v3 Chapter 13: The First Town
Shouko had also heard that story when she first went to Iwadou for the summer hunt.
“Could it be that the time monsters overflowed from Iwadou towards the Plains...”
“Apparently, it was here,” Falco answered concisely.
In truth, it was a story from before Falco or Leon were even born.
“I’ve only heard it as legend myself. It must have been over 200 years ago, wouldn’t you say?” the High Priest added. It seemed to be from a time before even he was born.
“They say Black Rock Lizards appeared in massive numbers and headed towards the Plains as if drawn by something. It was around then that the summer hunts started, gathering hunters from all over.”
“What happened in the end?” Haru asked.
The High Priest closed his eyes as if recalling something, then folded his arms. “They spread through the northwestern region of the Plains, withered the crops, and then stopped.”
“After they stopped?”
“They apparently vanished.”
“Vanished?”
“Without leaving even magic stones behind.”
Haru looked at Shouko, stunned. Shouko met her gaze, then looked to the High Priest for explanation.
“I didn't know they withered crops.”
“Indeed,” Sain confirmed. “In the Deep Forest and the Lakes, monsters are dealt with before they attach themselves, and besides, not many crops are grown there, so it wasn’t noticed. But monsters drain life force from living things—meaning they drain it from crops and the soil too. That's why that region of the Plains was said to have become desolate.”
In the Deep Forest, they defeated monsters on sight, so Shouko hadn't known what became of them in the end.
“If they just disappear, maybe it’s fine to leave them alone...”
“If you do that, they continue draining the life force of living things while they move. However, if you defeat them on sight, you get magic stones, and there's no damage.”
“I see, Sain-sama. Come to think of it, you did say at the beginning that monsters were like moving resources.”
“Exactly so.”
What a mysterious world it was.
“If monsters are increasing recently, I think the Plains really ought to be wary of this narrow passage,” Haru stated, looking around. Her eyes were likely tracing how one would fight if monsters came. Because if you don't think properly like that, you get taken out by allies, let alone monsters. Shouko remembered that and clenched her fists tightly.
“Well, nowadays with the summer hunt in Iwadou thinning out the monsters considerably, I doubt something like that would happen,” Leon said cheerfully.
“You saw what happened in the Lakes, right?” Falco interjected. “People in other territories can't see things the way hunters do. Trying to make them do what they can't will only cause backlash. All we can do is accomplish the requests we're given and do our best at what can be done in the Deep Forest.”
“That's true,” Falco nodded.
Haru still looked anxiously around the narrow grassland, but eventually seemed to switch her focus back to accomplishing the current request.
Once they passed through that narrow passage, the land opened onto a slightly elevated hill, from which they could look down upon the Plains.
“Wow. Grasslands as far as the eye can see...” Shouko couldn't help but exclaim. Coming from the Deep Forest, thick with woods and rocky mountains, it was a natural reaction. However, it wasn't actually flat; gentle hills and even clusters of green large enough to be called forests dotted the landscape, like something out of an old fairy tale.
And from here, the road split in two.
“Left goes to the central region, right goes southwest. We're heading right,” Leon declared and started the wagon moving. Perhaps because he worked as a Guild transporter while his leg was injured, Leon handled the wagon skillfully. Moreover, he seemed to enjoy being the driver, so Leon and Haru often sat on the driver's bench. Still, the rest of the group also wanted to see the Plains, so they variously stuck their heads out or sometimes walked or ran alongside, enjoying the scenery.
Among them, Falco looked unusually cheerful. Setting aside the fact that he always seemed happy when with Shouko, he was gazing at the passing wheat fields with narrowed eyes.
“It feels strange without forests, but it certainly is wide open and pleasant. And to think there's so much farmland right beside the road. Makes you wonder how much patrolling is needed to watch for monsters.”
“There are no monsters, remember?” Leon interjected playfully. Leon, for his part, seemed to be enjoying driving the wagon across the flatlands immensely.
The day they crossed the border, Shouko and the others traveled southwest by wagon from the mountain range, and as evening fell, they decided to stay in their first Plains town.
While Sain and Leon were eyed as if they were rare curiosities, they left the wagon and arranged lodging. Shouko recalled they had been stared at when they went to the Lakes too, but that country was introverted and people rarely tried to interact proactively, so it hadn't bothered her much. However, she suddenly noticed that even Shouko and the others, who should have the appearance of Plains folk, were drawing attention.
But this was a town near the border. Surely they must have seen people from the Deep Forest through merchant traffic?
“Hey,” Leon casually asked the innkeeper while handling the check-in procedures, “we seem to be standing out somehow?” Perhaps because merchants passed through, the inn was reasonably large, and in the dining area visible from the reception, guests wanting an early dinner or drinks were beginning to gather.
“Ah, couldn’t help staring.”
“Staring? This is a border town, so folks from the Deep Forest come through, right?”
“Nah, they rarely come. Merchants mostly come from this side and transport goods back from the Deep Forest. Besides, while we certainly see Deep Forest folk, genuine hunters like yourselves are still a rarity.”
Leon looked themselves over again. Leon, Shouko, and Falco were dressed as perfectly ordinary hunters. As for the High Priest, he wore healer-like robes with a yellow sash slung over his shoulder, and Haru merely had a dagger at her waist; those two didn't even look like hunters.
“We look ordinary, though.”
“Puha!” The innkeeper burst out laughing as if he couldn't help it. “First off, travelers with children are rare. There aren’t kids around here carrying swords, nor even daggers. Plus, one of them is wearing a healer's yellow sash, right?”
“Starting there, huh?”
“And there aren’t folks carrying such impressive swords with that 'I'm definitely a hunter' aura either. On top of that, one of you doesn't even look like they're from the Plains. And that gentleman there is likely the High Priest, I presume?” The innkeeper's tone suddenly became polite. He had apparently recognized a high-ranking healer at a glance. “I’ve never seen a High Priest—no, any healer—traveling while carrying a sword themselves. Basically, all five of you are attention magnets for one reason or another.”
“We didn’t feel out of place at all in the Deep Forest, though,” Leon scratched his head, looking troubled.
“Well, it’s just curiosity, no hostility. Please, rest easy and stay awhile.”
“Much appreciated.”
While Leon handled the procedures, the High Priest quietly observed the inn's dining hall.
“Innkeeper.”
“Yes?”
“Is there a healer in this town?”
“Yes. The position changed hands recently, we have a young healer now.”
“I am Sain, from the Northern Town in the Deep Forest.”
“Sain-sama... the Sain-sama?!”
Shouko and Haru turned back to the innkeeper in surprise. They hadn't realized the High Priest's name was known even in the Plains.
“If you know, then this is quicker. I will only be here tonight, but if there is anything they wish to learn, could you perhaps pass on a message for them to come here?”
“Thank you! Being young, I imagine he has many worries, so right away!”
“Also, if there are any, not just injured, but unwell, feel free to have them call on me.”
The innkeeper delightedly began making arrangements here and there. “We have baths too, so please do freshen up!”
“Much appreciated.”
Unexpectedly, it seemed the group's first town would be a busy one.
