However, that was when his vision was completely overcome with shining light, and suddenly all was engulfed in a bright aura of white that consumed all and calmly washed him away.

It was odd, it did not feel like pain nor did he feel alarmed, it was as though a gentle lullaby entered his ears and whisked him away…

…

…

*arghh…* He grumbled, and that was when he opened his heavy, tired eyes up towards the blurry image of the pink sky of a new day.

'Hmmm… Did I really end up falling asleep anyways?' He wondered to himself, scratching his eyes wide awake.

Yet, it was the sound of his stomach that truly woke him from his daze, and he began to remember.

'That flower? Where is it?' His mind immediately jumped looking first at his empty right palm, yet no matter where he looked, he could not find a single trace of that strange plant.

He frowned and took a deep breath.

'Was I so hungry that I hallucinated about the flower? … Was I so hungry that I actually ate the flower and poisoned myself because it was inedible!?' Those were thoughts that immediately sprang to mind.

Still, they were not the reason for his subtle distress and uneasy twitch.

'That was a really pretty flower, I wish I could have given it to Taylor when they woke up…' He shook his head and tried his best to raise a smile, chalking yesterday's events all to fantasy.

He stood up on his two feet and dusted himself off before shifting his head towards the village. His stomach was calling, but, more importantly, it was his heart that needed the closure of once again seeing his friend.

**********

The mornings of the Yorksha village usually consisted of nothing but pain and silence as every villager forced themselves out of bed ready to struggle another day.

However, this day could not be any different.

The muddy, down-trodden village square was packed full in celebration, no man or woman left sitting in their homes. The stray rodents fled away, and the quiet was replaced by the sound of music and loud cheers. No one would dare miss an event such as this.

"I've got another one finished!! Give this one to that family of six!" Adam yelled, flipping a pan before handing over plates of food and wiping the dripping sweat off his face.

"Yes sir!"

"THIS FOOD IS SOO GOOD!!" A man exclaimed. "Is this what they eat in the city!?"

"EH! It's not that good! It's probably just because we haven't had a proper meal in weeks! Nothing beats our local dishes!"

"Shut-up ya knucklehead! Yer restaurant's foods have always been shiet! Even old man Kran is having the time of his life, I've never seen him look so alive!!"

"Mommy mommy! Can I have one of those buns? They look tasty!"

"Yes yes… Have as much as you'd like!" She petted the bandage over his eyes.

*Sniffle* "I've never seen adventurers be so kind in my life… This is a miracle… Thank you so much…" One man cried as he took a massive bite of a beef sandwich.

The village elder had heard what Lisvern had proposed, yet he could still not fathom his gaping eyes looking at all his villagers so happy, eating as though they had no care in the world.

He had heard this proposition last night, but even he could not believe it until he saw it.

"Sir Lisvern…" He walked up to the smiling man overseeing the operations.

"Oh, good morning elder! As you can see, all is going well! We should have a portion ready for you soon if you'd like. Adam is the very best chef I know!"

"H—How… This much food? You really brought so much?" His hands trembled.

"It's actually not nearly as much as we originally brought, and not as much as you think." He shook his head. "Our carriage was attacked by goblins, and much of our food bags spilled, and that's not all, when we went back last night get our supplies, most of them had been stolen, we were lucky to get what we got. If the goblins weren't so distracted with eating our dead horse, then we would have been left with nothing. We're distributing rations right now enough to fill the stomach, but they will lessen from now on. Our supplies are only enough for one more day…"

"One more day is more than enough…" The elder shook his head. "We will make due and save this food for as long as we can! I wish all adventurers were like you… To think, I have wronged you so much…You truly have my gratitude… More than you think…"

"Don't thank me," Lisvern crossed his arms. "If you should thank anyone, thank Vernon, most of this food came straight out of his own pockets."

'Vernon'? The elder's mind spun trying to recall that name, before he finally gave it a face, one that sent his guts dropping and his mind spinning faster in speechless disbelief.

"Hey, Adam, have you seen Alucard anywhere this morning? He should be getting hungry by now no?"

"Alucard? Yeah! I did get a glimpse of him as I was setting things up! He was slowly walking up from towards the front of the village!" Adam yelled back panting, still cooking as though he had ten arms. "He looked really tired, he told me that he's not hungry since he managed to eat some berries in the forest and that he needs more time to rest his wounds!"

"I see! I really can never figure that guy out ever!" Lisvern slowly laughed.

But that was when all laughter came to a halt.

A sound of ruffling emerged from the bushes nearby forest, and all's attention was taken. Their minds imminently spring to thinking of the worst, that that the goblins had smelled the cooking food and had come to attack them.

Yet, even goblins could not have incited the same reaction as that figure that emerged.

More than ever, that man looked like an animal. It was the figure of a filthy, bloodied, short, red-haired man, his reddened rapier sheathed to his side.

All breaths were taken. Everyone had the urge to run away or defend themselves and their family, and yet none even moved past their trembling, remembering the image of what had happened the night before. And none bore such a reaction more than the village elder himself who acted as though a demon had walked out of the woods.

"So… This is the source of that sudden smoke?" Vernon broke the silence, staring at all the fresh food with disinterest in his eyes.

"Oh hey Vernon!" Lisvern waved. "Didn't think to see you so soon! Want a sandwich?"

"I'm hungry, but save that for later… How could you be so happy at a time like this? You know exactly what I'm here for… "

"Yes… I do…" Lisvern's casual face suddenly softened. "But, what's wrong with a little optimism? Taylor wouldn't want us all depressed for them would they?"

"..."

"VILLAGE ELDER!" Vernon abruptly raised his voice, and it was as though it was a gust of wind directed at the elder's unsteady heart, making him instinctively walk back and crash on the wall behind him.

"Y—Yes? What is it?"

"I still don't like your ass! But I need to rely on you for now… How is Taylor?"

"Y—your friend?" He gulped down to his deepest depths, calming his bladder. "I checked on them this morning! They haven't woken yet, but the nurses are still trying their best to help them!"

"I see… Now take me to them… I wanna see for myself…"

Drip

I haven't written any notes in a while, so I will here. Are you guys liking the novel so far? If so, do you have any criticisms that I can work on? Is the release schedule good? Chapters good enough? I'm trying my best to write the best novel I can and everything is appreciated, thank you! <3