"It's nothing," Ed said.
He glanced at the villagers. The man appeared to be over forty years old, his skin slightly darkened, marked by deep wrinkles. His hands were calloused, a typical farmer's appearance.
Paul asked again, "Sir, are you a Hunter?"
He looked at Ed, still unsure due to his young age.
"I am," Ed replied.
"Then why aren't you wearing a Hunter's cloak?" Paul asked, confused.
Ed had no idea what a Hunter's cloak was—probably a symbol of this world. He casually responded, "I didn't wear it today."
He quickly shifted the topic, looking at Paul. "This area is desolate. Why are you here?"
As he spoke, Ed activated his Hunter's senses and immediately noticed several torn and mangled bodies scattered along the path, about 50 meters away—the same way the farmer had just come!
Paul, filled with resentment, said, "Sir, you don't know. A damn group of griffins attacked our village!"
"The village chief ordered us to go to the city and find a Hunter for help, but we were attacked by griffins as soon as we left, and my companions were all killed!"
"If you had arrived any later, I might have..." Paul's face was filled with sorrow that he couldn't hide.
Ed quickly grasped the key information in Paul's words. "Go to the city to find a Hunter?"
Maybe he could learn something important from this villager.
"Were you the only ones who went to the city? Even if you weren't killed by griffins, you'd likely have been eaten by something else," Ed said, giving him a sharp look.
Usually, those sent to fetch help had to be capable of protecting themselves, especially in a world where evil lurked everywhere.
Paul sighed. "We had no choice. We're just a small village, with no strong people."
"Damn, I don't know where those griffins came from. Our village is probably already half-destroyed..."
Paul's face was once again filled with pain.
Ed's thoughts stirred. "Lead the way. I'll follow you back and take a look."
Upon hearing this, Paul's eyes widened with joy. "Yes! Yes! You really are a kind-hearted person!"
The city was still far away, and Paul, now alone, could never make it there. This compassionate Ed was his only hope.
Luna, standing a little way off, watched them curiously, unsure of what was happening.
Ed approached her. "Let's go. This man will lead us to visit his village."
Luna nodded, and the three of them headed toward Paul's village.
Half an hour later, by the riverbank, Ed and the others saw the outline of the village in the distance.
The village was located in an incredibly remote area, practically isolated from the rest of the world!
Apart from the village itself, there were no signs of human habitation for miles around.
Ed asked, confused, "Why would the village be built here? Isn't it easy to be attacked by monsters?"
Paul, honest and straightforward, answered, "This village has been here for decades. We've had a few minor encounters with smaller creatures, like water ghosts and the like, but we've never had a major monster attack."
"But recently, for some reason, a group of griffins has started targeting us. They even dare to enter the village in broad daylight and treat people like food!"
"Please, Hunter, you have to help us!"
As Paul spoke, Ed moved closer, and he immediately saw several damaged houses and bodies scattered across the ground, most of them gnawed beyond recognition.
Clearly, the griffins had just visited.
Suddenly, a sharp screech echoed from above.
Ed looked up and saw a griffin arrogantly carrying off a baby, barely a month old, from its mother's arms.
With the child clutched in its talons, the creature flew off, likely intending to make it a snack.
That was the last griffin to leave.
After being plundered by the griffins, the village was in complete disarray, with broken homes and scattered bodies everywhere. The surviving villagers had emerged from hiding, wailing in agony beside the corpses of their loved ones.
As Paul led Ed deeper into the village, he couldn't help but look at the devastation with a face full of grief. "Hunter, you see how terrible these griffins are."
Ed remained silent, while Luna cautiously clutched the hem of his clothes, staying close behind him.
Paul spoke again, "I'll take you to meet the village chief now."
…
Inside a spacious hall,
Village Chief Vladimir was sighing deeply, looking overwhelmed and distressed.
A servant brought some food to him:
"Sir, at least have something to eat, won't you?"
Vladimir didn't even look at the food. "The griffins could come at any time! If this keeps up, the village will be done for! What good is food when our heads are all gone?"
He sighed again. "I can only hope that Paul and the others manage to bring a Hunter back soon!"
Just then, Paul entered, followed by Ed.
Village Chief Vladimir immediately stood up, his expression changing. "Paul, why are you back so soon? Didn't I tell you to bring a Hunter?"
Paul quickly recounted what had happened on the way and enthusiastically introduced Ed. "This is the Hunter who saved me! He's very powerful!"
"With him here, maybe we can fight off the griffins in the village!"
At first, Vladimir was pleased, but as his eyes took in Ed's appearance, his face darkened.
Ed had no gear, was alone, and most troubling of all, he looked incredibly young.
It's important to know that, while a Hunter's lifespan can reach several hundred years, their body remains in the prime of middle age throughout their life.
But this person appeared to be in his teens, which could only mean that he was indeed a teenager.
"You're a Hunter?"
"Kid. Where is your team? Where are your monster-hunting tools?"
Village Chief Vladimir asked in quick succession.
Paul, hearing this, wanted to defend Ed.
However, Ed simply shrugged indifferently. "I don't have a team. As for monster-hunting equipment... I don't have that either."
Upon hearing this, Vladimir immediately laughed.
He sat back down in his chair.
"You haven't even grown all your hair yet, and you want to be a Hunter and trick me into paying you?"
He turned to scold Paul, "You can't even get this right, and this is the fake you bring me?!"
Paul still tried to argue, "No, sir, listen to me! This Hunter really is skilled. He once—"
Before he could finish, a voice from inside the room interrupted.
"People who are just after money are becoming more and more common these days. They're ruining the Hunter's reputation!"
Ed turned toward the voice coming from the inner room.
A young man dressed in dazzling silver armor, twin swords hanging from his waist, and a face full of arrogance walked out.
The young man appeared to be in his early twenties, and he was clearly Village Chief Vladimir's son.
He loudly declared, "The Hunter is my idol! Becoming one is my lifelong dream! How dare a clown like you tarnish that?!"
Ed's expression shifted slightly.
At first, he had assumed this young man, dressed as he was, was a Hunter.
But when he subtly activated his Hunter's senses, he realized this guy didn't give off the slightest aura of a true Hunter.
It was more likely that he was just a person obsessed with Hunters, but lacking the talent or qualifications to be one.
Village Chief Vladimir frowned when he saw his son. "Viktor? What are you doing out here?"
Viktor snorted. "It's all your fault for not letting me train to become a Hunter! If you had, I could've handled this situation myself!"
Village Chief Vladimir's expression turned cold. "How could I possibly let you become one of those freaks? Get back inside and stop causing trouble! Things are chaotic enough here as it is!"
Outside, the anguished cries and wails of villagers under attack could still be heard.
Village Chief Vladimir turned to Ed, his face serious.
"Young man, I'll ask you again—are you truly a Hunter?"
Although Vladimir knew that a Hunter who looked as young as Ed couldn't possibly be reliable, he had no other choice.
A Hunter needed not only years of rigorous training but also vast experience.
These were things a young man couldn't possibly possess.
But now, Village Chief Vladimir had no other options. He had to gamble with what he had, desperate for any help.
Ed nodded firmly. "I am."
At that moment, Viktor stormed out again, ready to challenge Ed.
"What? You say you're a Hunter? Pfft!"
He sneered, then shot out a barrage of questions. "Tell me, do you know how to make sword oil? Do you know what kind of magic seals to use against griffins? Do you know how to cast a binding seal?"