Chapter 145
It was just as the clamor around the farm started to die down that the villagers began to gather . They were all holding torches . When the light in the area increased, the devastation of the farm became clearer .
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The grass was dyed with blood . The fences were broken by the wind . The ground was all upturned… The first old man who appeared was the farmer who owned this land . He was talking with Yis as they approached me .
“Ah, so you are the one who killed the lesser wyvern . Thank you . I’m Regar, the owner of this farm . ”
“I’m Asagi . Sorry…that we made such a mess…”
“What are you saying! It would have been much worse had you not put an end to that thing! I am grateful, and see no reason why I should blame you?”
I looked up at his face then . Mister Regar was smiling as he offered his right hand . I was a little surprised to see him so happy . And before I knew it, I was smiling and squeezing his hand .
After that, I left the rest to Yis and went running back to Daniela . She was sitting in the shadows of the same building and looking at us . She seemed calm as she waved at me .
“I’m back, Daniela . ”
“Welcome, Asagi . ”
We hugged tightly . She wasn’t shaking anymore, but I held her close regardless .
“Sorry that I was late . ”
“It does not matter . We are both alive . What more could we want?”
She said as she slapped me on the back and then let go of me . She was fine now .
“Still, Daniela . I’m surprised with you . You were fighting with it when you had been so afraid before . ”
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“Not as surprised as I was . Perhaps being with you has removed some of the poison in my body . ”
She had been alone for so long… And maybe she had found her medicine . If we stayed together, one day she might heal completely .
“Thank you . ”
“Don’t mention it . Come on, the others are waiting . ”
“Aye, let us go . ”
As we walked back to the farm, Marco came running towards us . I petted him as he looked at us playfully . Yis was waving towards us . We waved back . For some reason, his face lit up and he began to wave excitedly, which was a strange thing to see from someone of that age . Daniela and I looked at each other and burst into laughter .
Later on, everyone returned to their houses for the night . It had been decided that the mess would be dealt with the next morning .
When the morning came, I, Daniela, Mister Yis, Mido and Marco walked together towards the farm . The villagers had gathered as well . They were excited to dissect the lesser wyvern . However, it would not be cut by ordinary blades . And so I created knife-sized ice swords and passed them out . The fact that maintaining the edge on those blades took so much magic energy that I ended up being even more exhausted than I was after the battle with the wyvern…would be kept a secret .
By the time we were finished taking the monster apart, the sun was about to set . That was strange… It seemed like it had been morning only a short while ago .
“Ahh, that was tiring work!”
Regar said as he sat next to me on the grass . He was wiping the sweat off of his forehead, but looked incredibly pleased .
“It’s not exactly the first time I’ve killed a wyvern . But I never had to cut one up before . I’m exhausted…”
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“What? You have fought a wyvern before, Asagi?”
“Uh, yeah… I had been watching some other Adventurers as they fought one . And things were looking pretty bad, so I butted in, let them escape and then sort of just ended up killing it . ”
“Ohhh… You must be a lot more dangerous than you let on…”
That being said, that wyvern was wounded . It couldn’t even fly .
“Still, I am glad that you came . That wyvern had been making a meal of many of our livestock… We were all worried that it would move on to human flesh…”
“It’s a good thing it was dealt with before that happened . ”
“Aye . You are damn right!”
Losing your livestock was like losing the tools of the trade . It was losing the foundation of your livelihood . And yet, Regar was laughing as if he had never been more entertained . It was as if he found pleasure in just being alive… Or gratitude…
“Well, then . You helped us greatly . But this is a small village, and there is no guild . So we all pooled our money together in order to offer you a reward . Though, I’m sorry that it is not much . ”
“Uh, we didn’t have any intention of receiving anything… Actually, I thought maybe you could all share the materials from it?”
That would go a long way to repairing the damage done to the village .
“No, no, no . We would not be setting a good example if we did that . And it was you people who slew the wyvern . We cannot accept . It has already been decided, and I would be very troubled if you did not accept it . ”
“Uh, but…”
I felt a little awkward as Regar laughed, his eyebrows slanted in a somewhat distressed expression . Just then, a voice rang from behind me .
“Please take it, Asagi . ”
“Yis…”
He sat down next to me on the other side .
“I think I know a thing or two about you now . You’re thinking that the materials should also go towards restoring the village, aren’t you?”
“…You’re damn right . ”
“Haha . I knew it!’
Yis laughed as he pointed at his left eye . I suppose he was saying that nothing escaped him…
“This is a small village . It is because it is small that we can work together in unity . In a way, it is the strength of Dana village . We can survive even after a wyvern has eaten some of our animals . ”
“That’s…good, but…”
“Yes, is this not a great place?”
Yis looked at the village under the sunset sky . It was isolated . The sound of the wind pushing the creaking blades of the windmills was very comforting . The villagers were all smiles as they folded the hide and wings of the wyvern and stuffed them into a bag .
A small boy was proudly showing his mother a fang that he had managed to release . Of course, she snatched it away . This is for the Adventurers! She said angrily . The boy looked sad, but nodded as she placed it back into his hand and sent him running towards us .
“Here . You can have it . ”
“Uh, thanks . As a reward, I’m giving it to you . ”
And I put the fang back into his his palm and closed his fingers around it . He tilted his head to the side . ‘Do you mean it?’ he asked . Of course . I said with a nod . Then my eyes met his mother’s . I felt a little uncomfortable, but she looked happy as she laughed happily and bowed . I smiled back .
“Thank you, mister!”
“Yeah . Later then . ”
The boy waved his hand and then ran off . I waved back . He looked happy from the bottom of his heart as he ran to his mother to tell her about what had happened .
“This really is a nice village . ”
“Aye . I am very fond of this place . ”
“Yes, I’m proud to live here . ”
Regar was now sitting next to Yis and they were laughing .
“…I think I will accept the reward . Gladly . ”
“Aye, take it . I don’t know how it compares to your level or equipment, but you can always sell it . ”
“Yes, yes . You can never have too much money . If it helps you at all on your travels, we will be very happy!”
It was very decent of them . I bowed and said thank you .
I watched the almost nostalgic scene of the sun setting, and thought again about everything that had happened since coming to this world . Always . I was always helped by someone . No matter where I went or who I met . I felt that it showed just how good people were at heart in this world . Of course, there were some who were not like that as well . But it was things that were beautiful and shined that seemed to cover everything else and grab me like nothing else could .
There was one thing that I had been thinking about for a while . The reason that I had been brought here . That voice that had rung in my brain after I had been stabbed and was about to take my last breath . I was starting to believe that it was God . The last wish of a man who had been tired with life had been heard .
I had wanted to live a better life . There was so much I should have done .
It was a vague wish, but now I see that it really had come true . There was Daniela next to me, and so many great people . And I was grateful to be alive now .
I watched the last glimpse of the sun disappear into the horizon . Now, I truly felt that I was living the life that I had longed for back then on that day .