Right after breakfast, we walked on a pathway leading us from the dense forest into an area with fewer trees slowly morphing into plains towards the nearest village.
The change from our usual appearance was that I had a leather backpack while Eline used a long stick with a visibly thicker upper half to help her walk more comfortably.
The village we were heading towards was named Fyska after a woman who saved people who started building a settlement here long ago.
“Fyska has only about 500 humanfolk inhabitants that use the fertile soil near the forest to cultivate special plants.
Most of them are really nice and are eager to get to know you. I know you feel insecure when it comes to meeting new people, but as your mother, it is my duty to help you overcome this. Otherwise, you will never be able to leave this place... actually, that would not be so bad.”
My eyes twitched upon hearing the last sentence that she said in a noticeably quieter voice. I loved Eline like a “big sister” and even mother combined, but I promised Aster and myself to become someone that surpasses even the first king, and I cannot do that while staying in this forest.
Anxiety made every step I took towards the village; each step felt like I was stepping into a battlefield, with unknown opponents awaiting me.
I subconsciously sought any source of comfort, and then the tear-shaped, partially transparent necklace I always wore pressed on my skin, providing a cooling sensation. I squeezed it in my hand, like trying to transfer all my tension into it.
“That necklace means a lot to you, right? Do you know what it is called?”
I shook my head.
“Goddess tear, that she shred when she saw the disaster befalling us in the form of Great tremor and land shift
It is found relatively often in the dungeon and is used for jewelry. Some people believe it has protective qualities.
Well there are some that are hidden artifacts.
She whispered the last part when I spotted in front of what could only be our destination. The village was surrounded by a tall wooden fence; it was maintained, but from the looks of it, it was in dire need of a general repair.
Then I focused my attention on two male guards in their thirties wearing leather armor and armed with spears in their hands and short swords hanging at their waists stationed at the entrance.
We approached them and were greeted with friendly demeanor.
“Oh Eline, welcome back, here to shop? How are you, and is this the young man you mentioned so often?”
“Hello Raton, we are, and I am doing fine. Leo, this is Araton and Sterlan. They are the guards and amongst the top hunters in this village.”
I was ready and voiced the response that was prepared beforehand and simulated many times in my mind while bowing slightly and doing my best to maintain eye contact.
“Hello, it is nice to meet you, as you already know my name is Leonidas.”
"Hoo, it is nice to meet a young man with manners. Welcome to our small village, Leonidas.
Both of you are lucky. The merchants arrived shortly before, and they still did not start selling. If you hurry, you will be just in time before they start.”
We listened to his advice and promptly entered the village. What I discovered inside were one- to two-story wooden houses with hay roofs. Indeed, it is what one would expect from a somewhat isolated village.
Other than that, there were many small fields with red, blue, white, and yellow berries with corresponding flowers on them, letting out a pleasant, subtle, sweet smell that enveloped us.
Some villagers here and there greeted us as we went further, but then I stopped in my tracks. I saw someone who definitely was not a member of humanity. It was a male with animal ears and a bushy tail covered in brown fur carrying a basket.
“What is this? ”
“I mentioned it briefly before, but now you can see it: there are over fifty slaves in this village; most are dogfolk, with few catfolk.”
Eline did teach me that slavery of the “lower races” is normal, but seeing one of them made me tense.
I tried to process this information as we arrived in the village center, where there were multiple carriages in a half cycle. There were most of the villages present, judging from the size and noise of the crowd gathering.
Eline greeted them, and I introduced myself somewhat successfully; their friendliness showed me how unfounded my worries were.
Then we met two men, the village chef Lanson. Unlike the others here, I already met him when he brought a wounded man in dire need of treatment to Eline alongside that man's wife.
He is in his early fifties with short brown hair and an impressive full beard fitting nicely with his muscular build, accompanied by a quite firm handshake. Many of the villagers greeted Eline with smiling faces, and the village chef was no exception.
The other man was a bit shorter than average and relatively skinny with light brown hair that had some reddish strands here and there. His dark brown eyes looked at us with warmth, and he showed us a polite smile.
Next to him was a young adult man with a lean yet somewhat trained body that resembled the shorter older man beside him, short dark brown hair and eyes, and a sickly pale complexion; his smile was the mirror image of the other man.
"Ah, hello, Eline how are you?”
“I have been well; my house is far warmer since Leo came. Leo says you know Lanson already, but this is your first meeting with the skilled herbalist Castor and his son Judel, who is just as talented as his father.”
“Hello, Chief Lanson, Castor, Judel I heard about you from Eline; she often praises your skills in making potions that help all the villagers.”
“It is great to finally meet you, young Leonidas, and she is overpraising me. Without her medical expertise, I would not be able to save many people that she snatched back to the world of living from death's door.”
Castor was truly a warm person, yet the village chief had an even more energetic demeanor and patted me on the shoulder.
His son Judel looked a bit more reserved, reacting with only a polite nod of his head, but since I felt quite overwhelmed already from all the interactions with new people, him letting me breathe a bit made me feel like we would get along in the future.
“Greetings Leonidas how is your training going, Eline can be quite strict with her patients so I can imagine it being challenging.”
"I am progressing steadily; thank you for asking.”
“By the way, are there any important events happening in the kingdom that the merchants shared with you?”
Eline toned down her voice suddenly.
“Ah yes, aside from the friction between the fourth great kingdom and the forest folk that is steadily leading towards the inevitable, we will be having a new ruler that will be crowned this year and supposedly promised to purge the kingdom from all the criminal organizations and bandits running around unhinged.”
“But we have heard that from the previous king before, and in the end little was done for people in smaller settlements as they mostly focused on protecting and supporting the bigger cities... other than that, there are few things that may interest you; there is still someone in need of your assistance.”
Eline tensed up slightly, and the last sentence was spoken so quietly that even I had trouble hearing it.
“Is that so? Let us talk for a bit in private. Wait for me, Leo; it won't take long. Look, there are some children over there. Go and say hello to them and try to make friends.”
She went away while giving me a difficult task. It was one thing to just tag along and introduce myself, but it is a different story when I have to approach someone.
I hesitated for some time before gathering my courage and stepping towards the eight children, five boys and three girls standing a bit further from the main crowd. The youngest was a nine-year-old looking girl, and the oldest was around a thirteen-year-old boy.
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They stood around the oldest-looking boy with short black hair and a pretty-fit build. It was clear that he was receiving some sort of training.
The whole group noticed me approaching and focused their attention on me like a pack of wolves.
"Ehm hi, my name is Leonidas; I live with Eline in the forest; nice to meet you all.”
The oldest boy was not impressed by me judging from his frowning face, then laughed out loud mockingly.
“Ha! You're that stray the forest witch dragged in. Nervous much? Bet you still pee the bed, huh?”
Most of the children chuckled in approval. I was flabbergasted; this sudden hostility left me speechless.
“His parents must have tossed him out when they saw what a failure he is. He looks like he can't hunt a rabbit if his life depends on it.”
I was supposed to make friends, but if they are talking about Eline and me like this, I would rather befriend a real pack of wolves.
My anger started to grow with each word coming from this hooligan's mouth. My core was more than willing to release an exorbitant amount of Ether as if seeking retribution for me.
Where is the nearest weapon, I need a knife… my old habits started taking over...
Those are enemies, I must kill… no!
I closed my eyes while clenching my fists with the intention of using full ether enhancement and teaching those arrogant children a lesson they won't forget for a lifetime.
But then I remembered what Eline reminded me of multiple times.
Not to use Ether in the village, unless absolutely necessary, and that the later people find out that I am also an Ether user, the better!
Breathing in and out a few times, I calmed down and looked at the boy, who meanwhile uttered a few more insults. This is just a rude child; I endured far greater torment than he can imagine.
His imposing figure suddenly looked quite comical, like a wolf that turned into a small barking dog.
“Name?”
With a calm voice and changed demeanor that he picked up immediately as he stopped laughing and became serious when hearing my question.
”What was that beggar?”
“...What is your name?”
"Ah, of course only a beggar living in the forest would not know the name of the youngest hunter in the village; I am Zoldan, and I will become a top hunter and guard like my honorable father and older brother.”
“Zoldan… I will certainly remember that; now excuse me, I need to go.”
I turned around and walked towards the place Eline left me initially.
“Huh, who told you you could go? Come back here!”
He came towards me from behind; his hand was about to grab my shoulder and suffer the consequences when a warm and friendly voice saved him.
"Oh, you seem to be eager to make friends with Leonidas Zoldan but I think he needs time to adjust so control your enthusiasm a bit.”
It was the herbalist Castor with his son Judel shily standing behind him but with a bit of a concerned look.
I looked back and saw Zoldan stiff with his arm still outstretched; he started to sweat a little.
“Right, I will give him some space; now excuse me.”
He almost ran back towards his friend group, and they quickly left.
“My he is not like that most of the time... he just holds a grudge because Eline refused to take his sister as a disciple when she showed signs of possessing an Ether seed, but one's loss is another's gain, right Judel?”
A small nod was his son's only response, but I swear he was blushing a little.
“So that was why... Sigh, I understand, but still...
"Yes, his actions are inexcusable. I will talk with his father, as he is a close friend of mine, so no worries.”
“No! Please let it go. I need to take care of my own problems or I won't learn.”
"Hooh, that is a good mindset; just remember that no one is alone and it is good to depend on others sometimes.”
“I will keep that in mind. Thank you for your advice and help.”
“You are welcome; stop by my shop for a refreshing beverage sometimes.”
“I will for sure... when I learn where it is."
“O… of course hahaha, now we have to go; have a great rest of the day.”
“You too.”
Eline came right after, and together we left the main street.
“So Leo, it seems you talked to a troublesome I saw them when his group left quickly; what did he tell you?”
"Nothing much, but we exchanged our names, so that is something. Since you are finished with your, let us look around more together.”
"Is that so...”
Eline looked at me; I was not sure if she believed even a word I said, but without any further comment, she introduced me to many other villagers present.
Most of the other villagers treated us cordially, but I saw some that had slightly hostile looks for some reason.
Eline has saved many of them when their medicine was not enough for an illness or a serious injury, but it seems no matter what you do, there will always be people that resent you for one reason or another…
Soon the travel-worn merchants, ranging from their twenties to forties, were busy setting up makeshift stalls. Salt, sugar, and rare spices—pricy and highly sought after, as Eline explained—were displayed next to racks of exotic plants, fragrant perfumes, and jewelry.
Eline quickly bought salt and spices to last us a few months but lingered at the last stall, where weapons and leather armor were spread out on display.
One merchant saw me looking and prompted me to examine his merchandise closer. He handed me a hunting knife that he praised as being of exceptional quality.
The knife felt wrong—its weight summoned memories of blood and screams. I blinked, gritting my teeth, refusing to let those memories overtake me.
My grip on the knife tightened as the scene shifted, flashing to the wounded guard I'd had no choice but to stab... then to my own blood-covered hands, that awful last gasp. I shut my eyes, squeezing the hilt tighter to stay in the present.
Then I heard someone calling my name again and again.
“Leo… Leo!”
Elines voice brought me back to reality. My vision started to blur. I was shaking, and sweat formed on my forehead. The weapons brought back bad memories and I could not calm down at the moment.
My predicament was noticed, and Eline took the knife from the ground, returning it to its owner, and held my hand while she gently walked me behind a nearby house, away from the crowd that, despite my best efforts, still made me tense.
“Leo, what happened to you? Are you feeling unwell? If being in the presence of so many new people is too much, I will bring you to a secluded place, and you just have to wait for me while I treat one patient.“
“No Eline, It is all right; just the weapon brought back some bad memories. Just give me a moment and I will be fine.”
I took many long, deep breaths before calming down and composing myself, showing this side of me to Eline, and many people at the stalls left me embarrassed and angry at my lack of composure.
Soon I was able to move normally and carry the previously purchased things in my backpack as we headed to a small, shabby house with a shed next to it on the outskirts of the village, just near its surrounding wooden walls.
Eline knocked on the flimsy wooden door covered in what looked like mud balls thrown at it with only a very quiet and sickly voice answering.
“Who is it?”
“It is me, Eline; I came for the regular checkup.”
Then slowly the door was opened, and a short yet somewhat muscular old woman with waist-long gray hair and a wrinkled, riddled face looked at us through her brown bloodshot eyes. She was wearing what I can only describe as old rags that did not fit her figure. Her right hand was covered with cloth that had dried blood on it.
Seeing us, she had a less than friendly expression.
“I told you many times that we do not need your pity!”
“You might not want it, but what about her? What will she do if you succumb to your neglected injuries and deteriorating health?”
The small but headstrong woman had an inner battle going on with veins on her forehead bulging, but soon she let off a defeated sigh.
“Sigh, come in.”
A foul smell hit me as soon as we stepped inside. Mold clung to the corners, and damp spots along the walls hinted at a leaky roof. I forced myself to breathe evenly, hoping not to offend her, but I couldn't shake the discomfort of seeing someone live this way.
The kitchen we were in had hardly any normal utensils that are needed for cooking, except a fireplace that was empty. Only some fruits were on the makeshift table made out of repurposed wooden planks.
“This is Leo, my adoptive son, that I mentioned to you previously; Leo, this is Brimhild; she and her granddaughter are my patients.”
“Greetings, I am Leonidas.”
The grandma looked at me with disinterest and only nodded.
“Brimhild, let us go to your room immediately, as you are in dire need of treatment. Wait here, Leo, it will not take too long.”
They left me in the kitchen as I slowly calmed down and, to stop thinking about my past, started contemplating the difference in living situation even in a small village like this.
Thinking back, most of them had well-maintained clothes on, and no one that I met so far was malnourished; everyone seemed to be doing reasonably well. On top of that, some even had slaves; those are not cheap at all.
I could not sit still and walked from one wall to another multiple times; that habit is something I still fall back to at stressful times.
Then I heard a quiet, young, and feminine voice coming from behind a closed door in the back.
I could not discern most of what was said, but it sounded like a question ending with the word grandma.
I slowly approached the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. Unfortunately, the cracking wooden flood did not cooperate, and my approach must have been noticed by the person inside.
I went for the door handle only to realize that there was none. The door was only held closed by a cord wrapped around two nails, one on the door and the second on its frame. I unwrapped it and slowly opened the door, peeking at what it was hiding.