* * *
The next morning, Aya woke up early with a renewed sense of purpose. Her new copper adventurer's card had given her a boost of confidence, and she was eager to take on new challenges. Determined, she headed to the guild, ready to prove her worth as an adventurer.
It didn't take long for her to find a new quest — one that was quite different from anything she had done before.
This time, she was to investigate a problem in a remote village, one that was said to be suffering from a mysterious affliction.
Hiroki also seemed to support her from inside all the time, which is why she had nothing to fear about this new experience.
However, as she approached the village, she began to feel uneasy.
The air felt heavy and stagnant, devoid of any signs of life or activity. It seemed as if the entire village had been deserted, or worse, cursed. Despite her growing unease, Aya kept going, determined to finish her mission.
When she finally arrived at the village's entrance, she noticed an elderly woman sitting with her eyes gloomily fixed on the ground. The old woman looked frail and worn, her face etched with worry. Aya could see the fear in her eyes, and she knew that whatever was happening in this village was serious.
After carefully checking that there was no one nearby, she began walking towards the entrance of the village, earning a flinch from the elder woman.
"I'm sorry, I came from the guild about a certain investigation. May I know what is going on?" Aya asked the elder.
The elder, however, after confirming who had arrived, gave a doubtful look at the young girl before letting out a groaning sigh.
"So even though this is an emergency, all they can send is just a young lad? And they're wondering why our country is so hopeless..."
The elder said to herself, showing no sign of alarm despite claiming the village was in an emergency.
After seeing the troubled look on the elder's face, Aya only kept a stern expression while trying to explain the quest to the elder. It was clear that something had happened there. However, she wasn't planning on returning without confirming what she needed to investigate.
"I'm confident in my skills, so please tell me." Aya confidently insisted.
"Fine… go and tell your guild and their ignorant fools that all of our young men and villagers who can fight are going to the goblin's nest to rescue their children and women. They might as well be dead by now, so extend my gratitude to everyone in the guild from the bottom of my ass." The elder's brows twitched as she glared, her unclean, broken teeth showing in anger.
Aya's eyes widened at the sudden revelation. She was aware that something was going on, which is why she couldn't simply leave things alone and leave this village at their mercy. That's why she clenched her hands before angrily looking at the elder.
She wasn't going to leave this village after understanding what was going on, which is why she convinced the elder to give her more information about this emergency.
The elder tried to save the girl from taking a risky and life-threatening position by sending her back. But the moment she caught a glimpse of her unfeared eyes filled with motivation and blood thirst, the elder's eyes widened for a bit. She could even tell from the hard work and callus on her hand that she had worked for her strength.
She has never seen a brave adventure as strong-willed as hers in a long time.
It was a mixed feeling, filled with hope and a slight fear of what would happen. However, if her guts were right…. Then increasing the chance of saving the villagers from the fall was the right choice for her.