After the wolfkin trial ended, I was the first one to leave, then everyone else followed.
It was quiet, nobody knew what to say.
Their leader had just been arrested and the Elder took command, a seed of doubt was placed on the Heroes' reputation, and their Shaman died with a horrifying expression on her face for visualizing a near future… there was no space to have peace of mind.
There were no conclusions or closures, the problems only piled up.
I was cleared of my charges, so I was free to leave the village, I could continue going west and keep on trying to survive as I was planning to…
But the feeling of being in the wrong still had me in shackles, its weight pressing my shoulders down.
So before I went to do anything else, I stop a few steps away from the church-like building and turn to the wolfkins walking behind me.
They all stare at me.
Willrus, Ave, and Peje are closest to me.
I can't tell what they are thinking, there's only uneasiness in the air.
But if it's not now, when would I be able to talk to all of them?
So with determination, I collect all the strength I have in me and scream:
"I'm sorry!!"
My voice echoes in the dirt street, stopping all wolfkins.
It's early in the day and the sun hits the right side of my face from an alley, but it doesn't fully explain why I feel my skin burning.
"When I came to this village… with that monster behind me… I-, I was afraid, I didn't know what to do. The only thing I could think of was to come here so I could escape. But I swear to you, I'm not a spy! But still… I wasn't considering your lives, and I ended up putting all of you in danger. I'm really sorry!"
I had closed my eyes halfway through.
I don't want to see their reactions.
But it doesn't matter, if they attack me or if they resent me, I can leave and run away.
That's what I can do best with this character.
Run away.
I don't know why Nate did what he did.
But I know there are players out there who can do bad things. Do stupid decisions.
Especially from the perspective of NPCs.
I don't want them blindly trusting in somebody just because they are a "hero".
That's the logical thinking my mind repeated to myself over and over again to explain why apologizing was necessary.
I hear footsteps in front of me and I quickly open my eyes.
I look to where I can blink away, but it's too late.
Ave blocks my vision with a tight hug.
Ave: "It's all right! Everything turned out fine, didn't it? It's all right."
She strokes my head as her other arm pulls my back, forcing my face against her chest.
Heh?
It's warm… and soft.
Ave: "You don't need to say sorry. You thought right coming to this village when you did! There's no reason for you to feel guilty."
She lets go just enough to look down at me with a bright smile on her face.
"But I wasn't-"
Ave: "-You don't need to worry, I'll make that fool of a husband of mine apologize. You stay here."
She suddenly strides away with a prideful face.
"No, seriously… I'm guilty, I endangered your lives without a second thought."
The Elder goes a step forward to be in front of me.
Peje: "You are not guilty of trying to survive. Anyone in your place would have done the same. We are aware of the dangers of this region, and we still choose to live here. It's not your fault that beast went to prey on you."
He lands his hand on my shoulder with a sad smile on his face.
Peje: "You're still our guest of honor, and you are still a Hero, nothing changed. Nate is just too thick-headed when it comes to Heroes. When he was younger they couldn't save his family in time, that's why he resents them. There's nothing to do with what you did."
The Elder nods and walks away.
Vute: "Seriously man, lift your chin! It was my bad, I should have said something sooner, I could have saved you from Nate's speech from the beginning but I was just too dumb to see through his nonsense, I'm sorry."
"No- you don't need to…"
But Vute leaves towards the inn without looking back.
Then, one by one the wolfkins came to apologize.
I was completely lost.
Wasn't I who did something wrong?
Even if I did what I needed to survive, I brought a whole new problem to them, there's no reason for them to apologize.
"Don't worry! You can stay all you want, all right?" "That's right! Come hunting with us anytime, just ask!" – A muscular couple gives me a thumbs up.
"Come to my place to eat some fish hidden from the others if you are hungry! Just don't worry about it." – A wolf girl smiles courageously at me.
Three young wolfkins come forth with big smiles, the oldest of them being around fifteen years old.
"You were so badass! Going against Nate and all, that's a Hero for you!"
"Err… that's-"
"Can I be just like you one day!?"
"I-…"
"Being an adventurer must be so cool…"
Their father comes stroking the head of his children.
"Yeah! When you said that about protecting the two kids, my skin crawled! There I knew you were telling the truth, you couldn't be a bad person after saying that with such emotion."
"About the two kids?"
He means the 'I should have left them to die' part?
"That's right! Nate crossed the line this time." – Another adult comes from behind him.
"Uh huh, Nate is a big dumb dumb." – A small kid looks up to the previous wolfkin.
What's going on??
"Don't be down! You saved us, I'll remember that! It doesn't matter if Nate hates you, I know you're a Hero! Keep going at it and one day you'll become a legend!" – The pale skin child yells to me.
It's the same kid who almost was eaten by the dragon-tiger, and at his back, there's his two-tailed younger sister.
"Even though, you did nothing…" – she whispers creeping behind her brother.
"Heh-!..."
Both their parents come forth, all of them with pale skin and white hair, the mother is the first one to speak to me.
"I tried to thank you at dinner last night, but I saw you were too busy with Ave's talking, so we didn't want to interrupt. But I truly thank you for saving my children, we are indebted to you."
The father strokes the son's head, both with adventurous smiles on their faces.
"That's right! Thanks, both of you, I don't know what I would do without these little pests of mine."
Willrus stands on my side, a little surprised to receive thanks, interrupting his deep thoughtful expression.
Willrus: "There's no need to feel indebted. That's our job, I just ask for you to continue being kind to us." – He bends slightly forward as politely as he can, as if he had it practiced many times.
He looks at me with serious eyes.
"Ah-! T-That's right, there's no reason for you guys to feel that way, please don't mind us."
I try to imitate Willrus.
Then the family walks away, "They are so humble." "That's heroes for you, Honey!" they say to each other. "I still don't trust them…" the little girl grumbles as they turn a corner.
It was like it wouldn't end. For a time I could only see their blurred figures stopping in front of me and then walking away.
Everyone had something to tell me, to thank me, to say I shouldn't worry, that I could stay in the village as long as I wanted to.
It was a complete break of what I was expecting.
Many of them said to me, that when Nate threatened to draw his sword, everyone realized he was in the wrong. "Wolfkins knows about those things, we can smell emotions."
That doesn't make sense.
I swear to remember them standing up to fight me, but they were going to fight Nate?
That happened before Willrus said anything.
I don't know if they are lying, but I thought Willrus was the one who saved me.
No, wait.
There's something wrong with all of this.
Something isn't fitting right.
"Don't worry! You are still a hero to us!"
"I know you're good! Don't listen to what Nate said!"
Wait a second.
"Maybe if you have a sword you can fight the next monster that appears! Let me know if you want one."
"If anything else happens, don't worry, you can count on us!"
Huh...?
"You can be strong, keep going!"
When a five-year-old child with light-brown hair and chubby cheeks told me that, my soul left my body.
After that, I had no more energy to keep up on responding or to react to what they were saying.
When it was over, only Willrus and I remained standing in the middle of the street, looking at the front of the church-like building.
"Willrus, tell me the truth…"
I look at him in dismay.
"Do I look like a hopeless child?"
Willrus: "Huh? What?"
"How young do I look?"
Willrus: "Hmm… about eighteen, maybe a little more. I'm not good with telling age though."
"Fhuuu…" – I sigh with teary eyes. – "So why I'm being treated like a child who did a mistake, and everyone else is softening it up so I don't feel bad about it?"
Willrus puts his right hand over his chin to think, he hums in deep thought, then he looks at me with an emotionless face.
Willrus: "Because you act like one."
"Gah-!"
That was a direct hit!
I need a couple of seconds to recover from that.
At least he's honest, I guess.
Willrus: "Say, Strider…" – He looks with a stern face at me. – "Did you--"
But he stops and hesitates without breaking his stare.
"…huh?"
He looks away.
Willrus: "Forget it."
He leaves.
Okay…
After that, I stayed a few minutes standing alone until my integrity recharged and I had enough energy to move again.