Goblin Forest

Regis woke up early the next day.

He then proceeded to wake up Pandora who groggily followed him downstairs.

Seeing the already bustling inn, Regis sighed, 'Whether it be morning or evening, this inn really doesn't sleep, huh?'

Fortunately, the soundproofing of their room was quite decent so this wasn't an issue.

Holding Pandora's hand, he led her and sat on the barstool.

Not long after, a girl who looked to be in her teenage years approached them.

"Goodmorning! I'm Mara. This is our breakfast menu. Just call for me when you've decided, okay?" 

The teenage girl who introduced herself as Mara smiled brightly as she handed them a wooden plaque.

Regis smiled as she left.

He then glanced beside him and saw Pandora already dozing off.

"Hey." 

He called out as he tapped the back of her neck.

"Eeek!"

Pandora's eyes shot open as she pouted at Regis, "You know I'm ticklish there!"

Chuckling, he immediately showed her the wooden plaque.

Pandora was clearly distracted as she looked carefully at the letters engraved on it.

Seeing this, Regis said, "Read it."

"Mashed Potatoes… S-Scrambelb- Scrambled Eggs… Roasted Corn…"

Pandora read the options on the wooden plaque one by one, her attention fully absorbed by it.

It took her a short while before she finished reading the words.

Regis was proud of her, "What do you want to try? We have some money so don't skimp out on food."

However, an unsure expression appeared on Pandora's face.

"Ummm, there are some things here that I'm not quite familiar with… what's P-Pan… ke-cake?"

Regis shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, do you want to try it?"

"But I don't know if I'll like it…"

It was obvious that she did not want to waste money.

Her cuteness struck his heart, "Then how about this, you choose something you're familiar with and I can order this instead."

Pandora's eyes sparkled, "Really? Is that okay?"

"Of course."

Then, after she was finished choosing the meals she wanted, Regis called Mara over.

She listened carefully as he told her what they were going to have, sometimes even pointing at the wooden plaque.

"Alright! I'll serve the food when it's ready. In the meantime, what do you want to drink?"

"I'll have a glass of water." Regis spoke as he glanced over to Pandora.

She then thought for a while and said, "Do you have milk?"

Mara found the two of them cute as she answered, "Yes!"

It only took their order about ten minutes before Mara served their food on the bar table.

Seeing the fluffy pancake on the plate, Pandora's eyes shone.

Coupled with the syrup and butter, it looked way too appetizing in her eyes.

Regis chuckled at her reaction as they proceeded to eat their meals.

Of course, since Pandora liked the pancake, they switched their plates accordingly and ate their fill.

***

"That was delicious! Can I eat that again tomorrow?" 

"Of course, as long as they have it!"

Regis and Pandora conversed as they walked together.

"Hmmm, we'll first go outside the village and train on the monsters at the nearby forest."

"Okay!"

After they ate their breakfast, Regis asked Mara about the hunting grounds of the village.

She then told him about a specific area in the nearby forest where monsters were located.

It was called the Goblin Forest, where a large number of monsters known as goblins would roam around the forest.

She also told him that it was dangerous seeing that they were just kids, and that there was a bulletin board near the entrance of the inn wherein they could take some jobs.

After all, Mara saw them as children. Thus, she hoped for them to do less-dangerous jobs.

As the two of them walked, the villagers glanced at them frequently.

Regis noticed this and felt helpless, 'Is being a mage really that amazing?'

He thought to himself as he tightened his grip on the wooden staff of the strange robed man.

Seeing Pandora cast a fireball, he surmised that it was time for him to train his mana and aura too.

And what way could be more efficient than hunting monsters.

Monsters were different from wild beasts and demons.

They were creatures that come in many different forms and have low intelligence.

It didn't take long before they reached the entrance of the village.

Regis nodded at the two village guards.

He looked around and led Pandora to the direction of the Goblin Forest.

It wasn't far, only about a 15 minute walk from the village.

Seeing the entrance to the forest, Pandora's expression fell, "Forest again…"

Regis chuckled at her reaction, "Don't worry, we won't be stuck in it this time. We're just hunting, okay?"

"Okay…" She responded, her expression brightening up just a bit.

"Mara said that only adventurers who visit the village were tasked to keep the number of goblins here in check. So this means that villagers don't normally visit this area…"

Regis had also inquired earlier and found that aside from them, there were no outsiders in the village at the moment.

Settling the bags they were carrying on the ground, Regis spoke, "Let's rest for a few minutes before we go."

After all, he wasn't one to underestimate goblins just because they're weak.

Therefore, he wanted both he and Pandora to have adequate rest before they entered the forest.

Besides that, there was something that he needed to confirm.

"Pandora."

"Yes?"

"You said that before the attack of demonic humans, you've awakened a month before, right?"

"Yes!"

Pandora answered Regis's questions honestly.

"You can also absorb mana naturally, right?"

She nodded.

Seeing her response, Regis sat down and tapped the ground beside him.

Pandora promptly sat beside him.

"Try sensing your heart, do you feel as if you're having a heartburn?"

"Yes… is that bad?" 

She asked with a nervous voice.

However, Regis nodded as a smile appeared on her face.

"No. In fact, it's good!"

"Good?" 

Pandora tilted her head in confusion.

Regis's smile widened more as he saw her confusion.

"That feeling means that the quantity of mana in your heart is at its fullest, thereby making you feel a slight discomfort."

"This is also a sign that you have gathered the required amount of mana to be able to form a star…"