Leaving the outpost with a fresh map in hand, Yoshiya and Omina set their course for the southern forest. Word was that plenty of wild boars roamed there, and the guild often handed out quests to cull their numbers.
The dirt path soon gave way to thick grass and trees. Yoshiya studied the map carefully, tracing their route in his head like a soldier planning a march, while Omina wandered a few steps behind him, eyes glued to the ground and the undergrowth.
"Look at this—moonleaf," she muttered, crouching to pluck a silver-green sprig. A few steps later, she gasped again. "Oh, and fire petal! I didn't know they grew this far south!"
Yoshiya sighed, keeping one hand on his sword hilt. "We're here for the boar, not a bouquet."
But Omina was already stuffing another handful of herbs into her pouch.
Not long after, a rustling in the bushes snapped Yoshiya's focus. A small wild boar trotted into view, snout rooting through the soil.
"There." He tensed, raising his shield. "I'll pin it—then you strike!"
"Got it!" Omina called back.
The boar squealed and charged. Yoshiya braced himself, shield slamming into its tusks. The impact rattled through his arm, but he pushed back, locking the creature in place.
"Omina, now!" he barked—only to glance over and see her kneeling at the tree line, delicately snipping a strange flower.
"This one's new!" she said brightly. "The petals could be useful for—"
"Omina!" Yoshiya gritted his teeth as the boar thrashed against his shield.
"Just a moment!"
Minutes stretched like hours. Finally, Omina straightened, tucking the flower carefully away. She drew the sword from her hip—her wand still dangling forgotten at her side—and strode toward the fight.
Her first strike cut deep into the boar's neck. Blood sprayed, though the beast still bucked in Yoshiya's grip.
"Finish it!" he shouted.
With a second, cleaner slash, Omina's blade opened the wound wider. The boar collapsed, squealing one last time before falling still. For good measure, she plunged her sword into its chest, ending the struggle completely.
Both of them stumbled back, catching their breath. Omina's face was flushed but her eyes sparkled with exhilaration.
"That flower was worth it," she said between gulps of air. "Don't you think it's pretty?"
Yoshiya stared at her for a long moment, then started laughing despite himself. "You almost let me get gored for a flower!"
She laughed too, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Well… at least you managed, didn't you?"
When the blood had fully drained from the boar, Yoshiya tied its legs with rope and hefted it onto his back. Omina, meanwhile, circled the clearing with the same energy she had shown during the fight, gathering herbs left and right.
By the time they began the walk back to Orleaf, Yoshiya carried a single heavy boar, and Omina had filled her pouch with not just the herb her quest required, but ten different plants she insisted were "too rare to leave behind."
---
Far behind them, the forest had grown quiet. The earth where the boar had fallen was dark with blood, soaking into the roots and grass.
Minutes later, the bushes stirred.
A pair of yellow eyes glinted in the shadows. Then another. Then three more.
Small, hunched figures crept out, sniffing at the iron scent in the air. A low hiss rose from their jagged teeth as clawed fingers scraped the dirt.
The goblins had caught the trail.