Chapter 14

Chapter 14 There Are Several of Them?

The swordsman stood by the roadside, his eyes fixed on me.

My body tensed, my tiny right fist repeatedly clenching and unclenching, a thin layer of icy blue mist faintly appearing.

…Damn bearded swordsman, if he dares to move even a step, he’ll have to endure the full force of my massive ice spears!

“What would you like for dinner tonight, little Hill?”

My mind was already in a state of high alert when I suddenly heard Grandma Claire’s question, causing me to startle sharply.

No, Grandma and the others are still around. If we fight here, they could get involved.

Fights at this level aren’t like ordinary knights’ duels; if ordinary people get caught up in it, it’s no laughing matter. Whether it’s my frost aura or the swordsman’s lightning power, even a small amount of residual energy could easily take their lives.

It’s too dangerous to fight here directly; it might destroy the entire village. If we do end up fighting, I must lure him out of the village immediately to ensure Grandma and the others aren’t affected.

In a short time, my thoughts changed rapidly, my heart pounding.

Then… I passed by the swordsman.

I saw a playful smile at the corner of his mouth. It seemed to say, I finally found you.

But after we walked quite far, the swordsman didn’t make any moves.

“Little Hill, what’s wrong? Your face looks so scary, are you sick?”

Aria cupped my little face with both hands, her forehead touching mine.

“I… I’m fine.”

There was something stuck in my throat, and I realized my expression was very stiff.

“Really? If there’s anything wrong, you should say so. You can’t just push through being sick.”

Aria’s eyebrows knitted together, showing concern.

“Yes, really.”

I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but couldn’t manage to move my lips.

“Hill sister, why don’t you lie down and rest on the wheat field for a bit? I can pull the cart.”

“Thank you, Barry. I’m not uncomfortable. Don’t worry.”

I glanced back, already unable to see the bearded swordsman, and my heartbeat slowly calmed down.

Seeing that I seemed genuinely fine, Aria’s thoughts became active again, turning to chat with me.

“Oh, little Hill, did you see that tall and imposing swordsman? Ah—! So—cool!”

Aria’s eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she clenched her fists and said to me.

“Yeah, very cool.”

“Then shall we go talk to him?”

“No!”

I immediately panicked and grabbed Aria’s hand, fearing she might impulsively rush back to find him.

“Aria, you’re getting married soon.”

Barry said without expression.

“So what! Does getting married mean I can’t admire handsome men anymore?”

“You can, but don’t corrupt Hill sister.”

“How am I corrupting her? I’m helping her! If little Hill is going to marry in the future, she has to marry someone like that tall and imposing man! The riffraff in the village wouldn’t suit her, so I want to take her to meet such a person…” Aria’s eyes flashed with cunning, “Such a swordsman, how often can we see one in our village! The armor on his body clearly indicates it’s expensive… I wonder what he’s here for, but he won’t stay long, little Hill, you can’t miss this opportunity!”

I shook my head forcefully, holding Aria’s hand tighter, my eyes pleading.

“Oh, little Hill is blushing, blushing! Hehe.”

Blushing my ass! Which eye did you see even a hint of shyness on my face!

I was getting desperate.

“Aria, I think you just want to go yourself.”

Barry continued without expression.

“That’s not…”

“If you take Hill sister over, I’ll tell Allen.”

“You dare!”

“Watch me dare!”

“If you go, I’ll tell little Hill your secret!”

“…No.”

Barry instantly backed down.

Aria triumphantly hummed, but never mentioned the previous matter again.

I let out a light sigh.

“Little Hill, do you know that swordsman?” Grandma, who hadn’t spoken since before, suddenly asked.

“…I don’t know.”

For some reason, I lied to Grandma for the first time.

“…Is that so.” Grandma looked at me, her face breaking into a warm smile.

She noticed.

The cloak the swordsman wore, and the cloak hanging at home that belonged to little Hill… although the latter was somewhat tattered, it was indeed the same model, and she may be old, but her eyes weren’t failing.

Since little Hill doesn’t want to say, she won’t press further. Time will tell everything.

“What would you like to eat when we get back?”

“…Potato soup.”

“Alright.”

I struggled to put aside my unease and headed toward home.

…………

The appearance of the bearded swordsman made me uneasy. I thought he would quickly confront me, and these past days were under immense psychological pressure, expecting a deadly battle at any moment. But after several days of anxiety,

I never saw him again.

Could it be that he traveled all this way just to see me once and then leave like that?

No, he can’t be that stupid, can he? He’s not.

Perhaps he wanted to stabilize the situation first before reporting back to his superiors?!

The next time we meet, he’ll appear in front of me with countless church knights, along with a dozen old men in robes, exuding confidence and vigor.

Just thinking about this possibility makes my breathing difficult.

Should I run away?

…Maybe I should slip away quietly when everyone falls asleep tonight, so as not to cause trouble for them.

But, will I ever see Grandma again? Will I be able to come back here?

It’s really hard to let go. I want to spend more time with Grandma. Tomorrow, I’ll sneak away tomorrow.

Yes, that’s what I’ll do.

So, my escape plan kept getting postponed day after day.

A few days later, the Harvest Festival arrived.

This was a custom in the village, where after harvesting the wheat each year, they would hold a festival and party.

That night, everyone gathered in the small square at the center of the village, bringing out tables and chairs from their homes, lighting bonfires, and beginning to invoke the gods.

The ceremony was led by Father Merlin from the town. Under his guidance, everyone knelt down and prayed to the goddess of abundance, asking for a bountiful harvest next year.

Then came the much-anticipated bonfire party. Villagers danced around the fire, singing and laughing, their faces glowing with happiness and contentment.

The butcher uncle, holding a drumstick, his muscular arm bulging with veins, played a resounding beat that echoed throughout the night.

I saw Alya and the honest-looking hunter’s son in the crowd, dancing lightly and gracefully, their faces filled with joy.

Soon, large barrels of beer were brought over. This was considered a luxury in the village, but tonight, everyone could drink freely.

The atmosphere of the entire party became even livelier after the arrival of the beer.

The tailor’s daughter sang beautiful songs from this world, while two or three younger girls clapped and tapped out the rhythm, occasionally joining in with a line or two.

Several boys who had mustered the courage to invite me to dance eventually lowered their heads dejectedly and returned to their friends.

Grandma was too old to keep up with such occasions and had gone home early. I closed my eyes, immersed in the bustling scene of the foreign festivities.

“Shir girl! Don’t you want to dance?” Uncle Doyle laughed, his nose glistening with sweat. Grandma always asked me to get meat from him, and he would always give me a little extra.

“No.”

I smiled gently and shook my head.

Actually, I’m not bad at dancing. In my previous life, I learned ballroom, Latin, and street dance from a young age. Xia Xi and I met at the same dance studio. While I can’t say I’m among the top in the country, I’ve won awards. But now, I just don’t feel like it. The bearded swordsman is like a dark cloud hanging over my heart, making everything tasteless.

“Haha, what a pity! You have no idea how many boys in the village are counting down the days, waiting for today to take advantage of this opportunity!”

Uncle Doyle looked ambiguous, with a teasing smile. At almost forty years old, he winked at me continuously, clearly having had quite a bit to drink.

I didn’t know how to respond and could only force a helpless smile.

Uncle Doyle tried to say something else when suddenly, “bang,” a cup of beer was placed on my table.

I looked up and saw Ryan, the leader of the kids, with a flushed face, holding another cup of beer, speaking to me.

“Shir…sister, I’ve thought about what happened earlier, and it was indeed my fault. I apologize…sorry.” This apology sounded reluctant. Ryan raised his head and finished the beer in one go, “I’ve finished my beer. If you drink the one on the table too, we’ll be friends.”

The cup on the table was about the size of a pint glass, filled to the brim with beer, foam spilling over and dripping onto the table.

Huh, trying to get me drunk? Interesting. Could it be that his hot-tempered father gave him some advice, thinking I was the kind of girl who couldn’t hold her liquor and would fall into someone’s arms after a couple of sips?

Unfortunately, he miscalculated.

Just as I was in a bad mood, today I’ll show you what it means to be unshakeable!

“In the future, don’t do that again.”

I smiled sweetly at Ryan and, amid Uncle Doyle’s encouragement, drank the beer in one gulp.

“Haha, good job, little Shir!”

Uncle Doyle roared with laughter, clapping vigorously.

“Ryan! What are you doing!”

Barry emerged from the crowd, pointing at Ryan and shouting loudly.

“I’m apologizing to Shir sister. What does it have to do with you! Barry, stop looking down on people!”

“Apologize? How old is Shir sister? Why did you coax her into drinking so much?”

“It’s fine, Barry…”

I looked at Barry in front of me, wanting to tell him I could handle my liquor, but suddenly felt a dizziness, and the wine glass in my hand shattered on the ground with a “crack.”

…Huh?

I frowned, extending both hands to rub my eyes.

One Barry… two Barrys… three Ryans… four Uncles…

Why do you have so many?