Chapter 37

When the caravan finally reached the village, the sun had already set.

Ehrene went to hand over the package addressed to Lax Construction and burst out laughing at the sign, while some of the mercenary group members flirted with Roxanne and were quickly shot down. Everyone, including the captain, became drunk after drinking beer.

"Here is the package for Mr. Kena."

Five wooden boxes, the size of orange crates, were piled up at the entrance.

Kena, who stopped Roxilius from getting a crowbar, drew a rune blade from his item box and sliced open the lid of one of the boxes with a horizontal slash.

While checking the contents with a puzzled look at Ehrene, who was holding her head, he found the box was tightly packed with dull, fine minerals.

From the magical reaction, he was confident that the other boxes contained the same material.

"Rocks?"

"Wow, you gathered so much just from the description. Keirick's skills are impressive."

Kena was impressed by the five boxes filled with magic resonance stones.

To Ehrene, who had an appraising eye, they looked like ordinary stones found on the roadside.

To identify them, the skill [Magic Skill: Appraisal] was needed, so he was impressed by the efficiency of gathering so many in just a few days and revised his evaluation of his grandson.

He synthesized a handful of stones on the spot, removing impurities and transforming them into a dull silver sphere about five centimeters in diameter.

[Technical Skill: Sealing: Flame]

The sphere, which rapidly turned red in Kena's palm, made Ehrene and Rottel, who were watching, raise their eyebrows.

She then dropped the sphere on the ground and called out to Ehrene.

"Ehrene, can you give me a command? And don't peek, okay?"

"Um, what should I say?"

"‘Oh God, grant us fire.’"

Half-believing, Ehrene said the words Kena told her to, and a pillar of fire, reaching nearly three meters high, erupted from the sphere.

It was a simplified magic array that sets attributes and keywords in one step and activates with a certain amount of MP.

It is used to create areas of intense heat or freezing cold when setting up dungeons.

The protective tower also uses a larger version of this.

The lighting embedded in the Kena family home was also designed to turn on and off with a snap.

Ehrene, the porters from the caravan, Rottel, and the villagers who were watching were startled and ran away, hiding in the shadows to observe from a distance.

The fire pillar disappeared easily because he hadn't put much MP into it, but Kena, realizing he had done something wrong, apologized, saying, "I'm sorry for startling you."

Thinking it would be better to ask Keirick what it was for, he had Roxilius move it into an unused room.

"I see, so such things used to circulate?"

"They were also used in equipment, like swords. Mostly... for dungeons?"

The caravan leader's face froze at the word.

Just then, Ritt and Latem came running over, probably to invite Luka as usual.

Approaching the girl who was peeking out from the doorway, the three of them exchanged greetings and headed towards the well in the center of the village, holding hands.

Though out of Kena's sight, the children might have been having a secret conversation.

Well, should he be happy that they were playing away from him, or feel lonely?

He would later regret this decision intensely.

He signed the receipt and handed it to Ehrene.

While talking about recent trade conditions and the possibility of the sake barrels being transported to the merchant, Arbita, accompanied by the deputy captain, arrived.

"Finally here."

"Good morning, Arbita."

"Sorry, I brought the captain."

"Ah, my head hurts... Hey, girl."

To discuss the future, including the mayor, because of the organized actions confirmed after the caravan was attacked twice.

The Flame Spear Mercenary Group and Kena planned to go on a joint extermination mission.

"I'll leave some of my people here to guard the village."

"It should be fine with Rox and Cee here, right?"

"Just the cat girl and the boy won't be enough if they attack in numbers. The question is how many of them are left."

"Yesterday, Kena killed three orcs and five goblins. The captain apparently fled after being injured."

The meeting started right there in front of the house, and Roxine was setting out small tables while Roxanne was arranging tea.

After selecting the people for the extermination and the people to guard the village, the crucial issue was the orcs' base.

"I didn't have the presence of mind to check while flying around yesterday."

"Rottel, do you have any idea?"

"I haven't ventured that deep into the forest."

When asked by the mayor, Rottel, who had only been to the entrance of the forest, replied that he had no idea.

Ehrene brought out a map, and Arbita and the others began to make guesses.

A place that was easy to secure water, out of sight, and close to the mountains, beyond the tower where the evil witch lived (Kena's eyes welled up). They concluded it was the hillside by the river.

Just to be sure, Kena used his skill to confirm.

[Special Skill: Oracle]

(Will this work in a world without a game master?)

The people looked at Kena with puzzled faces as he pulled out a crystal sphere the size of a human head with a thud.

It was one of the skills that was considered odd in the game, the opposite of "Roses Bloom Beautifully."

The effect was to answer up to five of the player's questions.

The method of answering was...

"Is there an orc nest within a 60-kilometer radius?"

Ding!

The sudden, cheerful electronic sound from above startled everyone.

It was natural to be taken aback by an unfamiliar sound coming from the blue sky above.

"Is it in the south?"

Bzzz!

"Is it in the northeast?"

Ding!

"Is it a cave?"

Ding!

"Isn't this skill unnecessary with the crystal sphere?"

Boooooo!

"......What is that, scary."

Despite everyone looking up at the sky in confusion, the result only confirmed Arbita's guess.

Roxanne, who seemed to find it amusing, was the only one laughing, her shoulders shaking.

The 60-kilometer radius was actually not that far.

According to Arbita, with Kena's help, they could reach it by noon.

"Arbita, you're finally treating people like a convenience store..."

"No, no, use all available means. It's only natural for an adventurer, right?"

"Yes, I intended to use various things from the beginning, so it's fine."

She summoned a wind spirit as a scout and then a qilin.

It looked exactly like the one on a certain beer label, about the size of a donkey, smaller than a horse, and floated slightly off the ground.

Of course, Arbita and the others had never seen one before, and its dignified appearance made them watch from a distance.

"Kena, what is that?"

Kenison, nudged by his companion, asked on behalf of the group.

While stroking it and saying, "Please," Kena tilted her head at their cautious demeanor.

"It's called a qilin, don't you know?"

The members all shook their heads.

In the game, the qilin, a rare monster, was treated as a non-combat character without a level.

However, it had various special skills that players couldn't obtain, making it quite useful in certain situations.

Kena, who had completed many solo exploration quests, found it very helpful.

While Arbita was discussing the pre-departure equipment check and dividing the mercenary group, Kena left with Roxanne to find Luka.

She found the children discussing something behind the public bath.

"Luka?"

"......!?"

"Whoa!?"

"Kyaa!?"

The children, startled by her voice, jumped and fell on their bottoms. Kena smiled wryly and apologized, "Sorry."

Squatting down to meet the girl's gaze, she stroked her head.

"I'll be away for a while, so I'm sorry. If anything happens, ask Cee, okay?"

"I may not be as reliable as you, but please don't hesitate to ask me anything, Miss."

Luka's gaze wavered between her and Roxanne, who was standing behind her, looking apologetic.

"It's okay, Onee-chan!"

"Y-Yeah, we'll be with her!"

Ritt and Latem, looking flustered, took Luka's hands and nodded repeatedly.

Kena hugged her daughter once, patted her back, and left after asking the two to take care of her.

Ritt and Latem, who let out deep sighs, noticed the cold gaze from Roxanne, who was still standing there, and repeatedly said, "It's nothing," while leading Luka to the shadow of a house.

Roxanne, who basically only cared about her master and Luka, returned to the house to finish her work.

"Rox, please take care of the village."

"Yes, please leave it to me, Miss."

Only Roxilius, the mayor, Marele, and a few remaining mercenary members were there to see the group off at the village entrance.

Arbita and the others were in their usual full gear, with some wearing full plate armor as shield bearers.

Kena, in her usual fairy king robe and accessories, including the ruyi rod in her ear, had seven colorful crystal spheres floating around her.

The spheres emitted a vast amount of magical power, making Arbita wonder if this was her battle gear.

"It's roughly in that direction."

"Then, Qilin, go straight ahead."

She pointed in the direction, comparing it with the map she had created with Key.

The Qilin, nodding to Kena, ignored the road and headed for the forest.

They planned to adjust their course based on the information from the wind spirit she had sent as a scout.

"Hey, girl. Are you going to cut through the forest!? It will take time."

"Just watch and follow closely."

Arbita and the others, half-believing, followed, and their eyes widened when the forest parted as the Qilin took its first step.

The forest closed behind them as they moved forward, and the trees, thorns, and undergrowth parted to make way for them, giving the impression that the Qilin and its rider were divine messengers.

"Qilin, please use [Marching]."

Nodding to Kena's command, the Qilin released a green wind that enveloped everyone.

The landscape seemed to move faster, and the sensation of being carried by the wind made them feel as if they were being transported in formation.

The cold feeling of being trapped in the wind made them shiver.

"Wh-What? Found!?"

The sudden, high-pitched scream came from the person who had created the situation.

---

Let's go back to the village before the extermination team set out.

Ritt and the others, who had kidnapped Luka, took her to the shadow of the public bath.

"I found it yesterday. It wasn't far from the village."

"We can go and come back quickly!"

"?"

Confused by the enthusiastic duo, Luka, who had been left behind, pulled on Ritt's clothes.

Though Luka usually didn't talk much, Ritt and Latem had come to understand her a bit over the past few days and patted her shoulder to reassure her.

"Remember, we were told to make a flower crown without Kena seeing, right?"

"I found a flower field when we were out yesterday."

"Let's go make a beautiful flower crown while Kena is away!"

"But... outside... is dangerous."

Ritt showed Luka a blue teardrop-shaped gem, which he had borrowed from his mother without permission, to reassure her.

Latem, who had never seen it before, looked puzzled.

"Hehe, I borrowed this one from my mom without permission. It's for a charm."

A charm is usually formed with several points surrounding a central pentagram, but even one of these gems has the power to repel monsters, though it is minimal.

The two, who had never directly experienced the threat of monsters, were optimistic.

The presence of an absolute protector in the village had given the villagers a sense of security that "monsters are nothing to worry about."

Of course, the mayor and the hunters, who could sense the dangers outside the village, had advised the adults against this, but the children were oblivious.

Luka, who had experienced the destruction of her village, had the fear of it etched in her heart.

She noticed the contradiction in the two's plan to "make a flower crown in a place Kena can't see while she's away."

She watched them excitedly, thinking, "If we make a flower crown while Kena is away, why are they saying this?"

In the end, she was forced to agree to "keep it a secret from the adults" and was pushed out of the village by Latem.

Holding the pendant given to her with the words, "If something happens, ask for help," she wished for Kena to protect her friends.

---

Roxilius, who had finished his usual chores around the village, noticed Roxanne standing at the front door of his house with an irritated look and frowned.

She was standing with her arms crossed, casting sharp glances around for no reason.

"Is something wrong?"

"I had a cooking date with Miss, but I can't find her. You were doing your usual rounds, right? Did you see her with those vacant eyes of yours?"

It was hard to tell if she was relying on him or mocking him, but this was her default, so he couldn't argue.

Roxilius recalled his morning route.

He had cleaned the public bath and repaired a roof.

He had also patrolled the village perimeter, but he hadn't seen the children who usually played around.

"I haven't seen her."

"Right after Master left, what a blunder. I need to find and protect her quickly. I'll be the only one punished."

If she wasn't in the village, she might have gone outside.

Even if the surrounding area was relatively safe, there were still monsters.

He hurried to act and was stopped by Marele and Sunea, who were discussing something in front of Lax Construction.

"You two seem to be in a hurry. What's going on?"

"A serious and urgent incident has occurred. Have you seen Miss?"

The two housewives' faces turned sour.

That alone was enough for Roxilius to confirm his suspicions.

"It's almost noon, and I can't find Ritt."

"I'm sorry. It seems Latem took a stone, so he probably used it as a charm..."

Sunea explained that a single charm stone was no more than a placebo.

Marele and the others, who had been instructed by Kena to "help the villagers," took on the task of finding the children and bowed before leaving the village.

---

The remaining members of the Flame Spear Mercenary Group were guarding the entrance and patrolling the perimeter in pairs.

The children, who had emerged from the bushes behind Lax Construction and reached the road, went unnoticed.

They crossed the road and entered the forest on the opposite side, cautiously advancing.

The atmosphere of the forest was completely different from what they had seen from above.

By the time they reached their destination, the sun was high in the sky.

Latem confirmed there were no dangerous creatures in the flower field and moved to the center. They formed a circle and started making flower crowns.

Drawn to the colors and large flowers not found in the village, even Latem, who was supposed to be on guard, became engrossed in the task.

When they felt a chill run down their spines, it was too late. The flower field was surrounded by a pack of creatures.

The creatures that emerged from the shadows, growling to corner their prey, were gaur lizards, brown-scaled monsters. There were eight of them.

They resembled wyverns without horns and shorter necks, about the size of dogs, and hunted in packs.

They had membranes on their backs but could only glide like flying squirrels.

They mainly targeted the weak and did not approach villages, but often preyed on stragglers.

With eight of them, the three children couldn't escape. Even if they tried, the gaur lizards were faster.

Latem, despite the odds, bravely held a knife but was visibly shaking.

Ritt, who had rarely left the village, was seeing a monster for the first time and turned pale with fear.

Luka, like the others, was pale and trembling.

She instinctively clutched the pendant around her neck.

It was a gift from Kena, praised by Roxilius and the others