Thanks Danny N for your support...
In a tranquil village by the riverside in a remote corner of the vast Centraris Kingdom, there lay a peaceful village. While not particularly wealthy, it had modest farms where the villagers worked diligently under the sun to make a humble living.
This was a common scene in rural areas – people toiling in the fields under the open sky. Amidst this, a young girl entered a barn with a basket in hand.
"Hey, it's already morning, you know!"
Inside the barn, various farming tools and household items were haphazardly strewn about. In one corner, which could hardly be called a proper sleeping area, something black lay sprawled out on a straw mat.
"Huh? Morning already?"
"It's been morning for a while now! Everyone is out in the fields, so you should start working too!"
"Geez, so noisy in the morning..."
"I told you! Wash your face quickly! Breakfast comes after!"
"Alright, alright."
Prompted by the irate young girl, the person who had been lazily lying on the straw bed reluctantly got up. The interior of the barn was now illuminated by the sunlight seeping through the gaps, revealing a man clad in a black fur coat.
His skin was of a light tan, and he had black hair that seemed to melt into the night. His drowsy eyes were golden.
The man quickly spotted the girl's basket.
"Oh, did you bring breakfast? Sorry about that."
"My mom told me to bring it to you. Even though there's no need to feed a lazy bum like you."
"You should learn a bit from your mother's kindness."
"Stop it! Hurry up and wash your face. You can eat after that."
"Alright, alright."
Still prompted by the somewhat innocent-looking girl, the man reluctantly left the barn and made his way to the well. While it seemed that recently pumps and modern plumbing systems had started making their way to the capital, the rural village like this one was yet to catch up with the trend.
The man splashed his face with the cold well water and then looked up at the sky.
"Today's weather is quite nice, isn't it?"
"Well, if it's so nice, why don't you work? Taking a nap on a day like this, you'll anger the sun."
"Hahaha, well, I'd say on a day like this, it's almost impolite not to take a nap."
"I know, they call people like you 'daylight loafers' who live off others."
"Well, well, it's a dream that all the slackers aspire to."
Accepting the basket from the displeased girl, the man indulged in the sandwich it contained.
Afterward, he sat down in the shade near the fields and idly observed the villagers at work. It seemed the girl had realized that further complaints would be futile, as she had already left for work herself.
The man had visited this village a few days ago as a traveler. While on his way to the capital, he had stumbled upon this village by chance, and the villagers had warmly welcomed him, allowing him to stay.
Despite the fact that a major war had recently ended, this village seemed to have become astonishingly complacent.
The man absentmindedly gazed at the clouds drifting across the sky, then reached into his bag, though he didn't expect to find anything particularly interesting in a place like this.
...
...
As night fell, the man joined the girl's family for dinner.
"Kou-san, Kou-san, it seems Lutz was in great shape today. We received a sliding bird, so there's meat tonight."
"Oh, that's something to look forward to – Madam's cooking."
"Oh, stop flattering me."
In this village, the man was known as Kou. He didn't help with the work, that was certain, but thanks to his good looks and the stories he told from his travels, he was popular with both men and women in the village.
What was less thrilling was the daughter, a girl with a small stature who worked diligently.
"You...you don't do any work, but you eat the food?"
"Hey, Silly! Kou-san is a traveler. His work is different from ours on the farm."
"But he hasn't even traveled recently!"
The girl called Silly retorted against her father's words. By the way, this household had two younger brothers besides Silly, so she had both hands full.
"Listen, Silly. Traveling is much tougher than you think. Since he stopped by our village, it's only fair that we let him relax a bit. It's a matter of pride for the people of the kingdom."
"Pride of the people? You haven't even been to the capital!"
"What did you say?! I've seen the royal castle when I was younger!"
"You only saw it from a distance!"
"Alright, alright, let's not argue anymore. It's time for dinner."
Amidst the rather intense conversation between the father and daughter, a large plate was placed on the table with a thud. The plate was piled high with stir-fried vegetables and poultry.
The aroma of spices aroused their appetites.
No more futile conversation occurred.
The family all fervently prayed before their meal and then eagerly reached for the meat and tore into the bread.
In this village, meat other than fish was a precious commodity. They could only eat it when a relative named Lutz, who was a hunter, hunted it or on special occasions when livestock was slaughtered.
Kou also slowly savored the meat. It had a rustic flavor, seasoned with salt and spices gathered from the mountains. It carried a somewhat nostalgic taste.
"Oh, that's right, kid, come over here."
"I'm not a kid! My name is Silly!"
"When you've grown up a bit more, then I'll call you that. Come on, hurry up."
Summoned by Kou, Silly muttered, "What's this all about?" but approached nonetheless. Despite her mature demeanor, she was still a child without any sense of caution.
"Put out your hands."
"?"
When Silly extended her hands, Kou took something out of his bag and placed it in her small hands.
"What's this?"
"It's an amulet I made. Wear it around your neck."
What Kou handed over was a necklace made by weaving various animal fangs and scales with a decorative cord. It resembled something made by the Holy Goddess Church, similar to Huumir.
"Aw, isn't it cute?"
"Even if you dress up, there's no one to show it off to. Just put it on quietly."
"What?! When I grow up, a prince will come to pick me up!"
"Will you ride on a plow horse? That would be nice, you'd be the laughing stock for life."
"What are you saying!"
As the girl leaped at him, Kou restrained her with one hand. With her petite stature, Silly couldn't launch an attack on Kou.
However, witnessing this, her two younger brothers joined in, perhaps thinking it was some kind of game.
The night on the farm grew noisier as it progressed.
That day, the sky was overcast. The moonlight was obscured by clouds, and the world was enveloped in complete darkness.
It was the time when creatures of the night, with their fangs bared, began to stir.
* * *
Dozens of horses thundered down the mountain path.
One would quickly realize that the nearly inaudible sound of their hooves, which should have been loud, was due to a silencing spell cast by a magician among them.
Leading the group was a burly man dressed in coarse attire. The numerous decorations he wore indicated his role as the one who commanded the others.
Their destination was a small rural village by the riverside. Why they were going there, given the heavily armed band of ruffians, was a question that hardly needed asking.
Earlier in the afternoon, they had received a signal from their spy who had infiltrated the village. Their leader was cautious. He would investigate whether there were any kingdom soldiers in the village, how long it would take for reinforcements to arrive, and other such details before attacking.
By doing so, he ensured that the job would be done perfectly. They had already raided several villages in a similar fashion, pillaging wealth and women along the way.
(However, something's off...)
As he rode along the night road, the leader contemplated. The spy in the village was supposed to send the signal in the morning. However, it had indeed started raining in the afternoon, making it suitable for the attack. So, presumably, the spy had made that judgment.
With enhanced magical vision, he spotted the village, and at that moment...
"Halt!"
The leader, speaking in a low but sharp voice, gave orders to his subordinates and brought his own horse to a stop. They had seen a figure standing in their path.
The figure's stature and the black cloak they wore were unmistakable. It was the spy he had sent to the village.
"Why are you here of all places? Weren't we supposed to meet in the village?"
"..."
"What's the matter? Is something bothering you?"
The spy said nothing in response. Instead, a gust of wind caused their hood to lift.
From beneath the hood emerged the unmistakable face of the spy he had sent. However, their cheek was crushed, and their eyes were turned upward.
"What the...!"
As the leader exclaimed, the spy's body collapsed. Or more accurately, the body that had been hoisted up fell.
"You're slow on the uptake."
Emerging from the shadows was a young man clad in a black fur coat. His golden eyes shone in the night, and he had something long wrapped in cloth resting on his shoulder.
"Who are you..."
"Just a traveler. But who are you guys? Making a commotion like this in the middle of the night."
Saying so, Kou chuckled.
In response, there was no reply. The man simply gave a short command to the subordinate standing beside him.
"Kill him."
The subordinate's movements were swift. He activated a spell to enhance his body, leaped from his horse, and closed the gap between him and Kou with blinding speed.
In his hand was a sword, drawn before anyone had noticed.
Without knowing what had happened, Kou would likely die from having his throat slashed. The leader of the group watched his subordinate's movements with confidence.
Bang! A sharp sound reverberated through the mountains, and something round flew through the night.
"What...?"
With blood spewing from his neck where the lid had been blown away, the subordinate's body collapsed.
On the other side, Kou showed a smile, revealing his white teeth.
"Well, well, not as tough as you'd think, are you, soldiers of the 'Sarnold Empire?'"
The impact of his words was dramatic. The leader and the men behind him abandoned their stealthy tactics, drew their weapons, and began channeling magic power.
"Capture him alive at all costs!"
The leader issued the order to attack, and the men lunged at Kou.
...
...
Huffing and puffing, his ragged breath was loud in his own ears.
(What in the world is happening?)
The man who had disguised himself as the bandit leader was named Beig Tindal. He held the position of a battalion commander in the Sarnold Empire, a professional soldier by trade, and would not normally engage in such banditry.
However, he and his subordinates were raiding villages in the Centraris Kingdom primarily because it was a directive from the Empire.
Dressed as bandits, they aimed to weaken the Centraris Kingdom by siphoning off its power and dispersing the kingdom's military forces. It was a dirty job that had to be done for the Empire, but the benefit was that they could freely take plunder in return.
Beig had faithfully carried out this task, and, as usual, set his sights on a village. This was a small village by the riverside with no defensive structures except for protection against monsters. It was not particularly prosperous, and with a larger village nearby, it was a less lucrative target for bandits.
However, none of this mattered to Beig and his group. The act of raiding held significance for them.
In that sense, this village fell into the category of easy targets. They would usually infiltrate under the cover of night, with well-coordinated teamwork and magic, pillage the fields, houses, and men in an instant, and then plunder women and valuables. For soldiers, it was like taking candy from a baby.
That's how it was supposed to go.
"You... what are you..."
"Hey, Captain, your tone's changed, hasn't it?"
The forest had turned into a nightmarish scene.
Unidentifiable masses of flesh clung everywhere, whether they were horses or people, and the trees were dyed red with blood.
Beig's proud subordinates had all been killed by Kou. Some were killed in hand-to-hand combat, while others, who had tried to use magic against Kou, were struck down the moment they fired their spells.
Apart from Beig, there was no one left alive. Even then, Beig's survival was not due to his own skill. He lay sprawled on the ground, both of his legs crushed.
Beig was the only one intentionally spared.
"Oh, the moon's coming out."
As Kou's words suggested, the moonlight illuminated him, and he hadn't even been splattered with a drop of blood. Bathed in the moonlight's overwhelming power, Beig trembled.
Kou squatted down in front of Beig, smiling.
"Well, I've spared you for now, but I'm not one of the kingdom's soldiers either. Less trouble is better. But there's one interesting story I've got."
"...!"
Seeing Kou's nonchalant attitude, Beig decided not to provide any more information. Kou's words continued.
"It's a story that has nothing to do with you, but right now in the kingdom, soldiers from the Sarnold Empire disguised as bandits are attacking villages and cities. The Empire denies it, but both sides know what's going on, so it's become a test of nerves."
"..."
"Pretty grim, don't you think? Many people are dying due to the machinations of higher-ups."
In the dark night, Kou's matter-of-fact words were absorbed and faded away. A lukewarm breeze brushed across Beig's cheek.
"The people who were killed, of course, were soldiers forced into banditry. Even if they claimed to be regular soldiers of the Sarnold Empire, the Empire insisted, 'Such people do not exist in our country.' In other words, they've been erased from official records."
As Kou continued his story, Beig's face gradually turned pallid. His heartbeat intensified, and a cold sweat trickled down his face.
"For the soldiers who think they're fighting for the country, they're no different from genuine bandits who've lost their way. And, you do realize, don't you? Where the souls of the fallen end up."
"Surely, it can't be...!"
Beig noticed the conclusion of the story and involuntarily exclaimed.
"Yes, in a real war, the souls of the dead return to the goddess. However, once a soul has fallen into wickedness, it can never be saved by the goddess. The bodies are devoured by monsters, and the souls endure eternal torment in the depths of the underworld."
Beig was left speechless this time. Not being saved by the goddess after death was nothing short of despair for people in this world.
"Wait, that's ridiculous. There's no way that could happen. I'm not a bandit; I've faithfully fulfilled my mission for the proud Sarnold Empire as a soldier. When I return, honor and glory await."
But the more he denied it, the more Kou's words seemed plausible. Even if he claimed it was his job, if the Empire completely denied it, Beig and his comrades would be seen as mere thieves. Being officially denied existence abroad was quite different from having their records erased.
"Well, I guess you, a simple bandit, have already come to terms with it, right? I've spoken enough; forget it."
"W-wait!"
Beig hastily raised his voice. It wasn't over yet. If he revealed himself as a soldier of the Sarnold Empire, he could be treated as a prisoner of war. Then, Sarnold, his family, would surely come to his rescue.
However, Beig's words were cut short when Kou wordlessly shoved the long object against Beig's throat. His words devolved into meaningless groans.
"I told you, it's better to avoid trouble."
Beig glared at Kou with eyes filled with hatred, but before him stood a man who had lost his previous smile, now looking down at Beig with cold disdain.
"As a soldier, you weren't all that bad. I sensed something was off, so I knew someone had infiltrated the grass, but it took some time to identify you. Truly, a cautious one to attack such a small village."
He pushed the object forcefully against Beig's throat.
"Really, once we've finally obtained a bit of peace, some people just don't hesitate to soil it."
Beig, tears streaming from his eyes, gazed at Kou as if his mouth were trying to convey something, opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"Surprisingly infuriating."
With a dull sound, Beig's neck twisted.
Having eliminated the soldiers, Kou walked away from the place filled with the stench of blood and excrement. He wasn't heading for the village visible in the distance.
This time, he had stayed too long.
"With this, I've just about earned enough for lodging and meals."
He muttered as he looked beyond the night sky.
He was heading for the place he originally aimed for—the capital of the Centraris Kingdom—to search for it.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)