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n“Showing off,” Ali remarked as he scooped Jelia onto his shoulders.

nPerched atop Ali, Jelia wriggled around, looking down at the ground, and kicked Ali’s chest.

n“It feels like I’ve become a titan… Ali, can you carry me like this on our travels from now on?”

n“In your dreams!” Ali rolled his eyes and moved forward.

n“Hold tight, this is a one-time deal.

nAfter this, we’re each on our own path!”

n“Stingy! Howard would have said yes.”

n…

nThe village was small, lacking even a specific name on the map.

nIt was simply known because of two giant oak trees in the central square, leading passersby and villagers to refer to it as Oak Village.

nThe village wasn’t large, with a population not exceeding two hundred.

nA simple fence of wooden spikes served as its entire defense.

nHowever, given the absence of spellbeast subspecies in the area, this rudimentary protection sufficed to maintain safety.

nIf only gray wolves or similar creatures appeared, the village hunters could handle them themselves.

nAfter wandering around the village, Ali kept his promise and purchased honeyed white bread for three.

nThis delicacy, considered a luxury by ordinary families and not exactly cheap even by adventurer standards, was a welcome change from the daily diet of dark and coarse bread that severely dampened morale.

nGazing at the freshly baked loaves covered in a thick, golden layer of enticing honey, Ali could almost hear Jelia swallowing her saliva from his shoulder.

n“Ali, where are we going to eat? My stomach’s been growling.”

nAli pondered for a moment and then suggested, “Let’s see, how about we head to the square? There are big trees and pigeons, cooing pigeons.”

n“Sunshine, a gentle breeze, and a fountain.”

n“Is there a fountain here?” Jelia kicked Ali’s chest.

n“Pretend there is,” Ali caught Jelia’s leg.

n“With such a nice setting, let’s quickly eat and rest a bit, then we need to continue on our journey. We still have nearly ten kilometers to go today.”

nSaying so, Ali headed towards the square.

n…

nPerhaps because it wasn’t the peak commercial season, there weren’t many merchants passing through the village, and consequently, the square wasn’t bustling with people and vehicles.

nThe two towering oak trees cast vast shadows, with their roots encircled by neatly arranged large stones, providing perfect seats for resting.

nAli found a clean spot to set Jelia down, took out the honeyed white bread they had bought, laid out a napkin as a makeshift tablecloth, and sat opposite her.

n“Let’s eat!”

nGazing at the honeyed white bread on the napkin, Jelia wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth.

n“Go ahead.” Ali handed her the largest piece.

nThe bread meant for three wasn’t exactly scant, but also not abundant.

nThe two managed to devour it in less than half an hour, leaving only a napkin with a strong scent of honey behind.

nObserving Jelia’s tongue flicking at the corners of her mouth, Ali thought that if no one was watching, Jelia might even lick the napkin.

nThere was no helping it.

nThe white bread itself was of superior quality, soft and delicious, and when combined with the rich, sweet honey, it was simply irresistible, one piece after another.

nThat’s how many girls end up gaining weight.

n“I’m full,” Jelia sighed contentedly, patting her slightly protruded belly before leaning back against a clean rock, gazing through the dense leaves at the patches of sky, “I don’t want to move anymore.”

n“Lazy bones!” Ali folded the napkin neatly and wrapped it in another piece of cloth.

nIt wasn’t yet time to clean up; they would rest a bit more before setting off.

nAfter lying down for a while, Jelia suddenly sat up, rummaging behind her.

n“What’s wrong?” Ali asked, puzzled.

n“There’s a bug! Something bit me.”

nAfter a brief search, Jelia emerged holding a small beetle.

n“This guy did it!” she declared.

nAli examined the beetle, recognizing it as one of the most common types, identifiable by light spots on its back—these little creatures seemed to be found everywhere.

nRubbing his chin, Ali looked at Jelia, “What do you plan to do with it?”

n“Does it have a family?” Jelia inquired.

nAli nodded.

n“Probably. There’s always a beetle that gave birth to it, and it might have its own offspring.”

n“Having kin makes them family, I guess,” Jelia mused.

nShe continued, “Do they have their own society?”

n“I don’t know about that,” Ali shook his head.

nWhether beetles have a society had never crossed his mind.

nJust as people don’t consider the feelings of cows and sheep when eating meat, he had never thought about whether such ubiquitous little creatures as beetles have their societies.

nDo they have their families?

nDo they have their nations?

nSuch questions seemed pointless because it appeared beetles would never have the capacity to overthrow human dominance.

nAlthough humans might not be the strongest individuals, they always seem to be the strongest species.

n“Then let’s release it,” Jelia concluded after a moment’s thought, and gently placed the beetle back on the stone.

n“If it has a family, they would be saddened by its sudden death.”

nIt was a kind of compassion that might seem excessive, but Ali didn’t dislike it.

nMaintaining such kindness could indeed make life better, though living solely that way could become somewhat dull.

nAs Jelia released the beetle onto the stone slab, Ali turned around, contemplating a nap on the slab as well.

nThe weather wasn’t too hot, a slight breeze was blowing, and after a satisfying meal, taking a nice nap seemed like a splendid idea.

nHowever, a shadow fell over him.

nA disheveled middle-aged man stood before Ali.

n“My name is Gick, a wandering merchant.”

nThe man looked somewhat ragged and uneasy, his gaze flitting around when he looked at Ali.

nA wandering merchant?

nWhy would a merchant seek me out?

nTo hire a bodyguard?

nTrade associations that could afford to travel to this location surely wouldn’t lack for protectors.

nAnd those who venture alone are either foolish or skilled enough not to need a bodyguard.

n“I’m Ali, as you can see, an adventurer. What do you need?”

nAli gestured towards the shortsword leaning against the side.

nThough not his weapon of choice, he was adept enough with it, and with the physical foundation of a level 3 magus, he could take on a group of average adventurers with ease.

n“I have a quest I’d like to entrust to you,” Gick nodded, continuing, “As you can see, I’m just a regular wandering merchant, not affiliated with any trade association. I’ve been traveling here with a few friends, and everything was going smoothly until, unexpectedly, we ran into trouble right in this area!”

n“An attack?” Ali frowned.

nWhat sort of mishap could occur in Oak Village? This area didn’t even host a single spellbeast subspecies, with gray wolves being the largest carnivores around.

n“We were attacked by a group of subhumans!”

n“Subhumans?” Ali’s brow furrowed deeper.

nShe wasn’t unfamiliar with subhumans.

nTypically, the common folk refer to those with special bloodlines as subhumans—half-orcs, half-elves, and some being part dwarf or gnome.

nBecause they aren’t purely human nor entirely other, such subhumans often live in isolation.

nHowever, many other races are willing to accept these subhumans, like elves or dwarves, who generally have a favorable attitude toward half-bloods.

nThus, those who roam and cause trouble outside are usually half-orcs and gnomes.

nBut were there subhuman activities around Oak Village?

nIf so, they almost certainly would have had contact with the villagers of Oak Village because the wandering subhumans have almost no means to acquire human-made goods other than through robbery.

nDeprived of human creations, those subhumans would regress to a primitive society within half a month.

n“What kind of subhumans attacked you?”

n“They looked like beasts, with the claws of wild animals, and some even had the faces of beasts!” Gick’s face was etched with terror.

n“After we were attacked, only I managed to escape, barely.

nMy goods and my companions were all taken by those beasts!”

n“Although I’m penniless now, I’m willing to give you all of my goods! Just if you can find those beasts and kill them! I don’t know in what condition my goods are now, but they should still be worth a hundred or two hundred gold coins.”

nAli did not accept immediately; instead, she observed Gick, who stood before her.

nThe hatred, anger, or perhaps fear in Gick’s eyes—all of it was unmistakably genuine, and Ali was adept at discerning that much.

nHowever, for reasons unbeknownst to her, faced with Gick’s raw fury, Ali found herself unwilling to make a move.

nSuddenly, she felt someone tug at her clothes. .

nTurning around, she found herself looking directly into Jelia’s bright eyes.

n𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝑜𝑚

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