I trudged through the dense forest, the sun beating down on me mercilessly. My clothes were soaked through with sweat, and my stomach grumbled with hunger. It was then that I realized the gravity of my actions. Why did I rob them? Did I mess up? Am I going to die? The thoughts swirled in my head, threatening to consume me.

"I am so dead huhuhu. Dumb baldy, think before you do something next time."

But I couldn't turn back now. The two warriors were sure to come after me once they woke up and realized that their possessions were gone. I needed to find a place to hide, somewhere they would never think to look. And then it hit me, Briarwood Village.

I had heard of the village before, a small and isolated community nestled deep within the forest. It was said that few outsiders ever ventured there, and that the villagers were fiercely protective of their home. But I had no other choice. I needed to lay low until I could figure out my next move.

As I approached the village, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The village was surrounded by a thicket of briars, making it difficult to see what lay beyond. But I pushed my fears aside and pressed on.

When I finally reached the village, I was surprised to find that it was much larger than I had anticipated. As I walked through the streets of Briarwood Village, I couldn't help but feel relieved to be away from the warriors. The villagers were wary of me at first, but I didn't mind since I will only stay here for a few days. I paid for a room at the inn with some of the stolen coins.

I spent the next few days staying in my room and keeping a low profile. I didn't want to draw attention to myself, so I kept my head down and tried to blend in as much as possible. I visited the local market and bought some supplies, including food, water, and a black cloak to hide my face.

Days passed, and no sign of the warriors. I began to relax, even venturing out of the inn to explore the village.

As I wandered around the village, I couldn't help but think about the two warriors. One seems to have a celestial aura, a sword warrior that wandered the world in search of strong opponents. Comparing him to the five basic elements, his personality seems like that of fire, raging and ready to destroy anyone in their way.

"If I heard it right, his name seems to be Lin Feng". What a cool guy. He looks like the type of person that will attract a lot of girls. But compared to him, the other warrior on the other hand, was just as impressive. With his golden eyes and metal like horns, anyone who looked at him will be intimidated.

"Wait a minute. Golden Eyes? Horns? Isn't that a characteristic of the Demon Race?"

One of the personality types of the Demon Race is that they are very vengeful, and would not let go of any grudge, once you've offended them, be ready to live a life of suffering. Now that I've offended one, I don't know what will happen to me.

"Welp, Life is an arduous journey, and I must steel myself to endure its many hardships. Besides, I may not see them again." I said with a melancholic expression on my face.

"Hey, you" said by an old man in a farmer's clothes. He seems to be calling me.

"Hm? Me?"

"Yes you."

"..."

"What is it sir?" I asked politely.

"Who are you, stranger?" the old man asked, his eyes narrowed.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. But then I realized that I had nothing to lose.

"I am Naino, a traveler. I am just passing through this village," I said. "I mean no harm."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Hmph, that's what the damn wizard said too, but now look at what happened to our village?" The old man said angrily. "You outsiders really like to come to this village and wreak havoc. Get out, go back to where you came from!!!"

"Eh?? Um..." As I was struggling to answer the old man, an old lady heard his yelling and came to us. Following the lady, a crowd is slowly formed. This is bad, I might be driven out of the village today.

"Husband calm down, what's happening?"

"This man is trouble," the old man said, pointing at me. "He's not from around here, and I don't trust him. Maybe he will do something to the village like that wizard from 5 months ago"

The crowd began to murmur, their eyes all trained on me. I could feel their suspicion and fear, and it made me uneasy.

"Please, I mean no harm," I said, holding up my hands in a gesture of peace. "I came to Briarwood Village to hide, not to cause trouble."

"Hide? From what?" the old lady asked, her tone skeptical.

I hesitated, not sure if I should reveal the truth. But then I realized that the villagers might be able to help me.

"I...I stole something from two warriors," I admitted. "And I think they might be after me."

The villagers gasped, and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Warriors? See? What did I tell you? This man is trouble." the old man said, his expression turning pale.

"Calm down, old man Zack. It's not like we will be directly affected by his problems. Let's just say that we have nothing to do with him." a dark skinned muscular young man went to the front of the crowd and said.

"Calm down? Did you forget about what happened 5 months ago? Why are you still so foolish." said the old man angrily.

"That.." the young man became speechless.

The old lady stepped forward, her voice calm and steady. "We can't turn away someone in need. It's not in our nature to do so." She turned to me and gave me a kind smile but then asked "Why didn't you just return what you stole?"

I became embarassed. "It..It's because I acted on impulse and stole them while they are asleep. They are strong warriors and they might kill me so I got scared of giving it back."

"Who are they?" the old man, Zack visibly calmed down and asked.

"One was a sword warrior named Lin Feng, and the other had golden eyes and horns," I said, hoping that they might know something.

The villagers exchanged glances, and then the old man spoke again.

"Come with us," he said, gesturing for me to follow. "We might be able to help you."

I was hesitant, but I had no other choice. I followed the villagers through the winding streets of Briarwood Village, my heart racing with anticipation and fear.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at a large building made of stone. The old man pushed open the doors, and I was surprised to find that it was a training hall.

"Wait here," the old man said, disappearing into the back of the hall.

I stood nervously, unsure of what was happening. After a few minutes, the old man returned, accompanied by a tall, muscular man with a stern expression.

"This is Captain Zhou," the old man said, gesturing to the man. "He's the leader of our village's militia."

Captain Zhou regarded me with a critical eye, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Who are you, and what brings you to Briarwood Village?" he asked.

"My name is Naino, and I came here to hide," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I...I stole something from two warriors, and I think they might be after me."

Captain Zhou's expression tightened, and he looked at old man Zack. "A thief? Why did you bring me a thief? You want me to cut him off?" He asked casually while pointing his sword at me.

"Stop that Captain Zhou, we need you to teach him some sword skills to defend himself." said old man Zack. He turned to faced me and said, "You need to give what you've stolen back, but I will let Captain Zhu teach you some swordsmanship to help you defend yourself in case that they try to kill you."

Captain Zhou considered for a while then agreed. "Okay, let's start tomorrow. It's late now and I have a lot of things to do." calmly said by Captain Zhou.

"Yes. Thank you." I said.

"Do not cause any trouble" After saying that, old man Zack bid farewell and went home. I also went back to the inn, laid on the bed, and quietly planned my next course of action while thanking the villagers for their kindness in my heart.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHA. Thank you villagers. You bunch of fools. How was my acting? As expected! Doing things while being truthful is the best way to lie in the world. Did you actually believe that I will quietly hand over what is mine? Fools. Hehehe, after I learned some sword techniques from the captain, I will defeat the two warriors and step on their bodies BWAHAHHAHAHA."

Naino fell asleep while imagining his cool looks when he defeats the two warriors.

Lesson of the day: "Be truthful in your actions and words. Be like Naino." by DaoMaster