"Hah! I win!"

"No! You cheated! Your foot clearly stepped on the line!"

"What!? It didn't! You are just fuckin salty!"

"Liar! This is bullshit! I'm not playing anymore!"

In one of the muddy streets within the village, children's playful banter drowned the nearby area as they played a game similar to hopscotch, only with much more squares. The elderly folk watched the heated argument with pleasant smiles, as they lazily bathed under the morning sunlight, probably reminiscing about their youthful days.

bonk! bonk!

Resounding punches immediately fell upon the heads of the two arguing kids, silencing the entire debate. A small reddish lump could be imagined atop the skulls, as the boys pitifully clutched them with drops of tears forming on their eyes.

"How many times have I told you not to swear!?" an angry and youthful female voice rebuked the loud pair.

"But, But...."

"No, buts!" the voice interrupted. "All of this is these damn geezers fault! Laying around drowning themselves in booze every night, of course, the kids will learn all of that," her sharp eyes glanced around the lazy audience, making some of the old folk avert their gazes in anxiousness.

"And where are your apologies!?"

"Sowwy!"

"hic! hic! I'm sorry sister Beti!"

"Hmm, that's better!"

The young girl had a satisfied smile, as she immediately hugged the sobbing brats, caressing their heads. Distinct deep brown hair tied into twin braids rested on her shoulders, barely reaching her voluptuous chest, which seemed quite unnatural for her age. Freckles could be visible on her white cheeks, probably the only feature that slightly negated her beauty.

"hehe, Sister Beti should relax once in a while. Too much anger is harmful to your body," a sweet and angelic voice resounded with a short giggle.

"You don't know anything Lena! If this continues, this whelps here will grow up to be just like them," Beti pointed towards the elder lot with a stern face. "What are you staring at! Go tend to the fields or something! Otherwise no booze for you tonight!"

At that moment, after a short instant of silence, as if a bomb had been dropped in the place, incessant murmurings played out as the elderly lot's faces warped in horror.

"What!! That's unfair!" A few old men shouted back in restlessness.

"Ah Ah, My bones are creaking in sorrow. Just how was this child raised, having such an attitude towards these dying man," some pulled out the victim card while shaking their heads.

"Ah, It's our fault. Our karma! O gods, please rescue us from this hell," some simply started acting like a melodramatic play.

"Mom, please don't do this," one senile geezer attempted a pleading puppy face, that could only make one cringe in disgust.

"Who the fuck are you calling mom!",Beti roared, and the elderly group immediately burst out in laughter. It was not long before the girl shooed away the giggling bunch from the place.

"Hmph! Even though you swear yourselves all the time."

"Hah! What did you say?"

"No-Nothing!" the kids hurriedly resumed their game under the deathly stare of the female devil.

Beti sighed hard, before returning to her spot beside Lena, atop the mud slab in front of a village hut.

"Is everything alright? You seem troubled?" Lena asked noticing the girl's frown.

"Hmm? Oh yes, it's that party of adventurers that arrived a while back. People are just swarming into the place to catch a glimpse, and I have to work to the bone here because of them!"

'So that's why you forced the grandpas to work, huh'

Beti's parents owned the local village diner, along with a small brewery that rightly satisfied the villagers' thirst. Hence it was probably the most important resource for the village men, relieving their stress and worry on every occasional night. That is why the older folk couldn't complain against the young girl's shenanigans, reluctantly scurrying away for a mug of ale.

"Stay strong sister. Will I be able to lend a helping hand?"

"No way, those brats will nag at me every time, for making their pretty songbird do a menial chore," Beti refused with a laugh. "Grandpa Granos is already distracting the crowd with his bard poems, and frankly if not for him, even a slight rest would have been impossible."

"hehe, I don't think I could manage such a crowd yet. I think it might be a good experience for me."

"But still, adventurers huh...." Lena made a thoughtful gesture, staring into the distance. "Ne sister, Legas' father was also an adventurer, right? What kind of person was he?"

"Uncle Rogers?" Beti asked, displaying a quizzical face at the sudden shift of the topic.

"He was...probably the kindest person I've ever met. No matter what kind of crisis we faced, he was the first to step up to help. Even though the village rarely rewarded him anything in return," the girl explained, her face being downcast with an expression of slight sorrow.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't intend to...."

"It's fine, It's fine. It's only a story of the past...." Beti interrupted, letting a heavy silence descend between the two. A moment later, as if she remembered something, the girl spoke.

"Come to think of it, there was only one instance where the entire village had come together to help him. It was when Lora was born."

"Lora? Was there some kind of... problem during her birth?" it was Lena's turn to display a quizzical face at the mention of the little girl's name.

"Eh, you don't know?" Beti asked back in disbelief. "Hmm, then, how old do you think she is?"

"Eh? Umm, two to three years??"

"Lora is more than six years old."

"Ehhhhh! But, but...How? She's so small!" Lena's eyes widened in shock. Before she could ponder about the strange fact, Beti continued.

"I heard that she had a special condition, one that limits her growth. She was born as a normal infant but barely grew after. I remember seeing her being able to crawl only just before her second birthday.

"Although she started running very shortly after," she added. "At that time, both Uncle Rogers and Aunt Shreya were troubled with the lack of money required for a checkup at a physician, so all of us had intended to provide support for them. My father was even ready to sell his brewery if it was ever needed."

"And then, did they find the cause?"

"Well, I heard that it was not any form of curse or disease and that it was just the girl's inherent disorder...A-Anyways, why did you suddenly want to talk about this?" Beti diverted the topic, trying her best to force a smile.

"Ah, that's..." Lena proceeded to narrate her conversation with the hunter boy, of course excluding the little awkward details along the way. Beti attentively listened in on the event, especially at the part of Legas' answer, during which a genuine and beautiful smile gradually donned on her lips.

"Hmm Hmm, we are really lucky to have a family like them live with us.", Beti nodded her head with closed eyes while folding her arms. She looked just like any random old man talking to himself on the streets.

"Still, I wonder if grandpa knows about Lora's condition. He has...a lot of contacts through his travels. Maybe he can help locate a good expert if we asked?"

"Well, maybe you should then. But if you ask me, it's definitely that devilish brat somehow sucking away his sister's growth! I used to tease him when we were small because of his shorter height, but look at him now! I barely reach up to his chest! hmph!" Beti turned her head away with a cute pout, inciting a splendid and bright giggle from Lena. The two girls carried on with the gossip for another few minutes, the topics of their conversation changing like the skin of a chameleon.

"Beti! Hurry up and come over!" It was not long before a middle-aged manly voice interrupted their banter and the girl's face turned to a reluctant frown.

"Coming pops!" she replied, getting up with a sigh. "I'll be leaving Lena, it seems the crowd has increased further again. We'll talk later."

"Yes, sister. Don't overwork yourself," Lena waved to the departing girl as she slowly left her field of vision. Her eyebrows furrowed right after that instant, displaying a suspicious frown on her face.

"Adventurers??...I'll have to talk to him about this.", she muttered, before similarly leaving the place, disappearing into the distance.

Within the streets of the village, the hunter boy had a face of extreme displeasure, walking with heavy footsteps throughout the way. Accompanying him was a fairly old man, both of them trotting towards the main gate. This man, the village chief, had an equally nervous air around his wrinkly face, depicting a mixture of anxiety and excitement. The duo walked along with contrasting emotions, seemingly lost in their thoughts.

"It will be fine, kid," the chief suddenly spoke noticing the boy's frown.

"I had greeted them yesterday when they had arrived, and I can say with guarantee, that they are far different from the norm. You will know once you see."

Legas flinched for a moment, before turning his face with a sulking 'harrumph!'. The chief's words only made him remember the tragic memories of the past, instead of the desired assurance the old man had hoped for.

Ironically Legas' father, Rogers was a former adventure who was a native of the place. A 'cheerful idiot', as described by the older folks, he had been inspired by the hero's tale just like any other kid of his generation and had set off on a journey by himself to become an adventurer. Years later, he returned with a pregnant woman named Shreya who hailed from a tribe of hunters in a land far south. Both had a chance encounter by fate and had fallen in love, settling in the village permanently.

They had volunteered to clear out the monsters in the vicinity and provided some well-required meat to the inhabitants. The monsters in the outskirts were weak and posed no threat to the couple, and they had lived peacefully in the settlement, without any danger. After gaining another member, apart from slight discomfort, the merry family continued with their everyday lives, until they were visited by a group of adventurers one day.

They were Rogers' teammates from his adventuring days and had arrived seeking help from their old-time friend. They were about to venture out on an expedition to collect mass fortune, and wanted Rogers, their trusted Ranger, to join their party for one last time. Naturally, Rogers refused, giving the excuse of not wanting to part from his children, but later gave in to their persuasion for old times' sake. He set out reluctantly, leaving behind Shreya and the kids, promising he would come back as soon as possible. He did keep his promise, only that he did not return alive.

What came, or rather delivered, was his corpse, some silver coins, and a letter of apology. His 'comrades' did not even have the courage to personally visit and explain the situation. Shreya had a blank and emotionless look on her face for the entire time and had immediately set off from the village without a word after the funeral.

Legas still remembered the sadness and pain he had felt, as he had to take care of baby Lora alone, while uncertainly waiting for his mother for weeks. He still remembered the face she had when Shreya had finally returned, helpless and exhausted. That night, he had seen her hopelessness, sobbing quietly in the corner of the room. Seeing his heroic and courageous mother break down in front of him, fury and sadness were simultaneously embedded in his heart.

Since then, his dissatisfaction with adventurers only grew worse. He had started viewing them with the gaze of a cynic, never trusting any of their actions or words.

While Legas was immersed in his bitter memories, a strange sensation assaulted him the moment he arrived near the inn.

The boy was pulled out from his thoughts as his face distorted in shock, standing in front of the inn door. His body unconsciously stepped back, and his instincts honed through the acts of hunting in the wilderness, warned him, refraining to advance any further.

'Strong!!'

From within the inn, the boy sensed four extremely strong and overbearing presences. Although they showed no hostility, his back was instantly drenched in a cold sweat.

A mixture of complex emotions flashed past Legas' face as he stood still on the spot before he was jolted by the chief's voice.

"Let's head inside."