14. Why Are There So Many?
The swordsman stood by
the roadside, his gaze fixed intently on me.
My body tensed, my
small right fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly, a thin mist of ice-blue
fog faintly emerging.
…Damn bearded
swordsman, if he dares to make a move, he'll have to eat my full-force ice
spike first!
"Little Sil, what
do you want to eat tonight?"
My mind was on high
alert, and suddenly hearing Grandma Claire's question, I jolted.
No, they're still
nearby. If we start fighting here, they'll get dragged into it.
This level of battle
isn't like the ordinary knight's hack and slash; ordinary people getting
involved is no joke. Whether it's my frost or the swordsman's lightning power,
even a little bit of the aftermath could easily take their lives.
It's too dangerous to
start a fight here; it could destroy the whole village. If we really have to
fight, I must lead him out of the village immediately, so as not to involve
Grandma and the others.
In a short time, my
thoughts raced, my heart lodged in my throat.
Then… I walked past
the swordsman.
I saw a playful smile
on the corner of his mouth. It was as if he was telling me, I've finally found
you.
But even after we
walked far away, the swordsman didn't take any action.
"Little Sil,
what's wrong? You look so pale, are you sick?"
Aria held my face in
her hands, her forehead pressed against mine.
"I… I'm
fine."
There was a lump in my
throat, and I realized my facial expression was very stiff.
"Is that so? If
you're feeling unwell, you have to tell us. You can't just tough it out if
you're sick."
Aria's eyebrows
knitted together, showing a worried expression.
"Really, I'm
fine."
I tried to give her a
reassuring smile, but no matter what, I couldn't move my lips.
"Sil, sister, why
don't you lie down on the wheat and rest for a while? I can handle the
pulling."
"Thank you,
Barry. I'm not, uncomfortable. Don't worry, about me."
I stole a glance
behind me; the bearded swordsman was no longer in sight, and my heartbeat
slowly settled.
Seeing that I seemed
to be really fine, Aria's mind became active again, and she started chatting
with me.
"Hey, hey, Sil,
did you see that tall and mighty swordsman, ah—! So—handsome!"
Stars shone in Aria's
eyes, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and she clenched her fists as she
spoke to me.
"Yeah, very
handsome."
"Then shall we go
talk to him together?"
"Don't!"
I panicked at the
thought and quickly grabbed Aria's hand, fearing she would actually rush back
to find him.
"Aria, you're
getting married."
Barry said
expressionlessly.
"So what! Does
being married mean I can't appreciate handsome men anymore?"
"You can, but
don't lead Sil astray."
"How am I leading
her astray? I'm helping her! If Sil wants to get married in the future, she has
to marry someone tall and mighty like that! The crooked melons and cracked
dates in the village aren't worthy of her, so I wanted to introduce her to him…"
Aria's eyes flashed cunningly, "Such a swordsman, we can't usually see in
our village! You can tell the armor he wears is expensive… I don't know what
he's here for, but he definitely won't stay long, Sil, you can't miss this
chance!"
I shook my head
vigorously, gripping Aria's hand tighter, pleading in my eyes.
"Ah, Sil is shy,
shy! Hehe."
Shy my ass! Which of
your eyes saw even a hint of shyness in me!
I'm dying of anxiety.
"Aria, I think
you just want to go yourself."
Barry continued to
speak without expression.
"I said it's
not…"
"Then you're not
allowed to take Sil with you, or I'll tell Allen."
"You dare!"
"Watch me!"
"If you dare,
I'll tell Sil your secret!"
"…Don't."
Barry instantly backed
down.
Aria, having gained
the upper hand in the argument, hummed triumphantly but didn't bring up the
matter again.
I let out a sigh of
relief.
"Sil, do you know
that swordsman?" Grandma, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked.
"…I, don't know
him."
For some reason, I
lied to Grandma for the first time.
"…Is that
so." Grandma looked at me with a warm smile.
She noticed.
The cloak on the
swordsman and the one hanging at home… Although the latter was a bit worn and
tattered, indeed belonged to the same design, unmistakable even to her aging
eyes, which hadn't grown dim.
But since Sil didn't
wish to speak of it, she wouldn't press the matter; time would reveal all.
"What would you
like to eat when we get back?"
"…Potato
soup."
"Alright."
I tried to calm the
turmoil within me as we headed home.
…
The bearded swordsman's
appearance had left me on edge. I had thought he would confront me soon, and I
had been living under the immense psychological pressure of an imminent deadly
battle. But after several anxious days, I saw no further sign of him.
Having come all this
way, could it be that he just wanted to see me and then leave?
Impossible. Was he a
fool? No, he wasn't.
Perhaps he wanted to
lull me into a false sense of security before signaling his allies?!
The next time we met,
he might appear triumphantly before me with countless knights of the church and
a dozen robed elders.
Just the thought of
that possibility made it hard for me to breathe.
Should I run away?
…Maybe when night
falls and everyone is asleep, I'll slip away quietly. I can't cause them any
trouble.
But will I ever see
Grandma again? Can I ever return here?
I really don't want to
leave; I want to spend more time with Grandma. Tomorrow, I'll sneak away
tomorrow.
Yes, that's the plan.
And so, my plan to
flee was put off day after day, never executed.
Days later, the
Harvest Festival arrived.
It was a customary
celebration in the village, held every year after the wheat harvest, with a
festival and an evening party.
That night, everyone
gathered in the small square in the center of the village, bringing out tables
and chairs from their homes, lighting a bonfire, and invoking the gods.
The ceremony was
conducted by Father Merlin from the town. Under his guidance, everyone knelt
and prayed to the Goddess of Abundance for another bountiful year for the
village.
Then came the eagerly
awaited bonfire party. The villagers danced and sang around the fire, their
faces radiating happiness and contentment.
The butcher uncle,
with his drumsticks in hand and veins bulging on his muscular arms, played the
drum with flair, the sound echoing into the night.
I saw Aria and the
honest-looking hunter's son among the crowd, dancing a simple yet graceful
dance, their joy unmistakable.
Soon, barrels of beer
were brought out. A luxury in the village, but tonight, everyone could drink
their fill.
The atmosphere of the
party grew even livelier with the arrival of the beer.
The tailor's daughter
from the village sang a beautiful ballad. A few younger girls clapped along,
occasionally joining in the song.
Several boys who
mustered the courage to ask me to dance all walked back to their friends with
drooping heads, disappointed.
Grandma, being
advanced in age, had already retired early, not suited for such festivities. I
closed my eyes, lost in the rich tapestry of foreign celebration.
"Sil, girl! Won't
you dance a step?" Uncle Doyle asked me with a laugh, his nose glistening
with sweat. Grandma always sent me to his shop for meat, and he'd always cut me
a little extra.
"I can't."
I smiled gently and
shook my head.
It wasn't that I
couldn't dance. In my previous life, I had learned ballroom, latin, and street
dance from a young age. Xiaoxi and I met in the same dance studio. I might not
claim to be top-tier in the country, but I had won awards. It's just that I wasn't
in the mood now. The bearded swordsman was like a dark cloud over my heart,
making everything tasteless.
"Ha, what a pity!
You don't know how many boys in the village have been counting the days, just
waiting for the chance to get close to you today!"
Uncle Doyle's teasing
tone carried an insinuation, and despite being nearly forty, he winked at me
incessantly, clearly having had his share of drinks.
I didn't know how to
respond, so I just offered a helpless smile.
Uncle Doyle seemed
about to say more when suddenly, with a "thud," a mug of beer was
placed in front of me.
I looked up to see
Ryan, the children's champion, his face flushed, holding another mug of beer,
and he began to speak to me.
"Sil… sister,
I've been thinking about what happened before, and I was wrong, I apologize…
I'm sorry." His apology was reluctant, and Ryan tilted his head back,
downing his beer in one go, "I've finished my drink, now you finish the
one on the table, and we'll be friends."
The mug on the table
was nearly as big as a pint glass, filled to the brim with beer, the foam
spilling over the sides and dripping onto the table.
Heh, trying to get me
drunk? Interesting. Could it be his hot-tempered father's idea, thinking I'm
some little girl who can't handle her liquor, expecting me to fall into his
arms after a couple of sips?
Unfortunately for him,
he's miscalculated.
I'm not in the best of
spirits today, so I'll let him see what it means to be able to drink a thousand
cups without falling!
"In the future,
don't do that again, and we'll be fine."
I gave Ryan a sweet
smile, picked up the mug amidst Uncle Doyle's cheering, and drained it in one
gulp.
"Ha ha, good on
you, little Sil!"
Uncle Doyle's laughter
was deafening as he clapped vigorously.
"Ryan! What are
you doing!"
Barry emerged from the
crowd, pointing at Ryan and shouting.
"I'm apologizing
to sister Sil, what's it to you! Barry, stop looking down on people!"
"Apologizing? Sil
is just a kid, why are you encouraging her to drink so much!"
"It's okay,
Barry…"
I looked at Barry in
front of me, wanting to tell him he couldn't outdrink me, but suddenly my body
swayed, and the mug in my hand crashed to the ground and shattered.
…Huh?
I frowned, rubbing my
eyes with both hands.
One Barry… two Barrys…
three Ryans… four Uncles…
Why are there so many
of you?
Sil might have forgotten something very important xd
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