Chapter 2: A Timely Rescue and a New Companion

Fortunately, the Shield of Light had absorbed the full force of the blow.

However, enduring a single fatal attack proved to be its limit; the barrier shattered, and Naya herself was thrown to the ground by the residual impact.

The Earth Goblin, undeterred, once again raised its massive club high above its head.

“Will even I… meet my end here?”

‘Perhaps… I’ll soon reunite with Jie’er and the others…’

Naya was just about to close her eyes when, at that critical moment, a figure leaped into her vision. It was a black-haired boy, appearing to be roughly her age.

With a swift movement, his sword descended, striking the club from the Earth Goblin’s grasp.

The colossal creature stared in confusion at the sword mark on its arm; the strike had been so incredibly fast that even it hadn’t registered it. Even Naya found herself dazzled, utterly astonished by the feat.

Yet, the wound was far too shallow. It wasn’t so much that the Earth Goblin possessed incredibly tough hide, but rather that the sword itself was terribly dull.

“Strike its head!” Naya immediately urged him.

Enraged by the sudden attack, the Earth Goblin let out a deafening roar. Seizing the opportunity, the boy thrust his sword directly into its gaping maw.

In an instant, the colossal beast crashed to the ground. Its two smaller subordinates had already vanished, fleeing without a trace.

“Are you alright?” the boy asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I’m fine… Thank you for saving me.” Naya wiped away her tears, then shakily pushed herself to her feet.

She picked up a dagger that one of the goblins had dropped, and without a word, began to dig into the earth.

The boy surveyed the gruesome bodies strewn across the ground, then turned his gaze to Naya. He noticed a star-shaped badge pinned to her chest.

“Your… one-star adventurer party was wiped out by goblins?”

“If you truly understood what a one-star adventurer party represents, you wouldn’t say such a thing.”

“I apologize. Today is my first time adventuring; I don’t understand anything.”

“Your first time, really?” Naya stared at him, incredulous. His fighting prowess just now had been anything but amateurish.

“Yes, it is. My home is in a village not far from here. I never expected to encounter such a…”

The boy glanced at the human and goblin corpses littering the ground.

“…situation on my very first day.”

“…Still, I must thank you for saving me.” As Naya spoke, her tears began to fall, mixing with the soil one by one.

The boy witnessed all of this. Understanding Naya’s actions implicitly, he then used his own sword as a makeshift shovel, joining her in digging.

“You…” Naya was surprised by his willingness to help. Clearly, this boy had touched her during her most vulnerable moment, especially after saving her life.

“Thank you…”

“Alright, you’ve thanked me three times already today. My name is Leon Blade. What’s yours?”

“Naya Trei.”

With Leon’s assistance, the four graves were quickly dug.

Afterward, Leon returned from a distance, carrying Jie’er’s body. Naya clutched Jie’er’s collar, weeping for a long time.

Thus, four new gravestones now stood in the dense forest, marking the eternal resting place of Naya’s former companions.

***

After they departed from the site, Leon noticed that the priestess girl was still following him.

“What are your plans now? Aren’t you going back to your family?” he asked.

“I don’t have any family left. My parents died in the calamity ten years ago.”

“Uh, I’m sorry.” Leon realized he had inadvertently touched upon a painful subject for her.

He didn’t know much about the calamity that had struck the center of the continent ten years prior, only that it had annihilated all mages. Perhaps Naya’s parents had been mages themselves.

‘How had this girl managed to survive these past ten years?’

“How about we go to Howling Mountain Town together?” Leon suggested.

Naya pointed at the road ahead. “I am heading back to Howling Mountain Town. Doesn’t this road lead directly there?”

“Uh…” Leon sheepishly scratched his head. “No wonder you’ve been following me; we’re going the same way.”

Naya simply watched him, and it became an unspoken agreement for them to travel together.

Howling Mountain Town was the largest settlement in the area, a journey of over an hour on foot.

This distance might have been arduous for a young girl, yet Naya silently accompanied him the entire way. Leon was somewhat surprised; this girl was not as delicate or fragile as her appearance suggested.

“Leon? Who taught you your swordsmanship?” Naya suddenly asked just as they entered the town.

“It was a benefactor of mine. She’s the most formidable person I’ve ever met.”

“To think your hometown hides such a master. May I see your sword?”

Without a word, Leon handed her his sword.

The sword — even to Naya, a layperson in weaponry — appeared utterly dreadful.

Its blade was tarnished with rust, so dull that one would hesitate to use it even for chopping firewood. It was no wonder it couldn’t even cut through the Earth Goblin’s hide; it was truly an unbearable sight, a genuine beginner’s sword.

“You… really should get a sword that matches your skill.” Naya noted that they were passing by a weapons shop.

“I’d like to, but I need to go on adventures to earn enough money for a new weapon.”

It suddenly occurred to Naya that the party’s operating funds, which had always been entrusted to Jie’er, were now buried with her in the forest.

“Since we’re here, why don’t we just take a look inside?” Naya suggested, then pulled Leon along as she pushed open the wooden door of the weapons shop.

The moment they stepped inside, Leon was immediately captivated by the array of weapons on display. Naya, however, walked directly to the shopkeeper and asked, “May I see your finest sword?”

The shopkeeper cast a glance at her, then silently retrieved a long box from the back room. “This is the Light Howl Sword. It’ll cost you ten gold coins if you want it.”

As soon as the box was opened, the sword gleamed with a brilliant silver light, drawing even Leon closer to admire it.

Naturally, the sword’s price was quite “moving.” Naya, after all, only had two silver coins in her pocket.

“Surely its price isn’t entirely based on its name?”

“What are you talking about? It was forged from metal smelted from rare ore found in this very town.”

Leon watched as Naya silently unfastened her earring.

“This is a relic from the Magic Empire, long out of production. If you sell it in Dawn City, it’s definitely worth more than ten gold coins.”

Leon gazed at her in astonishment, unable to believe that this girl would offer such a precious item to get him a new weapon.

“Oh? Mage-made?” The shopkeeper took the earring, examining it closely with a magnifying glass.

On this continent, especially after the calamity, items crafted by mages were undoubtedly the most valuable. In the end, the deal was struck.

Stepping out of the weapons shop, Leon admired his new weapon as if it were a work of art. Yet, a pang of guilt resonated within him concerning Naya.

“Thank you for buying this sword for me. That earring… it wasn’t something you cherished, was it?”

“It’s no longer important. It’s nothing.”

Naya counted the silver coins in her hand. Jie’er had always handled the party’s logistics, but now Naya found herself having to manage these calculations.

“I only have two silver coins, just enough for tonight’s lodging. After a night’s rest, I’ll have to go to the Adventurer’s Guild tomorrow to take on quests and earn money.”

“Leave dealing with monsters to me,” Leon declared confidently. “You gave me a sword; I haven’t repaid you yet.”

“No need for repayment… after all, you saved my life. As for forming a party…” Naya looked at him. “I happen to be alone right now.”

And so, it was only natural that the two of them formed a party.