The Beginning of Tragedy!

***

After walking until late afternoon, Tristan, Dheryl, and Cheryl finally arrived near the village. "We're close," Cheryl said with excitement.

Tristan marveled at the view of the village from afar, thinking to himself, "This truly is a fantasy world, wooden houses, short fences guarding the village, just like something straight out of a comic."

The three of them reached the village entrance. "Is it alright for an outsider to enter?" Tristan asked. "Don't worry, there won't be any trouble," Dheryl replied confidently.

Suddenly, the villagers gathered around, and a man with a deeply worried expression rushed forward, pulling Dheryl and Cheryl into a tight embrace. "Dheryl, Cheryl, where have you been? Your mother and I were so worried," the man said, his voice breaking as tears fell from his eyes.

"Father!" Cheryl cried, sobbing as she clung to him. Dheryl hugged his father in silence, also holding back tears.

"Are you both alright? What happened? Where have you been these past two days?" their father asked, his words spilling out in a rush. Before Dheryl could answer, another villager spoke up, "Calm down, Darian. They're probably exhausted from the journey."

"Yes, you're right. I was just so relieved and worried about them," Darian replied, exhaling deeply. "Alright, let's go home. Your mother is beside herself with worry."

"Yes, Father. Oh, by the way, this is Tristan, he's the one who saved us."

"Saved you?" Darian glanced at Tristan with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. "Very well, Tristan, come with us to our home."

"Of course, sir." Tristan replied politely.

They left the village entrance together and made their way to the family's house.

When they arrived home, "Mother!" Cheryl shouted, rushing to hug her mother, who was lying on the bed. Dheryl ran over to her as well.

"Cheryl, where have you both been? I was so worried. Are you both alright?" her mother asked, reaching out to them.

"We're fine, Mother, just a few scrapes and bruises," Dheryl answered, trying to reassure her. Then, noticing Tristan, her mother turned to him and asked, "And who is this handsome young man, Dheryl?"

"Allow me to introduce him, Mother. This is Tristan, the one who saved us and took care of us these past two days."

"Thank you, Tristan. I'm truly grateful," she said, looking at him with warmth.

"No trouble at all, ma'am. I'm glad I could help," Tristan replied with a gentle nod.

"So, what did you mean by 'saved'?" Dheryl's mother continued, turning to her children. "Please, tell us the full story, both your father and I want to know everything."

"Of course, Mother, well…" Dheryl began, and together with Cheryl, they recounted everything that had happened, from beginning to end, with Cheryl adding her own details to the story.

"Is all of that true?" Cheryl's mother asked, stunned, then turned to Tristan. "How old are you, young man?"

"I'm eight," Tristan replied simply.

"And if I may ask, what is your occupation, Tristan?" she continued.

"I'm not sure, ma'am. I actually came here hoping to find out. Dheryl mentioned he has an uncle who works at the administrative office in Wyrmford City," Tristan explained.

"Didn't your parents ever take you to register there?" she asked, looking concerned.

"I don't remember, ma'am. My parents passed away in the forest, and I've been living on my own ever since," he answered quietly.

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry for bringing that up," she said, remorseful.

"It's alright, ma'am. It's natural for parents to be cautious about strangers near their children," Tristan replied calmly.

"You're very mature for your age," Darian, Dheryl and Cheryl's father, remarked with a mix of respect and sympathy.

"If I weren't, I wouldn't have been able to survive alone in the forest," Tristan replied, his gaze steady.

"I see… you've been through so much," Dheryl's mother said, looking at Tristan with sympathy. "Alright, children, let's have dinner and get some rest. I'll go see Uncle Baren after we eat."

"Alright, Father," Cheryl and Dheryl replied in unison. "Alright, sir," Tristan added.

They had dinner in the dining room while their mother stayed resting in bed. Tristan, grateful, looked at his hosts, "It's been a long time since I've had a proper meal. Thank you for the food, Mr. Darian, Cheryl, Dheryl."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tristan. Rest well tonight. If you'd like, you could explore the village a bit with Dheryl and Cheryl," Darian replied. "I'll be going out for a little while."

"Of course, sir," said Tristan.

With that, Darian left.

"Would you like to walk around the village, Tristan?" Dheryl asked.

"Let's just rest tonight; you still haven't fully recovered, Dheryl," Tristan replied with a gentle smile.

"You're right," Dheryl agreed. "Alright then, tomorrow we'll go exploring together."

"I'm looking forward to it," Tristan replied.

"Let's head to our rooms," Dheryl said, to which Tristan nodded, "Alright."

Tristan and Dheryl got ready to sleep.

"Goodnight, Tristan," Dheryl said.

"Goodnight, Dheryl."

As he lay down, Tristan thought about his plans. "I wonder what my occupation might be, and what skills I possess. If checking my records draws attention from the wrong people, I'll have to reconsider and stick to my original plan—to explore the cursed forest, Netherbane." With that thought in mind, Tristan drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Tristan was up before anyone else and sat outside, gazing at the village.

"Good morning, Tristan! You're up early, unlike my two kids, haha," Darian greeted him.

"It's a habit, sir. I always wake up at dawn to hunt for food."

"Oh, is that so? You're quite impressive, Tristan. But is what Dheryl and Cheryl told me last night true, that you defeated all the monsters in that camp, including an orc?"

"Yes, sir. I believe it might be because of my occupation, though I don't fully understand it myself."

"By the way, last night I asked my brother, Baren, about it. He said that if you want to check your status, it would indeed leave an access record."

"Hm, is there any way to check it without being detected?" Tristan asked.

"There is, but the cost is to high it's costly about five silver. The place to do it is in the black market of Wyrmford. You'd have to work for at least three months to earn that."

"No need to worry about the cost, sir. My parents left me some silver."

"Alright then, we'll head to Wyrmford after breakfast."

"Yes, sir."

Tristan and Darian's family ate breakfast together, and then Tristan and Darian prepared to leave for Wyrmford.

"Dheryl, Cheryl, take care of your mother while I go with Tristan to the city to see your uncle Baren."

"Alright, Father. Don't be too long, okay? And you too, Tristan," Cheryl said to them.

"Yes, we'll be back by dinnertime."

"Be safe, Father. Take care, Tristan," Dheryl and Cheryl called, waving to them, and Tristan and Darian waved back as they set off.

***

At the village gates, Darian spoke up, "We'll travel with the merchants, Tristan. It'll be safer that way."

"All right, sir." Tristan replied.

Tristan and Darian boarded a horse-drawn cart alongside the merchants. Along the journey, however, they were suddenly blocked by a group of goblins and wolves.

"Damn, monsters!" one of the merchants shouted. The merchants exchanged uneasy glances.

"What should we do?" asked one, while another barked, "Tell your guards to take them out!"

"Can't you see their numbers? There are dozens of them!"

The merchants fell into panic, unsure of what to do, until Tristan, who had been observing calmly, spoke up, "Stay here, sir. I'll take care of these monsters. If we delay here too long, we might miss dinner."

Tristan stepped down from the cart and started walking toward the monsters.

"Wait! Don't you see there are dozens of them? I know you're strong, but that's too many!" Darian called out anxiously.

"It's fine, sir. They're only goblins and wolves."

As he approached the cluster of merchants, Tristan pulled a sword seemingly out of thin air.

"What? Where did that sword come from? I didn't see Tristan carrying one," Darian wondered aloud.

"Hello, gentlemen," Tristan greeted them.

"What? What's a child doing here? Get out of here! This isn't a place for kids," scoffed one of the merchants, his tone dripping with arrogance.

"I'm about to clear a path for you. If there's an opening, go through it," Tristan replied, ignoring the merchant's arrogance.

"Hah! What could a kid like you possibly do? My bodyguard is a B-rank adventurer, and even he's reluctant to face these goblins and wolves," the merchant sneered.

Tristan answered coldly, "Then if you'd rather stay put, that's your choice. And if a B-rank adventurer can't handle goblins and wolves, they'd do better going home to train."

He moved toward the horde of goblins without another word.

"Just let him go, sir," muttered one of the adventurers. "We're not afraid; it's just that they've got a hobgoblin leading them. They're waiting for orders. Let the kid go and meet his end."

But Tristan paid no attention to the naysayers. Unsheathing his sword, he channeled mana through its blade.

"What… Is that a mana sword?" one of the adventurers gasped. "A kid using a mana sword? It took me a year just to focus mana into my weapon!"

Tristan suddenly stopped, his stance lowering into a steady fighting position.

"What's he doing?" another adventurer asked, eyes wide.

Tristan concentrated his mana, then swung his sword horizontally, unleashing a mana slash that ripped through three-quarters of the monster horde. Those left standing scattered in terror as Tristan calmly sheathed his sword, then raised his hand and chanted an incantation. Twelve ice arrows materialized and shot toward the fleeing monsters. They were so swift that they exploded upon impact, wiping out the last remnants of the goblins and wolves.

Tristan turned back, his gaze cold, as he walked slowly back to the cart.

"Those who want to pass, go ahead. Those who don't… well, suit yourselves," he said, leaving the stunned merchants speechless as he climbed back into the cart.

"Let's go, sir," said Tristan.

"Uh… uh, right," Darian stammered, still shaken. Quickly, he instructed the driver to move, "Let's get going, friend."

"A… all right," echoed the driver, just as startled.

"Tristan, I'll sit up front to keep an eye out. You rest inside."

"Sure thing, sir," Tristan replied, settling into the cart as they left the stunned merchants behind.

As they rode on, the driver turned to Darian, "Is that boy your nephew?"

"Huh? I… uh, yes," Darian answered.

"You're lucky to have such a powerful nephew. If he becomes an adventurer, he could quickly make it to S rank or higher."

"Is that so?" Darian replied, trying to process it.

"Oh, absolutely. I've met adventurers from all ranks, from F to A, and none of them matched his strength. If he's interested, you should encourage him to become one."

"I'll bring it up with him later," Darian said, nodding.

"Uh-huh, good idea," the driver replied with admiration. They reached Wyrmford by midday.