The following days went smoothly for the group. With the secrets between them no longer being hidden, Nobina and Fay took this time to talk about their own world. Harton couldn’t deny being interested in their talk, with him asking a lot of questions regarding what they were talking about.


    “Shouldn’t we be concerned about telling Harton about some of the technology from our world?” asked Fay, stretching her arms a bit.


    “It is a concern, but… I’m not sure we can hide that stuff. Of course, we shouldn’t try to explain how some of the stuff we say works, but talking about it should be fine,” replied Nobina, trekking along.


    Both of them looked at Harton, who merely nodded.


    “Could I figure out more about the technology you’re talking about? Sure. Will I? Probably not,” he laughed. “What good would knowing all these random things do me if the end result is me being hunted by the Technology Control Hunters, people sworn to prevent the spread of otherworld technology to preserve the world.”


    Nobina was partly surprised that such a group existed. If there was really a group that would prevent the spread of technology from her world, then there was a bit less to worry about. Though that also meant it could be another group interested in controlling her should she talk too much about her own world.


    “I’d love to meet a member of this group one day,” sighed Nobina. “Rather understand what I can and can’t say and be say.”


    Fay gave a nod, aware of how problematic it could be with a group like that against them.


    As the group continued down the path, Nobina continued to admire the environment around her. Despite having all the time in the world to chat with Fay, this was also the perfect time to merely enjoy the journey together.


    Fay, who was in the Nation of Arren for the longest time, was decently knowledgeable about the ecosystems of the world they were in. It was one of the things Arren’s adventurers were trained on, as they shared a close link with the environment.


    “As you might know, Arren is a nation that specializes in uniting all intelligent monsters and races in one domain. Under the Queen of Monsters, the nation has allowed all under it to thrive. Of course, some of the things that have thrived have caused significant damage, so the adventurers there are tasked to help control monsters,” said Fay, drawing sparkles from Nobina’s eye.


    “Wow. So, you’re like hunters in a sense. Hunting monsters and doing what you can for the world,” replied Nobina, fully drawn into the conversation.


    “You could say that,” she chuckled.


    Nobina continued to listen to Fay talk more and more about monsters and adventurers. Hours must have passed before the group finally reached a village.


    “Ah, the village of Dega,” said Harton. “We’ve avoided destroying it since it was far enough from where we were watching Arthur grow up. A good thing too, since we’ll need to stock up a bit on supplies. Plus, I’d love some cooked meat. Haven’t had any in a while.”


    “Can’t you hunt your own eat?” asked Nobina, curious about Harton’s eating patterns.


    “Sure. But I’m not a cook and seasoning aren’t my forte. Also, Sina isn’t good at cooking either, so we both preferred food from those who know what they are doing,” nodded Harton. “Though, we do eat a lot of food, so we have some extra we gather to really fill our bellies.”


    Nobina and Fay made a nod. Harton had eaten a bit on the trip, but it was surprisingly light, considering his dragon form was significantly larger. However, he explained that while transformed, he didn’t need as much food. It was only when he maintained his dragon form for a long duration that his food needs increased.


    Once the group was in the village, a guard approached them and held up their hands.


    “Halt. Identification?” asked the guard.


    Both Fay, Nobina, and Harton took out their adventuring cards. However, seeing Fay’s card first immediately caused them to lower their guard.


    “An S-Rank from Arren,” said the guard in surprise. “Please forgive me for taking your time.”


    “No worries,” smiled Fay. “We’re just passing buy, planning to gather more supplies and food before departing.”


    “We have a small inn and a general store you can stop at,” said the guard. “However, we’ve been having issues with a growing monster problem. We don’t have adventurers stop by too often and those who have generally don’t stay long. Plus, we haven’t had any for the longest time for some reason. Do you mind if you speak with the mayor about helping out?”


    Nobina looked at Fay, who gave a nod.


    “Of course,” smiled Fay. “Happy to help those in need.”


    Fay’s eyes quickly looked at Nobina. Satisfaction quickly filled her as she saw Nobina happy with her decision. Harton held back a chuckle, understanding what was happening.


    The group followed the guard to the mayor’s house, drawing the attention of the villages.


    “Say, that girl looks strong,” said one of them.


    “That other one is wearing a strange outfit though,” replied another.


    “That guy… he’s pretty handsome,” chuckled one of the women.


    All three of them became embarrassed as they walked. They didn’t know who they were referring to, but the amount of conversation showed they were drawing a crowd. By the time they reached the mayor’s residence, the mayor was already out to greet them.


    “Hello there,” said the mayor, giving a bow. “To what do we owe the visit?”


    “These here are adventures, with Fay here in the center being an S-Rank from Arren,” said the guard, giving a salute. “They are willing to help deal with the monster problem.”


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    “Right,” nodded the mayor. “So… we have a goblin nest and…”


    “No!” screamed Nobina, falling to her knees. Fay immediately went to help her up, asking Nobina what was wrong.


    “This is some sick joke, right?” asked Nobina to Fay. “Another goblin nest? We had to deal with three, and now another one. I’m just… I need a moment.”


    Nobina took her leave, with Harton following after her. As Nobina got a bit away, Harton gave a sigh.


    “Are you alright Nobina?” asked Harton, giving a gentle smile.


    “I was, but… Harton. I don’t know what’s happening,” she replied. “A goblin nest? Really? If this was something simple like ‘We got this giant treant blocking the road. Can you help clear it?’  Then at least it’d be different. The fact we are being asked to clear a goblin nest in particular can’t be a coincidence.”


    “You think something, or someone is influencing your destiny?” asked Harton, curious about her thought process.


    Nobina opened her mouth but closed it. She had no idea if that was true, but that would make sense. This seemed far too convenient for a coincidence. She had been meaning to research her destiny for a while, but she never got the chance. However, it felt like the trip might have be the best chance she’d get to research the matter.


    “Perhaps. I’ve been meaning to research my destiny for a while, but never had the chance to do so,” she replied back.


    Harton thought about what she said for a bit before nodding.


    “I know a few places specialized in Path research. After all, I know a decent amount myself because of Arthur. This whole plan with him only happened because I’ve spent a good few decades finding as much information as I can,” he nodded.


    “Then perhaps you can help me look into it or understand Path’s and destiny’s more?” asked Nobina, her eyes lighting up.


    “Sure,” he smiled. “While we deal with this nest, we can discuss what I know. We got plenty of time for this trip anyway.”


    With that settled, the group returned to Fay, who was finishing up her conversation with the mayor. Nobina was drawing a decent number of stares, causing her to be a bit nervous. However, Harton waved them off, shielding her a bit with his distraction.


    “Sorry about that,” Nobina said to the mayor. “I have… a bit of history with goblins.”


    “Now worries,” nodded the mayor. “Goblins are scary monsters. Make no mistake, we would have loved this nest to be destroyed a long time ago. However, the guild has requested we only cull the nest if we plan to have it cleared ourselves. In exchange for keeping the nest functioning, we receive supplies every so often from Navira. It’s a good deal, but it does make us nervous.”


    “I can understand that,” sighed Nobina.


    “But yes. Please go ahead and cull the nest. You’re aware of how to do that, right Fay?” asked the mayor.


    “Of course,” she nodded. “Culling monsters is a part of what we learn as adventurers of Arrin.”


    “Sorry for even questioning it,” he laughed. “I’d ask if you could handle it within a few weeks at least, but I’m sure someone of your caliber will have this job done quickly. And as promised, we will give you the supplies you need and a decent amount of money if you wish.”


    Fay gave a nod.


    “We’ll try to get it done within the day,” said Fay. “Nobina… Do you mind waiting here with Harton?”


    “Go ahead Fay,” smiled Nobina.


    “Be back in a flash!” laughed Fay, rushing out of the village and towards the north. She was moving so fast that all of them felt the air that came from her first step.


    “S-Ranks… To think we’d get one to help us,” smiled the mayor. “Perhaps the gods are looking down on us and giving their blessing.”


    “Some god is surely looking,” said Nobina under her breath, thinking about one particular god.


    As the matter was finished, the mayor turned to Nobina and Harton, asking if they’d like to stay at his residence or if they needed anything.


    “Hm,” said Harton. “Do you mind if we eat some food?


    “Not at all,” he laughed. “By the way, the name is Alester. And you two are…”


    “Harton and Nobina,” they said, introducing themselves.


    “You two are quite lucky to be friends with an S-Rank,” he nodded. “I’m sure you have amazing story to tell.”


    “You don’t know the half of it,” smiled Harton. “Now then, let’s get some food!”


    Alester and the guard brought both of them to the nearby inn. When they entered, more conversations about them happened, still drawing a bit of embarrassment. However, the mayor waved everyone off, telling them to treat the two as important guests.


    “Sorry about that,” said the mayor, rubbing the back of his head. “People love to gossip a lot. Not much happens in our town despite it being one of the routes connecting this village to both Wistern and the other countless villages leading to the borders.


    “Ah. No worries,” nodded Harton. “All I really care about is the food.”


    Nobina nodded, curious about the selection of food this time. Taking a look at the menu, Nobina was happy to see a nice selection of new dishes. One of the nice things about the menu they had was they labeled the monsters on the menu with their animal comparisons, making it easier to understand what type of food she was going to be eating.


    “I’ll have one of everything,” said Harton.


    “Uh… The Fire-Red Tomtoms,” said Nobina.


    Tomtoms were tomato-based monsters that actually were like real tomatoes, only spicy. However, she did not want to think about the slight chicken comparison listed in its description. As for Harton, his meal seemed to cause the mayor to flinch before he nodded and went to the inn owner.


    “There’s like… ten items on the menu,” said Nobina, surprised by Harton’s order.


    “I’m quite famish actually, so eating my fill now will do us well,” he smiled. “Plus, I do like ordering one of everything. Hard to say something is your favorite if you haven’t tried everything.”


    Nobina gave a nod, knowing that, personally, she had so many dishes she wished she had tried.


    It took only twenty minutes for Nobina’s food to be ready, but Harton’s order took much longer. They did bring it out plate by plate, at least, allowing his hunger to slowly be sated. Once they were finished with their meat, both of them stepped outside. There was still a lot of time in the day, leading to the two spending the rest of the time chatting more about Paths and their destiny.


    “Fascinating,” said Nobina as she sat with Harton in the mayor’s living room. “So, you’re saying that the God of Progression is the likely cause for these weird situations happening?”


    “Perhaps,” he responded. “The God of Progress is responsible for ensuring that everything progresses towards their natural or unnatural ends. The purpose of this is to ensure there’s always change happening, like how children age into adults or how animals evolve to survive or even how monsters evolve to challenge other beings. It’s a rather complex topic that they have people researching to this day.”


    Harton took a breath before finishing his explanation.


    “The core tenant of the God of Progression is that ‘everything must change.’ However, that change is controlled so their end isn’t too fast or too slow.”


    Nobina gave a nod. Having Harton explain what he knew felt like she was making meaningful progress in her own research, even if it hadn’t begun yet. There was a lot she wanted to ask him, but the mayor’s call for dinner drew their attention.


    “I’m not that great of a chef, but I do know how to cook some decent food,” chuckled Alester. “I made enough for eight, so hopefully your friend Harton is good with that.”


    “That should be plenty,” laughed Harton.


    Soon, the group was eating a nice dinner when a knock came from the door.


    “I wonder who that can be,” said the mayor, going to check who it was. To his shock, it was Fay who was panting hard.


    “Did I miss dinner?” she asked, trying to catch her breath.


    “Did you… manage to cull the nest already?” asked the mayor in shock.


    “Oh yeah. It was a nightmare to navigate and count all the goblins, but I managed to perfectly cull it. I did expend a decent amount of energy though, so we might have to rest part of tomorrow,” she smiled.


    “You really are a hunter, huh,” said Nobina.


    Fay was surprised at first, but she merely smiled and nodded. “If it’s for your sake, I’d hunt even the toughest monster.”


    Harton sighed, shaking his head as he watched Fay join them for dinner. The day was almost over, yet Nobina felt this was the most productive day yet. If they could keep pace, she knew that she’d make meaningful progress in her understanding of Paths and more importantly the understanding of her own destiny.