"Oh my… thank you, young lady. Thanks to you, my work is much easier."
The village chief straightened his spine, which had been bent for a long time, and grimaced. It had been a while since he had moved around so much, and his back pain was worse.
The old storeroom of the village chief's house. This dusty place was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items.
"But… is it okay for you to help us like this? Don't you have work to do?"
"Don't worry about it. My Master told me to do as I please while he is out."
"Oh dear, then we've taken away your rest time. I'm sorry…"
"No, I wanted to help."
Emma's bright smile eased the village chief's concerns. He paused for a moment, seemingly touched, then grasped Emma's delicate hand with his wrinkled one.
"My grandson… he's of marriageable age, you know… I'd be overjoyed if a girl like you became my daughter-in-law."
"Uh…?"
"You're so kind and beautiful. Where did such a young lady come from?"
"Um, excuse me…!"
"Could you arrange a meeting with your master?"
Emma couldn't pull her hand away and opened her mouth, taken aback by the sudden and awkward proposal.
"How about it…? Would that be alright?"
But in this situation, she needed to clearly express her will. Giving a vague answer would be even more disrespectful.
Emma steadied her wandering gaze.
"Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. I'm sorry."
"My grandson may be an ignorant country boy, but he's diligent and excellent at farming. He has a good personality too… wouldn't you reconsider?"
The chief's tone became urgent, taken aback by her firm rejection.
"Oh, it's not because of that…"
The chief seemed to sense her firm resolve and slowly released his grip. Emma gently extricated herself from his hand.
"I have a lot of work to do in the future. I'm grateful for your kind offer, but I can't accept it."
The chief let out a sigh but didn't press further. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Such a waste… the Master you serve is a lucky man. Ah, right. Since you're here, I want to give you something. Follow me. It's a rare chance to give you a gift."
The chief, chuckling dejectedly, took a step back. He then led the way out of the storeroom. Emma followed closely behind.
"One of our village's specialties is fresh cheese made from newly milked cows. I want you to have some—"
—Crack!
The chief didn't finish his sentence. Or rather, he couldn't.
"… huh?"
Emma's faint voice slipped out as she struggled to comprehend the sudden change in circumstances. Her body froze, and her mind raced to interpret what had just happened.
A moment ago, the chief had stepped over the threshold of the storeroom to leave. … had stepped? What had stepped? What had disappeared?
A sickening sound and a shattered head.
The head that had been part of his body was now impaled on something like a giant thorn, stuck in the wooden wall of the storeroom.
Thud.
His body, now headless, lost its balance and fell. A dark liquid spurted out, drenching everything around it in its color.
Emma's breath became erratic. Although she hadn't exhausted all her mana or physical strength, her body felt as if it was being crushed under a heavy weight.
In her mind, the memories bound by blood and darkness began to creep up and take over her.
She knew.
This was not the first time she faced such a situation.
Emma knew.
She knew what it meant when blood spurted out like this.
[Krrk?]
Beyond the threshold, a red creature appeared as if it had been waiting. That amber-eyed thing was not unfamiliar either.
Was this a dream?
A memory she never wanted to relive. A cursed nightmare. The curse of that day.
Was this an extension of that torment? The continuation of that agony?
Nevertheless, she prayed desperately.
Please, let this be just a nightmare.
Emma's trembling legs nearly buckled beneath her. Her eyes locked onto the creature beyond the threshold. It stood on all fours, its sinewy frame slick with crimson, as if it had bathed in fresh blood. Its amber eyes gleamed with a malevolent hunger, an intelligence that twisted her gut into knots.
The air seemed to thicken, each breath she took rasping against her dry throat. The creature tilted its head, studying her with a chilling curiosity.
Run, Emma. Move!
Her mind screamed at her, but her body refused to obey. The grotesque memory of another time, another place, chained her in place. That day when her village had been reduced to ash, and her loved ones...
No. Not again.
Emma forced herself to blink, breaking free of the terror that had frozen her in place. She grabbed the nearest object—a sturdy wooden staff lying amidst the scattered items in the storeroom. It wasn't her sword, but it would have to do.
The creature crouched lower, its muscles coiling as it prepared to pounce.