Chereads / Strength over all / Chapter 7 - Oh Lilia!

Chapter 7 - Oh Lilia!

I went near the town and was looking at the village. I saw about 40 houses and a few other places like a bar, a smithy and at the end of the village a leather tanner workshop, which was pretty far away from where I came down to the village.

On the streets there were a few people going from their houses to the bar or back and some children were playing something on the streets.

"Seems like a pretty peaceful village."

When nobody was looking in my direction I quickly went behind one of the houses at the the village entrance and put the bag down, behind a house wall, where hopefully nobody would be looking for the time I would be staying here. I only took a bag of money with bronze coins out of the bag and put them into my pocket.

Now I went into the village itself and quickly tried to get to the bar at the center of the town. Now that I was in the village I could also clearly see that the clothes I wore were pretty commonly worn among the men that were walking around the streets, so besides the clothes being a little bit too big for my size I shouldn't be recognized by anyone, because I wore these clothes.

After I went into the bar, a two story house that could be seen easily, because it was one of the highest buildings in the village I was confronted with a lot of noise, laughter and music. I quickly went to a table that was empty near a musician that was reciting a poem and attracted a lot of people.

"...She was merciful and nice, but could also curse at you and lie. She was beautiful with long blonde hair, but could also show you her other side, full of despair."

"Oh Lilia, oh Lilia what happened to you, just what did you do..."

I listened to the song for a long time. The song was about a girl named Lilia, who was beautiful and wanted by every man, but also happened to be the one that a brutal and uncultured man was aiming for.

If she didn't obey him he would burn down her whole kingdom with his frightening magical powers. It is said that in the end the princess couldn't take it anymore and committed suicide, a few days before she would be forced to marry that brutal man.

As a result the man was furious and it is said that the whole kingdom was in fact burned down by him and the few people who survived it are said to have cursed at her and made her the one at fault for their deaths.

It's an interesting story, although I doubt it actually happened, but once again this shows that this world is much more brutal than the world I was born in.

I walked over to the counter, where a man in maybe his 40's was polishing glasses and talking to visitors sitting at the counter. I walked over there and was spoken to by the man at the counter after a few minutes passed.

"What are you doing here boy? I don't believe I have seen you here before and you shouldn't be here. You are not even 16 yet are you?"

He sounded nice and generally just asked out of curiosity, so I told him the story I thought of when I walked down to the village.

"I was walking through the forest to the south of this village."

I looked down in front of me and prepared my emotional speech.

"Me and my family. We lived together with a few other families in a little village, tinier than this one."

I began to forcefully try to tear up.

"Then a few days ago I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, I heard cries of pain from outside of the house. My dad came storming into my room and told me to quickly get out of the bed and that we had to run."

I tried to sound even more sad and tried really hard to let tears roll down my face.

"My mom, dad, my little sister and me. We ran out of the house. We immediately ran into the direction where the forest was. My dad told me not to look behind. But then. Suddenly I heard a cry from a voice I knew very well."

I managed to tear up and noticed that the inn was beginning to turn completely silent just like I wanted.

"It was the voice of my mother. I looked behind and an arrow was shot right through her chest. I was filled with fear and wanted to run faster... My dad ran behind me to block an arrow if there would be one incoming, but he also had to hold my little sister ,because she couldn't run as fast as me and dad. And then-"

It was completely silent in the inn.

"My father and my sister... with their dying breathes... they told me, to live and to find a new place to start life again."

I heard the people around me quietly mumbling a lot of not understandable things, probably things like how sorry they are for me or how bad of a situation I was in.

"What were the names of your family? Oh, you don't have to answer if it would make you sad-"

The bartender asked me genuinely sounding intrigued.

"No its okay... My dad's name was Nori tsuyoku, my sister's name was Nami tsuyoku and my mom's name was Lilia tsuyoku."

"Well let's hold a minute of silence for Nori, Nami and Lilia tsuyoku! But before that. What is your name, boy?"

"Oh right my name, I didn't tell that yet. It's Yori tsuyoku and now I guess I only have myself to rely on, do I?"

"If you want to you can stay here in one of the empty rooms on the second floor."

"Thanks for the generous offer. I'll gladly take it, but I don't have a lot of money, just a few bronze coins from my-"

"No worries, I won't just let you die outside of the village.But let's talk about that tomorrow okay? You can go to the second floor if you are not feeling too well."

"Thanks you very much! And I am really sorry to drop the mood here."

Now I could acquire useful information on my next big goal. So it wasn't just a waste to come into this city. I smiled while going upstairs and while nobody was able to see me. My plan had succeeded!

Now let's get a first night's sleep in this new world as a new character. As Yori tsuyoku!