The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

Night had fallen, and the massage parlor was closed for the day. After dinner, everyone pushed the tables in the dining hall together to form a large makeshift conference table.

Everyone was seated except for Liu Ji, who was outside feeding his potatoes, since he couldn't understand the common tongue. Yaine planned to speak with him separately later.

"So, how's everyone's earnings been these past few days?" Yaine asked.

"Not bad, we made a little over five thousand gold Kaga," Nox replied.

"I earned about four thousand," Calidora added. "But after buying Mervant's sword, I have about two thousand left."

"Alright, then you can split some with Guoguo to help her replenish her arrows," Yaine suggested.

"I'll cover her," Mervant volunteered. "I owe her anyway, and it was partly my fault she lost all her arrows."

"Ah, I can chip in too," Osar said. "I don't really need much for myself."

"Same here," Girunini chimed in. "Let's go shopping together, we can pool our resources."

Yaine nodded and said, "Figure it out among yourselves. We're all on the same team, so don't worry too much about the money. Try to turn as much of it into supplies and gear as possible. Once we leave this region, all this money will just be metal scraps."

"Hmm?" Nox raised an eyebrow. "You sound like we're about to leave soon."

"That's exactly what I wanted to discuss with you all," Yaine said, her face grave. "If things unfold as expected, the city is going to face a beast tide soon."

The room fell silent. Everyone, except for Guoguo, who already knew, widened their eyes in shock.

"What? A beast tide here?" Nox's voice jumped two octaves higher. "The monsters outside this city are nothing like those around other towns! If a beast tide hits this place, it'll be wiped out, no?"

"It nearly was," Yaine went on. "According to Hunt King, this city has faced a beast tide once before. The hunters defending it fought until they were all wiped out. The only survivor was the guild leader at the time, who died standing on the city walls after surviving the last night."

"That's… horrific." Osar swallowed hard.

"I'm surprised anyone stayed here after that." Girunini frowned. "With that kind of risk, this city shouldn't have been rebuilt."

"True, but that was almost a century ago." Yaine shook her head. "And hunters go where quarry is. They probably came here to make money at first, but over time, they just gathered in larger numbers."

"And where hunters gather, merchants follow," Shelo added. "Soon after, ordinary people came too. It's easy to say people shouldn't return after a disaster, but as long as the land offers a better life, they'll always return."

"None of that concerns us." Mervant tapped the table lightly. "We're just passing through. We can leave anytime."

"Exactly. That's the issue we need to discuss," Yaine said. "Do we stay or do we leave?"

"Do we have any reason to stay?" Mervant frowned.

"Personally, I don't." Yaine shrugged. "But I don't know if any of you do—maybe you feel you can't just abandon the residents here?"

"I won't lie. I do feel that way," Osar admitted. "I don't want to see this place destroyed by a beast tide, but… realistically, I don't think I'd make much of a difference by staying."

"If you stay, you won't be the only one," Yaine reassured him. "They're short on powerful mages. If they give me a perfect environment to chant, you know what I can do."

"But if we stay for that reason…" Mervant sighed and glanced at Osar. "It's fine if we all survive unscathed. But what if one of us dies? Osar, have you thought about how you'd feel afterward?"

"I know, I know." Osar sighed defeatedly. "That's why it's just a thought. I don't plan on making it a suggestion."

"Well… Then, anyone with other opinions?" Yaine asked.

"I have a tiny question." Unexpectedly, it was Nox who raised his hand. "When was the last beast tide?"

"The last time?" Yaine thought for a moment. "Uh, around 90 over years ago, I think."

"Ninety over years ago, huh…" Nox stroked his chin. "So, have the special monsters around this city always been here?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by 'always,' but the city's only about two hundred years old."

"Two hundred years…" muttered Nox pensively.

"Do you have some sort of idea, old man?" Mervant asked.

"No, I was just asking. A couple of things caught my attention," Nox said nonchalantly. "It's up to you guys whether we stay or leave. Even if we stay, I can always get us out if things go south. When it comes to running away, there aren't many in this world who are better than me."

"While that's impressive, why does it sound weird…" Guoguo muttered under her breath.

"It ought to sound weird. If I were as invincible as the Tyrant, I wouldn't need to run." Nox shrugged. "It's just the reality of lacking strength."

"Save that conversation for later," Yaine cut in. "For now, let's focus on the matter at hand. Anyone else has an objection to leaving before the beast tide hits?"

Everyone exchanged glances and agreed that leaving was the best option. Osar seemed a bit down but didn't raise any objections.

"Alright, it's settled, then." Yaine nodded. "Tomorrow, we'll all head out to get supplies and gear. Don't bother buying food; leave that for the people here. We can gather food easily on the road. Our focus should be on equipment. As for the leftover money… I suspect the currency comes from the holy capital Kaga, so we'll hold on to some cash. But just to be safe, we should convert some of it into high-value commodities."

Yaine stood up, then added, "That's it for now. I'll go have a private chat with Liu Ji."

"Are you going to tell him everything?" Nox asked. "Or just that we're leaving?"

"I…" Yaine hesitated for a moment. "I'll figure it out."

With that, she turned and headed out the door.