The Overseer & The Class S "Hero"

Chapter 3

The undercurrent of voices murmuring its way to my ears came in the direction of the entrance of the village, Kincaid giving us an apologetic glance as he quickly told us to wait where we were for a moment. Setting off at a brisk jog towards the noise, I exchanged a look with Aurelius. We set off after him, hovering some distance behind as we came to the scene.

A number of villagers were gathered around three adult men, one of them lugging several nets of dead animals while the other two supported two injured men. The villagers seemed to be questioning them in urgent voices, to which the one carrying the animals furrowed his brows together and gestured towards the woods behind.

Kincaid was speaking to Alec, turned and seeing us, ran over to explain the situation.

"Another hunting party, encountering our own unconscious men in the forest."

We resumed walking, Kincaid swiping his sleeve over his sweaty brow.

"About a month ago, a hunting party vanished in the woods, and the search party found no trace of them. A few days, when our best hunters ventured out to gather our traps, they found two of the missing people, their bodies covered in cuts and lacerations. In addition, since then our hunting parties and the women who go out to do laundry get assaulted by slimes that appear out of nowhere- the frequency of the attacks are completely random, and sometimes the slimes would swallow people and make off with them."

We had arrived at our destination- another hut, this one noticeably larger than the average-sized one.

"Why would slime attacks leave cuts and lacerations?" Aurelius asked, picking at the dirt beneath his fingernails.

Kincaid shuddered, holding the door (an actual door!) for us to enter.

"If you failed to slice through the slimes, they would absorb your weapons and spit them back at you."

It was not the young guard, but rather an old woman before them who had spoken, her eyes bright despite her wizened appearance. A shawl spun from brightly-coloured yarn was draped over her broad shoulders, her long tunic tight around her waist and loose throughout speaking of a powerful frame that once filled it out perfectly. The woman held a bone-white cane, though she didn't lean on it, her figure proud and rigid.

"Elder!" Kincaid exclaimed, rushing to the old woman. "Were you standing the whole time? Marian is going-"

A sharp look from the Elder silenced him.

"I am not so frail as to require bed rest all the time, and my daughter knows that. It is only right to show our guests common courtesy especially in such trying times."

She turned her gaze from Kincaid to us. "My name is Miuran, and I am the village elder. May I enquire as to who you two are and where you hail from?"

I spoke before Aurelius could.

"I am Seven, and this is Aurelius. We hail from the far North, and we are travellers. Along the way, Aurelius got injured defending me and we were assaulted near the village by slimes as well."

Miuran's sharp eyes sized Aurelius up, the Elder nodding to herself.

"You do indeed have a good build, and by the likes of it- no weapon."

"Lost, along with our belongings," Aurelius said regretfully.

"Kincaid, fetch that."

The young guard bowed, hurrying off into a side room and returning moments later with a sheathed sword, the hilt sparkling in the sunlight streaming in from the windows.

Miuran took it from him, grasping the hilt and scabbard to yank it out a fraction, exposing the keen naked blade.

"This is a weapon a famous adventurer who once visited our village left behind. It is now yours, and I hope you will be able to exterminate those monsters for us."