Novice Village
Rumiel lowered her gaze from the sky and turned her head toward the sound.
A figure was approaching from that direction, pushing through the grass.
Lv.5 Village Guard
Rumiel blinked.
'Wasn't that NPC supposed to be like a map background?'
Even from a glance, the male guard NPC holding an old spear and wearing heavy-looking armor.
The NPC who always stayed in the same spot near the village entrance was actually moving.
"Hey, over there! Are you okay?!"
He ran over hurriedly and looked down at Rumiel, starting to breathe heavily.
Given how urgent he looked, it seemed he thought Rumiel had been attacked by monsters.
Rumiel slowly stood up from her spot and answered.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
He scanned Rumiel from head to toe, then showed a surprised expression.
'What? Really fine? I saw you fall down just now⋯⋯.'
"Just lying down."
'⋯⋯Lying down?'
He blinked in disbelief.
Rumiel chuckled and replied.
"Yeah. Because the sunlight was nice."
'⋯⋯'
He seemed at a loss for words for a moment.
His gaze shifted around Rumiel.
Small red lifeforms were quietly staring at Rumiel from within the grass.
Totos.
'Did you not know that you were surrounded by monsters?'
He asked with a troubled expression.
Rumiel slightly lifted the Toto she was holding and shook her head.
"No, I knew."
'⋯⋯'
His gaze turned to the Toto.
Rumiel gently stroked the squishy Toto and said.
"Cute, right?"
'⋯⋯'
"Want to touch?"
'⋯⋯No, it's fine.'
He turned his gaze away, looking awkward.
Rumiel quietly watched his expression.
'Interesting.'
Seeing the NPC who was supposed to stand like a map background talking and changing expressions felt really human-like.
'This NPC, was he always like this?'
Rumiel naturally brightened her eyes and looked at him.
He flinched slightly and avoided her gaze.
'What? Why are you staring?'
"Just because it's interesting."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
He sighed while trying to avoid Rumiel's gaze.
"Anyway, this place is dangerous, so let's go back to the village."
"I'm fine."
"What's fine? You're still a kid."
'That's true.'
Rumiel shrugged her shoulders.
He was still looking at her with the eyes of a childish kid.
Why? She hadn't done anything strange.
"This is a place where even novice adventurers need to be careful. It's said to be a place where level 5 slimes roam around. I'm glad you're safe, but from now on, don't wander around alone like this."
'⋯⋯'
Rumiel thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Got it. Let's go together."
He let out a deep sigh, relieved.
"Good thinking. Let's go."
Rumiel carefully placed the Toto she was holding onto the grass.
The Toto looked at Rumiel's hand with regret, then soon disappeared into the grass with the other tots.
Rumiel looked at the creatures one more time, then followed the guard towards the village.
"By the way, what's your name?"
On the way to the village, the guard asked Rumiel.
Rumiel tilted her head and answered.
"Rumiel."
"Rumiel? I've never heard that name... You don't seem to be a kid living in this village."
"Yeah. I'm traveling."
"Traveling?"
The guard tilted his head.
"You came alone?"
Rumiel lightly nodded.
"Yeah."
He seemed about to say something but closed his mouth.
So they walked silently along the dirt path.
The scenery of the approaching village came into view.
The stone path sparkling in the sunlight, small flags fluttering in the wind. As the village entrance got closer, the guard looked at Rumiel again.
"You said you're traveling, right? Do you have any specific goals?"
Rumiel thought for a moment and answered.
"For now... I want to look around here and there. That's it."
"Really? If you need anything in this village, let me know."
He said calmly.
Rumiel heard that and chuckled.
"The guard helping with that too?"
"Ah, well... Normally not, but since you're a kid wandering alone, it's a bit worrying."
At his words, Rumiel quietly smiled.
"Thanks."
He avoided his eyes and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Anyway, be quiet inside the village. Don't cause any trouble."
Rumiel nodded and answered.
"Got it."
They arrived at the village entrance.
The guard returned to his original spot and added one last word to Rumiel.
"And... don't wander around alone. It's dangerous."
Rumiel smiled at that and nodded.
"Yeah. I got it."
Leaving the kind guard uncle behind, Rumiel slowly looked around the village.
Familiar streets, small flags fluttering over the stone floor, and people passing by glancing at Rumiel.
'⋯⋯I came back.'
Rumiel took a deep breath.
The clear air seeped deep into her lungs.
"For now... Let's slowly look around."
Although it wasn't intended, since she came back to the village, she should at least look around lightly.
Rumiel made up her mind and quietly moved her steps.
After walking a while, a wide, wide square appeared.
The central square at the center of the village.
Merchants had opened small stalls and were trading with people.
The NPCs here were also naturally conversing as if they were real people, not just NPCs.
"Today, there's a lot of fresh apples! 3000 gold per bag!"
"Hey, yesterday it was 1000 gold! Why did it go up again?"
"Apples are in a slump these days. But the taste is amazing, so don't worry!"
Rumiel watched and chuckled.
'Really, everyone seems alive.'
Muttering in a small voice, she walked a bit more and saw a familiar building.
Rumiel opened the door and entered.
A small bell rang as the door opened, and the shop owner looked at Rumiel from inside.
"Welcome, adventurer!"
He greeted with a bright smile.
Rumiel smiled back and looked around the shop.
Various items were arranged on the walls, and on the shelves behind the counter, potions and bread were placed.
"May I help you with something?"
Rumiel thought for a moment, then chuckled and answered.
"Just looking around."
"Haha, I see. Feel free to browse!"
Rumiel slowly walked around the shop.
It was the same structure as in Rumiel's memory of the general store.
But everything felt more realistic.
Each item was more detailed, and the herbal scent in the shop was fresh and pleasant.
After slowly browsing the general store, Rumiel stepped out onto the street again.
This time, she headed to the small pond in one corner of the village.
This place was usually passed by players receiving quests, but now it was quiet.
Gentle waves rippled on the pond surface.
Rumiel looked at her reflection on the water.
Her white hair was still swaying in the wind.
Her blue eyes reflected in the clear water.
Rumiel looked at the sight with a bitter expression and sat on the edge of the pond.
A frog jumped up from the water's edge.
Rumiel found the sight oddly cute and smiled faintly, reaching out to scoop some water.
The cool, refreshing sensation.
Water droplets trickled between her fingers.
Rumiel sat there for a moment, watching the ripples.
Rumiel chuckled once more and looked up at the sky.
'⋯⋯What should I do now.'
There was no rush, and there was no urgent task to do.
She wanted to enjoy this opportunity to properly savor the RPG atmosphere in a long time to the fullest.
Rumiel decided to slowly explore the novice village she hadn't fully seen yet.
Walking along the small stone paths, she memorized the scenery one by one.
In the village's central square, some residents were gathered chatting.
From the old fountain, water gushed, and children were running happily around it.
From afar, the sound of the blacksmith striking weapons with a large hammer echoed.
"Recently, the price of iron ore has gone up so much that it's hard to get raw materials. What are the miners even doing!"
"So, I told them to stock up on inventory."
The merchant NPCs selling nearby were busy moving.
As time passed, new faces appeared that weren't there in the morning.
The sight of NPCs acting as if they were alive and breathing was still amazing.
Rumiel watched these scenes with interest.
Then.
A coughing sound started from one side of the road.
"Cough, cough... haa..."
A girl was leaning against the wall, sitting weakly.
Pale face, frail body breathing heavily, and a small medicine bottle on the ground.
'That... surely...'
Suddenly, a name flashed in Rumiel's memory.
Lillian.
'⋯⋯'
Rumiel stopped walking quietly.
The quest for Lillian was a representative quest that novices often did.
It was a tragic story quest meant to leave a strong impression on the game.
The pitiful girl Lillian coughing on the street.
When players accepted the quest, she asked them to gather herbs.
A three-part herb gathering quest.
But even after completing all quests, players only learned that Lillian's illness was incurable, and nothing happened to cure her.
'⋯⋯It's fine. This was my fate anyway.'
With a self-deprecating sad voice, the dialogue ended, and the reward for the player was 5000 gold and a ring that increases strength by 3 for the patient.
It was good performance and not a bad reward, so many novices did this quest.
And if they visited this place again after leveling over 100, they would only see an empty alleyway.
There was no way to see her after that, but including the detail of the NPC disappearing made it easy to infer that the meaning was death.
Anyone who did this quest when starting the game would feel emptiness and bitterness.
Rumiel also remembered that feeling from back then.
'⋯⋯'
Rumiel looked at Lillian.
Whether she accepted the quest or not now, according to the game memory, she would die without being cured.
But this place was no longer just a game.
Rumiel quietly opened her inventory.
And took out one of the many items.
The legendary elixir piled up thousands in the inventory.
Power Elixir.
