Under the deep twilight.
By the old locust tree outside the village fence, several villagers waited with torches in hand.
"Why aren't they back yet?"
"Don't tell they failed to rescue him and got themselves in trouble too?"
"Hush! Don't say such things!"
"Little Taylor, you should go back to sleep first. When you wake up tomorrow, your father will be back." The old village chief hesitated before speaking, seeing the little girl beside him with drooping eyelids and reddened eyes.
Nine-year-old Taylor wore a cloak stitched together from coarse linen, standing barefoot on the cold, hardened mud covered in dung. She kept her head down, silently staring at her already reddened toes.
She did have shoes originally, but when dusk approached earlier, so village bullies mocked her about losing her father. Unable to bear it, she got into a scuffle with them and lost her shoes in the process.
"Will Daddy really co back?"
As the sky darkened bit by bit, her father who should have returned ho long ago still hadn't appeared at the village entrance. After several uncles went searching nearby and still couldn't find him, she had nearly lost all hope.
But then a big brother with very kind eyes had smiled and crouched beside her, saying he would try his best to bring her father back.
That single sentence had sustained her last shred of hope.
"..." The old village chief couldn't answer Taylor's question, only sighing as he patted her head.
Based on his many years of experience, in situations like this, accidents were most likely involved. Randell was no novice hunter who would lose track of ti or direction in the forest.
What prevented his return must be danger encountered - perhaps a wild bear, perhaps a group of monsters. But whatever it was, in the darkness, it could be fatal.
Although the village had sent several young n to search before dusk, finding a single person in the vast forest was no easy task.
Even the young adventurer who had entered the forest earlier to help search for Randell - the chief didn't believe he could find a missing person in pitch-black night either.
"Soone's coming back!" Just as the old chief sighed inwardly, a villager beside him suddenly pointed into the distance excitedly.
Everyone followed his pointing finger, straining their eyes.
Sure enough, under the moonlight, at the road's end, a figure could faintly be seen approaching slowly.
Before long, the figure beca clearer.
It was a young man with steady footsteps, carrying on his back a middle-aged man with pallid complexion.
"It's Randell! He brought Randell back!"
The villagers glanced at the young man's attire, recognizing him as the adventurer who had just arrived in the village that afternoon.
Who would have thought that soone completely unfamiliar with the local terrain could successfully retrieve the missing Randell from the dense forest?
"Does the village have a doctor? He's injured."
Gauss quickly reached the village entrance.
"Yes, follow ." Without wasting ti, the villager took a quick look at the visibly weakened Randell before leading the way at a brisk pace.
Being fellow villagers, everyone was naturally happy for Randell and Taylor that he had been rescued.
As Gauss followed the guiding villager, he glanced down at the little girl keeping pace beside him.
Her eyes were fixed nervously on her father, as if looking away for even a mont would make him disappear again.
"Daddy, are you okay?"
"...Taylor, you should...go to sleep first." Randell forced himself to appear energetic, squeezing out a smile.
"I'm not sleepy." Taylor wiped tears of excitent from the corners of her eyes.
She exchanged a glance with Gauss, her gaze full of gratitude.
As the saying goes, poor children mature early - especially in these tis.
Though only nine years old - in Gauss's previous life she'd have been a carefree elentary student addicted to mobile gas - she already understood much about human affairs.
Especially after her mother passed away from serious illness two years ago, leaving her father as her only support.
She also knew this strange big brother had taken considerable risk entering the forest near dusk to search for her father.
"Big brother, thank you for saving my daddy."
"Mmm. I promised you after all. Luckily I didn't break that promise." Seeing the girl's tearful yet joyful expression, Gauss felt sowhat complicated.
This era might truly not be a great ti for common folk at the bottom.
No wonder new adventurers kept erging - perhaps born from this very inability to change difficult circumstances themselves, forcing them to pin hopes on others.
......
The next day.
Gauss woke early to collect the reward for yesterday's impromptu village commission, paid from communal village funds.
Five silver coins in total.
While collecting paynt, he also inquired about Randell's condition.
After all, he'd personally saved the man.
He learned that after basic treatnt from the local doctor, Randell had been taken by carriage this morning to the nearest town northward for professional church healing.
Based on past experience, he'd most likely pull through, aning his life was saved.
Hearing this, Gauss sighed in relief.
"Here's the promised reward - five silver coins. Please take them." The village chief produced the coins.
Just as Gauss turned to leave, the chief spoke again to stop him.
"Brave warrior, might we commission you for another task?"
"Please speak, chief."
"I hope you can help exterminate the goblins around here." The chief's gaze turned profound as he looked toward the forest. "We'll send two strong young n to accompany you."
"We'll pay 90 copper coins per goblin killed. Would you be willing?"
Generally, with creatures like goblins, seeing one ans there's at least a nest nearby.
After Randell's incident, the village decided to commission this young adventurer to clear out the goblins.
Though he looked young, after successfully bringing Randell back last night and confirming his combat abilities with Randell himself, the other villagers temporarily acknowledged his strength as an adventurer.
Facing this sudden request, Gauss naturally couldn't refuse.
He'd co specifically to hunt goblins - he would have gone regardless of paynt.
Now that villagers were offering additional inco, why not accept?
Perhaps this was the so-called "virtue is its own reward."
Taking a slight risk last night to rescue soone had not only won the villagers' trust but led to further commissions.
If this were a ga world, he'd guess his village reputation had increased significantly.
As for villagers accompanying him, he had no objections.
Unlike the Adventurers Guild which had special thods to verify task completion, villagers naturally needed their own people along to confirm the goblins were truly eradicated.
Accepting the village's new commission,
Gauss gathered his equipnt and followed two ard young villagers into the forest.
......
"Cicada-cicada-cicada—"
Cicada cries echoed through the forest.
Sotis, Gauss felt finding goblins was more troubleso than killing them.
First, he led the group to where hunter Randell had been trapped last night.
Searching the area for clues yielded no obvious leads.
He couldn't help thinking:
Next ti he returned to Grayrock Town, he should visit halfling Madam Andni to inquire about purchasing affordable detection or perception spells - or at least ask where to learn them.
Having a decent detection cantrip or spell handy wouldn't require mastery - just sothing usable when needed to save ti.
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