Recovering from the earlier encounter, Riaz decided to head back home for the day. He wasn't in the mood to visit the village anymore.

Meanwhile, the rugged swordsman arrived in the village. There wasn't much to see. To him it was just another village that seemed more like a town if you compared it to the other villages. He assumed that a surplus of resources was the advantage of being situated so close to the royal capital.

His destination was the sole inn of this vibrant place, thus he rode his horse Moonshine towards the center of the village.

Festive garlands decorated the many houses whereas people were busily walking about in preparation of the festival. They carried various wooden carvings to their designated places and practiced songs among other things. Everyone involved seemed to be in good spirits.

The swordsman had heard of the harvest festival before. Lefra Village was famed for closing its doors during this grand event and it was publicly known that the people of the village assigned great importance to the event, to the point that some would go so far as to describe them as fanatic zealots.

Once the swordsman paid for his lodgings, he left his horse at the inn and sought out the village head.

Back in the painted red house, Riaz sat at the dining table together with the rest of the family, as always.

They were discussing the mysterious swordsman who had come to the village; the very same person Riaz crossed paths with.

"I'm telling you Riaz, there is nothing to be excited about. Those kinds of guys, I know them and, let me tell you, they spell nothing but trouble." Obrid vigorously spoke to Riaz while pointing his fork at him. It looked like he was poking at the air.

A mouthful of roast pork was lodged in Obrid's mouth and the juicy fat trickled down his lips as he talked.

Seeing as Lissy, who sat next to Riaz, was playing with her vegetables, the latter picked some of her veggies with his fork and offered to feed them to her.

Lissy didn't like vegetables, but whenever Riaz offered to feed them to her, she'd quickly change her tune and would happily accept them with an audible "Aaaa" all the while blushing to the ears.

Across the table, Leria, who witnessed the scene, pouted and purposely left some of her veggies on her plate.

Shaking her head at the girl's antics, Celia added, "I've heard of this man. He went to visit the village head. Some of the women, who I occasionally chat with, saw him entering his house. I wonder if the two are acquainted."

Obrid downed a few mouthfuls from his cup and said, "That ain't all. Word's gotten around, just you listen. Yesterday, Troy, who loves having a good drink after work, was, as usual, at the tavern for his drink and to pester the daughter of the owner, when a bunch of rowdy outsiders showed up."

Obrid paused in hopes of farming some reactions before he continued, "It came down to how they looked and behaved, clearly some sort of ragtag criminal bunch."

"Oh by the gods, how terrible. What happened? Are Berta and her daughter alright?" Celia gasped in worry, folding her hands in front of her mouth. She was well acquainted with Berta and couldn't help but worry. Even Leria put on a worried expression, since she was friends with Berta's daughter.

Riaz, on the other hand, calmly raised an eyebrow. He remembered somewhere in the back of his head that the region had a bandit problem not so long ago. However, he thought that the threat had blown over, since for the past months there were no news about them.

"Nothing happened to them. Calm down, honey. I'm telling you what Troy told me. When three of those men entered the tavern, they caused a ruckus, but then all of a sudden our mystery guy stepped in. Seemed he was sitting inside the tavern all along.

"From what Troy saw, it looked like those fools, some way or the other, spilled that guy's drink. Soon after, they were sent packing. From what I was told, nobody could clearly see that guy's movements. People been nervous since he showed up." Obrid's face was rigid, while Kyle jumped off his chair and pulled on Obrid's sleeve.

"Whoa dad, is that man strong? Is he stronger than you?" Kyle was excited. Ever since he heard stories from his father, he's always dreamt of becoming an adventurer and had even met a few adventurers while on an outing in the village.

"Shut it, brat!" Obrid smacked Kyle's head. "You don't know what's good for you."

Kyle became teary-eyed and took cover while his hands rubbed the top of his head. He looked quite pitiful.

"I don't understand, shouldn't the villagers be happy that someone stood up against the outsiders?" Riaz asked, though he kind of already knew the answer already.

"Of course not! If they are Harkon's men, then this matter is far from being over. It's better for us to stay out of this and let them deal with the mess on their own." Obrid didn't hesitate to put his own family's well being before that of the village.

"Is that man famous?" Riaz felt like he had heard that name before, usually when talks revolved around banditry.

"Famous? That covers about half of it. Not only famous, he's also been in the business for so long that I had heard of him during my heyday as a warrior." Obrid tapped his fist against the table. "Until now, he has never been caught, causing grief and suffering for the honest folk."

"But, isn't the royal capital close by? How could the bandits operate for all these years without being put to justice?"

Obrid looked at Riaz with a stern expression and firmly said, "Riaz, the world is not that kind. If I have learned anything during my work as a sellsword, it's that even the cleanest house has filthy corners somewhere. You are better off not relying on this silly pipe dream called justice. It will taste sweet at first, but will make you sick in the long run."

"I don't think I understand." Riaz shook his head, clearly not sure what to make Obrid's words, but the latter showed no intention of explaining further.

After talking about more casual topics, the family finished their lunch and Celia began collecting the dishes.

"Let me help you with the dishes, Aunty." Riaz offered her a hand.

He felt like a part of the family and even though it hadn't been that long, it was his first experience of having something like that and he cherished the feeling of belonging.

The family felt not much differently towards him and openly showed how much they liked this tenant of theirs. He was a well-mannered boy and great to have around. Obrid and Celia wouldn't treat him different from a son on many occasions.

--

In the village, preparations had already concluded, but the village head had a lot on his plate.

Misaf stood by the window in his study. The rhythmic sound of an aged clock cut through the silence of the room.

The study was a mess as per usual and the room was barely illuminated by candles and moonlight.

Another man stood by the door. It was the swordsman who had recently become a hot topic in the village.

"Those three men, they will not take this lying down. If we are lucky, they will merely cause another scene, but if they gathered the whole lot, then things would grow complicated." Misaf remarked coldly.

"So what if a few stray dogs have taken a beating? Since they were so bold to come, do you intent to roll out a red carpet for them? Whether I beat them or not won't really make a difference, since those rotten wolves have already gathered, waiting just around the corner with a whet appetite." The swordsman walked up to the desk and grabbed the cup of tea that sat there, downing it in one go.

After a brief instant, the swordsman spat out the tea. "Pah, what bitter swill! Do you serve this to your guests?"

The lips of the old man slightly curved up around the corner.

"Blade King Roa, I have answered all your questions during your last visit. Why do you still linger here, hm?" Misaf turned his head towards the blade king. "As I am sure you know, tomorrow marks the day of our annual festival. You have no business being here."

The blade king named Roa slammed the tea cup onto the desk, exclaiming, "Your hospitality is lacking, just like your tea, you old fogey. I have no interest in your festival or whatever."

Old Misaf stroked his beard. "Am I to understand that you won't leave, even if I politely asked you to?"

Roa laughed, "Naturally, I will leave once I have what I want or rather who I want. I've met an interesting brat during my arrival.

"Hm? I don't know which of my people could possibly solicit attention from such a big personage." Misaf narrowed his eyes.

Roa smirked while touching his chin. "I suppose you'd know the brat with bright grey hair, since there likely ain't two alike. I have chosen him as my disciple."

Misaf's hand froze mid-stroke.

"That boy is off-limits; I will not budge on this, Roa." Misaf's voice carried a tinge of anger. "Don't get any ideas and leave my village. I will not allow you to trample on that little sapling."

Roa sneered, "Are you trying to shelter him? Amnesia and so on, I've heard the story and I don't care. He's more vicious than you think."

He paused for a moment, then said, "That brat holds a token of my family. As custom demands, I will take him as my disciple. Neither of you two have a say in the matter."

The room quaked and the sound of chattering tableware drowned the ticking of the clock. A firm and vibrant aura leaked out from the old man.

Misaf's irises lit up with an emerald glow and he locked eyes with Roa. "The boy is too fragile as he is. You will not take him away before his time." Roa grinned provocatively. "You want to have a go?" His gaze sharpened, the dominant hand touching upon the hilt of his sword.

A violent aura spread out, with Roa at the center, and old man Misaf could feel himself being pressed by quite a tyrannical power. The sheer power of this aura was so focused and sharp that Misaf felt like blades were carving into his tanned skin.

His beard trembled as the glow in his eyes intensified.

"You underestimate our heritage, boy. It's only through the thickness of our roots that the village is where it is now." Misaf's aura fluctuated strangely and, starting from his shoulder, a mark slowly spread to cover part of his body with an intricate design.

The shaking of the room grew in intensity as the mark expanded.

"Apostle!" Roa's eyes widened slightly, then he shouted, "No wonder. But... is that all?"

*click* *crrrrrkkk*

The papers in the room sprung into the air while the candlelights flickered.

Immediately afterwards, Roa withdrew his aura completely and spoke, "In light of how much you've cared for my disciple, I'm willing to overlook your insolence once."

Misaf didn't dare to move and slowly retracted the mark on his body.

He remained silent and watched as Roa turned and left his study. The papers slowly settled, whereas a crack had formed on the tea cup that was sitting on the desk.

Misaf breathed out slowly, "Huu... I've lived a long time, but who knew there was such a monster out there."

He turned around and observed a long horizontal line that had formed on his wall at some point, leaving a neck-wide gap just behind where he stood.

---

The next day, Riaz woke up bright and early. He couldn't wait to finish his chores for the morning so that he and the kids could run off to see the festival.

Obrid shook his head, complaining with the reason that a young man was better off saving his energy for more important work, like fixing the fence.

Around noon, the festival began. Everyone in the village took part in it and contributed in one way or another.

Riaz and Leria took the smaller siblings to see the various sights and to partake in local delicacies that the locals had prepared specifically for the festival.

Kyle, the little rascal, was particularly fond of the sweets that were offered and didn't even hide it. Each piece, that he tasted, planted a wide smile onto his face.

Lissy on the other hand was very timid within the largely crowded areas and nervously clung to Riaz's arm, sticking to him like glue.

"Mm, I'm looking forward to the dance the most. What about you, Riaz?" Leria brushed aside a strand of hair that covered her face and peered at him with her pretty eyes.

Riaz, munching on a veggie skewer, turned his face towards Leria and started.

'When did she get so close?' he asked himself, his gaze drawn to her fluttering eyelashes. 'Did she apply make-up?'

His eyes wandered towards her freckled cheeks that held a faint blush. He swallowed a piece of vegetable that seemed to be stuck in his throat.

"Err... I really can't wait to see the main event. There will be a gigantic pyre on the main square. All the offerings will be cast inside and burnt, followed by a prayer. I've never seen something like that." Riaz grew more enthusiastic with ever word.

"Ahah... I see." A glimmer of disappointment flashed across Leria's eyes. She quickly took Lissy's hand and pulled her away from Riaz. "Come Lissy, let's find mom."

Riaz's eyes followed Leria's back until Kyle pulled on his arm.

"Hey hey, where to next? Kyle raised his head, looking around, unsure where to go.

Riaz pondered for a moment and then remembered something.

"I heard the children from the orphanage are putting on a play. Wanna go and see?"

"No way, I dun wanna see Bolen an' Kolb. They are stupids, talkin' l-l-like t-that and always causin' troubles. I hate them." Kyle shouted.

"Kyle, you shouldn't make fun of others like that. They are quite pitiful and I am sure they would be happy to make a new friend." Riaz lectured the boy.

Kyle responded by pulling down the lower lid of his eye and sticking out his tongue. After that, he took off on his own, leaving Riaz behind.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Riaz quickly chased after Kyle.

As the main event approached, everyone gathered at the main square where an enormous flat basin was constructed, filled with fuel for the pyre.

A tall statue in the image of the Goddess Lefra stood erect behind the basin.

Riaz was filled with excitement as he watched the ritual. Everyone approached with their offerings and cast them into the pyre. Misaf, donning a ceremonial garb, then assembled the elders and cast a prayer, bringing the main function to a close.

What followed was the dance event. The mood on the square peaked and many people, young and old alike, felt their bones possessed by festive spirits.

Obrid took his leave at that point to share a drink with some local fellas while Celia watched over the small ones in the family during the celebration.

As people paired up to dance, Riaz stood at the edge among the bystanders. To his surprise, he found many girls to be throwing flirtatious glances at him from afar, the bolder ladies aggressively locking eyes with him.

Still, he didn't know how to dance and felt very reluctant to. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of all these people. That being the case, he still allowed himself to at least tap his foot along to the music.

Leria had her own fair share of attention and many young lads tried to invite her to dance. She kept refusing at first, but eventually gave in and joined for a few dances.

Riaz couldn't help but admire the way she moved. He sometimes caught her dancing outside the house or singing even, but never paid too much attention until now.

'Could she have been practicing for the dance? She really must like dancing.'

Time passed as celebrations were in full swing under the watchful gaze of the Goddess Lefra, whose favor would make the village prosper for another year; except nobody knew that fate had something else in store for them.

--

The day came to a close and Riaz calmly stood on the porch at the back of the house, his body leaning against the wall.

After a long day, Riaz pondered deeply about the past few months, among other things. He felt at peace for once and hopeful for the future, all the while watching as the sun finally descended.

'I wish these days could last forever.'

As the last rays of sunlight said their farewells, Riaz closed his eyes and deeply inhaled the fresh air.

It was quite late at the time, but the family had yet to settle down fully after a day of excitement.

Obrid stayed behind in Lefra Village to go with the blacksmith and pick up some tools that he had previously handed in for repairs.

From inside the house, Riaz could pick up the happy banter of the children, hearing laughter every now and then.

He kept his eyes closed and listened until the sun set completely.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt surprised. 'Shouldn't the sun have fallen by now?'

He thought to have bid farewell to the sun and yet he could still see a bright glow in the distance. He narrowed his eyes and discerned, to his dismay, that smoke rose in the distance.

The smoke rose from the fields and Riaz immediately understood what the glowing light symbolized.

"Fire!!!" Riaz, like a released bowstring, bounced off the wall and ran into the house.

"Aunty! Fire! The field's on fire!!" Riaz alarmed everyone, completely pouring cold water on the previously joyous mood.

Celia froze and her expression turned grave. Not hesitating for long, she quickly took charge of the situation. "Children, you stay here while Riaz and I put out the flames. Leria, watch the children! Make sure they stay inside!" Celia hastily stood up from her seat and moved towards the entrance, where she then picked up a bucket from beside the door.

Bucket in hand, she rushed outside with no time to lose.

Not making it far, Celia came to a sudden halt and gazed into the distance. The hand holding onto the bucket stiffened and then lost all strength, dropping it.

Riaz, who followed after her, thinking that he had to find a bucket and fetch water from the river, came to a stop as well. All the while, his heart hammered within his chest.

When his eyes followed Celia's, he too felt shocked. From within the cornfield, he was able to make out several movements. Shorty afterwards, multiple shadows emerged from within, of which two held a torch.

Celia immediately turned tail and shouted, "Riaz, quickly gather the children and wait outside the house."

She passed him and ran into the house, where she then rushed upstairs.

Riaz did as he was told while doing his best to reassure the children and keeping them calm.

When Celia finally came down the stairs, she wore a leather belt around her beige dress, on which hung a sheathed sword. Her appearance was met by the frightened cries of her children who had grown nervous.

"We have to run. Run towards the village, we need to find Obrid, hurry." She took Lissy and Kyle by the hand and ran, leading the way.

--

"Ghahaha, see boss? I told ya, that Lorenz was up to somethin', but he ain't escapin' my eyes, no he ain't." A gaudy man laughed heartily as he walked through the field, torch in hand. The crop caught fire wherever he passed.

There stood a beastman among the raiders. Many of his features resembled those of a wolf, while he stood quite tall with a humanoid like build. His chin protruded and most of his grey skin was covered in silver fur, bar the face with its bestial eyes. His hands bore more similarities to an animal than a man and yet their basic shape allowed for limited, yet precise, hand movements.

"Hmpf... that bastard, thinks he can take all the goods and women for himself. Tch." The beastman expressed his displeasure about the actions of Lorenz, another captain within their camp of bandits.

'How despicable. You think you are better, only 'cause you're ranked second. Just wait, I'll make sure to steal all your glory and if the opportunity presents itself...'

He cackled audibly and then his eyes locked onto the red house in the distance.

"Listen up! We won't let him have all the fun by himself, so move your asses and loot that house." As he pointed towards the red house, he took note of a group of escaping villagers.

A devilish grin flashed across his face, revealing his sharp fangs. His tongue slid across his lips, for his prey was now within his sights.

"You two, loot the house and you three, follow me. We will catch those fleeing rats." He issued his orders and immediately began his pursuit.

*whoosh*

Where he was standing a moment ago, only the shadow of an afterimage remained.