The local village diner was unusually crowded with people, as they vigorously ordered food and drinks. It was slightly past noon, with the sun being directly overhead, signaling the approach of lunchtime. Every day, at this hour, the diner would normally be greeted by a few lumberjacks who would have returned from a hard day's work in the forest, and a few families like Lena's who didn't bother cooking at home.

Hence the place usually remained empty throughout the day, only getting busy at nighttime, when all the old folks visited for a drink or two. However, currently, it was midday, and it seemed like half of the village suddenly had an urge to feast, as people endlessly swarmed into the inn.

Legas entered through the door only to get blocked by the backs of people that formed a wall. Both he and the chief had to squeeze in through the crowd, stepping into the open area of the hall to get a full view of it. People were packed to the brim inside, all of the tables were filled and as a result, many villagers had to sit on the floor.

The plump bellied man who owned the inn, frantically rushed from one corner to another, taking orders, while his wife displayed a haggard face, cooking multiple pots and pans behind the counter. With her twin braids swirling around, Beti carried trays with food and mugs in both hands rushing through groups of people. Her face looked like she was about to cry.

Although the majority of people either ate or drank while murmuring among themselves, they sneaked glances towards certain directions from time to time. Only now did Legas get to see the four strangers, that received the center of the villager's attention. Be it the appearance, clothing, or temperament, they looked so out of place within the village rabble, that the boy could imagine four spotlights illuminating them in the hall, saying 'These are the people you are looking for!'.

Legas stared at the adventurer that got the most attention from the villagers, particularly the perverted old folks. What greeted him was a provocatively displayed belly, with a curvy waist, and thick plump thighs beside the bar counter, as a woman sat there chugging down mugs of ale as if it were water. The exposure of skin was too much for a boy in his early puberty since Legas' gaze lingered on her shapely bellybutton for some time before he embarrassingly broke it off.

Finally glancing upwards, did he notice the vivid red hair on her head that just barely covered her jawline. Her hairstyle had a single ear exposed with a black piercing on it, which boosted her sensuality off the charts. She had a pretty face which indicated her age to be in the early twenties.

The only thing that could turn off many people, and possibly turn on some of them, were her eyes that were narrowed into slits as she glanced at the bystanders. When her gaze landed on some of her audience, they trembled as if lightning fell on them. Legas got the feeling of a poisonous viper from her aura, although he still could not take his gaze off her, despite sensing the danger. From the corner of his eyes, he found Beti glaring at him, her exasperated expression, with a cute pout, very cleanly spoke 'Hmph! All men are the same'.

In the corner of the hall, sat a big man cross-legged with his back planted on the wall. A greatsword lay on his lap, as the man rubbed it with something, presumably a whetstone. Even as he sat on the floor, his eye level was slightly higher than Legas. He probably reached a height of two meters when he stood, and his arms which were tending to the sword were as thick as a log. He had a young face and an aloof aura which prevented anyone from approaching near.

The third person sat with a group of village men on a table near the window and appeared not only to be the oldest among the group, but also the closest one among them who could mingle inside a village inn. He had short blonde hair and a french beard. His forearms that rested on the table were so, that it looked like a bundle of thick iron sticks. With a friendly smile on his face, he chatted with the village folks laughing every few instances.

All three of them appeared to boast superior physical abilities. The viper woman seemed like she could strike within a blink of the eye, while the friendly man could probably crush a human skull with his bare hands. The aloof young man looked as if he could easily cleave a boulder in two. Still, Legas found the most dangerous one to be the fourth person, the seemingly frail handsome man, sitting in the middle of the hall, alone at a table.

His face displayed serenity, as he slowly sipped a cup of hot coffee. Even approaching the man appeared difficult to the boy, since Legas could sense a massive 'something' from within his body. This was an all-powerful wizard, who could distort reality itself by his will. He calmly gazed at the approaching chief and slowly stood up.

"Oh no no, Master Wizard need not be courteous towards me," the chief hurriedly explained with a panicked face. How could an ordinary old man bear the courtesy of a wizard?

The wizard did not remove his peaceful smile as he sat back down. Once the village chief sat opposite to him, all other patrons along with the three adventurers, stopped any of their actions, focusing on the center table.

"It seems the chief has something that troubles him," the wizard amiably spoke.

"Yes, it is but a slight abnormality. The thing is..."

The village chief did not dare to be disrespectful towards the wizard, as he explained the situation as detailed by Shreya. A flash flickered through the man's eye while hearing the short narration. When the chief respectfully asked for a quest of investigation, a heavy silence descended in the hall.

The villagers suddenly started murmuring among themselves, some of them, especially the lumberjacks, had serious expressions since they had heard this news for the first time. The wizard sipped his beverage silently for a long time, pondering the situation.

The red-haired woman had a furious and ugly expression for an instant, but she wiped it off immediately. The friendly man's smile never faded from his mouth, while the aloof man resumed his work briefly after, displaying no reaction.

"I'm sorry, I will have to decline the quest, village chief," the handsome man had a polite tone and an earnest expression on his face.

The old chief had been fidgeting the entire time during the wizard's silence. A bitter smile formed on his lips, shortly after. Although he knew the chances were low, he still had a little bit of hope. This stemmed from the wizard's amiable behavior during the party's arrival, which was quite unusual for normal adventurers. Just when he was going to speak further, the wizard interrupted,

"I'm very sorry chief, but I would like you to understand our condition. As I had already explained, my party has just returned from an expedition, and we need some rest."

"I understand, Master Wizard. You do not have to explain it to us. We..."

"Let me ease some of your worries chief," interrupted the wizard again. "You are worried about the security of the village since monsters have been behaving unusually right?" The chief nodded slightly and the wizard continued.

"Why does the chief think that monsters, whose very nature is chaotic will always act according to patterns that we have discovered?"

Faint murmurings once again filled the hall, as the villagers tried to wrap their heads around the wizard's opinion. While some acted as if they had understood the situation, a majority of them just stared ahead with a blank look on their faces, attentively listening further to get a gist of the conversation.

"Ah!" the chief exclaimed as if he caught onto something.

"This village has survived for many years this close to the forests. Do you think this is the first time the woods were stirred up, and monsters got restless?"

Some of the villagers finally understood the implication of the wizard and even started nodding their heads in approval. It was a common belief that, in Eucleia, if gods represent order and serenity, then the monsters represent chaos. They are believed to only sought for this world's destruction and were born with no other purpose. It would be foolish to believe that beings born from chaos itself would act only in specific ways theorized by people.

"Plus, even if some trouble comes along, the chief can rest assured. We are very tired from our journey and will be lodging here for a while. We will surely defend the village if the need ever arises," the wizard assured as his gentle smile made it's way back to his face.

"Thank you. Thank you very much, Master Wizard!" the chief who had been convinced, bowed down expressing his gratitude. All villagers present had happy and excited expressions as they resumed their feast, bringing along the incessant murmurings once again.

All the people in the hall seem convinced, except for Legas, who held a doubtful face the entire time as he slowly made his way out of the unexpected banquet.

'If you consider monster behavior to be chaotic, how would you guarantee that they would not invade this time, even if the village had been free of danger in the past.'

'Did he just make it up as an excuse for refusing the quest?'

Legas pondered hard, oblivious to the fact that he had gained the wizard's attention, albeit for a brief period. Although he held a trace of disappointment, since such strong people could protect his mother from any danger, his mood was relieved in general. The boy had vowed not to repeat his father's mistakes, hence he could not trust any strangers so easily.

The feasting in the inn continued for some time after Legas left. The lumberjacks who had been worried since the beginning relaxed their faces and indulged together in liquor. It was a merry situation for the villagers who had gained protection from such strong individuals.

Only changes were the red-haired woman's expression, that had warped to the point, it looked like she was drinking bitter juice rather than ale, while the friendly man's smile had gone stiff and was frozen.

On the surrounding hills of the forest, quite a distance from the village, the tranquility was broken by the restless cries and howls of monsters. A large wolf with light and dark green patches was growling into the distance, it's vision covered by the vibrant trees. It's massive fangs lubricated with drool made for a heart tightening scene, as it slightly lowered down on its hind legs ready to pounce.

swish!

Just before it could act, a human figure sprang upon and the wolf saw a silvery-white light closing in instantly, right in front of its eyes. The monster dodged instinctively by leaping backward, moving away from the attack's reach.

swish! swish!

However, the moment before its feet touched the ground, another two human figures glided with frightening speeds either sides. The wolf was not given any time at the pincer attack, as it barely managed to deflect one sword with a swipe of its claws. while the other lodged straight into its throat. Before the monster could retaliate any further, the figure ahead sprang forward thrusting the weapon again, as the sword was skewered into the wolf's forehead between its eyes.

spurt!

The man pulled out the sword from the dead wolf's skull and swung it sideways. Blood spattered on the nearby grass, and the setting sun illuminated the weapon dazzling crimson. Numerous footsteps approached from behind the scene, lighting up many more silhouettes within the woods. Each person was wearing shattered tunics and bloody rags. Their overflowing murderous aura raged into the heavens, as they steadily marched forward with sinister smiles.

From atop a cliff, a man's gaze pierced into the distance, viewing the small village barricaded with wooden walls. His bear-like arms and the massive chest covered in scars, foretold his ability to slaughter, and his aura was in no way less than that of the visiting adventurers. Beside him stood a black-cloaked man, who contrary to his friends, did not emit any aura at all, which in turn made him appear very mysterious.

"It's hidden well," muttered the black-cloaked man.

"Indeed," the burly man said. He held a massive sword in his hands that looked like a tree trunk from afar.

Boom!!

The sword was stabbed onto the ground, forming a small crater on the rocky terrain, as the burly man glanced backward from the corner of his eye. Numerous figures could be seen, all similar to each other wearing worn-out rags and equipped with weapons, standing around the cliff at random. Some held axes, some held spiked maces, while the majority of them held steel swords. They glanced at the distant human settlement with greedy and sinister eyes. Towards such a vicious lot, the burly man bellowed with a booming voice.

"We raid at night!"