Gaining all of the benefits from taking down the corrupted predator, he could only let out a sigh of relief. That sense of triumph was quickly brushed aside as he turned around, rushing over to the wounded pair.
"Hey, are you two alright–?!"
"You beat it…? You actually beat that monster?!" The archer called out in surprise, completely ignoring the question of their well-being. "Are you some kind of legendary ex-adventurer or something? A retired hero, maybe?"
"Could be a knight, nngh…" The girl leaning against the boulder said, holding her wounded shoulder.
Noah shook his head with a quiet exhale, "I'm just a guy living his life. Anyway, my place is closeby. I'll get you both patched up, c'mon."
"Thank you," the bow-wielding adventurer nodded.
As he led the way through the forest, keeping an eye out for anything else that may lurk in the woods, he glanced behind him. It wasn't until then that he noticed it, but the boy and girl looked incredibly similar, both sharing the same shade of blonde hair, pointed ears, and emerald irises.
"I'm Noah, by the way," he introduced, breaking the silence.
"Otto," the youthful archer responded, hiking up the slope. "That's my twin sister, Astrid."
"Nice to meet you," Astrid nodded her head with a smile.
"Likewise," Noah returned the words, focusing on the peculiar ears of the siblings. "I have to ask—you two, are you elves?"
It wasn't a stretch, seeing as he was more than familiar with the concept of an "elf" through books, movies, and even MMORPGs. If anything, he was acutely in the know of their race.
"Yup. Judging by how you asked…You don't see our kind often, do you?" Otto asked with a raised eyebrow.
Across a small river, Noah led the way, using the flat stones as a bridge while the tired twins followed. The first answer that came to mind was telling them they were the first people he's ever met, but he withheld that.
"Can't say I have," Noah said.
Within the safe confines of his abode, he lent his chairs to the twins while readying his medical supplies. It wasn't anything extravagant, just some bandaging and ointments, but he made it work.
"Alright, where are you hurt?" Noah asked, standing beside the golden-haired girl.
Astrid moved her hand away from her shoulder, revealing a gash that dripped crimson fluid, "This is where it got me…—"
He opened a clear jar containing a verdant substance, dapping it on his index finger before lightly applying it to the wound.
"Nnh…" Astrid quietly winced.
The elven girl wore a set of beige-and-blue robes, though with a belt of pouches around her waist.
"Sorry, gotta make sure it doesn't get infected," Noah gently said.
The elf quietly nodded, keeping quiet while he grabbed the thread and needle.
["It was fortunate that I had the opportunity to raise my proficiency in this sort of thing over the last few months. A few times, I managed to nick myself with a knife when cutting fruit, or wound up getting bit by a fox.
I had to bandage myself up, so it worked out."]
With careful finesse, he guided the needle, closing the open wound and nearly stitching it shut.
["Medical" Proficiency Up +5] [85/999]
"That's…much better. Thank you, really," Astrid said in astonishment, glancing at her bandaged arm.
"Just let me know if anything else hurts, alright?" He said, turning his attention to the archer.
Otto lifted his leather tunic, revealing the cut on his abdomen. It didn't look too deep, but it was better safe than sorry, Noah believed.
"What's that ointment for, anyway?" Otto asked with a closed eye, shuddering as the cold substance was applied.
Noah began wrapping up the cut, using the gauze swiftly, "Something I made myself. It'll prevent infection and help it heal faster."
"Really? You're pretty good at this sorta thing," Otto remarked, pulling his tunic down once his wound was secured. "Are you a doctor or something?"
"I thought he was a warrior," Astrid added with a small laugh, leaning her elbows on the wooden table.
"I'm just…well, a Jack-of-all-trades," he answered.
While the two sat at the table, patched up, he set the medical supplies back into their proper storage before heading back to the kitchen.
'I can't explain the specifics even if I wanted to. I essentially transmuted water and some leaves into a healing ointment. It's a bit beyond science,' he thought.
Noah readied a kettle, tossing a simple leaf into the water before snapping his fingers into it.
["Boil"] [C-Rank Pyro Skill]
In an instant, the liquid within went from room temperature to boiling.
["Tea Making" Proficiency Up +1] [32/999]
["Pyro" Proficiency Up +1] [49/999]
There was audible surprise from the twins who observed the process. Otto seemed more curious while Astrid was in such awe she seemed one step from clapping her hands.
"Here you go," Noah offered, pouring the fresh tea into three separate cups on the table.
"You're awfully kind…thank you, really," Astrid showed her gratitude, holding the cup between her hands.
Otto didn't hesitate to share the same sentiment, bringing his hands together in a thankful gesture, "Seriously, you're a life saver. I thought we could handle that monster, but…I was wrong. Sorry, Astrid–I almost got the both of us killed."
"No, I agreed to the quest—it was both of our decisions. I couldn't use my magic at all…I've studied and trained so much, but I couldn't focus…not in front of that monster," Astrid lamented, gripping her uniform.
He felt a bit out of place, sitting between the siblings as they both displayed their remorse.
"Well, it's good to learn these lessons while you're still young," Noah said like a wise teacher before realizing his error.
The twins looked roughly to be in their mid teens, though he remembered a universal concept: elves tend to be hundreds of years old.
"—Oh, wait, you're both probably way older than me," he corrected himself.
While Astrid had a confused look, Otto laughed, seeming to find the remark a bit too amusing.
"We're sixteen," Otto admitted with a smile.
"Sixteen?!" Noah remarked in surprise.
Astrid nodded her head, blowing on the warm tea before sipping it, "…At fourteen, we set out from our homeland, Leveria. My brother and I—we spent our childhood in our village, so of course we want to see the whole world."
"My goal is to find the Ruins of the Ebon King," Otto claimed with a triumphant smirk, leaning in his chair.
"Sounds like a big deal," Noah remarked, drinking the warm tea as he looked at the elven archer.
"Oh, it is," Otto excitedly furthered. "The place is legendary–it's said the remnants of the Ebon King still roam the ruins, along with a boatload of treasure. Finding it and exploring it would sure be amazing."
There was certainly an air of youthful confidence around Otto when on the topic of his life mission, though it sounded a bit farfetched at the moment. Still, he listened in, curious about the world that was still quite foreign to him in many ways.
"I see. I hope you find it one day then," Noah encouraged before glancing to the left side of the table where the elven girl sat quietly, sipping her tea.
Astrid set the cup down, "I don't have any big goals of my own like him. I just want to see the world in its fullest–from the human kingdoms, the demi-human continent, and even the land of giants."
"That sounds like a pretty big goal to me," Noah said.
It was a bit surprising to him hearing the mention of nations belonging to demi-humans and giants. A part of him forgot about the world beyond his humble home, though he wasn't sure how much he wanted to learn.
'Giants, beast people…Judging by that wolverine earlier too, there's some scary stuff out there. It's pretty nice and quiet here,' he thought to himself.
Otto suddenly spoke up as if getting a revelation, "Oh! You should register to be an adventurer!"