Chapter 8: The Village Chief's Plea; Adolf's Fury
However, regretting now would do no good; ultimately, Ryan could only fly back to the village in resignation, landing on the ground.
After folding away his "Wings of the Gale",the villagers who had witnessed Ryan repelling the monster with his undeniable strength were overwhelmed with endless gratitude and admiration. They approached him cheering and jumping for joy. Their faces glowed with an unprecedented brightness, as if they had seen the long-lost dawn. A chance to completely rid themselves of the monster's threat!
"Honorable mage lord, you must have been sent by the heavens to aid us, right?"
"Honorable mage lord, we cannot thank you enough!"
They gathered around Ryan, each person's face brimming with boundless respect for this hero.
Before long, Annie, bursting with excitement, dragged Alice through the crowd to Ryan.
"You really did it! That's amazing!" Annie exclaimed joyfully, throwing herself into Ryan's arms.
A refreshing fragrance wafted up, and Ryan, feeling the soft embrace, was momentarily caught off guard by Annie's sudden display of affection.
Witnessing their tender interaction, the villagers who had survived the ordeal couldn't help but look at Annie with hopeful eyes. If the village chief's granddaughter could persuade this young mage to stay in the village, it would be marvelous! Then they would no longer have to worry about monster invasions in the future!
Annie, sensing the expectant gazes of the surrounding villagers, quickly realized her behavior might have been too forward, her face flushing red like a ripe apple, enticing yet shy. She stepped back from Ryan's embrace and stood aside, her gaze lowered, unable to meet Ryan's eyes again.
The elderly village chief arrived a bit late, but upon learning of Ryan's heroic deeds, he approached with a grateful expression, gripping Ryan's hand, tears in his eyes:"Mage lord, I don't know how to thank you! Your courage and strength have saved our home."
Feeling everyone's admiring glances, Ryan thought of the monster that had escaped, feeling a pang of guilt.
"Village chief, are we celebrating too soon? The monster wasn't killed! It will come back!" Ryan said with an apologetic look.
No sooner had Ryan spoken than he saw the elderly village chief kneel before him with a thud.
"Mage lord! I have nothing valuable, just this granddaughter! If you don't mind, Annie is at your service any time! Please, sir, stay and protect us, these poor commoners!" The village chief looked up at Ryan, pleadingly, his face filled with despair.
Hearing her grandfather's words, Annie's face showed deep concern, and she looked at Ryan with hopeful eyes.
"Village chief, what are you doing! Please get up!" Ryan quickly helped the village chief to his feet.
"Mage lord, I beg you, use your unparalleled power to save our village." The elder's voice trembled, recalling the villagers who had perished in recent days, tears falling like pearls off a string, moistening the dust."Our village is entwined with an unfortunate curse, and without your help, we all face total annihilation."
"But..." Ryan hesitated, knowing that he and his sister were at risk of being hunted by the Genis family; they absolutely couldn't stay here too long!
Seeing the young mage's hesitant expression, the villagers, one by one, began to kneel on the ground like the village chief, pleading.
"Honorable mage lord, please stay!"
"Honorable mage lord, my child just lost his father, please don't leave us!"
...
The villagers' pleas were incessant. Ryan looked around, seeing infants crying in their parents' arms, children who had just lost their relatives in the disaster, tears streaming down their faces, and felt a fierce internal struggle. After a severe struggle within, he realized he couldn't simply ignore the villagers' suffering.
"Village chief, let's go back and talk!" Ryan sighed, resigned. It seemed he couldn't easily extricate himself from this predicament.
Seeing the young man not rejecting their request, the village chief's face brightened, quickly wiping away the tears, not daring to delay, and led Ryan and others back to his home.
Once home, the village chief immediately had his granddaughter Annie bring out all the most valuable items in the house, as well as all the food considered delicious, hoping to win over the young mage's heart.
The most valuable items in the house were laid out, including some aged silverware, a family heirloom gemstone necklace, and some silk garments intricately woven by Annie. Clearly, the village chief was willing to offer all his precious possessions for the protection of the entire village from Ryan. In the village chief's view, if these precious gifts could satisfy the young mage, then all was worth it.
As for the food, though the village was not wealthy, the village chief's household had broth made from game caught in the nearby forest and delicious dishes prepared with fresh vegetables and the rare spices available in the village. All this was to express their sincerity and welcome.
The village chief personally arranged these gifts and food in the best room of the house, then invited the young mage and his sister to come in. His face wore a smile, but his eyes were filled with expectation and a hint of anxiety. He knew that the young man's response would directly affect his and the entire village's future.
"Honorable mage lord, these are the best things our village can offer. We hope they satisfy you," the village chief said, carefully watching the young man's reaction.
Faced with such warm and generous hospitality from the village chief, Ryan felt a mix of emotions, sighing deeply, and began to explain his and his sister's predicament:"Village chief, I appreciate your kindness. However, I didn't come here to collect valuable gifts. To be frank, my sister and I are on the run! If we stay here too long, we might endanger you all! But rest assured, I promise that before we leave, we will eliminate the bloodthirsty monster for the villagers!"
The village chief felt a slight relief hearing this. He realized that the young mage also had his own troubles, and since the young man had promised to deal with the monster attacking the village, that was enough!
"Your willingness to assist us is already a great gift, and we naturally cannot ask for more!" the village chief said earnestly.
"Thank you for understanding our predicament!" Ryan felt relieved. As long as he could quickly deal with the monster, there shouldn't be a lengthy delay here!
As they spoke, Annie entered the room with a plate of fruit. Hearing Ryan would eventually leave, she couldn't help feeling a wave of sadness, but she forced a smile on her face, not wanting Ryan to see her concerns, and placed the fruit on the table laden with fresh food.
With such a feast before them, Ryan and his sister Alice's stomachs couldn't help but grumble.
The unexpected moment brought a smile to Annie's face, and Ryan and Alice laughed awkwardly, filling the air with a cheerful vibe.
As everyone enjoyed the meal, the sky outside gradually brightened. The first rays of dawn streamed through the window, heralding the arrival of a new day...
In the Genis family's border mining territory, Adolf Genis sat astride his horse, his face dark with fury as he surveyed the camp before him, now a charred ruin. The ground was littered with the bodies of elite guards, a vein throbbing ominously on his forehead. Behind him, ten high-level mage knights, each with an average strength of level 32, followed, their faces grave as they scanned the ruins, lost in thought.
Not far ahead, a group of disheveled ordinary mine guards stood, their faces the picture of defeat. It was clear that the earth-shattering carnage from the day before had not yet sunk in for them.
Adolf, seething with anger, lashed out with his whip, striking the few surviving elite guards standing before him, demanding an account of everything that had happened in the mine.
"You incompetents! Where is my uncle's body? Where has it gone!" Adolf roared.
The pain from the whip forced the elite guards to grimace in pain, but none dared to make a sound, barely even breathing. They looked at each other, no one willing to step forward, fearing more lashes.
Seeing the collective silence, Adolf's frustration reached its peak.
He had just sent that brat from the Kaiser family here, and in just one day, his family's mine was mysteriously raided. His uncle, Yeru Genis, had died under unclear circumstances. Everything seemed absurdly surreal. When he first received the news in the imperial capital, he thought it was a cruel joke. However, upon arriving, the absurdity turned into harsh reality.
Dismounting, Adolf stood amidst the ruins of the mine, unable to quell the rage in his heart.
He turned, his gaze coldly sweeping over all the guards. These mages, cultivated by the family at great expense, now looked as helpless as lambs, a deep shame to Adolf.
"Have you all become mute? Speak up!" With no one coming forward, Adolf, unable to contain his anger, threw his whip to the ground and drew his sword, stabbing it fiercely into the heart of the nearest elite guard.
A dull thud sounded, shocking everyone present. The unlucky guard looked down at the sword in his chest in disbelief, opened his mouth to speak, but the severe pain prevented him from uttering a word. Instead, blood poured from his mouth.
As Adolf coldly withdrew his sword, the guard fell, blood pooling beneath him. In that moment, the other guards were shocked beyond measure, never imagining Adolf would so casually end the life of an elite guard. The air was thick with the smell of blood and a lingering sense of horror, as everyone felt an unprecedented chill deep inside.
"Adolf's face remained expressionless, as if he had merely crushed an ant. His piercing gaze swept over each guard's face, as if seeing into their very souls. 'Don't want to speak? Then never speak again!' His voice was steady, yet it seemed to emanate from the depths of hell, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
Terrified by his words, the other elite guards were desperate to speak, their faces etched with the fear of death. 'I'll talk! I'll talk!' they exclaimed, one after another, eager to avoid the fate of their fallen comrade."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone