“Teacher, how are things looking?”
Eric found his teacher, Atai'er, and inquired about the situation.
Atai'er glanced at Eric and said,
“You’ll have to resolve this incident yourselves.”
Eric nodded:
“No danger, got it.”
Atai'er: “…”
After lunch, the village chief handed the money to Margaret. He said,
“You won’t run off with the money, will you?”
Margaret squeezed the money pouch, then handed it to Judy, saying,
“Do you have a choice?”
The village chief’s expression froze, and his face fell. He felt the blonde girl’s actions were no different from a bandit’s.
Judy tapped the money pouch with her staff and said,
“200 silver coins, no more, no less.”
“Put it away. This is team funds now.”
“Mhm.”
Judy put the money pouch into her small shoulder bag.
Only after the village chief left did Eric say,
“Let’s check our equipment.”
The three began checking their gear.
Eric strung his Moon Elf Longbow, checked the oil on his steel short sword, counted his arrows, tied his potions to his body, and tightened his moon elf cloak.
From her shoulder bag, Judy once again pulled out a pile of jewelry.
She gave Eric a ring, a pink one.
She replenished Margaret’s stamina potions and gave Margaret an earring.
Aside from a brooch that prevented detection, Margaret only had a steel longsword and a self-made wooden shield.
Involuntarily, Eric looked at Judy’s small shoulder bag again.
To be honest,
both Margaret and Eric were currently being supported by Judy.
There was no other way; little Judy was simply too rich.
“Are you all ready?”
Eric asked again.
“Ready.”
“Let’s go find the frogmen.”
—
The four set off together towards the Swamp.
Judy led the way.
Upon entering the Swamp, they encountered a wetland jungle.
They stepped on rotting leaves, and the calls of birds echoed overhead.
If not for the buzzing mosquitoes, the environment here would have been truly beautiful.
“Weak Deterrence.”
Judy raised her staff and cast a small spell on everyone.
The mosquitoes immediately flew away from them.
Margaret breathed a sigh of relief and said,
“It’s truly wonderful to have a mage in the party.”
A smile appeared on Judy’s lips, and she tilted her head slightly, saying,
“Of course, I’m a genius witch.”
Eric rolled his eyes.
A genius witch who had her staff stolen and cowered in a tree hollow, trembling?
Pulling out his longbow from his back, Eric said,
“Don’t relax. I feel a fluctuation of magic around us. Be careful.”
Judy and Margaret both became alert.
Their formation was: Margaret held her shield in front, guarding the front.
Eric held his bow in the middle, vigilant on both sides, and also protecting Judy behind him.
Judy, in her spellcasting position, was at the very back, where she needed to guard the rear.
But here, Judy was actually the most relaxed. She had grown up in the jungle and was very familiar with it.
“Come look, it’s a man!”
“Is he an elf child? But he doesn’t have long ears.”
“He’s still so young, let’s raise him…”
They hadn't walked far when seductive and enthusiastic female laughter came from behind a tree ahead.
Eric raised his longbow, and Margaret also raised her sword.
But when the source of the voices emerged from behind the tree, everyone was stunned.
Eric almost had a nosebleed.
Completely unclad Ozawa, Hatano, Masked Sister, Face-swapped Liu Yi…
Holy cow.
What is this?
Hea… Heaven…
No… No, it’s an enchantment spell.
“Bang.”
Before Eric could react, Judy smacked him on the head with her staff.
Judy put away her staff and said weakly,
“Pathetic, Eric.”
Margaret tilted her head slightly, looking down at Eric with an expression of disgust, as if looking at scum.
“Hmph, pervert.”
The magic on Eric was dispelled, and he finally saw the truth of things.
They were a group of golden-skinned Dryads, each mature and sexy, with graceful figures, and the monsters wore no clothes.
My goodness, even without an enchantment spell, these things were super alluring, alright?
Who could refuse sexy, mature, eternally youthful Dryad big sisters?
Atai'er rubbed Eric’s head, speaking in the tone of a child growing up:
“It makes sense. You’ve reached the age where you’re interested in women. After we leave the Swamp, I’ll find someone to give you some lessons.”
“I, Eric, am not that kind of person.”
I’m just a man being a man.
But monsters are monsters.
Eric still painfully raised his longbow.
Judy once again smacked Eric on the head with her staff.
“The Dryad sisters aren’t bad people. Don’t point your bow at them.”
“So you kill people when you’re exposed? So that’s the kind of person you are.” Margaret glanced at Eric and stood in front of him.
At this moment, the Dryads finally spoke:
“It’s little Judy! When did you come back?”
“And you brought back a little man. Do you want your sisters to help you train him?”
“Little Judy has grown up too; she’s starting to look for a man.”
A group of golden-skinned, sexy beauties chattered away.
Eric poked his head out from behind Margaret, only to be smacked back by Judy’s staff.
Judy’s small face was flushed, and she stammered,
“No, that’s not it.”
Seeing Judy’s reaction, the Dryads all giggled again.
Eric sighed and said,
“Ask them about the Mad Frogmen and tell them to leave quickly.”
Eric cried internally. They were right in front of him, and he couldn’t look or touch. Wasn’t this going to be the death of him?
Judy finally reacted:
“Dryad sisters, the frogmen attacked the villagers. We want to see what’s going on. Do you know anything?”
At these words, the Dryads fell silent as if silenced, all together.
Eric was a little confused and poked his head out again.
He was smacked back again by Judy’s staff.
Helpless, Eric could only say from behind Margaret,
“We need to solve the problem of the Mad Frogmen attacking the villagers. If you know anything, please tell us now, okay?”
Perhaps it was because they had a good impression of Eric, or perhaps they liked Judy.
The Dryads spoke again.
“You’re actually going to provoke the Mad Frogmen?”
“Isn’t it better to stay with us? Why go looking for death?”
“What a pity, that little face, he looks like an elf child, what a pity.”
The Dryads leaned against the large trees and, in a flash, merged into the trees, disappearing before everyone’s eyes.
“Sorry, Judy, we don’t dare provoke whatever is behind the Mad Frogmen.”
Margaret turned to look at Eric:
“It’s all your fault. Your lecherous eyes scared the Dryads away.”
Eric stood frozen in place.
No, this is my fault?
Besides, Dryads naturally seek out men, alright? They’d be hoping I was lecherous.
“Please, be reasonable, alright? That’s just the nature of Dryads.”
Judy poked Eric’s lower back with her staff. She said,
“Dryads aren’t restrained; they’ll drain you to death.”
To die beneath a peony is to be a romantic ghost.
However, Eric did not want to die.
And now was not the time to be talking about this.
Eric gave up on arguing, sighed, and said,
“Forget it, let’s keep going. I feel there should still be magical fluctuations around.”