Greymark clung to the forest's edge like a scar on the earth. Low stone walls and timbered buildings pressed close together, bracing for the wilds beyond. Smoke drifted from crooked chimneys, mingling with the sharp tang of iron and roasting meat.
The party trudged down the cobbled streets, mud streaked across boots and armor, dragging the massive, unconscious figure of a man in a dark plate.
Leo glanced around at the bustling village. "It's… lively," he said, trying to sound confident, though his voice carried a trace of awe as always.
Garrick grunted. "Lively, sure. I'd call it chaotic."
Rosalie flicked mud from her shoulder, smirking. "I call it a chance to see how many idiots survived the forest. Some of these faces I recognize."
"Some of them know us," Elion muttered, wrinkling his nose. "Most of them probably don't."
"Leo! Dragging more people into trouble this time, eh?" called a familiar voice. A lanky adventurer leaned on a wagon, grinning. "You've got a habit of picking up more peril than you can bear."
"Rosalie! Still getting yourself mud-caked, I see," another shouted, waving a hand.
"Piss off," Rosalie called back with a grin, brushing mud off her shoulder as she slipped slightly on the slick cobbles.
From a nearby stall, a merchant shook his head. "Forest survivors again? That armored man… he looks hardly fit to last the night."
"Bah! Looks stronger than he should, by the looks of him," a young fighter said with a shrug. "Perhaps he'll make it… or perhaps not."
"Looks like that one's dead," muttered a grizzled man leaning on a post, eyeing the inert figure.
"Alive yet, by my reckoning," another replied grimly. "Still breathing, though it's hard to tell under all that plate."
The Demon Lord's soul drifted above, cold and detached. Petty. All of it. A village of fragile mortals playing at strength. They call this surviving?
Leo's chest swelled. "See! Even the villagers notice the forest survivors! This is a place of camaraderie and recognition!"
Elion muttered under his breath, "If that's respect, I'd hate to see mockery."
Rosalie laughed nervously, hugging her flask. "Some know us, some are idiots. Just… don't look at me for guidance."
They continued down the street, passing merchants arguing over carts, children darting between legs brandishing sticks as mock weapons, and adventurers boasting of recent kills. The air smelled of roasted meat, crushed herbs, and iron, rich and dizzying after the forest's silence. The party exchanged quiet comments about their injuries, the armored man, and what Sylvia might be up to, a brief moment of camaraderie before the next challenge.
Finally, they reached the small timber-framed inn at the village's heart. Warm smells of stew and ale drifted from the open door. Inside, the innkeeper looked up from polishing the counter, eyebrows raising at the sight of muddied adventurers and the armored body.
"She's not here," the innkeeper said, shaking their head. "Sylvia? Left early this morning. Said she had work at the clinic. Been poking around in every corner ever since. Can't say it's made it any calmer."
Leo straightened. "That's our Sylvia! Dedicated as always!"
Elion pressed his lips together. "Dedicated… or terrifying. Depending on the definition."
Garrick grunted. "Terrifying is putting it lightly. Let's move before whatever she's doing gets weirder."
Stepping back into the street, they continued toward the clinic. The streets were alive with adventurers and merchants, some waving, some shouting, some teasing. Children ran between legs, pretending to duel. The village felt chaotic, real, and lived-in.
The clinic, small and timber-framed, loomed ahead. Windows were propped open, airing a sour cocktail of crushed herbs, iron, and burned alcohol. A faint groan echoed from deeper inside.
Garrick's massive frame blocked the doorway. "Do we really want to go in there?"
Leo tightened his grip on the straps holding the armored man. Even Rosalie hesitated, clutching her flask. Elion wrinkled his nose at the scent wafting from the open door.
From inside came a crash of metal and a shrill voice. "I can't take this anymore!" A young nurse burst through, apron stained, eyes wide, and ran down the street.
"Alive yet, by my reckoning," someone muttered from outside, echoing the grim humor of the villagers.
The Demon Lord's soul observed from above. Ah. A place that devours the weak while breeding obsession. How fitting.
The party stepped inside.
The clinic smelled sharp: iron, crushed herbs, and alcohol. Whitewashed walls were scrubbed raw, yet shelves bristled with jars, vials, and instruments. Bundles of dried plants swayed from the rafters. A low groan came from behind a curtain.
Sylvia appeared, apron pristine, hair tied back, gloved hands ready. "Ah! You're back! How wonderful." Her voice was soft, sweet, almost lullaby-like.
Her gaze fell on the armored body. A flicker of scholarly hunger passed over her features. Her pupils sharpened, gleaming like a cat spotting prey.
"Oh… you're hurt as well. How… wonderful," she whispered, lips curling. "I mean terrible, of course. Let me see them right away~"
Rosalie forced a laugh, hugging her flask. "Examine me first? Ha… no, that's fine. I feel much healthier suddenly."
Garrick stiffened, arms crossed. "Absolutely not. I'm not participating in whatever this is."
Elion muttered, pale and flat, "The real monster reveals herself at last…"
Leo swallowed hard. "W-we trust you, Sylvia. Heal them… all of them…"
Above, the Demon Lord's soul noted her resonance. Her resonance… fractured, clinging to life as though obsession alone keeps her standing. A broken creature hiding fear beneath a smile. Hmph. These companions are all fragile, pretending at strength. And yet… perhaps that fragility will prove more dangerous than the forest itself.
He allowed himself a tight curl of a smile. Interesting.
Sylvia clapped her hands softly. "Excellent! Now, everyone, let's prepare the table. I'll need a little space and freedom to work, perfectly safe, of course."
The party exchanged uneasy glances. The forest's dangers were behind them, but a new kind of challenge waited inside the clinic: their own healer.
Leo adjusted the straps holding the armored man. "Well… here goes nothing," he muttered, taking a deep breath.
Rosalie rolled her eyes, muttering, "If she so much as looks at me funny…" She trailed off, unable to finish.
Garrick simply grunted, already positioning himself near the doorway, ready to intervene.
Elion, eyes narrowing, muttered, "A healer like no other…"
Outside, Greymark carried on in its lively rhythm. Merchants hawked wares, adventurers boasted of slays, and children darted through the streets with sticks raised in mock duels. For a brief moment, the village seemed ordinary, but inside the clinic, something extraordinary and slightly terrifying was about to unfold.
And so, with the forest behind them and the alchemist ahead, the next chapter of their misadventures began.