"Oh…"
"Thanks, uncle…", Shiro smiled as he saw Mornil place them in the basket.
He then placed the herbs wrapped in green too, they could be used as food and won't go to waste for a week!
After that, he took out a small white bottle and handed it to Shiro, saying, "This is disinfectant. I don't think I need to explain how to use it since I have used it plenty of times on you."
Mornil reminded Shiro of the time when he had to apply the disinfectant again and again as Shiro kept getting hurt while playing near the seashore and falling on the slippery rocks.
Shiro smiled as he took that bottle and placed it in his pocket.
"Okay, uncle. I should get going now…", Shiro said as he stood up, getting ready to leave the house.
"Ah, wait! There is one last thing I need to give you…", Mornil called out.
"Yes?"
He then finally handed out the thing which he was desperately trying to give since the start but didn't know how to explain.
It was a transparent bottle that had a shiny red liquid inside it.
"This…"
"What is this, uncle?", he asked.
"Ah, this…"
"Uh…"
'How do I explain…?'
"Uncle?", Shiro called out to him.
"Uh, I don't know how to explain, just remember, only when you are in danger, drink it completely.", he said, coughing a bit.
Shiro was a bit confused when he said this way. Regardless, he kept the bottle with him since Mornil had instructed, that he could always let the system analyze the thing later.
"Be careful, Shiro. Once all of this is over, please come back for a visit," Mornil said as he felt a tug in his chest.
Shiro smiled as he walked to Mornil to give him a hug.
"Please take care of yourself, uncle. I'll visit you when I get the chance…", Shiro mumbled.
"Alright, Shiro. I'll be waiting!", Mornil said as he returned the hug.
After hugging for a few more seconds, Shiro pulled back and began walking out of the house.
"Be careful, Shiro!"
"I will. Bye, uncle!"
With that, Shiro began walking towards the west of the town.
He was slightly afraid of what would come in the future, but he knew it was for the best.
When he reached the forest, Shiro stopped in his tracks as he looked behind at the town one last time.
Then, he walked into the forest. There was a cleared path in the forest which made it easier for Shiro to walk.
Unfortunately, the path was no longer clean once he reached the middle of the forest.
Because of that, his journey was delayed. He had to make sure there were no snakes or dangerous insects that could possibly harm him during the journey.
After half a day, he finally reached the next village.
"Finally…", Shiro sighed in relief. He took a seat by the rock that was outside of the forest.
And as he wiped his sweat, a system notification popped up.
*Ding*
[New Mission]
[Steal/Find Food Items And Water Enough To Last 4 Days] [ incomplete ]
[Reward: +1 fame, 10GC]
Shiro decided to accept the mission. Since he only had food that would last for 2 days, he might as well steal them to last him for another 4 days.
After accepting the mission, he was transported to a foreign place.
He was still in the same village, but now, he was standing in front of a stable. There were a few horses kept in the stable.
Shiro thought hard about how to accomplish the mission. Then, he decided it was best to be a beggar. People would believe that he is a beggar, especially since he was still a child.
Shiro took off his coat and stood next to the stable.
"Please, help me. I'm cold and hungry…", Shiro said as he pretended to look tired and weak.
Begging or not, as long as he got enough food and water to complete the mission, he would gain the rewards.
Unfortunately, no one stopped by to help him.
Shiro kept begging. He eventually got tired and was about to get up and go to some other place when a girl in tattered clothes approached him.
"Brother, are you hungry?"
Shiro nodded his head.
"Come with me, brother. I will give you some food."
The girl grabbed Shiro's hands and invited him to follow her.
Shiro picked up his stuff and walked together with the girl.
They arrived in front of an old house. The girl invited Shiro into the house and Shiro was shocked to see the condition of the house.
There was a man who smelled like alcohol passed, out on the couch. A frail woman came to greet them.
The girl looked at her elder sister, who seemed pretty but frail as if her bones were sticking out of her body, and said, "I brought this brother…"
"He is a bit hungry…"
Shiro felt bad after looking at the condition of the house and the people.
'I have to take food from these people…?', he thought to himself.
"Here, brother, drink some water…", the little girl said childishly as she handed a mug to Shiro.
The mug was brown in colour and was chipped at the side, which proved the poor lifestyle the little girl and her family had.
Shiro took the mug hesitantly. He looked at the little girl who was smiling innocently.
Shiro shook his head and drank a sip of water from the mug.
"The water is refreshing. Thank you very much."
The little girl smiled brightly as a pair of dimples appeared on her cheeks.
"I'm glad you like it, brother. You can drink some more."
Shiro grinned half-heartedly as he looked at the water in the mug.
The thing is, he was worried about the family's condition.
Apparently, the system had asked him to steal or find food and water for himself. Apparently, he had thought about taking from this family, but was that even possible? Did they even have the food for themselves to eat?
After all, they looked like nice people. There was no need for him to take advantage of them.
Right?