Starting with the goblin extermination

Logan pulled back the felt curtain of the carriage and looked out to admire the rushing water below and the milky white waves splashing against the rocks. The smell of water vapor mixed with the earthy tang of the river hit him.

Big river.

The river is simply called the Great River, without any poetic embellishment. As the mother river of Riverwood, it flows from west to east through Riverwood, then continues southeast, passing Greystone Village, Holm Village, flowing through Goldenrod City, and finally heading south out of Whitewave Province.

Logan was heading towards Greystone Village along the course of the river. Elsa was leaning on his shoulder, holding up Logan's right hand, gently pressing and playing with it along the lines of his palm. Logan had no idea what she was doing.

Ellis and Sylvie sat opposite each other, the occasional pebbles escaping from under the vehicle not disturbing their sleep at all. At first, Ellis was excited, loudly recounting her experiences in Graystone Village to Logan and the others.

But the stuffy air in the carriage, the desolate woods, and the constant sound of the waves made their minds go blank, and they eventually fell into a deep sleep.

Long commutes are always boring. No matter how beautiful the scenery is along the way, it will always make you sleepy. Logan knew this all too well in his previous life.

As for why Logan is here, the reason is simple.

He's short of money.

After ordering custom-made magical armor, purchasing two magical accessories, and replenishing their supplies with two basic healing potions, the Raven Shadow Squad's funds quickly dwindled to just 35 gold coins.

Two weeks ago, this might have been a fortune for Logan, enough to buy him a finely crafted ring armor and two bottles of basic healing potions in Dalark. But for him now, this amount of money is neither here nor there, like a piece of meat stuck between his teeth—not even enough to finish Instructor Soben's class.

He needs money, and he needs to become stronger before the guild's joint raid begins in mid-July.

As part of the guild's operation to address the Ash Forest incident, it is said that the bounty for all monsters hunted during this operation will increase by at least 50%.

Furthermore, according to Instructor Soben, Logan's team's bronze-level advancement quest is very likely deeply intertwined with the joint extermination campaign. Although specific details of the quest have not been revealed, it is certain that it is closely related to monster extermination.

Therefore, Logan tore down this lucrative bronze-level quest at the top of the guild bulletin board—

Investigation into the disappearances in Greystone Village

Quest Level: Bronze

Monster: Unknown (Suspected to be a monster roaming the Ash Forest; due to unusual activity in the forest, estimated challenge level: 1)

Quest Location: Southeast of Riverwood, East of Ashwood, Greystone Village

Release date: July 3, 3563 (Arando calendar)

Deadline: Within five days.

remuneration:

Basic survey fee: 6 Platinum Coins.

Find out the truth and successfully defeat the monster: 12 Platinum Coins (Monster materials can be kept).

Survivor Rescue: For each missing person found, Baron Carrot will award an additional 1 Platinum Coin.

Task details:

In the past ten days, three farmers have mysteriously disappeared from Greystone Village. No obvious bloodstains or signs of struggle have been found in the village.

Adventurers must travel to Graystone Village to investigate the cause of the disappearances and search for survivors. If monsters are found, kill them on the spot within your capabilities; if the threat is assessed as too high, you are allowed to retreat first and report to the guild.

Note: Given the recent unusual activity in Ash Forest, it is suspected that monsters skilled in stealth or concealment have infiltrated the village.

Adventurers' Guild

When talking about Graystone Village, one cannot help but mention the grotesque shape of the Ash Forest.

The outline of a forest is never a perfect circle.

On a map, it looks more like a patch of dark ink with jagged edges. Within this irregular behemoth, some boundaries require a full four days' trek to reach the central Tallinn ruins, while others can be reached in just two days.

Greystone Village is extremely unlucky to be located on the weakest edge of the eastern forest, closest to the Tallinn Ruins. The entire surrounding area has been transformed into a deep zone due to the disturbance.

In the past, Graystone Village was occasionally harassed by sporadic monsters that ran out from the outside, but fortunately they were just weak monsters like goblins. With the unity of the guards and the villagers, they were always able to keep these troubles away.

But things are different now.

More than half of the leaves on the trees at the edge of the village were now covered in gray spots. Perhaps a level one monster had already sneaked out of the forest and silently slipped into the village.

This money is definitely not easy to earn.

Thinking of this, Logan shook his head. Elsa, who was standing next to him, turned her head to look at him, like a cat puzzled by its owner's behavior.

"fine."

Logan instinctively reached out and scratched her smooth chin.

Elsa smiled, squinting her eyes and tilting her head back slightly like a cat, letting out a satisfied nasal sound. But the next second, she grasped Logan's fingers.

Cats love to lick their owners' hands, and Elsa doesn't mind playing along.

Seeing that the two people opposite her still had their eyes closed, she slightly opened her lips and put his index finger into her mouth.

The warm touch enveloped his fingers, and his tongue gently curled around the fingertips, with a hint of probing.

Logan's Adam's apple bobbed.

What a mischievous little cat!

Logan didn't pull his hand away; instead, he gently rubbed her flushed cheeks with his thumb.

Outside the carriage, the sun was slowly setting; they were still half a day's journey from Graystone Village.

......

"Are you really still going?" Alita asked, her voice filled with fear and disbelief.

Cimius turned his gaze to his sister.

"Mama said the Baron has already sent people to help," Alita's little hand gently grasped the hilt of Chimius's short sword, slowly pulling it towards her chest. "We don't need to take any risks, we really don't."

“You’re twelve years old now,” Chimius replied, “but you’re still afraid to go on adventures with adventurers.”

"If you are truly an adventurer, then I will not be afraid."

Alita said angrily.

Chimius ignored her complaints, just as he had done in the past adventures, whenever his daring actions drew nagging. Alita was one of Chimius's best companions, like the mage beside the hero in every legendary tale—intelligent, calm, but lacking in courage.

As always, they would pull out thick bundles of dry hay and a few worn-out clothes from under the bed, carefully stuffing them into the quilt to create the illusion that the two were fast asleep. They would always return before dawn, and their mother, exhausted from farm work, would never discover their mischievous tricks.

"You'll die!" Alita protested from the doorway. "Leave the adventure to others; we're just kids."

Chimius patted the short sword at his waist, ruffled Alita's messy hair, and the scar on his nose looked distorted in the moonlight.

"Elena is a child too, but she's been missing for two days," Chimius explained. "The men the Baron hired don't know when they'll arrive. They don't care about Elena. If we wait any longer, we'll only find a pile of chewed bones."

"Go away, you stay home."

Alita clutched her brother's clothes, stubbornly shaking her head. She was also worried about Elena. Two days earlier, at dusk, the three of them had parted ways after playing in the fields. As Alita watched Elena's slender figure gradually disappear, the thought of her playmate having to go back to take care of her grandmother, who suffered from dementia, made her feel down.

But she never imagined that day would be the last time she would see Elena.