Mr. Smith walked thoughtfully through the village, the villagers greeted him and he replied out of courtesy.
The day after the harvest festival, he had asked out of curiosity about the boy who wanted to be an adventurer, and had been surprised by the villagers' answers.
Nim was special in the village for his unusual physical ability; he had great strength for his age, even surpassing the adult villagers.
He was also very well-liked in the village because he helped with physical tasks, and after finishing them he didn't seem very tired thanks to his great vitality.
Also, according to the information given by the villagers, Nim had a strange personality.
Sometimes he behaved like a child his age, even acting very impulsively, and at other times he acted like a mature person, especially when it came to protecting someone else.
Mr. Smith believed he would become a great adventurer, as long as he didn't act impulsively.
Still thinking about that, he was surprised by a child running quickly toward him, the child was out of breath from running so fast —M..Mr. Smith please save Nim— said the child suddenly.
This child was Leo, who had come to ask for help. After arriving at the village with Fauna, he didn't stop and ran in search of Mr. Smith.
—Nim?.. what happened?— Mr. Smith was surprised to hear the name of the one he was just thinking about.
—A goblin appeared where we were, and Nim stayed behind so Fauna and I could escape— Leo replied quickly.
—Where, take me there right away— Smith, surprised, hurried and followed Leo into the forest.
To save time, Smith grabbed Leo and carried him. Leo understood it was so as not to slow him down. Smith ran while following the path Leo indicated.
Until, after reaching a certain point, Smith stopped abruptly and saw ahead a boy with blood on his clothes and face, the moonlight made him look bloodthirsty.
—Nim?— Leo, surprised, stared at the shocking scene.
—Hi Leo, I defeated the monster— Nim replied cheerfully.
— What are you guys doing here?— Nim looked at Mr. Smith.
—We were supposed to come save you, but it seems it's no longer necessary— Smith put Leo down —Let's go back.
Nim and Leo followed Mr. Smith in silence until they reached the village.
Upon returning, Mr. Smith informed the village about the incident and warned them not to enter the forest during this period of time.
Meanwhile, he would investigate the nearby areas.
Nim's parents, upon learning that their son had faced a monster and managed to kill it, were as surprised as they were scared by the danger he had faced.
In the end, his parents had decided that Nim would not leave the village until it was safe. Although Nim wasn't happy with that decision, he obeyed.
After a few days of Mr. Smith investigating the areas near the village, along with the forest, he gave a new report to the village.
He hadn't found a single monster, only common wild beasts.
.....
—Nim, even though Mr. Smith said there were no monsters, you're still not leaving the village— a somewhat young woman spoke firmly to a child.
—Yes, mother— Nim nodded with a sad face.
Nim's mother, seeing him sad, softened —Son, I'm just worried you'll face that danger again— even though she knew her son was strong because of his strange physical ability, she still worried like any mother.
—Alright, we're about to eat and your father will be here any moment— Nim's mother began setting the plates on the table.
—Go wash your hands.
Nim ran to the back to draw water from the well, and upon returning, saw his father entering through the door with someone.
—Mr. Smith, please have a seat— Nim's father gestured.
—Thank you, don't worry too much about formality.
Nim's mother, taken by surprise, began bringing another plate.
—Mr. Smith, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit today?— Nim's father asked.
—Today I came to talk about your son Nim— Mr. Smith replied while looking ahead.
—My son?— Nim's father followed Mr. Smith's gaze and saw Nim still in his place.
—Kid, do you want me to train you?— Mr. Smith asked Nim.
Nim, who had been watching all this, answered quickly
—Yes
Nim's mother, who had just returned, looked worriedly at the situation.
—I'll give you time to think it over— Mr. Smith stood up
—Thank you for your hospitality.
After Mr. Smith left, Nim's father was thoughtful. The mother also served the food in silence.
Only Nim had an excited look because of what Mr. Smith had said.
He had previously thought about asking Mr. Smith to train him.
But he wasn't sure if he would accept, he had been planning what to do to convince him, but now he didn't have to do any of that.
It seemed his performance with the goblin had surprised him.
—Nim— his father's voice broke the silence —do you want to train with Mr. Smith?— Nim's father was aware of Nim's desire to be an adventurer, and he hadn't opposed it. But he still wanted to wait some time before training began.
Especially his wife, who was worried about this whole adventurer idea, and the decision not to let Nim leave during this period had been hers.
But they both knew that sooner or later Nim would part from them, it was just happening too soon.
—Yes— Nim replied. The father already knew the answer but still wanted to ask. After that, he looked at his wife.
Nim understood and also looked at his mother. She, feeling their gaze, put on a helpless expression.
—Mother— Nim spoke.
—Alright.. but you have to eat very well and do everything Mr. Smith says— Nim's mother finally said.
—Yes— Nim nodded quickly
Now that both his parents had accepted, Nim quickly finished his meal and went to look for Mr. Smith.
On the way, he ran into Leo, whom he greeted as he kept running.
Leo looked at his behavior with curiosity.
After Nim found Mr. Smith and gave him his answer, they agreed that they would start the next morning, and that Mr. Smith would train him depending on how much he could endure.
With that agreement, Nim returned home in a very good mood.
...
The next day, Nim jumped out of bed. He had hardly slept from the excitement about the training.
He got ready quickly and, greeting his parents, ate the breakfast his mother had prepared. This time, she had made a lot of food for him, which he gladly ate.
Then, leaving his house, he went to the agreed place where he would train.
When he arrived, he saw Mr. Smith sitting on a rock.
—You're early
Mr. Smith made a gesture —Sit down, before we start the practical part, I'll have to explain to you the basic concepts of what it means to be an adventurer.