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n?Jelia gripped the knife handle, which was slightly large for her, but she held on tightly, using both hands when one wasn’t enough, ensuring the short knife was firmly under her control.

n“You’re too tense like this; you’ll only end up hurting yourself,” Ali advised, gently squeezing Jelia’s wrist to signal her to relax a bit.

n“The wrist should be flexible, the fingers firm, and the arm in motion. The tip of the knife doesn’t have to point straight forward; maintaining the wrist’s flexibility is most crucial.”

nSuch simple guidance couldn’t show immediate effects, but Jelia took it to heart and practiced diligently.

nAfter securing the sheath to Jelia’s waist, Ali patted her on the head, “Let’s continue moving forward.”

nJelia nodded silently.

nThe duo, one tall and one small, proceeded onward, but their objective this time wasn’t just gold coins or fame.

nSome people deserved to die, and others did not.

n…

n“What do you think that young one will do?”

nIn the Oak Village, in the lobby of the Nameless Inn, Gick sat by a table, eating a lavish lunch with a composed and arrogant demeanor, starkly different from the panic Ali had seen earlier.

nAt this moment, Gick resembled any affluent merchant, exuding a powerful presence, though the details betrayed a caution and humility borne of dust.

n“She won’t find out anything. Those subhumans are too stupid, knowing nothing.”

nGick set down his cutlery, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and placed it aside, lifting his gaze with a hint of arrogance lurking beneath his slightly drooping eyelids.

n“What could an adventurer with a smattering of skills possibly discern?”

nNot everything is transparent.

nNor does everything require revelation.

nYet, some people yearn to see everything clearly; why complicate matters unnecessarily?

nYou harbor your thoughts, and I harbor my desires.

nGick picked up his knife and fork again: “They all must die.”

nHis voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the person opposite to hear.

n“As you wish,” the person stood up, under the black cloak, the glint of blades flickered like a dragon, now hidden, now visible.

nThat person left, taking nothing with them, leaving nothing behind.

n…

nThe tracks disappeared near the subhuman camp.

nThis camp was larger than Ali had anticipated, evolving beyond a mere campsite.

nIt appeared more like a village in its early stages.

nCrude wooden spikes formed a wall, with a vine-made gate slightly ajar, figures moving within the walls, their voices carrying laughter and astonishment afar.

nAli touched the hilt of her side sword, gently pressed Jelia’s head, and pulled her hood down.

nWhy couldn’t this hood be removed in Oak Village?

nTo lie to the smartest beings on the continent with a grand deception.

nWho’s the fool?

n“Don’t be nervous, we’ll assess the situation first. Act on my signal.” Ali’s voice was low, yet clear enough for Jelia to understand.

nShe nodded, adjusting her cloak to conceal her newly acquired short knife, then looked up at Ali: “Do they all have to die?”

n“I don’t know, but someone wants them dead.”

nAli touched her forehead and smiled.

n“Why would you ask that?”

n“I feel, they are somewhat like me,” Jelia frowned slightly, pausing before adding, “Of course, they might have enough food to eat, maybe even clothes to wear. But ultimately, we are the same, with no place to live freely. Why is there no place for us to live freely?”

n“Is it because we have wolf ears or yellow eyes? Because we are only half their height?”

nMust we die simply because we are different?

nMust we be killed just because we invoke fear?

nWho is truly at fault?

nAli paused for a few seconds, then burst into laughter, “If Howard heard this, I wonder what he would think, about what kind of person he saved.”

n“What’s wrong?” Jelia frowned, touching her face with a mix of confusion and bewilderment.

n“Let’s move forward and see for ourselves,” Ali said, her laughter fading.

n“Many answers need to be seen with our own eyes; what others provide always lacks a certain flavor.”

nSo, the two proceeded.

nPushing open the partially closed gate and entering the camp, all eyes momentarily focused on them, but the atmosphere quickly shifted.

nFrom the wariness and suspicion directed at Ali to the gentleness and kindness perceived upon noticing Jelia, the tense expressions on everyone’s faces relaxed. 𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝘰𝑚

n“Hello!”

nAn elderly Werewolf approached, his face adorned with grey-

nblack fur interspersed with white. 𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝑜𝑚

nHis eyes might have appeared cloudy, yet they conveyed sincerity.

n“Did Kakamora from Oak Village send you here?”

n“Kakamora?”

nAli paused, almost nodding, but her words took a turn before leaving her lips.

n“No.”

nThe Werewolf’s gaze shifted, but as if realizing something, he continued to look warmly at Ali and Jelia, “How did you find this place? There shouldn’t be any paths leading here.”

nHe was right; nestled deep within the forest, this place was hidden away, practically unreachable unless sought after deliberately.

nAli hesitated, then gestured towards the main road, “My name is Ali, an adventurer on a journey. I noticed an overturned carriage, bloodstains, and footprints on the road and thought someone might have been attacked, so I followed the tracks here.”

nThe Werewolf’s expression underwent a significant change, darkening, “It was Rudo! He went hunting with a few others and returned with two humans, covered in blood, refusing to speak. I thought they had rescued someone during their hunt; I didn’t realize they had attacked humans!”

n“You weren’t aware?” Ali looked at the Werewolf, her expression somewhat perplexed.

n“Though I wish I could give you a negative answer, unfortunately, I can only affirm.”

nThe Werewolf sighed before continuing, “You might easily discern that I am a half-orc. While half-orcs possess the strength of orcs, our lifespans are not as long. Our strength comes at the cost of our lifespan.”

n“Though I appear to be only around forty, I no longer have the energy to manage this place. Besides, in the end, no one here truly has the right to govern. The one who did have that right is gone, and now this place is but a collection of individuals with no real founder.”

n“My name is Monka, I should have introduced myself at the beginning.”

nLooking from Ali to Jelia, Monka hesitated for a second before finally asking, “If I’m not mistaken, is this young girl also a half-

norc?”

n“Yes, her name is Jelia. She’s the adopted daughter of a friend of mine and is currently traveling with me,” Ali said, patting Jelia on the head.

nJelia looked up at Monka and sweetly called out, “Mr. Monka”

nMonka smiled, but a beast’s face smiling could only add to the atmosphere of a horror film, far removed from anything gentle.

nMonka seemed aware of the effect his appearance had, so he quickly suppressed his smile, “If you’re worried about facing discrimination in human villages, feel free to rest here for a day before continuing on your journey. Though it’s not as orderly as a human village, this place is somewhat a safe haven where outcasts can sleep peacefully.”

nAli pondered, sensing something amiss.

nShe and Jelia had followed the trail of the subhuman bandits, only to discover what appeared to be a peaceful little village.

nIndeed, the inhabitants were all subhumans, but given their apparent connections with Oak Village, it seemed unlikely they would engage in highway robbery, as Oak Village would not stand idly by in such a case.

nMonka mentioned that it was the village hunters who had attacked outsiders on their own, but the premeditated nature of the attack was evident from the fire pit near the site of Gick’s ambush.

nCould hunters out on rotational duty have orchestrated such a plan?

nAnd with an outsider, an unreliable human stranger at that?

nAli felt she couldn’t do it, and she doubted anyone seasoned in the ways of the outside world could either.

nWhat more was hidden beneath this?

n“We’ll take up the elder’s offer then,” Ali nodded, with Jelia chiming in with another “Thank you, grandfather.”

nMonka nodded, noticing Jelia didn’t seem coerced or mistreated in any way.

nAny human who could treat a half-orc kindly was undoubtedly worthy of friendship and respect.

nAfter all, merely harboring a subhuman could be a capital offense in human society!

nThough Ali accepted Monka’s invitation, she didn’t forget her mission.

nHowever, Gick had not set a deadline for the quest; it was more a casual request than a strict assignment.

nGick seemed more concerned about the fate of the bandits than retrieving his companions.

nEven his goods were a secondary concern, hardly the attitude of a peddler struggling to survive at the bottom rung of society, but rather more akin to a noble who regards human life as expendable.

nPerhaps a wealthy merchant, even?

nVisit 𝘳𝑎.𝗇t

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