Reibar was 19 years old. For 18 years of his life, he had lived in an orphanage with 13 of his siblings under the same roof. The Headmaster of the orphanage, also referred to as 'father' by these children, was named 'Kaelith Valenhart'.
The man had taught all kinds of things to these children, including all the basic information about the world. The races and people living in it. How harsh and cruel this world is.
Despite all of this, Reibar was always optimistic; it was simply in his nature. Despite having a lot of bad memories of the first 18 years of life, such as Dolo and Renji bullying him all the time. He knew they were still his family, and that was true, too. Thinking about it now, He knows how much he loves Dolo, but he also knows that the headmaster only wants him to know about his power. Though the means of teaching were totally wrong. Of course...
However, every child in the orphanage had that kind of cruel experience with him. For example Renji At just eight years old, was locked in a room until he mastered his ability to manipulate gravity, lifting a boulder as if it were weightless.... everyone saw his face when he came out looking like a dead man after being trapped inside the room and eating nothing.
At the age of 18, they were told that they had been taught enough, and as for now, they will be going on their separate paths for some live lessons and putting everything they've learned so far into practicality. All of the children were teleported into corners of the world, since then Reibar haven't heard of any of his siblings or his father.
He was 'thrown' into the woods outside willowfield. In the same woods, he had faced a life-threatening situation recently.
For the first time in his life, Reibar had met people outside of the orphanage excluding some visitors who came to see Kaelith rarely. Everything was new for him, He volunteered himself for labour to earn himself enough to feed his hunger. The townsfolk were good and treated him like one of them. Then one day the war horn was blown, it was something he hadn't heard of... soon evacuation had started people were sent into underground shelters near the large mansion of lord Gareth.
Eighty ten-foot-tall ogres rampaged through the town, their massive clubs smashing everything in their path. Where do they come from? What was their purpose? Who was leading them? Nobody knows.
All Reibar knew was he followed the instructions to remain in the well-lit shelter, got plenty of food and despite all of the ruckus above ground, few guards were still stationed there. The presence of guards allowed the distribution of food and prevented any of the people from causing any harm to the poor and weak. This was the world, hungry men would take advantage of a situation like this and would eat widowed and single women.
However, no inappropriate thing happened underground. He stayed there for whole 2 days while ogres were dealt above ground. Later it was known that due to the hard intelligence system of Gareth, they had known of this attack beforehand and all necessary arrangements were made like hiring mercenaries from nearby towns to stop those invaders.
It was all good, Reibar even signed in as as an adventurer and met his party they all treated him so well. All of them have shared many laughing nights in bars discussing their day.
Eric was the son of Gareth and from common people, his identity was hidden, he just didn't like using the name of his father. Else he wouldn't had some hard luck with the girls despite looking good. Only if he told everyone who he was he could've created his own harem and enjoyed his life but this guy liked being an adventurer more than that.
As for Milio, she was bought into the Martlock Empire as a prisoner. Her parents along with her were captured smuggling wheat across the borders to the 'Tharven kingdom' also called the kingdom of beastmen sharing borders with Martlock. Father killed, and a gorgeous mother was sold to be a slave for a noble.
Whereas Milio just being 16 was bought by Gareth on insisting of his son. Eric always felt guilty he couldn't save her parents but he was helpless as Milio hadn't done any smuggling on her own she was spared and the rest of the prisoners were taken to the capital.
Lisana was a beauty, Eric had a crush on her like half of the town. Her blonde hair and plump chest could astray the heart of any married man. As per her story, she was taught healing by her aunt and loved being an adventurer being a healer. Of course, looking back now reibar doubted any of her words were true.
It was still some time in the dawn, and Reibar was brought to the mansion and given fresh clothes and food, all he had been thinking was of his comrades which he had lost... Gareth whereas was busy the whole night making necessary preparations for any upcoming attack. Reibar had told him that Milio was bit by one of those walking undead which took her 3 days to get like become one of them so they need to be careful of getting bitten if such an invasion happens.
Food was stockpiled and bought from the treasury and when taken towards the tunnel shelter a horrific discovery was made.
The tunnel entrance was sealed under an immense pile of debris!
Despite the combined efforts of labourers and mages to clear, it remained impassable. It was still more of it for them to find, it was like the whole of the shelter was filled with and with current manpower it would take them at least a month to clear out if being optimistic. Where does it even come from? It was all fine until the last day. Only a strong mage having the power to manipulate earth elements at will and having at least a mastery of B rank in it was capable of doing this. But willowfield can't even have some person like that in a 100 km radius at least.
Not only this but the communication device for contacting the capital was stolen from the mansion. The mansion of the lord was like a general HQ in times of trouble and war and had the most security, but first the failed assassination attempt and now this robbery, Gareth had to think about the security he was so proud of.
With it stolen no sort of communication could be made with nearby towns even asking for soldiers or mercenaries, all he could do was to send soldiers on horses with letters for help. It can only be hoped that everything remains well during this time.....As only if!
It was like their enemy had learnt from the last attack they had made, and was now improvising so nothing could disturb their plans this time.
"It became evident that Lisanna wasn't the only spy; someone within the inner circle had betrayed the town." Gareth thought.
Gareth knew it was not the time to grieve for his son which he had been doing for the last few days. He had sworn to protect the families of town and if he faltered now, Willowfield's spirit would crumble, and with it, any chance of survival.
Gareth had already used all of his city's intelligence network to investigate his son. He got blinded and didn't see what was the urgent matter he needed to focus on.
However, it was too late now. The fact of men trying to clear the debris of the shelter had come to be known by all of the residents of the mansion. Including the spy whoever it was and the spy only had to do his last job now.....Informing whoever was in charge that the time to strike had come.
An hour or so passed since dawn and then the war horns were blown again, everyone in the town knew what it meant. Just not knowing this time they were doomed and even the Wise Lord of theirs, Gareth Windmere could save them this time.
An army of undead emerged on the horizon, approaching willowfield with their sluggish bodies and slow march...