The party continued along the small path.

’Since Aidan calls himself the son of a Forester, then his father must be one,’ Colin mused, walking at the rear of the group.

In this world, every human settlement had a Forester—even places like Flint Village, which had no forest to speak of, had one.

Most Foresters lived in remote areas, five to ten kilometers from a village. Their job was to patrol the surrounding lands, to be the first to spot any monsters that drew near.

If monsters appeared, they would be the first people to find them, and very likely the first victims.

For this reason, Foresters were widely respected and highly skilled.

’If we really have a guide like that, this job should be much easier,’ he thought. ’At least this stretch through the Supreme Forest shouldn’t give us too much trouble.’

The party spent another night in the wild, and after waking the next day, they walked for several more hours.

Aidan, who was leading the way, said, "Gentlemen, we’re almost at my house."

"Anything we should be aware of?" Colin asked, sensing the hesitation in Aidan’s voice.

"It’s... nothing." Aidan forced a smile.

They walked a few more steps forward.

A massive, dead oak tree appeared before them. A small house, built from stone slabs, was nestled into its trunk. Though the living space was likely sufficient, the house itself looked even cruder than those in the village.

Carrots and potatoes were planted among the oak roots by the entrance, and several hide-stretching frames with rabbit pelts were set out, giving the place a lived-in feel.

Still, for Aidan, bringing several High-tier Adventurers to a place like this was more than a little embarrassing.

"Let’s keep going. Don’t worry about how it looks. I’m from the slums myself," Colin said. "Also, here’s your pay for the last two days."

With that, he took out the promised payment and handed it to him.

Aidan smiled and nodded. He pocketed the money, returned the Hand Half Sword, and then led the party to the cottage door and knocked.

"Who is it? Who’s there?"

A woman’s voice came from inside, followed by the small window opening a barely perceptible crack.

"It’s me, Mom. I’m back," Aidan said.

The next moment, the cottage door swung open.

A woman who appeared to be in her thirties stepped out. She wore heavily patched linen clothes and had a kind smile on her face—though it stiffened slightly when she saw Kase and Orelia.

"These people are..."

"They’re Guards from the city, Mom," Aidan said. "They’re here to hunt a giant bear with a bounty on its head."

"Are you the ones from near Moss Stone Village? In that case, welcome." Aidan’s mother nodded, looking a little self-conscious. "Would you like something to eat? Please, come inside."

"We don’t need anything to eat, thank you," Colin replied, leading his party into the small house.

There was little furniture inside besides a fireplace, chairs, a wardrobe, and a few beds. The beds were separated by nothing more than curtains woven from leaves.

The fire in the hearth was low, leaving the room dim and filled with the smell of medicinal herbs.

A teenage girl sat in a corner of the room, processing herbs. She kept her head down, though she occasionally stole curious glances at the newcomers. She was likely Aidan’s sister.

Fortunately, there were enough stools for everyone to sit.

The party sat by the fireplace, warming themselves slightly.

"When will he be back?" Aidan asked.

"Your father? He should be back soon," his mother replied, a hint of anticipation in her voice. "Did you want to talk with him?"

Aidan’s tone was cold. "There’s a good job for him. He might be able to earn a few Gold Coins."

Aidan’s mother sighed deeply, unsure of what to say.

’It seems Aidan and his father don’t have a very good relationship,’ Colin thought.

The rest of the party weren’t very skilled at dealing with people, but with the exception of Ale, the other two at least had some social aptitude and could also tell something was amiss.

A strange sense of awkwardness mingled with the smell of herbs, spreading throughout the room.

Colin and his companions found it difficult to speak. Aside from the CRACKLE of the burning firewood, there were no other sounds in the room.

After a short while, the door was pushed open with a CREAK.

A man holding a Short Bow appeared in the doorway, poking his head inside. The iron arrowhead nocked on the bow glinted with a cold light.

The man shouted at the top of his lungs, "Who are you! A Half-Orc? And a Half-Demon! Dammit!"

Colin turned to look.

The man wore leather clothes and Leather Boots, with a Hunting Knife hanging from his waist. It was the standard attire for a Forester. He looked to be approaching forty.

This must be Aidan’s father, Ronan.

"They’re my friends! Put down your bow!" Aidan yelled hurriedly.

"A Half-Orc and a Half-Demon? You little bastard, you dare bring them to your own home, to your mother?" Ronan roared, flying into a rage. "Where’s your bow? Your Hunting Knife? Running off on your own is one thing, but now you’re bringing trouble to our doorstep!"

"They’re looking to hire us as guides! If we do a good job, we can earn over ten Gold Coins..."

"Get out!" Aidan’s father aimed his Short Bow at Orelia. "You damned Half-Demon, go back to your Nine Floors of Hell!"

Colin and Kase rose, each taking a step to shield the Tiefling behind them.

Back at Dragon’s Fang Castle, Veteran John had been in a similar state. Colin knew it was pointless to try and explain things to the man right now, so he said nothing.

"Ronan, calm down! Aidan just got back. At least hear him out!"

Aidan’s mother and sister rushed over to grab Ronan’s arms, managing to pull him away.

Ronan lowered his Short Bow, snorted coldly, then went outside. He grabbed a few hide-stretching frames, sat down in the doorway, and began to fiddle with them.

Colin could see that Aidan was furious.

The firelight flickered, and a couple of branches in the hearth burst with a loud CRACK.

The young man steeled himself and spoke anyway. "They want to hunt a giant bear with a bounty on its head. The bear is called White Frost, and it’s to the southeast, nearby. They need a guide, and the pay is several Gold Coins."

"That does sound very good..." Aidan’s mother said.

But Ronan, sitting in the doorway, roared back, "No!"

"Several Gold Coins could buy a few goats in Moss Stone Village! We could have goat’s milk to drink..."

"No!"

"This way, Lina would have a dowry! She might even be able to marry into..."

"No!"

"Why? Have you lost your mind?" Aidan finally lost his composure. "This is several Gold Coins! How can you not think about Mom and Lina!"

Ronan kept his head down, but still yelled, "Absolutely not!"