Day in the forest

The appointed time to meet Oliver is at noon. We have a tight window of only thirty minutes to make our way to the mansion, complete the errand, and then head out to the bridge. Still, the surprise of what happened in the stable has us baffled. Amelia and I are walking in silence, lost in our thoughts. It's not just the shock of what we witnessed that has rendered us speechless, but also the concern for Oliver. He is the one who will be impacted the most by this unforeseen turn of events.

"Darx, should we tell Oliver about what we saw?" Amelia asks me with eyes on the verge of tears.

It is no secret to Amelia and me the feelings Oliver has for Emma. Since we were kids, it was apparent how in love Oliver was with Emma. She is an important reason why he wants to be an adventurer. I don't think he knows that Emma is already in a relationship, and to make matters worse, her partner is none other than Fabe - the bully who takes pleasure in tormenting Oliver at every opportunity.

After some careful consideration, I reply, "I think we should tell him, but it may be wise not to divulge all the details of what we witnessed to him. We should let him know that Emma is in a relationship with Fabe so he is at least prepared. Knowing Fabe's despicable nature, he would soon try to hurt Oliver, knowing Oliver likes Emma. If Oliver were to find out about Emma's relationship with Fabe through other means, it could potentially result in a big problem. "

Amelia, visibly frustrated, continued, "I can't comprehend why Emma, a girl with a good heart, would choose to be with someone like Fabe. The two of them had nothing in common. Fabe is notorious for being a bully who likes to **** anyone weaker than him. It simply doesn't make sense. To make matters worse, Fabe has a particular grudge against Oliver, who is supposed to be Emma's closes friend. How could Emma not see the kind of person Fabe really is?"

It's been a long time since I last saw Amelia, so upset, but it's not like I can't understand her. I feel the same way.

"Darx, we will see Oliver shortly. What should we do?"

"Hmm, let's go train as we had planned. When we return, I will take care of telling him."

"Are you sure? Don't you want me to be with you when you tell him?"

"I think it will be easier if he and I talk alone."

"I-I see... in that case, I leave it to you."

I don't like seeing Amelia distressed, but there is not much I can do. After all, she cares a lot about Oliver.

Following our conversation, we made our way to the mansion, where we met with Mr. Enzo. We handed over the money we had collected and proceeded to recount the events that had transpired at Noah's house. The chaos that had erupted at the stables had clouded my memory, causing me to forget about the unsettling encounter with Noah momentarily.

"I don't know what I expected from a good-for-nothing like him," Mr.Enzo said, looking mad, "Anyway, you did me a great favor. So, take this as a thank you."

As payment, he gave us a silver coin. Which was much more than I thought he would give us. Between Amelia, Oliver and me, we usually collect around 20 to 25 copper coins per week after killing low-level monsters in the forest. One hundred copper coins make a silver coin, which makes our faces of astonishment justifiable after receiving the money that would take us more than a month to collect in something that took less than two hours.

"It's a lot of money. A-Are you sure it's okay to give us a silver coin?" I asked, still surprised.

With a big smile and leaning back in his chair, Mr.Enzo replied, "Yes, in part, it is also as thanks to Ilene for always keeping the village safe. Make sure to buy her something delicious to eat, Darx."

"Thanks! If you need help, it will be a pleasure to help you again. You can count on us." Amelia said.

It is hard to imagine that Mr. Enzo is the kind of bad person that Noah describes, but it is not as if I could just ask Mr.Enzo. With that pleasant surprise, Amelia and I exited the mansion and finally headed to the meeting place where Oliver was already waiting for us. Once near the bridge, I can see Oliver, with a shield in hand, waiting for us. For now, I will forget what happened in the stable, and I will focus on our training.

"I'm sorry we are late, Oliver! We had to run an errand for Mr. Enzo." Amelia said, trying to act normal.

"Don't worry! I just arrived too. My mom kept me busy helping at the inn. And, are you ready?" Oliver answered us with a big smile.

"Yes, let's get going."

As we walked in the forest, my friends and I engaged in fun conversations about the mundane aspects of life. We chatted about the latest gossip in town and even shared a few jokes that left us in fits of laughter. These conversations were my absolute favorite, just enjoying each other's company. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness, knowing that soon Oliver and Amelia would have to leave this behind and head to the capital city to take the ritual, and we may not have the same opportunities to hang out as often.

As we ventured deeper into the forest. Our eyes scanned the surrounding area, searching for any sign of movement since we approached where the monsters typically begin to appear. We took our strategic positions that would allow us to strike at a moment's notice. At the forefront of our group was Oliver, sturdy and reliable, wielding an old shield in his left hand and a mallet in his right. Despite his slightly overweight build, his powerful arms were more than capable of fending off any foes that dared to cross our path. Following closely behind Oliver was Amelia, capable of using two spells, basic healing and paralysis. Her healing spell was particularly useful, as it allowed us to recover from the damage we had sustained during combat. While her paralysis spell could temporarily immobilize our enemies, giving us a precious few seconds to regroup and or attack. Besides, stopping an enemy at the perfect time can be crucial. As for myself, I was the quickest member of our group and therefore took on the role of attacking our enemies head-on with my sword. While it may have seemed like a straightforward approach, it was surprisingly effective against weaker monsters.

As time wore on, our journey through the dense forest had taken us a good two hours. Yet, all we had encountered were mere slimes and oversized rats - hardly a test of our mettle. We had hoped for something more substantial, something that would truly put our skills to the test.

"Maybe we should go deeper into the forest," Amelia says in a disappointed tone.

"Going deeper can be dangerous, but being here is a waste of time. What do you think, Darx?" Oliver asked me.

"Hmm, let's try to go deeper into the forest, as long as it is not too much. Being here will not help us at all." I reply.

"Yes! Let's continue, let's continue!" Amelia said, looking happy.

As we trudged through the forest, Amelia's face lit up with excitement after we stumbled upon a rare sight-a carnivorous plant. It was a fascinating sight to behold, as these plants were not commonly found in this part of the forest. I read that they are known to feed on giant rats, and their fruit was said to be absolutely delicious. As I observed the plant, I couldn't help but wonder about the potential profit that could be made by selling its seeds. I think they sell for a good price.

We hid behind some bushes watching the plant in the distance.

Amelia seemed equally intrigued by this discovery since we finally found a real challenge, "Darx, do you know anything about that plant?" She asked me.

"From what I read, they move really slow; however, they use their long whips to attack or gather food. Also launches spores that have effects that cause sleep." I reply.

"Okay, looks like it's within our power to defeat that plant!" Amelia said with a big smile.

"I am ready to attack. Are you guys ready?" Oliver says it with a confident tone and eager to start the fight.

If he were always like this, he would be more popular.

"I'm ready!"

"I'm ready too!"

We ran towards the plant. The plant became aware of our presence, and its two long whips extended in preparation for an attack. Oliver bravely advanced with his shield in front of him while Amelia positioned herself strategically. I followed behind at a slower pace, scanning for any openings.

The carnivorous plant began shaking its vines vigorously, hitting Oliver's shield like a drum. Seeing that the plant was focused on Oliver, I seized the opportunity to quickly approach it from the side with my sword at the ready. But just as I was about to strike, two more vines appeared out of nowhere. I managed to dodge one, but the other hit me hard in the stomach, sending me flying.

As I struggled to regain my footing, the plant continued to rain down blows on Oliver with its first two vines. Then, suddenly, two more vines appeared, this time directed towards Oliver horizontally. He had no way to protect himself, but just as they were about to strike...

"Paralysis!" Amelia shouted, freezing the plant in its tracks.

We knew that if we wanted to defeat the plant, we had to get closer. And that split second of paralysis that Amelia gave us was all we needed. Oliver charged forward without hesitation, deftly avoiding the vines coming from above and taking the hit from the horizontal vines with his shield.

Now closer, the plant had to adjust the distance of its vines for its next attack. But it was too late. I had already circled around behind it and was ready to strike.

The plant realized too late, and the only thing it could do was release its spores.

"Guuuughh," the plant squealed as I sliced through two of its vines with my sword and then plunged it into its center. Oliver followed with a clean blow from his mallet.

The plant collapsed, seeming that those attacks were enough to defeat it.

"I think we did it," Oliver said with a smiley face full of scratches.

We all breathed a sigh of relief as the plant slowly withered and died before our eyes. It had been a tough battle, but we had emerged victorious.

While we continued celebrating, thinking that we had killed the plant, to our surprise, we still hadn't won. The plant realized its spores from its body. As soon as Oliver and I inhaled them, we lost our strength and fell to the ground, unable to move. Shit! The book said about those spores. With its two remaining vines, the plant raised them high to the sky as if it were aiming at the clouds and then turned the tips towards the ground. I see. It is trying to make a direct hit now that we can't move. The tips fall at maximum speed towards Oliver and me...

"Heal!"

Once again, Amelia heals us at the right moment, allowing me to dodge the vine and Oliver blocking it with his shield. The vines hit the ground, creating quite a bit of dust that covered everything around us. I still couldn't move, but I saw Amelia graving my sword to strike the final blow.

Amelia buried the sword in the plant, and after a loud shriek from the plant this time, the plant did die.

"We beat the carnivorous plant!" Amelia yelled.

We did it! We were full of bumps and scratches, but we were smiling.