Volume 6 Chapter 8 It's A Long-Awaited Return To The Village, But...
Upon arriving at the village, Yukina greeted the village head at the entrance with a handshake.
"It's been a while, Yukina-dono. Your exploits have reached this village as well."
"I didn't particularly aim to excel... but it's good to see you doing well too."
This village was targeted as a staging ground for the demon attack on the royal capital. Magic circles were set up in a nearby cave to summon monsters, and goblins overflowed from there to attack the village.
Despite the tragedy, the village head seemed more lively than when we last parted ways.
"How have things been since then?"
"Thanks to everyone's support and the government's assistance, the buildings have been restored to a state similar to before. However, it's frustrating that everything isn't back to how it used to be."
As the village head mentioned, from what I could see at the entrance, there were no longer any damaged buildings or remnants of destruction compared to when we last left the village.
However, it's not just homes that were lost in that attack. It will still take some time to regain the former vitality, including those losses.
"We shouldn't linger here. Let's talk about work at my place."
"Sure, I'll come over."
There's not much we, who are not residents of this village, can do. We'll just have to do our assigned tasks properly.
"I'm a bit surprised that you've taken on another request from this village. I thought you were quite busy recently."
"I was busy, so I took a short break. This job is the first one after that break."
"Oh, is that so? To put it simply, we were lucky."
As I walked, I could feel a welcoming atmosphere from the villagers passing by. While things may not be completely back to normal, the village still had a peaceful and lively atmosphere. Seeing scenes like this makes me realize that our efforts to help with the reconstruction were not in vain.
"After the incident in the royal capital, for a while, mercenaries and soldiers sent by the country were guarding the outskirts of the village, but they have since withdrawn just as things were calming down."
It's a bit embarrassing to say out loud, but there really isn't much around here. Other than the farmland that provides income and the forest for hunting, this village is pretty much like any other. It was almost by chance that we got involved in the incident in the royal capital. It's understandable that they wouldn't want to invest too much effort in a village that isn't strategically important.
"Fortunately, there is still some reconstruction support funding left from the country, and that's why we made the request──"
The village head's words, as he turned towards me, stopped. Probably because he saw the village children sitting on each of my shoulders. They had started playing around with me, and before I knew it, it had turned into this situation. It's lighter compared to the black spear (Gram) with 'Enchantment' that I always swing around. Since the tip is dangerous, I have entrusted Gram to Mikage.
While carrying the giggling children, I urge the village head to continue. It seemed like he understood that I wasn't bothered by it, despite being a little surprised, and the village head smiled as he let out a small breath.
"By the way, Village Head, besides the mentioned monster, has anything else unusual happened?"
"As you know, it's a remote village with no significant features other than the farmland as a source of income, so nothing special."
In response to Aina's question, the village head shook his head, then seemed to recall something and spoke again.
"If I had to say, a group of travelers from a foreign country stayed in the village the other day. They all left after a short stay."
"Foreigners, you say?"
"Yes. They were a rare sight around here. Being unusual guests, I remember them well."
The village head turned to Mikage as he spoke.
"Me? Do you need something from me?"
"No, I apologize."
As she tilted her head in confusion, the village head briefly bowed to her before turning back to the front.
"By the way, where is the doctor we met before?"
"Kyunei, she's a doctor by profession. She's currently working at a clinic in the royal capital."
"Is that so... Thanks to that doctor, those whose lives were saved are now able to live healthy lives. I was thinking of expressing my gratitude again."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to convey your thanks properly when I return to the royal capital."
"Well then, I'll leave it to you."
Upon arriving at the village head's house, I bid farewell to the children and shift the conversation to work.
According to reports, no one has actually witnessed the monster that has been appearing. However, a villager who works as a hunter in the nearby forest discovered traces of an unfamiliar beast.
The young hunter who was the first to discover it consulted with an experienced senior hunter in the village as a precaution. They concluded that it is highly likely not to be an animal or monster that usually inhabits or appears in this area.
There was a theory that the incidents were caused by harmless animals with no particular issues, but there was also the goblin incident. Whether it was just needless worry or not, considering the possibility that it wasn't, the village head decided to once again request help from the Mercenary Guild.
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