It was currently noon; the sun is at its peak and should be quite hot inside the house.
However, to Juan, he couldn't feel it. The fear that almost engulfed him back then, he could still feel it even by this time.
It was a kind of coldness that seeped into his bones and soul.
preventing his mind from properly responding to the outside world's changes in temperature.
That's why he wasn't feeling hot, despite sweating a lot.
It should be several minutes later. The fear in his heart slowly receded. And his stiff thoughts returned to normal.
"A monster in the forest... I should tell it to the village chief. They have been living here for so long, they should have something in their sleeves, right?"
A village is situated between two dangerous terrains that monsters roam around.
Although he hadn't heard any information from the village,.
Judging from how Garu and Jura reacted back then when he told his story.
Their serious but not panicking expression spoke for itself: they either didn't believe him or didn't fear those monsters at all.
"This is my second time passing by with those monsters. Don't tell me, they aren't rare but instead just uncommon."
Juan thought about it deeply; there might be more about this village than his eyes could see. Somehow, although it was strange and frightening,.
There's some relief in his heart that told him safety is still in every society.
No matter how many secrets this village has, it will only take time before he can learn them.
A few minutes later, he stood up and wiped the sweat off his body before going outside to dry himself off.
"I better buy new clothes with my pay. The stink around me is also getting stronger; I should take a bath tomorrow."
Now that he has tools like a wooden pail and a wooden basin, he could start storing water from the river and take a bath in the backyard.
"But still, a monster outside the village. I can't have the courage to go out and experience that kind of fear again."
After signing at his weakness, Juan depressingly left the house shut and returned to Garu's home.
"What took you late, Juan? I have been waiting here for ages, you know."
Garu said that, but his expression was as cheerful as ever. But there's a high chance that he was really dissatisfied inside.
"Village Chief, I have something important to tell you. Can we talk about it outside?"
Although he could see, the food on the table hasn't been touched yet, and it seems to be waiting for him.
Juan felt moved, but there are more important things right now.
I saw his serious expression and his current action. Garu seems to feel something and immediately turns serious.
"Let's go in my room then. It's hot outside."
Soon, Juan followed Garu inside the house. He did not even look at the other two on the table.
There's no meaning to it; he just wants to stay away from any trouble that his expression may cause.
After closing the door, Garu sat on the bed while Juan stood not far from him.
"What is that important thing you want to talk about? Is it serious?"
Juan nodded as he took a deep breath and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"While I was gathering some firewood outside the forest, I met with a familiar, fearful feeling."
"...that horroble feeling was something I only felt on the monster under the river I met back then."
Upon hearing it to this point, Garu's expression finally became more serious.
"In the forest? You've seen it. What was it like?"
It seems Juan was indeed right in his guess that this village has long known about the monsters existence.
Juan felt truly relieved; at least he can be at ease about the possibilities of survival.
At the same time, I was curious about what this village could have against those monsters.
"I could only see shadows dancing and seem to have become alive back then. My fear forbid me from looking more, so I started running without thinking."
Juan wasn't embarrassed by his cowardly action. Because it was a normal thing to do when meeting such a situation.
But still, there's something he really needs to know right now.
"I see. It should be real. Don't worry about it. I'll have some hunters investigate."
"Um, Village Chief, can I ask about something?" Juan steeled his heart and asked directly.
Garu nodded and said, "Go on.".
"Do monsters really exist?" Juan's question suddenly stunned Garu's mind.
"What question is that?" Garu regained his thoughts and looked at Juan strangely.
"Actually, it's my second time seeing monsters. In my hometown, there's no existence of monsters at all. But we did have folklore and stories about them."
Feeling that Juan was telling the truth. Garu looked at Juan in a new light.
"Your hometown is an enviable place. To think you don't know much about monsters. And you even survive meeting two times at that. Your really a lucky young man."
Garu shook his head before he continued.
"Well, even in our village, we seldom meet one after all. Not many villagers really believe in them because they haven't seen one."
As expected, this world is more dangerous than Juan had thought. This world is indeed a fantasy world, where monsters roam around and people fight with them.
"Village Chief, can you tell me more about this village history and the monsters?"
Since this is a good opportunity, Juan naturally won't let this go to learn more about this world. Just part of it is more than enough.
"Yes, no problem. But let's have some lunch first. I'm already hungry waiting for you, you know. Ha ha ha."
Soon after saying that, Garu stood up, returning to his usual self and laughing.
What about the monster? Should we not move immediately and send some people to scout? Could it be that it wasn't something to be worried about?
Juan was confused by how Garu was still at his usual pace despite knowing that a monster had been seen in the forest.
It was more like Garu was underestimating them, like how a second generation young noble son would see an animal during the hunt.
As if they already knew all the ins and outs of them after countless hunts and experiences.
Although Juan was worried, he could do nothing about it since he knew nothing other than experiencing fear in the wake of those monsters.
...
After coming out of the room and seeing Garu's usual laughing self, his wife and second daughter seem to heave out a sigh of relief.
It seems like Juan's seriousness back then affected them greatly.
"Alright, let's have lunch now that Juan has arrived."
Garu spoke first to liven up the atmosphere and, at the same time, directly change the topic, as he didn't want to discuss what Juan and he had talked about.
The wife was also sensible and didn't ask about it.
As for Ceth, she didn't seem to mind and was currently staring at Juan, motioning for him to sit beside her.
"Thanks for the food." Juan nodded and sat down.
There's not much to talk about, but as always, Garu started bragging about his morning again.
About how hot the sun was, how heavy the stones were, and the numbers he counted.
Then, like usual, Ceth silently passed vegetables on his plate.
Although it was embarrassing, it's more so if he rejects her in front of her parents.
It would be troublesome if we got into conflict with the village chief's family.
"Thank you."
Ceth hummed in response and seemed to brighten up somewhat. It must be his mind playing tricks on him again.
A few minutes later, the table was cleaned up by the mother and daughter pair. While the father and Juan sat resting after getting full,.
"Village Chief, is this okay?"
Juan, now full, could finally think back on the urgent matter at hand.
"No worries, just follow me and watch. My village is not that weak."
Well, if you say so, Juan nodded and finally let himself go of the burden for now. It's not just his problem anyway.
Several minutes later,.
"Let's go." Garu stood up and bid farewell to his wife and daughter.
Juan also waved his hand farewell to Ceth before following Garu out of the house.
Just following this new routine could make Juan feel at ease in this new place.
"Ceth, you should ask him tonight. Your father will be having a banquet for the laborers after work, so it's a good chance for you to be alone with Juan."
An atmosphere under the starry night, not far away from the bustle of life. A young man and an unmarried lady are alone in the dark.
It was naturally normal for an ambiguous atmosphere and feelings to germinate and resonate with one another.
Ceth ears suddenly turn reddish pink at the thought of that.
Well, to help her, the mother naturally taught her things about a man and woman's relationship.
So it's normal for an inexperienced lady like her to feel embarrassed.
The madam just chuckled at the sight of her second daughter's shyness.