[Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst]
[Host: justreads.net]
[Mar. 11th, 2019]
... “You’re the adventurers?!” exclaimed the first lady in disbelief.
“How can such young children handle our mission?”
“Yeah. I expected a strong swordmaster!”
“What"s to be done now? What should we do with these two kiddies?”
“We can have them go back. Even if the girls can"t be saved, at least these two kids won’t get hurt.”
The villagers continued discussing with each other. They had pinned all their hopes on the adventurer who would accept their mission, but they never expected it would be accepted by two small children. The gap between their expectation and reality was simply too great!
“The chief is coming! The chief is coming!” cried out several children as they ran over to the crowd.
A white-haired man in a white coat appeared as the crowd parted a path for him. He was thin and walked with the help of a wooden walking stick. One look and it was obvious he was a respected elder of the village.
“Young guests, welcome. Please allow me to receive you in my home.” The village chief spoke politely to Jier and Feng Wu.
The chief’s house was bigger and of a better build quality than the other houses in the village. Upon entering he had his daughters-in-law prepare a meal for Jier and Feng Wu. They were clever and obedient and did so without asking any questions.
The chief’s wife pa.s.sed away some time ago so the housekeeping was managed by his sons’ two wives. The two ladies were the only ones at home since both their husbands were out.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bulu and I am the chief of this village.” His eyes were thick with grief and it was obvious the situation with the girls had left him haggard.
“Greetings chief. I’m Jier, a D-level registered adventurer at the Adventurers’ Guild. The one who accepted the mission is my friend, Feng Wu.” At this Jier gestured to Feng Wu beside him.
Feng Wu was bad with social interactions so Jier handled the usual courtesies. He was used to it and automatically introduced Feng Wu after introducing himself.
The old man’s face stiffened when he heard Feng Wu was the one who accepted the mission. Such a delicate girl for such a dangerous mission filled him with unease.
“Young adventurers, what happened in the village is very unusual. You’re still young, I’m afraid the fiends will be beyond your ability to handle.” They really were just too young to take on such a risk.
The chief felt the same way the other villagers did, however he had been chief for many years and was more diplomatic.
“Chief doesn’t believe in us?” Jier broke out in laughter as he spoke.
The chief looked at Jier confused at the sudden change in temperament. The gentle refined air Jier had on earlier was completely gone, now replaced with a brash arrogance.
The chief believed they were too weak to take on the task, however he was far too tactful to voice such a thought aloud and hurt their feelings, so instead he said, “You are simply too young.”
Feng Wu looked at the old chief and in very somber voice said, “I will complete the mission.”
The old chief found it hard to reject such sincerity. He tried one more time to dissuade them. “It is very dangerous.”
“I am very strong,” replied Feng Wu.
“This…”
Jier was not going to be rejected. “I am not an ordinary adventurer. Please do not worry chief. We will be able to help your village.”
The chief’s heart was in the right place. He tried his best to dissuade the children but in the end their persistence won out. Although they refused to listen to him, he felt they were good children, however it would be a pity if they were to get injured. He decided to have some of the younger villagers follow them around as they ‘investigated.’ In this way the villagers wouldn’t be put out, but the children’s safety would still be ensured.
The ladies finished cooking and brought the meal over. Matron La’s cooking was better, but considering Matron La was a professional cook, it was to be expected. The two sons, both in their forties, returned as everyone finished eating. They came directly from the field and still carried their farm tools as they walked in.
Both sons and their wives also doubted the children’s strength, however they were well raised and kept their opinions to themselves, not wanting to insult Jier or Feng Wu.
Aside from the sons and their wives, the chief also had three grandsons and two granddaughters. Because of all the disappearances, they had been sent away to stay with their maternal families outside the village to keep them safe.
After eating Feng Wu asked permission to look around the village. The chief allowed her to do so after a.s.signing a clever, cute ten-year-old boy from a small family to be her guide. He was a sensible boy who, despite being very curious about Jier and Feng Wu, refrained from asking a lot of questions.
There was a variety of plants in and around the village. Aside from the one cultivar of winterberries used for export, there were also other winterberry trees grown for domestic use. These berries were delicious and filling, and were usually found cooked in different dishes at mealtimes. The none bearing fruit trees looked depressing with their bare branches devoid of any greenery. In contrast the flowers that poked out of the snow enlivened the air with their fragrance.
Feng Wu and Jier followed the child as he guided them around the village. Feng Wu purposefully touched the all the trees they pa.s.sed, going from one tree trunk to another. Every now and again she also bent down to graze her hand on the flowers that grew around the trees. Neither Jier nor the child guiding them understood why she was doing it. They returned to the village chief’s house after Feng Wu was satisfied.
The chief didn’t have much hope in Feng Wu, so when she returned he didn’t ask how the investigation went. If the ident.i.ty of the perpetuator could be found just by walking around the village, then the villagers would have already done so. They wouldn’t have had to spend so much money hiring an adventurer.
“It’s strange, but the person who took the girls brought them into the mountain forest.” Feng Wu shared what she found out.
“The mountain forest?!” cried out the chief wide-eyed. “That’s impossible. We’ve searched all around the base of the forest and haven’t found a thing. Not to mention the polar bears that live in the forest of the mountains are very ferocious! No one could possibly get all the way inside alive.”
Feng Wu bit her lip. “Jier, let’s go into the forest together.” The chief didn’t believe her so she had to go and find the missing girls to prove she wasn’t lying.