We strolled back towards the village, and somewhat miraculously, the havoc wreaked by the chimera had only reached the forest, leaving the village seemingly untouched.
Although the skirmish initiated late in the night and persisted for several hours, the emergence of the first rays of sunlight wasn't far off. Consequently, some villagers were already awake.
In fact...
It appeared that all the women were positioned outside their homes, eagerly anticipating our return. This wasn't surprising, given the significant battle that unfolded in the forest adjacent to the village.
The clamor of destruction caused by the chimera must have roused and alerted all the slumbering villagers.
Upon our entrance into the village, we were met by the village head, Cristina, encircled by other women who seemed to hold authoritative positions.
I took the initiative to address them, "Hello, Cristina. I apologize for the commotion during the night; I hope we didn't disturb you too much."
"..."
Cristina gazed at me with a perplexed expression. Clearly, she couldn't comprehend the events of the night. The thunderous noises led her to infer some form of resistance from me against the organization of men in black robes. However, the notion of seeing me alive, walking back to the village just a few hours later, was beyond her expectations.
Before Cristina could respond, I interjected, "The threat that terrorized the village is no more. You won't face issues with sickness or kidnapping again."
Cristina's eyes quivered, "I-Is that true?"
"Yes, ma'am, you don't have to fear anymore. We've already taken care of the main culprits. However... I have some unfortunate news to share with all of you."
"What is that news?"
"Regrettably, none of the kidnapped men managed to survive... When I arrived, they were already deceased."
At Franz's words, Cristina was left speechless. Soon, she covered her mouth and began to cry. After regaining her composure, she replied, "It's truly a horrific thing... if only we had resisted more forcefully... Perhaps everything could have ended differently."
Observing the village chief mourn the loss of all the village men, I attempted to console her, "You don't have to shoulder the blame; you did everything in your power to resist. Acting recklessly could have resulted in everyone's demise. You made the right decisions."
Cristina wiped away her tears and expressed her gratitude.
"By the way, ma'am, do you know where my partner Jessica is? I can't see her among the women gathered here."
"Ah, that's because she's still resting in her room inside the inn," Cristina replied.
"I see, it makes sense, considering her recent health struggles. By the way, do you remember Natasha, the girl you sent to guide me to the cave? I want to thank her for taking care of Jessica."
"Of course, I remember her. She's one of the most useful young women in the village, even though she's only been living here for a short time."
"Has she been living here for a short time?"
I was surprised by the information the village chief revealed.
"Yes, actually, she moved to the village with her father about a year ago. It's truly unfortunate that she and her father were affected by this whole incident."
"Yeah, it's a real shame," I replied.
Seeing me wear a somber expression, Cristina proposed something to uplift my spirits, "By the way, before you four leave the village, we want to express our gratitude for helping us resolve our problem. Unfortunately, we're just a small border village, and we don't have much money. However, we'd like to offer you a reward and a small party in your honor."
Initially, I thought it unnecessary to accept any reward, so I attempted to decline Cristina's invitation. However, she insisted, "Consider the party as a farewell to the departed so they can find eternal rest with the Goddess."
Given the reasons Cristina provided, I had no choice but to accept, "Perfect! Please follow me to my residence to receive the reward and coordinate the details of the party. It's the ideal place for such activities."
"Do you want us to go there immediately? I'd actually prefer if we met up with our partner and got some rest before the celebration," I responded, scratching my head in embarrassment.
"Oh, how inattentive of me. In that case, just come and get the reward, and then you can go directly to the inn to rest."
I concurred with Cristina's words and followed her to her residence, accompanied by Angelica and Eva. Until then, the girls had only been listening to the conversation without participating in it. They had previously decided to let me communicate with the village head since I had met her before in her residence. Of course, the girls were concerned about Jessica, especially Eva; however, they decided to follow my decisions for now.
Upon entering the residence, we traversed the long corridor I had visited just a few hours ago. This time, there was ample light to see clearly, with the dawn illuminating the surroundings and candles strategically placed on the walls adorned with paintings of villagers from different generations.
'...'
I scrutinized all the paintings closely as I walked.
In this manner, we, the group of women, reached the main room, which featured a large table at its center. All the village elders promptly took their seats surrounding the table. The scene mirrored what I had witnessed a few hours ago, with the addition of Angelica and Eva.
"Please, sit at the table for a moment while I fetch the reward. The other women gathered here are probably curious to hear the story of how you defeated those kidnappers."
With that, Cristina prepared to leave the room. However, a sound interrupted her – a growl emanating from an empty stomach. Eva blushed immediately.
"Could I ask you to provide us with some food in the meantime?" I wasted no time in making the request. We had eaten almost nothing since the previous day, and it was not surprising for us to feel hungry after the recent battle.
"Huhu, no problem; please just wait for a moment," Cristina responded with a smile. She left the room to search for the reward, while a cook began preparing breakfast for the village's saviors.
After a few minutes, breakfast was served on the table, but Cristina had not returned. However, we had already started devouring our breakfast. Eva and Angelica, both depleted of mana after their repeated use of unique abilities, quickly consumed all the food.
As for me, having been exhausted both in terms of mana and physically, I was so hungry that I was the first to start eating. We had initially waited for Cristina to return with the reward before commencing breakfast, but since I began eating alone, the girls decided to follow suit.
While we were satiating our hunger, the other villagers questioned us about our adventure in defeating the criminal group. The food was exceptional, and the atmosphere was relaxed to the point that Eva unintentionally fell asleep.
- Zzz
This scenario might have been considered normal for Eva if it weren't for the fact that Angelica, sitting on her right side, also fell asleep almost instantly.
Eventually, I, like the girls, collapsed on the table, asleep. Despite falling onto the food plates and causing cutlery and glasses to crash to the floor, we remained oblivious and undisturbed.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A sudden, total silence enveloped the room. Previously filled with cheerful chatter, the room now harbored numerous silent observers, their eyes fixed on the scene before them.
Abruptly, footsteps echoed in the room, and the gazes of all the gathered women focused on the person responsible.
"I thought it would take more effort to handle them. But it was easier than I initially thought."
The speaker was Cristina, the village head. In stark contrast to a few minutes ago, her cheerful demeanor had vanished, replaced by an emotionless one.
"What do you want us to do with them? Shall we kill them immediately?" inquired one of the women who had been silent until then.
"No," Cristina replied, shaking her head. "For now, transport their bodies to where the other two girls are. Until we get an answer from THEM, we shouldn't take hasty actions."
Subsequently, several villagers began carrying Franz and the girls to another location. Meanwhile, the villagers in the room initiated prayers, and the once-kind eyes of Cristina and the other women now gleamed with fanaticism.