Ryoku was blamed and accused of being the culprit who destroyed the forest.
Then, the chieftain’s husband told me what was happening in the forest.
“First of all, this village was destroyed by Dark Elves. To be precise, it was Nigpyura’s doing. He was waiting for this moment the whole time.”
“Did he do this alone?”
“Ah, he’s that powerful. He looks gentle, but he’s a terrible guy.”
If he had that much power, he should have done it himself from the start. Why did he go to such lengths?
“Then why did he lie low until now? It’s because of the one who speaks with trees.”
“So Ryoku was somehow handling it?”
“That’s right. It’s not that he was handling it, but he couldn’t interfere because that guy was there.”
I see, he had been protecting the forest all along. And the collapse of the dam and Ryoku stopping it were all part of his plan. Now that he’s gone, this village is defenseless. The chieftain knew this. What was she planning to do then?
“What are you going to do, Chieftain?”
“I intend to evacuate everyone and fight alone.”
“That’s right, please call the guards and stop them from chasing Ryoku. You should be able to persuade them.”
He shook his head, saying that was impossible. Why, he’s the chieftain’s husband. He should be in a higher position.
“You see, I’m not trusted by anyone. I’m already disliked by the spirits, and on top of that, I married the Chieftain. I don’t know why she fell for a guy like me.”
Even if you say that. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand. This race lives alongside spirits. If the spirits don’t come near you, you’re considered untrustworthy.
“But I love her, so I don’t want her to be alone. Sometimes I envy others. I wish I could help if I had something I was good at.”
“That’s not true. Having spirits isn’t the only form of power. Please cooperate with us. We will fight the Dark Elves.”
Fortunately, all my companions are here. They will surely attack this village. So, we’ll ambush them.
“Thank you, it’s reassuring to hear you say that. I’ll stay here and protect the village.”
“Then we will too.”
If they attack, it will be at night. With the houses destroyed and the residents terrified, our defenses are weak. The guards are also unable to cope with the sudden situation. Some of them have also gone to chase Ryoku, whom they shouldn’t be able to find. And some are accompanying the other residents to evacuate.
Hey… wait a minute. Does that mean the guards and hunters are moving in separate groups right now? In other words, our fighting strength is being dispersed. We are here in this village, and even if the enemy is numerous, we can hold out to some extent. But what about the residents who can’t fight? Would they attack this village again after attacking it once?
What value is there in a village where no one is left? If that’s the case, the most dangerous ones are the evacuating residents. They should be heading to a safe place, but as it is, they will fall into the enemy’s hands.
“Excuse me, we’re going after all.”
“Huh? W-Well, I see.”
I gathered everyone and told them we should follow the evacuating residents. Sharin put her hand on her chin and nodded.
“Hmm, that’s true. We don’t know the enemy’s true objective, but if it’s the annihilation of the Hummingbird Harpies, then that would be the case.”
“That’s right. Our true treasures aren’t in this village after all. We should go after them too. Let’s leave the chieftain and her husband here.”
But where on earth did they go? It’s probably a place we don’t know. We’ll need someone to guide us. Who should we ask? The sisters who are good swimmers and Iron Tooth have probably already fled.
I looked around the devastated village. Damn, the sun is setting. If we continue like this, night will fall. Hmm, what is that…
“Mom, let’s hurry and escape!”
“B-But, the shop…”
There were still people left in the distance. It was the boy who was playing pranks on me after I first met the chieftain. He’s trying to drag his mother away.
“Hey, you over there, it’s me. I’m glad you’re still here.”
The boy noticed me and scowled.
“Ugh, what do you want?”
“You’re going to escape now, right? Take us with you.”
“Ehh, no way! You guys look suspicious.”
This is not the time to be saying that. Fine, let’s hurry and chase after the group that left earlier. I took the mother, who was dawdling, and asked her to guide us.
“What are you doing to my mother!”
“Hurry up, are you okay with being attacked on the way?”
“We’re already being attacked by you guys! Fine, you better save us no matter what.”
It’s a little forceful, but with this, we can protect the residents. We have to catch up before sunset.
