As soon they stepped into the forest, an oasis of green scenery emerged in the middle of relentless sand.
The day-time heat of the desert seems to disappear, replaced with the gentle smell of the wind.
The man in silver armor couldn't help but marvel at the scenery.
"I can hardly believe such a lush forest exists in the middle of this desert" he muttered.
The child next him responded, holding a yellow rose.
"It's said the Goddess of Fertility blessed this place, granting it rain even in the harshest conditions."
"Hmph" the man scoffed. "A goddess whose title isn't mentioned in any holy sacrament..."
His voice trailed off abruptly as the child raised her hand, signaling him to stop.
"Trap..." she muttered at once.
An arrow sped by them, just missing their heads, and lodged itself in a neighboring tree as if on cue.
The silver-armored man stiffened, reaching for his sword out of reflex, but before he could do so, a rustle came from the bushes to their right.
In the distance, a torch blinked, bouncing over the brush like someone running.
"Intruders!" one of the soldiers shouted, bolting after the light without hesitation.
"Idiot, that's a trap!" the child snapped, but her warning came too late.
The soldier disappeared into the foliage, his shadow quickly swallowed by the dense trees. A moment later, his scream echoed through the forest.
"ARGHHHH!"
With their eyes darting from one dark corner of the forest to another, the remaining troops started to whisper nervously.
"What's happening?"
"Did they know we were coming?"
"Did that 'Chariot' warn them in advance?"
The child stood still, her red eyes remained focused. Beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she scanned the area, trying to make sense of it all.
She whispered to herself, "They couldn't have known... No one was supposed to be aware of our actions."
"Even if they were somehow warned, there's no way they could've planned this level of strategy on such short notice."
The man in silver armor, standing beside her, remained calm. "It doesn't matter. As long as we avoid the traps, they can't defeat us. These are just normal villagers after all."
"Indeed" the child agreed, though her unease lingered. "The kingdom called all its knights and soldiers back to their capital. This village should've been defenseless…"
"Then all we need to do is proceed carefully. They've set traps, but they're not warriors. We'll flush them out, eliminate the resistance, and move on."
But as they prepared to take another step, the flicker of torchlights appeared once again, this time in multiple directions, moving through the trees one another.
The soldiers hesitated for a moment, unsure what to do next.
"Another trap..." the child murmured. "They're trying to surround us. Leading us into an ambush. I think it's the best idea to remain-"
However her words were cut when the man in silver armor immediately barked his next order. "Soldiers! Prepare for arrows! Fire!"
At his command, arrows flew through the air with a sharp 'swoosh,' aimed toward the deceptive torchlights. The satisfying sound of arrows hitting their mark brought a momentary cheer from the soldiers.
"Yes! We got them!" one soldier shouted, triumph in his voice.
But their victory was short-lived.
When a soldier cautiously checked the bushes where the arrows had landed, his face twisted in confusion and horror. Emerging from the leaves was not a fallen enemy, but a goat, its mouth bound shut, a torch tied to its head.
"W-what... is this?!" the soldier stammered.
Before anyone could process the bizarre sight, a sudden barrage of arrows rained down on them from above.
Seven soldiers collapsed instantly, their armor clattering as they hit the ground, blood pooling beneath them.
"S-shit, another trap!" The man in silver armor, now visibly panicked, shouted once again.
"Defend yourselves, quickly!"
The surviving soldiers scrambled to raise their shields, forming a defensive line just as more arrows clattered against their armor. The storm of arrows lasted only a few seconds.
When it finally stopped, the silence that followed was deafening.
Frustrated and on edge, the man in silver armor turned to his side, ready to demand a plan from the yellow-haired child.
"Oi, what's the next move—"
But the child is nowhere to be seen...
*****
Yunnie held his breath, heart racing, after releasing his arrows. Perched in the tree alongside the other villagers, hidden among the trees, he could hardly believe what he was seeing below.
It seems all the villagers also think the same thing. Their heart beat grew faster, their cheeks began to flushed red, seemingly proud to themselves.
'The plan worked!'
'It actually worked?'
'Holy molly, I think I wanna pee—'
Their eyes remained glued to the scene unfolding beneath them. The group of soldiers, now visibly panicked, was caught in their makeshift traps.
The plan had been simple: move constantly to avoid detection, deceive the soldiers with torchlight decoys, and force them into a web of well-placed traps.
It wasn't just the torches that confused the soldiers. If they try to flee, they would find themselves sliced by hidden blade traps. If they stayed in place too long, the villagers would rain arrows down upon them.
And if the soldiers relied on their wooden shields for too long...—oil, followed by fire, ready to turn the forest in fire.
Yunnie swallowed nervously, stealing a glance at Seon, who sat beside him.
'Amazing... she planned all this in such a short time!'
'At this rate, we'll win. Every last one of them will be taken down.'
But before he could fully bask in their success, Seon, who had been silent all this time, spoke softly. "Hmm… it seems one threat escaped successfully."
Yunnie blinked. "Uh, who?"
"The one with the yellow rose" Seon replied.
Yunnie frowned, remembering the blonde child who had been leading the group. She hadn't looked like a warrior. More like… a hostage. 'Was she a threat?'
"Oh well, it's a good thing" Seon shrugged, standing up as if it didn't bother her. "That leaves only one threat now. It's much easier to deal with him head-on."
"Uh- w-where are you going?"
"Back to the village of course"
"W-why it's not yet clear!"
"To deal with a cockroach"
"Then I'm joining!"
Seon paused mid-step and turned to face him.
"You can die there."
"I-I'm confident I can help!"
For a brief moment, Seon's expression softened. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Who would have thought a coward like Yunnie would volunteer for something so dangerous? She had certainly underestimated his character.
"Alright, don't blame me if you end up visiting hell"