“So, what’s your name? My name is Oba,” Oba asked as they made their way to Oba’s house.
“Ganendra.”
“You came here alone? Seriously? Do you really think you can defeat it? It’s a terrifying giant monster. I’m sure you’ll be shaking if you ever meet it,” Oba said.
“I know that.”
“You do? Is it possible you’ve fought it before and lost? But if that’s what happened, you shouldn’t have needed to ask about the chief, right? This sounds strange.”
“Hah...” Ganendra let out an exasperated breath. “You’re the strange one. You keep talking to strangers without stopping. Listening to you go on and on is making my ears feel hot.”
But as if he didn’t care about Ganendra’s curt attitude, Oba continued talking at length. He talked about the Kraken and life at sea, which he thought was incredibly enjoyable.
“Ah, there’s my house.” Oba pointed to a building—or rather, a hut, given its small size. The little house stood high above the cliff. Every so often, waves crashed against part of its foundation, turning the side constantly struck by the sea green with lush moss. Its roof was different from most of the houses in the village, which were almost entirely light blue. That house had an ivory-white roof.
From a distance, Ganendra saw an old man sitting leisurely in a wooden rocking chair, occasionally rocking himself back and forth.
“Oba? What brings you here?” the old man asked, puzzled by Oba’s arrival with someone he didn’t know.
“There’s someone I want you to meet, Grandpa,” Oba said, pointing to Ganendra standing beside him.
“This is Ganendra. He’s an adventurer from Vividale. He says he wants to ask your permission to carry out a mission to exterminate the Kraken,” Oba explained. “And here are the mission papers and his adventurer’s card.”
When Grandpa saw Ganendra’s adventurer’s card, he was startled. Even more so when their eyes met.
“Are you the child—no. What was your mother’s name?”
“Why are you asking about my mother’s name?” Ganendra asked suspiciously.
“Your face looks like someone I might know. I only want to make sure.”
As if he understood what the old man meant, Ganendra nodded. “My mother’s name is Ela.”
“Ela? What’s her full name?”
“I don’t know my mother’s full name. I only know that her name is Elaria, but most of the villagers call her Ela.”
Ganendra once again caught the look of shock on the old man’s face. But it lasted only a few seconds. Afterward, he acted as if nothing had happened.
“Looks like I was mistaken. I thought you were the son of someone I knew, but I was wrong.” Grandpa smiled at Ganendra. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself sooner. My name is Ulric. You can call me Grandpa, just like Oba does.”
“All right, Grandpa. I’m Ganendra.”
“Have you fought monsters before, or is this your first time?”
“I have plenty of experience, Grandpa. And I’ve always succeeded.”
Ulric nodded repeatedly, then muttered, “That makes sense. You’re her descendant.”
“Whose descendant, Grandpa?”
“Are you a sword master, kid?” Ulric asked, changing the subject.
Ganendra nodded, then showed him the slender sword hanging at his waist. A white sword tassel hung from its hilt, decorated with a rose-shaped ornament. “That’s right, Grandpa. This is proof.”
She’d even given him a sword tassel decorated with a rose. Weren’t you being a little careless, Ela? Ulric thought.
“Can you use two swords at the same time?”
Ganendra fell silent for a moment, considering what answer to give Ulric. “I’ve never used two swords at once. But I have used twin crescent swords.”
Ulric nodded. “Are you sure you can defeat the Kraken on your own? Oba certainly can’t fight like you.”
“Oba? I intended to go alone and not take him with me. Especially after you said Oba couldn’t fight, I’m even more certain I shouldn’t involve him in this mission.”
“But I’m afraid Oba has to go with you, kid. He’ll be the one guiding you there.”
“Why do I have to take Oba? I mean, all I need is to borrow a ship to get out to sea. I don’t need a captain or a navigator. I can handle that myself.”
“Are you doubting my abilities, Ganendra?” Oba asked, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m better than you when it comes to the sea,” he continued.
Ulric burst out laughing at Oba’s words. “Haha, Oba may seem noisy, but what he says is true. No one understands the ocean better than Oba. And if you really can defeat the Kraken, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”
“What is it, Grandpa?”
“Please retrieve a sacred heirloom passed down from my ancestors.” Ulric smiled, then shifted his stiff waist. “You know what condition I’m in now, right? I can’t retrieve it myself. Besides, the heirloom is at the bottom of the sea.”
Hearing Ulric’s words naturally shocked Oba. He knew what the object was and how important it was to his grandfather. That was also why his grandfather lived apart from the rest of the village.
“I understand, Grandpa,” Ganendra said with a nod.
“So, can I ask you to bring it here?” Ulric asked again.
Without hesitation, Ganendra nodded. “I’ll do it if I can. But I don’t want you to get your hopes up too high. I’m afraid the result might not match what you’re expecting.”
“I know you can do it. Because you’re you.”
Ganendra frowned at Ulric’s words, which sounded increasingly strange to him.
“In that case, wait outside for a moment. There’s something I want to say to Oba. And take these. You’ll need them later,” Ulric said, handing Ganendra two green leaves.
“What kind of leaves are these, Grandpa?”
“They’re Nerea leaves. You can ask Oba how to use them later.” Ganendra nodded in response.
After Ganendra left, Oba barraged Ulric with questions. “Why did you tell him about the heirloom? Didn’t you tell me before not to mention it to anyone? A lot of adventurers have been after it all this time. I even heard rumors that many adventurers are hunting the Kraken because they want to get the heirlo—ow!”
“Stop talking, or do I need to hit you again?” Ulric threatened, raising his cane.
Oba pouted while clutching his head, which had been struck by Ulric’s wooden cane.
“Stop sulking like a little child, Oba. It seems I’ve spoiled you too much all this time.”
“I’m sorry, Grandpa.”
“Forget it.” Ulric waved his hand through the air. “You’ll learn why I told Ganendra everything later.”
Oba could only nod resignedly, though he was actually very curious. But he couldn’t force his grandfather to tell him. “All right, Grandpa.”
“You still remember the way to that place, right?”
“Yes, Grandpa. I remember.”
“Now, let’s go see Ganendra.”
Ulric and Oba stepped out of the house and found Ganendra examining the Nerea leaves.
“Kid, be careful on the road. I’m entrusting Oba to you, Ganendra. And listen to what Oba says. He’ll lead you to the place where the heirloom is.”
“All right, Grandpa. We’ll be going now.”
“Be careful on the way, and always remember Grandpa’s advice!”