"Come with me and stand in front of the fire," Trepe said.
Misho nodded his head and followed after him. The villagers stared at them after they arrived at the center.
"Maisha isn't here, but from now on, she and Quarter will be known as the Freewind Village's Heroes! Without their warning and help, we wouldn't have won so decisively against these scum! Now, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone here that this won't be the end. We must all work together to defend our lives and women in the future.
"We must not let them be violated and become seedbeds! We are intelligent humanoid creatures!" Trepe shouted in an awe-inspiring voice.
The watching villagers felt a sense of responsibility and battle intent against the goblins after hearing his speech. It won't be easy for the goblins to sneak attack them again. They would prepare next time.
"Quarter, do you have anything to say?" Trepe kindly asked.
"I represent Maisha. We both feel thankful for Uncle Gerald and Auntie Kea's decision to take us in when we were lost. It felt natural for us to repay their kindness by helping the village surpass this challenge," Misho said.
Vivien watched all of this happening with a surprised expression on his face. He looked at each of the villagers that were supposedly just 'NPCs'. He could see emotion and ambition in their faces.
He suddenly came to a shocking conclusion. A shiver ran through his spine, and he looked at the burning goblin bodies with fear. It finally made sense to him why Misho and Maia were fearful of the villagers dying to the goblins.
After Misho's speech, Gerald and Kea walked forward from the crowd.
"We haven't known each other for that long, but I could tell that the two of you are great people. May the two of you have a fruitful life in the future as husband and wife!" Gerald said while full of emotions.
"I will also support the two of you," Kea added.
Misho smiled at the two of them.
"Thank you for your great wishes. I humbly accept them," Misho replied and bowed.
The two were a nice married couple. He and Maia might've never been accepted into the village if they didn't take them in. There was also a great chance they would have met the goblins if they couldn't stay in the village.
"We also express our thanks," one of the villagers said.
"Yes, me too. Those fireballs were awesome," a male villager said with a wound on his arm covered with fresh leaves.
"Thank you for warning us. I might have suffered a fate worse than death," an old female villager said with a face full of smiles.
"It's a shame. The two of us have a beautiful daughter at a ripe age," her husband said beside her.
"I will relay these words to Maisha," Misho replied.
He was very respectful to each of them. At this moment, he had already forgotten that he was inside a game.
"Now, now. We can all have a celebration the day after tomorrow," Trepe said and patted Misho's shoulder. "Come, follow me to my house. I will give you the rewards the two of you deserve."
"Thank you, Village Chief," Misho responded.
Misho followed after him under the emotional gazes of the villagers. They all escaped a disaster thanks to two demons. It opened the minds of some villagers who have a prejudice against the other races.
Of course, most of the villagers here were okay with the other races. There was just some minority that didn't think the same. This was the case for the whole continent.
Trepe led Misho through the silent village. Some eyes would look at the two of them from the windows of the houses. Many of them were young kids and adults who lacked the experience to join the fight earlier.
Misho became famous to all of them. They had never seen him, but they could tell that he was the Village Hero because they couldn't recognize him, and he was also following the Village Chief.
The Village Chief Trepe merrily smiled when he saw the safe well-being of the young kids.
"This is what you protected," Trepe emotionally muttered as they walked.
"I'm glad we could protect them," Misho responded.
"*Sigh* I can't help but remember some of my past," Trepe said and shook his head to get rid of his thoughts.
"Is it when goblins attacked your previous village?" Misho asked curiously.
"... Let's not talk about that. We have arrived," Trepe replied.
In front of them was a normal-looking house. It was built using wood, and it was as big as the other villagers'. It didn't look like the house of a village chief at all.
Misho was surprised after seeing it.
"I don't dare to build a bigger house after the destruction of my previous village. I want to be closer with my villagers and not flaunt my status as a village chief," Trepe answered after seeing the look on his face.
"You're such a good Village Chief," Misho replied seriously.
"Okay. Forget about the past. Follow me inside."
Misho followed him inside. It was very humble and comparable to Gerald's house. The only difference was it had four rooms. His family was quite big, which required more space.
"Sit here. I will return with your rewards."
Misho sat on a chair in the dining room. He waited patiently and couldn't help but remember his promise to Maia. He was eager to return.
Trepe came back with a chest in his arms a few minutes later. It was about half a foot in width, and Trepe slightly struggled to carry them.
He gently dropped it on the table.
"This is your reward– 200 Gold. It's quite heavy. Be careful when you travel. Some people might have some ideas," Trepe warned him.
"I will keep that in mind," Misho replied respectfully.
"Well then. Tomorrow will be a grieving day. Go rest since it will start early."