After a walk that felt like an eternity, the two found themselves outside a small settlement. Wooden fences surrounded the area. Inside were rows of tents. The village was unremarkable and very primitive. As soon as Tetsuya stepped inside, he was surprised when he saw the inhabitants. From the waist up, they looked like slender humans, but their hoofed legs resembled those belonging to deer. On their heads were large antlers and fluffy ears, also deer-like.

“Hey, Chelsea,” Tetsuya whispered, afraid of sounding rude if anyone overheard him. “What are these people?”

Chelsea stared blankly at him for a moment. It took her a while to process in her mind what Tetsuya was asking her. “They’re fauns,” she replied. “Who else would be living in a village out here in the Wildlands?”

“Uh... Right. Of course,” Tetsuya said, accepting her explanation as if it made perfect sense to him.

“They used to live in the southern part of the Wilds of Elysia in an area called the Valley of Athena,” Chelsea explained. “But the centaurs and the orcs have made that area into a war zone and the fauns were often caught in the crossfire. Both sides raided their villages, pillaged their crops, raped and murdered their people. Various small groups of fauns have begun to move up north to this village. They’ve sent scouts back to the Valley of Athena to convince any other remaining groups of fauns to flee with them up north to safety.”

“Centaurs and orcs, huh? So, I guess right now those are the two things most likely to kill me in this world,” Tetsuya thought to himself. “For now, anyway.”

“So, the fauns are safe here now, right?” he asked.

“Kinda. Not really,” Chelsea explained. “Orcs and centaurs are both nomadic groups of people. There’s a good chance they’ll follow the fauns up north and create settlements of their own in this area. That’s why the Kingdoms of Myrkheim and Svartalfheim are against the Kingdom of Alfheim helping them relocate here. They don’t want the orcs and centaurs war to spill on their doorsteps.”

Tetsuya and Chelsea watched a group of three faun children laughing and playing together. Once they caught a glimpse of Chelsea, the smiles on their faces faded and were replaced with a look of alarm. The children quickly ran away, vanishing from Tetsuya and Chelsea’s sight.

“I guess they haven’t gotten used to the sight of someone who looks like me yet,” Chelsea said as she forcing a smile on her face.

Tetsuya could see that the action of those children cut her deep.

“It’s good though,” Chelsea added. “Their fear of people who look like me will keep them alive someday.”

A faun man approached the pair. He had a more muscular build than any other faun in the village, which wasn’t really saying much. Still, he had an aura of a warrior around him. Tetsuya was almost sure that the reason that everyone in this village was still alive was because of him.

“Greetings my friends. Welcome to our humble village. I see you come bearing gifts of meat. I can tell that I like you already,” he smiled at them warmly.

“Thanks for having us,” Chelsea smiled back.

“Come, follow me. Our chefs are hard at work preparing for tonight’s feast. Let’s give them some more work to do,” he said as he gave one of the boar carcasses on Chelsea’s shoulder a pat.

“My name is Jason Galanis,” he introduced himself. “I guess you could say I’m the head of this village.”

“Chelsea,” she introduced herself with a slight bow of her head, all while balancing the boars on her shoulders.

“Chelsea, huh? Unusual name for an orc,” Jason said observantly.

“Half-orc, actually,” she corrected him.

“Half-orc. What does that mean?” Tetsuya wondered out loud to himself, not really expecting a response. Of course, he had some idea, but he wasn’t sure how biology worked in this world.

“It means if I ever find my father, I’d put an axe through his skull for what he did to my mother,” Chelsea replied with a bit of a laugh.

“Oh... Oh,” Tetsuya said, realizing he guessed correctly.

“Sorry,” Tetsuya quickly apologized. “I didn’t mean to ask something so personal.”

Chelsea laughed. “You know, you apologize way too much.”

“Sorry,” Tetsuya repeated.

Chelsea laughed even harder.

“What about you?” Jason asked, shifting his attention to Tetsuya. “What’s your name? Where are you from?”

“My name is Tetsuya. I’m from, uh, far away,” he replied awkwardly. He figured it probably wasn’t a good idea to tell everyone the truth about where he’s from. It would raise far too many questions.

“A Farlander? I’ve never met one before,” Jason said as he studied the boy. “Aren’t your people supposed to have ears and a tail?”

“Again with the fluffy ears and tail,” Tetsuya thought to himself. “Wait, don’t tell me there’s an entire nation of catgirls somewhere in this world.”

Tetsuya imagined himself being doted on by a harem of loyal catgirls. “I wonder if I can get a do-over,” he thought. “Clearly I was resurrected in the wrong place.”

Tetsuya realized that he drifted off into his inane catgirl fantasy. “Sorry,” he apologized quickly. “I'm not sure how I ended up like this. No one back home really had an explanation either.”

Jason looked him over for a moment longer. He decided not to push his inquiries any further. “Looks like he’s satisfied with my half-assed explanation,” Tetsuya said, letting out a sigh of relief.

They stopped in front of a group of cooks working frantically in their makeshift kitchen. Some were chopping up vegetables. Another was stirring a giant pot. Two more were finishing setting up a spit roast in anticipation of the boars Chelsea was contracted into bringing. Chelsea placed the boar carcasses on the ground. One of the cooks rushed to the boars with a big smile on his face as he began prepping it to be cooked.

Chelsea let out a satisfied moan as she stretched her stiff shoulders. Her large breasts jiggled as she stretched her arms around. Tetsuya instinctively averted his gaze.

“Great job. We appreciate all your help here today,” Jason smiled.

“Just one last thing I have to do,” Chelsea said, pulling out a piece of parchment from her pouch. “Would you mind signing off to verify that we completed the contract?”

“Of course,” Jason said, pulling out a dagger from his waist. He pricked his thumb and pressed it against the piece of parchment. Most fauns do not know how to read or write. As with all illiterate individuals, the common practice for signing a contract is to draw an ‘x’ with either ink or blood in lieu of a signature.

“And with that, this job is officially done,” Chelsea smiled happily.

“Will you two be staying for tonight’s feast?” Jason asked. “We have plenty of food. It’s sure to be a good time.”

Chelsea shook her head. “Oh no. We wouldn’t want to impose,” she said coyly.

“Oh. That’s too bad,” Jason grinned as he waved them off. “Safe travels, friends.”

“But if you insist! I guess we don’t have a choice,” Chelsea quickly added.

Jason let out a laugh. “Of course I insist. Make yourselves at home.”

As the sun set in the sky, the entire village was buzzing, awaiting the arrival of Princess Deirdre. The Kingdom of Alfheim was the only one who offered to support this faun village. What that support entailed was still up for discussion. The survival of this faun village rested largely on the impression they make on Princess Deirdre tonight.

“She’s here! She’s here!” A faun lookout exclaimed ecstatically as he watched a horse-drawn carriage approaching from the distance. Every single person in the village stopped what they were doing and gathered together to welcome the princess.

The carriage reached the entrance to the village. The door swung open. The first to step out was a young woman with fiery red hair that was braided at the back. She had emerald green eyes, porcelain skin, and freckles on her cheeks. Her ears were long and pointed. She was the textbook definition of an elven beauty.

“That’s Lady Kiera Flynn. Captain of the Queensguard,” Chelsea said, her voice gushing with admiration. “She’s the greatest warrior the Kingdom of Alfheim has ever produced. They say that her shield and protective magic can withstand any attacks and that her healing magic can mend the gravest of wounds. After Queen Teagan, King Connor and Princess Deirdre, Lady Kiera holds the most political power in the Kingdom of Alfheim.”

The next to step out a young woman of equal beauty. Her skin was as dark as obsidian and her eyes were a cool silver. Her long white hair danced freely in the wind. Tetsuya quickly put two and two together and deduced that she must be a dark elf.

“And that’s Lady Astrid Larsen,” Chelsea said, completely awestruck. “They call her the Lightning Goddess because she can end any battle in a flash. That and because of her fondness for lightning magic. She’s a tactical genius and along with being a member of the Queensguard, she also doubles as the general for Alfheim Royal Army. When it comes to large scale battles, no one has led an army to more decisive victories than she has.”

The two young women helped a girl out of the carriage. She appeared to be in her early teens, probably two or three years younger than Tetsuya. She had long flowing red hair and emerald green eyes, not unlike Lady Kiera. The two bore a striking resemblance to each other.

The whole village knelt down and bowed their heads. Tetsuya looked around and quickly followed suit.

“That’s Princess Deirdre Gallagher,” Chelsea whispered. “She might be young, but her mind is sharp. She has a knack for negotiations and diplomacy. As to be expected for the crown princess of the Kingdom of Alfheim.”

The young girl smiled sweetly. “Please, stand up,” she said in a soft voice. Although she was young, she had a mature, regal aura around her. The sweetness of her demeanor was in stark contrast to the immense political power she held.

“Your grace, you honor us with your presence,” Jason spoke humbly to the young girl standing before him. “Please, make yourselves at home. And, please, enjoy this humble feast in your honor.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Princess Deirdre said with a warm smile.

Jason led the princess and her Queensguard to the head table at the banquet. There were only three chairs.

“Where will you sit, good sir?” Princess Deirdre asked curiously.

Jason was taken aback with such a question. “Your grace, I’m not worthy to sit at the same table as you.”

“It would be difficult to discuss the future of your village if you’re not sitting at my side,” the princess said. She turned towards Lady Astrid. “Kindly bring us another chair for yourself, my lady.”

“Of course, your grace,” Lady Astrid replied.

“There’s no need for that, my lady,” Jason said frantically. “Someone bring Lady Astrid a chair!” he yelled out.

Princess Deirdre put up a hand to stop him. She smiled and gave Lady Astrid a nod as if to tell her to go ahead and find a chair. The princess turned towards Jason and motioned at the empty chair. “Come. Sit.”

“I beg your forgiveness, your grace,” Jason said, deeply apologetic. “I’ve been told that your Queensguard are to be treated as if they were members of the royal family themselves. And that to disrespect them is the same as disrespecting the king and queen themselves.”

Jason watched nervously as several villagers tripped over themselves to offer Lady Astrid their chair.

“That’s correct,” Princess Deirdre said, a delighted smile spreading across her radiant face. “Each member of the Queensguard is like a brother or sister to me.”

“And while it’s true that the Kingdom of Alfheim does not tolerate disrespect towards our Queensguard,” she said. “I can tell that you mean no disrespect and that you have been nothing less than a most gracious host.”

Princess Deirdre watched Lady Astrid coming back to the table and sitting on the other side of Jason. “I’m curious, how did you learn about that part of Alfheimian tradition?” Princess Deirdre asked.

“Alexis Forrester,” Jason replied. “He comes around every once in a while to make sure that we’re okay. He taught us a little bit about the culture and the customs of the people of this area.”

Princess Deirdre turned to Lady Kiera. “Have you heard of him, my lady?” she asked.

“Only in passing, your grace,” Lady Kiera replied. "There are records of him serving as the lead hunter for several S Rank hunts for the Adventurer's Guild, most notably the hunt for the elder hydra that appeared in the Lake of Poseidon."

"I remember that incident," Princess Deirdre said. "If he was one of the hunters responsible for bringing down such a deadly beast, then why have I never heard his name before?"

"Well, that's because he took part in these hunts in an unofficial capacity." Lady Kiera explained. "Alexis is not a registered adventurer with the guild. He's not eligible to earn an Adventurer's Rank or to claim the rewards for any quests that he participates in."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Adventurers Guild accept Wildlanders in their ranks?" Princess Deirdre asked.

"Indeed they do, your grace," Lady Kiera replied. "Alexis just never bothered to register with them."

"Then why would he agree to take on a task as dangerous as hunting an elder hydra?" Princess Deirdre asked curiously.

"Your guess is as good as mine, your grace," Lady Kiera replied. "Some say that he hunts for the thrill. Others say he's a bit mad. It depends on who you ask, I suppose."

“We’ve had our eyes on him for a while now," Lady Astrid cut in. "He’s a prime candidate for the Queensguard.”

“I don't suppose he has shown any interest in applying for the selection process?” Princess Deirdre asked.

“I approached him about it once, but he declined,” Lady Astrid replied. “He said that he has no interest in titles or wealth or living a life of luxury. All he wants is the freedom to live his life as he sees fit.”

“Such a shame. He sounds like quite an intriguing individual,” Princess Deirdre said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She turned her attention back to Jason. “But it seems like you have a very powerful ally looking out for you.”

“I had no idea,” Jason said in astonishment. “I’ve seen him slay orthruses and dire wolves with ease. But an elder hydra..."

"If only more of my people could be like him, if only I could be more like him, then we wouldn’t need to rely on others for protection.”

“I can arrange for some of our knights to come to your village and teach your people basic combat,” Princess Deirdre offered. “I can’t promise that they’ll be slaying dragons when it’s over, but it should give you a fighting chance to defend yourselves from the threats lurking in the Wildlands.”

“Thank you, your grace,” Jason said gratefully. "That's a most generous offer that we would gladly accept."

"Furthermore, we are all well aware of the looming threat that the centaurs and orc hordes pose to us all," Princess Deirdre said. "Rest assured, my family has spoken with King Gerhard of the Kingdom of Myrkheim, Queen Freyja of the Kingdom of Svartalfheim as well as Prime Minister Dalton of the Free City of Midgard. Each territory has agreed to establish its own military outpost in the Wildlands. Should the centaurs or the orcs migrate this far up north, they will be met with resistance. In the event that these military outposts are in danger of falling, they will send scouts to warn your village and help evacuate your people with the walls of the Kingdom of Alfheim."

"Your grace, that is far more than we could have ever hoped for," Jason said, almost in tears. "On behalf of my people, I thank you."

A sudden commotion erupted as a gravely wounded faun staggered into the village. "Dire wolves! A dozen of them! Coming from the south! They'll be here at any minute!" he shouted as he fell to his knees.

Jason rushed to the side of the injured villager, "Where are the rest of our scouts?"

"There's no way they could have survived," the injured faun said. "I didn't want to leave them behind... But they told me that I had to warn the village."

"You did the right thing," Jason assured him. "Rest now, friend."

Princess Deirdre knelt beside the wounded faun. "Let me heal him," she said, casting a powerful healing spell on him.

"Close the gates!" Jason ordered his men.

"My children! My children!" a woman yelled as she frantically ran to Jason's side. "I haven't seen them since this afternoon!"

"I saw children playing just outside the village walls earlier today!" another faun shouted from the crowd.

"Children... No, it can't be," Chelsea said, sharing a look of concern with Tetsuya. They both remembered the three faun children that ran away from her earlier that day.

"This is all my fault. I have to go look for them," she said, sprinting towards danger.

"I'll go with you," Tetsuya replied, following her without thinking.

"No way, it's too dangerous," Chelsea said. "Stay in the village where it's safe."

"I wasn't asking for your permission," Tetsuya said. As brave as he tried to sound, he was terrified out of his mind.

Chelsea grabbed a dagger from her belt and handed it to Tetsuya. "The quickest way to kill a dire wolf is to go for the throat."

"We'll get your children back!" Tetsuya shouted at the woman as he and Chelsea disappeared into the night.

"Wait! Those children are my responsibility!" Jason yelled, unsheathing his dagger and running after the pair. "Close the gates behind me," he shouted to his men.

"Lady Astrid, please go with them," Princess Deirdre said as she continued to use her powerful healing magic on the wounded faun."

"At once, your grace," Lady Astrid said.

"Lady Kiera, stand guard at the gate," Princess Deirdre ordered. "Make sure that no dire wolf enters this village."

Lady Kiera hesitated for a second. The protocol is to have at least one Queensguard at the side of the members of the royal family at all times while outside the Alfheim Royal Palace.

"Please," Princess Deirdre pleaded with her.

"As you command, your grace." Lady Kiera said.