11 – Mountain Village

“I’ll be going now.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I leave the room.

As I leave, Leki asks.

“Amel, can our village also put up the same thing?”

“Huh? I don’t mind. But are you okay with becoming my subordinate, meaning I can control you as I please?”

“Of course. Thank you.”

A joyful sound echoes from outside the door.

“….”

Dona remained in the room.

Remaining there, Dona looked once more at the design Amel had left behind, and the tears she had held back welled up again, and she wiped them away.

The Jemili Village was in a precarious situation.

It was not only because the self-defense force, which was in charge of defense, had been annihilated, but also because the Demon beast that had been protecting the village had been absent for some time.

Mountain villages have a Guardian Deity that protects the village.

Stillo Village has one,

and Jemili Village has one as well.

Mountain villages that do not receive the protection of nobles had to borrow the Strength of Demon beasts to survive.

However, recently, the Guardian Deity had been absent, and the Guardian Deity, who would never be gone for more than a week at most, had not returned for over a week.

To have hope of its return,

they heard about the recent situation of the surrounding villages from the bandits.

The Guardian Deities of other villages had also disappeared for some reason around the same time, and bandits had occupied the villages.

If there had been a Guardian Deity, there would have been looting, but they would not have massacred the men or occupied the village.

Excessive damage would soon harm the Guardian Deity’s livelihood, so the bandits would incur the wrath of the Guardian Deity.

But now… where did it go…?

Now that even the self-defense force is gone.

They cannot protect their hometown.

They had to leave.

They had to abandon what they had inherited from their ancestors.

But,

“…Flag.”

Amel.

Her identity was unknown, but it was said that she had given Polia the Strength to easily defeat Demon beasts.

Judging from that, it could be inferred that she possessed Strength comparable to a Guardian Deity.

It was truly questionable why such a Human was in this rural area, but she said she would take them as subordinates.

However,

“What does she intend to use us for by putting us in her camp?”

Joy and doubt were mixed together.

It sounded like she was forcibly making them subordinates,

but all the people left in the village knew how to do were things that could be done in the village.

Most of the reason they didn’t want to leave the village was whether they could do the same things in another village. They didn’t have the confidence to quit the work they had been doing since they were born.

Even if the village was in danger of disappearing, there were more than a few who didn’t want to leave.

All they knew how to do was in the village… things they had inherited from their ancestors in Jemili Village. Cloth was famous in Jemili Village. Everyone in the village gathered to weave cloth as a specialty, so they knew nothing but weaving cloth.

What would she use them for by making them subordinates?

What would she gain by putting up a flag by making them subordinates?

There was nothing to gain.

The cloth wasn’t particularly better either.

For Polia’s sake?

It was different from that too.

Even if it was for Polia’s sake, there was only one reason to do so.

‘She’s trying to protect us.’

If they went to another village,

to the city as they were,

the people of Jemili Village would become the poor, begging for food on the streets.

Even if they were good at weaving cloth, there would be artisans weaving cloth in other villages, other cities, and they would never stand by and watch immigrants weave cloth and make a living.

It was just a matter of scale.

It was a threat to the livelihood of the native artisans.

Amel…

‘Amel knew.’

Since she saved them, she would take responsibility to the end.

She pitied them for becoming the poor.

Dona felt the responsibility that she felt from Amel.

She knew the kind consideration that she had shown.

She had saved them from a bleak future.

Salvation descended upon Dona’s head, who was planning with the premise of sacrifice, saying that she could not save the remaining people.

Sniffle.

Her eyes turn red.

She was happy for the grace.

Even though it must have been a difficult decision.

She was moved by the goodwill that Amel had shown.

In Dona’s heart,

in Jemili Village,

in the hearts of the villagers, an image of Amel is formed.

‘Some gauge’ hidden in the other side of the world is Unlocked and filled.

After saving Jemili Village,

I visited Leila and Molly’s villages as well.

I went thinking there might be a bandit leader, but there were only lazy bandits.

The villagers who had accompanied Amel to help, like in Jemili Village, stepped forward and wiped out the bandits.

It was a wonder that they had suppressed the villagers, as the bandits were weak, but it seemed that the bandit leader and vice-leader accounted for most of the bandit group’s Strength.

But the bandit leader was nowhere to be seen, and he had completely disappeared since losing his [Magical Power].

Blade Monster.

Was he dead?

I couldn’t say for sure since I didn’t see it myself, but,

‘He’s probably dead.’

He didn’t listen to Amel, who was the owner of the [Magical Power] that was embedded in the Blade Monster, at all.

If the bandit leader created the Blade Monster with [Magical Power], he must have died.

If he had the ability to escape from the Blade Monster… why would such a capable person be a bandit?

“Then we don’t have to worry?”

“Huh? About what?”

Leki asked.

“That he died to a Monster called the Blade Monster.”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes.”

Oops.

I touched my cheek.

It was soft and moist.

It was warm.

Am I drunk?

I only drank a little bit at a time, just enough not to get drunk.

“I regret my alcohol tolerance.”

“It’s good to get drunk easily.”

“Isn’t it better to have a high alcohol tolerance?”

“It is, but it means you get drunk quickly even if you drink a little. You drink to get drunk, and my dad says it’s good for women to get drunk quickly.”

“Doesn’t sound good to me.”

“No. After seeing Amel drunk, I realized my dad was right.”

Leki’s face becomes pleased, as if she has seen something lovely and dizzying.

“Amel becomes solemn when she’s drunk. I’ve never seen a drunk like Amel before.”

“What are you talking about.”

Amel crossed her arms.

She supports her heavy chest.

As I close my eyes, sleep comes rushing in.

As requested, I drove out the bandits from Polia, Leila, and Molly’s villages.

‘What should I do now?’

Knock knock.

Leki went to the front door to check who was knocking and let them in.

It was green hair.

The green hair was Leila.

The name composition is similar.

To Keila.

The face is also similar.

Leila bowed deeply.

The last village to be saved was Leila’s village, and she had returned after checking on the well-being of the villagers.

“Thank you.”

“Are you and Keila sisters?”

“…I’m her little aunt.”

“….”

If she was her little aunt, she was Leila’s father’s younger sister.

I still feel guilty when I think of Keila.

The fact that she protected Amel’s body is a great grace.

“If I had known that, I would have come here first.”

“It’s okay. Even if it was a little late, it wouldn’t have been much different.”

“What about your dad?”

“….”

“He’s dead, isn’t he.”

Judging from the bandits’ actions, they killed all the men without exception.

That’s why from Stillo Village to here.

Only women were left in the village.

What on earth is going on?

Female superiority…

No, male chauvinism?

Isn’t it?

My head isn’t working.

Anyway,

Leila knelt down.

“Thanks to Amel, I was able to kill my enemies. My dad and mom would both be proud of me too.”

“Really? I thought they would have wanted you to get married since you’re a woman.”

“They were both warriors. They would be happier that I became stronger.”

“Warriors.”

Then that makes sense.

It’s a fantasy world in a game and a civilization at the level of the Middle Ages, but murder is a crime and there is a sense of resistance to murder.

I didn’t think there would be parents who would be happy that their daughter killed someone, even if they were enemies, but I understood if they were warriors.

“You used an axe, right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you both use axes?”

“Mostly my dad.”

I see.

Amel has also used an axe before.

She used to use an Orc Axe.

She didn’t handle it properly, but she swung it and threw it as she pleased and fought the Orc Chieftain.

But that was it.

Therefore, compared to Polia with her sword or Molly with her bare hands, Leila with her axe had the lowest achievement among the three.

“Give it to me.”

I received the axe from Leila.

The condition of the axe was not very good.

It was a one-handed axe and it wasn’t cool. Axes have their own charm, but this axe was not the typical axe I knew.

The Blade part was thin, and small Blades the size of a finger were attached to both ends of the axe head, which looked like a T.

Was it because they didn’t want to waste iron?

Was it because it was heavy?

Of course, it was because they didn’t want to waste it.

It was pathetic.

“It’s too pathetic.”

“Besides that…”

“The sword didn’t suit you?”

“…Something complicated like swordsmanship didn’t suit me.”

Was there something complicated about swordsmanship?

“I see. Well, if it’s complicated, it must be complicated.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be sorry. Thanks to you, I have more troublesome work to do.”

“….”

“But it’s better to find something that suits you than to keep clinging to something you can’t do. You did well.”

“…Yes?”

“You used the axe because you were confident you could use it well, right?”

“…Yes.”

Leila is bewildered, as if she didn’t expect to be praised.

“If you can keep up with the other two without my help, you have talent. So don’t be discouraged.”

“Yes… thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Should you thank your Doll? Whether you grow up well or not is up to me to decide.”

“….”

“You do what you want and just follow what I say.”

“….”

I stroked her head.

If stroking was water,

praise was nutrients.

You have to grow up well? It would be boring if the prototype I implanted [Magic Fragment] into ended up with unremarkable results.

“Just work hard.”

“Yes…”

“Your answer isn’t good enough.”

“Yes..!”

“Louder.”

“Yesss!!”

“That’s right. That’s how it should be.”

Amel stroked Leila’s head, who raised her voice as she said, with satisfaction.

“Haa~aam.”

I was sleepy.

“So what did she say?”

There was something I had to hear before going to sleep.

Leila’s head stiffened.

“She, refused.”

“Hmm.”

I had made the same offer to Leila’s village as to the other villages.

The damage was less because it was the only village where the Village Chief was still alive.

Was that why?

Instead of killing the bandits who had occupied the village, they tied them up with ropes and gathered them in the village square.

The Village Chief even quarantined some of the bandits in his own house, saying that he would manage them himself.

They must be very close.

‘Bandits are more trustworthy than me, huh.’

How funny.

“Is that so?”

“I’m sorry!”

Leila stepped back and slammed her head hard on the floor.

“The leader was defeated?”

“That strong person?”

“Hey, that’s a lie. He showed us last time, how can a leader who casts Enhancement Magic on hundreds of people be defeated?”

The Village Chief’s house.

One candle illuminated the dark room.

Five people put their heads together.

It was a secret room in the basement.

The Village Chief also frowned.

“Everyone calm down.”

“How can we calm down?!”

A bandit slammed the floor.

“I’m saying don’t be swayed by lies. Don’t you understand? I’m going to explain it because it seems like you don’t know.”

“You son of a bitch…”

“What’s a lie?”

The Village Chief shared what he had analyzed.

“There was no one among them who could beat the leader.”

“How do you know that?”

“How long have I been the Village Chief? Do you think I wouldn’t know that? I looked to see if he was hiding in the crowd, but there’s no one like that. If there was, he would have been praised without me knowing, but there’s no one like that.”

The Village Chief saw the many people who had invaded the village.

If those people invaded, they would lose.

So he made the bandits pretend to surrender.

The bandits are not strong.

The leader and the vice-leader.

Those two account for most of the bandit group’s Strength.

“There was someone who was praised, wasn’t there.”

“Ah, that pretty woman?”

“I only saw her from afar, but her chest was so fuckable.”

“Tsk. Should we just do it?”

“Stop it. What if that bitch is the Hero? If you want to die, die alone. You son of a bitch.”

“Tch.”

The Village Chief clicked his tongue at the bandits’ vulgar conversation.

“Didn’t you guys learn any Magic while hanging out with the leader? You can tell just by looking at that girl’s Magic.”

“What’s her Magic like?”

“She seems like a somewhat famous Magician, but compared to the leader, she’s just a kid. She can’t be the leader’s opponent with just that Magic. She’s a Magician, so she’s using her head and targeting us now that the leader is gone, right?”

“Then what about the women who were at the front?”

“You pathetic things.”

The Village Chief heard the story from one of those women.

The woman who was the prettiest in the village and was offered to the leader.

He heard about the women who were with her from Leila.

“Those girls are from villages a little further away from here. They’re girls who were offered to the leader like Leila. There’s no way they’re strong. Leila said they caught a Demon beast, what do you guys think?”

“That’s a lie.”

“Then the fact that they really killed the leader…”

“Yeah, it’s a lie. Just the fact that they were vague when we asked if the leader was dead was a clear sign that they were lying.”

The Village Chief rested his chin on his hand.

“It’s a bluff. Those guys are bluffing right now.”

He seriously analyzed their Strength.

He showed that he didn’t become the Village Chief for nothing.

The bandits were also convinced by the Village Chief’s words.

The bandits, who were worried about their future safety because they would be finished if the leader died, all changed their expressions at once.

“Then what are we going to do? Should we attack now?”

“Wait until night. I’ll give you the signal.”

The Village Chief didn’t stop thinking.

“Even if there are no skilled people, we’re still at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. The timing of the surprise attack is important.”

“That’s right. I’m glad you’re really on our side. We would have been completely fooled if it wasn’t for you.”

“Still, wasn’t it an opportunity?”

“An opportunity? It’s a trap. What’s the point of killing you all now and getting released? The leader will find out and we’ll be finished.”

“This guy is really smart.”

The bandits laughed.

“But what about that bitch?”

“Let’s decide the order fairly.”

“Yeah, yeah, the guys who saw her up close say she’s fucking pretty, so shouldn’t we monopolize her at first?”

“Village Chief, you saw her up close, wasn’t she pretty?”

“She was pretty.”

The Village Chief recalls Amel’s appearance.

The bandits’ laughter grows even louder.

“He’s lost his mind. He’s lost his mind. How pretty is she that he’s like this? Kahaha!”

The Village Chief and the bandits decided the order in which they would meet Amel.

It was the order in which they would die.