A pleasant breeze blows through. The flickering of the fire illuminates the dark forest, accompanied by the crackling of sparks, the scent of the cold ground, and the rustling of leaves in the woods.
Gathered around the campfire, just as they were yesterday, are a group of people and one Droko. The tale of Leben continues.
Reave places smoked rabbit meat on a flat wooden board he carved from a small piece of wood, slicing it with a small knife and sharing it with those around him.
"Thyme, rosemary, salt, and my secret blend of dried onion powder and black walnut powder seasoned this rabbit meat. Give it a try."
With a confident expression, Reave watches as Leben takes a piece of the meat and brings it to his mouth, eagerly awaiting his reaction.
"Oooh! You're quite the cook! This is delicious. When you return to Ves-Dinas, I'd recommend opening a shop with this kind of flavor."
Leben savors the bite of meat in his mouth before letting out a loud exclamation of praise, showering Reave with generous compliments.
"It's delicious, Reave." Nia adds, echoing Leben's praise.
Gravel, Iris, and Diara join in with thanks and compliments, making Reave's hands move even faster as he carves more of the smoked rabbit.
"There's enough for twenty, so eat as much as you like."
Reave says with a warm smile to those gathered around the campfire.
"Hahaha! Looks like tonight's going to be another good one."
Leben laughs heartily, expressing his joy at sitting in a place filled with tasty food and drink.
"Yesterday, Nia was pestering Reave all morning because she fell asleep and missed your story, Sir Knight." Kein says.
"Nia made Reave recount everything up to the part where that soldier named Nilz returned to the camp while we were traveling today. Someone's been waiting all this time to hear what happened next. Isn't that right, Nia?"
"N-not really? I wasn't that eager."
Nia replies, lips twitching as a hand waves dismissively at Kein.
"You really need to learn how to lie better, Nia." Kein teases.
"Hahaha! I'm grateful you're so interested in my little tale."
Leben says with a hearty laugh.
"With such high expectations, I hope I can deliver a story tonight that lives up to yesterday's and at least matches the quality of this rabbit meat!"
Leben holds a piece of rabbit thigh that Reave sliced for him in one hand and a small wooden cup in the other. He downs the contents of the cup in one gulp, then slowly scans the group savoring the rabbit meat. With a toothy grin, he begins to recount, in a low voice, what happened that night after the soldier named Nilz returned to the camp.
"That night was noisier than any camp I'd ever stayed in. Before anyone could stop him, Nilz started talking about the Strigoi, and soon the soldiers in the camp began to panic. As time passed, the name of that monster, Strigoi, spread to the scouts returning from patrol, and things spiraled out of control."
"If it's not too rude, may I ask a question?" Gravel, who had been quietly listening to Leben's story while leaning against a tree far from the fire, speaks up.
Leben nods in response.
"Is the Strigoi really that terrifying a monster?" Gravel asks.
"Hmm… To be honest, I don't know much about it myself." Leben replies.
"But I'll share what the soldiers told me that night in the mountain camp."
Leben shifts his posture to face Gravel and continues.
"One soldier, Dugg, who raises two cows on the outskirts of Chekka, told me he'd encountered a Strigoi at dawn on a dark day shrouded in black clouds. He said it crawled on all fours, hiding in the shadows—a black, monstrous figure. It held one of his cows, Betsy, in its jaws, growling warily at him. For just a brief moment, he came face-to-face with the Strigoi."
"Dugg said that in that moment, he knew the creature holding his precious cow was the Strigoi he'd only heard about in boastful rumors from hunters returning from the woods. He told me he could still vividly recall that chilling memory."
"And it wasn't just Dugg. Several hunters came running to me, saying that in their villages, eight lumberjacks had been attacked by a Strigoi, leaving only bloodstains and scraps of flesh in the forest. Another soldier said his cousin, who went mushroom picking, was eaten by a Strigoi."
"So, at least for the people of Rensillore, the name Strigoi is far more terrifying than goblins, scrags, or trolls. Was my answer too long? Hahaha!"
Leben concludes with a lopsided grin.
"No, it was a sufficient answer. Thank you." Gravel replies.
"Hahaha, it's not something worth thanking me for. Now, let me tell you about what happened after the sun set in the camp." Leben says.
"Please do. I've been waiting for your story as much as Nia has." Gravel says, his polite tone carrying a hint of warmth.
"Ahem! Shall we continue, then?" Leben says.
"I'm no bard, so don't expect the polished tales of a tavern minstrel. Think of this as the rough adventures of a wandering knight searching for a master, traveling between castles, cities, villages, and fortresses."
"Lost your confidence in just a day, Sir Knight?" Kein teases.
"No, no! I just… need a bit more practice, that's all."
Leben replies, clearing his throat before continuing.
"That afternoon passed quickly, listening to the complaints of terrified soldiers. They all agreed we shouldn't spend the night in the mountains where the Strigoi roamed and urged us to descend as soon as possible. Some braver soldiers said we had numbers and sturdy spears, so we'd be fine… but I can't quite recall who said that."
"So, what happened next?" Reave asks.
"What do you think happened?" Leben replies with a question.
"Hmm… I don't think you'd have gone down the mountain just because of the soldiers' words." Reave says.
"Hahaha! Of course not. Even a wandering knight doesn't flee from the threat of a monster." Leben says.
"Did you… calm the soldiers and lead them out of the camp to hunt the Strigoi?"
Reave asks, his voice trailing off uncertainly.
"You got it half right." Leben says.
"Calming them was easier than you'd think. It wasn't a rousing speech to ignite their courage or handing them clinking coins. Guess what it was? I'll tell you without making you guess."
Leben pauses, pointing to the cup in his hand with the fingers of his other hand.
"This. I shared this with the soldiers. A thousand words can't warm the heart like this does. Unlike cold gold or silver coins that leave your pockets empty later, this warms your belly and banishes the darkness in your heart. If you drink just the right amount, nothing works better on the battlefield."
Tapping the side of the empty cup a few times, Leben realizes it's empty and sets it down, continuing his tale.
"So, you're right, Reave—I calmed the soldiers. But that night, the soldiers of Chekka and I didn't go looking for the Strigoi. The sun was already setting, and we didn't have enough of this to muster the courage to hunt a monster lurking somewhere in the mountains."
"I see… The mountains are dangerous after dark, even for seasoned hunters," Reave says, nodding.
"Anyway, that's how the soldiers shook off their fear of a monster hiding somewhere in the mountains. Nilz picked up his bow again, and Dugg lifted his spear. And sooner than expected, they had to use those weapons."
Leben gazes up at the sparks from the campfire rising into the dark night sky, as if recalling that night.
"As the night deepened, the chaotic atmosphere in the camp settled. The only complaint was the chill of the wind seeping through the gaps in their armor. It was early winter, without snow, but it felt unusually cold."
"Mountains can feel cold even in summer." Reave says.
"At night, even stuffing a few heated stones in your clothes doesn't stop the shivers."
Kein, sitting close to the fire between Reave and Leben, quietly sets down a wooden keg of ale and glances at Diara, who sits farther away with her eyes closed. With a soft click, he opens the keg's stopper and fills the empty cups of Reave and Leben.
"Ahem! So, I told the soldiers that worrying about a monster that might be out there was like raising a shield to block an arrow that hasn't been shot," Leben says.
"That makes sense." Reave agrees.
"Fortunately, the soldiers returned to a calm state, like the surface of a lake on a windless day. How's that? Doesn't that sound like something a bard would say?" Leben asks, pausing for a response.
Seeing Reave and Kein hesitate, Leben continues.
"I regretted not saving a bit more of the ale I shared with the soldiers. As I spread a map on the table to plan the next day's actions, pondering a problem that might not have an answer…"
"The Strigoi appeared!!" Nia suddenly shouts.
"Ahh!! Nia!" Reave exclaims, startled, nearly falling backward as he clutches his chest.
"Shh, Reave's such a scaredy-cat." Nia teases.
"Hahaha! You're a lively Droko, aren't you? You're exactly right, Nia."
Leben says, laughing loudly before his expression shifts, and he continues the story.
"That night, the moonlight was hidden by dark clouds, and the camp was filled with darkness. And from that darkness emerged exactly what our Droko friend said—a Strigoi. Its eerie red eyes glowed in the dark, its flattened nose looked crushed under a heavy stone, and its large, wrinkled ears were covered in fur. It was far larger than a normal person, and with strength to match, the monster leapt into the center of the camp, grabbed a soldier by the neck, snapped it, and carried the limp body back into the darkness outside the camp. I think… yes, his name was Rond. He made barrels outside the walls of Chekka."
"Tragically, he lost his life to the monster that night. I didn't hold any hope he'd survived. I saw his neck snap, and from the darkness where the monster vanished, I heard the sounds of flesh being torn and bones being crushed."
Leben's face turns bitter as he recalls that moment, emptying his cup.