The village chief's residence was a spectacle to behold, at least if you only ever lived in this very village for your whole life. It was modest at best. Although much grander compared to other residences, it still feels... cozy, if that's how I should put it?

The building, made of stone and wood, is rectangular in shape with a hemispherical part jutting out of the middle as the entrance. Despite being village chief, there isn't a very clear bias. It definitely can't be missed as it's pretty much the only building here with so much land (save for the inn).

As the three of us walked through the flowery gardens covering the front yard, I noted that, despite this estate housing the person of highest precedence in this village, there is little to no protection—and I'm not talking about guards and all that, no—I'm talking open to literally everyone and everything, without a single fence in sight, windows without bars and possibly zero surveillance as well.

This might just be what the village offers; or perhaps, it's the cause of this little settlement's peace that there isn't much need to put much emphasis on security. Now that i think about it, most of the houses and shops we passed by didn't have much security either. Maybe their door is locked, sure—but that isn't going to stop a sack-goblin anytime soon.

"This is not quite what I expected," mused Mason. Indeed, I also pictured a rather different structure compared to what's in front of our faces.

"It's... how should I put this? ...Humble?" Alessia put a hand to her chin as she sought for the right choice of words.

"More specifically, modest should work better," I added.

Alessia nods. "That's it. Modest. For the person managing this village, this is not much different from the other houses."

"Well, if I'm in the shoes of the village chief, there wouldn't be much need for a mansion, would there?" said Mason.

"True," Alessia replied. "It'll only be a waste of space."

I silently agreed with the both of them. After a rather short walk, we finally reach the front door. Mason took the liberty to knock on it for a few times.

—No answer came.

Mason knocked again, louder this time.

—Yet again, no movement on the door itself.

Agitated, Mason half-pounded on the door. I was a bit concerned since his impatient demeanor isn't very beneficial for a "business meeting" with the chief of Sotmesmere. This might just drive the man away.

After a few more seconds of furious pounding, a stumbling noise could be heard from behind the door. It increased in volume, then stopping as the door slowly creaked open. It's not even locked.

A sliver of a man's face popped up behind the small opening made by the door. Mason spoke first with a grin.

"Good morning, village chief. We're here for a bit of business with you." —Wow, talk about aggressive.

"'Business?' What sort you mean by that, young man?" the chief replied as he slowly opened the door. I could now see his full face. He looked to be around in his fifties or sixties, fine lines etched in his face. His voice had a very tiny hint of raspiness that you'd find in an old man's voice. His trim brown hair, which was beginning to grey, was short and tidy. His soft eyes were dark brown.

"It's about the sack-elves."

Mason's short reply didn't have much effect on the chief. He looked just as placid as ever. "The sack-elves, you say?"

Mason nodded. "Yes. We heard they've been troubling this village for a while now, and we're on a quest to exterminate them. We're here to ask you for some help."

"Intriguing. Are you running into a problem, then?"

"Very much so," Mason said sheepishly. Before he could continue, the chief sighed softly and opened the door wide to welcome us in.

"Come in. My doorstep isn't much of a place for a proper conversation. I'll hear you out inside." I was surprised by how easily he accepted us.

"Ah, thank you very much, chief."

The village chief waved his hands as if kindly refusing something. "Let's not call me that. I'm Tygro Jameruu, but if you want, you can call me Chief Jameruu."

"Got it."

Mason, Alessia and I followed Chief Jameruu inside his humble abode, quietly observing the things around us. The interior definitely looks like it's been of use for a considerable amount of time. Mismatched furniture stood at every corner; some having seen better days than others. Although the house from outside looked bigger compared to its neighbors, the inside didn't differ much. Its look had the homey feel you'd get from any home that's been occupied for some time.

"You can wait for me out in the porch by the back. There's a table and a few chairs there; the view isn't shabby, either. I'll be making some tea—any preferences?" said Chief Jameruu.

"Oh, no," Mason shook his hands, "it's fine. Our discussion won't be long."

"Nonsense. I'll insist you have a drink. What sort of tea, may I ask?"

Mason turned to look at Alessia and I, which we both responded with a shrug, then turned back to reply to the man. "Anything's fine."

"I see," he said a bit sadly. What is this senile old man so disappointed about? "Well then, please wait out the back, will you? I'll be with you shortly."

We complied, heading to the only door on the opposite wall of the entrance. A soft morning light shone on our faces once again, though obstructed by a white pergola roof stretching out from the house's wall. The floor of the veranda was made of planks, though the parapet separating the wooden area from the wide plains looked more of white stone. As the chief had said, there was a single circular marble table right beside the parapet, with exactly four chairs surrounding it. The things looked quite fancy.

As we waited, I took in the country-like surroundings. The wooden trellis running down the side of the house with vines curling around; the near-golden wheat fields covering the plains, the small distant buildings sprinkled here and there—everything felt like it was at a standstill, as if the world wasn't moving at all. It felt so peaceful.

Not long after, Chief Jameruu appeared from the doorway, holding a tray with four cups on it billowing out soft transparent steam. We took them one by one and said our thanks as he settled down in the last vacant chair. After a bit of basic introductions, we went straight into business.

"So, Chief Jameruu," I said, "our problem lies in our inability to locate where exactly the sack-elves are hiding. We're wondering if you could lend us a hand with that."

"I see, I see. Are you certain I'll be of any help? I myself don't even know where those critters lie," said the old man with modesty.

"That's not a problem. Although it would be convenient if you could help us pinpoint the sack-elves' den, our main objective for this request isn't for that. Well, not exactly that, but we're still trying to find out where they hide their stolen things."

"What help are you trying to get me to elicit here? Funds? Weapons? Tools?" the chief wondered, though I shook my head.

"We're asking for your cooperation."

The chief went silent, looking at me with his mouth reduced to a thin line. Then, the ends of it curled up and he cackled. "My, Mr. Neswitt, are you implying that I'm not already cooperating with you?"

I wavered at his obvious remark, but regained my composure quickly. I really should've phrased that better. "I apologize—what I mean is, we're asking for the cooperation of the whole village. We figured that, with you being the village chief, we'd be able to contact you and ask you to request the cooperation of everyone in the village."

"I see. So you came to me, the village chief, in order to accept your request on behalf of the whole village?"

"Yes," Mason continued for me. "It's much more convenient than going around, door-to-door, asking for each individual's help."

Chief Jameruu nodded. "I'll happily comply, but I'll need to hear about what you are plotting first."

I took the imaginary baton from Mason and re-entered the discussion. "I'll explain all of it."

I presented my plan, which took about ten to fifteen minutes; and when I finished, Mason and Alessia looked at me blankly.

"What is it?" I asked, bemused by their expressions.

"Ernie," Alessia started, "are you sure this is going to work out? It feels a bit... too delicate."

"That's a bit of a hole, yes, but that's the whole reason why we're asking for Chief Jameruu's help. With the inclusion of the whole village—or at least a part of the village—we'll be able to cover most of the north-western part of Sotmesmere. There won't be much blind spots then."

"But still... this might drag on for quite a while, if it doesn't work out. We have only a week to do this, remember?"

"Let's just hope the sack-elves are kind enough to strike during this week. There isn't much we can do about that."

"Agh... I'm not completely sold on this, either..." Mason expressed his distrust.

"Well, I think it's not bad," the chief said optimistically. "There can be a few improvements here and there, but I don't see any flaws aside from the uncertainty of sack-elf attacks. If enough people are keeping watch, then I'm sure we can spot one in action without missing it."

I nodded in appreciation to the chief's words. "So, what do you say? Are you going to help us?"

Chief Jameruu closed his eyes, smiling as he says, "I'll comply with your wishes. Expect the preparations to be done by tonight."

"Tonight?" my eyes widen at his words. "That quickly?"

—Indeed, I didn't expect the chief would be able to pull those cards so quickly, but he seems confident. My plan involves quite a lot of determination, and that's not even adding in the fact that all of it will pretty much take place during night. With so much people to convince, I would've thought the latest he could get back to us would be tomorrow night, but it seems he has shattered my expectations.

"Don't forget that I am the village chief. Isn't that why you're asking for my aid in the first place?"

"Ah," I said in resignation, "of course. I have no doubt in your words, Chief Jameruu."

"I appreciate your modesty, Mr. Neswitt. Now then, are the negotiations complete?"

I nodded. "Everything is already said. Are you sure you don't want anything in return?"

"Nothing except to see the sack-elves gone, that's all. I'm not asking much—you're only kids, after all." He chuckled at his own remark.

I didn't know what to reply, so I kept silent. Mason took heed of my silence and responded instead.

"We'll be in your aid, Chief Jameruu," he said.

"Of course, of course," the chief replied after staving off his laughter.

"We'll take our leave now, then." Alessia and I followed Mason's words, thanking the chief and exiting the house. The next chapter of our quest will be—literally and figuratively—countless days of sleepless nights.

***

The clock's shortest hand is approaching nine in the night, and outside the three of us along with Chief Jameruu and his close accomplices stood to discuss the last of our preparations. Hidden throughout the whole north-western side of the village—behind houses, behind crates, behind fences, on rooftops—were the villagers that complied with our plan. They stood watch over almost all of this part of the village.

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During the afternoon, we had a rough tour of this part of the village to get a grasp on the layout. It will definitely help us in navigating the whole place. Everyone involved with this plan knows the risk of dozing off, so pretty much all of us took a power nap before falling into position tonight.

"Everyone is already in place," said one of the men beside Chief Jameruu. "The Fire type users are spread out as they've been told."

The chief nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now all we have to do is play the waiting game." Then, he turned to me, face half hidden under the darkness. "Mr. Neswitt, what would your estimate be for any movement from the sack-elves?"

"Judging from their patterns from the last few attacks, they should come around once every week or so. The latest attack was from ten days ago, so it shouldn't be long. I'm guessing around two to four days' time," I reply with haste.

"Optimistically speaking, are you?" The chief smiled.

I smiled back, albeit wryly. "It could go either way. We just need to keep our eyes peeled."

"That is easier said than done. Most would already be worn out by the second day, I suppose."

"It won't be easy, but I'm sure we can pull it off. We just need a lot of determination."

"I'll put you to it, then. Onto your own positions. It's about time the usual periods for sack-elf attacks occur. But I can't say I'll expect anything from today's lookout, so you can stay low for now."

"Got it," I nodded, then walking off to our destination. "See you later, Chief Jameruu."

***

As we made our way to our position, I noted the lively parts of the village. These small, cheery late-night gatherings are also a part of the plan. Generally, sack-elves tend to avoid crowded areas—if at all any humans—when they're out to hunt for something to steal. Using that to our advantage, we asked some of the villagers to gather around some parts of the village in order to narrow down the areas where the sack-elves can move. By dwindling their routes, we'll have a higher chance of spotting one in action.

Of course, these people partying here will be substituted by the spies on lookout tonight by the second night, and vice versa. They will alternate their roles as to stave off as much fatigue as possible. Keeping guard isn't an easy task, after all.

Mason, Alessia and I make our way through the village, passing peaceful, moonlit parts without anyone in sight; and the occasional late-night parties strategically put in certain places. Sadly, the three of us won't be alternating our roles with anyone else. Our involvement is crucial only because we are on a quest.

After a five-minute walk, we finally reach the outskirts of the village. My plan is to have the three of us huddled up on the outskirts of the village in order to catch a glimpse of an incoming sack-elf. However, most importantly, we will be waiting by the edge of the village because it'll give us the most freedom of movement. Our scouting area will only be one straight line instead of a large area covering a chunk of the north-western part of the village.

When a sack-elf is spotted, the Fire magic users will shoot up some fire to let us know the position of the sack-elf. We'll then adjust to the position of the fire, waiting for the aforementioned sack-elf to exit the village, which we will then follow into their den. We made sure to not put the attacking sack-elf on alert by having the Fire magic users shooting up fire a little bit after they've walked some distance away. I made sure they shoot their fireworks from behind the sack-elf as well, since that will give the least chance of them spotting it.

Mason, Alessia and I hid behind a conglomerate of trees and stones, keeping watch on the open roads leading into the village. To be frank, the border of the village is not very clear, since the buildings sort of scatter out the further we go, but I determined a set perimeter during the tour of the village in which the three of us will be patrolling together.

Why together and not spread out? That's because we'll be able to get into action from the get-go. If we are separated and only one of us spots a sack-elf, we'll have to rendezvous before following it into their den. From that point on, it will be a battle.

"Time to settle in," Mason said casually as he sat himself down behind a tree.

"Hey, what happened to the 'keep watch' part of our plan?" Alessia questioned sternly.

"Relax. You heard the chief—a sack-elf won't likely attack tonight. We can afford to be a bit more chill."

"But still... we can't afford to lose sight of our surroundings. What if a sack-elf does come and we accidentally stumble into it?"

"That can go both ways," I said, joining in the fray. "Either: we can follow the sack-elf back in its panic; or, it will run around and try to escape from our tracks. Keep in mind those things are good at hiding."

"So, is that why you're using my Caligro as extra insurance?" Alessia asked.

"Exactly. While we're not hiding and moving around, you'll cast Caligro around us to blend in with the darkness. There will be little chance that the sack-elf will notice us then. It'll also be used for following the sack-elf back to its den—if we cover ourselves in darkness while following it, we won't have to worry about hiding ourselves behind obstacles and whatnot."

"Hidden in plain sight, eh?" Mason mused. "Not bad. I like it."

"You've been briefed on this for four times already, Mason," Alessia crossed her arms.

"Have I? Looks like I forgot," Mason said aloof.

Alessia sighed heavily. "Anyway, I'm not so sure my Caligro can last that long."

"Don't worry, you'll only have to use it occasionally. We won't be always using it while scouting and following the sack-elf—we'll only use it when obstacles are scarce," I replied.

"That contradicts your previous statement," Alessia pointed.

"I didn't specifically say we will always be using it, will we? Just when we're hidden under your spell, we won't have to worry about finding obstacles. If there's enough stuff to hide us, then Caligro isn't needed."

Alessia frowned slightly. "Have it your way."

I nodded with contempt. "This night will be a long one."

Mason chuckled. "Heh, spare me. This is only one out of the however many nights we'll be spending awake."

Mason is unmistakably right.

***

It only hit midnight. There, slumping on a different tree, was Mason, groaning as he slipped further down. "Ugh, this is worse than the journey here. At least we got a nice view. All we get to see this time is darkness."

A chilly gust of wind blew by, sending me into shivers. "It's certainly cold."

"I agree—this is getting stale, and cold. I should've brought a blanket or something," said Alessia.

"Come one now, guys. We have to stay in focus."

"As much as I hate to say it, I'm beginning to believe what Mason said earlier. A sack-elf won't come waltzing in anytime soon tonight."

I desperately look at the two in front of me, slowly draining in willpower. I sighed. "You might be right. We don't have to be so harsh on ourselves. How about a snack, then?"

Mason immediately sat upright at the sound of food. "Yes, please."

I smiled while Alessia shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You and your food."

"I'd take food over your attitude anytime."

Under the slate of darkness sprinkled with stars and a half-hidden moon, we merrily snacked away at some rations I packed earlier before executing my plan. The cold wind only made our cold food even colder.

***

By the time sunrise rolled around, most of the lookout personnel already gave in and went back to their homes for some well-deserved sleep. Mason, Alessia and I couldn't keep our eyes opened any longer either. Starting from today, our sleep schedule might be altered quite heavily. A single yawn would cause an intense wave of preceding yawns, like sending ripples in still water.

We approached the inn, where Kavaski was smoking outside. He was awake quite early. My need for sleep was temporarily pushed aside as I called out to him.

"Hey, Sir Endomallus!" I waved tiredly at him. He noticed his named being called and turned to look at us.

"Woah, what happened to you three?" He expressed his surprise at our sleep-deprived forms. "Your eyes are almost bloodshot. What have you been up to?"

"More like what the whole village has been up to," Mason snarled. "Haven't you heard anything lately?"

"Not much. I've been holed up in my room with sleep after that long journey. I'm surprised you three aren't already lying on the ground cold."

"We manage," said Alessia, "but this is just about my limit."

"What exactly have you lot been doing?"

"We've been on the lookout the whole night, Sir Endomallus," I explained. "For our quest—the sack-elves, remember?"

Kavaski didn't rush to answer, instead inhaling some of the stuff in his hands and puffing out some smoke. "Looks like you've been working hard."

"Not hard, just stupidly tiring," said Mason.

"We've even got most of the village involved," I added.

"That's quite an achievement there. Usually, these village folks don't want to deal with unnecessary stuff if they don't have to. What'd you do to get their help?"

"Oh, just poking around and asking the village chief for help. He was surprisingly quick to accept."

"The village chief, eh? Didn't think I was hauling a bunch of diplomats around," Kavaski chuckled.

"We're certainly not," Alessia replied flatly. "And we certainly are in need of some sleep."

"Well, good luck on your quest. From the looks of things, your attempts haven't been so successful."

"We'll hit gold when the time comes," I said. "But for now, sleep is what's golden."

***

The following night was rather uneventful as well. With a need to focus harder, it became tougher for us to stave off the boredom of loitering around and staring into nothing but darkness.

On night three, things seem to have taken a turn for the better. At first, it felt like any other night, where we'll have to wait hours upon hours in the chilly night and end up with no catch, but those expectations were shattered when a pillar of flame rose up in the distant horizon. It burned through the dark sky, almost like a reverse firework.

I spotted it first. "Look, a signal! They spotted a sack-elf!" I cried, pointing at the slowly fading orange flames. Mason and Alessia seems to have noticed it as well. We stood by the easternmost edge of the marked-out perimeter, but the signal came to be relatively in the direction of the middle section, where it heads straight to north.

Without another hitch, he darted for the single column of fire illuminating the dark sky, now only ashen embers drifting through the breezes. As we ran, another flame pillar rose up, this time a bit closer to us. Judging from the location of the second signal compared to the first, the sack-elf should be making its escape by the northern mouth of the north-western part of the village.

The three of us quickly made headway to the approximated location, hiding behind trees, rocks and small buildings as we ran. We couldn't afford to be seen by the sack-elf now.

"Finally, some action!" Mason exclaimed, half out of breath from the rapid running.

"We'll miss it if you keep blabbering!" Alessia retorted.

"Don't lose sight of our target," I advised as the two of them argued on. I wanted to sigh, but there are more important things at hand. We're almost at the northern opening now.

As the three of us crouched behind a fallen tree, a third fire column rose up and illuminated the sky. It was incredibly close to us now. The sack-elf should appear anytime soon.

"It's going to appear around here. Should we spread out a bit?" I offered.

"Let's not spread out too much," said Alessia. "Ernie, you stay in this spot; and Mason, you go behind that large boulder; while I hide behind that other tree. We'll be able to spot it in this triangular setup."

"Affirmative," mused Mason as he leaped over the fallen log and dashed behind the large boulder almost opposite me. Alessia also moved, though to the still standing tree a bit to my right and further away from the village. No matter where the sack-elf runs now, we'll be able to see it.

I waited, noting that there aren't any more fire columns blazing upward. The sack-elf must be close now.

Lo and behold—a tiny little goblin-like creature appeared, hurriedly rushing through the darkness with an empty water jug in hand. Its ears were like elf ears, long and pointy; it wore nothing except for a ragged cloth with open holes everywhere. If I squint hard enough, I'd be able to discern its color, which would probably be murky dark green.

I let it pass me, and the tree hiding Alessia, before making way to the latter's position. It looks like Mason is just about catching up from the corner of my eye.

"It's actually there!" Mason whispered, full of excitement.

"Yeah. What are we going to do now?" Alessia asked.

"Follow it. It's most likely heading towards its den. It'll lead us straight to their hiding spot," I said.

"We get that. I'm asking if we should use Caligro or hide behind obstacles for now."

"Let's see," I muttered as I surveyed the area. The little silhouette of the sack-elf was slowly shrinking as it moved away from us. We need to move, quick. The surrounding area still had a lot of trees and boulders around, so we can use those to hide us. We can save Alessia's Caligro for later.

"We'll use the obstacles for now. If I'm not mistaken, the part after this small forest area will be an open plains. Caligro should be used there," I said hastily. The sack-elf was almost fully hidden under the shadows now.

"Let's move, then," said Alessia, making no effort for a signal to start running as she took off into the night. Mason and I followed haphazardly.

We silently made our way, jumping behind tree to tree, boulder to boulder, obstacle to obstacle, all the while keeping a close eye on the small sack-elf. It was running in a hurry, but its tiny legs couldn't carry it that fast. Its top speed was maybe about the speed of a normal jog for a human.

The forest slowly cleared, and a vast plains basking under the soft moonlight greeted us. Dark mountains could be barely seen in the far horizon. The elevation was slightly sloped from the west side, where the mountains acting as the border of Eygron-Halaris and two neighboring states reside firmly in the dark shadowy night.

"Alessia," I whispered to her. She silently nodded, muttering her incantation, before a shroud of shadows engulfed us. Surprisingly, I could still see through the spell, despite being covered in darkness. Is this what Alessia saw when she used Caligro against me the other time? I slightly grinned, since this is the first time I'm at the other end of the spell, where the advantages are by my side.

"Woah, how does this work?" Mason voiced his surprise.

"Magic, duh," Alessia replied off-handedly. With a shrug, we continued our stalking.

Despite being covered under a blanket of shadows, the chilly wind could still tickle my skin. The soft moonlight couldn't penetrate the shadows, though.

The slow journey took about thirty minutes, which by now we're at a valley-like place—not entirely surrounded by mountains, but small cliffs were everywhere in the vicinity and a considerable difference in elevation could be seen. We must be close now.

After some more silent trudging and hiking through the cliffs (we didn't need to use Caligro anymore), the sack-elf finally stopped to look around. After it confirmed that nothing was watching it (which was comically wrong), the sack-elf crawled into a small opening by the cliffside, where I presumed a cave system would be waiting inside.

"So that's their den?" said Mason.

"Probably," I replied. "This is it, I guess."

"What should we do now?" asked Alessia.

"I think we should recuperate our senses first. Let's prepare as readily as possible before invading their hiding place."

"Sounds good to me," said Alessia. "Got a plan in your head?"

"Well," I replied while in thought, though shook off my ideas, "I was originally going to ask Mason to burn down the hole, but that might prove counter-productive. They might have more than one entrance, after all."

"Do you want to just waltz in like it's no one's business?" asked Mason.

"I was thinking, do you have any spell that can sense terrain, Mason?"

"Sense terrain? I think I have something like that. What, are you asking me to map out the layout of the cave?"

I shook my head. "No. I just need you to find any cave openings around here that might be connected to the sack-elves' den. You'll then use whatever Earth magic you have to close off those openings. We can't afford to have those sack-elves escaping."

Mason shrugged. "I'll try."

He took a deep breath, then putting both his hands on the ground, palms down, and said an incantation:

"O Earth, the base of all that we stand on; tell me your secrets and give me your knowledge—let me have your paths, Seismic Impulse!"

I felt nothing happen, but Mason was now in deep concentration. I could sense a tiny bit of mana tingling by my feet. After a good minute or so of nothing but silence, Mason finally stood up again.

"There's two other cave openings not far from here, just over the hill. I can block those off from here," he said.

I nodded. "Do it."

Mason took another breath, then closed his eyes, incantating:

"Let the ground shake and repulse in retortion—Jagged Crust!"

I felt a very faint shake in the ground, like a distant earthquake was taking place. After a few seconds or so, it stopped.

"There, the openings are sealed off. Might've alerted some of the sack-elves, though," said Mason, patting the imaginary dust on his palms away.

"No worries. Even if they tried to escape, they'd only run into us. Now then, are we ready?" I added.

Alessia and Mason both nodded.

"Trackers on, and we're off."

Slipping on the trackers onto our wrists with its straps, we entered the dark, almost circular caves, as Mason nommed on some rations. What awaits us inside—not even I could imagine.