"See that? See that!" Vina said proudly. "Told you it eats meat without spitting bones. Believe it now?"
"Believe it, believe it!"
"This little thing really can crush bones. Even mountain cats aren't this fierce!"
"If only we'd caught it earlier. Too bad about my two little lambs."
"Aiya, who knew..."
After personally witnessing the wolverine's powerful bite force, villagers finally believed this was the culprit disturbing their village.
By now the sky had brightened. Those hiding in cellars also emerged, quietly peering outside through door frames and window cracks.
Villagers violently summoned by Vina hurried home, telling others the good news that the monster was caught.
Before long, a group of old and young emerged carrying vegetable baskets, gathering at the village entrance to see the "monster" caught by the warriors.
The astrology apprentice team that helped villagers eliminate the menace naturally received their heartfelt thanks.
But Hulata was a poor village. Villagers couldn't produce proper thank-you gifts. Their vegetable baskets only contained rock-hard smoked meat, black bread, dried beans, and a few eggs they were reluctant to eat.
Smoked meat and beans needed stewing for hours before eating. Black bread was tooth-breaking. Raw eggs weren't convenient to carry. Luo Wei's group carried dry rations, politely declining the villagers' kindness.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Seeing villagers anxiously sweating because they couldn't give proper thanks, Luo Wei asked them for a dozen potatoes—could roast them on the road.
Potatoes were cheap. Using such things as thank-you gifts made villagers themselves blush.
Helplessly, these warriors before them all said they loved eating potatoes. Villagers picked and chose, selecting the largest potatoes from home. Over ten households gathered a basket, bringing it to the village entrance.
The eight couldn't refuse again. They symbolically packed a small half-basket, lying that potatoes were too heavy to carry on the road. The remaining potatoes were still left to them.
Also that wolverine—Luo Wei handed it to the villagers, letting them dispose of it themselves.
This guy stole the village's poultry and livestock, fattening itself up. Letting it pay with meat also somewhat compensated villagers' losses.
After handing the wolverine to villagers, Luo Wei had Vina and June divine once more. Divination results showed the task was complete.
The sun peeked over the mountain peak. The group prepared to leave.
"Big sister!"
A little boy suddenly ran toward them, small hand raised high, gripping something.
Everyone turned their heads, looking at the little boy puzzled.
The little boy picked out Luo Wei with the gentlest temperament at a glance, running before her, looking up and opening his small hand: "Beautiful big sister, this is for you."
"Oh! It's an academy badge!" Vina exclaimed.
The copper round token lying in the little boy's hand was clearly Siria Magic Academy's academy badge.
"Thank you, little friend."
Luo Wei took the badge from his hand, then borrowing the pretense of reaching for her waist pouch, took out two nougats from her spatial ring, placing them in the little boy's hand.
"Little friend, can you tell me who gave you this badge?"
The little boy smelled the nougat's sweet fragrance, swallowing saliva, obediently answering: "It was a weird auntie wearing a hat. She said if a group of big brothers and sisters came to the village and helped us drive away the monster, I should give this to you."
Luo Wei: "When did that weird auntie come to the village? Do you remember?"
Little boy: "Just yesterday afternoon. I was outside catching crickets. She also gave me candy, then gave me this little round thing, and told me to hide it well and not tell anyone!"
Yesterday afternoon—right when they'd just departed from the academy.
Professor Tobias arrived here before them, discovered Hulata Village's strange events, then set this place as their task point.
Then last night when she sensed someone in the forest—was Professor Tobias observing them from the shadows?