TOPWL 62

“Father, what brings you here?”

“Some travelers from the capital were in town. Thought I’d come introduce you. This here’s my son, Jay.”

Jay gave a polite bow to both Yudit and Shane. He was a bit shorter than Shane but just as broad, his body tightly packed with muscle. He seemed shy, though—clearly not at ease around strangers.

“Come on, stand up straight, you rascal. Look at him, huh? My boy’s not lacking in any way, unlike his old man.”

“Father…”

Jay looked deeply embarrassed, not knowing where to look.

“Stay still. I’m trying to get you married off here.”

Brown pulled his son forward again, proudly presenting him like a prized stallion before a crowd. Jay, utterly mortified, squeezed his eyes shut.

“My father can be… a bit much. I apologize.”

“No need,” Yudit replied with a smile.

Apparently satisfied with the introduction, Brown gave Jay a pat on the back.

“That’s enough. Get back inside and finish your work.”

“You came all this way, at least come in. You should say hi to old Den while you’re here.”

“What for? I had drinks with the old goat just three days ago. I didn’t come here to get in your way—back to work with you!”

First he dragged him out, now he was shooing him away again. Jay scratched the back of his head and ducked back into the forge.

Brown grinned at Yudit and Shen.

“Well? Isn’t he a fine young man?”

“Yes, he certainly is.”

It wasn’t just lip service—Jay was objectively impressive. Even without Brown making a fuss, he’d do well for himself.

“He seems capable enough to find someone on his own.”

Brown shook his head.

“That’s only while I’m still around. What girl would want to marry into a house where the father’s got hands like mine?”

He turned quickly to Yudit.

“Don’t lie, just be honest—but make sure you tell them I’m going to move far away once he’s married. That’s important.”

“I’ll… do my best.”

“Good. Now then, anything else you’d like to see?”

Yudit hesitated. Truthfully, he wanted to take a better look around the forge, but didn’t want to get in the workers’ way. After a moment of thought, he asked,

“What do you usually make in the forge?”

“Everything people need. Swords, hammers, axes, spears… arrows too. Our village arrows are popular—real sturdy.”

“And where do you sell those weapons?”

“Where else? At the weapon shop. You want to go?”

“Yes, please.”

Pleased after introducing his son to people from the capital, Brown cheerfully led them to the weapon shop. The bell on the door clanged noisily as they stepped inside. The shop appeared empty.

“Where the hell’s that old geezer off to now? Look around while I check the back.”

“Alright.”

It felt more like a warehouse or armory than a shop. With the sheer number of weapons piled up, one could probably wage a minor war. Yudit examined the head of a well-sharpened spear. It had a good heft to it. Shen warned him from behind.

“Careful, sir.”

“I will.”

Yudit put the spear back down and moved to inspect bows and throwing stars. He lowered his voice.

“These look pretty solid. What do you think, Shen?”

“The swords are average, but the rest are impressive. This is above the standard for a village like this.”

“They said monsters attack often, didn’t they? Maybe that’s why?”

“That could explain it. Crude as they are, these weapons look made to kill. Likely a necessity here.”

Shane stroked his chin, seeming absorbed by one of the weapons. Yudit moved toward another section but suddenly jumped back in shock—a massive troll head mounted on the wall took up an entire side.

A hunting trophy, clearly—but why display something so grotesque?

This room housed armor. Yudit examined a rough green leather piece that looked like it came from a monster’s hide. The smell confirmed it. The stench of preservatives mixed with the odor of monster hide filled the air. Combined with yesterday’s lingering hangover, it was too much. His stomach lurched.

He covered his nose too late. Nausea surged.

He bolted outside.

“Ugh…”

A short distance from the shop, Yudit crouched down. His stomach churned as heat flooded his insides, and he vomited up everything he had. Unsteady, he staggered to the side and sat heavily. His head was spinning as if the alcohol from the night before had returned full force.

He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

Someone approached. He assumed it was Shane, but something was off. No words, just quiet breathing. Yudit turned.

Standing beside him was a green-skinned creature wielding a weapon.

Startled, Yudit scrambled back. It was about half the height of a human, limbs thin, belly distended.

“Kiiiik!”

It bared yellow, jagged teeth and brandished a dagger. The blade was blunt and rusty, but one cut could be dangerous.

“Kiiiiiik!”

It swung wildly, forcing Yudit to retreat step by step. The weapon shop grew farther away. If he stayed like this, things would get dangerous.

He suddenly stumbled backward on purpose, rolled to the side, and used the creature’s moment of surprise to break into a sprint. The recent rain had left the ground muddy—he couldn’t run well. He glanced back.

The creature was now charging on all fours—and not alone. There were four of them. If he’d kept going in that direction, he’d have run straight into them.

Yudit drew his sword from his thigh and pushed his legs harder.

Then one of them bit his ankle.

He felt a sudden warmth, then something sank into his flesh. The goblin had leapt and sunk its teeth into him. Yudit swung his blade in a panic.

“Kiiiiik!”

He felt the resistance of flesh give way, and the weight on his ankle vanished. But something was wrong. His leg was stiffening, starting at the ankle and working its way up. The goblin’s bite must’ve been venomous.

The others, sensing his weakened state, attacked again.

Yudit turned to face them—he wouldn’t show them his back.

That’s when a gust of wind swept past him.

Shane surged forward, pushing Yudit back. With one swing of his longsword, he sliced through a goblin’s neck, then drove the blade into another’s heart and kicked it away. Blood gushed from the wound.

It had all happened in the blink of an eye.

Yudit collapsed, stunned, watching it all.

The last goblin realized it stood no chance and fled.

Instead of chasing it, Shane turned and finished off the one Yudit had wounded, stabbing it through the heart.

“Are you alright?”

He hadn’t even wiped the blood off his sword before checking on Yudit. He spotted the bite immediately, his expression darkening.

Without waiting for a reply, Shane lifted Yudit’s ankle. The wound had turned a sickly purple.

He clicked his tongue.

“What were those things?”

“Poison goblins. Pardon me.”

Before Yudit could stop him, Shane tore open the fabric around the wound and took Yudit’s dagger. He carved a cross-shaped cut over the bite. Dark red blood began to flow. Without hesitation, Shane pressed his mouth to the wound and sucked the poison out, spitting the blood aside. He repeated the process five or six times until the blood began to lighten in color.

Just then, Brown came running out of the shop, panting.

“What happened?!”

“He was attacked by poison goblins. Where’s the physician?”

“P-Poison goblins?! The physician’s in the village! I’ll get a cart—!”

“I’ll carry him. Just lead the way.”

“R-Right! Follow me!”