Magical Adventure Book

[Chapter 4-1] The Adventure Begins

According to the direction of the Old Beggar named Artapatu, who turned out not to be a ghost or the like, Kord and I set out on a journey. Armed with the two pieces that the old man returned, we bought a potty supply for the trip. Food, new drinking bottles, cheap cloth to use as a blanket, and others. No weapons at all.

Well, if a knife for peeling fruit and cutting meat can be considered a weapon, then that's our only weapon.

Actually, Artapatu did not tell the Dragon's hiding place. The old beggar asked, "If I tell you the dragon's hiding place, what will you use against it?"

I was silent when I heard her question. Dragons with scales that must be as hard as diamonds - just an estimate, according to the description of the adventure game I've played - certainly not possible to be defeated just by using our hoe or shovel.

"We can use someone else's dropped weapon."

Artapatu laughed loudly at Kord's genius reply. "Can you use that way, if you are brave enough to approach the dragon that is able to spout fire as far as 7 meters."

At the same time we both went pale, because hearing Artapatu's words that seemed convincing. Totally convincing even. As if he knew the dragon well.

I probably wouldn't believe what he said, if I hadn't seen for myself how great the skinny guy was - near to being so powerful. Apart from the fact he can disappear in the blink of an eye while on the market streets.

It started when I told Kord that Artapatu was the one I gave money to replace the bread that fell because I accidentally hit. After hearing my explanation, Kord immediately lunged at the old man as he shouted for his money to be returned. Artapatu welcomed Kord's header without shifting a bit from where he stood, and managed to astoundingly counteract the deadly lunge. Dropping the chord at once locked onto his fat body, without any difficulty at all.

Kord whined for mercy before finally Artapatu, who was sitting leisurely laughing over Kord's stocky body, released his lock.

"For your kindness and hospitality, I will instead tell you where the weapons you can use to carry out this task. Listen carefully, because I won't repeat it again!" Decorating a big smile, Artapatu looked at us alternately for the sake of dramatic effect, before continuing his words. "Go to the Clear Lake in the North of the city. From there, you turn East to enter the Grassland Forest, and continue walking until you reach the City of Tres. Wait until the day before the full moon to continue your journey to Lojom Hill, which is the gateway to the Lonely Valley. There you will find a large hollow tree. After that go into it, to find the legendary lucky weapon."

After all the long explanations - which fortunately I can remember - Artapatu handed over two silver coins, before going out of the house, to then again disappear without a trace. Like in the market.

Here we are. After three days of tumultuous travel, especially about the distribution of food and rest, we finally managed to enter the Grassland Forest. The forest that really lives up to its name, because from outside the forest alone, we have been treated to a view of a meadow as high as the neck, which around it is also overgrown with tall trees. It makes it difficult for us to move through it.

We managed to get out of the forest in two days of struggle. Silly, we were laughed at by the townspeople who told us there was a detour, not far from where we entered the forest. He said, using that road, we will arrive at Tres City in less than half a day!

After several evicted and yelled at, finally an innkeeper would kindly allow us to stay in the stables, and hired us for a wage with a cut in the cost of food. Work is draining, because there are many visitors at the inn, the average is the participants of the competition.

"Last noon I was offered by a group from Oks City to join. He said, they know where the Red Scaly Dragon Pomegranate's nest is, and tomorrow morning will leave for it." The cord lay on the straw with his hands folded behind his head as a cushion.

"Then you want to come?" ask me without letting go of the view outside the cage, from the moon a little more to be perfectly round.

"of course. Relax, man, I also said that you'd join them. The leader of the group even promised to pay a thousand dem to each member, as long as he became a hero who defeated the dragon and saved the princess. Fair in my opinion, because with a thousand dem, we can buy a house outside the city, and prosper for the rest of this age."

I looked at the cheerful-faced Kord with a bright smile. I was tempted by the attractive offer. If you follow the plan, there is still a greater chance of defeating the dragon, than following the direction of the obscure old Artapatu. After all, there was no guarantee I would be out of the world in this book after defeating the Red Scaly Dragon Pomegranate. A thousand gold coins in exchange for being an aristocrat on the farm, at a lesser risk, may be appropriate. Even if I cannot return to the real world, I can still live happily in this world.

"So how's the fella? You're gonna want to join, right?" Kord looked at me directly with sparkling eyes. "From you following the vague instructions of the goddamn Grandpa Beggar, which led us to get lost in the forest, it is certainly more obvious to accept this offer. Just so you know, Arson, who led the group was a noble. Surely he's good at fighting and playing with weapons."

The more tempting offer, of course, I will agree. However, before he could speak, suddenly, there was a feeling of sadness and unwillingness, followed by pain from a scar on my forehead and a fracture in my nose.

"I'll think about it later. Now we sleep so we don't have bad luck." I answered so, because it was driven by a sense of indecision in the heart, which suddenly appeared.

"ah! You've always been like that. Plin-plan if you make a choice." Kord rolled over and then turned his back on me. "Tell me yes, instead of having to work two more days in this Hell inn, to follow the old fuck's lying instructions. Just so you know yes, the red claw sword and the silver fang spear that became the royal emblem, are just bedtime tales. No way the gun's real."

For a moment I was pensive. Still asking about the meaning of the following sources of magical worry that immediately struck. Makes me unable to answer a tempting offer from Kord. It's not a matter of legendary weapons that we thought Artapatu would give. More than that. I kept thinking about finding clarity, before finally losing to drowsiness, even though next to me, Kord snored very loudly. Effects of being tired all day working hard.

Ah, it's no use thinking about it without any leads at all.

Have good night.