The Villager's Request

In the Northern Countries, Luo Ya Avenue, the setting sun bathed the road in a warm gold, and the distant mountain silhouettes gradually blurred.

Sein had just finished talking with a few passersby and turned back.

Frieren looked at him, her emerald eyes blinking. "What are you asking about?"

"Looking for someone," Sein, brushing the dust off his clothes with a matter-of-fact tone. "You remember why I embarked on this journey, right?"

Frieren thought for a moment, then tilted her head. "For my older sister?"

"Hmm... although the older sister is indeed a very important reason... but," he pulled out an old, hanging photo box necklace from his collar and gently opened it. Inside was a small photograph preserved with a memory spell—the photo showed a much younger Sein and a tall, smiling blond man.

"This is the real purpose of my trip."

In the photo, Sein didn't look as weathered as he does now, and the blond man had his arm around his shoulder, smiling broadly.

"A magician who passed through the village once took this picture and gave it to us," Sein added, his fingertips lightly tracing the surface of the photograph.

"So, have you found any clues yet?" Frieren asked.

"Hmm." Sein put away the necklace and looked ahead at the road. "We're currently traveling on the main road of the Northern Countries. From what I've heard, quite a few people have indeed witnessed that guy. Judging from the timeline, he should be continuing north..."

Listening to their conversation, Fern tilted his head slightly, a hint of reasonable doubt in his pale purple eyes. "Ten years have passed, and there's still such reliable intelligence?"

Upon Sein gave a "you just don't understand" look, tinged with a hint of smugness. "After all, his person and his name are just too unique. 'Gorilla Warrior' —even if you heard that title once ten years ago, you'd still remember it vividly, right?"

Fern thought for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Indeed. Then... what's his real name?"

Sein stroked his chin, lost in thought, "... Real name..."

Fern looked at him with a hint of disdain. "Are you really best friends?"

"Hahaha..." Sein chuckled dryly, trying to ease the awkwardness. "That's what everyone called him back in the village. And he was the one who first made us call him that. Come to think of it, ten years ago, probably not many people in the village knew my name was Sein; they all called me 'the Goatee Priest.'"

Upon hearing this, Frieren curiously examined Sein's chin. "You were called that even before you had a beard?"

Zain said matter-of-factly, "I've had this beard since I was a kid."

Fern: "... I don't want to continue this topic."

"In short, the title 'Gorilla Warrior' is enough," Sein, getting back to the main point. "Given his personality, he'll definitely announce this name wherever he goes, making it as conspicuous as planting a flag."

Lowell was walking slightly ahead, stopped and pointed to a fork in the road ahead, and the faint outline of a village at the end of the road. "Oh, we've reached a fork in the road. It's getting late, let's rest in this village for the day."

The group turned onto a side road and headed towards the village. At the village entrance, several villagers were tidying up their farm tools, preparing to go home.

Sein stepped forward with a friendly smile, "Excuse me, could you tell me if someone who called himself 'Gorilla Warrior' came here about ten years ago?"

Fern muttered to himself, "What an incredible conversation..."

The villager paused for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, you mean the Great Gorilla Warrior? Yes, yes, yes, I remember him so well. He helped our village drive away a group of monsters that were always harassing our livestock. He was amazing!"

Sein's face lit up with joy. "That's wonderful! Do you remember where he went afterward?"

"Uh... I don't quite remember the exact direction." The villager scratched his head, trying to recall. "But I do remember that he seemed to have a pretty good relationship with that 'Stubborn Granny' who lived on the high ground in the village at that time, and he even stayed at her house once. If you want to find out more details, you can go and ask her."

Fern tilted his head slightly. "Stubborn Granny... there's such a term."

Following the villagers' directions, the group walked up a sloping path to a high point on one side of the village, arriving at a lonely, old-looking wooden house. Sein stepped forward and knocked on the door.

After a while, the wooden door creaked open a crack, and an old woman with a stern face and sharp eyes poked her head out. "Who is it?"

Sein quickly explained his purpose and inquired about the "Gorilla Warrior".

After listening, the Stubborn Granny looked them up and down a few times, and said in a hard tone, "Hmph, I'm a very stubborn person, I won't tell you so easily."

Sein asked politely, "Then what would it take for you to tell us?"

The Stubborn Granny cleared her throat and said, "You need to do a few things for me. First, take this letter to Gai'er, the blacksmith in the next village, and have him bring back a reply." As she spoke, she passed the finished letters through the crack in the door.

Lowell watched from the side, gently nudging Frieren with his elbow, his tone tinged with amusement. "Oh! The side quest 'The Villager's Request' has been triggered..."

So the group took the letter, turned around, and set off again on the path leading to the neighboring village.

As darkness fell, the two villages were not too far apart, and if they quickened their pace, they should be able to make a round trip before nightfall.

"It feels like we're just errand runners," Sein he walked.

Frieren didn't seem to have any complaints, recalling in a calm tone, "It's similar to Himmel and the others' previous journeys; they often did these things."

"Yes, running errands, delivering messages, guarding caravans..." Lowell chuckled, "But usually, these small things escalate into more troublesome matters. For example, the letter has just been delivered when the blacksmith gets a new request, or it turns out the blacksmith's heirloom hammer has been stolen by some mountain dragon or monster, and then 'Villager's Request ②: Finding the Lost Forging Hammer' begins..."

Fern immediately glanced at him. "Lord Lowell, please don't jinx it."

"Anyway, let's complete the task first. Let's try our best to get that Stubborn Granny to open up to us," Frieren encouraged everyone.