‘That’s quite intense huh?’
As Doah muttered, Khunak responded her.
“It’s because it’s a village in a place like this.”
As the two approached, the guard’s expression froze.
They did not even glance at Doah.
Their eyes were fixed on Khunak.
“Oh my gosh…”
“Black Dragon Khunak.”
“Is it really him?”
They whispered to each other. Doah whispered quietly in surprise.
“Khunak, you’re really famous.”
Even in this rural—no, it’s not even rural. What should I call this?
A forest?
A person whose fame has spread even to the forest.
“Sort of,”
Khunak whispered back.
The guards blocked the entrance.
Doah, seeing their confused state, spoke up.
“We’d like to buy some food inside and stay for the night. Can we enter the village?”
Her raised voice finally drew the guards’ attention to her.
Hesitating, one of them asked.
“Is he really the adventurer Khunak?”
“Yes. If you wish, you can check this adventurer’s card.”
Khunak replied with a soft smile.
“Please wait a moment.”
One of them said and quickly ran inside.
“My goodness,”
Doah clicked her tongue.
If one of the two guards disappears like that, the situation changes from two-on-two to two-on-one, doesn’t it?
The remaining guard alternated his gaze between the two of them, shrinking back.
To reduce the intimidation, Doah started to dismount from her horse.
As she was removing her foot from the stirrup, Khunak reached out and grabbed her boot.
“?”
She looked at Khunak in confusion, and he, still smiling, said while looking straight ahead.
“Don’t get off yet.”
His voice was low enough that the guard wouldn’t hear it.
He continued speaking in a relaxed, calm manner.
“We don’t know how they will react yet. The horse’s legs are fastest.”
Doah slid her foot back deep into the stirrup.
“Why? Will people suddenly pull their bowstrings between the stakes and yell, ‘Whoo’?”
She stopped mid-sentence because people really did appear on top of the stakes with drawn bows.
The flaming arrows were clearly visible in the dimming green forest.
‘One, two, ten. Oh, at this distance, it’s within range.’
Doah chuckled.
Although it was a threatening situation, it didn’t feel threatening.
The skills honed over a hundred years don’t just go away.
Without needing to lower her voice, Doah said.
“Do people always welcome Khunak so grandly?”
“With fire and pitchforks? Not usually.”
Khunak glanced at Doah and said.
“This was our first village visit together, and it’s turned out this way, how embarrassing.”
“Let’s say we don’t know what will happen yet. Those people aren’t foolish enough to think they can block an S-rank adventurer with that flimsy fence, are they?”
Khunak laughed at Doah’s words.
Soon, a man appeared at the village entrance with a crowd of vigilantes following him.
They all wore large necklaces that caught the eye.
‘I’ve seen that somewhere before… Ah! The Turkish blue eye amulet!’
They all had round amulets, but unlike Turkey, the eyes were green instead of blue.
“That thing they’re wearing around their necks…”
Doah muttered, and Khunak responded.
“It’s Azure Nazac.”
“Ah.”
Doah nodded.
The man standing in the middle had graying hair.
He was clearly visible because the person next to him was holding a torch.
“Oh dear.”
Doah inadvertently uttered a second “Oh dear.”
If someone were to be shot, that man would surely be the one to get hit.
“Adventurers, I am truly sorry for this threatening encounter. It is an immense honor to meet slayer of the evil dragon, Black Dragon Khunak Shendel. I am Doron, the village chief of this small village.”
He placed his hand on his chest and made a slight bow.
“Of course, we would like to welcome great adventurers to our village, but unfortunately, we have an injured person in our village. So…”
The village chief’s gaze turned to Khunak.
Khunak and Doah were not greatly affected by the darkness, so they could see the village chief’s subtle expressions.
“If Mr. Shendel doesn’t mind, could only one of your party enter the village to purchase what you need?”
Khunak looked at Doah with an expression asking, ‘What should we do?’
Doah spoke in a loud voice.
“Is there an injured person? Are they in bad condition?”
The village chief hesitated, so Doah continued.
“I am a skilled herbalist. I can help.”
Khunak tightened his grip on her boot, but Doah didn’t mind.
The village chief spoke with the two people behind him, and Khunak and Doah could hear the conversation clearly.
“What do you think?”
“I think we need help. Can’t that woman manage on her own?”
“Don’t underestimate her just because she’s a woman. She’s traveling with that famous sword master.”
“Do you want our child to die then?”
After some back and forth, the village chief turned back and said.
“If it’s just the herbalist, it’s fine.”
“Ms. Doah.”
Khunak called her briefly, and she patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. I’m an aspiring adventurer, but I’m quite capable.”
Doah dismounted and shouldered her backpack.
“And if anything happens, I’ll scream really loudly, okay? Then you’ll come, right?”
“…If that’s what you wish, anytime.”
Khunak sighed and raised a hand slightly.
“And this is just my thought, but to live in a village like this, they must be well-prepared against monsters, right? If they suddenly have an injured person, then maybe…”
“You think it’s an overflow situation. Let’s check it out.”
Doah nodded at Khunak’s words.
Dungeons are ranked from S-class, which is the highest, down to A through G based on their danger levels.
A G-class dungeon can be handled by villagers with pitchforks, but the higher-ranked dungeons are different.
High-ranked dungeons often remain unconquered.
If a dungeon is left unconquered, the number of monsters inside increases until they spill out, a situation referred to as an ‘overflow.’
A dungeon teeming with monsters is said to be ‘boiling.’
When a dungeon overflows, it becomes a significant problem.
Checking for boiling or overflowing dungeons is a duty for adventurers affiliated with the Adventurers’ Guild.
Doah calmed Sea King and left it at the fence entrance, then waved to Khunak standing at a distance before entering the village.
Ring!
⭐⭐⭐
‘Chapter 1’
― The Start of the Journey
You have completed the quest to enter the village and meet people.
Reward:
Purification Stone (A-class)
⭐⭐⭐
‘Purification Stone? Is it used for purification?’
Doah decided to check its use later.
A man who seemed to be the leader of the vigilantes stood by with a stern expression.
Other vigilantes followed Doah as if escorting her, but she didn’t mind.
From the way they walked, it was clear how well-trained they were, and these people had a long way to go.
“What kind of monster attacked?”
Doah asked, and the village chief sighed before responding.
“It was a Ralba.”
“A Ralba…”
Ralba is a bear-shaped monster, larger than a typical bear.
It has horns on its head and steel-like claws.
Incidentally, its fat is incredibly tasty.
The fat, which has a rich, milky aroma, melts smoothly in your mouth without leaving any residue on the tongue.
Elibas had given me a piece to taste, and it was incredibly delicious.
‘Baking bread with that would be amazing. Wait, no, not now.’
Doah quickly shifted her thoughts back to the situation.
“You survived an attack from a Ralba?”
Ralbas are faster, stronger, and more ferocious than bears.
Their claws are like steel blades that can easily slice off limbs.
Dungeons with Ralbas are typically rated below D-grade.
“A group of us went to gather wood and herbs, and one Ralba appeared… Some died, but some survived.”
“I got it. How many are injured?”
“There are six injured in total,”
Answered a man who seemed to be the leader of the vigilantes.
Doah held back a whistle at the response.
‘This is a very small village, so proportionally, they’ve taken a big hit. I understand why they were wary of Khunak.’
They probably wouldn’t want to let anyone through the village gates right now, not just Khunak.
The injured were gathered in the village hall.
When Doah entered, everyone looked at her with anxious expressions.
The village chief spoke.
“This herbalist passing by will look after the patients.”
As Doah put on a serious face, someone shouted.
“Azure Nazac!”
The people began to murmur.
A mother, with tears streaming down her face, approached Doah.
“An Azure Nazac herbalist! Our daughter is saved! Thank you, thank you!”
“Azure Nazac?”
“Is it real?”
“Can you see?”
“I can’t tell.”
“It’s really Azure Nazac!”
The startled village chief and the vigilante leader looked at Doah, who shrugged.
“My eyes are indeed green. Can you step aside so I can see the patients? Please prepare boiled water for cleansing the wounds and gather herbs like tri-leaf and sticky spot.”
Following Doah’s instructions, the people started moving efficiently.
The village chief removed his hat and held it to his chest.
“I didn’t realize you were an Azure Nazac. Please forgive us.”
“It’s alright. It was dark. I’m more surprised someone recognized me.”
Doah muttered as she began to examine each patient.
Wounds caused by monsters leave contamination that causes decay.
If untreated, the wound will necrotize or rot, leading to complications and death.
Using cleansing herbs, she thoroughly removed the contamination.
‘Good.’
The first patient was a young girl with a deep cut on her back.
‘The spine is affected… If left untreated, she might never walk again.’
There was no other option.
Doah took a spray bottle from her bag.
She mixed a solid potion with a specific ratio of herb water and shook it.
Then she began to spray it on the wound.
For extensive wounds, spraying was the most effective method.
Spray, spray, spray
The deep wound slowly started to heal.
Doah checked to ensure the bones and nerves were properly mending and used the potion only until the wound was sufficiently healed.
“A potion…!”
“Such a precious item!”
The mother who had recognized Doah as an Azure Nazac looked at the village chief, unsure of what to do.
“Village chief… We can’t afford this with what we earn…”
“It’s alright. I won’t take money. Just provide us with a place to sleep and some food. And please, accept Khunak as well.”
Doah said as she continued spraying, and the village chief, after looking around the hall, responded.
“I understand.”
“Village chief.”
The vigilante leader called the chief in surprise, but the chief answered calmly.
“With Azure Nazac here, what could possibly go wrong with that?”
“…Understood.”
Once the wounds were sufficiently healed, Doah moved on to the next patient.
After treating everyone, Doah began to prepare medicine.
The seriously injured would suffer from recovery pain, so she prepared medicine to ease it.
“If the fever gets high, give them this medicine. If the pain is severe, give them this one. But don’t give too much.”
Just as she finished giving the instructions, the door of the hall opened, and Khunak walked in.
The people stepped aside as if darkness itself was creeping in.
Khunak calmly asked from the center.
“Doah, are you finished?”
“Yes, I’m done now.”
Doah said, looking at the village chief, who quickly gestured.
“I will show you to where you will stay for the night. Come, you must be tired.”
The village chief’s body language showed his eagerness to get Khunak out of the hall, making Doah laugh.
The chief offered his own house and bedroom, likely the best room in the village.
Sea King was tied up behind the chief’s house with Khunak.
The chief’s wife brought out a grand meal made from the best ingredients available in the village.
There was large, well-risen bread, some dried fruit, and not beer but wine. Although it was old, there were pieces of cheese and plenty of fresh mountain berries.
Khunak looked at the wine suspiciously.
“Could it have turned into vinegar?”
“Let’s open it and see.”
Doah eyed the dark round berries suspiciously before popping one into her mouth.
“Hmm, blueberries.”
Doah’s hand moved quickly to grab more.
Khunak opened the wine bottle, tasted it, and smiled.
“It seems they’ve mixed it with whiskey.”
“Wine with whiskey?”
“Yes, sometimes they do that for easier storage.”
Khunak poured the wine into a wooden cup for Doah. She sniffed it and took a small sip.
“!!”
Doah looked up in surprise.
“It’s sweet!”
“And strong, so drink it slowly. It’s not bad. Perhaps it was the chief’s secret stash.”
Doah chuckled quietly.
