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Immediately after entering Toma Village, I was approached by a mature man.
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"Who are you?
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Hello, my name is Rust and I am a traveling alchemist. I would like to ask you a few questions ......" I try to ask him why he looks so lonely.
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Then the man starts to talk to me.
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What! He says he's an alchemist! Hmm. Can you come to the village headman's office for a minute?
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"Sure," I readily agree. It seemed like a good time to ask for more details.
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The man led me through the village.
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It seems that my impression from the outside that the village was deserted was correct. There were many empty houses.
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───This is not so much a decrease in the number of people of a certain age or s*x, but rather a decrease in the number of people in a family unit. Are more people moving out?
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While I am thinking about this as I look around the village, I arrive at the village headman's house.
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The house is not much different in size from other houses. If it had not been for the lizard's branch hanging above the entrance of the house, which indicates that it is the chief's house, I would not have been able to distinguish it from the chief's house.
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Oh, it's a fine lizard. Big and still fresh. It would make a good material for smelting. I wonder if there are any mayflower trees growing nearby.
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While I was thinking about that, a mature man opened the door and shouted inside.
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"Chief! I've brought the alchemist!"
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"What, are you real?"
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"...... No, I haven't checked, but hey, he looks like an alchemist."
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They seem to be discussing something about me, and I walk into the house, pulling out a medallion from my pocket.
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"Hello. I am a traveling alchemist and my name is Rust. This is the medallion that proves that I am an alchemist," I show it to an old man who looks like the village chief.
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"-! I beg your pardon. I am the chief of Toma village. That medallion, I am sure you are an alchemist. Moreover, isn't it of the highest rank?
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I look at my medallion again. Basically, all alchemists belonging to the Alchemy Association have this medallion of the master rank, so I had never really thought about it, but it is indeed the highest rank. In a manner of speaking, the Association is the top organization of alchemy in the country, though it is such and such.
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I have no intention of hiding it, so I affirm it.
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"I am sorry that the people of our village have been so rude. I have a favor to ask you, Master Rust. In the meantime, would you like to have a cup of tea? while indicating the living room.
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I accept his invitation. I knew that this request had something to do with the reason why this village was deserted. Besides, knowing how to address a person of master rank is a sign of a certain level of education. It would be smooth to talk with him.
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I took a seat in the living room to which I was led, and enjoyed the tea served by an old woman who seemed to be the wife of the village head. The tea leaves are very ordinary. However, after a meal consisting of only portable food, it tastes good just because it is warm.
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When we had finished drinking each other's tea, the village headman spoke up.
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"Now, I was wondering if Master Rust has any old type of magic crystal stones in stock? The chief of the village made an unexpected request.
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