur striped black. The noticeable differences were that one of the nails was longer than the others and curved. Its tail was sharp instead of ending in a bulb like most tigers.

However, it wasn't the tiger that sent Naofumi into a momentary state of bewilderment. It was the goat head protruding from the side. It was the embodiment of body horror. It was as if the tiger grew another head only on the side of its body. And a goat's head at that.

When they set off to the field where the mayor told them the goba berries grew, Naofumi didn't expect much from the chimera. He fought zombies and wasps the size of his head.

This… this was not what he was expecting.

He knew the basics of what a chimera technically was. Except what he knew was based purely on myth. And the popular depiction of a chimera usually was a lion's head, a goat's body, and the tail the head of a serpent. Then there were nue. The face of a monkey, having legs of a tiger, the body of a tanuki, and the tail also being a serpent.

By all accounts, this chimera fit the definition.

And if the goat head did have healing magic, they were screwed.

"So, how do we kill it?"

When they came upon the field, they hid behind a boulder near the riverbank, peering over the rock. It wasn't the best of hiding spots, but the tiger – and the goat – wouldn't see them if they woke up.

"You're asking the wrong person here." Rachel said, her gaze never leaving the chimera.

"What then? What did you two do when a wave hit?"

Rachel shook her head. "Like I told you, I hid in villages until it was over. It wasn't until I met you that I fought in one."

Naofumi shifted his gaze to Mina, hoping she had more experience.

"The same with Rachel, I hid in villages or cities. At the orphanage, we hid in the basement until it was done. And when I was with Lula's we either tried to hide or if we weren't able to, we fought."

"And did you fight a chimera?"

"No. There was only one time when a chimera attacked but I was fighting off lizardmen and the other dancers killed it."

"Hmmm…"

This was going to be a problem. His first thought was to come up with a strategy. Only to remember that this wasn't a game, no matter how many times his status magic appeared.

There was also the issue with the goat. If they so much as attempt to kill it, the goat will just heal them. Going after the goat would only enrage the tiger, and those claws could easily maw them. Or the tail could be used as a whip.

If they attacked both at the same time, it should work. Or it could completely fail and they'd be killed. All based on his stupid strategy. He could see the engraving on his tombstone.

Here lies Naofumi Iwatani. He was an idiot.

"Alright," he sat down on the ground. "We need to attack quickly so the goat doesn't have enough time to heal. Any ideas?"

The women looked deep in thought. Mina then spoke.

"There is one trick I know. A lot of the dancers who specialize in illusion magic use it."

This was good news.

"What is it?" Naofumi leaned forward.

"We create clones of ourselves. They can fight but if they're hit, they disappear."

"Perfect. Rachel," his gaze fell on her, "can you poison them both?"

"I can try. Though I'm not sure if the goat can heal status ailments. But it's worth a shot."

"Good." He stood. "Let's get this over with."

He peered over the rock again. The chimera hadn't moved an inch from its spot. This was their only chance for a sneak attack.

"Go for it, Mina."

Mina took out her fan and waved it quickly.

A blue mist formed around the chimera. It opened its eyes just a column of ice launched it into the air.

"Let's go!"

They dashed from the boulder; weapons ready.

The chimera landed hard on the ground but quickly got up. The tiger let out a roar that shook them all to the bone. The goat didn't make any noise, but it did see them. The tiger turned its gaze to them.

It pounced on them faster than they could dodge. They jumped out of the way, barely avoided the claws.

With the three of them surrounding it, the chimera stood its ground. The goat moved its head side to side and a green aura surrounded them.

Naofumi saw the HP of the chimera go up. Not by a lot but if the goat continued to heal themselves, they were in for a lot of trouble.

The chimera turned its focus onto Rachel as she was the closest.

Rachel gripped her ax tightly, getting ready to dodge. If she could, that is.

A dagger flew and pierced the skin of the goat. The goat cried out in a blood-curdling sound. Naofumi couldn't help but shudder.

The tiger turned and pinned its gaze onto Mina. The dancer smiled and began to dance all while never tearing her gaze from the tiger.

"Come get me," she taunted.

The chimera lunged for her. Only for Mina to disappear in a puff of smoke, making the chimera trip on its feet.

"Naughty kitty."

The chimera stood, turning to the sound of Mina's voice. She stood on the edge of the riverbank. So did another Mina. And another.

The three Minas paid no mind to the chimera as they danced. They laughed as the spun and jumped, moving around the chimera in a circle.

"Over here."

"No, right here!"

"Come hither."

In its confusion, the goat, still in pain, shook its head.

"Not so fast."

A dark green glow covered them. The goat coughed, its head lolling to the side.

From her spot, Rachel smirked as the sigil she drew shattered.

"Score one for me."

With the chimera being distracted by the dancing Minas, Rachel came up from behind and jumped. She let out a battle cry as she chopped the goat head off.

Blood gushed from the open wound. The tiger cried, staggering back on shaking legs.

"All your, Naofumi!" Rachel shouted.

Naofumi moved into position. The tiger had yet to see him sneaking from the side.

He changed his shield to the Two-Headed Black Dog Shield. The dogs' eyes glowed red, saliva dripping from their mouths.

"Get him, boys."

The dogs extended their necks and bit down on the tiger. One head on the neck and the other on the back.

The tiger buckled under the weight of them. It tried to push itself back up, but the dogs didn't relent from their attack.

The dog biting the neck dug deeper until it hit an artery. Blood poured from the wound. The tiger whined and collapsed.

It shuddered tiny breaths before it stopped moving entirely.

The vibrant green grass was now coated in the dark blood of the beast. The goat head stared blankly at the sky. So did the tiger.

All was quiet except for the sound of the river.

"We did it." Naofumi put his hands on his knees and sighed. "We actually did it."

"Well duh," Rachel said. "It wasn't even a big chimera."

"Wait," his head shot up. "That was a small one?"

The tiger was about the size of a regular tiger from back home, the same with the goat's head.

"Welcome to Melromarc," Mina said. Two of her clones faded away, leaving the real Mina.

With the threat gone, they went to the patch of goba berries and stuffed as many as they could in Rachel's satchel.

"Alright," Rachel hefted her bag onto her shoulder, wincing slightly from the weight. "That should be enough. Let's go."

When they passed the chimera, Naofumi stopped.

"Hang on a sec. Let me do something first."

He kneeled down next to the corpse, grimacing as he saw the tendrils of flesh and meat from where the goat head should've been. Next to the body was flesh torn from the bite of the dogs.

Picking it up, Naofumi let his shield absorb the flesh. The skill tree popped up and only one new skill was added.

Tigris Capra Shield.

Prevents the user from being confused.

Hmm. Not bad.

He stood and caught up with Rachel and Mina.

As they walked, Naofumi looked back at the corpse.

It should not have existed. Not here, not in his world. Not anywhere. And it came from a Wave. His gaze turned to the blue sky.

Just what is beyond the tears in the sky?

The mayor actually shed tears of joy when he saw the goba berries.

"Thank you!" He launched himself at Rachel and Naofumi, pulling them into a big hug.

They both grunted, surprised by the mayor's sudden strength.

"D-don't mention it." Rachel patted his back awkwardly.

When the mayor released them, she grabbed Naofumi and Mina by their hands and led them to a corner of the room.

"Alrighty," she reached into her satchel and pulled out her tools. "It's gonna take a while to make the medicine. Luckily there's three of us so we'll be done faster. Here." She handed them each a bowl and gloves. "We'll have to squeeze the goba berries until juice comes out. Then we'll mix them with some water and ginger. And there you go, instant medicine for Frost Sickness."

She sat down on the floor and began squeezing the berries with her gloved hands.

Naofumi and Mina put their gloves on and followed Rachel's steps.

"Guess your blending ability is going to come in handy, eh?" Rachel already had a vial ready, setting aside as she got to work on another one.

For his part, Naofumi mixing the medicine just as fast as Rachel. When he was done with his first vial, it glowed blue, the same color as the berries.

"That's… weird."

"What is?" Mina's gaze fell on the glowing vial. "That is strange. Was it from your shield?"

"Guess so. This blending ability makes the medicine stronger; I think."

"Which means it'll be more potent," Rachel said. "Then let's hurry."

An hour passed by and they made just enough vials for everyone. One by one, they each gave medicine to the patients.

Naofumi's concoction had an even weirder effect on the people. A man he gave the medicine to glowed blue and his blotches and cough immediately went away, just as the blue glow did as well.

He turned the vial around in his hand. Barely a drop was left in it. This single drop could easily cure someone. Or rather, he could cure someone.

Across the room, Rachel and Mina continued to administer the medicine. Theirs didn't have the same effect as his did, but Rachel said the medicine will work. Guaranteed.

In a way, he did feel somewhat guilty that Rachel put in extra hard work only to have him cure someone in seconds. Then again, if she wasn't with him, he wouldn't be able to know how to make tonics and salves the way you're supposed to.

Soon, they were done and everyone (or at least Naofumi's portion) was feeling better. The spasms stopped as did the coughing.

"We did it." Rachel clamped a hand on Naofumi's and Mina's shoulder. "We defeated a chimera and cured a village. That should give us some good word to other villages."

"Positive feedback is the best feedback, after all," Mina said.

"But will it?" Naofumi interjected.

"What do you mean?"

He looked to the side. The mayor and the citizens thanked him from the bottom of their hearts. Already, he had Lute Village and Westbrook on his side. But was only a tiny fraction compared to Castle Town, other cities, even the country itself.

"Just that… there are still others who will see me and think I'm nothing but a criminal or a rapist." Just saying that word made him grimaced.

"Fuck them," Rachel huffed. "We'll show them a thing or two. Just have more faith and stop being a broody babyface guy."

He shot her a glare he could only imagine looked frightening.

She chuckled and patted his cheeks. "See? Even when you're angry, you still have that cute babyface."

Sighing in defeat, he let her compliment(?) wash over him.

"She's right, you know." Mina reached over and patted him on the arm. "We knew what we were getting ourselves into. Besides, I still need to find my parents and I know traveling with you will help me reach my goal. So, cheer up."

Their words were comforting. The wall he built around his heart started to crack. But it still remained up.

"Shield Hero." The mayor had approached them. "I can thank you and your friends enough for helping my village." He bowed. "I am in your debt."

This was something he still hadn't gotten used to. People owing him.

"We just cured them, that's all. It would've gone away eventually."

The mayor shook his head. "Be that as it may, you three still helped. For that, I owe you. How about a feast in celebration of you three?"

Naofumi didn't even get the chance to reject the offer. The mayor continued on. "Yes! A feast where everyone is invited! I must get everything prepared." He dashed off.

The three of them just looked at him in silence.

"Well," Rachel broke the silence. "We get free food and booze!"

With the moon watching over them like a mother, Naofumi laid on the bed with his hands behind his head. The feast had just died down and it was after midnight when they checked into the inn the mayor had directed them too.

Free of charge, of course, for curing the village. It was a cozy inn with wooden floors and walls, almost like a cabin. There was even a fireplace in the room. Rachel lit a fire with her magic, enveloping the room in a warm embrace. Had it been winter, this would've been the perfect place to stay in.

Rachel and Mina were sitting across the fire, warming their hands. It may be the end of Spring, but it got cold at night. If Naofumi had to guess, the temperature was probably in the high 40s.

In Japan, when it got this cold, he would bring out his electric blanket and turned it on to just the right amount of temperature to warm him.

He may not have it now, but the fireplace would suffice for now.

"I don't think I can move for the next few days." Rachel rubbed her hands together then extending them out to the fire. "I haven't eaten so much food like that in a long time."

"It was quite the party," Mina said. "Small as Westbrook may be, it becomes lively when the townsfolk come together. Such a lovely sight."

"Tell me about it. All that food, the booze, and your dancing made it a fun night, that's for sure."

"You flatter me. It was only a simple routine I know."

As the women talked, Naofumi recalled the events of the feast.

When night fell upon the village, everyone (those who weren't sick) gathered around the center of the village and the feast began. Tables were being drawn out, a bonfire was lit, food and drinks were being passed around. Everyone was having the time of their life.

Rachel was with a rowdy group, drinking booze and eating bison meat.

Some of the villagers brought with them instruments and Mina danced along to the song they were playing. She even brought in a few of the villagers to dance with her. Some were a little clumsy dancing but didn't care.

Naofumi, meanwhile, sat at a table slightly near the bonfire. Not that it mattered where he sat. His shield was a dead giveaway. Villagers came up to him and thanked him for his help. Some gave him food, some gave him booze, it was all too much for him.

But he didn't mind. The feast here was lively, joyful, and carefree. The feat back in Castle Town was too stiff, too haughty with nobles. Their judgmental eyes never leaving his sight.

Parties weren't a favorite pastime of his – here or back in Japan – but this feast was fun.

During the feast, a man challenged Mina to a jig and laughed when the man nearly fell a few times. Mina won, of course. The man wasn't even mad he lost. He grabbed a mug and raised it high, toasting to the best dancer he has ever seen. Mina grabbed a mug and they clanked them together.

Maybe he should've joined instead of sitting and eating. He did deserve some fun every now and then.

"You OK there, Naofumi?"

He pushed himself up and noticed the women looking at him.

"I'm good," he replied. "Why?"

"You've been quiet for a bit, we thought you fell asleep," Rachel said.

"Did we wake you up?" Mina asked, concerned.

Naofumi waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. Just relaxing, that's all. I'm not that tired, anyways."

Getting up from the bed, he joined them by the fireplace. "Might as well warm myself up. It's getting cold." He held his hands out to the fire.

"No kidding." Rachel summoned a small fireball in her hand. "I love being cozy under blankets during the winter, but I don't like freezing either."

She was dressed somewhat appropriately for the spring and summer. Throw on her a thicker shawl and she'll be warm.

Mina, on the other hand…

"Don't you get cold just wearing… that?" Naofumi felt his cheeks get hot. He prayed Mina would think it was from the warmth of the fire.

Mina brought a hand to her lips and laughed slightly.

"Do not be afraid to ask such a question, Naofumi. Yes, I dress like this all the time, but I do have warmer clothes in my bag. I just like wearing my dancing outfit. And the blankets here are warm enough."

Satisfied with her answer, he turned his gaze back to the fire.

"What a day."

"You can say that again," Rachel said. "I still can't get my mind off of what happened to Westbrook."

"You mean the Frost Sickness?"

"Yeah." She stood and retrieved her medical journal. "Frost Sickness shouldn't even be present at all in spring."

Naofumi may not know a lot about medicine, but he does know that if a disease that was once harmless was suddenly rampant and worse, it meant one thing.

"Did the disease mutate?" He threw the question out in the open.

Rachel shook her head. "No. Frost Sickness has been around for hundreds of years and not once did it mutate. The scientists in Silvershore and Innis can confirm that, and they're good at that kind of research."

Silvershore. Innis. He'll ask later where those two places are.

"I don't see any reason why Westbrook was affected by it." Rachel opened her journal and flipped through the pages.

Naofumi and Mina leaned closer to look at the pages. He didn't understand the language, so he looked at the pictures instead.

The diagram of the human body.

A bush with red berries.

The diagram of a demi-human.

The roots of a tree.

A colorful dragon.

Mushroo-

Wait.

Dragon?

"Hey, what was that?" He reached and halted Rachel's page flipping with his hand.

"What was what?"

"That picture of the dragon."

Rachel flipped back a few pages until the picture of the dragon appeared.

"That. What kind of dragon is that?"

The drawing was very detailed, even to someone like him who knew nothing about art. The dragon was a typical dragon he had seen before in fantasy books and games. Winged, four legs, and scales.

This one, in particular, was different based on the colors of the scales. From the tail to the head, colors ranging from purples to blues to greens to even specs of orange. The wings were green and spotted like the feathertail of a peacock.

There were measurements of the dragon but he couldn't figure out the numbers. Thankfully, there was a drawing of fifteen men stacked on top of each other until it reached the dragon's head. The size of fifteen fully grown men. He hoped he wouldn't have to fight a dragon like that. Or any dragon, period.

Rachel ran a finger over the drawing as if she could feel the scales. "It's the Peacock Dragon. Every medical journal has information on it."

"Why?"

"The Peacock Dragon is known throughout the world as being the cure to all diseases."

This piqued his interest more.

"If you get some of its scales and mix them to make a tonic or a salve," Rachel continued, "it can cure a person of any disease. Even the ones that aren't curable with traditional medicine."

"So, its scales are magical?"

Then that would make it a rare creature to find. He wouldn't be surprised if it was an endangered species.

"Yes," Rachel responded. "Many apothecaries and adventurers would go through the ends of the earth to get his scales."

"His?"

"There's only one Peacock Dragon." She tapped the drawing. "And it's this one."

Correction. It was a creature near extinction.

"Can either of you tell me the story behind this dragon? I'm still confused." More questions than answers, that was his life at the moment.

"Well it's a good thing there's a fire lit. It'll be like telling a campfire story." Rachel shifted until she was facing Naofumi and Mina.

"So, the Peacock Dragon is a dragon, as you can tell, whose scale has medicinal properties. It is said that it appeared more than a thousand years ago when there was a plague sweeping across the continent.

"One day, an apothecary was traveling through a forest which is now known as the Forest of Sanctum, and in a massive clearing, he spotted the Peacock Dragon. He asked the dragon if there was anything he could use in the forest for medicine. Then, the dragon scratched off some of its scales and gave it to the man. He said to mix it with his usual tonics and salves and it would cure the individual."

"He just gives them away?" Naofumi asked. If it was nice enough to give the man his scales, then it probably won't be much of a threat.

"At first, yes," Rachel went on. "When the apothecary returned to his village and mixed the scales with his usual method of making medicine and gave it to people affected by the plague, they were instantly cured. Before this, the plague in question was a death sentence. Once you have it, there's nothing you can do about it other than wait and die.

"The apothecary told people that he made his medicine from the scales of a dragon who 'was like a peacock.' Not long after, many apothecaries traveled to the Forest of Sanctum and got scales. Everything was fine for a while. The plague was dying down and more people were getting cured. Then… things got complicated."

"How so?" Mina asked.

"Well, people started to get greedy. When word of the Peacock Dragon began to spread throughout the countries, everyone wanted his scales. His scales grow back instantly when he scratches them off, so he's like a well of infinite scales. More and more people showed and some weren't even apothecaries, they just wanted his scales. Among them were bandits and those affiliated with the black market.

"The Peacock Dragon then did something different. He will give his scales if you beat him in battle. Win, and you get some scales. Lose, you get nothing. Unless your intentions are of out of the goodness of your heart and you still lost, he'll give you scales, regardless. And that's how it's been ever since."

"Then, he's still alive?" Naofumi inquired.

"He still is. At this point, he's immortal. The times he was defeated in battle, his scars and wounds would heal by themselves. Not even the strongest of swordsmen or mages can kill it. And he only shows up when there is some type of sickness or plague spreading across the continent."

Rachel looked out to the single window in their room. "What happened here in Westbrook is making me think about the dragon. It's always been a dream of mine to find him and get some of his scales. Though the last time he was seen was sixty years ago. I doubt I'll see him by the time I'm old and wrinkly."

There was a far off look in her eyes like she was seeing beyond the window and mountains and trees to where the Peacock Dragon lay in wait.

"Does this mean you only joined my party was because you wanted to see the dragon?" Naofumi should've felt offended by this. Oddly, he didn't.

She nodded. "I won't lie, part of me joining was because of that. The other was because you saved my life. And I'll earn double from what I earn if I travel with you."

There was the Rachel he kind of knew.

"It's the same with Mina." Rachel canted her head in the dancer's direction. "She knows traveling with you will get her access to more villages in hopes of finding her parents. And she did want to look after you."

He remembered the sincerity in Mina's eyes.

They did have reasons for traveling with him. But they weren't full of ill intent. He wouldn't have let them join if they were going to stab him in the back.

It was hard to explain, but somehow, he knew they could be trusted. For one, Rachel saved him from getting kidnapped by bandits. And Mina stepped in when the odds were against him fighting Motoyasu.

And the way they took down the chimera showed their teamwork.

Maybe this world wasn't so lonely.

"Thanks."

The women smiled. Those smiles were true smiles, not like Malty's fake smile.

Rachel got up and put back the journal in her satchel. As she closed it, a thought came to mind.

"Hey." Her two companions looked at her. "You don't suppose this Frost Sickness could mean the Peacock Dragon is coming back?"

The thought was silly. She knew that Frost Sickness was nowhere near as lethal as a plague or some unknown disease. But…

She shook her head. "Nevermind. It's nothing."

Naofumi looked at her for a bit but nodded. "Fine. Anyway, let's get some sleep. We're stopping by Lute Village tomorrow so let's wake up early."

All three of them turned in for the night.

Rachel's question didn't leave any of their minds.

Meanwhile, in the woods

The sun was just beginning to rise. The ink black sky bled into a dark orange. With each passing minute, the orange hue grew bright.

In a small clearing in a forest, a deer bent down to a bush and ate perfectly ripe berries. It had awoken earlier from its slumber, hungry. It wandered slightly far but not too far from its home underneath some shrubs that sheltered it from the weather and predators.

It hadn't heard anything other than the dying chirps of grasshoppers and the few birds who tweeted their good mornings to each other.

It was safe. Safe to wander and eat. The few predators were mainly wolves and bears. But the deer knew the wolves hunted farther than where it was. And bears usually miss the deer if it hid behind a bush.

All was peaceful. Perfect for a morning snack.

It reached to bite down on a berry when it slipped from its tongue and fell to the dirt. The deer bent lower and ate the berry. It was about to crane its neck back up when it noticed a pair of eyes watching from the ground.

No. Not a pair of two eyes.

Eight eyes.

A spider no larger than a puppy simply stood there, not moving despite the deer being larger than it.

The deer stared back, not sure if the spider was a predator.

Rustling from behind startled the deer, but it didn't jump away instinctively. It looked back and through some shrubs, another spider came out. This time, it was about the size of the deer.

This time, the deer knew it was a predator.

Without hesitating, it jumped over the berry bush and ran through the dense forest. The trees and greenery blurred past as it ran and jumped. Behind, it could hear the spider crawling. It moved just as fast as a wolf or a bear.

The deer broke through a thicket of shrubs and into another clearing.

Only to see another giant spider waiting. This spider was about the size of a brown bear, its black eyes staring back.

The deer skidded to a halt, ready to pivot and run off into another direction when more large spiders appeared.

Five spiders surrounded the deer. When the deer moved slightly, so did the spiders, anticipating where it could run off to. It had nowhere to run.

Which was perfect for the hunter.

An arrow whizzed through the air. It struck the deer in the neck. The deer reared back, crying out. Another arrow pierced its side.

The deer fell to the ground. It tried to push itself back up only to have another arrow hit it in the neck.

The deer whined. Then it stopped moving completely.

The hunter, a young man, stepped through from his hiding place and approached the deer. The spiders shuffled behind him, waiting for his command.

The hunter took out the arrows, careful not to tear off chunks of the meat. With his three arrows back in his quiver, he turned his attention to the spiders.

"Thanks. You all did a good job."

He heard their voices in his head. Not actual words, but he knew they were saying "you're welcome."

The hunter leaned down to the deer and carried it over his shoulders. It wasn't a heavy deer compared to the larger ones he hunted. He went to the largest of spiders and placed the deer on its abdomen.

With the deer on the spider, the hunter reached into his pack and took out some rope. He securely tied the deer to the abdomen. The spider leaned its abdomen lower to let the hunter have enough reach.

Once the deer was tied down, he looked back to the remaining spider.

"Go back into the forest. Your work is done for now."

The spiders bowed slightly and retreated back into the dense woods.

He motioned for the large spider to follow.

They made their way back to the hunter's village. When they arrived at the entrance, a man was waiting by the post marking the village.

"Hey there, Rowan." He waved.

The hunter, Rowan, waved back. "Good morning. I brought back a deer. Hope it's good enough for your dinner."

"It's perfect!" The man walked around the spider, not even slightly scared by it. He was too busy looking at the deer. "You always bring back the best kind of deer. Hey, if I have the money, can I have you hunt a bear?"

Rowan laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Sure thing." The man untied the deer and hefted it over his back. "You know, even with Gareth on his hunt, you're enough to help bring in the game."

The mention of his master's name shook him slightly. "When he comes back, we'll have plentiful of game for everyone."

"Damn straight. Well, see ya around!" The man waved and took the deer with him.

With the man gone from sight, the corner of Rowan's lips turned into a frown.

He just had to mention Gareth, his master.

Next to him, the spider lifted one of its legs and patted him on the shoulder. It must've felt his discomfort. Lately, all of his spiders have been doing their best to ease his uneasiness.

It was enough for him to reach out and rest his hand on the leg. "Thanks." He then patted its abdomen. "Come on. Let's go home."

As they made their way to his home, Rowan looked over his shoulder at the village entrance.

Two months ago, he waved farewell to Gareth. His master had his usual toothy grin plastered on his face.

Two months of waiting and no letter. Not a single one. He didn't even say what he was hunting. Just that he was on a quest to find a fearsome beast. That was it.

Sometimes, Rowan wished he had tagged along instead of staying in the village. But the hunt Gareth was tasked with was given by the Captain of the royal knights. Only Gareth was allowed to go.

He remembered the look on his Gareth's face when he read the decree. A shadow had passed over his bright blue eyes. That shadow quickly went away and laughed, saying he'll find the beast in no time.

No time. Yeah right. He never takes this long on a hunt. The longest hunt he's ever gone on was four weeks.

Rowan shook his head.

Gareth will come back.

But when?

Master, where are you?

"Tell me more about this Lute Village."

Mina's question broke the silence of their surroundings. Earlier, they left Westbrook with half of the town giving their good-byes and farewells. That was a few hours ago. Now, with the sun at its zenith, Naofumi guessed it would take about an hour to get to Lute Village.

"Nothing really. Just a small village we saved."

"There has to be more than that." Mina jogged forward and turned, walking backward while facing him. "Wave monsters are strong. You not only fought the undead but saved a village from being burned to the ground. There must be more to the story."

Her curiosity complimented her alluring appearance and sultry voice. Naofumi forgot that she was older than him by four years. She had a bright gleam in her eyes like that of a kid wondering why the sky is blue.

"Not much. Sorry to disappoint."

"He's just humble, is all." Rachel threw an arm over his shoulder. "You should've seen him. He saved a mother and her child from being stung by monster wasps."

Naofumi brushed her off.

It really wasn't much. At least to him. People still died, but he saved what he could.

A part of him was looking forward to what happened since then. Lute Village didn't look like it had much in regards to resources such as wood for building houses, but he was sure they could manage.

When they reached the top of a small hill, they saw the village.

As well as knights and banners.

"What the hell?" Rachel stopped dead in her tracks.

"Are those the knights from Castle Town?" Mina squinted at the village, shading her eyes from the sun.

Even from his vantage point, Naofumi could see the emblem on the banners.

Yep.

Oh no.