I Have a Task Log

「A few hours later.」

The last wisp of ash rose from the dark gray embers.

It danced in the morning sun, a pale mote carried skyward on a trail of smoke.

Colin watched the dust rise and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

He looked around.

The acrid smell of smoke mingled with the metallic tang of blood and the damp scent of moss, drifting on the wind through the Supreme Forest.

The semi-subterranean forest homes, built against the roots of giant trees, had mostly collapsed. Their fern-and-moss-covered roofs were now charred husks.

The thorny low wall that had once encircled the village entrance had been torn asunder. Its barbs were still snagged with tattered cloth and dark red bloodstains.

The village had been utterly destroyed. Most of the homes were ruined, and bodies lay scattered across the ground—Kobolds and Cultists, as well as the local villagers.

Medicinal herbs, baskets, berries...

All sorts of items were strewn across the stone path in the village center, trampled to a pulp. They were likely dropped by the raiders during their hasty retreat.

A group of villagers in burlap clothes stood nearby.

Men stood before the ruined wall, their eyes vacant as they stared at their destroyed homes.

The elderly sat amidst the rubble, watching their children with deep worry.

Women slumped to the ground, clutching their own children and letting out faint sobs.

And those who had lost loved ones either clung to the deceased, wailing uncontrollably, or sat in stunned silence, filled with nothing but grief and helplessness.

The forest wind swept through the broken village, rustling the leaves. It carried with it the faint sobs and hysterical cries of the survivors, mingling them with the drifting ash before scattering them among the giant trees of the Supreme Forest...

Colin sighed.

’It’s been so long since I came to this world, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen a village just after it was destroyed by monsters.’

He glanced over at Ale.

The Half-Elf was standing beside him, leaning on her Magic Staff and silently observing the tragic scene. Her small hand gripped the staff so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

Dorn, his face smudged with black ash, walked over and said bluntly, "Let’s call that Pegasus Knight down. We don’t have time to stand around gawking."

Colin nodded and fired the Signal Flare he was holding.

He then shouted to the surrounding villagers, "Is anyone in charge here?"

"The elder’s dead." "He was killed with the other men from the village." "What are we going to do... What do we do..."

Colin’s question was like opening a floodgate, and a clamor of voices rose from the surrounding villagers.

Perhaps because Colin and his group had helped fight the fires, the villagers showed no real hostility. Of course, it was also possible the sudden, overwhelming grief had left them too numb to properly react.

"Alright, we’re a team of Adventurers from the Silver Star Court," Colin announced. "We’re tasked with escorting you to the nearest village. All you need to do is follow us."

As he spoke, Colin carefully observed the survivors.

Because this village wasn’t particularly close to the Silver Star Court, most of the villagers were human, with only a few Half-Elves—most of the Half-Elves capable of wielding a weapon had likely died in the attack.

Just then, the Pegasus Knight who had received the signal slowly descended.

The Wood Elf Knight commanded loudly, "All of you! Gather whatever food is left in the village, then follow us to the nearest settlement!"

A few villagers looked as if they wanted to speak but hesitated.

They exchanged glances, then silently began to carry out the order.

Once a few started, the rest of the villagers began to move as well.

They gathered what little food was still edible and salvaged some cloth that could be used for bedding.

Colin watched the villagers and thought to himself.

’This attack must have been a surprise raid by the Dragon Worship Cult. Until a few days ago, their actions were limited to instigating Kobolds to plunder merchant caravans and the like.’

’While those acts were certainly malicious, they were still considered minor provocations between the two powers.’

’But now, they’ve launched direct surprise attacks on several outlying villages, and all at the same time...’

’The Dragon Worship Cult can’t be that desperate for money, can they? Why go to all this trouble just to raid a few villages? Besides, plundering a village is a far more serious offense than attacking a caravan.’

Colin adjusted the strap of his backpack.

’Or... could this be a diversion to cover up a larger move elsewhere?’

’With so little information, I can’t guess what the Dragon Worship Cult is really planning. I just have a bad feeling about this.’

After more than half an hour, the villagers were assembled.

Colin estimated the village originally had about thirty households, but now, only a little over thirty survivors remained. The sparse group looked terribly small and frail.

"Alright, keep up with us."

With that shout, Colin turned and started down the path.

The Wood Elf on the Pegasus slowly rose into the air, leading the group from above.

Since there were no well-maintained roads in the Supreme Forest, the group could only trudge along the uneven animal trails through the woods.

As they walked, Colin moved into the middle of the group of villagers. "Do you know who the attackers were?" he asked.

The villager he addressed frowned, his expression pained. Even so, Colin felt he had to press for details.

A man covered in blood hurried forward a few steps. Colin recognized him as one of the poor souls who had lost family.

The man said, "Lots of Kobolds and a dozen or so strange people. There might have been some Tieflings, too. I saw people with red skin."

Hearing this, Orelia, who was standing nearby, silently lowered her head.

Colin asked, puzzled, "Just them? Could they break through the village’s defenses so quickly on their own? As I recall, the monsters in the Supreme Forest are supposed to be more numerous than the ones outside. They shouldn’t have such an easy time, even against a normal human village."

"A dragon... there was a dragon... I..."

A child held in his mother’s arms started to speak, but before he could finish, his mother anxiously covered his mouth.

"The monsters are gone now," Colin said, looking over at them.

The mother’s lips trembled, and she slowly lowered her hand.

The child spoke up bravely. "I saw a dragon fly over the wall! It breathed out lots and lots of snow, and then it tore up the outer wall, and then it flew away."

’So it was a White Dragon?’

’In other words, a White Dragon used its breath weapon to take out most of the guards, then tore through the village’s thorn defenses. After that, the Dragon Worship Cult and the Kobolds finished the fight.’

As he thought this, Colin smiled and said gently, "Well now, thank you for the information, young man."

His words seemed to lighten the mood in the group, if only by a little.