The trio made their way toward the entrance of the Village. The dwarves at each side of the entrance gazed intently at Michael, but he didn’t let their piercing looks throw him off. He walked confidently into Redglow, as if he had been part of it all along. James walked ahead of him, while Elizabeth walked by his side. He focused on following James through the dirt roads. Michael soon noticed a pattern; all the dwarves on the way would stare at him but ultimately do nothing. It reinforced the idea that it was fine for him to be inside the Village, so long as he didn’t start a battle.

Any fight would likely be considered part of the Territory Wars. I don’t know what would happen if I started a battle in the heart of another Territory and Village.

It was something he didn’t wish to find out. His friends were part of Redglow. It was ideal for both Redglow and Bluestone to prosper, striking a balance between their Territories’ distribution so that both Michael and his friends could reap good rewards. Of course, it would be best for Michael to completely dominate as much Territory as possible, but he didn’t wish to hinder his friends. He didn’t want them to be penalized by the System.

Michael followed James until they reached a large wooden house. It seemed to be one of the several larger gathering spots inside the village. As the door opened, the sounds of talking and the smell of food came out of the inside. They were enough to overwhelm the senses, but Michael didn’t even flinch. He calmly entered the house with James and Elizabeth in tow. His gaze surveyed the room. At least ten groups of four or more people each. He would be hiding in plain sight.

Some of the people ate meat and rice with what seemed to be beer, while others only ate bread and drank water. The difference created by the varying achievements in the Territory Wars was made increasingly obvious as more time passed. After a few seconds, Michael located Dylan’s broad back and identified Thomas, Anthony, and Naomi. His stiff façade crumbled into a warm smile. He almost let his guard down at the sight of his friends. Almost.

James walked ahead of him, reaching the table in the corner. Thomas was the first one to see Michael. In nothing but an instant, the young man’s face lit up. He rose from his seat and seemed to be about to yell, but both James and Michael lifted their hands at the same time. Thomas’ cry died in his throat. The other three, startled by the sudden movement, turned their gazes toward what Thomas was looking at. Michael approached them confidently and sat down at the table, speaking.

“Don’t make a scene. I need to blend in,” he paused for a moment, “Damn, it’s good to see you guys. I’ve missed you badly.”

By this point, the expressions of the others were as giddy as they could be. Dylan put his arm around Michael’s shoulders as James and Elizabeth sat at the table, clearly trying to contain his excitement.

“…It’s truly good to see you, my friend.”

Naomi and Thomas smiled brightly and shook his hand, trying not to express their joy. Anthony nodded at him.

Dylan turned toward James with worry in his eyes and continued to speak.

“It’s great to see you too. We heard you were captured by Derek’s people, but we were powerless to do anything without knowing your location. We could only wait here, at our usual spot. I’m sorry.”

James waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it. Michael rescued me from where I was imprisoned, which leads me to my next point,” James had a solemn expression, “Derek is dead.”

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It was as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured on the warm atmosphere. As if he were unwilling to let it be, James immediately told them the most important piece of news. It wasn’t a commendable attitude, but Michael could understand it. He also didn’t want to blow this reunion out of proportion. They needed to blend in and discuss what mattered most. Naomi eked out a reply.

“…Dead? Already? Just like that?”

Michael scoffed.

“Not a moment too soon.”

Anthony spoke for the first time since Michael had sat down.

“You were the one who killed him, weren’t you? Like you killed that group of eleven enemies.”

Michael stared unflinchingly into his eyes.

“Yes, I killed them. I killed even more people while attempting to find Derek and rescuing James.”

Instead of reprimanding him, Anthony merely nodded with a serious expression.

“Good. You did what had to be done. I admire your conviction.”

Silence reigned for a few seconds. Michael patiently let his friends absorb the news. After almost ten seconds, he spoke.

“It isn’t over yet.”

The others except for Elizabeth and James threw him looks of confusion. Thomas spoke.

“Derek is dead. What do you mean?”

“Derek might be dead, but Lohann is still alive and in an unknown location. That man is more dangerous than Derek could ever be. We need to find him and deal with him as soon as possible.”

Naomi shivered.

“…I’ve always hated that man. I thought he would be next to Derek and would have fought by his side. He’s still out there? Jesus.”

Michael replied.

“Yes. I’ll talk to Yellowbright’s organization before making a move against him.”

The others nodded. Anthony spoke.

“It’s a good move. You should rest for a bit before that, though.”

Dylan chimed in.

“Yeah, I think so too. You must be both physically and mentally tired. Take a break. Lohann isn’t an immediate threat yet.”

Michael grinned.

“Thanks for worrying, but I want to deal with this as quickly as possible. I do need a bit of rest, though.”

“Of course! You’ve done a lot. We’ll talk more once you’ve rested. There will be time for us to catch up.”

Michael smiled at his friends with a nod and stood up. Elizabeth did the same.

“Follow me. I’ll take you to where I’m sleeping.”

James intervened.

“No. It’s better if he comes with me. The rooms are shared among several people, but my room is entirely composed of people who are at this table. There will be no need to worry about the information being leaked.”

Elizabeth flinched and nodded. Michael glanced at her. This wasn’t the kind of oversight that he expected from her. In an attempt to quickly take him to safety, she had forgotten the basic notion that the people in her room weren’t necessarily going to be friendly. Still, this made him feel some warmth. He grinned and looked at her.

“I’ll be alright. Let’s go, James.”

The duo walked outside and back into the Village’s streets as naturally as possible. The two of them made their way through the winding roads, making turns and walking as quickly as possible. Finally, the duo stopped in front of a small house.

James opened the wooden door and walked in. Inside, there were three bunk beds neatly placed next to one another. There was no furniture and there seemed to be only a single bathroom. James spoke.

“This is our room. I sleep here alongside Anthony, Thomas, and Dylan.”

Michael narrowed his eyes.

“That’s quite the coincidence.”

“We had to ask a few people to swap places, but successfully managed to stay in a room together. The bigger coincidence is the fact that we were all sent to the same Village.”

“Indeed.”

Michael’s suspicion was turned towards the System. Why had he been the only one to be separated from his friends, even though they were all physically in the same general area when the System descended? It was to the point that all of his friends were concentrated in one village, but he was sent to another.

Is it related to my draconic lineage?

It was the only feasible possibility that Michael could think of. It was what made him different from all the others. Maybe the System had taken that into account. It had been determined that he could survive and develop on his own, and as such, he was sent to another village. In contrast, his friends would thrive if they remained as a group, so they weren’t separated.

All of these thoughts went through his mind in a flash. James closed the door behind them. Almost immediately afterward, Michael’s voice echoed.

“Minor Heal.”

Green mana coursed through his body. He let out a breath. The last bits of pain still bothered him. Next to him, James spoke.

“I still think it’s crazy that you learned a Heal on your own. It seems to be different from the Minor Heals I’ve seen, too.”