Chapter 38

The subordinates ultimately did not move.

Not only did they not move, but they also looked at the chieftain with eyes as if they were staring at a scammer.

“…But why aren’t you going, Chieftain? You said you once killed a dragon with an axe. So, you should handle a little mage like that…”

“That’s right. You said you killed a lot of mages during the war too.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

‘These bastards…’

The chieftain gritted his teeth inwardly.

Of course, the story about killing a dragon with an axe was just a boast, but he had fought mages a few times.

However, he had never killed one. He was too busy running away from their magic.

If the chieftain had seriously fought a mage, he wouldn’t be here now. He would have died during the war.

“Go now! If you don’t, I’ll cut each of your heads…!”

The chieftain stopped speaking.

A blonde girl was now walking toward them, step by step.

Her eyes were overflowing with killing intent.

Though clearly still a young girl, she felt incredibly menacing.

“Eek! She’s coming!”

“Th-there’s no need to be scared…! She must be out of mana…!”

Even as he said that, the chieftain had already taken several steps back.

If that girl started casting magic, he planned to turn around and run at full speed immediately.

“Lowly creatures.”

The girl spat out coldly.

“For daring to lay a hand on Lady Ariel, atone with your lives.”

A magic circle formed beneath the subordinates’ feet.

And then.

**BOOM!**

A powerful explosion swept through the area.

*

“Huff, huff!”

The chieftain, who had been running at full speed, collapsed onto the grass.

“Huff! Huff!”

His breath was ragged.

Though he had already put some distance between himself and the village, his body still trembled.

‘I… I almost died!’

The moment the magic circle formed beneath his subordinates’ feet, the chieftain immediately turned and ran.

At the same time, a massive explosion erupted behind him.

If he had been even a little slower, his body would have been torn to shreds.

It was a miracle that he had been standing a bit behind his subordinates.

His subordinates were all dead. They weren’t strong enough to survive such an explosion.

“Pfft.”

The chieftain let out a bitter laugh.

It was unlucky to have gone to pillage the village only to run into that mage girl, but at least he had survived.

No matter how strong that girl was, she wouldn’t be able to catch up to him at this distance.

Barbarians were good at running.

Having run across the plains and fields since childhood, he was confident he wouldn’t lose to her in a race.

‘Now, where should I go?’

The chieftain wiped the sweat from his face and pondered.

Having lost his subordinates, he would have to give up on pillaging the village.

No matter how skilled a warrior he was, pillaging a village alone was impossible.

If the villagers ganged up on him, he wouldn’t stand a chance. And that mage girl might still be there.

If he encountered that mage girl again, he had no confidence he would survive. The moment he saw her, he’d be joining his subordinates.

‘…I need to get as far away as possible.’

The chieftain struggled to his feet and tried to move.

But he soon stopped in his tracks.

“?”

Something was standing in front of him.

A massive wolf with silver fur.

And on its back was an elf girl with silver hair.

“!”

The chieftain felt his hair stand on end.

He thought he had run far enough, but had he been caught after all?

Well, if she had come riding a wolf, it made sense.

No matter how fast a barbarian ran, they couldn’t outrun a wolf.

‘Is this the end…?’

The chieftain’s expression darkened.

‘Wait, hold on…’

But soon, he furrowed his brow and looked around.

That mage girl wasn’t here.

“Are you… alone?”

The chieftain asked, holding onto a sliver of hope.

If the mage girl hadn’t come and it was just the elf girl, he could survive.

The wolf wasn’t a problem.

The chieftain had hunted beasts and monsters bigger than that wolf before.

Even though he had cowardly abandoned his subordinates and run, he was still a chieftain who had led a tribe.

He was a strong enough warrior to take down a wolf like that.

“I’m alone.”

The elf girl replied.

Her voice was soft, almost like a whisper.

“…Heh.”

The chieftain’s lips curled into a grin.

“I see. You’re alone.”

The chieftain drew his axe from his waist. Then, he immediately kicked off the ground and charged.

“Then I’ll have to hurry!”

From the chieftain’s perspective, it felt like the heavens were on his side.

The mage girl wasn’t here, and the elf girl had come alone. It couldn’t get any better than this.

Though he had lost his subordinates, if he could take the elf girl as his bride, his future would be filled with joy.

**Thud!**

As the distance closed, the chieftain leapt high into the air.

When fighting the wolf earlier, he had been careful not to get hurt, but now he had no such luxury.

Even if he lost an arm, he had to finish this in one strike. Before that mage girl arrived.

The chieftain, now airborne, swung his axe down with all his might.

Yet, the wolf didn’t move, simply staring blankly at the chieftain.

At this rate, the axe would crush its skull, killing it instantly.

“Keh, this is why beasts are so predictable!”

When beasts were scared, they often just stood there, frozen in fear.

That was the perfect time to strike.

“Die, wolf!”

The chieftain’s axe tore through the air, aiming for the wolf’s head.

And in that moment, the chieftain’s eyes met the elf girl’s.

Her eyes were calm, like a deep lake.

Without a hint of emotion, the elf girl, who had been silently staring at the chieftain, opened her mouth slightly.

“You’re the one who’s going to die.”

**Swoosh!**

A blue light pierced the chieftain’s forehead.

*

When Ariel returned to the village riding Ghost, Rakia quickly approached.

“Lady Ariel! I’ve been waiting for you!”

Rakia looked at Ariel with a smiling face.

“You told me to wait, so I waited quietly!”

“……”

Ariel, facing Rakia, slowly reached out and patted her head.

Rakia was making a face like a child seeking praise.

“Ehehe.”

Rakia wriggled her body and let out a happy laugh.

A dragon who gets excited when an elf pats her head.

If other dragons saw this, they’d be rolling on the ground.

“Um, excuse me…”

Someone spoke up from the side.

“I’m sorry… no, I apologize. I asked you to leave the village earlier because I was worried the barbarians might cause harm. Please forgive me…”

It was Ben, Ted’s older brother.

Unlike before, Ben’s attitude was now very respectful.

“And thank you… for dealing with them…”

Rakia’s magic had killed all the barbarians. She had even incinerated their corpses, leaving no trace.

The chieftain had luckily escaped, but since Ariel had immediately chased after him on the wolf, he was surely dead.

In other words, the village was now free.

Thanks to Ariel and Rakia.

“Th-thank you…”

“Thank you…!”

The villagers began to gather one by one, greeting Ariel and Rakia.

“Ah, move aside, please…!”

A skinny boy pushed through the gathered villagers.

“Big sisters!”

It was Ted.

“Big sisters, you’re way stronger than I thought! That was amazing!”

Ted was in a state of excitement.

It was only natural to feel proud that the guests he had brought had saved the village.

Even though he hadn’t been able to avenge his father with his own hands, it didn’t matter.

Honestly, Ted knew that no matter how much he trained with a wooden sword, he wouldn’t have been able to defeat them.

He just couldn’t bear the pain in his heart if he didn’t try.

“Big sisters! As promised, I’ll make a delicious stew today. I’ll do my best, so you can look forward to it! It’s a shame there’s no meat, though…”

The barbarians had taken all the livestock and food, leaving the village with no meat.

That’s why not only Ted but the entire village was so thin. They had been surviving on vegetables alone.

“Hmm, it really is a shame… If only we had meat, I could make something much tastier…”

As Ted muttered, Ariel opened her inventory.

**Thud!**

Three Minotaurus corpses tumbled out of Ariel’s inventory.

“Gasp!”

The villagers recoiled in shock, but soon realized the Minotaurus were dead and relaxed.

“Wh-what is this?”

Ted asked, his face pale. Ariel quietly replied.

“Meat.”

“……”

A slow smile spread across Ted’s face.

The Minotaurus were massive and as fresh as if they had just been killed.

With this, the entire village could eat their fill and still have leftovers.

“C-can I use this for cooking?”

“Mm.”

“Thank you, elf big sister! Tonight’s dinner is beef stew!”

“Beef stew…”

Ariel murmured softly, glancing at the Minotaurus corpses.