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Hadaha Village was filled with a deep silence. When Orthus noticed the depressed state the whole village was in, he placed his sword in its scabbard and relaxed his stance.

(It’s over…)

Exhaling a shallow sigh, Orthus frowned. The villagers who saw Orthus were astonished and thrilled that he was alive.

“Wisteria.”

At the sound of a voice calling out to her, Wisteria gradually raised her head, her face heavy. She had collapsed to her knees, her face a mess of tears.

“Big bro! Why? Why did dis happen?!”
“Is my being alive bad?”
“I thought ya’d be dead.”
“So you were just worried.”

Wisteria’s snot got all over Orthus’ clothes, but he didn’t mind it at all and patted her on the head.

“What happened to Lord Kuro? Did he go back?”
“Yes. But I’m not sure about Rowdon…”
“Did Lord Kuro eat him?”
“No. He took Rowdon with him.”
“I see…”

The situation was not bright. But given that he hadn’t been eaten yet, there could still be time.

“Wis. Can you take me to the Demon Lord’s lair?”
“Lord Kuro’s?”
“Yes. We might be able to save Rowdon if we go now. So…”

Orthus said that much before an angry shout interrupted.

“I FORBIIIIIIID!!!” He looked and saw the village head approaching him with a cane, taking large steps. “No! No! No! You will not provoke Lord Kuro’s wrath any further!”

The village chief’s face was so red that it looked as if it might burst at any moment as he waved his cane around. “I don’t know what kind of miracle or coincidence has kept you alive, but I will not allow you to challenge Lord Kuro any longer!”

“But Chief! Rowdon’s life is in danger!”
“We have no choice but to accept that such things are inevitable! There are times when Lord Kuro comes out of his shrine on a whim! Rather, I’m relieved there was only one sacrifice!”
“But…”
“Don’t you dare interfere! This is how we have survived until now! And what will you achieve by going to Lord Kuro’s shrine? Can you defeat him? Huh?!”
“That’s…”

They couldn’t win. They couldn’t defeat Lord Kuro, but they might be able to save Rawdon by running away and holding him off. But if they provoked the Demon Lord’s wrath further, it was almost certain that the village would suffer more damages.

Orthus bit his lip at the current situation, which was spiraling out of control.

It was Wisteria who grabbed his hem as he was lost in thought.

“Wis?”
“Big bro, let’s give up. We won’t achieve anything if we go now.”
“Wis…”
“What?”
“I’ll leave tomorrow with the sunrise and go retrieve my equipment. I promise you that. So…”
“Ya want me to wait?”
“That’s right.”

Wisteria’s face was still wet from the tears. Looking at her, Orthus felt a stabbing pain in his chest.

◇◇◇

Night came. Wisteria was wrapped in a blanket and cradling her sword. She was reminded of the devastation of the daytime and the memorable times with Rowdon.

No one in the village was the same age as Wisteria. Hence, Wisteria and Rowdon were always together. They ate out of the same pot and even bathed together when they were younger.

An irreplaceable and cherished childhood friend, Rowdon was an evil brat who laughed at Wisteria’s dreams of becoming a knight, but she knew it was not a genuine sneer. She also knew he genuinely cared for her well-being.

“Rowdon…” she whispered.

Just the thought that Rowdon might’ve been eaten by Lord Kuro made her heart beat irregularly fast. Sticky sweat clung to her back, and chills ran through her body.

Wisteria felt nauseous as she recalled the gruesome death of Rowdon’s brother, which she had witnessed during the day. She couldn’t help but wonder how people, and even life itself, could be treated in such a way.

She feared Rowdon might die the same way. Her sweaty hands wouldn’t stop trembling, and the shaking of her entire body didn’t cease. Tears spilled down her cheeks, wetting the bed.

“Rowdon…” she whispered.

Wisteria pulled off the blanket and stood up. Gripping her sword tightly, she repeated the words Orthus had taught her.

“Faith and pride.”

Strength wasn’t important. Wisteria made up her mind and sneaked out of the house without anyone noticing. In her hand, she carried a worn-out sword.

◇◇◇

Orthus woke up, but the view before him did not represent the morning. Looking out the window, he saw the night was still dark.

It was the hustle and bustle outside that had woken him. Adults had gathered in the plaza, carrying torches, and were rallying around something.

(What is it? A festival? I doubt it.)

Slipping out of the hut set aside for guests, Orthus made his way to the plaza.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

As soon as Orthus’ low, resonant voice came through, attention was immediately drawn to him. Being an outsider and taller than the others, it was easy for him to attract attention, especially given the astonishing power he had shown during the day.

The adults seemed at a loss to respond to Orthus’ question.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Wis…”
“Hey!”

One of the villagers, who was about to speak, huffed and shut his mouth when he was stopped by another.

(Wis? What about her? Don’t tell me…)

“Don’t tell me she went to Lord Kuro’s lair by herself?” Orthus asked.

It was none other than the village chief who answered his question.

“That’s right. She’s a foolish child. By the time I realized it, she was out of the village. There’s nothing I can do about it now.”
“What a mess. We should go after her and stop her. Show me where the shrine is.”
“No. You might offend Lord Kuro!”
“I don’t intend to fight. Without my equipment, even I would be killed. A child couldn’t have crossed the forest very far at night. If it’s me, there’s a chance that I can catch up with her.”
“Do you promise you won’t fight?”
“I swear to God.”

For a moment, the village chief’s gaze, as if surveying the situation, penetrated Orthus. Orthus neither cringed nor wavered under the gaze, responding with a sincere look that appealed to the chief.

Eventually, “Good grief…” The village chief exhaled. It was a tired, dismayed sigh.

“Someone! Show this man the way. And don’t lend him a torch! Make sure Lord Kuro doesn’t sense you, and no matter what happens, do not fight him. Okay?”
“Yes.”

The moment Orthus nodded stiffly, the villagers around them began to talk.

“Chief, is it really okay? We might offend Lord Kuro if we tell this man where the shrine is!”
“It’s fine. No one wants to search around the shrine anyway. If there’s still a chance we can get Wis out, we’ll have to let him take the role.”

At the village chief’s words, none of the villagers protested further. They had been struggling earlier over who was going to search for Wisteria around the shrine.

“Come, I’ll show you the way.” one villager said.
“Thank you,”

Orthus replied, bowing his head sincerely.