1. Let's embark on an adventure together, just like that.

"After all, let's go to Nierstan and become adventurers!"

After saying this to me, the smartest person in the village packed his bag and left, leaving me alone with a question mark on my head.

Wait, what?

Didn't we agree to go together and now you're leaving by yourself?

Fine, leave if you want, but at least tell me where Nierstan is so I can find you, you bastard!

Damn it!

......

This all started many days ago.

"So, you're a traveling merchant? A trader who sells goods everywhere?" The enthusiastic Heartfire looked the girl in front of him up and down. The girl was devouring our lunch with gusto.

"I'm just Shu... um, cough." It was clear that she was choking while trying to answer Heartfire's question. Meanwhile, the culprit looked at the scattered items around her without any awareness. I couldn't bear to watch, so I took the water bottle from his hand and handed it to the girl.

"Finish eating first, he's been anxious to leave the village and explore the outside world for a long time, so waiting a bit longer won't make a difference." I said helplessly.

"Okay..." The girl continued to wolf down the food, famished.

We met this girl on our way to collect firewood. She was lying on her scattered goods, looking like she was about to starve to death.

We were both startled since we didn't see many strangers around here.

Occasionally, there would be traveling merchants who came to our village with some goods. During those times, the village chief would warmly welcome them and gather items from each household to exchange with the outsiders.

Well, ordinary villagers wouldn't be able to see the true identities of the traveling merchants, but we knew they were "outsiders" with goods.

So, if someone unfamiliar was seen in the village, it was definitely a merchant. After all, no one would be bored enough to come to this remote village.

By the way, let me introduce my good partner, Heartfire.

As I mentioned earlier, he is the smartest person in the village. Despite being around the same age as me, he has already mastered knowledge that even the village elders don't understand, and he can deduce things that confuse them.

Since a few years ago when merchants began to occasionally visit the village with various interesting things, Heartfire has gradually grown tired of this small village and started yearning for the larger world with its intriguing items.

Well, I don't have any particular ideas about that.

At that moment, I didn't think about what kind of conversation Heartfire would have with this girl. Thinking about the task in the village that hadn't been completed today, and how Heartfire found the task boring, I let him take this lost traveling merchant to the village to continue collecting firewood by himself.

And then, the incident happened.

Lying under the shade of a tree not far from the village, doing nothing.

Today's task was completed early. If it were a few months ago, the time would be spent listening to Heartfire's rambling about strange things. Of course, that was because he discovered that I could understand what he was murmuring about.

A true friend is hard to find, huh?

Although I don't really care about what Heartfire says, life became boring without his chatter.

As my consciousness gradually blurred, the cool afternoon breeze felt incredibly comfortable...

"Yunmeng! Yunmeng! There's a letter for you!"

"Huh? What's going on?"

Startled by the voice calling my name, I sat up and saw the village chief's lackey, Erduan, gasping for breath as he ran towards me. He had never imagined he would have to run errands one day, strutting proudly by the village chief's side.

"Hu, hu, here's a letter for you." Erduan plopped down next to me, and I subtly shifted positions.

"Mine?" I asked in confusion.

"Yeah, it was brought by a merchant from Nierstan today. He said Heartfire asked him to deliver it to you." Erduan wiped his forehead and flapped his other hand frantically.

Heartfire!

Excitedly, I opened the letter. Finally, this guy remembered what he forgot!

But when I unfolded the letter, I was stunned. Why was I so excited?

With Erduan's perplexed gaze upon me, I put the letter away, stood up, dusted myself off, and leisurely walked towards the village.

"Hey! Yunmeng! Aren't you going to read the letter? If you can't read, I can read it for you!"

"No need~"Joke, I've been next to the Heartfire for so long, how could I not recognize the characters?

When I returned home, I felt that the world had quieted down and I could think about things properly.

I didn't need to think about it, I knew that the route Heartfire sent me was to a place called Nielstan. Now, I had to weigh the pros and cons myself.

Adventurer? What's that?

I didn't know, but one thing was for sure, when I arrived at the new place, I couldn't bring all these things with me, and Heartfire only brought a bag. Everything was starting from scratch...

I was feeling a little excited just thinking about it!

I accidentally saw myself in the "mirror" on the wall, with a barely noticeable smile at the corner of my mouth, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Well, I thought I didn't care about the boring and tasteless life, but it was just because I couldn't see the direction of change.

I stretched lazily and relaxed my body.

The sky was gradually turning red, and the setting sun's afterglow was shining in front of the door. It turned out that my nap lasted until evening.

"Let's tidy up."

I muttered to myself and walked towards the bedroom.

2. Welcome, newcomer.

"Ah, damn it!" I threw the crumpled paper, which had been destroyed by me, on the ground.

It's not that Heartfire is unreliable, but because it didn't provide detailed instructions on how to reach Nielstan...

I got lost.

More importantly, Heartfire didn't have a plan for this situation!

God knows where I started getting lost!

Oh, God probably knows, anyway, I don't know.

Ah, I couldn't find the way back.../(ㄒoㄒ)/~~

"Hiss... Hiss..."

"Rustle..."

Hey hey, is this for real?

I slowly turned my head and saw a large snake with red patterns wrapped around a nearby tree, hissing and spitting venom. It was bigger than any snake I had seen in the village before.

"Listen, Yunmeng, generally speaking, the more patterns and brighter the color of the snake, the more poisonous it is. Don't provoke them randomly, or you might end up dead," Heartfire's warning was still ringing in my ears, but...

It was too big!

Whether I could run away or not was another matter, but if it wrapped around me, I would definitely die.

Damn it, I'm going to die in this unfamiliar place before I even get to see what Nielstan is like.

"Gurgle."

I slowly turned around, facing the red snake, and retreated slowly.

The red snake was also observing me carefully, moving on the tree, its snake eyes fixed on me.

As I backed away, I felt something touch my back, I reached out my hand, it was a tree.

Run!

I made up my mind, turned around and ran around the big tree, with the sound of sand and leaves following closely behind me. Obviously, the red snake hadn't given up on me, its "prey".

"Help! Is anyone there? Help!"

I ran and shouted loudly, praying that someone would come and help.

"Ah!"

Classic trip and fall while running! Someone should come and save me now!

Wait, why am I sighing about this?

As the sound of the snake rubbing against the ground got closer, I tried to get up but found myself too weak to move.

Could someone...

"Sssh..."

The sound of the red snake's movement stopped, and at the same time, an unfamiliar sound rang out.

I turned my head and saw a person in armor holding a big sword, piercing the head of the red snake.

Our eyes met, and he showed a cheerful smile.

"Hey, young man~"

I was saved.

Exhausted, my tense nerves finally relaxed, and I felt embarrassed...

I fainted.

......

The light moved, and I uncomfortably moved my head, opening my eyes slightly on the side.

In my field of vision, the man from before was sitting by the campfire, roasting some unidentified meat, and the red snake was being brutally dismembered nearby.

"Hey, you're awake?"

"The operation was a success!"

Ugh, what's with that? Why does my mind always come up with these strange words?

I understood the situation and sat up.

"Thank you for saving me, but... I seem to have lost everything."

While running, in order to reduce weight, I threw away all my luggage and stuff. I also don't know where I am, and it's probably impossible to find them now."Never mind, it was just a casual thing. I'll continue even without your thanks; it doesn't really matter to me." He waved his hand and continued roasting the snake meat.

"Well... thank you again." I expressed my gratitude once more.

Both of us fell silent. He stood up and silently started disassembling the red snake, while I awkwardly watched him.

"What's wrong?" he asked me with confusion in his eyes.

He was asking why I hadn't left yet...

"Well, actually, I got lost," I scratched my face in embarrassment.

"Haha! You're quite an interesting new person. Haha..." He couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Oh? Going to Nierstan from the village? What for?" His laughter abruptly stopped.

"I have a friend there who asked me to come and become an adventurer."

The man in front of me pondered for a moment. "Oh, you're one of those newcomers who were dragged into this. Getting lost in the forest outside the city, quite interesting."

"Well, if you could take me to Nierstan, I would be extremely grateful."

Being sold would be better than being left in this inexplicable place!

I looked at him eagerly, and he nodded. "Alright, since I'm just idling around, let's go together."

"Thank you!"

"Gruu~"

My stomach growled at an inappropriate time, and I looked at him awkwardly. He smiled at me in response, "Let's eat together."

"Okay!" I took the snake meat he handed to me and started devouring it.

Starting from scratch, I am truly an unlucky person.

After finishing the snake meat, we cleaned up the surroundings and left.

I won't believe anyone without good reason, but he didn't come to me after I was attacked by the snake. He saved me and gave me some food.

He must be a kind-hearted person!

"By the way, what's the name of the friend who asked you to become an adventurer?" He casually asked while I was lost in my thoughts.

"Oh? His name is Xinhuo."

"Xinhuo... Hmm, I'm called Yi Wangxi. And you?"

"I'm called Yun Meng!"

"Yun Meng..." Yi Wangxi skillfully cleared a clump of bushes, revealing a wide and neat road.

He stepped out of the forest and stood on the road, pointing towards a tall city wall not far away.

"That's Nierstan. Welcome, newcomer!"

[To be continued]