The vilgers gathered in front of the vilge chief, Gustav's house, voices rising in overpping concerns.

  Some were still gripping their makeshift weapons, while others anxiously scanned the dark sky, looking for any lingering traces of the strange event.

  "What was that?" someone finally asked, breaking through the noise.

  "A fireball? A spell?"

  "Don't be stupid. Who would cast a spell that big all the way out here?"

  "A monster, then? Did something crawl out of the Great Forest?"

  More murmurs spread.

  "What if it wasn't just a fireball? What if something nded?"

  "Like what? A giant fming monster?"

  "Could be." someone added grimly.

  A few people were tense at the idea.

  The Great Forest of Tob was known for its dangers, but most of the creatures within its depths rarely ventured out, but they refrain from such thoughts.

  The Vilge Chief, let them speak, watching as fear turned into frantic guessing.

  The vilgers had spent their whole lives here, farming, hunting, and living simply. This was something entirely outside their experience.

  "If it was a monster, why hasn't it come here yet?" a younger man questioned.

  "Maybe it's waiting for something."

  "That's ridiculous."

  "Then what is it?"

  The older man from earlier, Gregor sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

  "If it was an attack, we'd already be dead."

  "Maybe it's an omen," a woman said cautiously.

  "The gods wouldn't do something like that," another scoffed.

  "How can you be so sure?"

  "I mean…nothing has yet happened to us. If the gods intended to punish mere vilge folks, that fireball would have hit us instead of the forest."

  "That doesn't mean it wasn't a sign."

  "I'd rather it be an omen than a monster."

  The debate grew louder, splitting the crowd into different opinions.

  Some argued that it was magic, others insisted it was a bad omen, and a few even suggested it could be some kind of unknown disaster.

  "That kind of power isn't natural," one man muttered, gripping a wooden staff.

  "It must have been magic."

  "Magic like that would've needed a mage strong enough to wipe out a city."

  "And who's to say there isn't one?"

  "Then what? A rogue sorcerer just happened to target the middle of nowhere?"

  "Maybe they missed it!"

  "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

  A pair of men shoved each other, pushing forward aggressively before someone stepped in to separate them.

  "If it was magic, who cast it?"

  "No mage that strong would waste their time here."

  "Unless they were after something."

  "What's here to be after?"

  The conversation stalled. Then, a woman spoke up, her voice uncertain.

  "What if… it was a fire dragon?"

  Silence.

  "Or worse," someone muttered.

  "The Ancient Fme Dragon from the Azerlisia Mountains?"

  The suggestion sent a chill through the crowd.

  It wasn't impossible.

  A fireball that big, coming from the sky, fit. More than magic, more than an omen.

  A few vilgers tightened their grips on their weapons. Others gnced toward the forest, as if expecting something to emerge.

  "If it is a dragon…"

  No one finished the sentence.

  They didn't need to. Everyone knew what it meant.

  A fire dragon—or worse, one of the ancient fme dragons from the Azerlisia Mountains—would be a disaster beyond.

  The vilge had no walls, no defenses strong enough to withstand such a creature.

  Even if it didn't attack them directly, the mere presence of a dragon could drive monsters out of the Great Forest, sending them straight toward the vilge.

  Some people looked toward the sky as if expecting to see massive wings blotting out the stars.

  A few vilgers muttered prayers under their breath, while others whispered to each other in hushed, fearful tones.

  Then, a voice cut through the murmurs.

  "Enough."

  The vilgers froze.

  Silence fell almost immediately.

  The Vilge Chief, Gustav, had dark muscur skin and a face full of wrinkles making him look more than forty years. Since his robust body was forged through heavy manual bor and long experience, it can be seen that half his hair was already white.

  Gustav's weathered face was calm but firm.

  He was old enough to have seen his share of trouble, and no one could dismiss his authority.

  The chief stepped onto the wooden porch of his home.

  He raised a hand to quiet the crowd, but the worry in his eyes did not go unnoticed.

  "We need to calm down everyone, fighting will not solve anything."

  The crowd gradually settled, though some people still grumbled under their breath.

  "We need information before we make decisions," Gustav said.

  "Did anyone see what it was?"

  A pause.

  People gnced at each other, but no one stepped forward.

  Then, a single hand rose hesitantly.

  Enri.

  The girl stepped forward, her expression unsure but determined.

  "I… I think I know what it was."

  All eyes locked onto her. Some vilgers looked skeptical, others hopeful.

  "When I was little, I met a traveling merchant," she expined.

  "He told me stories of a falling star, something that comes from the sky and crashes to the ground."

  Silence.

  "A… star?" someone repeated.

  A few exchanged gnces.

  Others frowned.

  "That doesn't make sense," an older man muttered.

  "Stars don't fall."

  "I've never heard of such a thing."

  "If it's from the sky, then it's a message."

  "No," Enri shook her head.

  "It's just something that happens. The merchant said it's rare, but not unnatural."

  The expnation did little to ease the confusion.

  For people who had spent their entire lives in the same pce, hearing that something could fall from the heavens was hard to grasp.

  Some of the vilgers didn't seem convinced.

  To them, things in the sky weren't supposed to fall.

  Magic? That was believable.

  But a star crashing to the ground?

  Still, whether they believed her or not, the problem remained—something had fallen, and it had shaken the vilge.

  The chief let out a slow breath, crossing his arms.

  "Whatever it is, we can't ignore it."

  He turned toward the hunters standing on the outskirts of the crowd.

  "You lot, stay on guard tonight. We'll rotate shifts—every man will take turns keeping watch."

  The hunters nodded.

  The Great Forest of Tob was dangerous on a normal night, but after all that noise, there was no telling what might come crawling out of it.

  Enri hesitated before speaking.

  "Chief, are we going to investigate it?"

  A scoff came from the side.

  "Investigate?"

  Her father, Thomas, shook his head at her daughter's insistent attitude.

  "Like I told you Enri, it's deep in the forest. No hunter would go that far in."

  "But if a fire broke out—"

  "There won't be an investigation," Gustav interrupted.

  "If a fire starts, we'll prepare to evacuate. The night watch will observe, but no one is going into the forest."

  A brief pause. Then someone spoke up.

  "But what about the crops?"

  "We need to be prepared," another vilger muttered.

  The vilge chief exhaled, gncing toward the distant treeline.

  "As far as I can tell from here, there's no sign of a spreading fire. Let's not panic just yet."

  "Someone should check from the watchtower," another voice suggested.

  "Right. Feim, go take a look," Gustav ordered.

  A man nodded and quickly climbed up the wooden structure.

  The vilgers watched in silence as he scanned the horizon.

  After a few moments, he called down.

  "I can see a bit of fire and some smoke, but… it's not spreading much. Looks like it's dying out."

  That eased some of the tension.

  Gustav rubbed his chin, thinking. There was no guarantee it was just fire they had to worry about.

  He rubbed his chin, thinking.

  "First thing in the morning, we're heading for E-Rantel. We'll hire adventurers to look into it."

  That settled it. There was no debate. That was the final decision. The vilge didn't have the means to investigate properly, and no one was foolish enough to enter the unknown.

  Gustav turned back to Enri.

  "You're coming with us."

  She blinked.

  "Me?"

  "You were the first to clearly witness it, and you're the only one who knows anything about it."

  His tone left no room for argument.

  She has always known the vilge chief's kind demeanor, like your usual elder guiding attitude. But seeing the vilge chief made everyone think, there's no one who's worried about the situation more than the vilge chief.

  "We'll need you to expin to the adventurers guild."

  Enri swallowed.

  She hadn't expected that. But looking at the gathered vilgers, their faces still filled with uncertainty, she knew there was no choice.

  "…Alright."

  ○●○●

  Morning had arrived. It should have been like any other day, where the vilgers would wake up, gather their tools, and head to the fields.

  But today was different.

  The hunters returning from their night watch told a different story.

  Their faces were tense, their movements sluggish. They had already encountered three separate packs of wolves emerging from the forest, more than usual.

  Some of them were scratched up, their clothes torn, their arms and legs bandaged hastily.

  No one knew what to feel.

  On one hand, they were relieved that it was just wolves.

  If something worse had come out of the Great Forest, the vilge might not have survived the night.

  On the other hand, if the wolves kept coming in these numbers, it wouldn't be long before the vilge was overwhelmed.

  The decision had already been made.

  The carriage was prepared first thing in the morning.

  Enri stood near the chief's house, watching as the horses were harnessed.

  She gnced at Gustav.

  His face was pale, his eyes heavy.

  He hadn't slept.

  It wasn't hard to tell, his posture was stiff, and his expression cked its usual sharpness.

  He had been awake all night, waiting for a real monster attack.

  Now that morning had come, the exhaustion was starting to set in.

  He exhaled through his nose and turned toward the waiting carriage.

  "Vilge Chief! The carriage is ready."

  One of the vilgers called out, adjusting the straps on the horses.

  Gustav gave a slow nod.

  The vilgers gathered as the carriage was prepared, some helping adjust the straps while others stood nearby, watching with concern.

  Enri took one st look around.

  The vilge looked the same as it always had—quiet, simple, unchanged. But there was an unease in the air. No one said it, but everyone felt it.

  Gustav climbed onto the carriage, rubbing his temples before looking at Enri.

  "We'll ride straight to E-Rantel," he said.

  "No unnecessary stops. We'll only break if the horses need rest or if it gets too dark to see."

  Enri nodded.

  That meant they would be on the road for the whole day, maybe longer.

  Under normal conditions, the journey to E-Rantel would take a little over a day by carriage. If they pushed through the night, they might cut that time down, but it would still be exhausting. But if the roads were rough or the horses got too tired, they'd have no choice but to stop, which would set them back even further.

  The sooner they got there, the sooner they could submit the request—and the sooner they could get back with help.

  Enri adjusted the strap on her bag and let out a quiet breath.

  "We're going to be on the road the whole day, then."

  "We'll process the request at the Adventurer's Guild as soon as we get there," Gustav continued, already thinking ahead.

  "But even if we submit it quickly, there's no telling how long it will take before someone picks it up."

  Enri frowned.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Adventurers don't just take any request, just because we asked." he expined.

  Something like this—an unknown event in the Great Forest of Tob—won't attract just anyone. The weaker ones won't take the risk, and the stronger ones won't bother unless the pay is worth their time."

  Enri furrowed her brows.

  "So how long will it take?"

  "Could be days, weeks, maybe even months before someone strong enough considers it," Gustav said.

  That was not what she wanted to hear.

  "And when someone does take it, we'll have to negotiate," Gustav added.

  "Negotiate?"

  "Price, reward, terms. We don't have a lot of bargaining power after all and adventurers aren't charity workers. If we don't offer enough, they won't accept the request." He gnced at the gathered vilgers.

  "I'll have to discuss with everyone how we'll use the emergency funds."

  A few of the nearby vilgers who had been listening started whispering among themselves.

  One of them, an older man with arms crossed, spoke up.

  "How much do you think we'll need?"

  "That depends on the party that takes the request," Gustav replied.

  "Adventurers aren't just random fighters. They're ranked based on skill and achievements, from Copper to Adamantite. Most vilges like ours only ever deal with Bronze or Iron-ranked adventurers—people who handle bandits, goblins, or stray beasts."

  Enri already knew that much, but hearing it now, in this situation, made it feel heavier.

  "If we're lucky, a Silver-ranked group will take it," Gustav continued.

  "That's the minimum we need for something like this. Silver-ranked adventurers have enough experience to handle tougher monsters, maybe even weaker magical beasts."

  A few vilgers exchanged uneasy gnces.

  "But if it's as dangerous as we fear, we'll need a stronger party. Gold-ranked at the very least. Maybe even Ptinum. And that'll cost more."

  Gold-ranked adventurers were seasoned veterans, capable of fighting powerful monsters.

  Ptinum-ranked were even rarer—warriors and mages who could take on serious threats.

  And above them were Orichalcum and Adamantite—the strongest of the strong, the kind of people who could fight dragons or camity-css creatures.

  One of the older vilgers frowned. "How much do you think a Silver-ranked team would ask for?"

  Gustav exhaled through his nose. "Enough that it'll hurt our savings. But we should be able to afford it—Nfirea hired Silver-ranked adventurers when he visited the Great Forest of Tob, so it's within reach for us too."

  That brought some relief.

  "The mission is just to investigate," he continued. "A Silver-ranked team should be enough. They have experience dealing with magical beasts and monsters, so they'll be able to handle anything short of a real disaster."

  A few vilgers exchanged gnces.

  "Still," an older man muttered, "if something strong is in that forest…"

  Gustav shook his head. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, we just need answers. The sooner we know what's going on, the sooner we can act."

  A woman hesitated. "And if it really is a dragon?"

  No one spoke for a moment.

  That was the worst-case scenario. If a Fire Dragon—or worse, the Ancient Fme Dragon—had come down from the Azerlisia Mountains, there was nothing they could do.

  Not even a Gold-ranked team would be enough.

  If something in the forest required an Adamantite-ranked adventurer, it wasn't just a threat to their vilge—it was something that could wipe them out entirely.

  Gustav sighed.

  "We couldn't hire an Adamantite-ranked adventurer even if we wanted to, that's something beyond us. We don't have the gold for it, and even if we did, we'd have no way of contacting one. All we can do is hope it's not that bad."

  The vilgers nodded grimly.

  If it really was a dragon, all they could do was pray it stayed far away.

  "For now, we'll use the emergency funds," Gustav said.

  "If anyone has extra coins, it would help, but we'll make do with what we have."

  There was a long silence.

  Most of the vilgers had little to spare, but they also knew this wasn't just some minor trouble. If they didn't act, the entire vilge could be at risk.

  "I can put in a few coins. Not much, but…"

  A woman nodded.

  "Same here."

  The vilgers murmured among themselves. Some were already checking their pouches.

  Enri clenched her fists.

  "Then we'll head to E-Rantel and get this settled as soon as possible."

  Enri turned away, spotting Thomas, Marya, and Nemu standing near the well.

  She walked over, her steps feeling heavier than usual.

  "Take care of yourself, Enri."

  "I will, Mama. Take care too."

  Thomas nodded.

  "Don't worry about us. Just get back safely."

  Marya frowned, her arms crossed.

  "It doesn't feel right, you are going instead of someone else."

  Enri gave a small, tired smile.

  "I was the one who saw it first. I need to expin it to the adventurers guild. This way I can help the vilge."

  Nemu, still young, clung to Marya's arm.

  "You'll come back soon, right?"

  Enri pced a hand on her head.

  "As soon as we can."

  With that, she turned and climbed onto the carriage.

  Gustav gave a final nod to the gathered vilgers before signaling the driver.

  The horses started forward, and the vilge slowly faded behind them.