He swiped his hand to remove the game screen in front of him, clearing his vision. The path ahead was now clear, and completing the quest would undoubtedly enhance his basic status.
Riku spoke gently to Melissa, trying to comfort her. "Melissa, please stop crying. Everything will be fine," he said, his hand gently patting her head in a soothing motion.
Melissa's face brightened as she looked up at him. "Truly, mister Riku? Are you going to the forest to find my father?" she asked, her hope shining through as she relied on him for assistance.
He nodded, lifting Mellisa onto his back. "Of course, Mellisa, I'll do everything I can to find him," he declared before rising to inform Arisu of his change of heart.
His plans shifted slightly, as he hadn't anticipated receiving a quest in this particular location. Moreover, he couldn't pass up this opportunity, as it could aid him in expanding his mana pool by incorporating the genes of the monsters. To be precise, he intended to utilize the [Manifest] within this realm, having spotted a monster exclusive to the dungeon.
__
With Melissa on his back, Riku traversed the brown terrain toward Arisu's room. As he walked, farmers stared and exchanged expected conversations.
"What's Melissa doing there?"
"Fetch her! That man seems to be a close friend of Lady Arisu."
Gradually, the villagers and farmers began to identify him. This recognition owed much to Arisu, who had proclaimed Riku as the future top inventor of Arzotoc village.
"That's quite embarrassing... How could she say that in front of everyone?" he pondered, recalling Arisu's introduction to the farmers the previous night.
Suddenly, a slender woman with emerald green hair, fair skin, wrinkles adorning her face, and black eyes appeared out of nowhere. She bowed before him.
"Mother!" Melissa exclaimed.
"Is this your mother?" he began to ask, but was interrupted by Melissa's mother who seized her daughter and ordered him to kneel.
"I apologize for my daughter's behavior; you may punish me," Melissa's mother offered, seemingly without cause. She also urged her daughter to follow suit. "Melissa, do you not recognize him? He's the inventor who arrived from the country. You must understand our place. Apologize to him."
Meanwhile, Melissa simply nodded and spoke, "I recognize him, mother; he's Mr. Riku Hirota, and he promised to help find my father."
Her mother appeared simultaneously shocked and terrified. "I sincerely apologize, Mr. Riku! My daughter didn't grasp the gravity of her words. Please forgive her."
Observing the villagers' gaze fixed on him, Riku pondered the situation. 'What's bothering her?' he wondered, realizing the predicament. To alter the villagers' perception, he lowered himself to her eye level.
"No need to kneel to me; we're all inhabitants of the same world. Melissa didn't request me to find her father; I volunteered to help," he reassured, a smile gracing his lips as he aided her in standing.
"Look, Mr. Riku didn't punish Farmer Solomon's daughter!"
"Huh? That can't be true. If Lady Arisu gets wind of this, we're all in trouble."
Though unexpected, his primary aim was to reshape the perception of the villagers and farmers. This opportunity had presented itself, and if successful, these people would undoubtedly accept his authority and heed his words.
"May I ask for your name?" Riku inquired courteously, taking a step back to avoid imposing.
"I am Jara Bandit, one of the farmers here," she explained, head bowed. "Why do you intend to help me find my partner?"
He smiled once more and replied, "Well... I'll be scouting the forest. It would be a shame not to try finding Melissa's father. Please don't be upset with Melissa; we're just having a brief conversation."
He then walked up to her and gently tapped her on the back. "Don't worry, Jara; I'll do my best to find him; also, raising a child alone is difficult." He turned to face Melissa, "And you, Melissa, you should help your mother, okay? It's nice to have a mother.
"Yes, mister Riku! I'll be a good daughter to her!"
"Thank you so much, mister Riku! I didn't know how I'm going to pay you!" Jara said, can't be helped to didn't cry.
"Take care! We wish that you come back here safe!"
While walking to Arisu's room, he heard these words. Moreover, the main reason why he left there was he didn't want to get emotional as he remembered his mother.
___
One hour had flown by, and it was now eight o'clock in the morning. Riku told Arisu that he had changed his mind and that he needed to see the location of the lake first before beginning his research.
Arisu will not oppose his decision but has stated that she will be unable to accompany him. Because that was one of her rules when she was with King Luke. She is free to travel throughout the Arzotoc village, but she is not permitted to venture beyond the village's perimeter.
75 farmers and 120 guards gathered in the village's western section. With this number, they can ensure that the guard will be able to protect the farmer.
Each section had a small passage that led outside of the village. So, if the invaders were to attack them, they would have an escape route.
"Well, lady Arisu, we have to go; we'll be back here before the sun goes down," he waved his hand, following the expedition's guards.
"Of course, if you don't want to be killed by those monsters." Arisu seemed to be aware that the monsters were more aggressive at night. "Please don't die, Riku; I have a message for you."
Riku was perplexed, blinking his eyes, wondering why this woman hadn't mentioned it to him when he was close by. Nonetheless, he was a cheerful response to her. "The strong man, of course, never dies."
...
After a few moments, Riku, the guards, and the farmers passed through the forest. Farmers began digging closer to the Arzotoc's wall, with the first day being the safest as they could flee inside the village if the monsters approached.
"I'm Eric Nok, the third commander, and I've been assigned to protect the farmers with your project." A man with blue hair, narrow green eyes, an average build, and four centimeters taller than Riku.
Riku extended his hand to him and said, "I'm Riku Hirota." They shook hands as they both respected each other.
After that, Riku entered the forest without anyone noticing him, knowing that if the guards found out, they would pursue him.
...
"I'm far away from them, it's time to find Solomon." Riku muttered, checking his back if someone followed him. Yet, it was clear it seemed the guards weren't aware of it.
Riku wasn't bothered walking in the vast green forest alone as he have done it for a month. Also, he can now use his [Fly] skill freely.
He was looking around, thinking where he should start to find Solomon. Based on the quest, Solomon lost after he tried to get some water from the lake.
"Hmm... I think it's better if starts there."
[Fly!]
Swish!
Dark, gleaming wings suddenly appeared on his back, darker than usual, or perhaps he had only noticed the change after a month. With a leap, he soared into the air, unfurling his wings. Looking down from above, he believed that locating the lake and Solomon would be much quicker.
After ten minutes, he finally reached the serene lake. Arisu had been right; the lake was precisely 33 meters from the starting point by the wall.
Adjacent to the lake was a section within the deep heart of the forest. He shook his head, realizing it was nearly impossible for a farmer to venture this far into the woods.
"If I were Solomon, where would I choose to go?" he pondered, rubbing his chin, struggling to find any clue about Solomon's whereabouts, until... Suddenly, the tall bushes to his left began to violently shake.
*Squeak!*
Glancing in the direction of the noise, he exclaimed, "Who's there?!"
No response followed, causing him to suspect that a monster lurked behind the bushes. He stepped back cautiously, preparing to defend against a potential surprise attack.
"I'd better consider leaving this place—" he began, but before he could finish, a sudden *boom* echoed. A deluge of water cascaded onto him as something solid crashed into the lake. Emerging from the water was a green monster with sharp teeth, its body humanoid yet sinewy, giving it the appearance of a creature adept at underwater combat.
It became apparent that this monster was the guardian of the territory. "What is this creature doing here? I-It's a Naga monster!"