The Unseen Threat and a Tavern’s Discord

“Evil… Evil Seed?”

Alice’s gaze fixed on the newly posted announcement on the notice board.

Ed, seated in his wheelchair, found it difficult to crane his neck to read the full notice, so he turned his head and asked, “What does it say?”

Alice drew a deep breath before she began to read the contents aloud:

“We have recently acquired a significant amount of intelligence regarding a new type of monster, hereinafter referred to as ‘Evil Seed’.”

“Evil Seeds typically emerge at night, preying upon humans. They possess an exceptionally high degree of camouflage, capable of mimicking human appearance and behavior, and employing language for psychological warfare to confuse and hunt their prey.”

Ed’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

“If your dwelling was constructed following standard kingdom building protocols, please ensure that the ‘Church-certified bricks’ embedded within your walls remain intact, as they will protect all occupants from harm.”

“Should you reside within a castle, church, or any other high-grade edifice, verify that the patterns of the underground magic circles are undamaged, lest you lose your sanctuary.”

“Do not casually invite strangers into your home at night. If, during conversation, you observe someone’s teeth to be unusually sharp, or their pupils to have turned golden-yellow, report them to the Order immediately.”

“…Adventurers are urged to heighten their vigilance. Upon discovering any trace of an Evil Seed, notify the Church at once; do not act independently…”

After finishing the announcement, Alice involuntarily swallowed, then looked up at the Church personnel. “Has the situation truly become this severe?”

The Church official’s expression was grim; he nodded and lowered his voice. “These monsters have been roaming near the town recently. We haven’t confirmed their exact whereabouts, but it’s possible they’ve already infiltrated the town itself.”

“They might be wandering the streets,” another official added. “If you notice anything unusual, do not hesitate; report it immediately.”

Having delivered their warnings, they waved their hands, signaling for Alice to push Ed away.

“These Church people are truly exasperating,” Alice grumbled. “They always make such a grand show of some terrifying monster, when all I see is them trying to seize more power for themselves.”

“It’s still better to be careful,” Ed murmured, nodding gently, though his eyes were fixed elsewhere.

****

The tavern buzzed with laughter and revelry, a symphony of adventurers drinking heartily and chatting boisterously, filling the entire hall with the fragrant aroma of wine and roasted meat.

Link’s Adventuring Group had just returned from a triumphant hunt, having successfully slain a rogue troll that had been terrorizing the area.

The Adventurers’ Guild had rewarded them with a substantial bonus.

With Link’s Adventuring Group having reaped considerable gains recently, their leader, John, decided to grant his team a few days of leave after distributing their shares, and he specifically arranged a small banquet, inviting several close adventuring groups to celebrate with them.

“Hey, Alice, have a drink yourself.”

A middle-aged guard warrior, his face bristling with stubble and reeking of alcohol, leaned against Alice, grinning as he offered her a cup of wine.

This man was an axe-wielding guard from Link’s Adventuring Group.

“No, thank you. Even a drop of wine makes me utterly dizzy,” Alice hastily refused, waving her hands.

“Oh? How dull,” the middle-aged warrior mumbled, smacking his lips with a touch of drunken frustration. “Do you even consider yourself part of our team anymore? During monster hunts, you’re always holed up in the dorms, staying with that black-haired fellow…”

Alice’s face flushed hot at his words.

“I can’t help it; I’m not a warrior to begin with,” Alice explained.

“Alright, stop bothering her. I’ll drink it for her instead.”

A cheerful voice interjected. Rob, a brown-haired young swordsman, reached out to block the middle-aged warrior, playfully snatching the cup and downing it in one gulp.

“Boring,” the middle-aged warrior grumbled, shaking his head before turning to find other drinking companions.

“Thank you, Rob,” Alice said, letting out a sigh of relief.

Rob offered a slight smile, his gaze about to drift from her face when he noticed her eyes subtly flicking towards Ed.

Ed sat in his wooden wheelchair, head bowed, diligently writing something, occasionally grabbing a piece of bread to take a few bites.

He neither drank nor participated in the boisterous laughter of the surrounding warriors, appearing conspicuously out of place among the merry revelers.

“Still sneaking glances at Ed?” Rob asked, a hint of displeasure in his tone.

Alice’s cheeks flushed faintly as she lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, and softly hummed in affirmation.

“A crippled good-for-nothing who can’t even lift a sword, with useless legs, and all he does all day is write, write, write…” Rob muttered under his breath, his voice laced with bitterness.

“Rob, if you say that again, I’ll truly get angry,” Alice’s expression hardened. “Ed’s work is very important.”

“Important?” Rob scoffed, a cold laugh escaping him. “During today’s hunt, I directly wounded the troll with my sword, and then everyone teamed up to surround it, finishing it off in no time.”

“If we had followed his verbose ‘plan,’ we would have wasted who knows how long dawdling in the forest,” Rob declared.

“But didn’t the captain get injured precisely because you didn’t follow the plan?” Alice countered.

“Hah, men get injured; it’s perfectly normal,” Rob shrugged, pursing his lips. “It wasn’t serious anyway.”

“This injury, however, is not light,” Alice said, her gaze drifting to the other side of the tavern. “It’s no wonder the whole team was given a holiday.”

Captain John sat at the long table, one arm heavily bandaged and suspended in a sling around his neck.

Despite his injury, John still laughed and clinked glasses with the other adventurers, chatting away in high spirits.

Yet, Alice knew full well that the wound beneath the bandages was deep enough to expose bone.

Had it been just a little deeper, even if the captain’s arm had been saved, he likely would never have been able to wield a sword again.

Rob gritted his teeth, his expression darkening noticeably.

Of course, Rob knew John’s injury was severe, yet he remained unwilling to acknowledge the importance of Ed’s plan.

“…It was just a minor mishap, wasn’t it?” he whispered, his voice low.

“Think whatever you like,” Alice sighed, choosing not to argue further.

She knew Rob was merely stubborn, but his dissatisfaction with Ed was rapidly transforming into jealousy.

Rob simply refused to accept that someone incapable of combat could become the very core of their team.

Alice recalled a conversation she’d had with White Star some time ago, remembering White Star’s words:

‘Nimble swordsmanship might win a battle, but a nimble mind wins the war.’

At the time, White Star had fiercely berated Rob, and it was only Alice’s efforts to calm the somewhat naive girl that prevented her from having a direct confrontation with him.

Just then, the tavern door suddenly burst open with a violent shove, and a gust of night wind, carrying both a chill and a foul odor, swept into the tavern, further muddling the air’s already heavy scent of wine.

Two men stood in the doorway, both cloaked in worn grey cloaks, looking travel-worn and covered in dust and bloodstains.

“Hmph, Demon Hunters,” the tavern owner grumbled, rubbing his nose, his face contorting into an unpleasant expression.

Demon Hunters were a peculiar group of individuals, whose bodies were far from ordinary, and who subsisted by hunting bizarre creatures.

They belonged to no adventurer’s guild, received no protection from the Church, and invariably operated alone, at most cooperating temporarily with another Demon Hunter…