6 The First Mission In This New Life (2/2)
His head snapped up. He looked around, trying to confirm his allies' well-being. Viscerin was leaning on a tree, vomiting. He looked to the left, and saw Thompson helping Goljin up. How? That arrow should have at least put Goljin down for a day. Goljin was limping, and his wound was still bleeding, but it had been… Healed? Is this the healing magic Thompson talked about? It was impressive. Jin remembered that he needed evidence that he'd killed the bear and walked over to its corpse. On top of its head, as all spellcasting animals did, the bear held a black, circular mark. He took his sword and cut that piece of flesh off. Afterwards, he walked over to Viscerin, who was fixing herself as she saw him approach.
”It's done.” Jin said. ”You're okay?” He asked.
”Sorry,” Viscerin said, as she looked at Goljin and Thompson in the distance. She laughed weakly. ”We really messed things up for you, huh?” Something about this made Jin's heart ache.
”No, no, it's fine.” Jin replied. ”Let's just go.”
The four of them began walking back along the road. The guards from earlier seemed genuinely surprised to see them return, but their expressions held a small amount of grief in them as they noticed the group's condition. Jin's clothing was dirty and stained with sweat. Viscerin had some dried vomit on her shoes, and several small cuts. Goljin's pants were bloodstained. Out of all of them, Thompson was the only one who left largely unscathed.
”I didn't think…” Goljin started. ”I didn't think it'd be like that.” No one replied. He didn't know why Viscerin and Thompson didn't respond, but he knew why he didn't. He was mad at him. Beyond mad, actually, he was livid. It was Goljin's fault that this went so poorly anyway, and he was still confused as to what he had done to earn his ire so quickly. Jin shook his head and continued walking.
”By the way,” Viscerin said, ”you can keep the pay. You did most of the work, we didn't,”
”Wait, what!?” Goljin said. ”Why does he,”
”Shut. It.” Viscerin replied, slowly and menacingly. Goljin clicked his tongue but stopped talking.
Eventually, they ended up back inside the guild house. Jin saw Ricca cringe a little when she saw them. They probably looked awful.
”We're going to head back.” Viscerin said, as she tapped Jin's shoulder. ”See you tomorrow.” She smiled.
Jin walked forwards as the rest of the group retired. He couldn't hear them, but he saw Viscerin scolding Goljin as they moved farther away. He walked up to her and presented the thunder-bear's mark.
”Here you go, veresin.” Ricca said, ”forty silvers. Should be enough for at least a few days at the inn.” She handed him two pouches, heavy with small coins almost bursting out of the top.
”Veresin?” Jin asked. ”What does that mean?”
”Oh, that's the terreth word for 'foreigner'”. Ricca replied.
”… I actually wanted to ask you, um, what are you?” Jin said. ”S-Sorry, it's just I haven't seen anyone like you.”
”I can imagine.” Ricca said. ”I'm a terreth, we're one of the three mystical races. You hardly ever see any of my kind outside of the forests, or at the palaces.”
”Mystical races?”
”Eh, it's a bit hard to explain.” Ricca replied with a weary smile.
”Oh, it's okay, don't worry about it.” Jin put a hand behind his head and smiled. Ricca smiled back.
”Alright kid, go to that inn I told you about. You should take a breather.” He thought it was a little strange that a woman who looked so much like a child was calling him a ”kid”, but he smiled and walked away.
He was outside. The sun was descending, casting an orange haze over the village. His first day here was coming to a close, but first he'd have to find this ”inn”. It didn't take particularly long. He saw a large, brown building just a few minutes away, as Ricca had indicated. He walked up to the front doors, and breathed in.
Walking through, he was surprised to see the place was nearly empty. There were but four people in total, one was dressed in a black and white outfit, sat behind a counter in the back. The other three were sitting alone, at a few of the many tables that were spread out across the area. Two of them were gruff, sturdy-looking men. However, the one that caught his eye was the woman near the righthand corner.
A woman with bright yellow hair, clear blue eyes, and a skin that would certainly shine underneath the sun outside. She wore a black cloak that seemed slightly menacing in Jin's eyes. More than her appearance, it was how she responded to Jin's gaze that made him freeze for a moment. She smiled, but it wasn't a warm, inviting smile like the one Ricca, Viscerin, and even Thompson had shown him. It was a smile that was almost like a challenge. A challenge for what though? He decided to speak to the man in the back. he peeked upwards and saw Jin approaching.
”Ah, customer, are you here for food or rest?” I guess, rest, right?
”Rest.” Jin said, with an unsure voice. The man he spoke to nodded once and said,
”That will be 8 silvers. Would you like something to eat? Still pretty early to clock in.” He said.
”Sure.” Jin said.
”Alright, I haven't seen you around here, so I'm assuming you don't know what we serve. Here, how about I give you the special for free, as a one-time deal, eh?”
”T-Thank you.” Jin replied as he bowed.
”Hahaha, kid, you don't have to bow to anyone who isn't royalty or fuckin ya. Sit down, I'll serve you soon.” He pointed at one of the solitary tables, that sat in the middle of the room.
He walked over to it and sat down on one of the brown chairs placed around it. He set his bow down beside him, and laid his sword on the table. It was a ritual that always gave him a weird, but pleasurable sensation. It was like he was letting the weight of the world go. He was glad to see that it still felt the same, even after leaving.
”Don't do that when you're sitting with someone.” A female voice spoke to him. He looked to his left, and saw the woman from earlier approaching. ”Around here, placing your weapons on the table is equivalent to a challenge.” She said as she pulled a chair back and sat down. ”I pride myself on many things, stranger, and one of them is my ability to remember faces, but yours is not familiar to me. Have you just arrived here?” She asked. Her voice sounded like the water being poured into a cup. It was smooth, and completely confident.
”Yes.” Was all Jin could offer as a reply.
”Hm... What's your name, boy?” She asked.
”J-Jin.” Something about this woman made him slightly uncomfortable, but he couldn't understand what.
”Juhjin?” She chuckled. ”Alright, Jin. Where are you from?”
”I was born in the forest, west of here.” It was getting tiring, saying that phrase.
”Oh?...” She placed her right index finger on her chin. ”I'd tell you that's a dangerous place to live in, but those weapons tell me you already know that. How old are you?”
”I'm 16.” Jin replied.
”Ah, a strapping man of marriable age, just happens to fall onto my lap, do you want to help me celebrate?” She leaned over the table and brushed her hand over Jin's wrist, softly. Again, Jin had no idea what was happening, but the act sent blood rushing to his head. She cackled. ”Hahaha, well Jin, I'm going to call it a day. Don't go around causing any trouble, young man.”
”Who are you?” Jin asked.
”My name is Theresa, that's all you need to know for now.” The woman replied before walking up the nearby stairs, and disappearing from Jin's view.
The man Jin spoke to earlier arrived with a plate that held a food Jin had never seen before. It was a mixture of bread and cheese that made him pause.
”For you to have met her so soon upon your coming here, I don't know whether to pat your back or write your will.” The man said. He set the plate down along with a cup of water and left.
Jin thought back to the earlier mission. It went a little south, but if being an adventurer consisted of missions like that, he'd be more than capable of living here. Not that he planned to be here for an extended period of time. He still held his promise firmly in his heart. To see the world his mother couldn't. This village, albeit nice so far, was but the first of many locations he'd visit.
After eating the meal, the man guided Jin to his room. It was a brown-walled space with a dresser, a nightstand, a bathroom in the back, a large bed in the center, and a mirror on the right side, opposite to a pair of windows. Jin put down his sword and bow, and flopped onto the bed.
Today had gone fairly well, what would he do tomorrow? He had no idea.