"Reeve they're here again."

With his garden dirtied hands he stood up, eyeing the people passing through.

They are what the villagers called "otherworlders."

He stopped planting new seeds to approach the visitors, due to his responsibility as the sole guard.

The village was never a place that thrived, maybe due to it's infertile lands or the monsters that commonly gather.

It was their home and they make do with what they have to survive.

A few years back, the able men built a wooden palisade that serves as protection from the monsters.

But even with that there never was a month with no accidents occurring.

This was the problem of the village named "Erdale" had to bear.

The otherworlders had appeared once before. It was night, and the sky wasn't in their favor when they came close to town.

The elders invited them in to seek shelter from the rain and they gladly accepted.

Due to the hospitality offered to them by the village, they asked if there were any problems they can help with.

The elders then told them the situation about the mines north of the village causing us problems.

It was a decrepit mine that held no more ores, the last one was mined before Reeve was even born.

Now the mine was  a nest for monsters called "goblins", they use the mines as their base and kill anyone who dared approach it.

Several men in the village even went there to destroy the nest or even reduce the numbers but they lacked the power to even reduce the numbers.

The majority of them ended up gravely injured and thus resulted in the situation where Reeve was tasked to guarding the village while they recuperate.

Reeve wasn't only a villager forced to guard the area. He truly loved the village and protected it more than once from occasional monsters that invaded while the men were out.

His fighting skills is above average. The only reason he wasn't part of the attack was that he was just 15.

In this world, 15 was still considered a minor. You are recognized as an adult after you turn 16.

So disregarding his plea to go with them, he was left in the village with the other kids.

"Welcome to the village of Erdale. How can I help you otherworlders?"

There were three of them. They didn't even bat an eye when Reeve spoke as if they didn't notice my presence.

'Are they deaf or something?' He thought.

After looking like an idiot for a few seconds, a man replied to his words.

"We came here before. Has the situation changed? Have the goblins been doing anything weird lately?"

"N-No but several men in our village attacked the nest but was pushed back.

To be honest, I'm the only left in charge of the villages' protection.

Although I lack in ability, I'm certainly doing my best.

If you guys could give us some sort of aid with regards to the destruction of the nest, I'm sure the elders will reward you."

He knew that asking help from others was pitiful but the otherworlders based on news were stronger than the average soldiers.

They possessed skills that are usually hard to achieve by people like him. If there's even a chance of persuading them, he will take it.

The village elders can roughly give out 5 silvers if the destruction of the nest came to be but other than that he knew no other rewards.

It was told by the elders themselves when they told him that if there's anyone who can grant them help that he would tell them of the reward.

"Is this guy stup-!"

One of the visitors signaled his companion to stop. He started talking after doing that.

"What is this reward you speak of?"

"Our elders will provide 5 silvers to the people who can destroy the nest of the goblins inside the mines."

5 silver was certainly not that much but this village can only afford to raise that much money.

The rest of the money raised from selling crops and hunting were used to buy food that can last a long time.

All of the villagers knew one another so they even didn't keep personal belongings. Everything is shared to one another.

This was the norm when it comes to villages like these.

"I see nothing has changed. It's still the same reward for the quest back then.

I thought that it would be raised if the situation became a bit more dire."

"Is this the limits of the game?"

"Idiot! This game is state of the art and the first of it's kind."

"We can't even logout for fucks sake!"

"Well even if that's the case being stuck in this world could be worthwhile if we could get stronger."

Reeve didn't understand some of the words spoken but something piqued his interest.

The otherworlders said that they're stuck here which meant that they can't leave.

Would that mean that the gods themselves have placed them here to live amongst them?

Is that the penultimate purpose of their appearance?

Are they the ones who will forge everlasting peace in this world?

Those words brightened up his view of these people.

If he could help them in any way he can maybe someday monsters wouldn't exist anymore and the village will thrive.

"Uhmm guys. If you think that the reward is not satisfying enough, I could also add some of my savings into it.

I can add an ten extra silvers to the reward if you guys can beat the monsters."

That was his whole life savings. Even if the villagers weren't materialistic, he dreamt of traveling the world.

He dreamt of doing adventures. Maybe even joining a famous guild and explore dungeons.

He was saving all this money up for that wonderful dream but if it helped getting rid of the monsters why would he be selfish enough to deprive the village that he loves a way to end the danger.

"So if we defeat the monsters that will attack the village then we get to have your reward?"

"Y-Yes!"

He was happy that they'd consider accepting the request. Finally the worries of the elders would cease to exist.

'The otherworlders will surely keep their promise right?'

He convinced himself as his eyes looked up to them full of admiration.

As a child, Reeve grew up without any parents. He was a war child.

Their king commanded that all the villagers to have some men help with the war.

His father was the head of the village at the time but he volunteered.

His mother died when he was born but he remembered that his father told him that she loved him dearly.

The war ended but his father did not return. The village served as his parent after that.

Him seeing potential heroes that might bring peace to the world brought him great joy.

'With heroes comes peace right?' He smiled while thinking that.

"Alright then we accept. I have high confidence that the goblins will be defeated tonight."

"I-I see! Thank you!"

"Now then we shall leave for now. Expect to see us tonight. We have some business to take care of."

"Yes! Good Luck!"

Reeve felt enthusiastic about the matter. When he reported it to the elders they were pleased by the news.

The village maidens even cooked food for their returning heroes as a sign of thanks.

It was supposed to be food that they would use only for the upcoming feast for the angels but today was a special occasion as well.

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Darkness encroached the lands, the village was consumed by it as well.

The torches lit the palisade as Reeve waited at the gates for the otherworlders.

Hours passed but no one came, the cold of the night didn't bother him too much.

He became anxious for a moment but he remembered that they were all well armored so even if they couldn't beat the goblines then they can escape without any problems.

While pondering, he noticed a faint light from a distance. This light slowly brightened and with it came the three otherworlders.

They were casually walking but he noticed that they were stained with blood.. green blood to be precise.

Green Blood could only mean Goblin's Blood in these parts so if he's guessing right then they succeeded in defeating the nest.

This made his heart beat fast with joy, he felt like passing out but this would be too pathetic of a look to be shown in front of the heroes.

"Did you destroy the nest?"

"Well.. Yes.."

An emotionless face was shown by the person but that doesn't matter! The nest has been destroyed.

This was a great turn of events, he could almost jump for joy at the very moment.

"If it's not too much of a bother can you tell me your names? Our mighty heroes?"

"Heroes? What the fuck is on about?"

"Haha! Heroes he says! This is rich!"

"Calm down guys! Maybe he just misunde-HAHAHAHA"

He couldn't quite figure out why they laughed so hard.

Aren't they the great heroes that saved the village?

Aren't they the ones that will forge peace into this world?

Aren't they the chosen people of god?

"Wha-"

He wanted to speak but his speech was somehow blocked.

Air would come out but his voice was gone.

"Enough of your talking brat!"

"Come with us. Our quest isn't over yet."

They dragged Reeve into the center of the village. There they saw the food prepared by the villagers.

"So this is for us? What a kind village this truly is!"

"Haha if only they had cute chicks we could play with."

"Where is the village elders?"

The elder approached them and after seeing them drenched with green blood the elder happily gave them the reward.

'This is wrong! Something is wrong!' Reeve thought as he was still dragged like a doll by one of the three.

"Well then Alef place us in a barrier. Loto cast the paralysis onto everyone."

""Understood!""

After paralysing everyone, they casted a barrier near the food prepared. They ate as enraged goblins appeared slowly from the darkness.

They were enraged by the destruction of their home so much so that the goblins turned red.

In this world, goblins will turn red if their nest which is where their queen could live is destroyed.

The goblins whose queen has been killed will enter an enraged state until they die or be killed.

This is such a common knowledge that it would be nonsense to think that these three would not know of it.

'So if we defeat the monsters that will attack the village then we get to have your reward?'

His words rang into his mind. He came to a realization that they had not intended to help right from the start.

Even though the villagers couldn't move, the screams can be heard while they were massacred.

Children, women, elderly and injured men alike were brutally killed by the goblins.

Some tried to approach the barrier but it was for naught.

It was stronger than any kind of attacks they can pull out of their skillset.

Reeve's tears flowed out as he watched them die helplessly in front of him.

"K-Kill m..me."

He cried those words out even though he was paralysed.

"It seems that my silence spell has ran out. Don't worry you'll die soon enough but first."

He looked at the man named Loto and the both of them left the barrier.

They then killed all the goblins that approached them.

Dawn had already come and the area stinked of both dead humans and monsters.

After landing the final blow to the last goblin standing, they approached Reeve who now had his spirit broken.

He sat there looking at the ground where blood had seeped through.

The reality was too much for him.

"I apologize. It seems that dawn has already come. I wasn't able to finish the monsters during the night."

'I have high confidence that the goblins will be defeated tonight.'

A few more words rang in his head.

'Was this all just a game to them?'

He thought about this bitterly as his already bloodshot eyes couldn't even spill any more tears for the dead.

The man touched his chin and raised Reeve's head gently so that he can look at him.

"Well then? My reward?"

'So if we defeat the monsters that will attack the village then we get to have your reward?'

He recalled a few more after hearing his vile tone.

"Isn't this it?"

"You stupid?! If we knew that he had it all along then we wouldn't even go into all this trouble just to get those coins!"

"I thought you were enjoying yourself back there."

"Well yeah I kinda did! Haha"

"Let's take it from him and put him out of his misery."

Loto took the money away from him. His savings.. The money he would use to travel someday to a faraway land.

The money would now go to the man who destroyed everything.

But he knew that that man wasn't the one who destroyed everything.

He did.. He was the one who was the culprit.

He trusted them too much. He was a naive child who got carried away by his thoughts.

The otherworlders are the devils themselves.

They are the reincarnation of the Demon God.

He made a deal with the devil and the whole village paid for it in blood.

"Your name.."

They noticed the cold tone of Reeve's voice.

"Huh? Is this NPC saying something?"

"I asked you of your name."

He looked at the man who seemed to be the leader. Words  cannot express how much hatred can be seen in his eyes.

If only he had the power to wipe them all of out. Not only them but all of this people called "otherworlders."

He knew the others already but this man.. the man he was staring at right now has not revealed it yet.

He wanted to kill them all. He was naive. They will bring no peace but suffering, chaos instead of harmony, and death not life.

"Boss it looks like it's asking for your name! Haha!"

With an evil grin and a devil's look, he touched Reeve's shoulder with his left hand and said.

"My name is Erdrick and thank you for everything."

Yes, he was the one that brought all this upon them. His life couldn't atone for what he did.

He wanted to go back in time but this is impossible. All he could do now is watch as this man grinned disgustingly.

After that, Reeve only felt pain. Erdrick had stabbed him in the stomach using a dagger with his right hand.

As he struggled to push him back, Reeve realized that it was the reason why Erdrick's left hand was clutched at his shoulder.

He didn't know what was more apparent. The lifesblood that is gushing out of him or the pain that comes with it.

No, what in his mind isn't the pain or the blood. It was revenge.

Filled with vengeance, he suddenly felt lightheaded and after that nothing.