During his time in the Worth Woodsea, Ikazuchi encountered several nomadic tribes that he traded with occasionally for necessities. His skills as a blacksmith were greatly appreciated allowing him to obtain a steady supply of seasonings and vegetables that he didn’t dedicate time to acquiring himself. He hadn’t hidden his guild affiliation during that time, and the people belonging to the tribes hadn’t cared for the implications. They accepted him as a blacksmith and warrior, and weren’t influenced by his notoriety due to their secluded lifestyle. Many of those people spent their entire lives in the vast Worth Woodsea only associating with the other tribes.

The societal differences between the tribes in the depths of the Worth Woodsea and the towns outside of it had allowed him to live comfortably during his time in seclusion. He only had fond memories when he recalled those times, so he was pleasantly surprised when he received a letter from one of the tribes requesting his assistance. It detailed the feud that had been ongoing until recently, and the fact that the tribe leader of a neighboring tribe obstinately refused to negotiate. The man was showing signs of pushing the two tribes to war despite members of both tribes wishing for peace.

While they could have requested his assistance as a friend, they intentionally made it an official request through the guild. ‘It seems that things aren’t going well…’ He could only imagine how bad the situation was for them to submit a request to him in this manner. It was currently around lunch time when he received it, so he would arrive in the afternoon if he departed soon. He didn’t really stop to consider the situation much before preparing himself for his departure. He would have gone without a reward, so he naturally expedited the process now that they were paying him for his services.

Word Count: 310

Ikazuchi enjoyed the familiar sights from the back of his wyvern that cut through the air above the Worth Woodsea. He hadn’t been gone for long, but he still found the scenery relaxing. Other than a short expedition with Xerxes, he hadn’t been back during this time. In that short time he had dealt with towering creatures and accepted multiple requests. ‘It’s really been eventful since I left…’

The tribe that he was heading towards was one that had settled in an area for a long period of time due to his presence there. Based on what he knew, his activities during his seclusion allowed them to build a proper village that could last long term even in the depths of the dangerous forest. He hadn’t been there in over six months, but they seemed to be doing well at the time. He couldn’t imagine what would force them to seek someone like himself who could only fight. ‘Well, I will find out when I arrive…’

He wasn’t far from the tribal village by that point, and neither he nor his wyvern would lose their way after spending so long in that area. They arrived after hours of continuous flight and were greeted by the bustling village that had only improved during these last months. The villagers had also noticed him due to the sudden appearance of the familiar wyvern. Children swarmed towards the open area in the center of the village where his wyvern landed. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them as he dismounted his wyvern. The children were climbing up and down its large body with excitement causing him to smile before speaking to the wyvern. “Don’t cause any trouble!” He could see the betrayal in its eyes as it helplessly resigned itself to an attraction for the children.

Ikazuchi was naturally not concerned as this had happened many times during his several visits. He couldn’t count how many times his mount had displayed the expression shown earlier before carefully playing along with the children, even taking care of them if they were to get into trouble. If anything, the creature was just giving Ikazuchi a hard time because of their relationship. They were closer to family after so much time, not to mention the man and wyvern shared a unique bond due to the way he received his blessing. He wasn’t worried at all as he made his way to the building where the chief resided.

Word Count: 410
Total Word Count: 720

“Ikazuchi! It’s good to see you again!” A man named Kaen, the tribe leader, greeted him as he approached the building. He had been waiting outside after hearing from others that Ikazuchi had arrived. He stepped forward and offered a handshake that Ikazuchi matched with a smile while responding. “I was surprised to hear from you, Kaen.” The man returned the smile as he answered. “Let’s head inside first.” Ikazuchi naturally nodded in response to the man’s request and followed him into the privacy of his home.

The atmosphere around Kaen shifted significantly after entering the building. Ikazuchi could only imagine the severity of the issue for the gentle Kaen to respond in such a way. “What’s wrong?” Ikazuchi knew that there was a problem, but he couldn’t understand what would force Kaen to contact him. “It’s the elves…” Ikazuchi raised a brow at the answer. “Elves? There are elves near here?” Based on what he knew, there wasn’t any other tribe nearby which had allowed Kaen’s tribe to comfortably settle here. It was surprising for elves to be mentioned due to this.

“We found out shortly after your last visit that there was a hidden tribe of elves that have been living near here. They weren’t fond of us from the start, but it rapidly worsened after a particular dispute. After that, we’ve just gone back and forth until members of both tribes are exhausted.” Ikazuchi patiently listened to Kaen as he spoke, and gradually understood the situation.

“And how do I fit into the picture?” Kaen had paused at this point, so Ikazuchi could only urge him on. “Recently, the son of their chief reached out hoping to make peace. We naturally welcomed this and attempted to interact more, but their chief refused to accept this… We need your help because he issued a challenge. If we don’t want war then we must accept a duel against him, their strongest warrior.” Ikazuchi relaxed after hearing what the request was. “And after I beat him?”

Kaen looked hopeful as he explained the last detail. “His son is second only to him in strength, so he would be able to force his father to step down if he were defeated in this duel. After that, we have negotiated for the tribes to trade and interact more.” Ikazuchi grinned after hearing this as it seemed that things would work out as long as he fought. “Since you made a formal request, you better not expect any discounts.” Kaen relaxed and laughed before responding. “That’s perfectly fine.” He paused for a moment as he met Ikazuchi’s gaze. “Thank you for helping us.” Ikazuchi didn’t hesitate to respond. “You know that there isn’t any need for that between us.”

Word Count: 450
Total Word Count: 1,170

After his discussion with Kaen, Ikazuchi went around the village visiting everyone he knew. He enjoyed conversations, meals, and even competitions with several people during that night. The date of the duel was set for a week later, so he spent his time during that comfortably. He and his wyvern entertained the children, even taking some for a short flight through the sky. The comfort and ease that he felt while doing so reminded him of his own family. It was one of the reasons why he had become so attached to this tribe, so he didn’t hesitate to answer the various requests that he received.

He helped with some of the large scale construction projects, repaired many of the broken items they had, and even forged new ones in some cases. The village benefited greatly during these few days that he spent there, and this naturally drew the attention of the elves. Some of the braver ones that were friendly snuck into the village in order to see what had happened only to be shocked. The elf witnessed Ikazuchi assisting with the construction efforts, and how he easily moved the massive trees and rocks necessary to clear space in the Worth Woodsea. His assistance resolved a several day task in only a few hours, something that the elf had never seen.

In the end, that elf retreated due to shock. Those who were familiar with the elf were confused, but Ikazuchi simply ignored it. He knew that there wasn’t any risk of a fight before the duel occurred, so he only focused on enjoying himself. His wyvern also stayed busy during these days as it hunted for food and played with the children every day leading up to the duel. Ikazuchi hadn’t ordered it to do so, but it silently accompanied and watched over the children as if protecting them during this time.

‘How cute…’ Ikazuchi thought this many times as he caught sight of the wyvern, but continued to not express it anywhere near the creature. He knew that the wyvern would feel offended if he were to do that, but it was a sentiment that was shared by all of the adults in the village. The wyvern was acknowledged as a guardian for the children many months ago, so none of the adults worried for their safety during Ikazuchi’s stay. It was just like this that the morning of the duel arrived.

Word Count: 400
Total Word Count: 1,570

“Will you be fine?” Kaen had approached Ikazuchi early that morning, concerned about the duel that would occur around noon. “I’ve only gotten stronger since you last saw me, not to mention that I finally crafted my sword. You don’t need to worry, Kaen, there aren’t many people that I can’t beat.” Ikazuchi had just finished training, and was naturally not concerned about the duel later. It seemed that his attitude was part of the reason why Kaen was worried, but Ikazuchi couldn’t help that. He was confident in himself, and knew that a normal tribe chief wouldn’t be able to match him.

As the time approached, the various villagers gathered in the town in order to follow Ikazuchi and Kaen to the neutral area where the duel would be held. The elf tribe had done the same with the tribe leader and his son at the front. The older elf held a bow in his right hand while there was a dagger fastened to his side, while Ikazuchi only had his two swords equipped. This worried both tribes as they felt that the elf would win and cause a war that neither party wanted, but Ikazuchi remained unconcerned.

“Kaen, trust me.” This was all he said as he moved into the open space making it clear that he would be the participant. There wasn’t any hesitation from the elf who did the same. When they were roughly ten meters apart, the elf finally spoke to him. “So you’re the sacrifice?” Ikazuchi furrowed his brows at the question. “Sacrifice?” The elf smiled derisively as he spoke. “Of course, what else would I call you?”

Ikazuchi unsheathed his sword without another word in response to those arrogant words. Kaen had requested that he not kill the man, but Ikazuchi wouldn’t easily accept being looked down upon by someone weaker than himself. Moments later, Kaen announced the beginning of the duel. The elf rapidly fired off several arrows at him, but Ikazuchi simply wielded Spellcutter to slice through each arrow with ease. “That’s it?” He taunted the elf who was shocked by the display causing the man to fire many more shots as he approached. Each arrow met his sword as if drawn to it due to how he skillfully read the flight path.

Both groups were stunned by the fight that proceeded in a one-sided manner. Even Kaen had expected Ikazuchi to face difficulties in order to win, but there was none of that as he stood firmly. The elf was agitated by his failures and attempted to enter into combat with his dagger, but the results were even more disastrous. Ikazuchi channeled the strength of his relic to repeatedly bounce his enemy around in order to humiliate him.

This continued until the resistance of the man weakened, it was only then that Ikazuchi forced the man onto the ground in a submissive position. “You’re weak…” His sword moved one final time after he spoke. “...And this duel is over.” The elf’s dominant arm was severed with that final attack informing everyone that the battle was over. The following days were bustling as the two villages began to interact in full, while Ikazuchi received his pay later that day and returned to the guild after spending the afternoon with the villagers.

Word Count: 550
Total Word Count: 2,120

OOC: Quest Complete