The first book: The Birth of Blood
Spring has always brought joy to all beings, transcending many planets and continents. This was fitting for the continent of Azforth, which was a fertile land, filled with numerous colors and vast as far as the eye could see.
The North Moon Forest was a beautiful gem among many jewels on the continent of Azforth. It wasn't the largest, but it could be said to be one of the biggest forests on the continent. There were rumors that an unknown race inhabited this forest. Some people claimed to have seen them, saying they were beings of extraordinary beauty, with skin as white as the moon and long pointed ears. However, no one could confirm the truth of these claims.
There was a village on the outskirts of the North Moon Forest, an ordinary village located by the river, with the North Moon Forest to its left. The villagers of Norland worked in agriculture and fishing. The village wasn't large in size, but it was big enough to be seen from a distance. It was surrounded by a mountain range on its right, and the nearest city was Varunth, where Duke Wayne lived, about 100 kilometers away.
Duke Wayne was not the strict type; he did not raise taxes on the villages under his duchy. He gave the villagers all the time they needed to gather the harvest. Therefore, Duke Wayne was one of the most beloved people in the southern part of the continent.
A young boy, carrying a basket full of fruits on his back, walked along. At first glance, the basket seemed heavy, even for an adult, but the boy carried it with ease. His dark red hair was like blood, and his eyes were yellow like the sun. His forehead was dripping with sweat, and he was panting heavily, as if he were about to collapse from exhaustion, yet he kept walking without any pause.
The boy arrived at the village; it was dawn. There weren't many people awake, just a few who had gone out hunting. "Oh... "Look, you came back quickly this time. How was the harvest this time?" While walking, Firak heard a voice and looked towards its source, smiling. It was a bald man with a black beard streaked with white. There was no hair on his hands, indicating hours of work in front of the fire. "It was really good, Uncle Billy. Would you like one?" Firak reached into the basket and pulled out a red apple, offering it to Billy. "No, you picked it. How can I take it without giving something in return?"
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Billy smiled when he saw Firak giving him the apple. "Here, take it, Uncle Billy. I don't want anything in return; I'm the one giving it to you." Billy could see the determination in Firak's eyes, so he took it from his hand and thanked him.
Billy was the only blacksmith in the village, coming right after the village chief in importance. He had lived most of his life in this village, even before the current village chief arrived; he had already been living and working as a blacksmith here.
In the entire village of Norland, there were three important people, the first of course being the village chief, Richard. Richard was not someone born in this village; he was sent by Duke Wayne after the previous chief passed away due to old age. Richard was the kind of person who was strict yet gentle at the same time, and because of this, the village became more stable. Additionally, due to his orders, they avoided many disasters that could have been caused by the monsters in the nearby mountains.
Then comes Billy, the only blacksmith in the village, a village like Norland where the main source of food comes from hunting animals. The most important thing was a weapon to hunt with, so sometimes Billy was more important than the village chief himself.
After them comes perhaps the most important person in the village, Doran, or as the villagers call him, the village doctor. Doran was an outsider to the village; he arrived eight years ago, settled here, and began his work as a doctor. Doran came with his son Virak, who was still just a few months old at the time. The villagers grew to love Doran for two reasons: the first being that he was the only available doctor. Before Doran arrived, villagers had to send the injured to another village with a doctor, which was 100 kilometers away. Therefore, after Doran came, everyone in the village started going to him even for the smallest issues. The second reason was that he did not interfere in the village's affairs; he simply helped those in need without even asking for anything in return.
On the highest point of the small hill near the village, there was a small wooden house. Behind it, there was a garden of medicinal herbs, which had different colors. This gave the place a magical atmosphere.
Virak walked home, placing the fruit basket next to the door as he entered. A scent of herbs wafted towards him; it was a calming aroma. Virak stepped into the garden and saw his father kneeling, picking some herbs. His father appeared focused as he harvested, because if a small mistake occurred in this process, the herb could wilt and lose its effectiveness.
Virak didn't speak so as not to distract his father. He remembered that once he had talked while his father was picking some herbs, which led to the plant's death and its effect fading away. He still recalled his father's anger that time, and he didn't want that to happen again.
After a brief moment of waiting, he stood up, holding some herbs and placing them in the small bag hanging from his waist. When he turned and saw Virak standing in front of the door, he was a bit surprised, as he hadn't sensed his arrival. "Oh, Virak, how long have you been here?"
"Verak replied, 'I just arrived a moment ago. I didn't want to distract you, so I didn't make any noise.'"
Doran smiled slightly and said, "It's good that you did that, and now, I think you're hungry after picking the fruits, aren't you?" Virak's eyes lit up, while his stomach was screaming at him as if saying it wanted food. Doran noticed that and didn't wait for his son's response; he went to the kitchen to prepare the meal.