Chapter 14

"Good morning!"

Arriving at the south gate, Mika greeted energetically.

"Oh, Mika. Good morning."

"What, Mika. You're here again?"

"Yeah, you're early today too. Don't wander around too much and get hurt."

Mika replied, "Hai," and observed the surroundings from a little distance away. It was still early in the morning, and not many of the vigilantes had gathered yet.

Three days had passed since the monster attack. Repairs were underway for the destroyed south gate and the houses damaged in the battle, but there was a severe shortage of timber. Immediately after the attack, the south gate was completely blocked, but the next day it was reopened to gather wood from the forest. A simpler barricade was then built to make it easier for people to come and go. Compared to the previous gate, it was much weaker, but there was nothing that could be done without materials. As a result of this incident, it was decided to cut a large amount of wood from the forest and manage it within the village. Since Rich Village had plenty of land, they would secure more wood than needed for the repairs to respond quickly when necessary. However, even if they went to the forest to cut trees, it wouldn't be immediately usable. If not dried properly, the wood would warp or crack. Therefore, they selected usable materials from the broken gate and used them for house repairs. The south gate was temporarily barricaded with green wood, and later, a sturdy gate would be rebuilt using dried wood. This was the decision made.

What Mika was doing was helping with such tasks. Although he could only do simple things, he carried small loads, ran errands, and did various odd jobs. The reason he was doing this was that the men working on the village's recovery were mostly vigilantes. During breaks, he listened to various stories about the monster attack from them.

To begin with, why the south gate was destroyed was a mystery to Mika. Even to a layman like him, the gate seemed very sturdy. On the other hand, the fence surrounding the village was very simple. It was just posts driven into the ground and boards nailed between them. It seemed much easier to break the fence and enter. Normally, the part surrounding the village would be made sturdy, and the gate would be the weakest point, but Rich Village was the opposite. Probably because the village's area was too vast, the gate could be made sturdy, but the budget didn't stretch to the fence. That might be the reason. However, the village's inconsistency didn't end there.

For this reason, when Mika asked the vigilantes why the sturdy south gate was destroyed instead of the weaker fence, they replied:

"Monsters are attracted to places where many people gather. That's their nature."

"Some monsters are smart, but the Ag Bear is more straightforward. It just chases and charges with its massive body."

"I saw it for the first time, but it was terrifying. It charged straight at us without looking around. Each time it rammed the gate, the pillars cracked. I never want to experience that again."

It seemed that the monsters were simply attracted to the "prey" in front of them, but they were drawn to places where many people gathered. Knowing this, when the monster appeared from the forest, the vigilantes were mostly stationed at the gate, not the fence. The monster then charged straight for the gate and didn't try to break the fence and come around. They tried to stab it with spears and swords, but it ignored them and rammed the gate or hit the gate with its body.

(... It just charged without looking at anything else. That's scary in its own way.)

As a result, the gate, which was thought to be unbreakable, was destroyed, causing significant damage to the village. However, it was also because they inflicted damage on it that they were able to defeat it. Otherwise, it might have entered the meeting hall and caused casualties among the villagers who were taking refuge.

(At that time, I just watched, but the vigilantes are really amazing to face the Ag Bear.)

Mika knew that the vigilantes trained regularly, but they were still villagers. They worked in the cotton fields or the textile factory and didn't make fighting their profession. Mika was deeply moved by the fact that these villagers united and defeated such a formidable monster.

"Hey, kid, you're here again?"

Diego, one of the vigilantes, approached as more of them gathered. He looked at Mika with a troubled expression and sighed.

"Ah... Just try not to get in the way. And don't be a bother. Everyone has work to do."

Mika replied energetically, "Hai!"

Diego's exasperated warning made him return to the vigilantes with a slightly sour expression.

Diego's attitude had a reason. Mika was listening to stories about the monster hunt from the vigilantes, but his main goal was to hear from Diego. Everyone said Diego was the most active, and as a former adventurer, Mika had many questions for him. However, as the leader of the vigilantes, Diego had to give instructions for the recovery work and didn't have time to chat with a child. For the past few days, Mika had been trying to get Diego to talk, while Diego kept giving him trivial tasks to get rid of him. The vigilantes watched this back-and-forth with amusement, finding it funny that Diego was being bothered by a child.

Today, Mika didn't get a chance to talk to Diego. Diego had gone to the forest in the morning, but Mika was forbidden from entering the forest because the logging work was dangerous. Reluctantly, he watched the wood processing work in the village. It was already past noon, and Diego hadn't returned, probably having his lunch in the forest.

(Clearly, he's avoiding me. What should I do?)

Mika was aware that he was a bother to Diego, but this was important for his future. He had to find out as much as possible. He racked his brain for a way to get Diego to talk.

Suddenly, a voice came from the side.

"Hello, Mika."

"Huh?"

Mika turned around to see a woman standing next to him, holding a baby. She looked to be in her early 30s, around the same age as Amelia and Ladi. She was slender, with red hair and a well-tanned complexion. Her short hair and cheerful smile made her look approachable. The baby, seemingly at ease in her arms, was sound asleep.

(... When did she get here?)

He looked down at his feet. The ground was dry and exposed, and he would have heard the sound of footsteps. But he hadn't noticed her until she spoke. He looked up at her face, but it was unfamiliar.

"Um... Who are you?"

He asked hesitantly. There were about 200 residents in Rich Village, but he didn't know everyone's names and faces. He thought it might be rude, but he needed to confirm who she was to have a conversation.

(At times like this, being a child is really convenient.)

If he were an adult, he wouldn't have been able to ask "Who are you?" if the person knew his name. It would have been too rude. He would have tried to recall and make small talk to get information. Often, he would remember after a while, but sometimes he wouldn't.

The woman chuckled and looked at Mika. Her hazel eyes were sharp, almost like a predator's. The baby, sensing the intensity, started to fuss.

(... This is seriously intense. The aura or something is just... unbelievable...)

He tensed, wondering if he should run, but then she spoke.

"...You're a really interesting kid."

The tension suddenly dissipated, and the atmosphere became gentle. The baby, sensing the change, started to breathe steadily again.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm Ninetyana, Diego's wife. Nice to meet you, Mika."

"Huh?"

Mika was taken aback. The sudden change in atmosphere and the revelation that she was Diego's wife left him speechless.

(Diego's wife? It's not strange for him to be married, but I don't remember Diego mentioning his family. This is really suspicious, but I can't tell if it's true or not.)

As Mika struggled to decide how to respond, Ninetyana spoke again.

"I've noticed you've been coming to see Diego a lot lately. Could you tell me why?"

She pointed to a tree, suggesting they talk in the shade. Mika hesitated for a moment but decided to follow her. She was carrying a baby and claimed to be Diego's wife, so it seemed unlikely that anything bad would happen, assuming it was true.

Ninetyana's footsteps were audible as she walked ahead of Mika. He wondered if he had been too absorbed in his thoughts to notice her earlier. When they reached the shade, Ninetyana turned and smiled at Mika.

"Are you worried about the footsteps?"

Caught off guard, Mika stopped and couldn't move forward.

"When you try to sense someone, you give off that kind of aura. 'Oh, they're trying to sense me.'"

She beckoned to him. Mika hesitated for a moment but gathered his courage and stepped forward.

(I understand sensing someone, but what does it mean to be sensed? I was just worried about the footsteps... Could I be in trouble with this person?)

Mika was unfamiliar with magic. Diego, who had defeated the monster, was also a mystery to him. But the woman in front of him, smiling and holding a baby, seemed even more enigmatic. He felt that even if he tried to escape using magic, he wouldn't be able to get away.

They sat facing each other in the shade, and Ninetyana repeated her question.

"So, Mika, you've been trying to talk to Diego lately. Why?"

Ninetyana's gentle demeanor was a facade, and Mika understood that. (I can't bluff my way through this.)

He decided to be cautious and answer carefully. He would tell the truth about things that wouldn't cause problems and remain silent about anything he didn't want to discuss. Specifically, his true identity and magic. He wouldn't answer any questions that might lead to those topics.

"I want to hear about monsters and adventurers."

Mika fixed his gaze on a pebble on the ground, avoiding eye contact with Ninetyana. He didn't want to reveal anything through his eyes, so he kept his gaze down. This might seem unnatural, but for a child, it could be seen as being scolded and looking down. He decided to play it as a child.

"Monsters? Oh..."

Ninetyana seemed to be pondering Mika's answer. The simple topics of monsters and adventurers were being scrutinized.

(This silence is killing me! What's with this person!?)

Despite the cool shade, sweat trickled down Mika's cheek. He couldn't even wipe it away, just staring at the pebble. He remained still, steeling himself to "never look up." The silence was suffocating, and it was broken by Ninetyana, who seemed to be enjoying Mika's discomfort.

"...Monsters are a general term for beasts with red eyes that host magic stones."

"Huh?"

Mika didn't understand at first. It took a moment to realize she was talking about monsters.

"That's the definition of a monster. By the way, if it's not a beast, it's a monster. There are other things classified as 'magic,' but the common traits are hosting a magic stone and having red eyes."

Mika involuntarily looked up, surprised. Ninetyana smiled at his shocked expression.

"You wanted to know about monsters, right?"

Mika nodded silently. All his previous thoughts about avoiding eye contact were forgotten.

"In this village, monsters are rarely seen, so children aren't taught about them. But in other villages, children are taught. It's safer to know. There's no need to be so surprised."

Ninetyana spoke as if it were no big deal.

"Are you not from this village?"

"I am a resident