Chapter 36

“Wh-what… Why are you home at this hour, bro?”

Ted asked with a flustered face.

Ted’s older brother, Ben, usually isn’t home at this time.

He goes out to the fields early every morning and comes back late at night.

“I just stopped by. More importantly, Ted, who’s this girl?”

“Sh-she’s a friend.”

“A friend?”

At Ted’s answer, Ben glanced at Rakia.

A girl holding a child her age.

Dressed in an elegant dress, with golden hair and eyes glowing.

Her skin was pale, and her face was pretty.

Just like Ted had thought, Ben also assumed Rakia was a high-ranking noble.

“…Where did you meet her?”

“In the forest.”

“The forest? Did you go there for some training or something again? You idiot.”

At Ben’s words, Ted hung his head low.

Ben let out a quiet sigh and spoke.

“Anyway, send her back. Outsiders are forbidden in our village.”

“Bro…”

“Send her back.”

“N-no. I invited her for dinner at our house. She helped me…”

*Thud!*

Ben swung his fist and smacked Ted across the face.

Ted collapsed to the floor with a thud, but Ben paid no mind and continued.

“Do you not know what’s going on in the village right now? When are you going to grow up?”

“……”

Ben glanced at Rakia again.

“Sorry you had to see this. It seems my idiot brother invited you without thinking, but outsiders are forbidden in our village. So please leave right away.”

“But I was promised stew…”

“Our village is dangerous. If those guys come…”

*Knock knock.*

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Ben, they’re here! Everyone’s gathering at the plaza now!”

“!”

Ben’s eyes widened, and Ted also looked up in shock.

“Ted, stay put in the house. Got it? Don’t come out no matter what.”

“Y-yeah.”

Ben hurried out of the house, and Ted quickly locked the door.

*Click.*

“It’ll… it’ll be fine… We’re safe in the house. They won’t come in…”

Ted muttered nervously.

Rakia tilted her head.

“Those guys?”

“The barbarians… I think they’ve come to the village.”

*

Ben hurried toward the village plaza.

Though it’s called a plaza, it’s just a small clearing near the palisade in this tiny village.

When he arrived, the villagers were gathered there.

Adults and children alike, all kneeling.

And in front of them stood a dozen burly men, glaring down at the villagers.

Among them, a man with a long scar across his cheek spotted Ben.

Ben quickly knelt before the man.

“S-sorry for being late…”

“Sorry? You should be beaten.”

*Thud!*

The man’s foot struck Ben’s face.

Ben fell backward but quickly got up and knelt again.

The man asked.

“Anything unusual in the village?”

“No…”

“Really? How’s the farming going?”

“We’re working hard.”

“Working hard doesn’t matter. The harvest does. If the harvest doesn’t satisfy me, you know what’ll happen, right? I’ll boil you all alive. Hahaha!”

The man laughed heartily.

Though he said it jokingly, Ben’s face turned pale, knowing they were fully capable of such cruelty.

“W-we’ll do our best.”

“You better.”

The man patted Ben’s shoulder with his large hand.

“Or you’ll end up like your father, dying like a dog.”

“……”

Ben quietly bit his lip.

Ben’s father had been the village chief.

A diligent and kind man, well-respected by the villagers.

A caring father who loved Ben and Ted.

That father was dead. His neck had been sliced by the man standing before Ben now.

Ben could never forgive this man. He wanted to leap at him right then and there to avenge his father.

Of course, doing so would only get Ben killed.

This man was a barbarian.

Even if the entire village attacked him at once, they wouldn’t win.

Fighting would only lead to a dog’s death, just as the man said.

And if that happened, Ted wouldn’t be spared either.

Ted was still too young to survive on his own, and these men wouldn’t let him live anyway.

When they had raided the village, they had tried to capture and eat all the children.

To stop them, Ben’s father had fought back with farming tools, and in the end, he was killed. Ben had knelt and begged.

Don’t touch the children. If you spare them, I’ll do whatever you say.

And so, Ben had become their slave. He didn’t complain even when they took all the village’s livestock.

Far from complaining, he was farming for them.

Working all day in the fields, surviving on meager portions of vegetables, but there was no other choice.

Without a lord to protect them, they had to kneel and offer their labor to survive.

“Hmm, by the way, why don’t I see your brother today?”

The barbarian man glanced around.

Among the adults, a few children were kneeling, but Ted was nowhere to be seen.

Ben hurriedly made an excuse.

“M-my brother isn’t feeling well…”

“Really? That kid, I liked the fire in his eyes.”

The man’s lips curled into a grin.

“Actually, I’ve been expecting him. I wonder if he’ll come at me someday. His face looks like he’s thinking of avenging his father. Hahaha!”

“H-he wouldn’t…”

Ben forced himself to reply. In truth, Ted was indeed dreaming of avenging their father.

He had gotten a wooden sword from somewhere and was swinging it around in the forest every day, claiming to train in swordsmanship.

Of course, there was no way he could beat this barbarian man.

“Guess it’s no good. Since I’m here, I might as well see his face. Hey, chief’s son. Take me to your house.”

At the barbarian’s words, Ben flinched.

Ted wasn’t the only one at home.

That noble girl he’d seen earlier would be there too.

Ben’s face turned pale.

‘If they see that girl…’

They would never let her go.

They might kidnap her, or even try to eat her on the spot.

“Hurry up!”

When Ben hesitated, the barbarian kicked him.

“If you don’t take me right now, I’ll kill one of the village kids. Hahaha!”

“……”

In the end, Ben had no choice but to lead the men to his house.

*

The door to Ben’s house was locked. Ted must have locked it from inside.

A reasonable precaution, but in this situation, it was meaningless.

A locked door wouldn’t stop the barbarians. They’d just break it.

“Step aside, I’ll break the door.”

‘Of course.’

Ben stepped back with a resigned expression.

In his heart, he prayed Ted had hidden the noble girl somewhere in the house.

If she was hidden well, like in a closet, she might escape the barbarians’ notice.

“Chieftain! There’s something in the stable!”

Just then, someone shouted.

The barbarian, about to kick the door, stopped and turned.

“Huh? What’s there?”

“It’s… it looks like a wolf… and it’s huge!”

“A wolf?”

The barbarian made an interested face and stomped toward the stable.

‘A wolf…?’

Of course, Ben had no idea what was going on.

The barbarians had taken all the livestock, so the stable should’ve been empty.

“Whoa!”

The barbarian let out an exclamation.

“It’s true! It’s huge! This… it must be a spirit beast! Hahaha!”

The barbarian laughed heartily and drew an axe from his waist.

“And its fur is silver! A cloak made from that wolf’s hide would be perfect!”

The barbarian opened the stable door, and at that moment, a massive wolf leaped out.

“Alright, it’s hunting time!”

At the barbarian’s shout, the men around him, likely his subordinates, cheered.

“Woo!”

“Get the wolf!”

For the barbarians, hunting was like a festival.

Especially when hunting a large, strong beast like this, everyone got excited.

“Raaah!”

The chieftain-like man charged at the wolf first. His axe swung toward the wolf’s neck.

*Whoosh!*

The wolf ducked, dodging the axe. Then it immediately swiped at the barbarian with its front paw.

“Whoa! Not bad!”

The barbarian leaped back with surprising agility for his size.

The wolf’s paw sliced through empty air.

“But you’re still just an animal!”

The barbarian swung his axe again, aiming for the wolf’s head.

This time, other men around him also swung spears and swords.

The wolf had no way to dodge.

‘This is it…’

Ben’s face darkened.

He had no idea why such a large wolf was in his stable, but he didn’t want to see it die.

Especially not at the hands of these barbarians.

‘Damn it.’

Ben quietly closed his eyes, expecting to hear the wolf’s agonized cry.

*Thud!*

But that didn’t happen.

Instead, a dull sound echoed.

‘……?’

Ben opened his eyes again.

An astonishing scene unfolded before him.

A blue barrier had formed around the wolf, and beside it stood a girl.

A girl with silver hair and pointed ears.

An elf.

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