The blacksmith measured Relia carefully, a tape measure wrapped around her muscular arms, dictating the measurements to his apprentice. The man made sure each dimension was precise, tracing imaginary lines on Relia's body, mimicking the curves and angles. The woman, sitting at a small wooden table, frantically wrote down the information in a small notebook.
There was a certain calmness in the forge.
Once the measurements were taken, Relia left her damaged old armor behind. She hadn't even used the money from the pouch Helydia had given her.
The blacksmith had promised her a stronger piece, better suited to her combat style.
Relia then headed towards the exit of the forge, her old armor left in a corner, to return to the inn.As she walked through the alleys of Néoras, she spotted a familiar group strolling through the village. Helydia, Canon, Dante, and Kai were walking leisurely, chatting about various things.
"Reliaaa !" Helydia called, running towards her with a cloth bag in hand.
"Hey guys, already back ?" Relia asked with a smile.
"No, just strolling" Canon replied with a shrug.
"Here, I got you beef stew and roasted potatoes, for Samuel and you," Helydia said, handing the cloth bag to Relia.
Relia was about to take the bag when suddenly a shout pierced the air. "They've killed the Venerable of the Forest! Come quickly! The monsters have gotten the Venerable of the Forest !" A man riding a horse hurried past, repeating this phrase, as if to warn the villagers of the impending catastrophe.
The group turned, intrigued, towards the direction the rider had come from. A crowd had quickly gathered, consisting of humans, semi-humans, and beast-like creatures, all gathered in a tight circle around something.
When they reached the center of the crowd, they discovered a man, visibly panicked, gesticulating as he told his story. "I was out gathering everything needed for alchemy, I ventured a bit into the Venerable's forest, since, as you know, he only hunts at night. And there, I wasn't even deeper into the forest when I saw him… The Venerable… dead ! A piece of his head is even visible from this side of the village" he said, pointing.
The crowd tensed, panicked, some murmuring amongst themselves, others exchanging worried glances.
All eyes then turned to a man in the center of the crowd. He had a large round nose, green eyes, and a sturdy build, wearing a brown shirt. He scratched his chin, furrowing his brows, before shouting.
"Tamo ! Do you confirm ?"
Eyes turned to another man at the top of the guard tower. He carefully observed the direction the panicked man had pointed to with a telescope. After a moment, he shouted, "I confirm, I see a piece of the Venerable's head, Chief !"
The village chief, visibly more worried than ever, shouted, "Why are you informing me only now ?"
The man on top of the tower, embarrassed, lowered his head and replied, "Nothing ever happens here, and we've gotten used to not seeing anything during the day… we… well… neglected the work, sorry Chief. "
The chief, now visibly angry and rushed, replied gravely, "It's a disaster. The monsters are going to start attacking the village again. Even if we request reinforcements from the kingdom, they won't arrive for 3 or 4 days, and even then... if the 'Universal Transporter' isn't already on a mission, otherwise they won't arrive until after two weeks"
He paused to think, then concluded, "We need to evacuate immediately. The adventurers in the village barely reach level 20, and only three of them are level 30."
Panic began to spread through the crowd after this announcement. Murmurs of anxiety rose. Chaos began to spread, as people rushed to flee or prepare for the inevitable attack.
Suddenly, a voice rose from behind the crowd, calm but authoritative.
"WAIT !"
All eyes turned, and they saw Relia, standing firm, having stepped forward with confidence.