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Chapter 148 - Vol. 3 - Chapter 13
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With the group seated around the fireplace to keep themselves warm, Elder Kerlian took advantage of all the available time he had to explain to Fayrene, Vek and Maryden who returned inside the house after taking some fresh air.
It started as a normal story, where the Elder made sure to tell the group listening to him how his village daily life fared before these attacks. The beginnings of the city were simple, just an agricultural settlement that didn't have much of a say in the larger community of the County.
Being only a humble village that struggled a bit to pay the taxes to their Lord, Count Comeo.
The old man didn't direct his memory line to details about those incidents, instead he reached the important part to not bore his traveling guests, starting directly with how everything started.
Looking at the raven-haired lady who listened to the initial story about the origins of the village, he took a deep breath, as if to prepare himself, and told in a cold, slightly hateful tone.
"Everything started with the first blizzard."
Then as the Elder continued to tell the story, in Fayrene's mind, the image of the events started playing out, being helped by Elder Kylian's detailed story.
Starting from the blizzard that happened in a monday, nothing to give you the impression something would happen, but then after a couple of days beasts began appearing in the surrounding area of the village, rabid ones that wounded two people of the village before being put down.
Days passed for the villagers of Amphail and apart from having to struggle with a harsh winter, they now also had to worry about the increasing number of monsters making their way in the proximity of the village.
Such was each day passed where the blizzard continued, beasts trying the defenses of the village, until things changed for the worst when the first attack of the beasts and monsters was unleashed with the source of this menace being the forest. Monster after monster, day and week.
The villagers of Amphail had their perseverance forged in battle, fending off the attacks of those beasts each time with the brave efforts and valiant actions of certain individuals, who became martyrs to slay more than they could count.
"The surrounding villages to us, couldn't continue fighting against the nightmare, and chaos ensued into those villages, the Bray Village, Jukum Village, Cobh Village, all of them became prey to the chaos and those nightmares.
Still, there are survivors who arrived in my village to continue fighting." remarked Elder Kerlian with a sad tone while the audience he had were also worried about the situation, especially a younger girl with a flute that she held, trembling all the eye could see.
"The rest were killed by the beasts?" asked Maryden, looking a bit distressed contemplating all the information of this story, where she concluded that the other villages were destroyed along with the villagers being killed.
"The villages themselves were destroyed to a certain degree from what the other leaders told me, but the people while they suffered, I extended my hand allowing them to take refuge in my village. A normal humane thing to do helping one another in those hard times.
Can I continue, young lady or do you have another curiosity?" asked Elder Kerlian looking with his old eyes at the bright flower, brimming with life and curiosity.
"No curiosity from me, continue Elder." replied Maryden, feeling Fayrene gaze getting heavier on her back.
The Elder nodded, resuming telling the story from the point the other villagers from the forest area began appearing at their doorsteps, lamenting about the monster attacks and how they lost their homes.
However, in their act of running from the fight, they instead lead the monsters attacking their villages straight to Amphail, which gave Elder Kylian an almost heart attack.
When the old man reached the end of the story, where he described vividly the memories of how the monsters spread their nightmare even to their village, he kept together by sheer mental strength, and dedication to fight for the future generations of their lands.
People died, people cried, but they couldn't even mourn them properly because the monsters would constantly make their presence felt, either in small numbers or high numbers.
"This is everything I know and tried to simplify for you the entire story, without telling you about those numbers of the wounded. The count of monsters that attacked my village so far, should be around 1200, while currently my village has a population of 4530 taking in account the people that came from the villages."
"Do you also want a dead count, young lady?" asked the elder whose look turned serious, staring at his fireplace instead of being focused on Fayrene and her group.
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Fayrene could only sigh, having the entire story about the attacks and the tragedy those unfortunate people suffered.
"There's no need for me to know such information. I am thankful for opening up about this tragedy your community has suffered."
She declined, feeling it irrelevant to know a number of how many people died without being allowed to cherish life.
Taking in consideration all the information, she asked Elder Kylian if he ever tried to explore deeper in the forest and get some answers from there, and as she asked him that trying to be as tactful as possible, a middle-aged man wearing armor and ready for combat gave the alert to Elder Kylian.
"Elder the boys have scouted around the surrounding boundary, and found signs of monsters approaching once again."
"Hah, how could there be so many monsters even after the young lady defeated 200 of those menaces."
"Elder we can only pray to Goddess Rebecca to guide us in these moments. Without her guidance, we are nothing. Without her support, we would be dead now." mentioned the middle-aged man, who clearly from his armor had a leadership position in this community.
'Amusing preach. As if she would care about you. When she will care will be the time where her powers will start being threatened.'
'Yet, for those people the power of faith is that thing which keeps them together in battle, so maybe those parasites also have some benefits to human society.'
Fayrene when hearing the comment of the middle-aged man gave him a look as if he didn't know what he was talking, but it lasted for seconds, only talking to herself in her inner world, being so quick that she got her act together.
She didn't want to show any disrespect to the Goddess even though she had information that simple people or even high ranked people of society wouldn't even comprehend.
Yet she noticed the change in Elder Kylian expression when the middle-aged man mentioned Rebecca, with him responding with half a mouth, dismissing the man.
"Miss Fayrene, can I request you to offer us your support?
Help us in these dire times? At my age I am fully aware of certain things, her Light Glory wouldn't be bothered to stare in those blasted lands. Only the people can fight! Only us can protect the future of our children!
No one else!"
When those words got to Fayrene's ears, her eyes looked surprised as if she heard something not expected in her mind.
With that spirited short speech of the Elder, which was like music to her ears that brought up a small smile on her face while her violet eyes started shining with a white-purple light, brimming with arcane power that started spilling out from her body.
"For only hearing those words of yours, it would be my pleasure helping you. Wasn't this the reason I have come to your village?
If I am required to destroy monsters to bring peace to these lands, this is what I shall do."
"Young lady, this is the first time I see a valiant girl like you. You have my respect and appreciation. Ahem, I would love to shower you with gifts for helping this meager village, but it is too hard." explained Elder Kerlian the financial situation of the village which was too sour to even affort to pay Fayrene for the quest.
"No need. Do I look like some brute that is looking to extort money from the people in need? Besides, I am not doing this for the money, but to challenge myself."
Saying that, she got on her feet with her body revealing a veil of arcane energy wrapped around her shoulders that looked like a Royal Regalia, and with an extended hand toward the Elder, she told with a smile.
"Elder, you and your people have suffered enough. This is why, it is my job, to place that suffering to dust. Leave it to me and my friends."
"Thank you, Miss Fayrene. May the Stars sing to you and guide you to victory."
Hearing him, Fayrene simply smiled warmly at the old man who bowed his head deeply, where soon the system notification she was getting used to rang in her mind, with more windows appearing in front of her eyes, announcing the new changes that happened.
[Affinity with Elder Kylian of Amphail Village has increased by 25 points.]
[Ding!][The Quest 'Attack on the Silverpine Forest Villages' has changed turning into 'Hope of Amphail Village']
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[Hope of Amphail Village]
Difficulty: A-S
After you managed to successfully reach one of the villages of the forest, you found out about the circumstances the Village has been in the entire time, along with the destruction of the other villages.
The enemy is unknown, but the monsters keep on attacking the fragile walls of the village only kept upright thanks to the sacrifices of the people.
Quest Clear Condition: Defeat the enemy attacking the walls of Amphail Village
Quest Reward: +2 Levels & Affinity with Amphail Village citizens increased by 15
Quest Failure: Event 'The devastation of the people' will be triggered.
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Gazing at the notification window which appeared to her eyes, she moved her hand toward the [Accept] button which triggered another voice message from the mechanical voice she was hearing when various weird windows would appear to her eyes.
[You have accepted the quest.]
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With the quest accepted, she turned toward her companions only to see them on their feet looking with resolve in their gazes, especially for the Vek who saw the situation of this village closely to how it could be for his own home.
"Let's have a look outside with the situation on the ground." remarked Fayrene who, had in mind the first time since accepting the quest to check the situation outside.
Both Vek and Maryden followed closely behind, along with Elder Kylian who was the heart of this village. Without him, those people would be now without a leader to give them guidance.
Besides this, on her walk to the walls that contained a platform to stand, she noticed the fact that every single citizen without a weapon had a fearful expression on their face, uncertain about the future, yet the warriors who continue to resist the monsters were 35 in total.
"Elder!"
"They are our guests, don't get stressed. Miss Fayrene is a magician, her abilities will be of great help against the beast and monsters." explained the elder of the village to the warriors gathered.
"Hphm, elder are you serious? A woman will defend our village, our homes? Hah, this is so ironic. Hey woman, why haven't you came earlier if you are the one to save us."
Their first response was what Fayrene expected, mistrust, but she didn't put to heart their moronic comments, however Maryden had some words to throw at the men but instead of stopping them from throwing their insults, instead picked on the minstrel.
"Okay, for now I will give you plenty of space to act manly at the gates.
Don't worry Elder, I gave you my word." said Fayrene as she walked down the wall, along with Vek and Maryden directing themselves at another point of the wall.
Then using Levitation she flew out from the village, getting to a higher level as she was watching the village walls from a tall tree.
"Leader, those bitches, we can no longer find them. As if they vanished."
"Tsk, that old man who has he brought inside our village?" commented one of the two guys with full leather armor and a sword on them, clearly someone with a different status in the community.
On another hand, they couldn't no longer worry about Fayrene and her group when the two young archers appeared from the forest sprinting to the walls.
"The beasts! They are coming!" shouted the brown haired young man to the second guy wearing leather armor.
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