This adventurer is overly righteous.

Carter once saw some children who would reluctantly give up their things to show their tolerance, generosity, and politeness, while secretly hoping that the other person would refuse so that they wouldn't actually take their things, which might be toys or candy.

In Carter's eyes, Croya was simply giving away what belonged to him without any hesitation.

This was either a polite formality, or he genuinely believed that he, who was merely sleeping in the tent and only helping to search for corpses after waking up, was worthy of the rewards he mentioned for the other half.

Driven by curiosity, Carter pretended to be unceremoniously take all the items that Kroya had left behind.

Short sword, inner armor, mask, magic dagger, ten silver coins.

Without the slightest displeasure or embarrassment, Croya simply yawned, watched Carter pack up the spoils that rightfully belonged to him, and finally went to his tent for a nap.

"What a weirdo," Carter muttered under his breath.

After an unknown amount of time, as the sky turned slightly red and the sun rose again from the other side of the world, Carter woke up Kroya.

"We don't have much time left, let's set off quickly."

Carter looked radiant; for an adventurer, even sleeping very little throughout the day could keep them alert. Kroya was slightly unaccustomed to it, but overall she didn't feel physically tired, just a sense that her routine had been disrupted, and she would gradually get used to it.

"Have some breakfast first."

After eating a few pieces of bread, the two set off again, with Kroya following behind Carter. Another day passed, and although they had not yet reached their destination, they had seen signs of human habitation again.

  

It was a village no bigger than Nome. Carter approached them and asked to stay the night. The villagers were not polite to Carter, who was a stranger and carried weapons. They only allowed him and Kroya to sleep on a haystack outside the village.

Then it was Croya who spoke to them in Carter's place. Unlike the seemingly dangerous and fierce Carter, Croya gave the villagers a more trustworthy feeling. Moreover, judging from his face and eyes alone, Croya was definitely not a disguised bandit.

The allure of Gundam B-rank status came into play at this moment. Kroya then cast a spell, a spell only a priest could use, to heal several wounded villagers, thus gaining their approval and allowing him entry...

He slept in the cowshed.

"The closer they got to the Misty Forest, the more vigilant the villagers became."

Seeing Kroya lying in the cowshed with him, Carter felt a strange sense of schadenfreude.

However, in reality, it was already quite difficult for the villagers to allow adventurers like them to stay in the village.

After all, an adventurer with evil intentions is no different from a wild beast.

They'll only be somewhat friendly if they post quests at the Adventurers' Guild in town and you happen to accept those quests; otherwise, they'll be treated like bandits.

Like Kroya, very few people can truly connect with the villagers of Nome.

"How was it sleeping in the cowshed?"

"It's a little prickly."

Kroya answered truthfully, admitting that he was indeed feeling unwell, which restored Carter's pride as a senior adventurer, and he spoke with a hint of self-praise.

"This is nothing, Kroya. The cowshed is comfortable enough for an adventurer."

"I used to sleep hanging from a tree with a cloth, and I'd fall off if I turned over. I don't have the conditions I have now..."

Carter told Croya that he had been nearly killed by a python wrapping around his neck while he was sleeping, or by various poisonous insects biting his face. He also had many dreams that foreshadowed dangers in reality. He would wake up from those dreams and indeed encounter some kind of ferocious beast or some kind of crisis, but he overcame them all.

"That's amazing."

Croya didn't bother to refute it, and just assumed that what Carter said was true. It was probably not even eight o'clock when it got dark, and with nothing else to do, listening to Carter brag and tell stories could help pass the time.

But next time he does a mission, he might consider bringing a book to read.

Your patient listening to your companion is commendable.

Agility slightly increased.

"Thump!"

Suddenly, a huge thud came from the east of the village. Carter shut his mouth, and the two exchanged a glance.

"Waaaaaah!!!"

A piercing woman's scream came from the same direction, almost tearing through the night sky. Then came the sound of doors being opened one after another, footsteps and men's shouts mingling together, creating a cacophony as they converged on the east side of the village. Even inside the cowshed, the tense atmosphere permeated the two men's hearts.

"I want to go take a look."

Kroya leaped from the prickly hay, his sword at hand, bow and quiver casually slung over his shoulder; archery was among the martial arts he possessed.

"Together."

Carter, unwilling to follow behind Croya, joined him as they weaved through the village, keeping up with the running villagers.

Upon reaching the east side of the village, Carter stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. He recognized the figure surrounded in the distance.

"It's a chameleon..."

It was nearly three meters tall, with skin as rough and dull as earth and stone. Its body and limbs were unusually thick, several times the size of a normal person. However, it had three heads, each about the size of a human, connected to its body by a neck like a water snake. Its large left hand was holding a girl, sniffing around on its own.

"Delicious."

After the three heads took turns sniffing the unconscious girl, they licked their lips, foul-smelling saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths, and spoke in unison, their voices rough like millstones, yet extremely loud.

The men of the village surrounded her, holding pitchforks and hoes, or long sticks, and torches illuminated the area, but for a moment no one dared to step forward. They shouted that if the woman was not put down, they would beat her to death, and for a time the commotion was immense.

"Is this our mission objective?"

Kroya picked up the bow, drew it to its fullest extent, and aimed at the head in the very center.

"That should be it. It's unlikely that two ogres will come out anytime soon." Carter recovered from his initial surprise. A considerable amount of time had passed since he first noticed the ogres' presence, so it was perfectly normal for their activity range to have changed.

"But it was holding someone in its hand, so it couldn't easily make a move."

The trolls are incredibly strong. An ordinary person's bones are like a slightly harder biscuit in front of them. With just a little force, all the bones in that girl's body would be broken, and she would not be able to save her life.

This is why the villagers simply surrounded it without actually taking action.

If Kroya and Carter act rashly and kill the person held by the ogre, the villagers will likely blame them, which is a real headache.