Chapter 9 - A Decided Fate

Well… the drama was over, with many leaving with cheerful looks that seemed to say: Thank the heavens that this death star is leaving Clovis village.

And in the end, old man Yager said some more bullsh** on behalf of Torr's side, causing Wolfram to inwardly roll his eyes.

'My uncle means well? Pff~... Why don't you stab me to death and say it's for my own good too?'

Wolfram watched the group of leaving villains, only struggling to hold himself back from cursing and merrily dancing away.

At this moment, the air around him was thick with worry. 

Both Ivo and the Nell family had such severe expressions on their faces. So if he were to burst out in laughter, wouldn't they think the pressure of it all had finally gotten to him?

Oops… he nearly let himself go.

"Let's go in… It's important."

Wolfram's tone made the already heavy atmosphere thicker.

"You lot, scout and guard the enclosing," Titus commanded, looking at the many Nell men before him. 

With Wolfram's tone, Titus felt that whatever news it was shouldn't be allowed to reach the enemy's ears.

Make no mistake.

Though he could trust most people in his Nell household, that didn't mean there weren't any spies.

On the contrary, quite a few had betrayed them over the years, choosing to work for Torr's side instead.

That's why he made them surround the enclosing/perimeters of Wolfram's space, including the front and back fields of bush and land.

He intentionally distanced them from the hut while also giving them the task of stopping others from coming in too.

Titus nodded to his immediate family. And one by one, they went in.

.

Look to the left, look to the right and look to the front.

The gang all sat in a circle, everyone facing each other.

And the attendees for this meeting were; his loyal & gallant aide Ivo, the lazy face-looking Titus and the blue-haired Granny Willow.

Also in attendance was her daughter, the 16-year-old Dora, Dora's newly born baby in one hand, and her husband, Leo, a very broad-shouldered man.

Again, Willow's last born, 15-year-old Linda, and her husband, Otto, were also here.

Amongst the daughters, Dora inherited a darker shade of blue, making her hair look like the abyss of the ocean. 

And Linda, on the other hand, inherited Titus' dark brownish hair.

Their husbands were also similar in age to them, with Linda and her husband being the same age.

Wolfram knew Leo and Otto very well. They were Ivo's close friends and more or less felt like elder brothers to him too.

With this group, he could trust the information he told wouldn't go anywhere.

What?!!

Everyone opened their eyes with a dumbfounded expression on their face.

Their expressions turned from stern to confused before finally turning to glee.

This… This… This….

Without even knowing it, their bodies were covered in goosebumps!

"Wolf, is what you said really true?" 

Wolfram nodded: "yes, uncle. That night, there was no assassin. For survival, I had to use those tactics to scare those men away."

Good job!

Though it was embarrassing, they didn't look down on Wolfram's approach.

You have to know that in the village, many considered the Nell men to be cowards to their wives, which should be an embarrassing feat for many men to live by

But they, the Nells, have always been like this.

So how could they point fingers at Wolfram? If he should fight that night, wouldn't he be dead instead?

Provided he didn't betray his kin when showing weakness, it was all very acceptable. 

This was how they, the Nells lived.

They allowed their women to do as they pleased because they trusted their characters. Only if these women went astray would they step in.

This move was also a political one too.

In every structural settlement, be it a village or even a city, there was politics involved in things. 

And though their women were sometimes clueless, these Nell men were all intelligent.

Listening to Wolfram, the men were quick to piece his thoughts together.

"Little Wolf. We know about Torr's ambition." 

"Yes… We have always stood against him. And over the years, Torr's forces have grown dangerously." Otto added.

Torr grew his forces by causing many to betray not just their Nell family but also making many of the village elders stand on his side too.

Bit by bit, Torr had managed to work in the shadows, fighting against them.

And though the water surface looked steady, the turbulence underneath was far too great, ready to erupt at any given moment.

Ivo, Wolfram, Otto, Leo, and Titus all stared at one another tactfully.

For the past year, their Nell family has been on edge, wondering whether to take the big step or not. 

Though they hated to admit it, Torr was now stronger than they are… especially with the people on his side.

And this only meant death to them.

They had been struggling to decide on what to do.

But now, it looks like fate has made that decision for them.

.

Leo rubbed his chin deep in thought. "If it were before, after fleeing, that bastard, Torr, would have definitely sent for his men to kill us on the roads without the villagers knowing. But now, we have a chance to make a clean break!"

Otto clasped his hands excitedly. "That's right, brother. With assassins and an unknown enemy after Wolf boy, who would dare take that risk?"

Wolfram nodded in agreement.

Those were his thoughts too.

They were all ordinary mortals, and the outside world was very dangerous to them. 

If Torr wanted to take them out, he would do so in a distant location from the terrains close to the village.

One should know that each day, gatherers, hunters, and several other groups of villagers head out into the nearby terrains to find resources. 

The Nells were a large group.

So should they scream or make any unnecessary noises, Torr would be at a disadvantage.

For one, someone could watch the entire scene unfold, leaving a witness to Torr's devious acts. 

Additionally, though many didn't like them, the village hunters and warriors might be nearby. And if they chose to assist the Nells, then it would be game over, especially if they unmasked the enemies they killed.

That's why Torr wouldn't dare to kill them anywhere close to the nearby by terrains.