73
Chapter 73
I accepted a light request and left the guild.
It was an errand to gather herbs, literally closer to a chore.
But it was the perfect start to familiarize ourselves with the terrain around the village and grasp the atmosphere of the area we'd be operating in.
No strain, no pressure.
Still, it wasn't something we could just brush off carelessly.
In this world, an easy job was synonymous with getting hurt from letting your guard down.
Whether going to the forest or crossing the field, no one knew what might happen.
A request ultimately meant there was enough danger for someone to willingly pay to have it done instead.
Just a few steps outside the village was a wheat field, followed by a chaotic stretch of gentle hills, short trees, and old stone walls.
The wind blowing over the field was cool, and the sound of a carriage along with something like the tilling of a field drifted over lightly from afar.
"This village is nicer than I expected."
Silon said as he placed his hands on his hips and looked around the scenery.
"Not bad. The wind is cool too."
Baldic plucked a blade of grass, chewed on it, and eventually spat it out.
"Damn it, pfft! Pfft! I thought it was edible grass, but it's not."
"Who told you to eat it?"
I smiled, shook my head, and turned my steps toward the eastern hill where the herbs supposedly grew.
Eileen followed quietly behind before asking in a low voice.
"Does this kind of thing really make money?"
"There must be demand for a request to be issued. I heard it's usually used as an ingredient for a cure or as tea."
"Then should we try growing some too?"
"Where is our house? If you're thinking of planting them behind the inn, forget it."
As we exchanged jokes, the sound of a stream reached us before we knew it, and broad, mint-colored leaves under the crevices of a small boulder caught my eye.
"Over there."
I bent down and carefully started gathering them.
Baldic knelt by the stream, scooped up some water with his hands, and spoke.
"It sure is clear. I don't see any weird beasts around here."
Meanwhile, Silon had picked up a branch and was air-slashing at Eileen, and Eileen, dodging slightly with an expressionless face, eventually lifted a stick and poked Silon's shin.
...When will he ever grow up.
I told him to keep watch, geez.
"Argh! Hey, that really hurts!"
"I just poked you lightly with a stick."
I ignored Silon's screams behind my back and carefully pulled up the last herb root.
"All done. Let's go back."
"Yay! First request successful!"
Silon shouted, throwing both arms in the air.
On the way back, another breeze passed by, and the grass rustled and swayed.
It was a peaceful afternoon.
A day like this wasn't too bad, either.
***
While staying in the village, we took care of minor requests one by one.
Gathering herbs, clearing paths around the village, and simple road patrols.
Nothing special, but they were surprisingly busy days.
Occasionally, we heard rumors of someone seeing a goblin and went out to search, but so far, we hadn't actually found any monsters.
It was mostly just the misunderstanding of a scared farmer, or mistakenly identifying a beast's footprints.
"Another bust this time."
Silon grumbled, holding a broken axe handle he found in the grassland.
"It's still not bad. It's a hundred times better than something suddenly popping out from hiding."
I replied, taking a look around the area.
Baldic sat under the shade of a nearby tree, fiddling with a liquor bottle as if it had become a habit by now, while Eileen silently peered at small footprints along the edge of the path.
They were quiet and relaxed days.
That didn't mean we could completely let our guard down, but at least for now, it was peaceful.
"This isn't too bad. It doesn't pay well, but it's peaceful."
"These days will be over soon."
"Pardon?"
I didn't want to throw a wet blanket over the mood, but it was true.
The requests posted on the notice board had been steadily decreasing lately.
Instead, tasks like missing person searches coming down from the guild were starting to appear one by one.
If the war in the neighboring fief was a storm, we were in the eye of it.
We were standing in a fleeting moment of tranquility.
"I guess the effects are slowly reaching around here."
I said, letting out a short breath.
"That sounds scary."
Eileen muttered softly, looking at me.
"But we'll have to take on those jobs eventually. We can't make big money like this."
Baldic said, casually resting his liquor bottle on his shoulder.
It was a brutally realistic point.
"...It's still fine for now."
Silon raised his head and looked around.
"I hope we only get these kinds of requests from now on. It's better than shedding blood."
"I'll admit that."
As I nodded and stood up, the rest dusted off their rears and rose as well.
Sunlight filtered through the green leaves, and the wind gently swayed the branches.
In the end, we returned to the inn empty-handed.
Summer must have fast approached, as the midday sun was quite biting.
Damp sweat gathered down my spine, and it was almost unpleasant how my clothes clung to me.
I headed straight to the back of the inn.
Inside the makeshift washroom enclosed by wooden boards were an old wooden tub and a shabby dipper.
I scooped a basin of water, quietly rolled up my shirt sleeves, and splashed my face and arms.
"Phew...."
As the cool water trickled down my cheeks, I felt the fatigue clinging to my body slowly washing away.
I went back inside the inn.
Downstairs in the dining room, several village people had taken seats, tipping their beer glasses and chatting.
With the sounds of familiar faces laughing and talking, a warm breath lingered around every table.
There was no separate dining room in this village.
So, this place, the only inn and dining room in the village, served as a public resting spot.
A place where workers gathered to appease their hunger during the day, and drinkers came to wrap up their day in the evening.
It lacked the bustling vibe of a city, but instead, the presence of living people was distinct.
These small daily routines gathered to form its own kind of peace.
The phrase 'peaceful everyday life' somehow felt real.
"I'd like a meal, please. Anything special today?"
The owner's face brightened slightly.
As a guest who had stayed a few times over the past several days, I was quite a familiar face by now.
"You're in luck today. Hunters just caught a goat this morning. We have goat rib stew, a Beldor special, prepared."
Not long after, the food was served on a wooden tray with a fragrant aroma.
The first thing that caught my eye were the crisply roasted goat ribs.
The seasoning was simple, but thanks to the spice mixed with crushed garlic and herbs, I could barely smell any gameyness from the meat.
Golden-brown cooked flesh clung to the ends of the ribs, looking tender enough to tear apart even without a knife.
Next to it was a soup made by thoroughly boiling potatoes and root vegetables grown in this village.
With what seemed like a pinch of herbs added to a rich meat broth, the savory scent tickling my nose stimulated my appetite.
The oil floating on the surface of the soup looked like spreading warmth.
And a freshly baked loaf of rye bread.
A white piece of cheese was slightly melted on top of the bread, enough that the cheese would stretch like a thread if torn by hand.
The moment it was set on the table, I realized all over again just how hungry I was.
"Would you like beer or ale for your drink?"
The owner asked with a smile.
"Beer."
A somewhat luxurious meal.
It wasn't particularly fancy, but there was warm food, cold beer, and the pleasant hum of the surrounding noise.
It was times like this that made the hard work feel worth doing.
Just as I scooped a spoonful of soup and brought it to my mouth.
"What, it's already out?"
A chair clattered as someone sat down across from me.
It was Baldic.
Having approached without a sound, he dusted off his collar, took a seat, and raised his hand high.
"Innkeeper! One glass of beer, please!"
Ordering food could wait; beer clearly came first.
A moment later, Baldic took the wooden cup the owner brought and downed it straight away.
Glug, glug—
Then he let out a deep, satisfied sigh,
"Urgh, I'm finally coming back to life."
he said, letting out a burp with a satisfied look on his face.
"Aren't you going to order food?"
When I asked with a smile, he waved his hand dismissively.
"You have to have a drink first to get your appetite going."
At those words, I raised my spoon again.
The soup, filled with thick-cut root vegetables and meat pieces, was savory and carried a subtle scent of herbs.
Perhaps they used a spice unique to this village, because the slightly sharp kick in my mouth was excellent.
As I filled my stomach, I briefly thought it wouldn't be bad to just let the time pass like this until evening.
"Ah, I heard a strange rumor on my way here, you know?"
After saying that, Baldic leaned his upper body slightly toward me and lowered his voice.
Amidst the gentle noise of the dining room, his voice sounded strangely clear.
"What is it?"
"A few days ago, someone from this village went missing near the North Forest. At first, they brushed it off, thinking a wild animal bit them... but there was one strange thing."
I stopped my spoon.
"A strange thing?"
"There were no footprints. They just disappeared. No bloodstains, no signs of a struggle."
Baldic trailed off and raised his cup again.
He swallowed a mouthful and quietly looked into my eyes.
"It could just be a floating rumor. But... the person who told me was pretty reliable. Supposedly an old hunter patrolling the village."
Only then did I slowly look around the dining room.
Unlike the boisterous atmosphere, there were a few people quietly tipping their liquor glasses in the corner.
I felt one of them briefly glance our way.
"......For a coincidence, it's very strange."
"...It is."
I picked up my spoon again.
The warm flavor spreading in my mouth seemed to slowly melt away today's complicated thoughts.
Just then, I heard the sound of the door opening, and as I looked up, I saw Eileen entering the inn.
"Wow, it's really plentiful today."
Seeing my table, Eileen's eyes widened.
The smell of stew was lingering heavily in the room, so her reaction was understandable.
"Order quickly, or you won't get any."
When I spoke playfully, Eileen's eyes bulged as she clasped her hands together and hurriedly replied.
"What? E-Excuse me! I'll have the same thing as this, please!"
Having dashed off to finish her order, Eileen returned with a satisfied face and took a seat.
Silon, who came in a little later, also rushed to place an order, but soon all he brought back was a bowl of soup and a hard loaf of bread.
"...Why is it only me?"
When Silon asked with a tearful face, Baldic replied with a shrug.
"That's why you shouldn't have come late."
"I was doing some equipment maintenance! Doesn't everyone do that?"
"Of course we do. You're just slow, that's all."
In front of Baldic, who said that, there was already a half-empty meat plate and a beer glass.
Roughly wiping the oil around his mouth with the back of his hand, he smiled slyly.
"Man, this is why the fast ones win in this world."
Silon stirred his soup with his head hung low, and seeing that, Eileen burst into the laughter she had been holding back.
"Come early next time. The Beldor special is tastier than I thought."
"...Haa, this is so unfair."
With Silon's sigh, the meal resumed.
Amidst the sound of spoons tapping against bowls, the story Baldic had just shared naturally became the topic of conversation.
"Really!?"
Silon asked, his eyes wide.
"Shh, lower your voice. Everyone here will hear you."
Baldic said in a low voice, slightly tilting his glass.
"So you're saying something is happening inside this village."
Eileen continued with an expression of disbelief.
"Right. Almost all the missing person requests posted so far have been for people from other regions,"
I carefully chimed in.
"This time, they say a village resident disappeared."
"Could it be... a kidnapping? Or a monster?"
"We don't know that yet. Seeing how quiet it still is, it might not be as big of a deal as we think."
Silon slowly chewed the bread in his hand and nodded silently.
The atmosphere had grown a bit heavy before we knew it.
But it wasn't enough to make us stop eating.
In this world, eating, especially a warm meal, was always one of the first things to take care of.
Right now, recovering our stamina came before talking.
"Still, it is a bit disturbing that such a thing happened inside this village."
"Yeah. I guess it's about time a fight broke out."
Baldic muttered as he emptied his beer glass.
"...Still, it's not enough to ruin my appetite yet."
Eileen smiled awkwardly and picked up a piece of meat from her plate.
I quietly watched her, then nodded.
...She's completely gotten used to this work now, too.
She used to be a kid who was disgusted by even a single drop of blood.
Now she chews on meat while talking about a missing person.
Then again, I was the same.
Am I numb to it, or just used to it?
"Still, I hope this peace lasts a long time."
Eileen said quietly.
"Peace is like a season."
Baldic said, lifting his liquor glass.
"It just passes by briefly. That's why it's even more precious."
"True. The day might come when we'll miss laughing while eating like this."
Silon also said with a low chuckle.
At those words, we all looked down at the dining table in momentary silence.
Warm broth, freshly baked bread, and the cool evening air.
It would be really nice if we could protect this table forever.
But, that was merely a wishful thought.
Reality would bring another wave at any time.
And that might just be tomorrow.