As Ash approached the towering figure of the guard, two meters tall with ebony skin and coiled black hair, the guard also noticed his presence and looked at him with a confused expression, wondering what this newcomer wanted with him. Since Woodworth town's population wasn't much in the first place, almost everyone in the town knew about each other in one way or another. It wasn't hard for the guard to guess Ash's outsider status.

"What do you want, citizen? The guard barked, his voice laced with arrogance and impatience. Say whatever you want, but be quick. I have to patrol other areas as well," He frowns, clearly unhappy about being stopped by a random guy.

Thank god I can understand him. It means that at least communication is not a problem. But this language doesn't sound like English, Ash thought without minding the guard's rude behavior. The other party was clearly more powerful and had a certain level of status compared to a homeless, jobless stranger like him. It was natural for the guard to be arrogant. At least he didn't directly shoo him away and asked about his problem. Even if Ash minded, there wasn't much he could do.

"Sir," Ash began, his voice laced with deference and nervousness, " I have just come to your beautiful town, but I have little knowledge about it. I wanted to confirm if this is the Woodworth Town?" He politely asked, trying to give a good impression to the guard. At least that's what Ash thought before hearing the impatient answer from the other party.

The guard scoffed, "Of course it is! Since it's your first time here, I recommend you meet Lord Mayor. He might have more patience for your endless upcoming questions... Damn it, now I remember what I was forgetting. I forgot to take my salary from Alab. I hope he hasn't dipped into my wages again…" Muttering such nonsense and cursing his supposed-to-be friend a few more times, the guard hastily ran away without giving Ash a second look.

[ *Ding! Quest: 'Find A Safe Place' is complete.

Reward:- Open your eyes it is already in front of you. ]

Ash scowled. "That felt more like he wanted to get rid of me," he grumbled, the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twist it in annoyance as he moved his eyes away from the new system notification and looked at the guard's back shrink into the distance. In his past life, he had a very common unattractive face, so after getting a nice body with a handsome face, he could clearly understand the guard's inner thoughts, this level of envy and jealousy is understandable.

...

"Marco! Marco!... Marco! Where are you, kid? Come here. Marcooooo!"

After a not-so-friendly conversation with a jealous guard, Ash resumed his exploration, wandering down what seemed to be the town's main road.

Most buildings were modest single-story affairs, a patchwork of wood and stone. The road itself was a rough-hewn path, instead of a concrete or damar road like in the modern world he was familiar with. Clearly, because of the small population and perhaps a lack of financial supplies, Mr. Mayor or whatever ruler of this town didn't waste money on building a good road. After all, surrounded by monsters, instead of buying military supplies like weapons, horses, or soldiers to protect themselves from monsters, why would they waste money on making roads?

Minutes of aimless walking and observing the town Ash soon came to a very important conclusion: the town's population was dangerously low. Other than those two arrogant guards, he hadn't encountered anyone. There is no such thing as various stalls, a bustling market beside the road, or a friendly face peering from a window.

Just as Ash was contemplating knocking on someone's house and disturbing their sweet afternoon nap to inquire about Mr. Mayor's location, suddenly, he heard a loud shout from a man on the other side of an alley between two houses.

Curious and feeling lost, Ash hurriedly followed the sound and soon saw a middle-aged uncle in his forties. He wore leather pants, grimy and brown, and a discarded apron hung open across his massive chest. Towering at 2.2 meters, his physique would put any professional bodybuilder to shame, topped with an unruly shock of curly hair and a beard resembling an unkempt bush. With every frantic shout, he rattled a wooden toy, the ball within it creating a jarring, metallic clinking.

"Hey, kiddo, have you seen Marco?"

As soon as the muscular uncle noticed Ash, he quickly ran toward him and nervously asked, his voice surprisingly gentle for his imposing frame.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Ash blinked, thrown off by the sudden attention. "Sorry, Uncle," he said politely, shaking his head in confusion. "But can you tell me who Marco is? I just came to this town and am not familiar with the people here. I have no idea what you're talking about."

The muscular uncle's gruff demeanor softened into a pained grimace. "Oh, I'm so sorry for the bluster," he rumbled, guilt lacing his voice. "Just worried about my dog, Marco. He's like a son to me, the last piece of my late wife she left behind. But this naughty kid has a bad habit of wandering around the town carelessly. Normally, he would come back after a few hours of playing, but today it's already late, and he hasn't returned. I couldn't help but worry about him," the muscular uncle said nervously.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, focusing on Ash with unnerving intensity. He placed two massive hands on Ash's shoulders, forcing him to bend under their weight.

"Kiddo," The muscular uncle said, his voice dropping to a deadly serious whisper, "could you help me find Marco? He's a one-meter-tall white fur, sweet, gentle, docile dog with a black mole under his left eye. He's a good kid and definitely won't cause trouble for you, promise. Find him before sunset, and I'll pay you with a brand-new iron dagger. Oh, and if you find Marco, bring him to my shop. I'm the one and only blacksmith in this town. You should be able to find my house easily; just ask anyone around."

[ *Ding! New Quest: Find The Blacksmith's Dog, Marco.

Description: Marco, the blacksmith's curious and adventurous dog, has a habit of exploring Woodworth Town. While he usually returns after a few hours of playful escapades, his absence today has thrown Ronald, the blacksmith, into a frantic worry. Unable to leave his shop unattended, he sees you as a beacon of hope and pleads for your help. Find Marco before nightfall, and earn yourself a sturdy iron dagger and the gratitude of the town's only blacksmith.

Requirement:-

*Find Marco The Dog, and return him to the blacksmith Ronald before sunset without any injury.

Reward:-

*An Iron Dagger.

*??? ( Depends on your performance. )

Faliar Concicunsense:- Blacksmith Ronad's favorability toward you would be fixed on Natural without any chance of increasing any further. He also labels you as a useless brat. ]

No wonder this uncle's hands are as heavy as mountains and his body so muscular, as a blacksmith in the magic world. Years of pounding iron in a magical world would naturally sculpt such monstrous strength and musculature, Ash mused with a wry smile. After all, fantasy novels and games always portrayed blacksmiths as a bodybuilder-type, bulky figure.

"Sure, I'll definitely do my best to find Marco. If I find him, I will bring him back to you as soon as possible. But before I set off on my noble quest, uncle, could you point me in the direction of Lord Mayor? I have a few questions about settling in, finding work, and… the general lay of the land, you know?" Ash punctuated his plea with a slightly too-wide puppy-dog stare, hoping to soften the blacksmith's gruff exterior.

The blacksmith uncle's brow furrowed apologetically. "Oh, I truly am sorry, kiddo!" he rumbled, shame etching lines across his weathered face. "My worry for Marco clouded my judgment, and here I am dragging you into my troubles without even asking about yours. Forgive me, old bones just get rattled sometimes." He sighed, then straightened to point down the bustling main road. "Mayor Hans should be at his residence. Just follow the main road, and the biggest two-story house with a guard constantly patrolling around is his house clockwork, you can't miss it."

With a final pat on Ash's shoulder, he turned to leave, not before stuffing a small wooden whistle into Ash's palm. "Don't forget to look for Marco. Oh, and blow this whistle when you see him so he can recognize you. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to seduce him; he is very vigilant toward strangers, and trust me, you wouldn't want to spook the little rascal," A rare smile broke through The blacksmith uncle's stoic facade, brightening his features for a fleeting moment.

"Tsk, I never thought that even in another world, people are still so crazy about their pets. But at least I get a quest and will get something to defend myself soon after I complete this easy quest," Chuckling softly, Ash pocketed the whistle and watched the blacksmith disappear into the throng before following the direction pointed by the blacksmith uncle, ready to meet this so-called Lord Mayor.