Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Luther’s side (III)
Night fell, and the cold silhouette of the silvery full moon peeked through the cracks of the night sky, like the eye of a god sneakily observing the mortals beneath its everlasting rule. The village remained dark, with no torches lit, submerging everything in a pitch black darkness. If not for the moonlight, the villagers would likely have been unable to see even a giant tree in front of them.

Inside the village chief’s house, a group of people gathered around a bonfire. They exchanged frightened looks in silence, the crackling of the fire was the only sound in the room – “Where is the village chief? He should be here already” – asked a burly man, the village butcher and an important figure in the community.

The elder’s son, who had helped warn and protect the village of the attack, had a complicated look in his eyes – “Father…is…” – he began, his absent and helpless gaze shifting towards the fire – “During the attack, he suddenly fell ill and hasn’t regained consciousness yet. He won’t be able to attend this meeting.”

At those words, everyone’s faces turned grim as anxiety settled into their minds. They seemed to momentarily lose their foothold. The butcher clenched his fists, his knuckles turning extremely white – “Without the elder, what are we supposed to do? He’s always known how to handle all kinds of situations.” – The others nodded frantically. They all wanted to go to the chief’s room and shake him awake. It wasn’t the right time to be unconscious.

Feeling the tension, a slender middle-aged woman, the village shaman responsible for burials and other important ceremonies, stood up – “We must stay calm. If we panic, we will only die. What we need now is a plan to ensure the village’s safety.” – Her apparently firm voice was trying to at least control the situation at hand. They were the leaders of this community and couldn’t let things turn chaotic.

The butcher and the others grunted but nodded, understanding that they had to maintain a calm state of mind to solve things. The butcher gazed at each of the nine people around the fire – “She is right, but does anyone here have a plan? We can’t just sit and wait for those soldiers to break through our gates. We need a plan before their horses break through our walls and step unto our streets”

Nobody had an immediate answer and silence reigned in the room as they all tried to think of a solution. Finally, the chief’s son raised his hand, a plan forming in his mind – “We can’t fight them, and it’s a miracle they haven’t attacked yet. From what I’ve seen, they could easily break through our walls. However, they are waiting for something. We need to use this to our advantage. We must find a way out of the village and alert others about what is happening here.”

The others looked at him, and this time it was the farmer’s head who spoke – “And how do you propose we send someone outside when they have surrounded the entire village? Is anyone here willing to sacrifice themselves to see if they can outrun those giant horses?” – He asked, and everyone dropped their eyes at the question – “That’s what I thought.”

However, before silence took over the room again, the elder’s son raised his hand through gritted teeth – “I will go” – he said, his voice shaking as if he had just thrown himself into a burning pit of fire. The others looked stupefied at him.

“I will go” – he repeated, more firmly this time – “I know the secret paths through the forest. My father showed them to me when I was younger, and I have been to Vilon City before. If anyone can reach the others to warn and ask for help, it’s me.”

The butcher looked into those fearful, yet courageous eyes and stood up. He wouldn’t live his life in shame. He wasn’t a coward and wouldn’t become one today – “I will go with you. I have already lived a good life. I can’t let you go by yourself.”- He patted the young man’s shoulder, trying to reassure him. He wouldn’t be alone to face the enemies. The young man looked at him dumbfounded, but a somewhat relieved smile played on his lips.

The others looked at them, a bit ashamed, but none of them raised their voices to stop him. The shaman stepped forward, her gaze also holding a bit of shame but firm enough to convey her thoughts – “If you both are determined to go, then we must make sure you’re prepared. This journey will be extremely dangerous, and we need you to succeed. We don’t know how many days they will wait before attacking us, so you need to be fast.”

The elder’s son nodded, his determination renewed with a partner to accompany him to an unknown destiny – “It will be safer if we leave under the cover of darkness” – he said – “We need supplies for two days and weapons to defend ourselves in the forest. We will take the shortest path through the forest, avoiding the main roads, but we should be able to reach Vilon in two days if we travel nonstop.”

“Two days…” – The butcher muttered, thinking about the difficulty of the journey, but he didn’t regret his decision – “We should move quietly and swiftly. The soldiers may have scouts around. Any noise could give us away.”

“Great!” – The shaman said, patting both men on the shoulders – “I…no, we are proud of you. This village will forever be indebted to you two and your families. We’ll get you food and whatever weapons we have to aid you.” – She looked at the others, who stood silent with their heads bowed in shame – “Go fetch them what they need and be fast. They need to leave as soon as possible. We can’t allow any more time to be wasted.”

Not wishing to feel even more ashamed, the others quickly rose from their seats to fetch the provisions the duo would need, leaving the house in a hurry. The butcher and the elder’s son exchanged a glance. There was a mutual respect and understanding in their eyes. They both knew the risks, but they also knew what was at stake. They were ready.

-x-

“Two of them left the nest!” – Agusa reported to Luther, who was silently sharpening his sword, using the fire to make the blade even more deadly – “Should we follow them?”

Luther didn’t respond immediately, his entire focus was on the blade in his hands. After a couple of minutes, he raised it to inspect his work, a satisfied smile playing on his lips – “Good…” – he murmured, feeling the weight and sharpness of the sword with his finger.

“General…” Agusa called again, trying to get Luther’s attention.

“Send a single scout to follow them” – Luther finally said – “Make sure they reach the city safely and note the path they take. We might need it later.”