Would it really kill a person if someone lie?
This question had been in Julius mind ever since his father's death. As he grow up, this kind of thought haunts him as he live with a lie that he won't be able to tell anymore.
"Master... Master!!"
"Get a grip!"
"You'll die if you don't move!"
Here, you can see a man and a girl fighting an unknown humanoid creature with dark skins that can be identified as demons.
And here, he will soon realize what his lies could truly do.
Prior to that day.
Julius and Ela sign up for their adventurer registration, they fill up the form and soon received their plates according to their ranks.
Both of them receive a copper plate which means they're an F rank adventurer. Though they have killed a B-class beast, they still had to start from the beginning out of fairness.
The two didn't complain or anything and instead walk towards a board where job papers were pinned.
"Can you read?"
Julius ask as he stare at the content of the paper with a dumb face.
Certainly, even when they were filling the registration form, Julius was left behind because of this issue.
"You really are a numbskull, it's written alibata, it's your ancestor's writing system, I thought you were a prodigy, master?"
"Shut up, I don't even know why they call me like that."
"Yes yes, Mister prodigy who can't even identify his own country's script."
Growl...
Julius can't help but simply growl as he can't find the means to argue with his "superintelligent" companion. If he only knows that this person will tease him like this, he would've put a limit to her humor.
"Let's pick this."
Grabbing the paper, Ela show it to Julius and not knowing what he's seeing, he was confused.
"What's that?"
Ughhhh
"Maaaster... It's a subjugation request!"
Julius look at the content then look again to his companion before he speak.
"And? How much is the reward?"
Ela rolled her eyes and find his master annoying as she tries to explain it.
"It doesn't matter, master. What I want to say is, look at the creature. It's humanoid!"
"Ohhh, you're right!"
"Right?"
"So what about it?"
Ugh!
Ela had enough with his master's dumbness and just head straight towards the receptionist to confirm their job.
"We'll have this."
"Demon subjugation near the village of Eralti. Please confirm your acceptance."
The receptionist who still had cold sweat tries her beast to calmly do the usual thing and give them a quill for it to write their signatures.
"Thank you, for additional information, Village of Eralti is known for its dark occurrence such as village raid, monster invasion, etc. We don't even know why those living in it still hadn't fled."
"Okay, thanks."
Ela said coldly as they turn their bodies towards where the exit is. While the receptionist find this relieving.
"Thank goddess."
Two hours later, the two have started their journey to subjugate this so called demon with a humanoid form. Fortunately, a merchant was heading towards the village so they didn't hesitate and hop on with him.
"How long will it take for us to arrive at the village?"
Ela ask the merchant who had a white beard and old face. His body structure is similar to that of an old fat man, however, with a western look.
"We'll arrive at dusk but if you want to, we can camp at night as we venture in slow phase?"
"No, thank you. We're kind of in a hurry."
"Okay."
Thus, silence grew once more in a deserted unorganized road.
Julius on the other hand has a face of a dying soldier.
"This makes me feel weak, I think sun here is pretty much hotter despite being better in world condition!"
Ela who can't help but give a small laugh scold her master once again with her motherly instinct. However, this time, she tries to caress the head of his.
"You are weak though, you should've taken your time exercising back then."
"That's what I said before!"
"Yes yes, you're right."
Hence, the journey to the Village of Eralti became uneventful and they were able to arrive fully intact.
"Most greetings, dear villagers. For I, Julius Seria, have come to salvage you all from the hands of those demonic beings! Rejoice!"
Julius expected a cheerful welcome from the village as he held his head high while making a confident look. However.
"They have come."
"Yeah, they will sure to loot before they leave."
"Quick, hide our daughter, they might sell her to slave merchants."
Ela quickly understood their situation upon noticing the villagers' reaction, they seem to have found adventurers a barbarian people that follows no rule.
Suddenly, another old man, came running towards them.
Unlike the old merchant, this man was extremely skinny, to the point that even Julius find it unbelievable that this person hasn't died yet.
"G-greetings, dear adventurer. I am Caesar and I'm the acting village chief of this area. You have my greatest gratitude upon accepting our request. Truly, it is a miracle."
The man knelt in front of them as he made a stance of a person serving a God.
Damn, so this is how worse it is.
Julius thought as he made a serious face unlike before.
"We will kill and finish the request so please prepare the exact amount you will need to pay for us."
"Certainly. Goodluck."
Ela, with her usual coldness, made a statement as if not caring for the wellbeing of the people in the village. And this made Julius rebut.
"Wait, Ela. Can't you look at their condition, should we try to help them by reducing the payment needed?"
Ela, not even taking a glance to the village chief who had a sympathetic face, make her answer.
"That does not concern us, master. Remember we're not even welcome here so why should we do that?"
"However..."
"Please, master. Let us not meddle further. We should go."
Julius can't think anymore and simply follow the already Ela with an apologetic expression.
"Master, I know you feel sympathy for them, but I doubt they need that. They might have seen similar scenes before."
Julius, as far as she knows, was a weak guy psychologically. Even back in his world, it almost break him whenever he see people dying. So, to save his own, he had to limit his self from communicating to the outside.
And Ela knows this, for a certain fact. And if she had to help anyone he finds pitiful, they will not be sure about their future anymore.
Ela grab her dejected master's hand as they walk through the forest in darkness. And soon, they will have to face hardship that even the most intelligent of them can't handle.