Arcane Innovator

'At least I got a free ride out of it...' I sighed as I helped the man with the wagon's repairs before we embarked on the journey toward the nearest town.

Originally, I only wanted to squeeze a few coins out of him as compensation for saving his life in order to keep up appearances, but in the end, I agreed with his proposal to accompany him to the town, feeling sorry for the poor man after listening to his story.

He told me that he was a chief of a newly established farming village a few hours' walk from here, right along the border.

Calling it a village was a bit generous; it was more like a hamlet, as, according to the man, only a few families lived there at the moment.

Nevertheless, they were apparently a tight-knit community, diligently working their fields in hopes of securing a better future for their children.

Yet despite their best efforts to make a living there, the village has been struck by a series of disasters, each more calamitous than the last.

With a pained look in his eyes, the man told me that the past winter had been much harsher and longer than the previous ones, which had resulted in the village running low on food.

However, when the spring finally came, and they could begin planting their fields, the monsters came, ruining their fields and killing most of their livestock.

Still, they endured, trying their best to drive off the monsters and pooling their resources together to make ends meet.

They recovered what they could, hoping the situation would start turning for the better.

But a mere week ago, on top of everything, the village was struck with a mysterious illness. People began dropping like flies, coming down with a high fever, and coughing up blood.

Several of the villagers had already died, and more were sure to follow.

The chief's voice cracked as he told me that yesterday, despite his best efforts, even his only daughter became seriously ill, growing worse by the hour.

"That's why I hit the road first thing in the morning, despite the monster's threat: I hoped to bring back some medicine from the Town," he said in a low voice.

"But as soon as I left the village, I got a pack of wolves on my tail; I did my best to outrun them, but then the wheel broke, and you know the rest... Thank you once again, valiant Hunter, for saving my life! I would already be dead by now if it weren't for your timely appearance."

Listening to his crazy story, I couldn't help but shake my head. 'So they got the plague atop a monster invasion? Talk about a bad luck...'

Well, it's not like I was going to do anything about it. Although I felt sympathy for the man's plight, there was a limit to my willingness to help strangers.

I had left most of the potions we recovered from the gang's base in Weisberg with Theo as I couldn't possibly carry them all with me, keeping only a few for emergencies.

So the best I could do was to give up my reward for saving the man's life and protect him on the road to the town, as I would be heading there either way.

But we didn't even make it into the next turn before an ear-wrenching roar sounded from the forest to our left, quickly joined by a few others further back.

"Were there always so many monsters?" I asked him curiously, raising an eyebrow.

This was supposed to be your typical run-of-the-mill farming countryside, yet it seemed like we were in the midst of a monster-infested wilderness.

"It used to be a fairly safe road; I have no idea what the Baron's soldiers are doing!" The man interjected, visibly agitated.

But to his surprise, nothing dared to approach us despite the looming threat as I continued projecting my aura outward.

'Is something luring the monsters here?' I silently wondered while scanning the forest with my magic sense, ensuring nothing would ambush us.

'Well, whatever the case, it's not my problem; let the local lord deal with it...' I thought dismissively, deciding not to concern myself with it and rather enjoy the ride, looking forward to my first hot meal in quite a long time.

***

It took us several more hours before the town's gates appeared in the distance. They stood tall and welcoming, adorned with colorful flags and banners.

The last stretch of the journey was relatively peaceful. Not many monsters dared appear so close to the town, and those that did were quickly disposed of by the local soldiers and beast hunters.

I relaxed my posture, happy that I didn't have to be constantly alert, which was very tiring. Instead, I used this short respite to ask the weary chief for information about the local area.

The town we were driving toward was called Neufeld, and despite its small size, it was apparently quite prosperous. It was the closest town along the border, so many goods and traffic passed through it.

Otherwise, there was nothing much to say about this region. Most people here were farmers, as this area had no specialized industry to speak of, and until recently, it was also a pretty safe place.

As we arrived in front of the town's gates, we joined the short line of carriages waiting to be inspected by the guards.

Since the chief vouched for me, I had no trouble getting inside. After a while, we finally entered the town of Neufeld, just as the sun began disappearing behind the horizon.

'What a neat little town...' I thought pleasantly as I curiously observed my surroundings. The cobblestone roads were lined with quaint houses and shops, their roofs and walls lit with warm, flickering lanterns as the sun set behind them.

As the evening settled in, people bustled about, either returning home after a day of work or enjoying a mug of ale in one of many local inns along the main street. The smell of fresh-baked bread and cooking meat wafted through the air, tantalizing and welcoming.

This peaceful atmosphere starkly contrasted the chaos on the road, making me wonder why no one was worried about the looming threat of monsters rampaging outside, as it was sure to disrupt the flow of goods.

The chief had offered to let me spend the night at his relative's house, but I refused, not wanting to impose myself on him too much.

Still, he insisted that I meet him tomorrow to discuss my reward, to which I reluctantly agreed after seeing his determined look, although I had every intention not to take anything from him.

Thus, after saying my goodbyes, I sought one of the local inns that caught my eye for a night's rest.

Stepping inside the modest-looking establishment, I was greeted by a warm fire crackling in the hearth and a delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.

The innkeeper greeted me with a nod, his eyes lingering on my mud-stained cloak for longer than necessary. I could tell he was sizing me up, trying to discern if I was worth the trouble or just another traveler passing through.

"I need a room for the night," I stated plainly, meeting his gaze with a cool indifference that often made others uneasy.

He hesitated momentarily before grunting in affirmation and handing me a key. "And dinner..." I added and passed to him a few coins.

'Ah! That's more like it!' I smiled as I crashed into bed after a hearty meal. Feeling totally exhausted, I immediately dozed off and slept all the way until morning.

***

After waking up, I lazily looked out the window with a yawn, noting by the sun's position that I still had a few hours before the agreed-upon time to meet with the chief.

Thus, not wanting to waste time doing nothing, I decided to make a quick visit to the Beast Hunter Guild.

Since I planned to stay in the town for a few days to recuperate after the long journey from Ereneth and replenish my dwindling supplies, I had to report my presence to the Guild's local branch, as it was an established rule.

I also hoped to find a map of the local area there to help me plan the best route toward the Kingdom's border.

The morning sun cast a warm glow over the town, its rays piercing the wispy clouds. I walked confidently across the now quiet streets and quickly arrived at my destination.

The Guild was hard to miss, as it was one of the most formidable buildings in the area. With the emblem of a howling wolf etched above the entrance, its sturdy stone walls stood tall and imposing.

Pushing open the heavy wooden doors, I stepped inside and to my surprise I was met with the sight of dozens of hunters busying about despite the early hour, looking quite agitated.

'What's this all about?' I wondered, looking at the scene of many battle-hardened warriors sharpening their weapons with severe looks as if they were about to go to war.