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They checked the orb of truth simultaneously, their eyes alternating between the hooded traveler and his hand on it.
The healer pointed at the table. "It—it's yellow! The orb's light is yellow. He is telling the truth!" Her voice was filled with confidence in the orb's judgment.
"Ahem, ahem!"
After a few seconds, the village head was the first to escape his stupor. "What is a person like you doing here, wanting to be a resident in our small, out-of-the-map village?" His voice was filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion, mirroring the thoughts of the intrigued villagers.
He stood up and looked the traveler in the eyes despite the hood and cape covering the traveler's entire body.
Silence enveloped the entire room after the village head stood up. The other four elders' expressions changed, shifting to a serious tone immediately following their leader.
The room's temperature seemed to drop as the five people waited for the newcomer's answer. Their body posture showed they were on the defensive, ready to fight if the traveler showed even a slight sign of aggression.
The traveler looked the village head in the eyes and said, "Because I like the location of this village. It has four seasons. On one side, it is all mountains, and on the other is the sea, which is nearby."
"The sea is a quarter of a season's travel away from here, even on horseback," they all thought.
"But if you do not want me here, I will look for somewhere else," the traveler added, his hand still on the orb of truth, which remained yellow.
"It is not that we do not want you here. It is just unusual for someone like you to be here," the healer explained.
"What do you mean? If I remember correctly, this place comprises villagers of different races."
"We are not talking about that. We are just wondering why someone of your rank and level is here when you could easily attain noble status in any kingdom you visit. As we all know, silver-ranked hunters, adventurers, or anyone of that rank can be counted on one hand within this continent," the small giant added.
"So? I do not need a noble status," the traveler replied calmly.
"What about fortune? With your caliber, you could complete almost all quests, any guild, kingdom, or empire requested. You could earn a lot from those and more," one of the elders suggested.
"I do not need fortune."
"You could acquire any property you want with such wealth."
"I do not need any property other than the house you provided and what I have with me."
"You could attract and marry four wives and six concubines from different walks of life."
"I do not need wives or concubines."
"Four husbands and six male concubines?"
"I also do not need those."
"Wahahahahahah," the village head laughed aloud, his laughter booming through the room.
He laughed so hard that his chair tilted back until it fell with him in it.
Thud—
"Village head!" All the elders shouted.
The healer and the priest helped him and set the chair upright before seating him properly.
"Who's the infant?" the village head asked after wiping away the tears that had formed from laughing so hard.
"My son.
Name: Lucy Yan
Gender: Male
Age: 1 year old
Race: Half-Elf and Half-Human," the traveler answered.
"What about his mother?" the village head added.
"His mother died, and I am not married, nor do I plan on marrying anytime soon," the traveler answered thoughtfully.
"Wahahaha," the village head laughed again, then stood up. He faced the traveler, smiled businesslikely, and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"Congratulations on becoming a resident of our small village. May you find peace and happiness here," the village head said warmly.
"Frank!?" the healer turned around and shouted the village head's name in disbelief.
"He has been telling us the truth since the beginning. I've been watching him hold the orb of truth the whole time," the small giant interrupted.
"So have I. The orb of truth was bright yellow the entire time, and it was a gift directly from the main church of the Heavenly Kingdom. It was blessed by the goddess of two faces herself. Even if the traveler has a high occupation rank, he could not cheat on the results," the priest defended the legitimacy of the orb.
"It was forged in the Cavern Kingdom to the south," the dwarf added.
The village head stayed still, looking at the traveler until all the other elders stopped talking.
Growl—
"Alright, that is enough. Let's welcome our new resident. My stomach cannot wait anymore. I am hungry like a bear," the village head said while his stomach grumbled.
"Welcome to the Void Village. I am Frank, the head of the Void Village. I am a 50-year-old male who is half-human and half-shapeshifter. Come to me if you have any problems regarding anything within or about the Void Village. I am also a hunter, bronze-ranked, and level violet."
"Thank you for allowing me to stay. No wonder this village is peaceful compared to others," the traveler commented.
"It will be even more so now that you are staying with us," Frank said, not denying it and seeming proud of his decision.
The others then looked at the traveler and introduced themselves in turn.
"Welcome to the Void Village. I am Stephen, the only All Gods and Goddess Church priest—a 29-year-old human male. I am a bronze-ranked, level indigo priest. My specialty is blessings, but I also act as the records keeper in the village and assist Frank in handling village matters."
"Welcome to the Void Village. I am Luta, a 40-year-old female half-dryad and half-human. I am a bronze-ranked, level indigo alchemist, but I also help heal villagers like Stephen. As one of the elders, I help Frank manage the village as best I can."
"Welcome to the Void Village. I am Higante, a 39-year-old male half-giant, half-human. My occupation is a knight with a bronze rank and level indigo. I lead patrols and help secure the safety of the village. As one of the elders, I also help Frank manage the village."
"Welcome to the Void Village. You can call me Bassit, a 39-year-old male dwarf. I am a craftsman and artisan with a bronze rank and level indigo. I help the villagers in creating and building things. As an elder, I assist in managing the village."
After the last elder introduced himself, the traveler removed his hood, revealing an androgynous pale face. He slightly bowed his head and said, "Thank you all for accepting me and my son."
As he lifted his head, he saw Frank's surprised face and those of the others.
When Kabun raised an eyebrow in a questioning look, Stephen quickly spoke to avoid misunderstanding. "I am sorry for our surprised reaction. We have never seen a light-skinned elf with raven-black hair and purple-colored irises."
"That is true. There are no records of them in the three kingdoms. Maybe they have them in other places. Or is that not your original hair and eye color?" Luta interjected excitedly.
"This is my original appearance, and now you have seen a light-skinned elf with raven-black hair and purple-colored irises," Kabun said, amused.
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