"Oh, that's what you're going to do? That's surprising... I thought you'd choose emerald or black pearl..."
"Oh, I like this"
I felt sorry inside when Taehyung looked a little gloomy, but I was still more attracted to the amethyst than the black pearl or emerald that Taehyung recommended, so I had no choice but to buy the amethyst.
Taehyung saw me off, telling me to let him know when he was leaving on his mission, and I waved along as we headed toward Hoseok's weapons shop. As I forcefully opened the door to the Hope Weapon Shop and stepped inside, Hoseok greeted me brightly. Seeing the amethyst in my hand, he quickly pulled out his sword and prepared to set the gem. When I handed him the amethyst, he lightly poured molten iron onto the dented handle and set the amethyst in place.
"Don't worry, none of the customers I put jewels on have fallen out!"
Hoseok, smiling confidently, realized he'd bought it from Taehyung's shop and offered to lower the price. But he declined, saying he'd only accept the heart. He headed to the commission shop, where the kingdom's commissions were being collected. Because he's naturally talkative, he flinched at every step he took, even at the slightest hint of a horse's tail, but he didn't show the excessive anxiety he'd shown before.
Upon opening the door to the quest room, I was greeted by countless adventurers and warriors. Each one held a request form. The adventurers stood before a board with requests related to riddles and myths, while the warriors stood before a board focused on monsters and events.
As I pushed my way through the crowd and scanned the bulletin board, a single piece of paper caught my eye. No one else had even glanced at it, but for some reason, it was a request that kept drawing me back.
It was a request from the residents of the remote Amibam Forest, far removed from the kingdom. Perhaps because it was such a remote and dangerous place, it was a request that had been written quite a while ago.
While most quests are completed and resolved within two days to a week, this one was written a full five months ago. However, there was something a bit odd: there was a group of warriors from the Amibam Forest, a group that easily surpassed 20,000. It was a very small village, and the other villagers tended to dislike the Amibam Forest residents, making it an inevitably isolated community.
For that reason, the bond within the village was so strong, there was no way the Amidan could have ignored or discovered this request for five months. Feeling strange, I tore the request apart and examined it more closely.
The request document detailed the location of the Amibam Forest Village and the events that transpired there, revealing a dire situation. If this were true, and if it were indeed written five months ago, Amibam Forest Village would likely be scorched to the ground by now, reduced to ashes.
The chestnuts grown in the chestnut forest are of the highest quality and are an important key to trade with many countries, so there is a risk that the country's economy will decline.
'...The price of Amibam fruit has been skyrocketing lately. So this is why.'
I quickly took the request form to the desk, accepted it, and headed to the Amibam Forest. Unable to use a carriage or other means of transportation, I had to walk the long distance on foot, which was already a bit tiring. However, the situation in Amibam Village was so dire that I couldn't afford to delay even a second.
I quickly left the kingdom and headed into the forest. As I pushed through the grass, I came across a sign with some pretty scary messages written on it. No, to be precise, just for me.
Forest of Words