CHAPTER 3: Lin
◇(2.1k?) welcome to lin’s Course! Have fun
My name is Lin, I'm just a young Adventurer that managed to get a high rank since I first started.
As per request of Mister Flûgel, we are currently touring Cress inside of the village.
It feels like bliss, her soft skin and fluffy touch was just like sugar to my heart. Paired with her innocent expression, it was even stronger.
Smooth blue hair and Sapphire like eyes. She was just like my little sister on the coasts currently living with our parents. Which reminds me, Cress was around the same age as my little sister, about 11? No, 10?
Even so, I treated her just like my little sister and went around the whole place sightseeing.
"Lin, don't Monopolise Cress on your own. Come on, give her to me too!" (Cathy)
Cathy, my trusty friend since childhood accompanied me on my dreams to become an Adventurer and has been with me ever since. She is my partner in life threatening situations and my best friend at times.
Cathy has chestnut colored hair and brown eyes, while I have slightly yellow-ish chestnut colored hair and greenish eyes compared to us normies, Cress was the one that stood out amongst us. Nonetheless, her hair colour was nothing to be worried about, But it sparks me somewhat dubious upon closer look.
Anyways, Cathay’s main weapon of choice is a small bow that has two strings for power. You could say, it is a compound bow of sorts. While I am a swordsman with an arm length sword, a two sided sword with little to none weight to produce fast swings.
We are partners who protect each other and slay our foes whenever cornered.
"Sorry, I just can't get over how cute Cress is. If possible I would adopt her and leave my current career if possible." (Lin)
"Lin!"(Cathy)
"Sorry, I was just joking"(Lin)
"Don't say that! We worked hard for this! It's not okay!"(Cathy)
"Yeah I'm really sorry, look Cress is trying to calm you down"(Lin)
Our little Stewart was trying to calm down Cathy by tugging her clothes and saying 'mu mu!'. Cute!
"Yeah I'm sorry Cress, look Cathy-onee-chan is okay, see?"(cathy) 1(I wrote this in formal Japanese speaking. Too lazy to change it to english, I need to edit the current chappies since im two weeks late XDD)
Cathy picked up Cress by her armpits and placed Cress on the back of her neck, a piggy back ride.
"Hey unfair! Let me do that too!" (Lin)
"You're the one who's unfair! Monopolizing Cress on your own! I thought we were buddies!"(Cathy)
"But she is just so cute I want to do it too-(Lin)
We were arguing when Cress caressed the top of my head as if saying, it's okay I'll be yours later.
(What is this girl thinking now?)(cathy)
"Cathy I'm really sorry but I'll take Cress!!!"(Lin)
"Sorry to interrupt you ladies, and you too little jou-chan. But, can you calm down?" (?)
"Ah Chief-San, how's the mobilization"(lin) 2 i promise this will disappear later on XDD just deal with it
"Umu yeah! "(Cathy)
"You idiots don't just change the mood so suddenly. Sigh, anyways around 100 mediocre rank adventurers have been positioned and are ready to move out. By the way, why are you even asking this? You know that you two will stay here right?
Oh and that little girl on top of Cathy, care to introduce her will ya?" (Chief?)
Both I and Cathy greeted the Chief of this village with a polite handshake before he began talking.
" " This is-" " (Lin & Cathy)
Me and Cathy slipped in, but it seemed unnecessary as this little girl greeted uncle on her own without being told so.
"Cress nice to meet you" (Cress)
"That's it, hah! Come with your uncle here, I'll take care of you instead of these two idiots" (Chief? Uncle?)
"Umu *nods* " (Cress)
◇
Frederic, or fred for short. just your ordinary village chief you can see anywhere.
Months ago, a stampede occurred near our little village. Fearing this, I reported it to the authorities just the day after we found the remains of what seemed like a wagon buried in the rubble of a thousand footsteps.
Not long after the pack of adventurers arrived, our village was renovated to some degree in order to house over 100+ adventurers from all kinds of ranks, albeit nearly no high ranked.
There were only 3 of them, and the rest were mediocre ranked.
Anyways, several buildings were constructed and several facilities were repurposed.
In a blink of an eye, our small village was transformed right in front of our eyes into a small hideout.
Some of my peers and some of our villagers opposed the sudden change, but we had no choice either way since if not then we are as good as dead.
I sigh to myself when I heard the bickering from two of the three higher adventurers that arrived with the group.
They are a cheerful bunch that helped me ease the uneasiness of our village men, helped us with our daily needs and even shared several recipes to help us expand our culinary taste.
From what I heard. Those two in particular were friends since before they applied for this job. Childhood friends, is what I heard from their colleagues.
As I come closer to the two who are always arguing in some way or another, I spot an unfamiliar face on top of Cathy. A blue haired little girl, wearing the clothes that were requested from us a moment ago.
Ah, is she one of those two that had arrived from inside the forest? Hmm? Wait, so then the wagon, does it belong to them?
I need to dig out more. But let's save that for later.
"So little jou-chan, wanna come to uncle here? It's better than those two idiots" (Friederic)
"Umu"(Cress)
The girl, named Cress, nodded smoothly into my words. Huh, well I guess it isn't too bad for some old timer like me to experience raising a child.
"Good. Come on cathy-san, lower the child " (Friederic)
"Fine… " (Cathy)
"Hey uncle, that's unfair! She didn't know what to reply!" (Lin)
Retorted by Lin as she stomped on the ground. Sigh, hey lady, in my eyes you're a kid too you know?
Once the kid had been lowered down with sulken Cathy, I held her small hand and guided her instead of the two, leaving them behind.
I may not be a combatant, but I can more or less feel both of their presence on my back piercing me inside out.
Yeah yeah whatever, I brushed off the hurtful gaze of the two as I went around the village and began to introduce our new occupant to the villagers.
First the village's best cook, Miranda, she is a cheerful married girl that got back after a long and tiring journey of cuisine. Well you know what happens next, and how she goes back to her husband.
"Oh chief! Is this the little girl I've been hearing about? Well well, Isn't she cute! Come, let aunty serve you some cookies~ " (Miranda)
Her house was located in the centre of our village because she often ran the front of her house as a canteen of sorts for any travellers that come in our territory.
Her husband is an Ex Adventurer, but it doesn't mean he lacks the skills to be one. As a result, he was recruited into the crusade as a backup just in case.
The husband happily accepted the offer, but the wife was visibly oozing out demonic aura yet with an angelic smile. Scary.
"Nice to meet you" (Cress)
"Isn't she quite the polite girl? Hey you two over there, be like this little jou-chan can you? "(Miranda)
Miranda called out the two in the back who had their heads peeking out from behind of a crate.
Hey even if you two go out on your way to hide your presene, with your head peeking out and attracting the eyes from the onlookers, it is pretty obvious that you two are there right?
"Uh oh, I've been found out!"(Lin)
"Hey Cathy, i won't serve you your favourite dish if you don't come out from there " (Miranda)
"I have come forth madam! "(Cathy)
"Sigh, these two. When will your mischief end? " (Friederic)
I sighed deeply once again, I may be old but I also have a limit you know?
"Sowwy"(Cress)
"Aw jou-chan it's not your fault, okay? Your guardians are just dumb after all. " (Miranda)
"Oh yeah Cress, is Flûgel-San your papa?"(lin)
Lin out of nowhere then asked passionately to Cress who had a dumbfounded expression. But that expression returned to its normal 'I'm innocent ' face.
"Pa.. pa?"(Cress)
"Oh is her name Cress? Quite the cutie. Oh now that I think about it, she did come with another person right? I think it was a guy?"(Miranda)
"Flûgel… papa?"(Cress)
"Judging from your response jou-chan, it seems not? Papa is another name you call father, or a wife's husband. " (Friederic)
"Papa…"(Cress)
"Anyways, snacks are served! " (miranda)
◇ {Lin}
After tailing Chief-san Cathy, we tried our best to blend in with the surroundings while keeping an eye on Cress.
In the direction they went, it was most probably Madam Miranda's canteen. She knows a variety of inland cuisine, but not all of them. Still, she somehow knows how to cook Cathy-san's favorite dish.
Hearing this when we first met, brought joy to Cathy as this was most probably the first thing she was ever going to eat again after leaving the town we were in.
It is a special kind of food with a variety of dried and crushed spices that creates a yellow dust with an extremely strong smell into it.
Mixed with a boiled down coconut liquid, and some chicken it brought wonderful flavors into the mouth. When I first tasted it before we left, as a commemoration from her parents, I was outstanded by the flavor.
And its name was Curry. It was a dish brought by a traveller from the long, long past. Since then it has stayed with us ever since, never to be forgotten and even spread throughout the mainland.
Well that's that, it was the case for our place since it was near the beach. Coconuts on the mainland are hard to cultivate so they developed a special alternative which is using the syrup of a fairy tree.
It is a type of tree that's commonly found inside of the Forest, and conveniently enough we were right beside it.
Unfortunately, the villagers don't have any means of collecting the sap of the tree, but now that we're here we wondered if we could help.
Thanks to us, not only did madam Miranda's ingredients grow, but Cathy's tummy too. We had a laugh that day, even though it has only been half a week.
…
"Snacks are served" (Miranda)
Madam Miranda came out from the back carrying a wooden plate filled to the brim with freshly baked cookies, and about 3 cups of beer and 1 cup of milk for Cress.
Her eyes were looking at me and back to Madam Miranda in a trance.
"Go on Cress, this one's for you"(Lin)
I urged Cress as I gave the cup of milk. Knowing that she could've handle It on her own, me, Cathy and Chief-San picked up our cups of beer and cheered.
"Kampai!-"( the Three)
"Oh my!"(Miranda)
But it wasn't so hopeful as Cress's cup of milk fell down from her hands. I bent myself over the counter and grabbed a towel to wipe the milk off as I made a pout with my mouth.
"I think she may be still too little to handle such a heavy cup on her own, don't worry Cress, Aunty will give you another one. It's on Lin's tab anyways~" (Miranda)
"Muuuuu!!"(lin)
"..." (Cress)
Cress's eyes were fixated on the spilled milk on the floor. She just stood there as she watched it spread out like a net being casted. We also watched her, because we didn't have any words to say nor can we interrupt the kid as she interestingly stared at the cleaning I've been doing.
"Come on now, here Cress have some cookies "(Cathy)
A nice save by Cathy-San. She picked a cookie or two from the wooden plate and inserted it into Cress's small mouth.
We were genuinely surprised. The cookie slipped down from her lips and dont into her throat without even chewing.
It was just like a magic show, well, more or like a trick show. Anyways, everyone including Madam Miranda moved out of our way and checked to see if Cress was choking.
But, she wasn't. We checked her throat to see if it's stuck there or some other way, but it wasn't there. We checked beneath her tongue to see If she was just kidding, but it wasn't there.
Sweat piled up on our foreheads as we didn't know what to do.
"Is this where Cress is? Oh there she is, how's your day with the onee-chan's?" (Flûgel)
Flûgel-San entered the establishment with a parchment paper on his arms and checked on In with Cress-chan.
(So everyone is treating Cress as a girl, hmm? Let's play along with them) (Flûgel)
Cress, not knowing what to do, rushed towards Flûgel-San with wide arms as she embraced her Father(?)
"Papa…"(Cress)
(Papa!??) (Flûgel) *visible confusion*
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