The old man led the way down the winding path. The sack was now effortlessly slung over Riku's shoulder. The sun was still high, bathing the treetops in gold, but a quiet stillness lingered in the air — like even the wind held its breath here.
As they passed through the wooden archway marking the entrance to the village, Riku slowed.
The sight before him was… sobering.
There were houses — but they looked tired. Walls chipped and patched with straw, roofs sagging with age. Dust clung to the dry dirt road like it had nowhere else to go. A broken signpost hung lopsided over a faded message board, once meant for posting adventurer requests and town updates. Now it displayed only torn parchment and dried leaves.
And the people…
Not many.
A few elderly villagers sat under the shade of a tree, fanning themselves with wilted straw. A pair of children, barefoot and skinny, peeked out from behind a wooden fence, their eyes wide as they stared at the newcomer.
Once, this village used to be lively — the kind of place buzzing with new adventurers, clumsy questing, and noisy excitement.
Now, it was a whisper of what it had been.
"…This is the starter village?" Riku muttered.
The old man gave a hollow chuckle. "Aye, long ago. We used to have young ones here, running around with wooden swords, dreaming of dragons. But fewer come now. The guilds stopped sending quests. Kingdoms moved their borders. No one cares about the bottom anymore."
Riku looked around. Cracked water barrels. Empty stalls. Sunken shoulders.
He'd seen this before — not in fantasy games, but in real life. Departments downsized, offices closing, people losing their spark when they were told they weren't needed.
Somehow, this felt familiar.
The old man guided him toward a small gathering of people at the village square, such as it was. A circular space of packed dirt with a dry fountain in the middle.
A sprightly figure with a short grey beard and twinkling eyes stood at the center. Though he wore plain brown robes and had a slight limp, he radiated energy, like the sort of person who refused to stop smiling even when the sky was falling.
"Barou, I have the goods!" the old man said brightly, passing the sack to a nearby youth. Then he patted Riku's back, "I also met a young fine lad on the road. He had been a great help."
The cheerful man stepped forward and gave a short bow. "Welcome, traveler! I am Chief Barou of this humble village. I sensed it the moment you stepped through the gate — a rare soul, indeed!"
Riku blinked. "...You sensed that?"
"Of course not!" Barou laughed. "But that's what heroes say in all the stories."
Riku almost smiled.
Barou gestured toward the dry fountain like it was a throne room. "Please, make yourself at home. You must be tired from your journey! We've not had a visitor in… well, I stopped counting after ten years. We don't have much, but we insist you take the guest quarters."
"Guest quarters?" Riku asked.
"Yes! The inn, of course. It's just at the northern edge. Bit dusty, but sturdy!"
"I really don't need an entire inn. Just a room and a roof is—"
"No, no, no," Barou waved a hand as if that settled it. "You're our guest. It's the least we can offer someone who might just be a blessing in disguise."
Before Riku could respond, Barou turned and waved toward a nearby house. "My daughter! Lila! Come here!"
From behind a slatted wooden fence emerged a girl with a bucket in hand, wiping her brow. She looked to be in her early twenties, with sun-tanned skin, short dark hair tied in a ribbon, and sharp brown eyes that contrasted her otherwise gentle face.
Her clothes were simple — a tunic and skirt patched at the seams — but neat and clean. She walked over, cautious but composed.
"This is Lila," Barou said proudly. "Strongest arms in the village, sharper wit than me, and hopeless when it comes to sewing."
Lila elbowed him lightly. "Only because you keep asking me to fix your disgusting socks all the time."
Barou chuckled. "Take this young man to the inn. Help him get settled."
Riku raised a hand. "I can manage—"
"Nonsense," Barou said, already limping away. "The inn's been empty for a decade. The least we can do is make it livable. I'll have her bring you food once you're settled!"
Lila looked at Riku's young, handsome face, a slight blush creeping onto the face of the twenty year old. "Please, follow me. Hope you're not allergic to dust."
The inn stood at the far northern edge of the village, almost swallowed by overgrown grass and a crooked old tree. The wooden signboard that once read "Traveler's Respite" now dangled by a single rusty chain, one letter missing.
Inside, the air was thick with stale wood and the faint scent of mildew.
Cobwebs clung to every corner. Chairs were overturned. A layer of dust coated everything like nature had tried to reclaim the place.
"…Cough." Riku gave a small cough as a wave of dust hit his face when they opened the door.
Lila walked in, brushing aside a spiderweb. "We'll clean one room for now. TWe can do the rest slowly. That one over there used to be the best."
She pointed to a door at the end of the hall. Riku opened it.
The bed was intact. A faded curtain flapped lazily through a cracked window. Dust floated like stars in sunlight.
Still, it was quiet. Peaceful.
They cleaned in silence — wiping, sweeping, coughing. At one point, Riku tried using a basic wind spell to clear the room, which promptly blew the entire curtain rod out the window.
They settled for brooms after that.
By the time they were done, the room looked… lived in. A bit plain, a bit worn, but warm in its own way.
"I'll bring dinner in a bit," Lila said, wiping her hands. "You look like you've never held a broom in your life."
"I haven't," Riku said. "I used to hire people to clean. Then the company cut the cleaning budget."
Lila gave him a look. "What kind of place do you come from?"
"…A very tired one."
She smiled faintly. "Well, this one's tired too. But maybe it just needs some help waking up."
With that, she left. Though the conditions of the village were clearly poor, her steps still had that bubbly spring to it.
"Looks like you don't need to be wealthy to be happy. Where would I see such a scene on earth?"
Riku shook his head and lay down his futon to take a small nap