Chapter 2: Towards the Fog Forest

“I want to avenge my parents! The people at the monastery said you live right by the edge of the Misty Forest.”

The little boy handed Mary an old, patched coin purse once again.

“This is all my money; I want to hire you to take me into the Misty Forest!”

A common Blood-Replenishing Herb, an old purse containing only thirteen copper coins, and the stubborn little face before her—Mary took a deep breath.

“No, I don’t accept commissions from minors.”

“I’ll get you something to eat, and then I’m sending you back to the monastery.”

Will remained silent upon hearing this, only obediently tucking the items Mary returned into his pocket.

Then, pouting, he was treated to a breakfast of meat and vegetables by Mary.

After the meal, he even took the initiative to wash the dishes.

Mary paid close attention to Will’s every move.

After Will struggled to climb onto Mary’s small wooden cart, she finally couldn’t help but ask him, “I thought you would cry and scream to make me take you into the forest.”

“Crying and screaming are the most useless things.”

Will huddled in the corner, his hands tightly gripping the wooden railing.

“I realized that after my parents died.”

“You don’t look very old, but your thoughts are quite mature.”

Once Will was settled, Mary began pulling the small cart toward the town.

Will didn’t answer; he just quietly watched Mary’s wooden cabin as it gradually vanished from his sight.

This was the closest he had ever been to the Misty Forest.

Ever since the village chief told Will about his parents’ deaths, he had been wanting to enter the Misty Forest to find the vicious magic beast and avenge them.

Last night wasn’t the first time Will had left the monastery.

From the day he arrived, he had figured out which part of the wall had a hole for dogs.

However, once Will was outside the monastery, he couldn’t tell north from south, let alone find the path to the Misty Forest.

Thus, Will could only bide his time.

Half a month later, he managed to cross paths with a “strong person” who lived on the edge of the Misty Forest!

“What kind of ‘strong person’ am I? I’m just an ordinary person making a living on the edge of the forest.”

Mary was amused. “Many people in Lige Town rely on the forest to survive, and I am just one of them.”

“But Sister Anna said your farm is near the Misty Forest, yet your yields are very good.”

Will was unconvinced. “You must have dug up soil from the Misty Forest to plant your crops.”

The Misty Forest nurtured countless lives; even the soil there was better than anywhere else.

But the forest was easy to enter and difficult to leave.

Magic beasts moved in packs, and even during the day, their numbers were terrifyingly high.

Before one even neared the edge, creatures flying in the sky and running on the ground could be seen everywhere.

Not to mention the peril-filled nights, which ordinary people didn’t dare approach.

Local hunters only entered the forest in groups at high noon when the sunlight was strongest.

In the brief three or four hours before dusk, they would check if the traps they had set previously had caught anything and then set new ones.

They had to be constantly vigilant of threats from magic beasts, avoid bizarre-looking plants, and watch out for tiny poisonous insects and ants.

A single moment of distraction could cost them their lives.

Recently, magic beasts had even been running out of the forest in broad daylight.

Fortunately, there were many adventurers preparing to enter the forest at the time; a knight had killed that magic beast in just three moves.

But Mary’s farm was right on the edge of the Misty Forest.

The radishes she grew were crisp and refreshing, bursting with juice.

After her potatoes were simply prepared, they tasted mellow and rich, with a soft, delicate texture.

Other vegetables each had their own unique deliciousness.

What the children at the monastery looked forward to most was Mary’s bi-weekly delivery, after which the meals for the next few days would become delectable.

Even children who usually disliked vegetables would sit down and eat obediently.

Delicious fruits and vegetables weren’t just loved by humans; magic beasts loved them too.

“Not only do you dig up forest soil to grow vegetables and fruit trees, but you’re also not afraid of the magic beasts from the forest coming to steal your crops.”

“So, you must be very powerful.”

Will reached his conclusion; this was also the reason why, after careful consideration, he decided to run away from the monastery to seek Mary’s help.

“Yes, yes. The ‘powerful’ Sister Mary is going to take you back to the monastery and let Mother Anna spank your bottom.”

“Liar, Sister Anna never hits anyone!”

“Then I’ll have Mother Anna withhold your food.”

“Sister Anna wouldn’t listen to you!”

“That’s hard to say. After I finish reporting your behavior to Mother Anna, do you want to guess if you’ll be punished?”

Will was choked with frustration.

Technically speaking, he was the one who ran away from home first; he had snuck out without telling anyone.

But it was absolutely impossible for him to give up on his revenge.

At this thought, Will could only shut his mouth and sulk, unwilling to pay any more attention to Mary.

Mary pulled the small cart light-heartedly.

It had been over half an hour since they set out.

Looking back from the road, the lush green of the Misty Forest was no longer visible.

They would reach the monastery in a little over an hour.

Suddenly, a caravan appeared on the road ahead.

It looked like they were coming from the town and heading toward the Misty Forest.

Mary pulled the cart to the side of the road to let them pass.

Leading the caravan was a knight riding a tall horse.

Both the man and the horse were clad in heavy armor, reflecting a brilliant light under the sun.

Although the face under the helmet was invisible, the armor alone made him look exceptionally dignified.

The people following behind were also on horseback, but not all of them were knights.

There were mages dressed in magic robes clutching staves, and swordsmen with blades at their waists.

Following them were twenty or thirty mercenaries riding hippogriffs, and an archer riding a deer.

Upon closer inspection, with a handsome face and pointed ears, this was actually an elven archer!

“With such a grand display, this must be the adventurer team that accepted the bounty.”

The team was large and diverse, with people riding horses, deer, and even magic beasts.

They brought magic hounds and led hunting falcons.

There were humans and elves, with several carriages in the middle.

Even the coachmen had well-crafted daggers and short swords tucked into their belts.

Behind them were even various types of livestock kept in cages.

Mary simply stopped and waited for the group to pass.

A few of the mercenaries on guard duty glanced toward Mary.

Likely figuring that a woman and child duo posed no threat, they turned their heads and continued on their way.

The massive procession marched along the country road, kicking up clouds of dust.

Mary waited at the roadside for a full ten minutes before the dust raised by the last Armored Earth Lizard finally began to settle.

“The Adventurer’s Guild really went all out this time,” Mary muttered.

“The task for the strong is to exterminate magic beasts, while the task for an ordinary person like me is to take you back to the monastery.”

Mary picked up the cart handles again and continued toward the town with renewed vigor.

Will didn’t respond.

Mary walked for a few hundred meters, but something felt wrong.

She quickly turned around, only to find the small wooden cart completely empty of the young boy!

“I knew it; how could this kid possibly hold himself back!”

A seven or eight-year-old child had the guts to find Mary’s farm at the edge of the forest from the monastery in the town center alone in the middle of the night.

There was no way he would obediently give up his revenge plan just because he was rejected once.

He probably intended to play the long game.

As it happened, a heaven-sent opportunity had been delivered right to him.

This brat had likely snuck into that group just now and was heading toward the Misty Forest again!

The Armored Earth Lizard was a type of magic beast tamed by humans.

Because of its docile nature and immense endurance, it had served as the primary labor for transportation for thousands of years.

Its head and body were covered in thick armor, but its limbs and long tail were covered in thick, long fur.

If a child hugged the leg of an Armored Earth Lizard and was covered by that dense fur, it would be very difficult to spot him.

It didn’t take Mary long to catch up with the group.

But just as she was about to call out for them to stop, she heard orders coming from the front of the line in the distance.

“Full speed ahead!”

“Pfft, pfft, pfft!”

Mary’s mouth was filled with yellow dust.

She watched helplessly as the large contingent moved away at an extremely high speed.

Along with the thundering of hooves and the neighing of horses, there was a faint, high-pitched scream belonging to a child that was drowned out by the noise.

What else could Mary do? She could only continue to chase after them.

A journey that normally took over half an hour was completed by Mary in half the time as she ran at full speed.

Standing once again at the entrance to her farm, she finally caught up with that grand adventurer procession.

“Excuse me, my younger brother might have ended up with you guys.”

Facing the wary gazes of numerous adventurers, Mary walked straight toward several Armored Earth Lizards.

They were leaning against her farm fence, drooling over the crops inside.

She lifted the leg hair of one of them, only to see its thick leg.

Where did my big brother-sized little brother go?

“Hey, girl.”

A muscular man stepped through the crowd, his thick arms crossed over his massive chest, his sharp gaze fixed on Mary.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for my brother; he’s been clamoring to enter the Misty Forest to fight magic beasts.”

“He just encountered your group on the road and likely followed you here by clinging to an Armored Earth Lizard’s leg.”

Mary looked up at the muscular man.

“Big brother, have you seen a young boy with black hair and brown eyes? He’s not very tall, not fat, and he has a very stubborn face.”

The hunk narrowed his eyes and looked Mary over carefully for a good while before speaking.

“A red-haired girl like you has a black-haired brother?”

“We aren’t biological siblings.”

“Didn’t see him.”

“Did the others see him either?”

“This place is only so big; everything is visible at a glance.”

“The only things that could hide a child were the hairy legs of those Armored Earth Lizards, and you’ve already checked them.”

Indeed, in that short time, Mary had already flipped through the hairy legs of all the lizards, but she found only legs and no child.

Could it be that Will hadn’t followed the group back at all?

“Or has that fellow already quietly slipped into the forest?” Mary really couldn’t decide.

“Into the forest? A little brat entering the Misty Forest is just asking for death, isn’t he?”

The muscular hunk also started to worry.

“Even we only dare to camp outside the forest, planning to go in as high noon approaches.”

“Boss, could her brother have followed that group inside?”

A mercenary who had been listening for a long time interjected.

“That group?”

“Oh, right!” The hunk realized.

“One of our teams has already entered the Misty Forest; your brother might have been hiding behind their carriage and followed them in.”

Mary looked up at the sky; it was nearing noon.

She scanned her surroundings.

This adventurer team was still noisy and bustling.

Neighing steeds, magic beasts used as mounts, barking magic hounds, sentry falcons, and livestock used as prey were all there.

Everyone was scattered in small groups, vaguely surrounding the central carriage.

Some were resting, while others were preparing to enter the forest.

But if one looked closely, there were indeed fewer people than before.

For instance, that conspicuous elven archer on the deer was gone.

“Don’t worry. The people who went in are the elite of the elite. If your brother really followed them, he’ll be fine.”

The hunk extended his thick palm and patted Mary’s shoulder.

“If you’re really worried, I’ll help you look for him once I go in.”

Mary was nearly knocked off balance by the pat.

She didn’t stop worrying about Will just because of the hunk’s consolation.

He was simply not an obedient child!

“Big brother, you guys accepted this joint bounty to hunt magic beasts, right?”

“Oho, you’re quite well-informed, girl.”

“Why did the elite unit break away from the group and head in first?” Mary questioned.

“Is there a special mission?”

“Something like that. Our main task is to hunt the magic beasts around the Misty Forest to alleviate the recent issue of their surging numbers.”

“Alleviate? So it only treats the symptoms but not the cause?”

“Hey, you brat.” The hunk rolled his eyes at Mary.

“Why do you think the elite unit went into the forest ahead of time?”

“They are going to deal with the source of this monster tide—the Rat-Hunter King.”