Along the leisure walk to the village, Robert engaged in small talk with Olivia who responded positively to his inquiries. While she did raise some questions in return concerning his lack of knowledge of the world, she happily answered all of his questions to the best of her abilities.

“It’s the least I can do,” she had said.

Robert achieved some resolution from the small talk. He was truly no longer on Earth but on a world named Nova. The language they were speaking was known as the Common Tongue as it was believed to be the most spoken language across the seven continents. They were currently in the Myver Province of the Ferrov Kingdom which was located in the western region.

Olivia and her companions were monsters or hunters for short. A monster hunter hunts monsters for a living as the name itself has suggested. They would periodically receive requests to subjugate certain monsters or they would hunt monsters on their own accord and sell the parts of the monsters they slew afterwards.

As proof of their subjugation, the hunters would take the heads or some distinguishing features of the monsters. As such, Robert had lopped off the heads of the three dead trolls and stored the heads in a large sack Olivia had on her, which she prepared solely for this reason.

In spite of the sheer amount of monster hunters out there, there was no official association or guild that oversaw the monster hunters. A monster hunter was practically a self-proclaimed title and profession.

“You are a monster hunter?” Robert questioned.

“Yes, I am one, as I have said.”

He studied Olivia from head to toes. “Pardon me for doubting you but… you don’t look like you can lift a sword, let alone swing one.”

“That’s because I don’t need to. I’m a mage”

“A mage? Like a magician?”

“No, not a magician. There are no mages where you’re from either?”

“As I said, it’s hard to explain. It’s a completely different world.”

“I see… Well, unlike the conjuring tricks of magicians, the magic mages used are real. They are called spells. There are many kinds of spells out there and no mages, even in the histories, have ever memorised all of them.”

“Hmm… What about you, Olivia? What spells do you know?”

“Just the basics… Nothing impressive. I’m still just a novice.”

“Can you show me?”

“Well… I can but… it’s really nothing amazing. Certainly not more amazing than your ability to slay three trolls on your own with nothing but a common sword.”

Apparently, the sword Robert had picked up originally belonged to one of her companions, one of the living ones, who dropped it when he was running away.

“Nonsense,” Robert said. “I’m sure it will be just as amazing.”

“If you insist… I suppose I can show you a single spell.”

“Awesome.”

“Only if you promise me you won’t laugh.”

“I won’t.” Robert made a cross on his heart.

Olivia splayed her hands out with her palms open. A shimmering blue mass around the size of her hand shot out from her palms and flew towards the boulder she was aiming at. The bluish magic projectile exploded upon contact with the rock and made a shallow but vast crack on the surface.

“That’s the best I can do if I’m not straining myself. That’s the most basic offensive spell. An Arcane Bolt.”

“Hmm… can I do that? Can just anyone become a mage?”

“Not possible. One has to be born with Mana, the essence of spells.”

“Mana, of course,” Robert muttered quietly under his breath. “I can do better if I can use Vis.”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself. Anyway, that was amazing.” Robert wasn’t lying. He did it find it fascinating. There were other forms of essence force that allowed one to perform god-like feats. He began to wonder about the difference between Vis and Mana.

“It really is not that amazing. Maybe it’s only amazing because you haven’t seen this sort of wonder before.”

“I have seen so much more,” Robert wanted to say but held those words back. “Regardless. It was a spectacle. One question though.”

“What is it?”

“Why aren’t you wearing any armour? I know I sound like a hypocrite for saying this but you're a monster hunter. Shouldn’t you at least wear some armour if you're up against monsters like trolls?”

“Mages can’t wear armour. Well, we can but… metal interferes with our spells. The most we can wear is leather armour or chainmail. I am wearing chainmail underneath my robe.”

“Aren’t chainmails made of metal?”

“They are but the peculiar design of chainmail allowed it to be an exception.”

“Are there any exceptions like chainmail?”

“Um… Mithril?”

Robert raised an eyebrow. “Mithril?”

“It’s also known as Elven Steel. Elven refers to Elves. They are—”

“I know what Elves are.”

“Oh, you do? There are Elves back home?”

“No, but we read about them a lot.” From fantasy stories, that is, Robert restrained himself so hard from blurting that out.

“That’s good.”

Their walk and small talk came to an end as a village emerged from the horizon after they arrived at the peak of a hillock.

“That’s the village?” Robert asked.

“It is,” Olivia affirmed.

The rest of the walk took them only about fifteen minutes or so. Once they were close enough, Robert drank in his reality. The village was composed of houses and structures made of wooden planks and straws. The sight really brought home the fact that he was no longer on Earth and he had no idea how this happened in the first place.

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Robert banished that thought immediately as brooding over that topic would not produce any answer and would only dispirit him.

There were no walls or any borders surrounding the village. The closest thing to borders Robert could see were the fences around farms and homes. The buildings were scattered about. It looked like everyone just so coincidentally built their houses close to one another without being intrusive and inadvertently created a village.

Since there were no borders or a proper entrance, Robert and Olivia simply waltzed right into the village. The villagers gave them a few lazy glances before returning to their routine and lives. Some gazes stayed a bit longer, noticing the bloodied sack Robert was carrying, but they also lost interest after a while.

“Are all the other villages also this lukewarm to the presence of strangers?” Robert asked.

“Most of them are,” Oliva answered. “They have no reason to be surly. The presence of strangers means there’s money to be made as people would usually buy something from the village.”

“Where do we turn in the quest?”

“The village chief’s house. The orange house over there.”

When they arrived before the glaringly orange house that was the village chief’s abode, a ruckus could be heard from inside the house. It was a row between a young man and an old man judging by the voices Robert could pick up.

“I suffered so many losses because of your false information, old man! I deserve some compensation at least!” yelled the young voice from inside the house.

“Watch your tone, boy. I may be old but don’t I’ll cower before you just because you raise your voice. You are so shameless, boy.”

“Me, shameless?” the young man scoffed. “Says the one who misled me and my party.”

“I have given no false information. My information was inadequate, yes, but I distinctively reminded you again and again that what I have told you may be drastically different as a week has passed since our last scouting.”

“I don’t care about your pathetic reasoning, old man.”

“I’m not paying you shit and why is it only you? Where are even your companions?”

“Don’t change the subject here.”

“I see. You want to hog all the coins to yourself.”

“My party is no more, thanks to you. Three of my companions are dead. I should at least receive half of the reward.”

“You are unreasonable. You are the most terrible monster hunter I have the displeasure of knowing. Your companions are dead yet here you are. I’m not giving you a single Relm.”

“Don’t test my patience, old man.”

“Or else what? Are you going to assault an old man? You don’t have your sword and I bet you will break both of your knuckles with just two punches. Get lost, kid. This village has enough trouble as it is.”

The row within the house went on and on without an end.

“Should we come back later?” Robert suggested.

“No,” Olivia said solemnly. Her expression darkened.

“Something wrong?”

“It’s Flint’s voice.”

Robert didn’t need to ask who Flint was. Olivia’s frown was enough of an answer. “A companion of yours?”

She nodded and strode towards the door, knocking heavily on it.

Robert shrugged and followed closely behind.

“What is it?” asked an old man in a displeased tone as the door was flung open. “Wait. Aren’t you the golden boy’s companion?”

“Was his companion. Not anymore,” Olivia responded dourly. She snatched the sack from Robert and presented it to the old man. “Here. The heads of the troll.”

“What of the what?” the village chief blurted out.

Oliva opened the sack and allowed the old man to peek inside.

“H-how did you— Your friend said—”

“He’s no longer my friend or my companion. And why do you care how? The trolls are dead. That’s all that matters. Now, I would like to collect my reward.”

“Fair enough, missy. You did your job. Anything else is none of my business. Wait here,” the village chief said and disappeared back inside. “Come in and wait if you like.”

Olivia did not do so and simply waited at the door.

A minute went by and when the old man was seen returning with a pouch in hand, a young man with golden hair appeared in the hallway. “Isn’t that supposed to be mine?” asked the young man, pointing at the pouch.

“You’re unbelievable, kid,” the village chief scoffed. “It belongs to the one who could subjugate the trolls.”

“Someone killed the trolls? Who?” The young man turned his gaze to the doorway and the sight of Olivia turned him into stone. “O-Olivia?”

Olivia snorted in response. “Thank you,” she said upon receiving the money from the village chief, who immediately kicked Flint out of the house and slammed his door shut, not before yelling, “take your quarrel somewhere else!”

They did. They went into an alley where they could quarrel to their hearts’ content.

“Olivia… is it truly you?” Flint stammered. He tottered towards Olivia who took a few steps back in response.

“Yes, it’s truly me. Why did you look so unhappy?”

“Unhappy? I am thrilled, Olivia. You’re alive. I was so distraught.”

“Instead of greeting me with a smile, you frowned when you first saw me.”

“Olivia, that was—”

“You didn’t even look back when I fell.”

“Olivia, I—”

“I won’t blame you for that, Flint. I didn’t look back either when Maron and Kyle were mauled by the trolls. It’s clear that we are ill-suited together as a team. We should go our separate ways.”

Flint recoiled. “Olivia, I know you are angry but you are making a rash decision here. We can—”

“Where’s Rynn and Cobb?

“Those two? Rynn had already left… She was devastated… Cobb’s drowning himself in ale somewhere.”

“And you’re here arguing with the village chief about the reward instead of mourning for the death of your companions. And I’m supposed to believe that you’re distraught about my apparent death?”

“But I am.”

“Oh, drop the act, will you?” Robert said after holding it in for so long. “Do you honestly believe that Olivia and I won’t notice how you keep glancing at the pouch in her hand?”

Flint stared at Robert with a grimace. “Olivia, who is this man?”

“The name’s Robert and you are a terrible liar,” Robert responded.

“Be quiet, bald-headed freak! I’m talking to Olivia here.”

“But I’m talking to you, lying coward.” Robert simpered at him.

Flint’s brows twitched with anger. “Y-you…! Do you know who I am!?”

“Some monster hunter who can’t even take proper care of his own sword?”

Olivia chuckled at Robert’s jibe.

Only after Robert pointed out, Flint realised the sword by his aggressor’s waist was his. “Y-you… You thief!”

“Correction, you abandoned it. I picked it up. Now it’s mine. Just like how you abandoned your lovely companion here and now she’s mine.”

“What!?” Flint shouted. “Olivia, what sort of garbage is this man spewing?”

Olivia was confounded but only for a few seconds before a grin spread across her lips. “He speaks the truth. He saved my life. I am now his.” Olivia tittered and leaned backwards into Robert’s arms.

Robert accented to the act by wrapping his arms around Olivia’s waist. “Such a shame. How can you ever let go of such a wonderful woman like Olivia here?”

“I did not abandon you, Olivia. I’m sorry I didn’t know. When I looked back, you were already gone. I feared the worst had already happened. I was truly worried, Olivia.”

Olivia huffed in disbelief at Flint’s blatant act of shedding crocodile tears.

“Instead of thinking of a way to go back and search for her, you kept running. Clearly, you prioritise your own safety over Olivia’s.”

“The trolls are strong. Even if I went back, I would just become another victim.”

“Even if those trolls were stronger than you, you should have at least tried, but you didn’t. I bet it didn’t even cross your mind.”

Unable to argue back, Flint shifted his attention back to Olivia. “Please, Olivia… You have to believe me. I was truly worried about you. But you have to understand. The trolls were—”

Olivia sighed. “Alright, Flint. I believe you.”

Flint began to smile. “Y-you do?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Great. Then, let’s—”

“But I’m still leaving the party if there was even still a party to leave.”

“W-what? Olivia… you’re being…”

“We’re done, Flint.” She shut him down and turned around, walking out of the alley with Robert.

“Wait!” Flint called out.

Olivia stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “What?” she asked.

“For all the grief you have caused, I deserved half of the money. Give it to me.”

Robert burst out chortling. “Finally, you are being honest at the very least, you shameless craven.”