“Hero of Might. Pssst.” Toby knew it was rude but he couldn’t help it.

[Lukas Thunderclaw – No Path – Rank. 1 – Lv. 2]

Looking at the scrawny wolf kid with tattered clothes and chipped wooden sword, no one in their right mind would look at this kid and say he was a Hero, let alone the Hero of Might. His dirty blue hair was caked with mud and leaves, bony white fingers that held his sword up straight and focused, feet with no shoes covered in dirt. The kid was most likely someone who lived nearby and liked to play hero make-believe rather than an actual hero.

But that was good news. If the kid this weak could survive in this forest, that meant the forest wasn’t dangerous at all.

“Who laughed at me, show yourself?” The wolf kid looking around the cave. Once he spotted the old goblin, he pointed his sword and shouted, “I’m a Hero, and I shall punish you, wicked Dark Lord.”

“Hey kid, look down,” Toby said as he raised his flippers and waved.

Turning his head down, the kid looked at Toby for seconds before saying with a questionable tone, “A turtle?”

“Hello, the name Toby. Nice to meet you.” Toby said as he dropped his flipper.

“Toby, the talking turtle!” The kid exclaimed as he pointed his sword at Toby instead.

“Yeah, kind of. So, who are you?” Toby asked while Grillion just peaked at the two, smiled softly, then continued preparing the camp.

“I’m the Hero of Might, Lukas Thunderclaw.” The kid declared.

Looking up and down at the kid, Toby shook his head, “No, you are like ten.”

“Am twelve.” He shouted at Toby, but his sword tip was wavering.

“Ok, sure, let’s go with that. But aren’t heroes like, champions?”

“I am a champion,” Lukas shouted, his face flushed red.

“And who told you that?” Toby asked.

“…Big sis Lily.” Lukas shrunk.

“Ok, did big sis Lily ask you, a hero, to go out and fight The Dark Lord?” Toby pressed.

“…No,” Lukas hit his sword behind his back and fidgety played with his tail. That was when the most horrible sound known to all living beings was heard. The sound of an empty stomach. And it came from Lukas. This caused the kid's face to get even redder.

“Have you even eaten yet? Where’s your parent?” Grillion turned and asked Lukas.

“…I’m an orphan,” Lukas answered as he shifted his gaze down.

“Jesus Christ.” Toby facepalmed, or rather, faceflippered.

“Who’s that?” Lukas asked with his big round eyes.

“...Never mind that. Come inside. Have a meal with us.” Toby turned around. “Is that okay with you Grandpa Grill? One more kid on the table should be fine, right?”

“The more the merrier I’d say.” Grillion laughed as he took out more food.

Lukas stood still at the cave’s entrance at first, but when he got wind of the irresistible smell of Grandpa’s cooking, the rest was history.

“What are you doing this deep inside the forest Lukas?” Grillion asked.

“…I'm not supposed to talk with strangers,” Lukas replied while devouring his plate.

“You are eating our food, and sitting here with us. We are not as much of a stranger anymore.” Grillion smiled.

"Oh? That makes sense. I’m Lukas. I’m staying in this forest with big sis Lily. We have a small house near here. It's by the river. We have been in this forest for as long as I can remember. And as a Hero, my job is to defeat the biggest, baddest baddy out there - The Dark Lord. That’s why I’m training to fight by going around the forest and challenging powerful foes.”

Toby felt like his head was spinning with all the rap Lukas shot out.

And how was this child so trusting? So pure and naïve. Oh right, he never left the forest before.

Now that all of them were full and the kid opened up, maybe it was time to ask something that had been on Toby's mind for some time now.

“Grandpa Grill, what exactly are you searching for inside the forest?”

“Oh? I haven’t told you? I going around searching for ingredients to have inspiration for my next Rank Up. I arrived about seven days before we met.” He said as he took the plates Toby floated toward him.

Grillion turned toward Lukas, “Since you live nearby, maybe we can help each other. We can provide you and your sister with food while you can provide us with shelter. How does that sound little fellow?”

“I can eat more of this?” Lukas’s eyes sparkled.

“Of course, I can cook for you at any time,” Grillion said as he packed his backpack. “Shall we?”

“I’ll lead the way.” Lukas shot up and ran out of the cave.

“This isn’t a dangerous place, right Grandpa? I don’t see the value in associating ourselves with that wolf kid and his sister.” Toby said as he used [Magic Hand] and put himself on Grillion’s head.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“From your perspective, maybe. But from mine, having someone who stay in this forest for as long as they did to help me find more ingredients and try out more recipes is a great opportunity.”

“Hummm. What kind of people have to hide in a forest year after year, Grandpa?”

“Don’t worry about it. If it comes to that, this old man will protect you.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Grillion patted Toby’s shell. “Come one, the sun is setting soon.”

Following the wolf kid, the old globin and the turtle arrived at a tiny cabin built with crudely cut logs woven together into the shape of a cabin through lustrous green vines that still had flowers blooming on them. The roof was made of leaves, yet somehow, they stood strong without being blown away by the wind.

As they came in closer, the cabin’s door burst open and a young human girl with green eyes and a panicked look dashed out to hug Lukas. She looked at Grillion with the eyes of a client who was afraid of losing their life savings because of one bad investment decision.

“Are you alright Lukas? Are you hurt anywhere?” She looked at Lukas from head to toe.

“I’m fine big sis.” Lukas struggled to get away. “This is Grandpa Grill and Toby.” He pointed.

“Thank you for bringing him home. May I know what your purpose here?” The tension in her voice was so apparent, Toby could cut it with a knife. In case she was someone dangerous, Toby used [Insight] to check.

[Lily Valak– Mage Path – Nature Herald – Rank. 2 – Lv. ???]

“Hello young lady, my name is Grillion Crumblepot. I’m a Chef. I’m here to look for new ingredients and to create a new recipe. I was hoping that you, as someone who lives in this forest, can help me with that.” Grillion smiled.

Toby was used to Grillion’s smile but if someone saw it for the first time, the smile made the old cook look like a scammer instead.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you with that.” The girl said as she tried to drag Lukas inside.

When she stood up, Toby saw a marking that looked like a flat piece of metal pressed against her neck, leaving behind a big, red scar that seemed like it would never fade. The girl’s long, brown hair could not hide it away.

“Big sis, this goblin grandpa can cook really delicious food. We can eat more than just roasted meat.”

Lukas said with expectation as he directed his puppy dog eyes at the girl.

Hit by the destructive force of a truck, the girl showed great changes on her face as she turned from relax with a short sigh when she held Lukas, to a grimace when he told her that Grillion can cook really tasty food. Toby could understand her struggle. If he had been staying in a forest for a long time but only knew how to roast meat, then he would be tempted too.

“Can you let me check something?” She said to Grillion.

“Of course, be my guest.” The old goblin answered as he put his backpack down.

Seeing that Grillion agreed, the girl walked toward Grillion and grabbed one of his hands. She chanted something that made her hands glow in a weak, and barely visible seven colors light. After a bit longer than two seconds, the girl let go of the old man’s hand, put her hand on her chest then sighed softly.

Finally, she smiled and said to Grillion. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. My name is Lily. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance Lily. Again, I’m Grillion. You can call me Grandpa Grill.” The old goblin shook Lily's hand. He then he patted Toby’s shell, “And this is my grandchild, Toby.”

“Hello, nice to meet you, little girl.” Toby raised his flipper and waved.

“Eh?” The girl finally looked at Toby, who was sitting quietly on Grillion’s head all this time. When she recognized Toby’s existence, her eyes opened as wide as saucers while she covered her mouth with her hands.

The kid sure is expressive when she isn't on guard. Toby thought.

“Cute.” She said.

“What?” Toby was sure she just said cute.

She grabbed Toby with one hand and lifted him while using the other hand to gently rub his smooth, bald head. “You’re so cute. Oh the stars, you’re so adorable. Look at this smooth head, these floppy flippers, this hard, round, and smooth shell. So cuteeee.”

She kept on rubbing his head and touching his flippers like he was a pet.

Her action violated the law of manhood, article six, section nine, “Never allow children to call a man cute.”

Thus, a turtle got to do what a turtle got to do. Toby skillfully used [Magic Hand] to surround his flippers with Mana, making them act as if he had fingers and thumbs. He grabbed Lily’s hand and looked at her dead in the eyes as his red eyes glinted with an ominous light. He opened his mouth and coolly said.

“Scratch this part please, it has been so itchy lately.” He moved her hand to a part of his shell he couldn’t reach.

Once Lily started scratching, Toby made a face like he was being soaked in a hot spring in an Onsen as a reward for himself after a hard-working week. “Yes, that’s the spot. So nice.”

The atmosphere around the four people turned from deadly tense to cotton candy in a single minute.

With everything cleared up, Lily led Lukas and Grillion inside the cabin with Toby in Lily's arms.

Noticing Lukas was staring at him, Toby asked if Lukas wanted to hold him too. The boy nodded as quickly as lighting while his tail wagged from left to right like a pendulum on steroids. Toby asked Lily to let him go, then floated himself toward Lukas.

When Lukas held Toby, he made a face like a child who received the first Christmas present in his life. Toby couldn’t help but smile softly at how the two kids reacted.

Looking around the cabin, there wasn’t much to see but it was still interesting as everything felt so big to Toby.

The cabin had no room, everything from a crudely made clay kitchen to an equally hasty-made fireplace was placed together with almost no distinction as to where was the kitchen, where was the bed, everything just got mixed and thrown around randomly. At least, the two pillows and blankets made from leaves and vines next to the fireplace made it clear that was the bedroom. Everything else? Total disaster. Like a hurricane just swept through the place.

Leaves scattered all over the floor, logs rolled around without anywhere to put them, stains by juice from roasted meat splattered on the floor, on the wall, even on the ceiling somehow. But worse, the absolute worst thing, was that the kids hang meat in the same place they sleep and they roast the meat in-house. Unacceptable.

Both Toby and Grillion’s eyes twitched uncontrollably at the battlefield. They looked at the kids who were dodging their gazes.

The goblin and the turtle both sighed. They had a long battle ahead.

-----

“Did you follow my instruction?”

Inside the heart of one of the seven ancient, towering cathedrals that have long been the pillars of The Holy Capital, flickering light danced on the walls, illuminated by only soft candles, one of the seven Prophets sat on her high-backed chair craved from wood of The World Tree, the scared treasure of the Elf, the tree that regulates the elements’ balance for this continent.

She wore a white robe adorned with silver threads that shimmered like stars, a pattern of winds ran along the threads, following the stars. She directed her gaze, hidden beneath a shadowy hood, at the knight beneath her. The thick Air Element surrounding them seemed to have a life of its own as the breeze whispered in a soundless voice.

The knight, covered from head to toe with his shiny, spotless armor, was kneeling on the ground on one knee while putting his right hand on his chest.

“Yes, Prophet. We have already dispatched the servants to give those adventurers the mission. They set off from Eldium a week ago and are expected to reach the forest in three weeks.”

The knight gave his report in a voice coated in poison as if he were talking about trash.

“Good. The Dark Lord had returned, so shall the Heroes. And a Hero blessed by the stars shouldn’t stay in an unnamed forest like that. They should be put to good use, for the balance and peace of Virelen. Do you understand?” Her cold voice spoke.

“Of course, Prophet.” The knight answered.

Despite saying so, The knight thought it was just taking a defenseless kid and removing everything else out of the way. Three Bronze Rank adventurers he hired were enough for such a worthless task.

Looking down at the knight, letting her gaze linger, amidst the silent wind, the Prophet spoke.

“Do not fail me.” And closed her eyes.