"Huh?! THE WHAT?!
Bathemus exclaims with a crack in his usually deep and calm voice. Roth quickly realizes his actual reason would prove to be a bit bizarre and tedious to explain so he instead says:
"I-I mean I heard a lot about the country side of Genfilheim and decided to go on a tour you know? To experience the greenery and all that stuff..."
Well...Roth wasn't practically lying, just using half truths to explain his reasoning. Roth lets out an awkward laugh and before Barthemus could say anything, Lilian bursts through the door with a paper in her hand. She pants for a few seconds before speaking.
"Sor...Sorry for the hold-up...the paper was buried in a pile." she says with a short breaks due to her shortness of breathe. Roth is handed the papers and he starts reading it whilst humming a unknown melody. The Guild Master and Lilian wait for a few awkward minutes before Roth sets down the paper and says:
"Thank you for letting me see the quests but something keeps catching my attention, may I inquire about it?
"Of course! Go ahead. What's on your mind?"
Barthemus's enthusiasm to help clear his doubts, shows Roth the professional and reliable personality that the Guild Master exudes. Roth points at all the quests listed and starts saying:
"If I am to assume, these are all the quests which have been withdrawn due to not being accepted or left vacant for a significant amount of time, correct?"
"Indeed that's correct."
"In most cases, withdrawn quests consist of elite monster level threats which weren't categorized correctly or extremely low paying ones without much merit. As I saw on the quest board earlier, there weren't any monster subjugation quest or any escort related missions, so I assumed they were withdrawn due to being too dangerous or too tedious."
Roth continues explaining as he taps the table in a steady rhythm to articulate his words better.
"But when I looked at the quests just now, I couldn't find any dangerous ones, only boring ones which don't hold much reward. So, what's the deal with that? Why aren't there any such missions...what's the story?"
Roth finishes his question with slight passion as he utters the word 'story'. Barthemus and Lilian look at each other for a moment, before the Barthemus decides to speak.
"Well...the answer may not be entirely fulfilling but I will explain it nonetheless. As you just said...Yes-all the quests, shown and withdrawn, do not contain any escort jobs or monster threats, except for the extermination quests for critters and such. Part of it could be due to Cortfel being a quiet town without much action, which would explain the no bandit escort missions but its still weird for no monster quests to be available."
Barthemus pauses for a second as he contemplates continuing the conversation, but when he sees Roth listening with full attention and anticipation, he decided to keep talking no matter how ridiculous he may risk sounding.
"There aren't much monster related quests due to no requests being made...or to be more accurate-Because there are no monsters to be seen around these parts..."
Roth's interest is at an all time high as he asks:
"What!? No monsters? Even though this town is so close to the forests?"
"Actually...that is the main reason behind this phenomenon."
Barthemus replies as he prepares himself to indulge in the legends of the Rogue Forest and the mysterious entity it holds. Roth in slight confusion asks:
"What do you mean? Are you referring to the forests?"
Barthemus nods and begins to explain the reasoning.
"It is due to the forests, especially the big ominous one called the Rogue Forest...and the supposed monstrous creature called-"
"THE RAVENOUS BEAST!"
Lilian suddenly shouts with an enthusiastic voice as the mention of the tale brings out the excited kid within her. She quickly regains composure as Barthemus and Roth look at her awkwardly not sure how to react to the sudden energetic outburst. Lilian quickly apologizes for interrupting but before Barthemus could say anything, Roth asks, with excitement flaring in his eyes:
"Ooh! What is the 'Ravenous Beast'?"
Barthemus clears his throat in preparation to explain the tales which have been passed from generation to generation but just before he begins, his eyes fall to Lilian who seems to be itching to share the tales and legends she has harbored from her childhood. Barthemus lets out a sigh and a faint smile plays on his lips as he says:
"Lilian, would you mind explaining the topic to Roth here?"
"Really!? I would love to!"
Lilian exclaims with a excited glint in her eyes and she begins to recount the legends and stories of the Beast. She tells Roth the same tales she heard with expressive language and Roth is fully locked in her explanation; He doesn't want to miss a single detail. Her narration of the tales are sprinkled with slight exaggerations and variations added by the narrators before her time. The minutes pass as Barthemus waits for Lilian to finish up her tale so he can discuss the phenomenon more in depth.
Finally as Lilian pauses a bit to recollect her thoughts, Barthemus seizes the opportunity to cease her storytelling as he fears that she would go on forever given the chance.
"Thank you Lilian, I believe that's enough explanation."
Lilian sulks as she wanted to keep on going but lets Barthemus move on the conversation. Roth's slight interest in the topic has transformed into an infatuation as he keenly waits for further details. The burly Guild Master starts his conversation again:
"As you've just heard, the Rogue forest harbors a deadly blood thirsty Beast. Part of the reason the forest is called the 'Rogue Forest' is due to the legends of the beast which claims it as its territory. I apologize if these seem like childish squabble to you"
"NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST! PLEASE CONTINUE!"
Roth declares in a loud and hurried voice, laying out his excitement in plain view. With the reassurance of not coming across as delusional, Barthemus continues.
"Now, how do the two topics relate? Well...its theorized by many that the monsters around the Rogue Forest flee or don't come near these parts due to the terror of the Beast, as its known for battling and hunting all things living. This is one of the theories which are strongly believed by the people of Cortfel who love and respect the legends. More practical reasoning could be the volatile climate around these parts or the low population here which doesn't attract any demon raids, but for some reason the first theory gets the most traction maybe as it is the most outlandish"
Roth tightly clenches his hands into a fist as he has finally stumbled upon on a new and exhilarating story. Barthemus continues to elaborate further.
"In the past, we had commissioned adventurers to explore the forest but no one has been able to reach the heart of the forest and their reports include: 'feeling a sense of ominous aura and slight feeling of terror which keeps building up the further you travel into the forest.' For some reason docile animals such as deer, rabbits and various birds don't show any signs of this phenomenon as they calmly dwell in and around the forest."
The Guild Master leans back on the sofa and starts to get enveloped in a sense of nostalgia as he gathers his thoughts for the closure of the back story.
"The last commissioned exploration took place when my grand father himself was a new clerk who had just joined the Adventurer's Guild. I distinctly remember him telling the tales of the last party which consisted of many skilled veterans and the famous hero-warrior of the time, Gilbert The Great. Many still admire him due to his raw strength which challenged that of a King Ogre and also his unyielding spirit which shined brighter than his paladin armour.
"Was the expedition a success?"
Roth asks with cautious and tentative tone despite excitement consuming him earlier. Lilian shifts uncomfortably and Barthemus replies in regretful tone:
"No...It didn't. It was the last mission before the guild decided to not spend any more manpower or resources on just uncovering a mysterious forest entity...and partly because it was the last mission of Hero Gilbert."
"Did Gilbert....?"
"Most likely. His last sighting was reported by the rest of the veterans who retreated as fear had made their legs wobble and an aura of death clung to their shoulders. They reportedly tried to get Gilbert to come back with them but he didn't budge in his valor and had marched into the dark depths of the forest all alone...He was a brave man."
Roth remains silent as a show of respect for the topic and the three of them remain there, not sure of how to move on from the topic. Then with a sudden clap of his hands, Roth breaks the silence and stands up saying:
"Thank you for your time and your hospitality. I should be leaving now but I hope we meet in the future."
Both Lilian and Barthemus graciously nod as Roth bows his head and heads for the door. He then pauses for a moment and looks back as he says with an embarrassed chuckle:
"Excuse me but I'm really bad at directions, especially around these parts. Could you tell me how I can navigate these roads?"
Barthemus smiles warmly at Roth, taken aback by his honest and humble request. He gets up from the sofa and says:
"Sure, where are you headed?"
Both Lilian and Barthemus estimated that he would ask for the directions of any local inns to spend the night, as it was already late afternoon, a typical time for adventurers to end their work day. Lilian starts to prepare a discount slip for a recommended inn along the street when suddenly Roth speaks in his usual bright tone:
"How can I find the Rogue Forest?"