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n“In fact, I have another plan,” Ali brought the conversation back around.

n“What plan? Hopefully, it’s not some harebrained scheme again.” Jelia’s gaze upon Ali was tinged with suspicion.

nPerhaps it was her prematurely matured intellect that did it, but despite wearing the face of a little girl, Jelia did not exude the innocence and charm typical of her age.

nShe was more like Howard in that aspect, a thoroughgoing monster in human skin.

nMonsters, after all, should keep company with their own kind.

n“Am I that type of person? This plan is quite ordinary, hardly noteworthy.” Ali stirred the fire, taking out some dry bread and meat to roast over the flames.

n“I’ve pinpointed the location of those survivors from the subhuman village and made contact with them. Should they learn of Gick’s whereabouts, I believe they wouldn’t hesitate for a moment.”

nHatred is often irrational, diverging starkly from reason.

nIt’s like a powder keg; just a single spark can cause an explosion.

nAli had no qualms about being the one to ignite that spark.

nAs the bread and meat roasted, a faint aroma of char filled the air.

nAli inhaled deeply, then sandwiched the meat between the bread, taking a voracious bite.

n“We’ll stay here for one last night. Roronora and I will take turns keeping watch before we leave tomorrow.”

nGick has been rampaging unchecked for far too long; now, it’s finally time for him to face the consequences!

n…

nAlmost simultaneously, within the temporary refuge of a cave housing the survivors of the subhuman village, Elder Monka finally awaited the return of Rudo and his party from their expedition.

nSilently counting the heads, no one was missing, nor were there any extras, indicating that the mission had proceeded smoothly.

n“How did it go?” Monka asked, gesturing for the other hunters to take their rest while he pulled Rudo aside, much like he had done countless times before, into a dimly lit corner of the cave.

nMonka’s expression was grave; the situation allowed no room for optimism.

nThe village was in name only now, with the cave’s subhuman occupants likely to see no more than a tenth of their number survive.

nYet, even so, he was determined to make Gick pay while safeguarding that particular item.

n“There are no survivors left in the village. We couldn’t find much information on the attackers. Clearly, they had cleaned up the scene after the assault, destroying many leads,” Rudo reported.

nIt wasn’t good news, but Monka was not surprised; it fell within his expectations.

nIf it was indeed that person who had orchestrated the attack, then he would certainly not have left any obvious traces behind.

n“However, we did manage to gather some information about the attackers, from an adventurer who arrived during the day,” Rudo continued.

nMonka was momentarily taken aback; this piece of intelligence was unexpected.

n“The adventurer didn’t die in the attack?” he queried.

n“No,” Rudo shook his head.

n“Moreover, she mentioned that she had found her companions. I wonder, could it be possible that one of her companions triggered that thing?”

n“It’s possible. After all, though the girl’s race was not apparent, she is undoubtedly a half-orc without question. Theoretically, any half-orc might have the chance to activate it,” Monka nodded, affirming Rudo’s speculation.

nHowever, Monka soon shook his head in doubt.

n“But if that were the case, how could she have possibly made it out alive!”

nEven the village’s strongest individual from before had vanished there; how could such a young girl emerge unscathed?

nThe village’s once most formidable.

nHe was a figure of immense stature, and although Rudo had never met him personally, he could sense Monka’s admiration for the man through his descriptions.

nYes, admiration.

nEven Rudo had to acknowledge Monka’s wisdom.

nWhile he himself possessed strength, the village could operate without him, without so much as a hiccup.

nBut without Monka, the village wouldn’t last ten days before being submerged by the relentless tide of human steel!

nThis was the significance of Monka’s existence; he managed the entire village, coordinating the relationships between different subhuman races within.

nMost importantly, he was the liaison between the village and the outside world.

n“Any leads on that person?”

nThough Monka did not specify a name, years of seamless cooperation allowed Rudo to immediately grasp his meaning.

n“Nothing as of yet,” Rudo shook his head.

nTime was tight, and the scope of actions they could undertake was limited; a basic search of the village was already pushing their limits.

nHe had to consider the possibility of attackers lurking nearby, as well as maintaining the secrecy of their cave, opting to take a significantly longer route on their return.

n“But the adventurer said she would investigate and keep in touch with us,” Rudo added after a moment’s thought.

n“I believe we might consider collaborating with her if the conditions are right.”

nMonka neither agreed nor disagreed, simply locking eyes with Rudo before shifting his gaze away.

n“In times like these, there’s no one you can truly trust.”

nEveryone could potentially be an enemy.

nThe harsh reality behind those words sent a chill down Rudo’s spine.

nBetrayal, a term whose significance remains profoundly heavy regardless of when it emerges.

n“Elder, are you suggesting…”

nRudo narrowed his eyes, something stirring deep within them.

n“It’s merely a possibility.”

nMonka didn’t finish his thought, waving his hand dismissively.

n“There’s nothing left worth investigating in the village. Tomorrow, I’ll make my way to Oak Village.”

n“What! That person might be there! Elder, let me go instead!”

n“No, that won’t do.”

nFor the first time, Monka directly refused Rudo.

n“Only I can be of use. Without our own intelligence, even if that person is there, I must go. Only by confirming our enemy with my own eyes can we avoid unnecessary casualties and not waste our strength when we strike.”

nWith those words, Monka raised his hand, signaling the end of their discussion.

nOnce Monka makes a decision, it is absolutely final.

nThis was a consensus among everyone in the village.

n…

nCurrents swirled in the darkness, unnoticed, yet soon to send ripples across the entire Silverwind Kingdom.

nOn this seemingly ordinary night, the tremors of change were already beginning.

nYet, as night silently fell, people slept peacefully, oblivious to the chaos that awaited them at dawn.

nAli was watching the moon, and so was Howard.

nThe same moon, yet seen through different eyes, held disparate meanings for each.

n…

n“How do you think Ali and the others are doing now?”

nStirring the fire with a stick to keep it blazing, Howard shifted his gaze from the drifting sky above to Vivia, who sat opposite him, hugging her knees.

nOn the other side, under the tree and atop the carriage’s rear, Nula, wrapped in a thick blanket, had already fallen into a deep sleep.

n“I don’t know, they’re probably asleep by now,” Vivia tightened the blanket around her, yawning, her eyes bleary.

n“If you’re sleepy, just go to sleep. I’ll keep watch tonight,” Howard glanced at Nula and nodded towards her, “Look at this one, sleeping like a dead pig… even drooling. Probably dreaming about food.”

nAs if on cue, Nula made a slurping noise and smacked her lips.

n“Really, huh.”

nSeemingly intrigued by Howard’s comment, Vivia shifted closer to the rear of the carriage, “Do you think if I draw a turtle on her face right now, she’d react?”

nA few lines of exasperation appeared on Howard’s forehead.

n“I don’t know about now, but she definitely won’t let it slide tomorrow morning.”

nGiven Nula’s vanity and vindictiveness, having a turtle drawn on her face would surely spark retaliation.

n“Hehehe,” Vivia’s face lit up with a devilish grin, poking Nula’s cheek, “Such nice skin, doesn’t look like she’s an adventurer always out and about. Ah… I so wish I had skin like hers.”

nSeeing the smile on Vivia’s face, a faint smile also appeared on Howard’s.

nIt was undeniable that having an extra companion made the journey far more enjoyable than when it was just the two of them, offering another person to converse with during the night watches.

nBeneath a sky full of stars, beside a campfire, with two figures cast in its glow—many a minstrel’s long poem contained such scenes.

nHow come this guy didn’t seem to feel it at all?

nThe girl felt a bit melancholic, but then she thought, since Howard wasn’t from this world, it was natural he didn’t know these things…

nDid his world have such a beautiful moon, such dazzling stars?

nBack in his own world, did someone accompany him to watch the stars like this?

nSuddenly, Vivia became very curious about Howard’s past, but the vast expanse of time and space forcibly separated Howard from his history, a feeling that must be unpleasant.

nOut of the blue, Howard said, looking towards the horizon, “Dawn is approaching.”

nUnbeknownst to them, perhaps during Vivia’s moment of daydreaming, time had stealthily slipped away.

nThe sky began to brighten with soft, diffused hues of dawn, like scarves fluttering in the breeze, changing forms.

n“So beautiful.”

nVivia rubbed her eyes and yawned.

nDespite not sleeping all night, she surprisingly didn’t feel as tired as she would have imagined.

nOf course, there was some fatigue, but it was overshadowed by a sort of dreamy haziness.

nHer senses felt blurred, as if veiled by a thin layer of gauze, imparting an unreal sensation.

n𝑖𝘦𝑎.𝗇t

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