Chapter 11

  Our Reasons 2

  As the emergency meeting resumed and people mobilized to assess their current predicament, Ellyn wandered alone on those wrecked streets before looking for Marco and the others. All while in wait for her private meeting at late afternoon with the village’s mayor, Akira.

  However, a part of her wanted to run away.

  With all that had just occurred, the impending sense of doom looming over everyone had started to made itself known. A few hours ago, she tried to make right by aiding the villagers on the problems she herself caused, only to further worsen the situation and needing to be helped instead by Darius.

  Because of this, the fragile link that gave those people a semblance of stability was annihilated. She knew it was a toxic relationship, but it hardly mattered when the alternative was dozens of families pillaged, violated, and massacred by ruthless criminals on a vendetta. It wasn't like she could take on the entirety of the bandits either. She nearly got skewered by Roy's blade, no way in hell she could single-handedly defeat all of the Wood Fang—All the powers her gift gave her when she killed Ray and his men was not hers definitely not hers to control.

  And yet she wouldn’t come out and say she invoked their ire, her limbs clung too hard to life against all her wishes. How incredibly frustrating, to seek atonement and have it betrayed by her own self. It made her idea of accountability laughable. There was not a hint of honesty in those ideas of penance. The more she thought about it, the more obvious it became. Now that she was alone, the idea of penance came in the form of... ‘disappearance’. However, now that she witnessed what she brought to the people of this forgotten corner of the world, mere death would do little to pay back to them.

  While tragic that the efforts Marco, Rigel and Maya put on her would meet such end, there was a solace to be found if Akira’s plan was capable of doing something regardless of the price it entailed for her... she knows not if it can turn the situation around. She only hoped it could. But that hardly really mattered. Ellyn now knew what Roy was after, which made clear what had to do: use her flesh and bone to stop him, one way or the other. That would surely make up for the damage caused.

  She found twisted joy in the idea of meeting the end in a line of duty, using absolutely everything until her very soul is pulverized to a paste.

  “About time I took responsibility for once in my life…”

  Right outside the affected area, the villagers had set an emergency infirmary using an available building nearby. Women and men constantly walked in and out for varying motives, all related to the lucky who survived the attack. It was near there, near the entrance, that Ellyn noticed the white-haired cook: Alan, carrying both an empty food basket and a grim look on his face.

  While only meeting a few days ago, she was glad he was okay. Still, it was clear as day he was too busy for simple platitudes as well-intentioned as they may be, so she decided it would be best to not bother him with pointless dragged on chit-chat. Yet a little check wouldn’t hurt.

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” She said with a smile.

  And yet, his cold voice replied: “What are you doing here?”

  “Eh...?”

  His eyes narrowed, “That building has quite a large number of people in need of rest.”

  “I am looking for Marco...” She wavered, “He is there, right?”

  She asked politely despite the venomous response. Yet those blessed senses of her were already sounding the alarm. From the first words he spoke, nay, from the second he saw her she could sense large forms of hostility emanating from him. Just like how in the wild, a predator might alert its prey before it bares its fangs. Ellyn felt on her skin how Alan's very body unconsiously poised itself to attack Ellyn.

  “Marco is attending the wounded. Shouldn’t you wait until he comes out, at least?”

  “...I just need to talk to him about something.”

  “Is it about the mess you put us all in, you murderous foreigner?!”

  Her eyes widened as he suddenly raised his voice. Fueled by anger and frustration, all contained within his eyes. Ellyn’s body jerked up in reaction, her instinct getting ready for any altercation that was sure to come. Before he could continue, however, the two noticed people approaching in the distance. In response, Alan took a deep breath and got within whispering distance of Ellyn. She intuitively took a step back, placing her back against the door. She could see clearly the anger ready to explode in his face. Even more so with the responsible for the disaster right in front of him.

  “I don’t know what you are playing at and I don’t care. You already caused us too much trouble than you could ever hope to fix, so leave us alone, outsider. Or better yet, go out there and let the Wood Fang take and break your body. That would be the least you could do.”

  With those words, Alan left Ellyn agape at the door of the infirmary.

  Ellyn made sure to walk carefully around the infirmary as to not disturb the wounded and while making a beeline towards Marco, the sight of victims filling more than half of the available space was one she couldn't handle looking for too long. The building was a now hastily repurposed family home that escaped the inferno that befell the neighboring houses and only sustaining minimal damage. Despite its fairly decent size, the sheer amount of people in need of help turned the house, even with its non-essential furniture taken out, into a small small and cramped makeshift hospital.

  Even so, the effort made was impressive to Ellyn. They accommodated the injured here without a moment’s delay and in good coordination to boot, which certainly must’ve saved the lives of all present here and more. At the other end of the building, she saw Marco and Maya tending two injured people each. Cleaning the wounds caused by burns, axes and arrows. Closing them, putting bandages over it and then repeat for another injury.

  After waiting a few minutes, Maya had a moment of respite while Marco kept checking on the wounded, which gave Ellyn the opportunity to comfortably approach her.

  “I’m glad you are okay, Maya.” She said in a low voice, not to disturb those around her.

  “Ah! Ellyn!” Her face beamed, “How glad I am to see you!”

  “Hm. You aren’t hurt, aren’t you?”

  “That’s my line! I heard that a raven-haired girl almost got cut in half by that awful guy! You are not hurt, are you? Let me check you up.”

  Ellyn tried to push Maya away from her personal space, but it only made her try harder. She backed down over and over until the two found themselves at the window near the entrance, decently apart from the people resting for the people resting.

  “I-I’m fine! R-really! I’m fine!”

  “Just let me see…! By the way, have you seen Rigel?”

  Ellyn stopped to think, all while Maya kept her hands on her face and hair, “He stayed at the emergency meeting to hear what they will do.”

  “...I see. Thank you.”

  Maya then continued her petting, much to Ellyn’s confusion. Ellyn thought of pushing Maya away, but her fingers started to feel good when they passed through her bangs. Her gaze stared longingly as it seemed to get lost on Ellyn... no, her amethyst gaze went through Ellyn and stared at something the raven-haired girl couldn't discern.

  “You are not worried?”

  She sighed, “Aah, of course I worry when he isn’t home. Even more so now, but that child always wrestles out of my reach to do what he wants…”

  “I guess he wants to be of help to others.” Ellyn chuckled, “Though, he is a bit young, right?”

  “If only was about that. That child thinks he is sleek and subtle, but it’s obvious that he is tied down by me and… yeah. If only he understood that he doesn’t need to repay anything to us…”

  Ellyn fell silent, “Repaying…”

  “I have no option but to let him do as he pleases, though…” She shook her head, “as long as he doesn’t do anything too dangerous. That would destroy me.”

  “Heh. Makes me jealous...” Ellyn whispered to herself.

  “Now then… I need to get cute girl fuel back.” Maya slipped her fingers from Ellyn’s hair and unto her shoulders. Feeling her up like a young girls favorite toy, except this was a grown woman holding a teenager in a simultaneous fashion as her own baby and a pet puppy.

  “Eek! P-please stop!”

  “Can’t do~ We need to keep our spirits high~”

  Ellyn was caught in the woman’s grasp, no matter how much she struggled to slip away. She tickled her belly, her back, and her neck. Naturally, she also not missed the opportunity to attack the rest of the body, including assets that Maya always found impressive for a girl like her that made her more curvaceous and attractive than most. Truly, Ellyn was a natural beauty that would be the envy of noblewomen if they ever learned of her existence. Maya herself, however, was too simpleminded to consumed things like that. Not when she can have someone as cute as the raven-haired girl all to herself and pet her all she wanted.

  “Please don’t make too much noise, you two.” Their commotion attracted a visibly exhausted, yet still smiling Marco, who seemed happy from the whimsically tender scene unfolding in front of him.

  “It’s fine, Marco~ This is part of my treatment to refill my spirits~”

  “And you are already overdosing, come on, let her go.”

  “Booo…” Maya let Ellyn go like a kid parting with her favorite stuffed animal, even making sure to stick her tongue out just like a child.

  Free from her grasp, Ellyn took a deep breath before directing her gaze at her caretaker, “Marco... Can we talk?”

  Noticing the uncomfortable tone in her voice, he quickly agreed.

  “Maya. Forgive me, but can you give us a moment? We’ll be right back. Please look over the people here.”

  “Aw. I want to know what’s all about too...” She sighed, “Alright, alright, take your time.”

  “Thank you. Let’s go, Ellyn.”

  “Hm.”

  Outside the building, in a narrow corridor where no one would bother, both Ellyn and Marco found themselves properly eye to eye for the first time in months. Marco leaned against the wall as he let his body rest from the intense work he had been put through recently, the foreign clothes he so often wore were dirty thanks to the rubble, ashes and dirt, on top he was wearing a long white apron whose purpose was to catch spilled blood, which there was a lot of already on him.

  Even without her special senses, she could see how terribly tired, physically and mentally, he was from all the things that had occurred. It made her feel sorry that she would be contributing to further stress on him.

  “I spoke with lady Akira. She wants me for a plan to potentially stop the Wood Fang.”

  Right off the bat, the colors drained from Marco’s face.

  Ellyn maintained a stern expression as she spoke, “She asked me to visit her after the meeting.”

  “Does she want you to just go and kill Roy...?”

  She shook her head, “I don’t know. I wanted to ask you first in hopes that you would have a clue of what she might plan.”

  “Thank you for trusting on me that much, but I can’t ever really tell what thinks Akira at all. If she says she has a plan, my only guess is to hope you both destroy each other.”

  “I see. Well, I’ll only have one way of finding out.”

  Seemingly satisfied with her short conversation, Ellyn sighed and prepared to leave to her scheduled meeting.

  “Hey,” The man blurted out, “I don’t like that one bit. Akira would do anything to make sure the village’s safety. She may hate the bandits the most, but don’t think that will make her not throw you under the carriage to achieve that safety.”

  “I don’t know... I have no idea what she thinks or what she might do.”

  She placed her hand on her chest, staring at the much taller Marco with a fierce look, “It doesn’t matter either way. This situation is my responsibility. I need begin to make things right.”

  Marco grimaced. While it was good to own and fix the mistakes one made throughout life, there was an uneasiness about the motivation behind them that he couldn’t shake, “Hey, I didn’t save you to throw your life away. Don’t go around agreeing to crazy things just out of guilt. That won’t help our situation…”

  Ellyn remained silent for a minute that felt like hours, then, she replied in a chilling tone she replied:

  “… I should go now.”

  But before she could walk away, Marco blurted out, “Ellyn. Be careful. I wouldn’t want to know the person I saved threw her life away...”

  Yet Ellyn did not turn back to face him.

  “… I don’t know why you saved me in the first place. Could you at least tell me what is it that you see in me?”

  Marco awkwardly looked away.

  “… I’m busy. I have all these people to take care of.”

  Ellyn didn’t move. Only letting a small sigh in disappointment, “I see...”

  “Ngh…”

  Ellyn suddenly turned around, and gave him a soft, lonely smile. He did not know what was hidden behind that smile, for the number of conflicting emotions on both him and her were far too many to figure out on such a short notice. He could only reply with a shallow imitation of that look. Hoping it would suffice.

  “Thank you for saving me alongside that what you were truly after. However, the second life you gave me is mine to do as I see fit... and I choose to take responsibility.”

  With that, Ellyn took her to leave to meet Akira as promised.

  Ellyn arrived at the place she was supposed to be at. Alongside her were Rigel and Olivia, like a little gang of street kids, even if Olivia was actually an adult. It turned out that while Akira told her to meet her at her home, Ellyn didn’t know where it was located. So, she ended up asking Rigel for help, and he in turn made sure she didn’t spend too much time looking for the right home. Olivia just tagged along uninvited.

  Ellyn knocked on the door with a gentle tap. Then waited like a statue right in front of the door.

  “Olivia. Shouldn’t you be helping clean up the rubble with Darius?” Rigel asked.

  “… I uh...” She checked herself out, “I broke my nail.”

  “Just say you are slacking off…”

  “Okay. I didn’t want to lift heavy rubble, so I’m here to avoid working.” She said with a completely serious expression.

  “Don’t just admit it!” He snapped.

  Olivia giggled. She gave Rigel a wink combined with a silly smile, prompting him to roll his eyes in response, “Ellyn, back me up here, please.”

  “... Maybe I should knock again?” She said, completely fixated on the door.

  He sighed, “Absolutely ignored...”

  “Oh!” Olivia clasped her hands, “By the way, what business does she have with Miss Akira?”

  “I’m not entirely sure myself, but I think it must be about the Wood Fang, right?”

  “And we are here to...?”

  “Show her the way.”

  “Ohoo~ Is that so~?”

  “… What?” He furrowed his eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing~ you are just a really cute boy.” She winked.

  “... What? Explain.”

  “Tehee~★”

  … Minute later.

  “Ellyyynn!” Olivia screamed, “Please make him stop! My cheeks hurt!”

  “Stop messing around!” Rigel screamed back, his face red and shy.

  “It hurts!! Agh! What’s wrong with being into the older sister type?! Ellyn!!”

  Olivia continued to struggle as Rigel punished her for inappropriate remarks, as he deemed it so. Saying he really ‘likes’ looking after his ‘older sister’ and pretending to be jealous that she was no longer his ‘older sister’ of choice. Naturally, Rigel responded by savagely pinching and stretching Olivia’s cheeks until she looked like a squirrel with its mouth full. He considered a fitting punishment.

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  Ellyn on her part tried to ignore the duo behind her and kept knocking on the door. It had been merely five minutes since they arrived at the house, yet she couldn’t find it in herself to wait any longer. In truth, she was anxious. She had very little idea on what to make of Akira, but knew that no matter what she would have to carry out her request in order to make things right. So she knocked again. This was the fifth time.

  Fortunately, there was a sound that came from the other side. The door opened and showed the dignified, seventy-something year old woman staring at them with a curious look.

  Ellyn turned back to see what made her make such an expression. She saw Rigel simultaneously pinching Olivia’s ears and cheeks while she seemed to genuinely struggle to get him off her, despite what the difference in height might otherwise suggest. A loud click from Ellyn’s tongue made the two realize they were out in the open with people staring at them. After separating, they stared into the floor in embarrassment and in complete silence.

  “I take it they will accompany you, yes?” She tilted her head.

  “Yes...” Ellyn sighed, “They will.”

  Akira raised an eyebrow before nodding once, “Very well. Come. We have much to discuss.”

  The three of them waited in the living room, engulfed by a silence that would feel unbearable even to the most dedicated of librarians. Akira meanwhile, was in the kitchen making tea for her guests. It only registered for the group that they found themselves inside the home of the mayor of the whole village, the stoic woman who could convince the bandits to retreat with just her words. It created a strange sense of tension while being inside her home. As if moving in the wrong direction might bring unforeseen consequences.

  Despite that, one thing they couldn’t help but notice was… the decoration.

  It was lovely.

  Warm colors, the cutesy motif on the curtains, well-preserved stuffed toys to decorate the seats, fresh sunflowers on the table. It almost seemed like a home meant for an entirely different person. It didn’t match with Akira’s personality at all. Ellyn couldn’t shake that dissonance between the character that Akira possessed and the kind of home she lived in. And while she felt the need to ask about it. She also felt that it wouldn’t be appropriate at the moment.

  So, she would refrain from asking about it.

  But before they could chat about it amongst themselves, Akira returned while carrying several cups of hot tea and placed them one in front of each, as well as one for herself.

  “First, I would like to thank you, girl. Thank you for attending my request. Your help will surely be greatly appreciated.”

  Ellyn nodded, “It is the least I can do.”

  Akira nodded back, “Then I shall start by explaining our current position...”

  All three of them readied themselves and gave the older lady their undivided attention.

  “I should start things off by being honest: The truth of the matter is that everyone will fall victim to the Wood Fang's ire.”

  “Isn’t it too soon to be giving up?” Olivia tilted her head.

  “Right, we haven’t done anything yet.” Rigel added.

  Akira softly smiled at the girl, right before shifting into a deep concern.

  “That’s just the place we are now. We lack weapons to defend ourselves, experience to use them, and people willing to pay the ultimate price despite knowing we might fail. If we were to fight the bandits, there would only be one possible outcome. The difference between us is too large.”

  Rigel grunted, “You are... saying that the people here won’t be willing to defend their own family...?”

  The old lady shook her head, “Not exactly, boy. Today, we saw that our neighbors are more than capable of taking arms on themselves for the sake of their own survival. The problem lies elsewhere.”

  The old lady turned her gaze away from Rigel and directed it to Olivia, who tensed up from the cold, sharp glare the old woman possessed.

  “Tell me, what happened when Roy’s archers appeared?”

  Olivia pondered for a brief second, “They... rained volleys of arrows on us... This made everyone scatter and hide behind or inside buildings.”

  “And then?”

  “But then those buildings started burning. Making the villagers panic on their already broken formation.” Ellyn interjected.

  Akira nodded, “Roy’s aim from the start was to instill fear in us. That was but one way, making it so they think they would all be dead before reaching the archers to make the struggle seem hopeless. Their idea is that we cannot defy him and that our only option for survival is to give in to his demands. And he is right. We, the villagers, lack the means to defy him and come out on top.”

  “But!” Olivia protested, “If we get people to means to fight, then we can beat them-”

  “That won’t work.” Ellyn said with an uncomfortably calm demeanor, her words cutting cruelly Olivia off.

  “Under normal circumstances,” Ellyn continued, “we could gather weapons and prepare for battle. However, the amount of people who could hold a weapon to any useful degree is far below the actual population of the village, reduced even further by those who can actually fight with competency of even half of what the Wood Fang can… No matter how you look at it, it’s a bunch of helpless peasants against hundreds of trained warriors.”

  “...Seems like you are familiar with that particular situation.” Akira added.

  “My uncle taught me about pirates and bandits. Most of them are former military turned to a life of crime. In general, they all are capable of more than just swinging a sword around...”

  Rigel and Olivia looked perplexed towards Ellyn. She did not meet them back, however, choosing instead to stay fixed on Akira.

  “Indeed. We don’t have the weapons to fight them properly. We lack the morale and discipline to form and support ranks when something unexpected happens. And we cannot realistically expect to have all the people who can fight become fully trained soldiers on such short notice, even less when loved ones are so close at risk to be caught by those animals.”

  Olivia and Rigel wondered how can she say something like that and then calmly drink tea within the same breath. Ellyn on her part remained like a statue whose gaze was to permanently stay on the old lady until it was all said and done.

  “...Not much for tea?” Akira tilted her head.

  “Sorry, I’m more of coffee.” Ellyn replied.

  Akira smiled back, “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  One thing Ellyn couldn’t deny was how oddly comfortable she felt talking to the older woman. Be it her commanding demeanor that exude a certain level of confidence, the prospect of finally fixing her misdeeds with her, or simply their preference for quietness, she felt a strange sense of kinship with her. So much so that her senses that so eagerly detected danger remained still in her presence. Though, she still found her intimidating. Given how swift and precise she had been the whole time, how every action was already on the goal of saving her people, and how it was already making use of someone like herself, Ellyn understood how this woman had been chosen to lead the hundreds of people that inhabited this village even at her old age.

  Akira put down her cup and sighed, “There’s simply not much we can do without getting slaughtered. As things currently stand, the reasonable solution is to accept their demands. Tell me, girl. Would you accept it if it was the only way a thousand people may be spared?”

  Ellyn nodded.

  “Hey, are you sure you can trust their good will on this?” Rigel protested. A not-so-subtlety angry look crossed his face as he glared directly at the poker-faced woman.

  Similarly, Olivia also wore the same look. She instantly had dropped her chipper attitude the instant the conversation shifted to the suggestion of appeasing the bandits. Looking downright hostile and offended.

  The old woman only raised a single eyebrow at them before returning to Ellyn.

  “I don’t agree at all,” Olivia snapped, “As if Roy and his lackeys have ever kept their word on anything!”

  “You should know that, Mayor! They always go out of their way to hurt us for no reason! Shouldn’t we be looking for a way to not give them what they want?” Rigel added.

  Akira silently directed her cold stare to him, making him slightly recoil on reaction, “You are the boy who has been with Marco through the five months it took her to recover, Rigel, right?”

  “... I-I am. What of it?”

  “I see.” She sipped her tea, “It is only natural to care for the well-being of someone after looking over them for so long. What about you, Olivia? What’s your relationship with her?”

  Olivia was taken aback by the sudden question, growing slightly red in embarrassment as she tried to think up an answer, “I... Only know her for about a day or two but... Why you ask?”

  Ellyn looked at the two with a pained expression, as if asking them to not interfere in the conversations. Unfortunately for her, Rigel and Olivia both ignored her signals.

  The red-haired girl crossed her arms, “Why does it matter the time I’ve known her? The important thing is that we don’t give in again to the bandits. Someone like Ellyn can’t be enough for animals like those…”

  “This might be the only way to prevent a massacre, Olivia. Even I don’t approve of it, but we must do what is necessary to protect everyone here.” Akira remarked.

  Olivia’s eyes widen with an uncharacteristic anger Ill suited for a kind-looking girl like her. Clenching her teeth she rose from her seat in indignation to how carelessly she felt the old woman had brought the subject to question her.

  “Ghe!! You... You know exactly what happens when you open the door to those men!”

  Ellyn held her breath. She did not know what exactly she meant, but considering what she knew of the village’s history, she could make an idea of the kind of agony these people had been through thanks to the bandits. But seeing Olivia’s reaction to Akira’s suggestion… Even she could tell the maelstrom of emotions and painful memories it stirred in the red-haired girl’s heart. It wasn't as if Olivia tried to hide it either.

  “As far as I’m concerned, Ellyn did what we should have done a long time ago. If we cannot beat them in a direct fight, then let us find another way to beat them. But if the only thing you will suggest is to give in to their demands, then we’re leaving!” She declared.

  “Olivia, sit down.” Ellyn said as she reached out to her.

  “You don’t stay still! It’s your life that we are talking about! Don’t give it to literal wastes of skin!” She snapped.

  “Please sit down and let us hear her out before we decide anything...” Ellyn repeated.

  She looked annoyed while doing so, but Olivia finally obeyed the girl’s request. Ellyn felt calm, all things considered. What Akira asked wasn’t something she didn’t imagine herself, in fact; it was something she herself hoped for. All that remain was to show resolve, the resolve to carry out that responsibility. It was the least she can do in return to the place and people she owed her life to.

  “If that’s what is needed of me, then I will not object. After all, I caused this.”

  Akira simply stared with her poker face.

  “There are still a lot of things about this that I don’t know. But as long as I can make things right for the village, the people that died today… and my uncle...”

  She took a deep breath, clutched her hand tight at her chest, then, and said, “I will help. In order to fix my mistakes, I’ll do whatever it takes!”

  She didn’t know what else she could say. She wanted to say more, so much more, yet she lacked the ability to say anything else. No matter how much she thought about it, she could only be honest and say what she knew for certain. What she felt for certain. Even if that cuts short her wanting of answers for certain things, such as the circumstances of her life being saved, it was something she was willing to accept as the price to pay for her sins.

  “Ellyn…” Olivia whispered.

  Akira submerged herself in thought. After a minute, she softly smiled in satisfaction at the raven-haired girl.

  “Very well, if you are willing to go to such lengths out of a sense of responsibility, then I can entrust you with this.”

  Akira opened the purse, revealing an impressive number of coins of a pale gold color. Ellyn, Rigel, and Olivia looked at each other confused at Akira’s gesture.

  “Olivia. Please forgive my rudeness. I know it was a sensitive topic for both you and your mother.” She bowed.

  Olivia furrowed her eyebrows, “I don’t get it...”

  “Why were you testing me?” Ellyn asked.

  “Just to make sure. I mean, how could this old lady rest at night otherwise?”

  “I dont follow...”

  Akira sighed, “We’ve been like this since for many years, girl. Ask your friends next to you. They too, saw the raids when they were younger. The fire, the pillage, the kidnapping, the murder. All the people here carry scars from those days that will follow them to the grave. All thanks to evils like the Wood Fang.”

  She continued, “When we were forced into that agreement with the Wood Fang, I thought at last it would all end. That we would be able to rest easy after so many were lost. Even if it 'resting easy' meant by bullied by them for the rest of our days, at least the killings and kidnappings would stop...”

  Ellyn had noticed that Olivia and Rigel both had fallen dead silent as Akira recounted their most uncomfortable tale. Once in a while, her voice showed an occasional crack between the lines.

  “The Famine had struck the land, the borders on the south closed to stop the influx of refugees, living conditions for those that made it by sea to other countries was equal to that of a street dog’s.” She narrowed her eyes, whether it was anger or sorrow, Ellyn could not say, “It was in the middle of such conditions that our village was raided by the same people we would later struck a deal with, the Wood Fang. They claimed the little food supplies we had with no regards to what would happen to us.”

  Olivia looked stared down, dejected. Trying to hold herself together as Akira narrated the event. Rigel seemed uncomfortable, but was not as shaken as the red-haired girl who looked ready to explode in tears and rage. It was because of the difference in age she could remember more clearly than Rigel what those moments felt like.

  “They assaulted with all their men, at the time around one hundred and fifty, and brought hell into our lives. They crashed into every house and stole every piece of food they could find, killed the men, assaulted the women, murdered the elderly and destroyed our homes. Many lives were lost in the struggle, many houses burned. It left us in such a state that death would have been a nicer alternative at the time.” She clenched her fist.

  Just imagining it made Ellyn wonder how they pushed through. Based on what Akira told her earlier and now. That famine lasted for years. Years of ruin that consumed every aspect of their daily lives. Even someone like her, as lacking as she was, found it not difficult to understand that these people must not have had a moment of peace for many years.

  Their tribulations continued despite so many being crushed under its weight. How the villagers were used to raids to the point of having a response set up soon after they attacked. Yet throughout the years the constant raids, famine and economic downturns lead to them never being able to recover, never being able to break free—A perpetual cycle of misery that kept them unable to progress to better days until they gave in and took the deal with the bandits. Servitude and life in exchange for everything else.

  Such was the fate of the village.

  “Being honest...” Akira said, “When I first heard of your encounter with Ray, I feared what might happen to us when they learned. But also thought; ‘Serves them right.’ Like a long-awaited catharsis that came by pure chance... Then, Marco asked me to not let them know, making use of something he knew he could use against me. And so, you remained. Thinking that I could bide my time for a bit longer, but...”

  “Given the current circumstances, your hand is forced into doing something.” Ellyn said.

  Akira nodded. She then pulled a small bag and opened it, revealing a grand amount of gold, “I want you to sneak out of these lands and into the nearest city. There, hire as many mercenaries as you can and bring them here before Roy returns.”

  The three of them stood silent. Her real plan was beyond what they were expecting. Was it even possible to bring a whole army in ten days? While the idea of hiring a new force to counter the bandits seemed logical. To ask for it in such a short time was...

  But before any of them could utter a word, Akira pointed at the gold coins.

  “I possess more than this as I saved all my money over the years. All combined, it should be almost one thousand Holy Gold Coins.”

  “A thousand?!” Olivia gasped, “H-how?!”

  “Yeah, how?!” Rigel joined in.

  Akira smiled, “You have to prepare to live comfortable in your retirement... It’s what I would like to say, but in reality, this is a pathetic sum compared to the real cost and upkeep of mercenaries. However, we just need them once, so the initial cost should be within reach with these.”

  Her joke was met with incredulous gazes who only deepened her smile. After a moment amusing herself, she spoke again.

  “The nearest city, Finglas as it is called, is located north of here. If you travel light you should arrive before dawn. At the outskirts, a man with orange hair will be waiting. He is the one that will help you sort the hiring of mercenaries. We don’t have time to waste. The quicker those swords-for-hire are here, the more of a chance we have to survive.”

  “Wait!” Rigel protested, “We haven’t agreed!”

  “I’m still wrapping my head around this-”

  “I accept.”

  “Ellyn?!” They both said.

  “...I don’t know how to ride a horse, though. If you could help me find someone to help me exit The Bandit Lands, that’ll be a big help.”

  “I can ride a horse!” Olivia interjected, “I was taught by... I was taught some time ago! I can take you there!”

  She smiled, “In that case, I’ll be in your care.”

  “Ellyn, are you seriously going with that crazy plan?” Rigel asked.

  Ellyn nodded, “It’s not like there are many alternatives, and if I don’t do it, the other alternative is to give myself to Roy.”

  “Though, I’m still not opposed to it, if I’m being honest…” She thought.

  “So, this is the only plan available, Mayor?” Rigel asked.

  “I’m afraid so. We will explore ways to protect the women and children. If worst comes to pass, we’ll try to have as many as we can escape through any avenue available. Though it’ll prove very challenging...”

  Ellyn closed her eyes as she once again considered everything that had been laid out. As far as she understood, surrendering to Roy was the quickest way to stop the madness and loss of life. No need to go to such extreme lengths if she did that… Yet, for some reason, the thought shook her very core. Uncomfortable sensations crept on her back. Her most basic senses refused to accept such an option. She couldn’t understand why it was the case, why her very being acted so cowardly.

  “Let me make myself clear. I haven’t given up on giving Roy what he wants. Whatever offers me the opportunity to protect these people is what I shall take...”

  She closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. A stream of painful memories flooded in. As well as a desire for the people she served to be joyous and thrive.

  “But I do not wish to be under the Wood Fang’s thumb ever again. No one here wishes to experience that hell again.”

  For those that remained. For those that are now gone. For her dear little girl who watched from above.

  She bowed, “So, I ask for your aid.”

  Ellyn was taken aback by her sudden gesture, but she quickly composed herself, and with a determined look on her face, she replied:

  “I promise I’ll make this work.”

  “Thank you.” Akira words left her mouth in a completely different tone than before. Kind and tender words, almost as if they were directed at someone else.

  Ellyn walked away from Akira’s house with the bag wrapped several times for safe keeping. Inside of it, there were the aforementioned holy gold coins. With them, she would pay for the expenses to repel the Wood Fang. If she were to be honest, she didn’t exactly believe that this plan would work at all. While the amount of money received was significant, it was up to question whether it would be enough to match up the bandit’s numbers.

  “I hope it is enough.”

  It was one of the few things Ellyn knew about Vigram before arriving with her uncle. According to him; the value of the Holy Gold Coin was outstanding, being several times more valuable than Holy Silver Coins to an almost unbelievable degree—even with her lacking knowledge of economics, even she knew that it’s value was not to scoff at. If a Holy Copper Coin was worth one unit of currency and the Holy Silver Coin four units. The Holy Gold Coin was worth an impressive seventy-two units, making the difference in value incredibly unfair in favor of those who had access to them.

  The coin itself looked relatively simple, yet beautifully adorned, pure gold with pale rings that enclosed the symbols of Vigram, a staff and wheat, the name of the kingdom and most curiously, at the center, the face of a woman with flowery markings on her cheek. Something about the woman felt strange and curious, but she decided to put it aside. With thousands of these, the village could theoretically afford a great number of soldiers for hire to fight back against the bandits. Of course, it was easier said than done. She needed to find, hire and mobilize them before Roy could gather his own men and attacked the villagr.

  As she walked, a thought crossed her head, “Hey. Do you know how many of the Wood Fang will come?”

  Rigel and Olivia exchanged looks as they thought their answer. Eventually, the boy said, “I only know rumors but... They say their bulk makes about over two hundred bandits. They absorbed many bandits into a single banner over the years. Why you ask?”

  She grimaced, “Two hundred...”

  “Oh!” Olivia said out loud, “You tryna figure out if we have enough?”

  Ellyn nodded.

  “Miss Akira said that the average man-at-arms was four to nine gold coins... But I’m not good with numbers.” Olivia said.

  “I only know a rudimentary amount...” Ellyn turned to the boy, “What about you, Rigel?”

  Rigel sighed, “I can do aritmetic, but I don’t know the prices of those men. Based on what we have, it should definitely amount to a one-time use of significant size… However, I can’t say if it’s ‘enough’. Maybe if we work for a few days… Hmmm this is quickly becoming a problem on its own…”

  Rigel looked visibly annoyed, until Olivia reached to his size to pat his head like a caring older sister, to which his angry expressions looked more and more forced as it went on.

  “We’ll find out when we get on that city. You still remember where to go, right?” Olivia smiled at him.

  Rigel smiled back as he enjoyed the head pats, “Yeah, it’s not easy to forget.”

  Ellyn blinked a few times, “What do you mean by... ‘we’?”

  Rigel and Olivia both look back at her confused, “What do you mean? I mean when we go to Finglas and hire the mercenaries.”

  “Yeah, what’s strange about our wording?”

  Ellyn shook her head after reeling back a few steps, “Uh, no- When I asked Olivia to take me there, I meant the border, right up to the mountains. That’s where the Wood Fang hides, right? It’s too dangerous to just go there and cross as a group.”

  “Huh?”

  “What?”

  “It’ll be quicker if I sneak out alone, that’s why Olivia should only take me to the foot of the mountain and then turn back-”

  “What kind of idiot are you?! Of course, I’m gonna go help you on this!” Rigel snapped.

  Olivia joined in, “We have a reason to help you out just because our lives are at stake here. I don’t know why you thought it was just your task.”

  “It’s way too dangerous and this whole thing is my own mess to begin with. It’s the least I should do.”

  “Unfortunately for you...”

  Rigel walked towards Ellyn. She stepped forward in confusion, only to be slapped in the face by a heavily offended young man.

  “You are not a god. You can’t do everything on your own. And this concerns us as much as it does your own sense of guilt. So, our help is what you will get, regardless of whether you asked for it or not.”

  “That’s right, we live here; our families too. We all have to go above and beyond for our own survival.”

  Olivia gave her a warm smile. Rigel rolled his eyes before looking at her with concern. Ellyn on the other hand could only stare blankly like a fool. And what a fool she had been. She completely ignored something so basic: These people had their lives at stake. It didn’t matter how she felt, if they considered her their best shot at survival, then they’ll protect her too as one of their own.

  “As simple as that…” She thought.

  “Alright, we must prepare ourselves! Tonight, we depart to the city of Finglas!”

  Olivia raised her fist in high spirits and shouted from the top of her lungs, “Ooooh!!”

  Rigel smirked, swept by her elation, he followed, “Oooh!”

  They both looked at Ellyn, who had gone shy and awkward as she marveled at the endless debt she felt towards the people of that village. Those unforgettably kind people who gave her so much more than she deserved, so much she would never be able to repay in her lifetime.

  “O-ooh...”

  And with those rallying cries, the three went to prepare for their departure towards the Finglas, the closest city to the village, and the place where all their hopes rest…

  ...As ten days before Roy's return remained.