A wild boar weighing nearly two hundred pounds was swiftly processed by the skilled hands of the twin brothers, Leron and Rann.
Their movements were practiced, almost rhythmic, as if the two had been doing this since they could walk.
The wet sound of slicing flesh mixed with the hiss of escaping heat from the recently hunted creature. All of its internal organs were removed and buried in a small pit.
Saelran found this a little wasteful.
The "Guard" Team, including the Eidar family, showed no interest in the offal at all.
Clearly, they simply were not used to eating it. In Saelran's old world, some of that would make excellent soups or stir-fries.
But here, most people seemed to avoid it.
Saelran said nothing. He didn't want to sound strange by suggesting "boar organ stew" to people who considered it disgusting.
Do not be fooled by their rank as E adventurers. Both the "Guard" Team and the Eidar family, who owned an alchemy shop, were far from poor.
They could afford to be picky about food.
Soon enough, the cleaned boar meat was placed over the campfire and began to roast. Before long, the dripping fat made the flames flare higher, sending sparks swirling into the night sky.
A rich aroma spread through the air—a warm, savory scent that instantly made Saelran's empty stomach tighten.
He sat a little closer to the fire, enjoying the heat. The night air in the outskirts of the Valenca region had grown colder as they'd moved north, and the warmth felt comforting.
Captain Dalron walked over and sat beside Saelran, chatting in a cheerful tone.
The man always seemed to have stories, one that were high-energy, exaggerated, and sometimes outright unbelievable, but entertaining nonetheless.
Saelran listened closely, occasionally nodding and responding, although the captain was the one doing most of the talking.
Eidar also seemed very interested in the adventurers' experiences.
His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he asked question after question. Though he was timid about combat, he had no shortage of enthusiasm for tales of magic, alchemy, and mysterious creatures.
Even though Captain Dalron threw in plenty of exaggerated stories and humorous bragging, Saelran still managed to gather some useful information.
For example, the Valenca Mountains were home to several types of monsters that didn't appear near the Kingdom's capital. And apparently, goblin nests in this season were unusually active.
Saelran made sure to memorize that.
Night eventually fell, and after dinner, everyone settled into their sleeping spots.
The "Guard" Team rotated their watch shifts, while Grandpa Maray slept lightly inside the wagon, ready to wake at the faintest sound.
...
The next morning, at sunrise, the group set out again. Fog drifted over the plains like a thin blanket, glowing faintly as the sunlight touched it.
The journey became more difficult as they traveled north, especially as they neared the border.
The towering and seemingly endless Valenca Mountains finally came into view, rising like a jagged wall that cut the sky in half.
The once relaxed atmosphere turned serious. Conversation became shorter and more focused.
The "Guard" Team members held their weapons closer, and even the wagon horses sensed the shift, their ears twitching often.
Along the way, they encountered more monster attacks, but nothing too dangerous, mostly small beasts that lunged from the bushes.
Still, Saelran gained a good amount of experience from these encounters.
The Valenca Mountains separated the Kingdom of Avendele and the Jarahat Empire, forming a natural barrier between the two nations.
According to Captain Dalron, about five hundred years ago, the two countries had actually been one great kingdom. For reasons unknown, that kingdom collapsed and split into the two nations that existed today.
"Some adventurers say a Primordial Beast awakened and wiped everything away. Who knows? The mountains are old older than all of us combined."
Saelran made a mental note of that as well. Lore was information, and information could save his life.
Suddenly…
"Stay alert!"
Belnar, the archer guarding the rear of the wagon, suddenly called out. His ears twitched slightly, and a serious expression appeared on his face.
"Something big is coming!"
The expressions of the entire Guard Team shifted immediately.
Grandpa Maray tightened the reins and stopped the wagon without changing his expression. Inside, Eidar gripped the wooden railing tightly, tension written across his face.
Saelran noticed the change in the Guard members and his gaze sharpened.
Through their time together, Saelran had learned that Belnar possessed a natural sense of hearing far superior to ordinary people. Aside from being a long-range attacker, he also served as the intelligence specialist of the team.
If he was this tense, then he must have heard something terrifying.
Even so, Saelran stayed relatively calm. The true leader of the group was not the adventurers, but Grandpa Maray, who drove the wagon. If the old man wasn't panicking yet, then perhaps the situation was still manageable—so far.
"Wah! Wah!"
"Wah wah!!"
A series of sharp screeches burst from the roadside bushes, accompanied by the rustling of grass.
Short and thin creatures, less than one meter tall, with dark green skin, white pupils, and vicious faces…
Ten goblins appeared before them.
Saelran glanced at the goblins. Most of them held wooden clubs or crude, roughly sharpened weapons. Their movements were jerky, but their eyes shone with violent hunger.
Even with their numbers, they were not really a threat.
Goblins were weak creatures. They reproduced extremely fast and possessed relatively low intelligence. Even an average adult human could defeat a goblin one-on-one with enough caution.
This applied even more to the Guard Team. Judging by their levels, the average level of an E-rank adventurer team was between seven and ten.
Of course, there were several different goblin subspecies.
So was the real danger behind them?
Saelran swept his gaze past the charging goblins and stared into the dense forest behind the bushes.
Buk.
Buk.
Heavy footsteps echoed. Compared to the shrieking goblins rushing forward, the presence behind them felt overwhelmingly oppressive.
"Stay sharp!" Captain Dalron drew his twin blades and shouted in a low, firm voice.
A deep roar answered him.
A massive figure stepped out of the trees. It stood over two meters tall, muscular and heavily built, with yellowish skin and a back covered in short, spiked hide like armor.
"An Orc… no, two of them," Belnar said with a scowl.
The ten goblins, who had hesitated earlier, suddenly rushed forward with renewed courage after spotting the two Orcs. Their frenzied screams grew louder as they charged toward the wagon.
"Deal with the goblins first!"
Captain Dalron sprinted ahead. He raised his longsword and hurled it forward. With a sharp whistling sound, the blade pierced straight into the chest of the leading goblin.
The goblin shrieked as pale green blood sprayed everywhere.
Captain Dalron stepped up to the creature, stomped on its chest, and ripped his sword free, sending another burst of blood and shredded flesh into the air. At the same moment, he swung his left blade and decapitated a nearby goblin.
Meanwhile, the twin brothers Leron and Rann charged with their silver shields. They rammed two goblins to the ground and slammed their shields down, crushing them with sickening force.
Compared to the brutal display from the three before…
Archer Belnar moved with far more finesse. With smooth precision, he drew his bow and released two arrows in quick succession, killing two goblins instantly.
In moments, the Guard Team had eliminated six of the ten goblins.
Saelran watched and took a deep breath. He was not frightened—only slightly nauseated by the bloody scene.
He had encountered scattered monster attacks throughout the journey, so this was not the first time he had seen such violence.
Still, as someone from a modern world, it unsettled him.
The thick smell of blood filled the air. Seeing severed goblin heads and crushed bodies made Saelran feel the harsh reality of this world even more clearly.
At that moment, aside from mild nausea, he also felt a strange excitement.
While Saelran was still dazed, the remaining four goblins were quickly taken down by the Guard Team.
And then...
The two massive Orcs roared in fury as they charged out of the trees.