Chapter 7

As the sun began to set, the rain that had started to fall grew stronger.

The village chief looked up at the mountain with a troubled expression as the thunder, lagging behind the light, reached them from a distance.

"Raising the signal fire will be difficult."

"Even if we could, it wouldn't be visible."

In any case, Kalil and Bald and the others should return before nightfall. Walking through the mountains at night without any light is dangerous even for locals.

"At least it's only Yud and the other six who went into the mountains, which is a relief."

"If there were more people, more hands would be needed for the search, which could further agitate the evil beasts."

Rio looked back at the village. Knowing that Yud and the others had gone into the mountains, those who could fight were positioned to defend the village. It was unclear how many people could be spared for the search. The elite of the village, led by Rio's father, Bald, had gone, leaving a significant gap. Moreover, this heavy rain was troublesome. The sound of the rain and the thunder would mask any slight noises, and visibility was poor. Under these adverse conditions, defending the village was not easy, so the defense line, as per the village chief's instructions, was set at the stone wall surrounding the village, excluding the fields.

"--- Village chief, good news!"

A young man who was supposed to be guarding the village entrance ran up. Hearing the good news, the village chief greeted him with a slight smile.

"What is it?"

"An adventurer party from the town has come! They've accepted the request to investigate and eliminate the evil beasts!"

"Eliminate them too!? We haven't even sent out the request yet..."

As the village chief frowned in suspicion, three men and women approached Rio and the others.

"I heard that the evil beasts haven't been confirmed, but this seems serious. What happened?"

The oldest man among the three, who were eyeing the mountain warily, stepped forward. The village chief stood in front of Rio and answered the question.

"The village children went into the mountains. Now, some of the villagers are searching for them in the mountains. To avoid agitating the evil beasts, we've also strengthened the village's defenses."

"I see. I wouldn't want to enter unfamiliar mountains in this rain... Is the search team sufficient?"

"I think more would be better, but given the terrain, this rain will intensify until late at night. We won't ask you to search. Rather, I heard that you've accepted the elimination request. Is that true?"

"Yes, it's a request from the lord. The guild also doesn't doubt the existence of the evil beasts, so they accepted the request. It seems that Kalil has been doing some groundwork with Oggan, one of the lord's subordinates."

"Kalil..."

The village chief said the name in surprise. Rio was also surprised, as he never thought that the drunkard could do such groundwork. The older man looked puzzled at Rio and the village chief's reactions.

"Well, that's the situation. I want to hear the details from Kalil. If I say Furlau is here, he'll come running. Even if the information is limited, it makes a difference to have some rather than none."

The man named Furlau extended his hand to the village chief for a handshake. The village chief looked at Furlau's outstretched hand with a troubled expression and spoke.

"Kalil heard that children had gone into the mountains and was the first to rush out."

"Ha!? He only has one arm! What is he doing, that idiot? He doesn't learn, even after losing an arm."

Scratching his head roughly, the older man sighed and looked up at the mountain.

"What should we do?"

Furlau, who seemed to be torn between rushing into the mountain to rescue the children and waiting here, turned to his party members. The two companions shook their heads in unison.

"It's impossible to enter an unfamiliar mountain in this rain."

"We might consider it if we had a guide..."

The village chief, asked with a look, declined with a difficult expression.

"The village is fully occupied with defense. The elite are already in the mountains searching—"

Before the village chief could finish, Rio jumped down from the stone wall. The surrounding people turned their gaze, thinking he might offer to be a guide, but Rio pointed to the mountain entrance, which was blocked by trees.

"I saw a figure, but it looked strange!"

Saying that, Rio activated his body enhancement and ran off. Furlau and the others quickly followed. Rio reached the figure before Furlau and the others could catch up. The figure turned out to be one of the strong men who had gone into the mountains with Bald. He was holding onto a tree trunk for support, pressing his other hand against his abdomen, which was bleeding, and his face was pale. He had pushed himself to get this far with body enhancement.

Suppressing the urge to rush to his aid, Rio scanned the surrounding trees. If the man was injured, something must have injured him. If it was pursuing him, approaching the injured man could be dangerous. Furlau and the others caught up and also scanned the surroundings. The female party member took out bandages and water from her bag to prepare for first aid. Her calm and experienced response was evident.

"Area is secure. Let's provide first aid and take him to the village."

Following Furlau's instructions, the woman rushed to the injured man, while Furlau and the others stood behind him, weapons drawn, to guard his back. Rio approached the injured man and supported his shoulder.

"Hang in there."

"...Rio?"

"We'll talk after the first aid."

Despite being scolded by the woman, the injured man continued to speak.

"Evil beasts have appeared. They look like ordinary weasels but throw broken branches at high speed. Bald and the others are holding them off, but they can't handle it. The location is the Three Ponds."

The woman, who had seen the thick branch embedded in the man's abdomen, scowled and tutted.

"Is there a doctor in the village?"

"Yes. I think he's awake because of this situation."

"Then, it's better to leave it to him. We'll take you there now. Furlau, switch places."

"Got it."

The woman stepped back, and Furlau placed his cloak over the man's wound and lifted him. They ran through the gaps in the trees, with Furlau carrying the injured man, and Rio and the others followed, reaching the village chief, who was waiting worriedly by the stone wall. The village chief, immediately understanding the situation, rushed over, took the injured man, and ran off.

"The situation is dire. We don't have time to hesitate. Hey, you there, do you know where the Three Ponds are?"

Furlau asked the young man who had announced their arrival to the village chief. However, the young man shook his head with a troubled expression.

"Sorry. I'm just here for a business meeting from the neighboring village and don't know the geography of this mountain. I've heard of the Three Ponds, but I'd need to ask the villagers for the exact location."

"I see. Even if you knew, we can't pull manpower from the village. ...Boy, do you know where the Three Ponds are?"

Surprised to be asked, Rio nodded.

"Yes, I know. I can guide you."

"I don't like it, but I need you to come with us."

Since Rio, who was not counted as a combatant, could be spared from the village, Furlau pointed to the mountain and asked him to guide them.

"Is it okay? I can't fight."

"We won't make a civilian fight evil beasts. Your reaction and response when you found the injured man were not bad for a civilian. You move lightly and seem calm enough to run if necessary. Given the current situation, bringing you along is the best option."

"Understood. I'll guide you to the Three Ponds. Follow me."

After all, the one holding off the evil beasts is Rio's father, Bald. If Rio could bring reinforcements, it would be what he wanted. Furlau nodded and ran towards the mountain, with Rio following. Furlau's companions followed, protecting Rio's sides.

"Thanks, kid."

Nodding in response to Furlau's words, Rio spoke.

"The Three Ponds are on the mountain's mid-slope. We'll have to go around a cliff, so follow my instructions."