Enter the village.

The surrounding area is a peaceful machine of workers moving lumber and other supplies back and forth, weaving between citizens going about their business, whether that means bringing back groceries to later make for dinner, or simply speaking amongst each other. The coast isn't far, and you can see a number of small boats out at sea casting lines, as well as fishermen sitting at the dock, or standing knee-deep in the water. Trees mostly cover the perimeter. There are only simple paths travelling inwards and out, placing Gobiidae in its own little world.

You straighten your suit and walk confidently forwards. Immediately, your group is the center of people's attention as their eyes fall upon you one after the other.

There's a man nearby garbed in a puffy coat with chainmail hanging from beneath. He walks with a spear in his hand, using the blunt end to rest on, and you think him to be a guard, as informal as he might appear. You can't imagine a village like this has super elite armoured knights after all.

"Hey there," says the man. "Who the heck are you guys? You lost?"

"My name is Kyle Warren, and I was to meet with whoever is in charge of this village," you reply.

"Over here!" comes a voice from afar.

You turn to see Tedrick walking beside his father. The dad waves a hand to grab your attention as he makes his way over.

"I think that name sounds familiar, yeah," says the guard.

"Right. This is the man I was talking about," the boy's dad speaks. "You know, the Demon King."

The guard's eyes widen. "No kidding? I don't know what business you have with our lord. It better not be anything fishy. We just live here in peace, you know. Gobiidae couldn't possibly be in your way."

"No, they're nice!" Tedrick shouts.

"Calm down, my boy." The dad looks straight to you. "It's true that I'm nervous as well, but this man and his associates already came peacefully. Allow me to introduce myself proper. I'm Hartmut. Because of you, my daughter is already recovering back home. Both me and my wife thank you deeply." He offers his hand to shake.

You reach out and grab it firmly. "Peony handled that one."

"Come then. Our lord is called Ramon. He's a kind, selfless man, but he would do anything to keep this village and its people alive, so don't expect him to trust you immediately, even after what you did."

"I'll be watching," says the guard.

Eva stares the guard down, and he returns the favour. After a moment, she looks down, shifting along with his eyes. She perks up and pushes the front of her short dress down between her legs as pink glows in her cheeks. "W-Watching what, huh? What do you think you'll see?"

"Ah! No, that's not what I--"

You sigh and hold Eva by her arm to tug her in your direction. "Come on."

Eva squeaks. "Ah c-careful. I almost tripped! He could have seen my bum."

Niki slowly turns a frightening gaze to the guardsman. "Is that so...?" She cracks her knuckles.

You clear your throat. "And we're going to see Lord Ramon now, right guys?"

"Can I put down all this stuff soon?" Peony asks. "It isn't too bad, but I feel bad dragging everyone's belongings around."

"Yes. You'll be free to settle in once we've arrived at Ramon's home," says Hartmut. "It's right this way."