As they traveled along the dusty, narrow road through the southern region of Luo Yang, the grimness in Milli's expression was hard to miss. The air was heavy with tension, and her gaze frequently scanned their surroundings, eyes wary.
"Don’t you think it’s strange that no soldiers have come to investigate after all that?” she murmured, her voice edged with concern. “It’s like they don’t even care.”
Richard’s eyes flicked to her, his own expression guarded. "All the better for us," he replied, though the cautious tone beneath his words suggested he wasn’t entirely at ease either.
“Is it really that unusual?” Zafir asked thoughtfully, glancing between them. “The villages are spread pretty far apart here.”
“But wouldn’t you at least send someone if a giant monster was spotted from miles away?” Milli pressed, her brows knitting together.
Beside her, Regina nodded vigorously, clearly agreeing with her. Even in the safety of the group, her eyes betrayed unease, darting around the landscape as if expecting danger to leap out at any moment.
Richard exhaled a heavy sigh. “This kingdom’s been rotting from the inside for a long time,” he explained, his tone dark. “Decay like that… it seeps through everything. It’s no surprise.”
Zafir squinted ahead and pointed toward a small cluster of buildings just visible on the horizon. “There’s a village up ahead.”
Milli’s attention sharpened, and she glanced at Zafir. “Remember to put on your hood,” she said firmly, casting him a meaningful look.
Zafir nodded, reaching up to pull his hood down low over his face, obscuring his features. Regina quickly followed his lead, tugging her hood up as well, though her fingers fidgeted with the fabric as if the concealment couldn’t quite calm her nerves.
The outlines of the village emerged on the horizon—a desolate, skeletal silhouette against the muted landscape. Once a thriving settlement, it now stood silent and lifeless, its crumbling buildings like ghosts in the midday haze. At the entrance, a wooden gate leaned precariously to one side, its beams weathered and splintered. The name Jing Feng Village was carved into the wood, though time and neglect had worn the characters faint. An unsettling stillness hung in the air, a heavy silence that seemed to amplify the sense of decay surrounding the abandoned homes.
Entering the village, the oppressive quiet deepened. It felt abandoned, almost like a forgotten slum. Narrow dirt paths wound between dilapidated structures, some barely standing, others sagging under their own weight. A few weary villagers shuffled about, their faces hollow and vacant, as though the weight of their suffering had drained all hope from them. The group couldn’t shake the feeling that they were intruding on a place where life had long since stopped.
“What happened to this village?” Milli asked softly, kneeling down beside a frail villager sitting on the ground. Her voice carried a blend of concern and genuine curiosity, though the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her.
The villager slowly lifted his head, his hollow, desperate eyes meeting hers. His face was gaunt, skin stretched thin over sharp bones, and his lips cracked with thirst. “Food... please... spare me some food,” he murmured in a hoarse whisper, too weak to even lift his hands. The words were a plea, a cry of survival.
Without hesitation, Milli reached into her bag and pulled out a small piece of bread. She offered it to him, her hand steady despite the heavy sorrow she felt. The villager’s eyes brightened with a fleeting glimmer of hope, and with trembling hands, he snatched the bread from her grasp. He devoured it greedily, barely chewing, his desperation evident in every frantic bite.
As the villager consumed the food, his actions caught the attention of others. One by one, more villagers shuffled over, their hollow eyes fixed on the bread, their bodies gaunt from starvation. They surrounded Milli in an ever-tightening circle, their voices rising in quiet pleas for food. “Please... spare some for us too... we’re starving...” The murmurs were constant, the desperation palpable in the air.
Richard’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd, his protective instincts kicking in. He immediately grabbed Regina’s hand, holding her close to prevent her from being separated in the growing mob. His posture was stiff, alert, ready to intervene should things escalate.
Zafir moved in closer to Milli, his expression unreadable, but his body language told of his readiness to step in if the villagers became too desperate or aggressive. The atmosphere grew tense, the weight of hunger and fear pressing down on them all.
“Please, spare some food…!” “Just a bite… anything!” The villagers pleaded, voices rising in urgency as they pressed closer. Some grew bold, hands reaching toward Milli’s backpack, one even attempting to grab it outright.
Zafir immediately stepped in, fending them off with a firm but restrained push, his gaze sharp as he shielded Milli.
Suddenly, a villager lunged at Zafir from behind, knocking his hood off and revealing his face. The crowd gasped, their eyes wide with horror as they took in his features.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“A monster…!” one screamed. “It’s a monster!” others echoed, their voices tinged with panic as they stumbled back.
Zafir gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to retaliate. He knew these villagers were only desperate, driven by hunger and fear. Instead of striking back, he let out a low, warning growl, a sound that held enough menace to keep them at bay without violence. The crowd shrank back further, murmuring in alarm, too frightened to approach but still watching him warily.
“This is all I have. Please… help yourselves.” Milli took out the rest of her rations, holding them out to the villagers.
In a frenzy, some villagers grabbed what they could and bolted, clutching the food tightly as if fearing it might be stolen from them. Others scrambled over each other, desperately snatching pieces from each other's hands. Fights broke out as the rest of the crowd fought for what little remained, their desperation turning to chaos.
Milli watched in silence, her face a mix of sorrow and helplessness as the villagers continued to struggle for scraps.
Milli approached a villager seated on the ground, watching him as he hungrily devoured the small portion of food he had managed to grab. Once he had swallowed the last bite, she gently asked, "Can you tell me what happened here?"
The villager looked up at her with weary eyes. “There was a monster raid,” he said, his voice trembling with frustration and despair. “We can’t even leave this godforsaken village because they’re everywhere!”
He shook his head, a mix of anger and helplessness in his gaze. “Our food reserves are almost completely gone. The monsters have eaten through most of it—they’re leaving us with nothing!”
“What kind of monsters are they?” Milli asked, leaning closer to hear him.
“Lizards! Giant, monstrous lizards!” the villager cried, his eyes wide with fear. “Their tails are so powerful they can smash through our houses with a single swipe!” He clenched his fists, his voice trembling. “They’ve ruined everything... we don’t stand a chance against them.”
“A few days ago, I even saw a gigantic horned monster further south,” the villager continued, his voice breaking. “It looked like it might be their leader. It was terrifying! Some villagers... some couldn’t take it and ended their lives out of fear. Others tried to flee north, but chances are, those lizards got them too…” He covered his face, overwhelmed by despair.
"I didn’t realize the situation had gotten so bad around here... that even summoning Xenado would harm the surrounding villages," Milli thought, feeling a pang of regret.
The villager looked up at her in shock. “Wait—how did you even get here?! Didn’t you run into those monsters?”
Milli pulled out a gold plate engraved with her name and held it up with a reassuring smile. “I may not look it, but I’m an adventurer from the Aerimes Guild, based in Acacia,” she replied. “My party and I cleared out the drakes on the southern side of the village. Unfortunately, Meng Jin Village further south was already in ruins by the time we arrived… there’s nothing left there.”
"I see... please, save us! Help us defeat the drakes surrounding us!" the villager pleaded, his voice breaking.
As the others noticed the gold plate in Milli’s hand, they quickly gathered around her, kneeling down and bowing deeply, begging for her help. "Please, protect us!" their voices overlapped, desperation clear in every word.
Zafir, still wary, stayed close to Milli, his gaze scanning the crowd, prepared in case any villager became too forceful. However, the villagers were visibly nervous around him, and none dared touch Milli or act aggressively, keeping a respectful distance.
Richard stood his ground, unmoving, his grip on Regina’s hand firm in case anyone grew aggressive toward her. His indifferent demeanor and stoic expression made the villagers hesitate, uneasy about approaching him.
All the villagers crowded around Milli, believing they had the best chance of receiving help since she had been the one to give them food.
Milli glanced over at Richard, searching his face as if to gauge whether he’d be willing to help. Richard only shook his head slightly. Turning back to the villagers, she said, “Let me discuss this with my party first.”
With that, she moved over to Richard, leaving the villagers watching anxiously, their eyes filled with a mix of hope and desperation.
“Can we please help them?” Milli asked softly.
“No,” Richard replied, his tone unyielding.
“But…” Milli started, searching for words.
Richard cut her off. “We’re on our way to Luo Yang to save the princess. Time is running out, and with the way this kingdom’s rotting from within, it’s only a matter of time before it collapses.”
Milli hesitated, glancing back at the villagers. “They’re desperate, Richard… they have no one else to turn to. And some of them… some of them might’ve died because of Xenado.”
Milli looked at Richard pleadingly, her eyes full of quiet determination. After a moment of holding her gaze, Richard sighed and relented.
“We can’t save everyone who needs help, Milli,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “Our priority is still the princess. But... I suppose we can at least clear a path to the north for them. Just that.”
Milli smiled, flashing Richard a playful grin. “I knew you were always a softie at heart. Hehe.”
She walked back to the anxious crowd of villagers, who watched her with eager anticipation.
“We’ll help you by clearing a path to the north,” she announced. “But we can’t stay to fight off every monster in the area. We have urgent matters to attend to elsewhere.”
A few villagers cheered, visibly relieved. Others, however, looked frustrated.
“Why can’t you just kill all the monsters around the village?” one demanded.
“Aren’t you supposed to be an adventurer?” another muttered bitterly. “What good are you if you can’t even save us?”
Milli hadn’t expected some of the villagers to be so demanding, and she opened her mouth to retort. But before she could, Richard stepped forward with a sharp, unwavering gaze.
“As you mentioned, we’re adventurers,” he said coolly. “And, as such, requests come with fees. Given the danger of facing multiple drakes, the charge would be fifty gold coins.”
A hush fell over the crowd as Richard’s words sank in. “If you can’t pay up,” he continued, “then perhaps you should seek other adventurers.”
The villagers exchanged uneasy glances, some looking away in frustration, while others seemed to realize the weight of the task they’d so quickly demanded.
“What proof do you even have that they’re drakes? They could just be overgrown lizards!” one villager shouted angrily.
“You’re just taking advantage of us!” another villager accused, riling up the others.
Suddenly, a man broke from the crowd and charged at Richard from behind, fist raised. Without a second glance, Richard stepped aside and caught the villager by the arm, using his own momentum to flip him onto the ground. The attacker landed hard, stunned, as the crowd fell silent, shocked by Richard’s swift reaction.
Richard’s gaze swept over the villagers, his tone cold. “If we were here to take advantage of you, we wouldn’t be offering you help at all.”
“Let’s go, Milli, Zafir,” Richard said, walking past the villagers without a backward glance, still holding Regina’s hand.
As they moved away, many of the villagers looked downcast, a few whispering nervously, realizing they might have offended their only hope of escape.
Richard paused at the edge of the crowd, his voice carrying just enough to be heard. “Stay or leave, it’s your choice,” he said, indifferent. “Your lives are ultimately yours to hold.” Then, without another word, he continued onward.
Hearing Richard’s words, a few villagers made up their minds and began to follow the party. They kept a respectful distance, wary of his temper but desperate for the chance to reach the town further north. Their faces were etched with a mixture of fear and hope as they trailed along, silently praying the adventurers would guide them to safety.