Chapter 27：The Hunter Apprentice's vengeance vow.

My name is Jack and I'm a Hunter Apprentice.

Today I was climbing the mountain to look for some herbs requested by my mother.

My luck was not helping and after walking for two whole hours, I still had not catch sign of the damn herb I was looking for. Then as I look through the flower field I notice a person lying around.

"Hello, mister, did you see a blue colored herb with white stalk?"

.

..

...

"Mister? Are you sleeping?"

I slowly approached the man and notice his clothes were red and there was a black wound on his arm.

"Mister, are you alive? Do you need help?"

After failing to get some reaction by poking him and pulling him, I turned him around and confirmed he was truly dead.

"Hmm...I think I saw this guy coming to the village some months ago...I think I recognize this clothes..."

Thinking for a bit, I finally remember.

"Oh! Yeah! The guy with the adventurers party! He was an arche...archi...arsomething. Anyway, he should be here to investigate the ruins... Why is he dead up here? The ruins a a bit further down..."

Investigating the copse a bit more I was able to come to the conclusion he died from poisoning from some monster's bite. It seems like he also got hurt while escaping and if the poison didn't kill him, the loss of blood would... poor unlucky man.

Lucky for me, the unlucky man left a fairly visible trail, so I could investigate further. But before that I followed the old traditions and buried the man so his spirit could rest instead of turning into an undead.

As I followed the bloody trail, I got surprised by how far the man had walked after being attacked. Even at a fast walking speed it took me a bit more than an hour to track the source of the trail, a collapsed cave.

Approaching the collapsed cave I searched for any clue I could find, but unfortunately everything was buried and I would need a lot of help to clean the way, as the rocks were too heavy to be lifted alone.

Revising my founds I come to the conclusion it was time to report back to the Village Chief.

By the time I came back, it was already evening, the Chief was in his house having his dinner.

I knocked the door and waited for an answer. Half a minute later Bia, the Chief's daughter, greeted me.

"So, you finally gathered enough courage and came propose me?"

My face turned bright red and stuttering I denied.

"N-n-no! I-I got something important to report to your father."

"That you are asking my hand in marriage?"

"Please Bia, give the boy a break, stop bullying him and let him enter."

From inside Bia's mother voice came out, saving me from further embarrassment.

"Excuse-me"

Entering the house, I greeted the Chief and his wife, and started my report.

The Chief said he would call some hunter to double check tomorrow but if everything I said was true, the party should have been wiped out months ago and opening the passage would end up freeing whatever killed them, so it was not a good option.

As I bid farewell to the Chief and his family an earthquake hit us, making me lose my balance and fall on top of the Chief.

Bia didn't miss the chance to tease me.

"Oh my! So you have decided to give up on me and is now aiming for my dad instead!?"

The Chief blushed a bit and joined the fun.

"Thanks son, but I'm already married."

And I, in despair, screamed.

"No! You got it wrong!"

I couldn't hold myself any longer and ran for back home before the situation scaled again.

Next morning, the Village Chief called every hunter for a meeting, and I as an apprentice was allowed to join.

"Good morning everybody. Yesterday evening little Jack here came to my house."

"Oh! I see, so he finally gathered courage to propose Bia!"

"Congratulations Chief, you got a new son in law."

"Congrats Jack, treat Bia well."

"So, you want to prepare a big party, that's why you called us?"

"I caught a boar yesterday, since Jack is my nephew I will gift it to the party."

"Chief, you should contribute with that wine barrel you got stored in your house!"

I got redder than red as the comments kept pilling up, even the Chief got uncomfortable.

"Hey guys! Wait! That's not it!"

"What, you don't want to give up the wine not even in your own daughter marriage!?"

"Chief, I'm disappointed with you."

"No! No! Stop! Silence! Hear me out!"

Finally everybody went silent again, giving the Chief a chance to explain.

"Well, unfortunately it's not about the marriage that I called you guys here, it's something else. Jack, report again."

Before anyone could interrupt, I told the story again, from the corpse discovery to the cave.

"This is the first problem, I will need a volunteer to double check Jack's discovery. Anyone?"

A muscular middle aged man rose his hand.

"Good, Alex, thanks. Then you follow Jack and see what you can find out."

"Next, we got an earthquake yesterday. I'm afraid the dungeon seal was affected, so I would like the rest of you to form a group and take a look at it. If the seal is intact, all is great, if not, report as fast as we can, so we can look for help in the city."

Everybody agreed with the arrangement and departed on hour later after properly preparing their equipment and supplies.

...

Evening arrived again, and as Jack and Alex came back from their trip they found the village full of commotion, with villagers heading right and left in a hurry. Alex stopped a friend passing by and asked.

"What happened?"

"Oh! Alex! Thanks the heavens you are alright!"

"?"

"You know the hunter party was sent to the seal this morning, right?"

"Yes."

"It seems they found big trouble. There were goblins and a full plated armor monster as well. Carlos was hit my some magic and died, many of the hunters were also injured, the village chief drove a wagon to the city to look for help, meanwhile his son is helping organize the village defenses."

"Wait, what happened to my dad!?"

"Oh! Jack! I'm sorry son, Carlos was a great hunter, it's truly a pity to lose him like this. Go talk to the other hunters in the medical house, they will tell you the details. Now if you excuse me, we got a lot of work to do..."

I ran to the medical house to talk to the hunters. The story I heard was the same. That night I cried like never before and I swore to gain vengeance with my own hands.