Outskirts of the town

Gray's face is definitely twitching in annoyance upon witnessing the green book that is introduced to him by Rarsu.

"W-wait." The elf said with a distressed expression. "I'm supposed to study this!?"

"Haha, of course." Rarsu chuckles, entertained at seeing his apprentice's comical look of discontent. "Most of the magic spells and incantations derived solely from your race's mother tongue, the Elharis. After all, it is the elves of the era of old who have introduced the ways of magic and their intricacies in the whole land. Thus, Arkanos, the God of Magic, is depicted as an elven figure and worshiped by Magic-users until this day."

'Damn, this sure is troublesome.' Gray thought in annoyance as he opens the book about the elven language. Upon eyeing the ridiculous amount of content that he is expected to learn, Gray could not help but cry mentally in agony. 'What the hell!? Forget three months!!! This shit is going to take me three years!!!'

"Heh, I'm sure you'll be fine," Rarsu assures him. "The book is quite easy to grasp once you get the hang of it. Now that you seemed to have settled in, I'll head on outside for the moment as I still have my duties as the gardener of the Boscage and make my inspection around the district's garden. I'll be back for dinner."

Then Rarsu faces Selena. "And my dear, make sure that your… brother does not slack off. The fate of the entire land rests in his studies, after all."

Selena simply opted to remain quiet as she and Gray witness Rarsu raising his hand in a farewell gesture while departing the library.

Gray could only stare at the book in displeasure. But after a short while, Gray forces himself as he slaps his cheeks in an attempt to motivate himself, his eyes burning with bright determination as he dives into the book's pages.

'Damn it, if I have time to be moping around like a fucking pussy, then I might as well use this time productively instead.' The elf thought as he hardens his resolve. 'After all, this is legit fucking magic, something that my fellow humans back at my original world lack the privilege. I now have the perfect opportunity to learn such things that are only thought to be mere dreams and fantasies found in video games and other media. No way in hell am I going to waste such a chance!!!'

With his enthusiasm restored, Gray proceeds to read the book, his eyes glued at every word found within.

***

For one Isamu Meiyo, after his truthful talk with Malic, he decided to proceed to the outskirts of the town, currently finding himself somewhere in the farmlands to find a certain <Champion> of the Warrior's Guild for training, an orc who goes by the name of Krothu.

While making his way to the said area, he could not help but ponder deeply regarding what the Guild Master imparted to him a while ago.

'A hero huh.' Were Isamu's thoughts. 'I always thought that when I finally became an official member of the Guild, I could be one. But applying for contracts can be quite a competition between fellow guild members, and even more so in the lower ranks. Thus, the opportunities, in reality, are low sadly.'

Suddenly, a certain memory resurfaced inside the cat-folk's mind as he remembers Gray's exact words during the past incident at the Bandit Encampment days ago.

'And I refuse to see good villagers dying on my watch.'

That is the statement that Gray uttered as Isamu clearly remembers the elf's unwavering expression that accompanies a strong demeanor before initiating the plan of Bandit enactment.

'Heh, I guess Gray is already a hero that made his mark in this world. And when he is actually revealed to be the Paragon of legends, there are greater feats for him to be fulfilled in the future.' Isamu thought, feeling slightly jealousy about his new friend and the glory that awaits him. 'And here I am, still stuck without a clear path to partake. I bet abad (father) is going to be seething with disappointment upon seeing how his beduk (son) turns out to be; a drunken mess with no direction in life, haha.'

Despite feeling down, the cat-folk tries his utmost best as to not let the depression rule over him in his everyday life, clinging to a gleeful mask that he created himself in covering his vulnerabilities.

As such, Isamu still manages to retain his sense of pride to himself, at least making the effort of improving himself when an opportunity arises.

Like in this instance where the Orc <Champion> is free for training as suggested by Malic.

The location of the Orc's living arrangements is considered common knowledge throughout the guild as Krothu is a renowned warrior that everyone in the guild looks up to.

Not to mention, the Orc is also a member of the Count's court, a Baron, meaning he is also a notable individual of the town.

After a few moments of trekking through the familiar farmlands and confirming with some of the farmers if the Orc is at his place, which he indeed is, Isamu finally arrives at his designated location.

The place itself is quite a pleasant sight to see. A quaint two-story manor made of wood stands right in front of the cat-folk with two small ploughlands that are filled with crops consisting of cabbages and wheat respectively.

Beside the manor is a barn that houses the many livestock that supports the agriculture trade.

Approaching the door of the house, Isamu knocks, hoping for the orc to answer.

After a short while, the door was opened, unveiling a tall muscular orc wearing a simple white shirt, khaki long pants, and brown boots.

His appearance is definitely what you expect from a well-known race of naturally born Warriors. The man has green skin with an intimidating beastly look. His tusk-like teeth protrude for everyone to see, accentuating to his already menacing appearance.

"Hmm, yes?" The orc's profound voice resonates as he eyed his cat-folk visitor.

Krothu

Lvl 15 <Champion>

Health: 2,014 / 2,014

Stamina: 912 / 912

Mana: 170 / 170

Isamu dismissed the notion of the Orc being weak, knowing that it is all just an <Impersonation>.

"Greetings, Sir Krothu." Isamu greets with the respect due to him, being one of the prominent senior members of the guild.

"Hmm, Isamu." The orc, Krothu, returns the gesture with a simple nod as he seemed to be familiar with the cat-folk. "What brings you here?"

"I seek training, sir." Isamu answers. "It was Guild Master Malic who pointed me to you as per his suggestion."

"I see. So, Malic sent you huh." Krothu responds with an understanding look. Then he assumed a playful look as he crossed his brawny arms. "My training can be quite brutal and unforgiving. Are you sure that you are up to it?"

"Of course sir!!!" Isamu responds enthusiastically. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes!!"

"Anything huh," Krothu answers with a chuckle. "I can definitely see the fire burning within you. But the real question is, how long will that fire last until such time that it will be smothered into nothingness? Many have tried but only a few have triumphed."

Isamu simply looks at the orc in confusion at such a statement, definitely not liking the sound of that.

"Very well, I will train you," Krothu said, causing Isamu's face to lit up excitedly at the prospect. "But on one condition."

"Condition?" Isamu utters with a questioning look.

"Follow me." Krothu gestures the cat-folk as they went outside.

As they walk around the area that is surrounded by land filled with farmers of most ages that tend to the land. They work hard in nurturing it and take great care of the crops and livestock as this is their source of income and sustenance for themselves and their family.

After a short while, Krothu and Isamu stop on their tracks as the former approaches an old human farmer. Despite his old age, one can see how physically strong and healthy the man is, evident by how active he is in working at one of the fields.

Krothu cleared his throat to catch the old man's attention.

"Ah, Baron Krothu, sir!!" The old man acknowledges the orc's presence. "You humble us with your generous presence."

"Just checking the state of the farm, Elder Bren." Krothu smiles at him. "And I must say, you folks are indeed doing splendid work as always."

"I thank you for such praise, sir." The old man named Bren bows down with the utmost of respect. "You always do us honor."

"Heh, you lots are the real champions here," Krothu comments with a praising tone. "By the way, you did mention something about one of your good men retiring, right?"

"Yes, sir." Bren nodded in agreement. "Elder Jeremus, at his older age, is not capable anymore of handling the physical tolls of the job. As a result, we are currently searching for a suitable replacement for him, someone who is physically strong enough to handle the labors of farm work."

"And your search has come to an end!!" Krothu said as he playfully taps Isamu's back. "This young lad over here will work here at the farmlands."

"Wait, what!?" Isamu's surprise skyrocketed in an instant as he looked at the orc accusingly. "This is not what we talk about!!"

"Oh, I'll train you alright." Krothu was amused at the cat-folk's betrayed expression. "But my training, of course, is not some mere treasure that can be handed out willingly for free. This is the condition that I'm talking about, something like the contracts that we in the guild are accustomed to."

Krothu then paused for a moment and begun to tell Isamu the terms of his conditions. "For about a month and a half or so, you will be working here with the farmers, spending your days tending to the fields like the rest of them. If I find your performance satisfactory in the end, I'll agree to train you with the best of my abilities. What do you say?"

<QUEST START!!>

<The toils for harvest's fruition>

[Krothu, a senior member of the guild, has agreed to train you in one condition, aid the farmers with their work for about a month and a half.]

<Quest Completion> - Work as a farmer at Chadena's farm.

<Quest Bonus> - (???)

<Quest Rewards> - (???), (???)

<ACCEPT QUEST?> YES / NO

'So, this is what the other guild members meant when sir Krothu's training is unconventional.' Isamu ponders about this as he rubs his furry chin. 'Well, I suppose a month and a half won't hurt that much. After all, this is one of the esteemed Warriors that is highly respected even by the Guild Master himself. To be trained by one of them has achieved nothing but great benefits.'

"Alright, I accept." Isamu nods in agreement as he clicks YES.

"Excellent," Krothu said with approval. "Now, I only expect diligence and commitment to your job, young warrior. If I hear so much as a grave complaint coming from any of the farmers, then you might as well be forgetting your training. Don't worry about your absence at the guild, I'll make sure to notify Malic on your behalf, hehe. Anyways, Bren here will be providing you with more of the details. I'll be taking my leave if you don't have any inquiries. If you folks need me, then I'm at the manor as always."

Krothu then left the two to their devices as Bren proceeds to tell Isamu about his job description.