The next day came and went.

Eventually, they reached the third day of their travels. The group steadfastly delved deeper into the forest. For the most part, Ellis did not really feel any sense of progression. To him, the forest blended together into one big ambiguous ball of giant trees and dead leaves.

Luckily, Hal-Wrynn was not as muddleheaded as he was. The young boy trekked through the forest floor with a skip in his step. In other words, he walked with a purpose.

A few hours had passed since their last encounter with a monster. By this point, Ellis had grown somewhat bored. It reminded him of his monotonous days of following the river, an activity that had consumed a little bit too much of his time.

Amidst the sound of rustling leaves, he couldn’t help but ask, “So, what on the other side of the river has got you so riled up?”

Even though Ellis could somewhat make a guess, it was fun to see how the perpetrator would react.

After a painfully long silence, Hal-Wrynn turned his head back and asked, “are you talking to me?”

“Yeah.”

The boy scratched the back of his head and let out a subtle grimace. He did not respond for a long time. Eventually, he said, “didn’t I already tell you? I want to save someone.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Ellis shook his head. “I mean, like how? What over there can save someone’s life?”

The term ‘saving someone’ was too vague for his liking. Contained in such a simple sentence was a near infinite number of variations and possibilities.

Like, for example, a trade. Maybe he wants to make a transaction with the Majins. Us for the life of this friend of his. It’s certainly a possibility…

“… do you really want me to tell you?” the boy warily asked.

Ellis thought about it for a moment. He smiled a knowing smile. “Well, I do like a good surprise.”

Thud!

Without warning, Grisella knocked him on the back of his head. Judging by the resulting sound, her weapon of choice had been that magical broomstick of hers.

Before he could even react, she suddenly pulled him to a corner and frantically whispered in his ear. “Please don’t say anything unnecessary like that, Ellis! The kid’s already talking. The more information we can get out of him, the better.”

“Eh… but isn’t it interesting? Like receiving a present on your birthday even though you forgot it was your birthday.”

Grisella furrowed her brow in confusion. “What sort of nonsense are you saying?”

“You don’t get it? Does Lull not have birthdays?”

“Who cares about birthdays! Please focus!”

“So, you don’t want me to get you something for your birthday?”

“Ah, I didn’t say that—”

“By the way, when is your birthday?”

“It’s on the—” Grisella suddenly stopped. After a moment’s pause, she glared at him with frustrated eyes. “Please stop trying to distract me! We need to focus; I need to focus! How am I supposed to come up with an effective counter-measure if I know nothing about our enemy? I don’t need you to do anything, so just, please, let me peacefully collect information.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that.” Ellis had nearly forgotten that right now, Grisella was still frantically trying to come up with a plan for the future enemy that they had to inevitably face at the river.

Truth be told, Ellis thought it was wholly unnecessary, but then again, it did keep her distracted, so by that standard, having a plan was indeed a good thing.

He nodded his head. “Alright, collect away then.”

Grisella breathed out a sigh of relief. Conversing with this man was even more stressful than making a legendary potion.

The two quickly turned back to Hal-Wrynn. Naturally, the little boy stared at them with scrutinizing eyes. Ellis did not really care while Grisella tried her best to ignore the doubt hidden beneath the child’s gaze. She let out an awkward cough and asked, “Ignore what Ellis just said. Can you tell us?”

Hal-Wrynn unhesitantly shook his head. “If I tell you, you might just run away.”

An even vaguer statement leaked out from his lips.

“What’s with that half-assed response?” Ellis booed in protest.

Grisella furrowed her brow. “I’m sure we won’t run away. Come on, you can tell us.”

“…” Hal-Wrynn remained silent for a long time.

Truth be told, he did not really want to tell them anything.

By nature, Hal-Wrynn was a cautious and distrusting fellow. Even under normal circumstances, he would have much rather preferred to stay silent. With the things that he had planned out added to the mix of complications, he had even less of an incentive to respond.

Essentially, the less he talked, the better.

So, why? We were doing so well before, why did they have to say something now?

Staring up at the pair of curious faces in front of him, Hal-Wrynn felt somewhat frustrated.

In the first place, what obligation did he have to tell them? What obligation did they have to ask him? The young boy did not know. In his eyes, they were simply just strangers making use of one another. No more, no less.

Middling conversations like these had no place within this journey.

Ellis carefully watched the boy’s seemingly monotone expression. It was somewhat difficult to tell, but right now, Hal-Wrynn was sulking. After a moment of silence, a glint of interest flashed through his eyes. “What’s wrong, kid? You look kind of guilty.”

Almost immediately, the boy’s shoulders stiffened. He glanced back at Ellis, but unfortunately, the grey-haired youth’s smiling face revealed nothing.

Hal-Wrynn scoffed to himself. Guilty? Why the hell would I be guilty? I’ve done nothing wrong!

Despite what he inwardly thought, he couldn’t help but check his face. After confirming that there was no unwanted crease or wrinkle on his cheeks, Hal-Wrynn hurriedly shook his head.

I’ve done nothing wrong! He reiterated to himself. We both agreed to the same deal and I haven’t broken any of the rules from the deal. I’ve done nothing wrong!

The deal that both parties had agreed upon was very simple and straightforward. Guidance in exchange for protection. The rules couldn’t be clearer than that and for Hal-Wrynn, he planned to complete his role without issue.

Just because I left a few things out, doesn’t mean I’m guilty. It’s their fault for not knowing. They should have known better. It’s not my fault…

For the longest time, the little boy was lost in his own thoughts. With creased brows and a frowning face, he muttered something underneath his breath.

Ellis almost laughed out loud. Can this kid get any more obvious? He’s even worse than the orphans! For all the gloom and mystery that his first impression left, Hal-Wrynn was practically telegraphing his guilt for the whole world to see.

“Kid, if you got something on your mind, it’s best to confide in someone.” Ellis consoled with his best ‘big-brother’ voice. “You know, air it all out now before they come back to haunt you later.”

“N-no, I’m not, I’m fine. I’m completely fine. I’m not guilty or anything.” Hal-Wrynn stammered out. He was so flustered that he almost tripped on a rock.

Ellis did not respond. Instead, he flashed another warm smile.

Hal-Wrynn immediately looked away. What the hell’s with this guy!? Why is he so nosy?

The little boy secretly grumbled to himself.

In the first place, I’m obviously not guilty, so quit asking such weird questions!

He just needs to mind his own business!

I’m completely not guilty!

Besides, if I were to tell them now, then they definitely won’t take me there…

He couldn’t have that. He really couldn’t have that.

Hal-Wrynn was not unfamiliar with the way human nature worked. Faced with life-threatening danger, the most likely response would be to flee. It was only natural. After all, most people valued their own safety above all else. Once they learned of the true dangers that lay hidden on the other side of the river… their only options would either be to flee or to run headfirst into death.

Hal did not really have a full grasp of the group’s strength. Still, he did not think they were anything too outstanding. At most, they were just slightly above the combat ability of a normal warrior’s raid group. For a party consisting of only one beast tamer and one witch, that was already an amazing evaluation, especially when you factor into consideration the fact that a normal raid group consisted of at least twenty warriors.

Still, much less twenty, even if it were thirty, no, fifty warriors, it still would not be enough.

In his eyes, Ellis’s group, no matter how outstanding they may appear to be, were simply not enough. Luckily, none of that mattered to Hal-Wrynn. As long as they can safely get him to the other side of the river, none of it would matter.

So, I’m not lying. I’m not even tricking them.

He would do what they asked him to do. No more, no less.

As for what happens afterward… well, that was for them to find out.

I’m just doing my job. Even if I feel a little guilty now, it’s something that I still need to do.

He fed off their natural curiosity and purposely kept them ignorant. He felt remorseful, but he swallowed down his emotions and weathered through the ordeal. The young boy had a goal and he was determined to accomplish it.

I don’t care what happens. As long as I get to the river, as long as I can do that, then everything else should work out.

He silently clenched his fists. I can’t do anything on my own, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get others to do it for me. I can do this, even if I’m a little guilty, I WILL do this!

Off to the side, Ellis silently pursed his lips. His expression turned awfully serious…

“You really won’t tell us?” Ellis once again asked.

“No, I’m sorry.” By this point, Hal-Wrynn had regained a bit of his calm. His face reverted back to the same stoic expression that Ellis was familiar with. “In the first place, there’s nothing to tell.”

“I see, nothing to tell, is it?” Ellis lazily shifted his gaze over to the canopies above his head.

“…”

Hal-Wrynn did not say anything. He walked like a machine, his shoulders stiff and his neck rigid. The boy kept his eyes focused on the forest ahead.

“Ah, you know, I did hear that the other side of the river was a dangerous place.” Ellis probed.

“…”

“Strong monsters live there.”

“…”

“The type that can kill someone in a heartbeat.”

“…”

“Precious medicine too. The type that can save someone’s life.”

“…”

“But, ah, there were other stuff too… like an enemy ambush that’s waiting on the other side of the river… Of course, I only heard rumors.”

“…”

This time, Hal-Wrynn’s face imperceptibly twitched, but he still kept his silence. For a moment, a worried thought flashed through his head. Does he know?

He looked back, only to see a dumb smile etched onto Ellis’s face. “Ah, or maybe it was an ancient temple that worships an evil being? Or was it a meteor that houses a fierce alien monster? I can’t really remember…”

A strange sense of relief washed over the boy’s mind. No way he knows.

“…”

“…”

At this point, Ellis stopped talking. An uneasy silence permeated through the air. The boy secretly glanced back at Ellis, but again, the Grey-haired youth’s dull expression revealed nothing.

Grisella walked over to him. She whispered in his ears. “Why’d you stop? I was getting some good information, you know.”

He shook his head. “I can’t push him too far. After all, we still need him to take us to the river.”

Just like how Hal-Wrynn was reliant on Ellis and co, likewise, they were reliant on him. Without their little guide, they would have no way of progressing through to the other side of the river. At worst, they would need to head back to the village and look for another guide. Unfortunately, the likelihood of actually finding another one was slim to none.

Playing around like this should be done in moderation. Ellis lightly smiled. For now, his boredom was relieved.

Although I do have to admit, acting out this type of role is pretty entertaining.

A light breeze passed through the trees. As if nothing had happened, the group continued through the endless forest.

****

Back in the village, a rather boisterous commotion was currently taking place.

A few days ago, Nar-Wynn had quietly snuck out of the village. He did not take any warriors with him on his journey. After all, the village was already low on security. There was no need to make it worse.

For the most part, nobody had really noticed the young man’s disappearance, but that was only natural. Despite his position within the defense force, many knew Nar-Wynn as the type of youth who often slacked off. He was someone who had reached his position through nepotism.

Disappearing for a day or two was not at all unusual for him. At most, the young man was probably hiding out in a house in some remote part of the village or something. Nothing to really worry about.

No, Nar-Wynn was not the focus of today’s commotion. Instead, all eyes were directed to a certain woman with short brown shoulder-length hair. She wore a typical loincloth, although it had taken on a scarlet tinge, the result of a permanent stain that was near impossible to wash off. Her face had gone red from anger while blue veins practically bulged out of her forehead.

The woman was currently making her way over towards the Tribal Chief’s house. Each step of hers carried with it a weight that rocked the very platform she stood on. If Ellis was here, he would have immediately recognized the woman as the same one who had chased after Hal-Wrynn back then.

As the angry woman crossed bridge after bridge, a youthful young lady with cropped hair suddenly ran up to her. The newcomer stood in front of the angered woman and called for her to stop.

“Move out of the way, Lisbeth! I have business with that damn woman.” Those words were spoken with a melodious voice that would have normally sounded sweet to the ears, but right now, they were no different from knives on a chalkboard.

Of course, it goes without saying, but the source of that voice was the angry woman.

“I can’t let you do that,” Lisbeth responded back with a calm voice. Despite what her outer countenance might say, in truth, the young girl was secretly panicking.

As the assistant to the Tribal Chief, it was her job to prevent mishaps like this from happening. Unfortunately, this particular mishap may have been a bit too high above her paygrade.

In the first place, she had not been prepared for such an incident! One day, without warning, the Tribal Chief suddenly dropped this bombshell on her. Suffice to say, it sent her into quite the panic.

“My nephew is missing!” The angered woman shouted loud enough for her voice to resonate through the entire village. “I don’t care what you have to say, I need to see the Chief now!”

“She, she can’t.” Lisbeth uncharacteristically stuttered out. “I’m afraid that Mary-Lyn has gone into… hibernation.” Even as the words escaped from her lips, she still couldn’t quite believe it herself. The Chief’s true intentions were clear. It was a stalling tactic. As long as she avoided the conversation, then hopefully, this ‘dangerous’ woman would stay in the village out of frustration.

In hindsight, it wasn’t a very good plan.

Another blue vein appeared on the angered woman’s face.

“Hibernation my ass! We are not a tribe of bears! Get her out here now! I know exactly where that damn brat went. If she doesn’t do something soon, then I’ll go bring his ass back here myself.”

“You can’t! We need you here. You’re our last line of defense.” Lisbeth paused for a moment. She knew that her words would not move the woman in front of her. Instead, she tentatively added, “We’ve already sent out Nar-Wynn.”

“Wynn? That stinking brat?! Like hell he can do anything!” Contrary to her expectations, this news only further agitated the woman.

Just before she could explode into another flurry of furious yelling, the angered woman stopped. She sank into a brief silence. After a few seconds, she suddenly walked over to the ‘dead man's plank’. This was the very same plank that the village explicitly reserved for criminals.

She stared long and hard at the distant ground beneath her feet.

At this moment, an uneasy premonition took hold of Lisbeth. She ran towards the woman in a panic.

Unfortunately, she was a step too slow. The woman abruptly jumped.

“Wait!” Lisbeth desperately shouted but to no avail. “Damn it, she really just did that.”

Lisbeth was not worried about the woman dying. Such a thing was only applicable to weaklings. That woman was not a weakling. Far from it in fact. No, it wasn’t suicide. Instead, the woman had completely disregarded the rest of the village and went off on her own to find her nephew.

The flustered assistant bit her bottom lip. The calm in her face had long since disappeared. “This is bad, this is really bad!” Without that woman, the village’s overall fighting strength had dropped by several magnitudes. As the assistant to the Tribal Chief, aside from cursing a certain pale-faced chief, the only thing she could do was follow after her.

After a large bout of hesitation, Lisbeth ran towards the nearest tree and descended to the forest floor.

Like that, the tribe’s second strongest fighter and the village’s assistant to the tribal chief left the village.

Meanwhile, an inaudible sigh leaked out from a certain smoke-filled room.