As the first rays of the morning sun broke through over the horizon, the battle was finally over. The roars of the monsters were no more, and heavy silence replaced them.

The villagers slowly emerged from their homes, looking at the aftermath of the battle with a mix of fear and relief. I too ventured out of my home, scanning the crowd for any signs of my father's presence.

I finally found him in the village square, lying on the ground, unmoving. My heart sank, and I froze in my tracks. I quickly ran up to him and checked if he was breathing. I let out a sigh of relief, as he was breathing at least, but he still seemed to be in pretty bad condition.

I didn't have any feelings toward my new parents at the beginning since I still had memories of my family back on Earth. However, I slowly came to respect and care for them with time, seeing how they did their best to provide for our family despite the countless challenges.

As I knelt by his side, someone placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Vogt, who was looking tired and covered in cuts and bruises.

"Darian, your father will live," he said, his voice tired but reassuring. "He fought bravely, and he is the only reason we managed to hold out all the way until help arrived."

I nodded, grateful for the news. "Thank you for taking care of him."

"It is I who should be thanking you," Vogt said. "If you hadn't warned me in time, a lot of lives would have been lost."

I used this opportunity to ask for more information. "What is the status of the village?" I asked.

"We lost a few men and have a lot of injuries, but most of them will live," he replied.

"Several houses burned down, and we lost some of our harvests, but the soldiers were kind enough to leave the monster corpses for us as compensation, so I'll make sure nobody starves during the winter."

I nodded. "I'm glad that I could be of help," I said to him, and then I went back home to tell my mother the happy news that my father had survived the night.

The village had survived, but not without paying a heavy price. I couldn't help but feel that this was just a taste of the harsh world we lived in, and I was left wondering what other trials I would have to face in the future.

***

As the dust settled from the battle, I realized that I had never even had a chance to look at the mage who had come to our village. The soldiers had left as soon as the fighting was over, leaving us to deal with the aftermath.

They had left only a few men behind to scout the nearby woods for any signs of the monsters returning, but in the end, they found nothing. It was as if the battle had never happened in the first place.

The rest of the beast hunters who were in the Forest that day never returned and were proclaimed dead. The only surviving member of their party is a sole reminder of their failure.

My father had survived the battle, but he was seriously injured and was slowly recovering at home. After he regained consciousness, he called me to his bedside.

As the start of the harvest season was quickly approaching, he asked me to help Rolf in the smithy. It was the busiest time of the year for them, and with my father's condition, he couldn't work at all.

"I know you don't know anything about blacksmithing," my father said, "but you are a clever boy; you always were. Rolf is a hard worker, but he isn't as smart as you. I need you to help him take orders, keep track of things, and help him with anything else he might need around the forge."

I was taken aback by the sudden responsibility that was thrust upon me. I had never even set foot in the smithy before, and now I was being asked to help run it. It meant the end of my hunting trips in the Forest, but I couldn't refuse my father's request.

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"I'll do what I can, Father," I said weakly, unsure of myself.

But Rolf, who had been listening to our conversation, spoke up. "Father! I can manage the forge!"

My father sighed. "You know as well as I do that you can't do it alone,"

"I...I'm sure I could figure things out!" Rolf replied.

"Rolf, nobody is trying to steal your work; why don't you let Darian help and see how things are going?"

Rolf wanted to protest some more, but seeing that our father wouldn't change his mind, he released a sigh and seemed to accept it in the end. "Fine, come with me, Darian."

Rolf reluctantly agreed, and we made our way to the smithy together. I was nervous at first, but Rolf was patient and showed me what I needed to do.

As the days passed, I grew more confident in my abilities, and soon I was helping Rolf with everything from orders to repairs.

The work was hard, and the days were long, but I found a sense of satisfaction in it. It was different from the thrill of the hunt, but it was rewarding in its own way. And I knew that I was doing something important for my family and my village.

My days were filled with the constant clang of metal on metal and the searing heat of the forge. I worked alongside Rolf, starting with simple tasks such as hammering out nails and horseshoes, but with time he began to trust me with more important tasks.

As the days passed, I found myself becoming more and more interested in the art of blacksmithing.

'Well, if I'm here already, I might as well learn something new...' I thought, after about a week of working.

However, my true passion lay elsewhere. I longed to return to the Forest, to hunt and explore, and to practice my magic. And so, as I worked in the forge, my mind constantly whirred with ideas for new spells and ways to improve my hunting gear.

'Maybe I could have Rolf help me make my own animal traps...' Then I could go hunting on my own in the Forest and wouldn't have to rely on Old Sven. That would also mean I could go deeper to look for some herbs when I'm there and also freely practice my magic.

I was elated by the idea; I was still dutifully practicing magic every day, and it had almost become a routine, the same as eating. But I didn't have time to come up with any new spells in a while.

***

Since I decided I wanted to forge my own hunting gear, I tried to focus on learning more about blacksmithing itself before attempting any experiments.

Despite Rolf's initial reluctance to accept my help, he soon came to appreciate my assistance as the harvest season was in full swing and the villagers placed many orders for repairs and new tools.

But as I spent more time in the smithy, I realized that Rolf lacked a deeper understanding of the craft. He had simply been taught to repeat certain actions mechanically without any understanding of why they were done that way.

Whenever I asked him about the reasoning behind a particular technique or method, he would simply say, "It's done this way." It was frustrating, to say the least.

It seemed that I would have to wait until our father recovered and was able to start working again before I could gain any useful information about blacksmithing.

As the days turned into weeks, Rolf grew more and more appreciative of my help. However, I couldn't help but notice that he still seemed wary of me at times, as though he thought I was trying to steal his job or prove myself superior.

I didn't understand why he felt that way. I had no desire to become a blacksmith; I just wanted to learn enough to be able to make my own hunting gear. I guess his pride is acting up, and he wants to prove to our father that he is capable or something.

But I decided not to dwell on it too much. I was content to work in the forge, practice my magic, and dream of the adventures that awaited me in the Forest.

As the harvest season drew to a close, my father's health improved, and he was able to return to work. I was relieved to be able to return to my old routine, but I knew that I had gained a new respect for the hard work that went into running a forge.

I finally had some time for myself, so I seized the opportunity to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the village and venture into the Forest alone.

I wanted to look for any herbs for the last time before it was time to head to the city for the autumn market so that I could sell them to Isadora.

I was always vigilant, keeping the memory of the recent attack on the village fresh in my mind, but since then there have been no more incidents; it looked like all the nearby monsters were killed and the rest of them retreated deeper into the Forest.

As I walked in the Forest, my senses were on high alert, scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

I learned that the creatures in the Forest were not to be trifled with, and I knew that I was taking a risk by venturing out alone. But as luck would have it, there were no incidents on this trip.

I didn't find any umbrifila at all, which confirmed my suspicions that they regrow only once a year, which put an abrupt and unfortunate end to my "get rich quick" scheme.

But I took comfort in the fact that I found some other herbs that Isadora told me were useful; it seems I didn't pick them all up back in the spring.

I then dried them, and with my herbs in hand, I returned to the village and began the preparations for the autumn market.

My mind was dead set on becoming Isadora's apprentice and settling in the city so that I could find out more about magic.

With each passing day, I felt myself growing more confident and skilled, and I knew that I was one step closer to achieving my dream.