I Left the State-Sanctioned Party, and Eventually Became a Hero in the Frontier ~ A Tale of a "Scoundrel" Starting Over as a Hero ~

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/

It took us half a day on horseback to ride the road with Fimia in tow.
Thanks to the recovery and enhancement magic cast on the horses, we reached Marhas before the sun had even started to set.
Along the way, we didn’t encounter any monsters, but I did feel some strange presences more than once.
We never saw anything directly, but it was clear that dangerous beasts were lurking in the forests bordering the unexplored territory.

As I dismounted under the village gate archway, I let out a breath and turned to Rolo.

“Rolo, gather the village elders and explain the situation to them.”
“What about you?”
“If I go, they won’t listen properly.”

I stopped Rolo from objecting with a raised hand and glanced over at Fimia, lowering my voice.

“Take Fimia with you. Country folk are deeply religious. If there’s a priest with you, it’ll be easier to talk. And if that priest is a young beauty, all the better—they’ll be all ears.”
“I can hear you, Yulg.”

With a sigh, Fimia gave me a damp, reproachful look.
She was probably about to scold me again about the sanctity of the divine and whatnot… but I needed her to prioritize results here.
We had to make the village understand the potential danger and that we were going to investigate it. Without that, we couldn’t move freely in this backwater.

“If that’s the case, you could go with us. Your Skysunder title is probably good enough to get you a tab at the tavern, at least.”
“Here, I’m just ‘Yulg the Scoundrel.’ My bad rep is so big that just showing my face sets people off. I’m counting on you, Fimia.”

I put my hands together in a pleading gesture.
She’d probably scold me again for only doing prayer gestures when it suited me… but thankfully, the Saint just sighed and nodded.

“Alright. But you owe me for this, Yulg.”
“Can’t you offer a little selfless service, miss clergy?”
“Honestly. You’re only pious when it’s convenient. Come on, Rolo—let’s go.”

Prompted by her, Rolo nodded with a sigh. He didn’t look convinced, but I’d apologize later. To this village, Rolo was “the boy who made good and came back.”

“I’ll take care of the horses and Gregre. Gregre, you good?”
“Gre-gre!”
“Alright, let’s go.”

The white-scaled Raptor Fimia rode was a trained mount Monster.
They’re hard to train, but their speed and strength make them popular with traveling merchants.
As for this pure-white one—I found its egg during an adventure… and it became attached to her instead for some reason, and between that and her Saint status, everyone just assumes it belongs to her now.
…Well, I don’t mind, I guess.

“Alright, we’re off.”
“Yeah. Explain it well.”

Waving at the two, I grabbed the three sets of reins. This being the countryside, the stables were big enough that even a Raptor wouldn’t feel cramped.

“Gre-gre.”
“Hey, stop nibbling me.”
“Greeeh.”

Hopping along beside me, Gregre playfully nibbled at my head. He never bites Fimia—why’s it always me?

“Thomson. I’ve come to return the horse. Also, can you take care of this guy?”
“Eek—Yulg…!”
“Come on, I’m not gonna do anything.”

I know it’s because of what I used to do as “Yulg the Scoundrel,” but being this feared still stings a little. At the same time, I can’t exactly say it’s undeserved.

“I’ll be gone right away, so don’t worry. And this guy’s name is Gregre—please take care of him too. I’ve already handed over some meat for food.”
“Ah, r-right… Got it.”

Handing over the reins to a clearly frightened Thomson, I turned on my heel. More than feeling out of place, it was clear I had no place here anymore. Honestly, I was starting to miss the impersonal coldness of the city.

“Hey… uh…”

Just as I started to walk away, Thomson called out to me.

“Hmm?”
“I heard… you’re the one who took down that monster. Rolo told me.”
“Yeah. More like me and Rolo together.”
“Well, uh… thanks. Some of our chickens got taken, actually…”

Those words sent a chill down my spine. Chickens are supposed to be kept inside fenced enclosures within the village. If they were attacked, that meant the monster had breached the village itself.

“Were there any other incidents? You okay?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Some pigs and sheep were attacked too, but that’s about it.”
“I see. If anything else happens, let me know. If you don’t want to talk to me, tell Rolo.”
“Y-yeah. Will do.”

I gave Thomson a small wave and left the stables. The situation was worse than I thought. I needed to talk this over with Rolo and Fimia.

But first, I had to check the keystone of the village’s protective barrier. See whether it was functioning or not. And if it wasn’t, then we’d need materials. And people.

Damn it. Why didn’t I study more…? I can’t even remember whether the barrier was magical or divine.

“Scoundrel, what are you mumbling about over there?”
“Old Man Tanto…”
“Something troubling you?”

The old man gestured to a stump, using it as a seat. I looked at him with some suspicion. Was he finally losing it, offering me a seat? But the old man was well-known for his knowledge. Rolo and the others probably hadn’t returned yet, so I might as well borrow some wisdom.

“Thomson said the Vampire Goat attacked their chickens. It made it all the way into the village?”
“Yes. There were a few reports of sightings.”

He spoke so casually, like it was no big deal. Normally, when a monster appears inside a village, the entire population is immediately evacuated.

“What about the village barrier? Is it working?”
“No idea. It’s been a long time since this village was founded, after all.”
“…Maintenance? Anyone doing it?”
“…Dunno.”

Yeah. We’re screwed. If this is the village’s wisest elder, then we’re not getting any help here.

“For now, at least we’re lucky to have a high-ranking priestess here. I’ll have her take a look at the barrier.”