Extenuating Circumstances (4)

"Lucky guess?" I say as I shrug my shoulders. On some level, I envy the two of them. While I appear open and vulnerable, I'm usually just trying to figure out what I need to say to push the conversation in my chosen direction. As close as I am to my friends, I don't confide in them. A creeping sense of loneliness crawls up my spine as I look at my teacher's gleaming face.

"That's one hell of a guess. You might be the luckiest man I've ever met, no wonder you decided to become an adventurer."

"I'd like to think I have some talent too." I chuckle.

"Who needs talent with luck like that?" We both burst out laughing at our own shenanigans. I look around and see the kids chatting it up behind us. Even Yuki and Sam are giggling quietly to each other.

"It's good, right?" Travis asks me out of the blue.

"What's good?"

"Life." He looks at me with fire in his eyes.

"It's too good sometimes. It makes me scared."

"Good, it's good to be scared. The only people that aren't afraid of death are those who have nothing to live for." A rare slice of philosophy falls from his mouth, and I quickly store it in my mind. It's a good point. My brother used to say that the purpose of any military training is to reduce one's fear of death by eroding their love of life. He always had a sad look in his eyes when he said it. I think over Travis's phrasing a few times, and a thought occurs.

"What are your plans for the future?" I raise an eyebrow as I ask the large black man beside me.

"Adventurers don't have time to think about the future. We live only in the present."

"But you do anyway," I counter.

"I do, against my better judgment." He smiles wryly at his own foolishness. "I'd like to settle down and grow a family."

"Then why are you here?"

"I got itchy. Maybe I'm just an addict, but I can never stay away from field work for long. I know I could make a decent living just working for the guild, but I always catch myself staring at this damn forest, wondering what secrets it's hiding."

"It's in your blood."

"Something like that. I also have my team to support me. They aren't getting a salary like I am, so they still need to complete quests and hunt monsters to put food on the table. It's too good of an excuse to put aside all the paperwork and bet my life again."

"That's tough, having to choose between two loves," I remark offhandedly.

"Fortunately, I haven't even started building a family, so the decision is still pretty easy at the moment."

"Congratulations?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Travis laughs and lightly punches my arm. We chat for a few more minutes until we reach the edge of the woods.

"Alright, everyone, put your game faces on." The chatter cuts off immediately and is replaced by a tense silence. "We're trying to avoid any encounters before we reach the dungeon, so stay scarce."

We all nod and follow closely behind Travis as he enters the forest. He claimed the position of party leader without any resistance yesterday. Given his vast experience, it wasn't even a decision. We then came up with a plan that revolves around avoiding any conflicts before reaching the dungeon, and if that fails, then we'll likely just turn around. There's no reason to risk fighting in unknown territory when we're not in peak condition.

Once we arrive, we're to keep track of our supply usage as we make our way down. Given that we have to make our way back out and then brave the forest to arrive back at the town, we're going to leave if we use half of what we brought at any point.

Travis was very clear on this point. Even if we make it to the final floor, we're not going to over-extend ourselves by trying to force this dungeon conquest. Having such a level-headed leader makes us all feel more at ease. It was funny to see Yuki glancing at me out of the corner of my eye while he was speaking as if to show him off. I could only chuckle at the smug, satisfied smile on her face.

We weave our way through the dense foliage making as little noise as possible. By leading with the heel of your foot and rolling forward onto your toes, you can effectively dampen the sound of your footfall. I first heard of this technique from my brother, but it seems to be common knowledge in this world.

Travis holds his fist up to signal 'Halt.' We freeze. Our eyes dart around, trying to find any potential danger. Just up ahead, I see a single Mankas hanging from a low branch. It's watching us. A flood of memories pours into my mind about the vicious creature before me. They're small but fast, they travel in large herds, and they will attack anything that harms one of them, even if it means the destruction of the entire colony. To face one is to face them all. My blood runs cold. This is the same tribe of Mankas that wiped the forest clean of predators before we met the fairies. The hair stands on the back of my neck, urging me to run, but I hold still.

"This way," Travis whispers. We make a sharp right and give a wide berth to the harbinger of death just before us. Only once it's out of sight can we collectively take a breath. "Good work, everyone. We'll need that kind of poise once we dive into the dungeon, so make sure you don't lose focus."

We all nod. Our pace quickens slightly for the next several minutes. Ironically, the dungeon feels safer than the forest at the moment. Once our pace slows down, a thought occurs.

"Travis?" I ask quietly. "What happened to those Brontobeasts you fought on our first outing into the forest?"

"Heh, I was told to keep it under wraps, but I guess you figured it out." A wry smile appears on his face. "They were being attacked by Mankas. We had to slow them down without killing any of them, or the entire town may have been annihilated. They're what robbed Yuki of her arm."

I look to my right and see the girl in question burning with anger. Not knowing whether she's mad at me for bringing it up or the Mankas, I decide to drop the subject. Unfortunately, Travis isn't keen on my intentions.