I'd be much obliged for your assistance with something, Ryo.
You're being awfully formal all of a sudden.
My hometown, the village of Abali, has put out a hunting request.
I was hoping to accept it, but it's rated for D-rankers.
Nils and I were promoted to rank E for helping with the Great Tidal Bore,
but that's still not enough.
I see. Which is why you've come to me.
Please! Put together a temporary party so we can do this!
If I remember right, the quarry is goblins and skeletons.
Skeletons?
Kind of a weird menagerie.
They don't usually inhabit the same environments.
Ryo? Something wrong?
At long last, the stock fantasy enemy rivaled only by goblins...
An encounter with some skeletons!
Let's do it.
You're aware that this request originated in Kailadi?
Yes. And that it was forwarded to Lune because no one was able to complete it.
That's right. In truth, Kailadi set adventurers on the job twice.
The first party was was E-rank, and the second D-rank.
So a D-rank party has already failed?
At hunting goblins and skeletons? That's a bit hard to imagine.
That's the thing...
Based on the D-rank party's report,
the problem was "inability to gain the village's cooperation,"
such that the town turned against them.
Maybe they're hostile to outsiders?
No, the village has never been like that.
I mean, I wouldn't call them friendly, exactly, but...
Well, anything further is speculation based off the report.
So I'm kind of relieved to have you and your friends accept the job, Nils.
I'm from a small village myself, so I know how it is.
Just be careful. Members of that first E-rank party came back badly injured.
They encountered over thirty skeletons, apparently.
Granted, with a priest like Eto around, you'll be fine as long as you're not careless.
Not to mention you'll have Ryo with you.
You've still got a few days until your escort job to Whitnash.
Make sure nobody gets hurt, got it?
I'll do all I can.
That wasn't much of a trip.
I reckon we're moving faster than most.
Normally it's a full day's walk from Kailadi.
Is this a sign that our daily stamina training is working?
Maybe all that hellish running was worth it after all.
Is that you, Nils?
Hey, it's been so long!
Welcome home, Nils!
Hey! It's good to be back.
I guess you weren't kicked out for becoming a public enemy or anything.
That's a relief.
What made you think I was an exile?
Well, one look at you tells me you were the hellraiser of the local urchins.
With your type, it's standard procedure to get run out of your hometown
and wind up an adventurer.
You seem so confident about that.
Maybe he knows someone that happened to.
W-Well, I can't deny I was something of a rascal...
Anyway, let's talk to the mayor and the elder to see what's going on.
Boulan? You around?
Heya. Who's that?
Wait, Nils? Is that really you?!
Look how mature you've gotten!
You can't be serious. It's only been a year since I left town.
Be that as it may, there's something impressive about you.
Especially compared to the little hellraiser you were when you left us.
I don't wanna hear that from you, Boulan!
And who might these three be?
Members of my party.
Meet Eto and Amon, and that there's Ryo.
It's nice to meet you.
Yeah, it's a pleasure! I'm the village mayor, Boulan.
I see now. You've come to take on that request.
I'll admit this might work out better than with folks who ain't familiar with our ways.
Boulan, the second group of adventurers said something about the town not cooperating.
What was that about?
Well, for starters...
It all began when we spotted the skeletons.
They were popping up in the eastern woods, and soon enough, they were always there.
The goblins came a bit later. I spotted them in the southern neck of the forest.
So we put out a request to hunt them both, but that first party...
They... took the fight somewhere they shouldn't have.
Did they go too far into the eastern woods?
Exactly. They spilled blood deep in the forest there.
Which is why, when the second party showed up,
there were villagers ready to chase them off.
It was a life-and-death battle for them,
so asking them to be mindful of where they fight was probably a lot.
But the people of this village have been told to avoid that place for generations.
Well, I can understand the chilly reception after it was tainted by blood...
Sorry. I guess you guys aren't following.
I'm assuming it's some local custom?
Something like that.
But it also involves the village's secrets.
I can't fill you in without the elder and the council's approval.
So please be patient.
So you're saying, Niloi, after you turned eighteen,
Nils left the house to you so he could leave and become an adventurer?
Right. My brother never really cared for farming,
so he always wanted to get out of here as soon as he came of age.
But our parents passed before he had the chance...
And he stayed behind to raise you.
That sounds like him.
Despite how he acts, he's really caring.
He's always watching out for me.
I'm so glad he's come back with people he trusts.
I doubt anyone will object to you all handling the hunt.
The last party ignored our traditions and stormed into the woods.
Yeah, we thought as much.
That explains why no one wanted to help them.
Hey, I'm back.
Welcome back. What did the council say?
Well, to cut a long story short, we've got approval for the hunt.
I'm thinking we look into the goblins during the day tomorrow.
After that comes the skeletons.
I got permission to share this with you guys,
but you need to keep quiet about it. Is that understood?
There are two special things about this village.
First is our guardian beast that lives in the eastern woods.
Your guardian beast?
I've heard certain villages have them. I didn't realize this was one.
A guardian beast? Now that's fantastical!
Well, only the mayor and the elder ever meet with it,
so it's not like I've seen it personally.
I bet it's going to be possessed by an evil god or something and end up attacking us!
They went to explain the situation today.
And then—
Ryo.
Man, are you thinking something strange again?
I-I am thinking no such thing!
M-More importantly, what was the other special thing you wanted to mention?
Yeah, right.
Well, the other thing is the shrine.
Shrine?
Yeah. The elder said she'd tell you about it herself.
So sorry, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow.
This is the area where I spotted the goblins.
The children usually play around here.
They've been warned away for the time being.
But there're always kids who break the rules...
I knew you were that kid, Nils.
Again, how the hell could you "know" that?!
These are all goblin tracks, aren't they?
There may be a goblin den... or even a settlement around here.
What's wrong, Ryo?
Over ten goblins are headed our way. They'll be here in five minutes.
You get a really clear view of this stuff, huh?
Anyway, let's take out all but one of them.
Then we'll follow it back to the den and clean house, right?
Ice Bind 10.
Let's move, Amon!
Right!
Okay, after it!
I think it went into that cave.
Let's take care of the ones outside first.
Ice Bind 6.
Something big's coming. On your guard, Amon!
A g-goblin general?!
You mean like the ones in the Great Tidal Bore?
This is really bad. We don't have a chance.
Ice Bind!
Aren't you going to finish it off, Nils?
O-Oh, yeah.
Gen-gen-general, a goblin general!
Gobby gobby general, goblin general!
I'm glad we beat it without any casualties.
We claimed its magic stone, too.
Gen-gen-general, a goblin general!
Y-Yeah.
Gobby gobby general, goblin general!
Nils, you lads are amazing.
We all took down the goblin general!
I hear you've defeated the goblins. Well done.
Let me introduce you. This is our village's advisor, Mistress Nasu.
We call her the elder.
Do you really think our visitors need a village elder explained to them, you fool?
You'll have to forgive him.
Between Boulan and Nils, this village has no shortage of boors.
What did I do?
Now, I realize you must be tired, but let's get underway.
What was that?
Here's the event where we encounter the guardian beast!
And there's a chance it's cursed, so we'll have to fight it...
Are you imagining something scary again?
Elder... Er, Mistress Nasu.
You may address me as the elder.
The only one who uses my name anymore is the guardian beast.
In that case, Elder...
The charm on your staff is the crest of the Earth Mother Goddess, right?
It is. You must be a rather fine, learned light priest.
Earth Mother Goddess?
The Goddess of Light and Earth Mother Goddess originally
belonged to the Pantheon of Seven.
But over time, things changed...
Now people assume that temples and priests all worship the Goddess of Light.
The other six deities have fallen into obscurity.
But the elders of this village have worshiped the Earth Mother Goddess for generations.
Religious faith in something other than light...
Does that mean you can't use light elemental healing magic, Elder?
I can indeed use healing magic.
However, it is different from what they use at light temples.
You use incantations, no?
Yes, of course.
Those who serve the Earth Mother Goddess don't.
Or maybe I should say we've never actually needed them.
Excuse me?
It makes me wonder when people started thinking all sorcery needed incantations.
Lord Guardian Beast, it is I, Nasu.
I've brought Boulan and these four here to accept the hunting request.
Here comes the big fight!
Thank you for coming.
A fenrir...
He's not corrupted! Aw, no battle for me, I guess.
A priest of the light, two swordsmen, and...
My name is Nkuusin.
You, the water magician. What am I to call you?
My name's Ryo.
The guardian beast gave its name?
That's never happened before!
It is hard for humans to pronounce.
Hence I have never mentioned it.
But this magician... Ryo, you said your name was?
It would be rude of me not to share it with you.
It would?
Indeed. I am something of a relative to the fae folk.
And to one such as me, you are...
Well, just being in your presence is pleasant.
Sera mentioned something like that. That the Fairy King must like me.
Is it some physical trait I have that fairies like?
I'm pleasant to be around... Well, that's nice of you to say.
I should be the one expressing my gratitude.
Being around you makes me feel like I may live a millennium longer.
I expected I only had a few decades left...
You have brought a wonderful guest, Nasu.
Incredible...
You're really something, Ryo.
Now, regarding your quarry for this hunt.
There are around thirty in front of the shrine.
There is also one powerful one inside.
I have been keeping it inside the shrine myself.
You have?
Indeed.
The shrine's power alone cannot restrain it.
After you have slain the other thirty, I will set it loose.
I hereby return these impure souls to the bosom of the divine
and pray their sins be forgiven!
Turn Undead!
Okay, let's open it!
A-An arch skeleton?
Ice Creation: Hammer.
I'll hold it in place once it exits the shrine. Use those to wear it down!
Got it!
Now to signal the guardian beast.
Ice Flower!
How beautiful.
Now, here comes the arch!
Ice Bahn!
Nils, Amon!
Damn, it's sturdy!
But we're doing damage, just gradually!
You're standing on a sheet of specially made ice
with an extra dose of double-bonded hydrogen molecules.
It's super slippery.
I think we're done here!
Finally...
I'm exhausted.
I've never been inside of the shrine before.
So this is the village's other secret...
Part of it's gone.
Elder, what's going on here?
Our village's last priestess once said something...
That there used to be a shining jewel in the shrine.
But one day, it turned dark and cloudy, eventually shattering altogether.
Then there's what the guardian beast mentioned...
That his cave was receiving a flow of power from somewhere else.
That the shrine was likely the source of it.
Then there's the simple fact that we've come under goblin attack a few times now.
Could that be how Nil's parents died?
We've never located their hideout, yet you four were able to find that cave.
I'm wondering if it also received power from the shrine,
enabling the cave to spawn goblins.
I will use sorcery to create a sealing mound to block off the cave.
That should prevent the power from having any further effect.
Y'know, it's almost time.
You're right. It's been nearly three hundred days since we registered as adventurers.
Oh, right. After that, we can't live in the dorms anymore.
Hey, Ryo, Amon.
When Eto and I move out, we're going to have to buy or rent someplace to live.
I was wondering if the two of you would like to join us.
What? I'd love to!
Really?
What about you, Ryo?
Can I have some time before I give you my answer?
There are some things I need to consider.
You want me...
to fill in for you, guild master?
Yeah. At the Whitnash Open Port Festival.
Normally I'd send Phelps to be my proxy, but he's busy with other duties.
I need you to cover me this once.
Whitnash, huh?
Fools!
Don't let your guard down just because you think the fight's over!
The commander has something to say. Gather around, all of you!
Good work on your drills, men.
You've clearly improved, even if you don't quite pass muster yet.
Under orders from His Imperial Majesty,
the lieutenant and I will make for Whitnash in the Kingdom of Knightley tomorrow.
We will be away for two months.
I expect to see further improvement when I observe your drills upon my return.
That is all.
You were awfully gentle today.
When the third squad did something similar, you shot them through the legs.
They had to spend so long with the healers that they missed out on training.
I'm sure.
Besides, witnessing those flame arrows up close is enough to put anyone on their toes.
Your title as the Inferno Magician clearly isn't for show.