Chapter 3 - Village Troubles

The day started out almost... too nice. Birds chirping, animals doing their little dances, and not a Grimm in sight. By Remnant standards, it was paradise. A bird family, the mom feeding the chicks, the dad looking all proud and puffed up. They seemed happy, doing their thing. Then there was this noise—soft at first, like popcorn popping in the distance.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

It got louder. The dad bird tilted his head, curious, before shrugging it off and going back to his family. And then—WHAM!—a red blur and a black blur came out of nowhere, blasting past the branch like it owed them money. Guess who the red blur was? Yours truly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"NO, NO, NO—AHHH!" I screamed, grappling with a Beowolf that was trying to turn me into lunch. My arm strained against its snapping jaws as its rancid breath hit me full force. With my free hand, I was clutching a bird nest like it was my kid.

"VAL! SHOOT IT! SHOOT THE DAMN GRIMM NOW!" I yelled, trying not to get my face bitten off.

Boom!

A shot ripped through the forest, tearing through the Beowolf's chest like it was wet paper.

- 20 XP

- 20 Lien

"Sorry, my bad, Ash," Val said from behind me, lowering his weapon. "Didn't think using gravity Dust so close would launch you into the fight. Lesson learned, huh?"

"When you said 'Dust,' I thought you meant dirt or something, not freaking magic!" I snapped, shoving the disintegrating Grimm off me and brushing myself off.

"Dust isn't magic. Magic's, like... different." He said it so nonchalantly, I wanted to punch him.

"Different, my ass," I grumbled. I climbed up a tree and carefully returned the nest to a branch. The chicks chirped, their parents nowhere in sight. "So, is this village we're heading to gonna have airships or not?"

"Sort of," Val replied, scanning the treetops through the massive hole his shot had made. "You'll need to hitch a bullhead first. That's... not exactly free."

"How much?" I asked, already dreading the answer.

"About a hundred Lien per person."

I groaned, pulling up my system.

Lien: 540.

Great. I could afford it, but that price tag still stung. With a reluctant sigh, I swiped the screen away and climbed down. "Guess I'm paying for my own ticket, huh?"

"You bet, kid," Val said, smirking.

The walk was... dull. No Grimm, no villagers, just trees and the occasional chirp of wildlife. I was hoping for something exciting—like a surprise fight or, hell, even Val tripping over a root—but nope. Bored out of my skull, I decided to make conversation.

"So, Val... how'd you get roped into HATS?"

He ignored me, that smirk creeping back onto his face. "Hey, you think I could throw you over the village wall? Save us some time?"

"What?!" I stopped in my tracks, staring at him.

"You know, like a baseball. You're small enough. Bet I could clear the fence easy."

"Are you high? Why would a village even need a wall?"

"Grimm," he replied flatly, as if it were obvious.

"Grimm? Seriously? They're annoying, sure, but I can handle them. Why not just let the cops deal with it?"

Val laughed—a deep, amused laugh that made me feel stupid. "Kid, you haven't seen anything yet. Villages this close to the wild? They usually see Beowolves daily. Sometimes adults. Sometimes even Alphas."

I frowned. "What's the difference between an adult and an alpha?"

He turned to me, eyebrow raised like I was an idiot. "Really? You don't know? Grimm are—" And then he launched into the longest damn speech about Grimm, divine energy, gods, artifacts, blah blah blah. By the time he finished, I had zoned out completely.

"Did you get all that?" he asked, staring at me.

I blinked. "Yeah. Totally."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure you did."

Finally, we reached the village. Or, what I thought was a village. It looked... ancient. Straw roofs, log walls, dirt roads—it was like walking into a history book. Val sneered as we approached, clearly unimpressed.

"No walls, no guards... this place is a Grimm buffet waiting to happen," he muttered.

Before I could respond, an old man greeted us from a porch. Straw hat, overalls, the whole cliché package. "Howdy! Ain't often we get visitors, especially on foot!"

"We're here for the bullhead," Val said, already bored.

The old man scratched his beard. "Ah, well... hate to break it to ya, but it just left." He pointed toward the center of town just in time for us to see the bullhead rising over the rooftops and disappearing into the horizon.

Val's jaw dropped. "Son of a Boarbatusk!" he growled.

"Guess we're walking," I said, deadpan.

He sucked in a few deep breaths, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets, smirking like he hadn't just lost it.

"It's fine. A few hours, maybe tomorrow morning, we're back on track," he said casually.

The old man coughed, looking anywhere but at us. "Unless the village is under attack… it could take a few days."

Val froze mid-smirk, eyebrows twitching like they were about to revolt. "What? No! Bullheads run on a schedule! No way it takes days!"

The old man scratched his head. "Depends on whether the kingdom's board thinks we're worth the fuel. Since they scrapped the military after the Great War, it's all corporate now."

"Wait, what?" I blinked. "They got rid of the military? With Grimm everywhere?"

"Politics," the old man muttered, gripping his straw hat like it owed him money. "Left a ton of skilled fighters jobless. Now the corporations have armies, the bandits run wild, and regular folks like us get screwed. Ain't that just peachy?" He caught himself and sighed. "Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to rant. Book your tickets soon, though. Good day."

He shuffled off, slamming his door with a final click.

Val drummed his fingers on his arm, then nodded toward the village center. "Come on, kid. We've got a flight to catch."

I followed, ignoring the whispers and stares of the villagers. Why did small towns always feel like a live performance of Gossip Weekly?

"You can stop spacing out, Ash. We're here," Val said, clapping me on the back.

"What? Already? It's only been like five minutes!"

"It's a village, not a continent," he shot back, stepping into the Bullhead booking office. "You staying out here?"

"Bet," I said, leaning against the wall.

Val turned, holding out his hand expectantly. "Lien, kid."

I raised a brow. "For what?"

"Your ticket. Or did you think I was footing the bill?"

Grumbling, I dug into my pocket, pulling out some blue and pink cards. "Try not to blow it all on booze, old man."

Val snorted, pocketing the cash. "Kid, I'm practically a saint."

With a wave, he vanished inside. Saints my ass.

Val strolled into the building, leaving me alone to pull out my scroll.

BEEP! BEEP!

"GAH!" I flailed, tripping over my own crossed legs and eating dirt.

Item Not Found.

"You couldn't just say that without screaming it in my ear, huh?" I muttered, untangling myself from the ground.

"You alright there?" a voice asked.

Looking up, I saw a guy, maybe a year or two older than me, offering a hand. Blonde, blue-eyed, rocking a hoodie, jeans, and... a shield? Okay, Mr. Hero Complex.

"Yeah, thanks," I grumbled, letting him pull me up. I brushed off my jacket, cheeks burning, before extending a hand. "Ash."

"Jaune," he said, gripping my hand awkwardly. We stood there, locked in an excruciatingly awkward silence.

...

...

Finally, I broke the stalemate. "So... you kill Grimm or something?"

Jaune blinked like I'd asked for his browser history. "Huh?"

I backpedaled. "I mean, uh... why're you here at Cobert's Lift Off?"

"Beacon Academy," he said, puffing up like a rooster. "Just got accepted. Only the best of the best make it in."

"Neat. So how many Grimm have you taken down?"

He scratched the back of his head, avoiding my gaze. "Oh, uh, loads. Lost count, really. You?"

"Eight," I said, holding up my fingers. "What's the nastiest thing you've faced?"

"Uh, this morning I took out an Ursa Major. Big, scary bear Grimm. Only thing tougher around here is a Deathstalker," he said, sweating bullets.

I squinted. "That so?"

Before I could grill him further, Val stormed out of the building, face twisted in rage. "Bastards! They said the next bullhead's in a week!"

"A week!?" I yelled. "What the hell am I supposed to do for a week?"

"You've got Lien, a gun, and a knife. Figure it out, kid." With that, Val vaulted onto a rooftop and disappeared, leaving me to fume.

Jaune gawked at me. "A week? But I thought it was supposed to come today!"

I shrugged. "Yeah, you and everyone else. Welcome to the middle of nowhere."

Jaune slumped against the wall, muttering, "Why me..."

I sighed, patting his shoulder. "Cheer up, hero. We've got a whole week to kill... or be killed."

New Missions!

Quest Name: "Village Defense"

Quest Description: The village is vulnerable. Help defend it.

Rewards: Weapon upgrade token, Skill point, 50 Lien

Quest Name: "Friendly Offer"

Quest Description: Jaune says he's a skilled Huntsman-in-training. Hunt Grimm with him and spar for tips.

Rewards: 1 Skill point, 30 XP

"More socializing, awesome," Ash muttered, his amber eyes rolling as he glanced at Jaune, who seemed just as lost as he was. Well, since Jaune had been here longer, he probably knew where to find the good spots.

"So, got anything planned for today?" Ash asked, casually leaning against the wall.

Jaune sighed, rubbing his nose. "Nope, my day's as open as it gets. Why?"

Ash grinned, clapping his hands. "Well, since I'm new around here and have no idea where I'm going, you think you could show me around?"

Jaune raised a hand, cutting him off. "Listen, man, I don't have any extra Lien," he said, looking suspiciously at Ash.

Ash froze, his jaw dropping. "What do you think I am, a bum?" He straightened up, giving Jaune a half-evil, half-absurd smile, trying to hide his hurt pride. "I just need a guide, not your wallet."

Jaune's eyes widened, and he snapped to attention. "Oh! Right! Of course. I got you."

Ash, slightly puzzled by the sudden flip in attitude, shrugged. "Great. Let's go."

They wandered the town, with Jaune playing tour guide, pointing out shops, homes, and random local oddities. As they passed, Ash couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed Jaune seemed, as though the weight of the world had been lifted after their earlier exchange.

A yellow waypoint flashed on Ash's minimap, pulling him toward a massive white stone building.

"So, uh, what's this?" Ash asked.

Jaune squinted, then snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's the town hall. It's supposed to be where everything gets done, but the mayor... yeah, you get it." He grinned, clearly unimpressed.

"Let me guess—he's one of those mayors?" Ash asked with a deadpan expression.

Jaune gave a sarcastic nod. "Yep, exactly."

As they continued, Jaune led Ash to a blacksmith's forge. Ash's gaze flicked to a giant man with a welding mask carrying a chunk of metal the size of a fridge with one hand. Both of them stared, slack-jawed, before Jaune dragged Ash along.

For the next few minutes, Jaune pointed out various homes—so many homes—until they reached the final stop: the police station. Jaune threw his arms out dramatically.

"Welcome to the police station! If there's trouble—bandits, Grimm, whatever—this is where you go. But, y'know, they're kinda busy with Grimm at the moment, so don't bug 'em unless you really have to."

Ash nodded slowly, muttering under his breath, "I think I can figure it out on my own. But thanks... I guess."

I couldn't help but feel that familiar itch to do something. The town was in need, and I wasn't the type to sit back and watch. I gave Jaune a nod and headed straight for the station, my mind already racing with how I could help.

Inside, the chaos was thick. Officers were running around like their shoes were on fire, shouting about Grimm and bandits like it was the hottest gossip in town. I walked up to the front desk, where a grumpy officer was too busy with paperwork to notice I existed.

"Hey, I need some help," I said, trying to get his attention.

He looked me up and down, eyes narrowing. "What do you want, kid? We're kinda busy here."

"Wow, looks like it's real slow day in law enforcement," I shot back with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

The officer didn't even flinch. "Not the time, kid. We got Grimm and bandits swarming us. You're wasting my time."

I gritted my teeth but forced myself to stay cool. "I'm a trained fighter. Dealt with Grimm before. Let me help."

The officer sighed dramatically. "I'd love to take you up on that, but it's too risky. Go play with your friends until you're older."

I almost snapped back with a witty remark, but decided to leave the building instead, standing by the door, trying to catch any useful information. That's when I overheard two officers talking about their weapons issue.

"We can't handle this with rusty swords and dented shields. The blacksmith can only do so much. It's all falling apart," one of them muttered, frustrated.

The other officer grunted, "We need reinforcements, but where are we gonna get them?"

I stood there listening, mentally cursing at the situation. If I didn't step up, this whole place might go under. So I bolted straight for the blacksmith's shop.

Jaune was running after me, probably wondering what the hell I was up to. "Uh, hey Ash, where you going in such a hurry?"

I didn't have time to explain—this was serious. I just waved him off and kept sprinting.

The blacksmith's shop hit me with a wave of heat when I walked in. The place was a furnace, with metal clanging, steam hissing, and a giant man hammering away at a piece of scrap metal. He looked like he could bench press a mountain, and judging by the size of the hammer, he probably did.

"Yo, big guy, mind taking a breather?" I called out, trying to get his attention over the forge's noise.

He didn't even acknowledge me. Just kept hammering like a man possessed. I wasn't about to be ignored, so I stepped up my game.

"The village is in deep trouble," I said, trying to sound more serious. "Grimm, bandits—you name it. And you're the only one who can help. The police are running on empty, and we need better weapons, now."

Still nothing. The man didn't even stop swinging his hammer.

Jaune caught up, and I saw him stand there, looking at me like I was about to set the whole shop on fire with my frustration.

"Hey, you got wax in your ears or something?" I snapped, turning to the blacksmith. "The village is literally about to be overrun, and you're just going to ignore that?"

Jaune stepped up, calm as ever. "Please, think about what's at stake. The people are counting on us. We need your help."

Finally, the blacksmith paused. His giant hand was frozen mid-swing, and he actually looked at us. His eyes flickered between me and Jaune, like he was weighing his options.

"I... I can't," he muttered, sounding strangely defeated. "I don't have the resources to make the weapons you need."

I blinked. What? "What do you mean can't? You're the only blacksmith in town."

He looked down, ashamed. "I just… I don't know if I can make anything strong enough. Not with the way things are."

Jaune and I exchanged a glance. What the hell?

Author's Note:

Name: Ash

Level: 1

Class: Unknown

Lien: 440

Skill point: 4

XP: 40/500

Health: 125/120 (5)

Mana: 0/80

Aura: 0/10

Health potions 1/5

Sorry for the delay. I was stuck on how Ash and Jaune should interact, keeping them in character for pre-Volume 1, but I got it out regardless. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter and have a good day.