"If you head straight from here, you’ll come out right on the shore of Lake Latoin. Once you hit the end, go left, and you should reach Shikumu. Even if you get mixed up, you’ll see some kind of village as long as you reach the lake, and once you’re in a village, you can travel by boat. It might take some time, but you'll get there eventually."
"Thank you for everything."
"Don't mention it. We all help each other out in times of need. I don’t think you’ll get lost, but stay safe out there."
"I will! You take care as well!"
It had been about two weeks since I had contracted with the Genius Chicken and the others, securing a steady source of eggs. To further my training, I was currently heading toward Lake Latoin, the habitat of the Mad Salamanders.
"...Alright, time for me to get moving too."
After seeing off the merchant who had kindly guided me this far, I set off down the path he had described. However, calling it a "path" was a stretch; it was barely an animal trail. It felt less like following a road and more like cutting a path through the wilderness.
Once I actually stepped into the brush, the trail became even harder to distinguish. Tree roots snaked across the ground in every direction. The terrain consisted almost entirely of mud and roots, with the occasional stone. It looked exactly like the old-growth mangrove forests I’d seen back in Okinawa.
I kept my strides short, stepping down firmly from my toes to ensure I didn't lose my footing on the slick ground. While my primary objective was hunting Mad Salamanders, navigating this treacherous terrain would also serve as excellent training for my upcoming trip to the Shulls Great Forest.
My only concern was the timing. The merchant had said the lake was "just ahead," but yesterday, he’d said the campsite was "just ahead" right before we spent another two hours walking. He likely possessed that warped sense of distance common in rural areas, where "just next door" meant several kilometers away. I should probably assume it’ll take at least two hours to clear this forest…
It ended up taking four. By the time I had spent double my expected duration, the beautiful lake finally came into view, along with the entrance to a village on its shore.
The village was surrounded by a defensive wall made of sharpened logs driven side-by-side into the ground—likely sourced from the mangrove-like trees growing nearby. I could see someone who appeared to be a lookout standing watch.
I approached the village entrance, walking alongside the log palisade. A man in his fifties was standing there, idly puffing on a cigarette.
"Excuse me!"
"Hm? A face I don’t recognize. And just one kid by himself?"
"Yes. My name is Ryoma. I’m an adventurer looking for the fishing village of Shikumu. Is this the right place?"
"Shikumu is definitely here, but… ah, I remember now. There was talk that an acquaintance of young Kai’s group would be coming to the village soon. Are you that boy?"
"If by 'young Kai' you mean Kai from the adventurer party Shikumu's Pier, then that is correct."
"I see! Then wait a second."
The man abruptly grabbed a wooden mallet hanging at the gate and struck a metal plate several times. A young woman came running out from the village a moment later.
"Old Man Manda, did something happen?"
"Miss Mei, perfect timing. Young Kai’s guest has arrived."
"Oh! The one everyone was talking about? Where—wait, is it you? You’re awfully young. Or rather, you're just a kid."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Ryoma Takebayashi."
The woman spoke her impression of me quite bluntly. Given how similar their names were, I wondered if she was one of Kai's relatives.
"Thanks for the polite greeting. I’m Mei, Kai and Kei’s older sister. I hear my little brothers have been in your debt."
"He won’t know his way around since he just got here. Show him the ropes."
"Got it. I’ll take him to the house for now. One of the two should be there. Follow me!"
"Yes! Um, thank you very much, Gatekeeper Manda!"
"Yeah! Take care now!"
With a final wave to the gatekeeper, I followed the woman as she strode ahead. As we walked, I saw children running around happily on ground that was much firmer than the area outside. Groups of women were gathered around the wells, chatting while they drew water. Elderly residents had brought out chairs and tools, enjoying the sunlight while they worked on their various crafts. It was a remarkably peaceful scene.
"Is this unusual to you?"
Oops. I suppose I had been staring a bit too rudely.
"My apologies. I had heard that many monsters appear in this area, so it’s much more peaceful than I expected."
"You mean the Mad Salamanders? Those are a yearly occurrence around this time, so we can’t afford to get worked up every single time. Besides, their goal is the fish from the catch. They come up to the shore and the beach, but they almost never make it into the village proper."
"I see… Are the buildings made of wood and mud? They’re all uniform, which gives the village a nice sense of consistency."
"Haha, 'consistency' is a fancy way of putting it. It’s just that there aren’t any other materials around. But since we can get as much mud and wood as we want from nearby, it’s convenient because we can fix things immediately if they break. It’s quite practical."
"You do the house repairs yourselves?"
"Of course. If you can’t fix your own house when it gets a few dings, you won't last long here. It’s common sense in these parts."
The people of this village certainly seemed resilient.
"Ah, the house is here."
While we were talking, we arrived at her home.
"Come on, get inside."
"Pardon the intrusion."
Invited in by Mei, I entered to find a large earthen-floor entryway. Beyond that was a spacious hall with wooden floorboards and a central area that appeared to be a sunken hearth. The whole place felt somewhat like a traditional Japanese house, filling me with a sense of nostalgia.
"Kai! Kei! No answer, so I guess they aren’t here? …Oh well. I’ve got a room ready for you, Ryoma, so I’ll show you the way."
That was a surprise. According to the letter I’d received, they were supposed to have reserved a spot for me at the local lodgings for adventurers. When I asked about the change, she explained that the "lodgings" were actually the village assembly hall. They rented out rooms to adventurers during this season, but the building wasn't very large, and it had already been filled to capacity by other adventurers who had arrived earlier. As for what to do with the overflow? The village felt it would be shameful to force people who had come to protect them to sleep outdoors. They had decided to solve the problem by having trustworthy adventurers stay in private village homes instead.
"It’s a shame we have to put you through this due to the village’s lack of space, but I hope you can bear with it."
"‘Bear with it’? Not at all! I’m just grateful to be given a room for free."
"Well, that’s good then. I don’t know how it is in other towns, but around here, helping each other is the foundation. We're all in this together. Don’t hesitate to speak up during your stay, alright? I’ll help however I can."
The people here felt much closer than those in the city, and their friendliness toward a stranger was unexpectedly high. The sudden hospitality caught me off guard, but there was no doubt I was being welcomed.
"Thank you very much. I’ll be in your care!"
I felt a deep sense of gratitude toward my hosts for welcoming me so warmly. And so, my life of training at Lake Latoin officially began!