Knights and Magic Wand

In the backyard of the blacksmith's shop.

Mr. Brian Sr. quietly listened while his daughter recounted the origins of Leon and his two companions.

Upon learning that the youths before him claimed to have traversed the Nightmare Forest, his gaze sharpened suddenly.

Crossing his arms in thought, the old blacksmith scrutinized them anew.

"Did you truly cross the Nightmare Forest?"

"We're not sure what you refer to as the Nightmare Forest, but if you are asking about the forest south of the village, then indeed we did," Leon honestly replied, finding no room to backtrack.

Mr. Brian Sr. stared intently at Leon, as though trying to see through whether the young man was bluffing or not.

After a while, he spoke meaningfully, "If what you say is true…your journey must have been very challenging."

"Father, since the farmhouse is idle anyway, renting out the three Der residences could bring in some income, don't you think?" Olivia waited expectantly for her father to nod.

"Uh-huh." Mr. Brian Sr. silently nodded, seeming to agree to her suggestion.

The old blacksmith patted his daughter's head, "Let's do as you suggest. You go tidy up the farmhouse for our guests, I have something I'd like to discuss in detail with these young men from afar."

"?" Olivia looked up, puzzled. What could there possibly be to tidy up in that vacant farmhouse?

Mr. Brian Sr. briefly dismissed his daughter with a hint of puzzlement on her face.

When he turned back to the three young men, his expression had turned stern, and his tone had shifted noticeably.

"Excuse my rudeness, young men from afar, but I retract my earlier words. I don't wish to rent you the house, and I hope that you can leave Selva Village as soon as possible." Though polite in his wording, his tone was rather firm.

"?" Leon and his companions exchanged glances.

How had their discussion, which was harmonious just moments ago, suddenly turned sour after Olivia left, changing the old man's demeanor completely?

Even the mild-tempered Leon couldn't help but feel displeased at this moment.

"What do you mean by this?"

Lokhak, who had been angered by the abrupt change, glared fiercely at the elderly man before him, "If you didn't welcome us foreigners, why didn't you just refuse us earlier? Your daughter invited us to rent the place, we're not pleading with you. First, you agree, then you send us away— is this how Orland people treat their guests?"

"Lokhak, calm down," Azeryan quickly grasped his impulsive friend.

Despite Lokhak's anger, the old blacksmith's expression remained unchanged.

"I understand your dissatisfaction, but please also understand that Selva is a small, secluded place that can't handle too much...risk."

"What risk? Uncle, you might as well clarify what you mean," Leon frowned.

It wasn't that he absolutely had to stay in this village, but the sudden excuse to send Olivia away and the abrupt change of attitude, without an explanation, was indeed annoying.

Mr. Brian Sr. narrowed his eyes.

"Alright, let's be clear—if you really didn't concoct lies to deceive my naive daughter, then don't you know what it means to live after crossing the Nightmare Forest? ...Or has the tale about the Cursed Land vanished in the Seryan Kingdom?"

Orland Kingdom also had similar tales of a Cursed Land?

Leon raised an eyebrow; he seemed to understand the old man's worries now.

"So you believe our experience, you know what's in that forest?"

"The matter's unrelated to belief, I do not know what kind of terrifying things exist in the Cursed Land, but even the Lord's army entering the Nightmare Forest never returned. Your experiences, I can hardly imagine."

The old blacksmith looked towards the direction where Olivia left, muttering, "Selva is just a fragile little village, unable to bear visitors like you full of ill omens and secrets, whether it's an old man's plea... please leave here quickly."

"If you really don't know where to go," Mr. Brian Sr. glanced at the weapons by the young men's sides and offered a suggestion.

"Head northwest from the main road at the entrance of the village, and within a day's journey, you should reach a nearby town. You people are strong and seem... to have 'blood' on your hands. In these current times, it should not be hard to make a living off the Lord's land."

"Is this the final ultimatum to drive us away?" Leon asked calmly.

"Heh heh, that's too harsh, I'm just an old blacksmith from the village, and I don't have the power to forcefully drive away passersby like you." Mr. Brian Sr. chuckled dryly and shook his head.

"This is merely the advice of a rude old man; however, while I don't wish for you to stay here long-term, this little village isn't so intolerant as to not afford travelers a rest if you assure you'll leave within these few days."

...

At the village entrance, Lokhak kicked a stone at the roadside with dissatisfaction, "Ah~... seriously want to punch that old man, acting as if we're eager to stay in this shabby village. If it weren't for that girl's suggestion, we wouldn't have had to endure his cold face."

"It's normal to encounter some xenophobic locals in a foreign land," Azeryan patted his shoulder.

"Stop complaining, let's look around, find a suitable camping spot before it gets dark," Leon said, not particularly bothered by the recent events.

After all, if they hadn't met Olivia, they were just planning to camp near the village. Now it was simply a return to their original plan.

They had just left the village when a familiar voice called out from behind.

"...~hey~....wait a minute~! Leon——..."

They all turned around to see Olivia waving from behind, shouting as she hurriedly caught up.

"What's she doing here again? Hasn't she toyed with us enough?" Lokhak said, still irritated, mouth twitching.

"Come on, it is not Olivia who wants us to leave," Azeryan couldn't help but laugh at his friend's childishness.

Leon turned back and paused, waiting a bit. After all, in a past life, he was almost thirty, a salary-man, naturally not as quick to take offense without reason like Lokhak.

Besides, everyone understood, at least this girl's intentions were purely good, it was just that her father had more to worry about.

Olivia quickly caught up with them, her emerald eyes full of regret. Nearly out of breath, she pressed her hands against her skirt, bowed deeply without waiting for Leon to speak, and solemnly apologized to them all.

"I just came back from the farmhouse and learned my father had suddenly changed his mind, really, I'm truly very sorry!"

Leon shrugged indifferently.

"It's alright, your father was very prudent. If it were me, I wouldn't dare bring strangers with unknown histories into my home either."

"Nevertheless, it's my fault for not considering my father's stance before making promises to you all. If you're still angry, feel free to scold me."

Olivia lifted her head, her expression full of guilt, even her beautiful blonde hair seemed to have lost some of its luster.

"Actually, my father is not usually so rude... he's normally very reasonable and willing to help others. Maybe... maybe the recent chaotic times are making him somewhat distrustful and anxious."

Lokhak scratched his head, finding it hard to see the old man as someone warm-hearted, but given the girl's earnestness, he didn't have the heart to hold onto his grievances too tightly.

Leon looked up at the darkening sky then said, "That's that then, we accept your apology, anything else? It's getting dark, and we need to find a suitable place for camping."

Olivia nodded awkwardly, "That's exactly why I'm here, to make up for my mistake. Please let me take you to a place. It's not a normal lodging house, but it definitely provides shelter from the wind and rain."