“Come on, stupid sheep,” I muttered with a dull tone, leading it through the edge of the forest.

The tavern and the quest-giver's home were now in sight. Herding this sheep felt ridiculous, like I was some kind of shepherd dog. Whenever it veered off the path, I had to step in, cutting it off and guiding it back on track. According to my phone, I’d only spent about ten minutes in that forest, which wasn’t bad considering I thought I’d never find the sheep in that endless maze.

The quest-giver stepped out of her house, her kids trailing behind her. As the sheep and I approached, she opened the gate to the pen, and together we nudged the sheep inside.

“Ah…” I sighed, catching my breath. “That was… exhausting.”

“You actually did it,” she said, clearly surprised. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“It’s fine,” I replied, waving it off. “Just doing my job. Take care.”

“You too, boy. Thank you again! How did you even find it?”

“A bit of luck.” I replied.

“Gah, I need that kinda luck in my life, kid. Really.”

With a nod, I headed toward the east gate. I needed to stop by the blacksmith’s shop and see if my trap had caught those rats.

As I stepped through the gate, my mind drifted back to what I had witnessed in the forest—the elf, so indifferent to the murder he'd committed. It sent a chill down my spine. I considered reporting it to the guards, but that would just bring attention I didn’t need. The last thing I wanted was for those elves to come after me for snitching.

I decided to let it be. I was only here temporarily, anyway. Soon, I’d be back in my world—at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

“So messed up…”

That woman was still giving a speech about how elves were the worst of the worst and why humans should avoid them at all costs. Both sides weren’t holding back their punches, which was only making things worse for everyone.

Turning the corner, I spotted Requiem, the blacksmith’s shop. The man selling goods outside waved at me, likely having been waiting for me to check in on the trap.

“Hey, you here to check the trap?” he asked as I walked up.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I’ll let you know how it went.”

“Oh, I hope it worked. Fingers crossed, kid.”

“Hmm.”

Without wasting time, I entered the shop and went straight to the trap. Inside the box were six rats, including the elusive blue-tailed one. The cheese was, of course, gone, but the trap had done its job while I was out chasing sheep. I nodded to myself and grabbed the box. It was heavy, but nowhere near as bad as that shield from earlier.

I nudged the door open with my foot and stepped outside. The man’s face lit up when he saw the box’s contents.

“Oh, that’s fantastic, young man!” he exclaimed. “These little pests… finally gone.”

“That’s the last of them,” I said. “Remember, keep some vinegar near the hole until you can patch it up.”

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“Thank you, boy. Really, thank you.”

“Just doing what I’m paid to do,” I replied, keeping my tone flat. “Have a nice one.”

“Hey, wait.” He said, handing me a silver coin. “For your troubles, boy. A little extra.”

“Hmm.” I said, pocketing the coin. “Thank you, sir.”

Now, I just had to return the blue-tailed rat to its owner and track down that ring someone lost near the stables.

“Alright,” I muttered to myself, heading off. “Three down, one to go.”

══════✦══════

After handing off the blue-tailed rat to its owner, I made my way to the stables, hoping to find the missing ring. The stables were small and worn, their wooden beams weathered from years of use. The horses stood idly in their stalls, occasionally flicking their tails or snorting, their hooves shifting restlessly on the straw-covered ground. Nearby, some guards were lounging under a large tree, their swords resting against their shoulders as they chatted lazily. It was a peaceful afternoon—clear skies and not a cloud in sight.

“Ring…” I muttered to myself, scanning the ground. “Where are you…”

The stable owner, standing near one of his horses, glanced in my direction. “What’re you looking for, kid?”

“A ring,” I replied, turning briefly to face him. “Part of a quest.”

“Haven’t seen anything like that. Good luck, though.”

I nodded and crouched, spotting something shiny in the dirt. My heart sank as I picked it up—just a smashed piece of metal. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I continued my slow search, eyes glued to the ground. There was a chance someone else might’ve already found it, but I wasn’t about to give up. This was the last quest I had lined up, and I wasn’t going to let it slip through my fingers after coming this far.

Not long after, a man came rushing toward the stable, his face pale. The guards immediately snapped out of their relaxed state, jumping to their feet and drawing their swords.

“What’s going on?” one of them called out.

“Someone’s been killed!” the man gasped, trying to catch his breath. “In the forest! Near that well!”

“Damn it,” the shorter guard grumbled. “Bet it’s those damn elves.”

“I’ll let the Captain know,” the other guard said, already heading off. “We’ll check it out after.”

I kept my distance, continuing to search for the ring as their conversation drifted away from my focus. Things were getting tense in this town, and I wasn’t about to get caught up in the growing conflict between humans and elves.

I crouched down again as something else glimmered in the dirt, but when I picked it up, it was just another fragment of glass. I dropped it with a huff. This was taking longer than expected—it felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack. For all I knew, someone could have already pocketed the ring, or some kid could be playing with it right now.

“Unbelievable,” the stable owner muttered, clearly shaken by the news. “You hear this, kid? Those damn elves.”

“Yeah,” I replied, still focused on the search. “Do you think humans and elves will ever live in peace?”

He let out a harsh laugh. “When the moon touches the earth, boy. When the moon touches the damn earth.”

“Hmm,” I mumbled, distracted.

The stable owner crossed his arms, leaning against the fence. “Hey, that ring you’re looking for—it belongs to Ms. Shala, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, glancing up from the ground. “The name Nio Shala was on the quest notice.”

“She’s an older woman,” the stable owner continued, shaking his head. “Always losing and forgetting things. Wouldn’t surprise me if she never even dropped it. You should probably go check on her. Might save you a lot of trouble.”

I stood up, brushing the dirt off my knees. “You think she still has it?”

He shrugged, patting the neck of one of his horses. “Wouldn’t be the first time. She’s a bit forgetful. If you ask me, there’s a good chance she still has it lying around somewhere in her house.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Where does she live? The quest just said to return the ring to the Guild. No address.”

“You know Mortan’s blacksmith shop?”

“Yeah.”

“There are some stairs across from it. Head up those and it’s the first house on the left, right at the top.”

I gave him a nod of thanks. “Alright, I’ll check it out. Thanks.”

“No problem, kid. Oh, and, if you see any of those cunts… just run.”

“Hmm…”