Then We Shall Storm the Tiger's Den and Smash the Wolf's Lair

With the Flame-Flame Fruit's Logia elemental transformation to fall back on, Hughes was naturally unharmed.

Sparks burst from the wound, and before long, his shattered head returned to normal in the flames.

Frowning deeply, Hughes turned around. He wanted to see which bastards were so lawless!

If he hadn't had the Flame-Flame Fruit, a blow like that to the head would surely have earned him a place among the fastest-dying transmigrators.

"His head was gone, and he still recovered. He must be a demon!"

"Quick, kill the damned demon!"

"A demon! He's a demon, just like that family who came out of the church earlier. They're all demons!"

When Hughes turned around, he saw a group of villagers clutching farm tools, pitchforks, and spears as they glared at him. They hurled abuse at him, their vicious eyes seeming ready to devour him whole.

Hughes was somewhat taken aback. He had just helped this village wipe out a demon and an evil dark magic cult. Even if they weren't grateful, surely they didn't have to treat him like this.

A demon? Your whole family are demons!

Worried that they had mistaken him for someone else, Hughes had a sudden idea. He hurriedly used the Flame-Flame Fruit to gather flames in his hand, passing them off as fire magic and showing them to the villagers.

"Hey, hey, hey! Look closely. This is fire magic. I'm a human, not a dem-"

Before Hughes could finish, several pitchforks came flying down, tearing his newly reformed body into pieces again.

The throbbing vein on Hughes's forehead grew more pronounced...

The clamor in the crowd grew louder, and then stones and all sorts of weapons rained down on him in waves.

"Bastards, can't you understand what I'm saying, or are you blind?!" Furious, Hughes's eyes widened. He curled his right hand into a claw, and five flames appeared at his fingertips.

He slashed through the air, sending the five flames flying from his fingers. They grew into five streams of fire that bombarded the crowd ahead, their scorching heat lingering as they burned on and on...

"Lay another hand on me, and I'll wipe you out one by one!" Hughes glared straight at them, an inexplicable aura bursting from his body as he roared.

Even he, a mental patient in hospital clothes, wasn't as brazen as they were.

The unruly villagers caught in the flames fled in panic, wailing. Still angry, Hughes snatched up a pitchfork at his feet and hurled it after them.

The pitchfork sailed over the crowd and fell among them, piercing one man's calf and pinning him in place.

"Ah, my leg, my leg! Help me! That demon's coming, help me!"

When disaster struck, everyone looked out for themselves. His cries of pain and pleas for help only made the people around him abandon him faster.

The villagers wished their parents had given them two extra legs so they could run faster. Each terrified of being left behind, they shoved and pulled at one another in an ugly spectacle, stumbling back toward the village amid a chorus of curses.

Only then did Hughes's anger subside a little.

Flames rose from beneath his feet. He bent his knees and pushed off the ground, and with the flames propelling him, he leaped in front of the unruly villager pinned by the pitchfork.

"Spare me, spare me! Please, I'm begging you!"

The man's cringing cowardice prompted Hughes to spit straight at him.

"Pah! I'm the victim here!"

If he hadn't had the Flame-Flame Fruit, never mind the pitchforks and spears-the stones alone could have beaten him to death.

Hughes grabbed the end of the pitchfork and yanked it out of the man's calf, then looked at the pitchfork in his hand and the unruly villager, who had fainted from fright.

Hughes couldn't help feeling contempt. He wanted to spit on the man again, but his good upbringing made him hold back.

The unruly villager had screamed so loudly that Hughes had thought his leg bone was broken.

Only after coming closer and pulling out the pitchfork did Hughes realize that just one of its tines had pierced the outside of the man's calf. The unruly villager could have gritted his teeth, pulled it out himself, and fled.

Pah, coward!

Remembering that he was a mental patient, Hughes abandoned all restraint and delivered the spit he had held back earlier.

He had wanted to ask for some information, but seeing this, he could only give up.

[Ding! Quest "Clear Out the Mountain Bandits": mountain bandits driven away: 1/36.]

The system's sudden announcement startled Hughes. Hadn't he accepted only one quest, "Defeat the King of Mount Colubo"?

A screen visible only to Hughes instantly opened. Sure enough, "Clear Out the Mountain Bandits" had been added to his pending quests.

[Drive Away the Mountain Bandits: A new group of mountain bandits has recently arrived on Mount Colubo. Their numbers are great, and they pose a serious threat to the Dadan Family's position on Mount Colubo. Defeat them and use your strength to teach them how to behave.

Note: This is a hidden quest and has been accepted automatically. Current number defeated: 1/36.]

[Quest reward: Improved physical condition (already granted in advance)]

[Quest penalty: The Flame-Flame Fruit will be reclaimed.]

Hughes focused on the quest description. Once again, the explanation was baffling.

But this time, there didn't seem to be a time limit. Hughes checked several more times, and sure enough, there wasn't one.

So how had this hidden quest been triggered automatically? Hughes glanced thoughtfully at the unconscious villager on the ground, and understanding dawned on him.

Isn't this just a freebie...?

He casually tossed aside the pitchfork, dusted off his hands, and headed toward the village where the unruly villagers had fled.

Heh heh...

He was in no hurry, as relaxed as a cat playing with a mouse.

Walking through the rather dilapidated village, Hughes finally realized that the abandoned church he had just destroyed could actually be considered luxurious.

Everywhere he looked, the houses were mostly low and old, and the village roads were largely rough and uneven.

There were plenty of people in the village, but they weren't very friendly. Whenever they met his eyes, they ran into their houses in a panic, slamming doors and windows shut with considerable force.

"Hah..."

His anger, which had mostly faded, flared up again.

He raised his foot, bent his knee, and kicked...

Hughes planted a vicious kick on the door of the house closest to him. Unable to bear the impact, the old door flew apart, and the tremendous noise frightened the surrounding villagers into locking their doors and windows tight.

Inside, the homeowner, who had attacked Hughes with a pitchfork, trembled all over. Then, using his thick neck, he somehow managed to forcibly restrain one of Hughes's hands.

"Where is this?"

The homeowner, who had thought Hughes had come for revenge, suddenly stopped trembling.

He stared at Hughes with wide eyes. "That's all you wanted to ask?"

Hughes loosened his grip on the man's neck slightly and nodded coldly.

He was no great saint, nor did he have the slightest interest in the village's plots and schemes. Powers like this world's kingdoms, the Magic Council, and the official guilds could deal with those matters.

He was just an ordinary transmigrator. As long as this trash didn't provoke him, he couldn't even be bothered to look at them.

The homeowner coughed a few times and drew a labored breath. "This is the border of the Kingdom of Fiore. Ours is just a rundown village without even a name... If you want to go to a big city, leave the village and go straight. Cross a few mountains and you'll see a town. There are trains and carriages and the like there."

The homeowner's words gave Hughes, who was familiar with the map of the Fairy Tail world, a general idea of which direction to take.

Then Hughes asked him the question he cared about most. "What year is it?"

The homeowner was clearly a smart man who valued his life. He showed no sign of an unusual reaction to being asked a question even a small child could answer.

His tone remained normal. "Year X778!"

After receiving the answer, Hughes put his mind to work. If he remembered correctly, the story of Fairy Tail didn't begin until X784. The main cast might only be children in their early teens right now!

Not bad. Better to arrive early than late!

In a very good mood, Hughes patted the homeowner on the shoulder. "I'm very satisfied with your answer, and I'm pleased with your attitude too!"

Hearing this, the homeowner's racing heart slowed a little, and a fawning smile appeared on his face.

"But remember, you're not wrong, and neither am I. It's this world that's wrong!"

"Huh?"

Hughes suddenly swung the hand resting on the man's shoulder upward at an angle, the back of it striking the homeowner's cheek.

The homeowner spun three and a half times in the air, then landed and fell fast asleep like a baby!

A screen visible only to Hughes instantly opened.

[Ding! Quest "Clear Out the Mountain Bandits": mountain bandits cleared out: 2/36.]