Departure

January 21st, 795 of the New Calendar, Fire Month. The Emerald Forest, south of the Principality of Ernifia.

"Guild Master, the intel should be accurate." In a jungle made of colossal green stone monoliths, a player clad in brown leather armor with twin swords at his waist was reporting to another. "The Principality's troops seem to have all pulled back."

"Do you think we can..."

"They pulled back..." The person conversing with the dual-wielding man was a burly player draped in a blazing red mage robe. The robe was overly large, looking somewhat out of place on his frame, but perhaps out of habit, he unconcernedly waved his fan-like sleeves and suddenly raised his voice: "Pulled back!"

"Pulled back means they aren't searching anymore! They're done with everything! They..."

The man who looked like a mage struck a massive emerald monolith behind him with his fist: "They're done with everything, what use is it for us to go in now..."

"Uh, but Guild Master, maybe there's something they missed..."

"I know what those people from the Principality are like!" The red-robed man flicked his robe and marched forward angrily. "We've made moves in many places around here, and I've dealt with those people before. If... if Horsman had personally overseen these matters, those patrol squads wouldn't have appeared at all! But letting those local yokels handle it... Hmph!"

"As long as they're involved, any good thing turns bad, and not a single good item... will be left for you!"

The red-robed man kicked a loose stone away with zero mage-like composure. "A bunch of locusts!"

"Alright, alright, don't get so angry. Although I told you long ago..." In the giant stone forest on the other side, a man in black cloth garments walked over with a few players. The player was quite handsome, with a striking face and long black hair tied back with a knot. Though his cloth robe was black, it looked remarkably clean and bright. Tucked into his grey cloth waistband was a long, tubular object that looked somewhat like a flute, though there was no telling where he had acquired it.

The remarkably pristine-looking man was currently holding an unidentified fruit, taking continuous bites as he spoke.

"You told me to send people here long ago, I know!" The red-robed man waved a hand, cutting off the man's self-aggrandizement. "There are no 'ifs', and it's a fact that our guild has few people! Even if someone came, they'd probably get cleared out like those clowns, Duan Shanyue and Xueling Huanbing..."

"Jianghu and Wings of Freedom were able to ally, why can't we find partners? Besides, those two guilds actually teaming up... Heh, I simply don't believe it." The black-robed man casually tossed away the fruit core he had been left with, then reached into his tunic and pulled out another piece of fruit. He rubbed it absentmindedly and, just as he was about to bring it to his mouth, seemed to remember something and extended it forward symbolically. "Green Stone Village specialty, Kalilai fruit. Want one?"

"Want one... Would you actually give it to me?"

"Of course... not." The black-robed man pulled his hand back and took another bite. "That place has already been plowed over by the two major guilds, and then plowed over by the NPCs again. Well... probably twice or even more, because according to those small fry, other unknown forces seemed to be involved behind the scenes as well..."

"Then why the hell are we coming here! It's all a waste of effort!" The red-robed man didn't mind the other's teasing and returned to the previous topic. "Such a remote place, and we went to all this trouble just to look at these leftover giant rocks? Sure, it's quite spectacular here, but look at it long enough and it's just more of the same..."

He waved his sleeves vigorously, generating a snapping sound in the air. "A waste of time! A waste of EXP! What about the Alliance Cup? The preliminaries start in a month!"

"Well, as for the competition, friendship first, competition second... Ah, alright, stop glaring at me. What are you still worried about after preparing for so long, Guild Master?" The black-robed man's voice was rich and mellow, though his words were somewhat slurred as he chewed. "As for coming here, besides handling our own business, naturally, we also wanted to find some gains that would benefit us."

"Oh? What did you find? Could it be those fruits? You've been eating them for days..."

"Finding people." Another fruit core flew through the air, and the black-robed man dusted off his hands. "Those three people who were in the same party as Duan Shanyue and Xueling Huanbing—since those two have kept their mouths sealed tight, those three are the primary parties involved in the incident. Based on my analysis of the available intel, they should be newcomers born in that starter village who happened to get caught up in it by chance. And..."

"Intelligence indicates that the ice and fire sisters from the Council of Seven should also be among the parties involved."

"The Mage Council? Our... superiors?" Up to this point in the conversation, astonishment appeared on the red-robed man's face for the first time.

"Yes. Therefore, figuring out the ins and outs of this matter is crucial for us. At the very least... it will be favorable for our relations with the Mage Council." The black-robed man wagged his finger and said leisurely, "This... is our most important harvest."

"Did you find those people?"

"No, but we've acquired some leads. Many people in that village, including some NPCs, recognize them. Word is... they should have already left the starter village and headed for Windflower Town." The black-robed man sighed. "Distance really is the greatest enemy. It seems we missed the timing..."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Maybe we could have intercepted them on the road..."

"How could we know they had already left without coming here to investigate? You need to use your brain for once, Sunset Solitary Smoke."

"Hey, aren't you here for that? Can the title of the Ghost Strategist be for nothing?" The red-robed man waved a hand dismissively and began walking back the way they came. "In that case, let's head home. Staying in a barren place like this for too long dampens the mood..."

The black-robed man shrugged and followed behind with the remaining members. "Fine, fine... Have it your way."

***

"Honestly... can't you think for yourself a little more? With so much intel sitting right there, just a glance would make everything crystal clear..."

"This is called making the most of things, putting the right person in the... what was it again? Anyway, having you handle these matters is definitely better than me doing it, hahaha..."

The anger from moments earlier had been completely cast aside by the red-robed man. He clapped the black-robed man's shoulder with a hearty laugh, completely ignoring the other's wincing expression.

Gradually, the group vanished into the massive stone forest. The mellow voice of the black-robed man drifted in the tranquil air like a low whisper.

"Sigh... To end up with someone like you..."

***

Returning to a few days prior, the center of Green Stone Village, the village chief's house.

"So, Benny's matter is left in your hands, Granny."

"Everyone has always looked out for that poor little boy, so there's no need to ask..."

Inside the apothecary next to the village chief's house, Duan Qing and Mengzhu were conversing with the elderly woman. On one hand, Mengzhu wanted to bid farewell to the kind and amiable old woman; on the other hand, Duan Qing remembered what the elderly woman had previously mentioned about Benny when they first arrived.

Although little Benny was resilient, he was an orphan now nonetheless. Finding other NPCs capable of caring for him would be a good ending for the young boy. Recalling the casual remarks the apothecary granny had made about Benny during their previous conversation, the two decided to entrust this little hero's future to her before leaving.

Naturally, this was still the kind of thing ordinary players would not bother doing.

Once the small talk began, the talkative granny started chattering away at the two of them as usual. The conditions of various households, domestic gossip, recent events, and how adventurers were starting to grow in number. True to form, the young girl became the primary target of this verbal bombardment. She sat upright, hands resting on her knees and twisting them around, while flashing a continuous, awkward smile and shooting aggrieved glances at Duan Qing—who was currently pretending to stand aside and inspect the apothecary's wares.

Just like last time... I'm going to dock a hundred coins from the equipment budget later, hmph!

Because there was still plenty of preparation to be done, Duan Qing and Mengzhu didn't want to linger too long. Over the past few days, they had finally managed to sell off all the accumulated items in their possession and convert them into currency. Because she held the property rights, all these coins ended up in the hands of the money-grubbing Mengzhu, whose eyes had been sparkling. Though greedy, the young girl solemnly swore to spend the money wisely. Thus, apart from revisiting villagers to say their final goodbyes, the remaining task was preparing for their new journey.

However, there was still one matter Duan Qing found intensely interesting.

"You go on ahead... Wait, or go do something else for a bit," Duan Qing instructed, waving a hand after they stepped outside. "I have some other business I'd like to discuss with that granny."

Under Mengzhu's skeptical gaze, Duan Qing smiled casually. "Don't give me that suspicious look, it's nothing important... Or would you rather go listen to more rambling?"

Hearing that, the young girl shook her head like a rattle. "No way!"

The two agreed on a time and place, then parted ways. Duan Qing casually pushed open the apothecary's door and found himself face-to-face with the elderly woman, who was sitting serenely behind the counter.

"Oh? Is there something else..." The kind old woman swayed back and forth like a roly-poly toy. "Or do you want to buy some medicine? I heard you're going on a long journey, so you must be careful. Making preparations is a good thing, but..."

"Granny..." Duan Qing waved his hands repeatedly, cutting off the impending endless stream of nagging. "May I ask... what is your relationship with the village chief's house next door?"

"Ah..." The granny's smiling expression radiated warmth. "That is... my husband. Is there a problem? Did you run into some hardship in Green Stone Village..."

Her face hardened. "We will definitely see justice done for you..."

"No, no, no, I didn't encounter any difficulties..." Duan Qing waved his hands frantically again. "Uh, what I wanted to ask was the given name of our village chief..."

"A name... It's been so long since anyone mentioned that name..." The old woman dropped her kind expression, seeming to sink into distant memories. "I always called him Fabre. His surname... let me think..."

The old woman frowned and looked up at the ceiling. "It seemed to be... Fabregas..."

"Such a familiar name." Duan Qing smiled while casually glancing at a tiny emblem on the antique wooden shelf nearby. "I suppose you and your husband are very familiar with the Emerald Forest..."

"That thing..." The old woman stopped her swaying and chuckled. "That's also from a long, long time ago. Sigh..."

"The Emerald Forest of today is the true Emerald Forest... Most people in the village know as much." In the old woman's eyes, the depth of ancient ice gradually gathered. "You've all seen it now, so... everything is already..."

***

"...In the past."

The white-haired old woman slowly resumed her rocking motion. "Green Stone Village has stood here for hundreds of years. I hope from now on... it can continue to exist just like this."

"That is the wish of both of us as well." The old woman looked at Duan Qing with a serene smile.

Fina's cloth-weaving household, Amblu's hunting household, the general store owner... Leaving the apothecary earlier than anticipated, Duan Qing took advantage of the remaining time to visit several households he had good relations with, bidding them farewell one by one to tie up loose ends with the high-affinity NPCs. Everyone expressed regret over Duan Qing's departure and offered blessings for his future travels.

By the time he reached the blacksmith's house, the bald man seemed to have caught wind of something and was already sitting beside a small round table in the center.

On the table sat a clay pot and two small cups.

"Kalilai juice, a specialty of Green Stone Village."

"Such... lavish hospitality, Uncle. But treating me so nicely all of a sudden makes it hard to adapt..."

"I heard about what happened in the Emerald Forest." After a long silence, Val, sitting beside the small round table, finally broke his quietude. He looked at the man he hadn't thought much of initially, his muscular, shirtless upper body remaining motionless like a sturdy boulder.

"I... used to be a soldier," Val said. "Later... I deserted the army."

With a splutter, Duan Qing spat out the juice he had just swallowed.

*What the hell? You finally told the truth, but 'deserter' is quite a bombshell...*

"I like this village, and I hope... to live here. So... for the things you did..." The blacksmith's voice turned somewhat stiff. "I want to express my sincere thanks."

"That's the phrase I've heard the most these past few days." Duan Qing wiped his mouth and responded nonchalantly.

"Hmph..." Val grunted coldly, then picked up his cup without drinking, staring intently at the pale green liquid before suddenly speaking: "Windflower Town, Wessel."

"What?"

"A man like you should go find him." The blacksmith offered no further explanation. "A caravan is coming by soon, you can travel with them."

Every once in a while, the merchant caravan from Windflower Town would visit this small village to conduct regular trade and deliver necessary daily supplies. The maintenance of this trade route was arguably a crucial factor in allowing such a remote place as Green Stone Village to survive to this day. These very days happened to coincide with the trade caravan's trading window, and they were currently stationed at the northern intersection of the village, preparing to head back in two days.

The blacksmith stood up, apparently intending to return to his small private room. "Gid and I are close, he should look after you. When you see Wessel, remember to... drop my name."

With a thud, the small door closed once more.

"Sigh..." Duan Qing shook his head and unceremoniously tilted his head back to finish the remaining juice. "You really need to work on expressing your emotions."

"A shy uncle..."

The figure vanished into the cramped room, leaving behind only the swaying, partially ajar door.

Two days later, on January 14th of the 795th year of Fire Month, Duan Qing and Mengzhu boarded the caravan bound for Windflower Town. Although it was just a routine return trip for the caravan, for Duan Qing and Mengzhu, this marked their departure—the beginning of a new journey.

Seated at the front of the carriage, Duan Qing looked back one last time at the exceptionally tranquil little village, catching sight of the elderly figure in worn white clothes and white hair just as expected.

The elderly village chief of Green Stone Village stood at the village entrance, watching the caravan—vital to their village's survival—slowly set off, much like he had countless times before. Only this time, his aged gaze seemed to hold an extra layer of meaning.

He lingered for a long time, then shook his feet and slowly walked back. Deep within the village behind him, the raw, roaring voice of a gong abruptly rang out, echoing into the distant sky.

"Marching a thousand battles—never—to return—"