The morning sun slanted through the treetops as Yoshiya and Omina trudged down the narrow path toward their hidden cabin. Fallen leaves crunched under their boots, the scent of pine and damp soil rising with every step. After so many days sleeping in inns and barracks, the thought of their own bed felt like a distant memory.
When they finally reached the clearing, the little house stood waiting—silent, roof half-covered with leaves, windows dulled by dust. Omina exhaled softly.
"It's been a while," she murmured.
Yoshiya smiled, brushing a spiderweb from the doorframe. "Feels strange, huh? We've been living out of inns so long, it almost feels like we're guests here."
Inside, the air smelled stale and dry. Dust motes swirled in shafts of sunlight from the half-shuttered windows. Omina set down her pack, rolling up her sleeves. "Alright. Let's make it livable before the cobwebs start walking."
They worked together, sweeping, shaking out blankets, and throwing open the windows. As she dusted the shelves, Omina glanced at Yoshiya. "Have you noticed how many quests about Doom Forest and Oakwood are on the board lately?"
Yoshiya paused with a broom in his hand. "Yeah. It's like something's stirring out there. More monsters, more disappearances… and more coin for anyone desperate enough."
"Or foolish enough," Omina muttered.
When the house finally felt like home again, they collapsed onto their beds. Outside, crickets began their evening chorus. Sleep came quickly.
---
They rose at dawn the next day, shaking off the clinging warmth of their blankets. After splashing cold water on their faces and tightening their gear straps, they made their way to Orleaf.
The market streets were already awake. Bakers hawked their goods from wooden stalls, and the smell of fresh bread made Omina's stomach rumble. They stopped at a vendor and each bought a massive loaf—nearly as long as Omina's arm.
Yoshiya eyed the bread with a grin. "Looks like it could double as a club. Or maybe it really is the size of your arm."
Omina raised an eyebrow but laughed anyway. "Careful. I might smack you with it before you get a bite."
They ate while walking toward the guild outpost, the crust warm and crunchy in their hands.
Inside the guildhall, the usual clatter of adventurers was quieter than normal. Lia was busy with another client at the desk, so they moved to the quest board. Omina's eyes caught a sheet stamped with the Oakwood Forest seal.
"Kobold investigation," she read aloud. "Local patrols found tracks deeper than usual. Missing supplies and one missing traveler."
Yoshiya plucked it from the board. "Sounds straightforward. Let's take it."
After registering the quest, they headed for Brenn's smithy before leaving town.
The blacksmith looked up from his anvil as they approached, wiping sweat from his forehead. His muscles gleamed with the forge's heat. "Back already? What'd you bring me this time?"
Yoshiya produced the Thunder Boar horn from his pack. "From thunder boar raid. Thought you might make something out of it."
Brenn whistled low. "With that horn, your pelts, and those ores you've been hoarding, I can forge some serious gear." He listed off the options while chalking quick sketches on a slate:
– Stormbringer Sword, a blade that channels thunder's bite.
– Thunder Strike Amulet, to quicken attacks and guard against shocks.
– Thunderhoof Boots, light and fast for closing distance.
Yoshiya's eyes lingered on the boots. He imagined charging into battle faster, shield ready. But before he spoke, Omina stepped forward, eyes gleaming. "The sword. I want it."
Brenn raised an eyebrow. "Another? You already wield one."
"I want to fight with two," she said firmly.
Yoshiya blinked. "You sure? That's—"
But she was already pulling coins from her pouch. "Five silvers for the forging, right?"
Brenn nodded. "Give me a day."
They left the smithy with the receipt, Yoshiya shaking his head. "You're getting ambitious."
"You'll thank me when the next monster drops," Omina said, smirking.
---
The path into Oakwood Forest wound between moss-covered boulders and tall, knotted trees. Birdsong echoed overhead, but the air carried a faint tension—like a bowstring drawn back.
Omina crouched to pluck a sprig of blue-flowered herb from the roadside. "These are rare this deep in the season," she murmured, tucking it into her satchel.
"Eyes on the path," Yoshiya warned. He held a small map, comparing it to the crooked trunks. "Tracks lead east. Stay close."
They moved deeper until the forest dimmed. A rustle in the underbrush made them both freeze. Three kobolds emerged from the shadows, mottled hides glistening with damp. One carried a jagged spear, another a curved blade, and the third held a short bow with a crude arrow already notched.
"Company," Yoshiya muttered. He shifted forward, raising his shield. "I'll intercept. You handle damage."
"Got it." Omina drew her short sword; a faint glow rippled along the blade as she invoked Aura Blade, power humming against the steel.
The spear-wielding kobold lunged first. Yoshiya stepped into its path, shield braced. The impact rattled his arm but held. He twisted, knocking the shaft aside and striking with his wand to jolt the creature back. "Now!"
Omina dashed in, her sword cutting a bright arc. Sparks of aura bit into the kobold's hide, drawing a screech. The bowman loosed an arrow; Yoshiya threw up a Protect barrier just in time. The arrow splintered harmlessly against the shimmering field.
Another kobold circled to flank Omina. She pivoted, gathering strength for Heavy Strike. Her blade crashed down, splitting the creature's crude shield and biting deep into its shoulder. It toppled with a howl.
The spear-carrier roared and charged again, trying to break past Yoshiya. He braced and absorbed the blow, then jabbed forward with his wand. A pulse of mana cracked against the kobold's chest. Omina lunged behind him, twin strikes flashing. Together they drove it back into a tree, where it slid down, lifeless.
The last one—the bowman—hissed and fumbled for another arrow. Omina's aura blade flashed across the distance in a leaping slash, knocking the bow aside and leaving a deep cut along its arm. Yoshiya surged forward, shield raised, pinning the creature. With a final, heavy swing, Omina ended it.
Silence settled. Only their ragged breathing filled the clearing.
Omina wiped sweat from her brow. "They're… tougher than usual."
Yoshiya knelt, scanning the ground. Among the spoils lay crude knives, a few coins—and a finely carved whistle of dark wood. He held it up. "This isn't kobold-made. Look at the etching."
Omina crouched beside him. "A traveler's whistle? Out here?"
"Which means," Yoshiya said grimly, "whoever owned it probably didn't walk away."
They gathered the loot into their packs and made the hike back to Orleaf, tension simmering between them.
---
Lia met them at the reception desk, her face tightening when she saw the whistle. "This… belonged to a merchant who went missing days ago. We assumed bandits." She lowered her voice. "If kobolds are taking items like this, something's wrong. They're scavengers, not raiders."
Omina frowned. "They were moving like they had a plan. Not random ambushes."
Lia nodded, writing swiftly on a parchment. "I'll report this to the main office. Here's your base reward for the investigation—three silvers. And… thank you for bringing this back."
Yoshiya accepted the coins without looking away from the whistle. "We'll be ready if there's another call."
As they left the guildhall, the sky over Orleaf was already shading toward dusk. Omina looked at the silver coins in her palm and then at Yoshiya. "Feels like something's brewing."
He slipped the whistle into his pouch. "Then we'd better be ready for the storm."