Shyam was called to the guild right after waking up, so he directly went to the guild after eating a light breakfast. There, he met the Guild Master and left the guild, reaching the center of the village.
There was a big tree with a roundabout on the sides of the tree—probably to talk and discuss things in fresh air.
There were a lot of people gathered there for some reason, or maybe the Guild Master had arranged them to do the cleaning job. He did say he would ask the villagers to do the job.
Shyam stayed behind the Guild Master as the Guild Master stood above the roundabout.
"So, what do we do now?" Shyam asked.
"Ask nicely," the Guild Master whispered and then raised his hands like a king declaring something important.
Then he spoke—loudly!
"I, Vishranta, the Lord of Bhadrabari and the Guild Master of Bhadrabari Adventurers' Guild, ask the people of Bhadrabari to help us during this crisis." His voice, loud and clear, reached the end of the village. The village wasn't that big, so yeah…
The people gathered at this place all stood silently, listening to the Guild Master—Vishranta.
One asked, "What kind of help?"
"As you all may know about the slimes that blocked the waterway—fortunately, this adventurer has cleaned the mess," Vishranta said as he pointed toward Shyam. He had noticed yesterday that the people of this village didn't like him all that much. So by doing this, he cleared Shyam's name and let the villagers know that the known problem had been solved.
"Then why isn't the water back yet?" one of the villagers asked.
"It's because the problem wasn't the slimes from the start. The water was blocked because of a landslide. And now, we must unite as one to clear the dirt if we want to see our crops rise again!" Vishranta said with the voice of a leader.
"If doing that clears our waterways and we can farm again, then we're more than happy to help! Aren't we?!" one of the villagers shouted, and the others agreed.
After the big speech, Shyam and Vishranta went back to the guild.
"I didn't know you were the lord too. Must be hard doing both jobs," Shyam whispered as they went to the Guild Master's office.
"Yeah, sometimes," he replied as they both sat down.
"So, what's your plan now?" Shyam asked.
"Guide the villagers on the cleaning job," the Guild Master replied.
"And you?" Vishranta asked.
"I'll have to leave now for the next village," he replied. Yes, he wanted to see the crops grow again, but he had his adventure too. He couldn't just spend a month or two in a village doing nothing.
"Is that so?" Vishranta murmured. "Well, in that case, have this."
Vishranta took out a book from his drawer—old, brown, but its cover was thick.
"What's this?" Shyam asked, staring at the book.
"It's a T2 Hydra Path complete manual," Vishranta replied.
Shyam was a bit shocked. According to Golakar, the manuals for tiering up were expensive, and the complete guides were almost unobtainable in places like these. Even in the capital of Rajarka, these kinds of manuals were seen as rich people's manuals.
Then how did Vishranta have one? And a greater question—why was he giving it away to Shyam instead of to his assistant, disciple, or someone else?
"But… why are you giving it to me?" Shyam asked.
"Because you've helped us more than we could ever repay. And because I have no other who I can pass down my belongings to. You seem to have potential. Please, take it!"
Isn't it magical how everyone seems to have seen potential in Shyam? They are giving him everything they have—even if it's expensive, even if it's something they treasure, even if it's something they cannot get another of. Still, they are giving it to Shyam.
For what reason? Even I, as the writer, don't know. How shameful of me, right?
Shyam tried to decline, but in the end, he had to accept it. He didn't hate it—no. He just didn't like taking things he didn't do much for. He was already rewarded for the job he did in killing the slimes. Besides that, he did nothing more. But Vishranta insisted that he shall have the manual.
After taking the manual, Shyam went to the work site with Vishranta and many other villagers. Before he left, he wanted to take a good look at the place where he hoped to see crops grow and people smile if he ever returned again.
Just like any other time, Shyam wandered around the village all day to appreciate the beauty he could see. The reason he ever dreamed of becoming an adventurer was to see the world—to see things he never could as an ordinary person. He now had the freedom to do whatever he felt like. He had the power to kill those who bring harm to the world he wanted to fully explore.
He still missed his family on the other end, but if what the Yamdut said was true, and if his family had actually died, then he didn't need to worry too much for them.
This village, as of now, didn't have much to offer. But he still enjoyed whatever they had built—back when the waterway wasn't blocked, and they exported roughly over a thousand gold coins worth of crops annually.
This village used to shine with the smiles of the farmers who did their work with passion and a goal to grow. But after the waterway got blocked and they struggled to even get water for everyday work, almost half the villagers fled from Bhadrabari to start their new lives somewhere else.
They weren't to blame either—they needed to live, just like we do. What they did was completely valid.
After he completed his village exploration, Shyam finally said goodbye to this village where he definitely wanted to come back sometime in the future. Vishranta came to say goodbye and gave his wishes for the journey ahead.
He didn't make as many memories in this village as he did in the others, but despite the lack of time, he still managed to form a good relationship with both the villagers and the Guild Master.
Looking forward to his future, Shyam finally took his step out of the village and continued his journey to the next village—Dhatuvan!
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Ch-34