The afternoon sun gently warmed the uneven cobblestones of the village of Altium. The small central square, the beating heart of the village, was bustling with a crowd of villagers out doing their shopping. The cries of the merchants mingled with the laughter of children running between the stalls, adding a note of life to the air already saturated with various scents: freshly baked bread, grilled meat, and the aromas of spices imported from distant regions.
Samuel walked calmly among the crowd, keeping away from the chatter of the vendors and the enthusiastic smiles of the passersby. He was observing distractedly, his mind elsewhere. The rumors of village quarrels, the incessant exchanges of goods, all of that seemed futile and devoid of interest to him. After all, he had faced much worse than the market tensions of Altium.
Helydia, by his side, cast more attentive glances around her, noticing the lively conversations and the suspicious looks from some villagers directed at them. She walked with a detached ease, but the strange atmosphere of the village did not escape her.
It was then that louder voices could be heard a few meters away from them. Samuel barely turned his head towards the source of the noise. A massive merchant, his face weathered by the years, held a boy by the collar, his harsh features marked by anger. The boy, frail and dirty, was desperately trying to free himself from the merchant's grip, but his efforts were in vain. The scene, though dramatic, only elicited a brief, indifferent glance from Samuel.
The boy looked terrified, his face pale and covered in sweat. "You should never have stolen from me!" shouted the merchant, his hoarse voice echoing in the square. Next to him, an overturned table and scattered fruits on the ground suggested that the child had probably tried to steal food to survive.
Samuel observes the scene with little interest. After all, he had seen worse.
He continued to walk without slowing down, indifferent to this little quarrel. The cries blended with the ambient noise of the busy villagers, some averting their gaze, others whispering among themselves without daring to intervene.
However, Kai, who was walking just behind them, came to a sudden stop upon seeing the scene. His fists clenched, and a glimmer of anger began to shine in his eyes. It was as if this injustice awakened something in him, something deeper than a mere surge of compassion. The memories of a childhood marked by cruelty and abuse surfaced, triggering an instinctive reaction within him.
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Without thinking, Kai rushed forward, driven by a silent rage. He reached the merchant in a few strides and, with desperate strength, tried to separate the man from the boy. "Let him go!" he shouted, his voice trembling with emotion.
The merchant, taken aback by Kai's intervention, violently pushed him away with a sudden gesture. Kai crashed to the ground, rolling on the cobblestones under the horrified gazes of passersby. The man, taller and heavier, sneered, his lips twisting into a mocking smile. He raised his thick arm, ready to bring it down on Kai, still dazed.
Samuel, who had shown no interest until then, suddenly stopped. A mix of annoyance and irritation rose to his face. "This scoundrel of a blacksmith could have at least left me my old sword in the meantime..." Does he think, clenching his jaws?
He had no choice.
In a few quick strides, he intervened. Samuel grabbed the merchant's wrist with a firm hand, preventing him from striking. A grunt of surprise escaped the man, his eyes widening at Samuel's iron grip. In a fluid motion, Samuel twisted the merchant's arm, forcing him to retreat in pain. A murmur passed through the crowd, with villagers watching the scene with curiosity and apprehension.
Without wasting any time, Samuel violently pushed the man to the ground, the merchant crashing onto the cobblestones with a groan of pain. He withdrew into himself, his face contorted by surprise and humiliation.
The whispers in the crowd grew louder, but no one dared to intervene. Helydia, observing the scene with a mix of pride and amusement, stayed back, ready to translate if necessary, but knowing that Samuel needed no help in handling this kind of situation.
Turning to Kai, still shaken but unharmed, Samuel extended his hand to help him get back up. "Never do that again," he said in a calm but authoritative voice. Kai, clearly ashamed of his impulsive reaction, lowered his eyes while shaking his head, even though a part of him was still boiling inside.
After casting one last disdainful glance at the merchant, Samuel turned on his heels, and the group left the marketplace. The villagers stepped aside as they passed, while the commotion gradually subsided. Samuel, still unarmed, had nonetheless reminded everyone that even barehanded, he was not a man to be underestimated.