V2 Chapter 182

While walking, Cian noticed something odd.

Most of the people in this village were actually women… aside from several boys found within the village—toddlers and children; the village only consisted of women, old and young. There were only less than ten men that could be seen living here. Cian frowned.

What had happened here?

“This is the beastman village’s acting chief Harley,”

“Hello, nice to meet you! My name is Harley,”

As Cian was fallen in deep thoughts before he knows it, Cornelia had led him to see a woman of the Werebeast Tribe. It was a woman roughly twenty to thirty years of age, but from the aura, she was emitting, it made Cian aware of her true age which was unexpectedly around thirty to forty years old.

She had a head full of curly brown hair, deep eyes, and a tall nose giving her a somewhat delicate appearance. However, unlike her beauty, she was quite tall, over two meters tall in height, with clearly defined muscles that can hardly be seen among women even if they trained to death.

Her skin was even dyed that of brown dirt, with a rock-like surface, covered by countless drops of brown, dirty water, especially on her well-toned arms, which was somewhat covered by fine brown fur akin to that of a bear. Her muscles are pretty defined, and abdomen pretty hard-looking, much even incredible than Cian’s who was a man.

Still, due to her somewhat pretty face—the gap moe was quite frightening, as the athletic muscles decorated her body as if they were made suited on her. And no matter how you look at her, in every angle, she gave off an air of tremendous sex appeal.

In addition, her tall stature made the mounds on her chest particularly conspicuous. She was wearing clothes made from animal fur, though whether to call it clothes was still somewhat disagreeable since it just looked as if she had wrapped a piece of fur on her chest and waist, coupled with fur boots. On top of her head, you can see bear-like ears—It appears that she was a member of the Werebear Tribe.

She appeared exotic, but this also gave her beauty a heroic spirit.

On the other hand, if one looks closely at the other tribe members, aside from the Bear Beastmen, there were also pig-like people—somewhat like Orcs but more humanish.

“Lady Harley… this village, I don’t think it was done by a natural disaster,”

Cian muttered as he roamed his gaze around the village.

From what he can see, there should be a good village here once, seeing that there were some structures and houses. And although they seemed to look like simple shacks or huts, the very least, they are made properly as a shelter. However, now, they are just broken shells of what they should have been.

Hearing Cian’s direct question, Harley and Cornelia both let out a bitter smile.

“Indeed, it’s not.”

When this sentence was spoken, Harley’s line of sight became blurred, her lips curled into a bitter smile; “Care to listen to our story, Sir Cian?”

“Although I’m not good with tragic and tear-jerking stories, if it can make you feel calm, I wouldn’t mind listening,” he said with a faint smiled.

“…thank you,”

Harley chuckled in response.

She paused for a moment, letting her gaze roamed around the remains of her village, a trickle of pain flashed across her face.

“… Although it was hard living in this place, we are still able to pass by each day. Desperately living, and trying to make good out of every day, our both tribes lived quietly and peacefully…”

She sighs as she turned around and started walking, she started;

“… A few weeks ago, however, a Dragon has attacked our village. Burned our houses, and killed our people...”

While Harley was saying this, Cornelia also closed her eyes and showed a painful expression. Then, she too began to tell Cian her part of the story, telling him all the suffering they had to bear.

Both of their villages can be said to be living closely with cooperation. Since both of their tribes were weak compared to the other tribes in this forest, they can only rely on each other. It has been that way for decades. Both living peacefully and shoulder by shoulder.

However, that ends in an instant, and without warning at that.

Suddenly, the worst nightmare occurred—a Dragon appeared out of nowhere and attacks them.

The village was caught off-guard, so safe evacuation was impossible. Hence, most men in the Beastmen village along with the warriors of the Sordan Tribe sacrificed themselves to defend the attack from the Dragon and let the others escape.

When they return, the village was already devastated and most men in the village were slaughtered. Some had already run away or perhaps met their tragic demise at the hands of the monsters inhabiting this land as they were escaping. Nevertheless, they were the only ones who had survived.

They have been waiting for, perhaps some people who had survived--but it's been over a week now, the chances of the others still surviving are already hopeless.

What made the situation worse was that, when the tribe warriors were killed, the Grakilis took this opportunity and started to hunt them down. They could still defend with the remaining warriors but they know that it wouldn’t last for long. Most of them were women and mere children, to begin with, and although they can fight, they are not as strong as the men.

While listening to their story, Cian followed them towards the still best looking building. The roof was made of rotting straw, and so was full of holes. Eaves hung over the walls that were made of only piled plywood, shadowing the ground below. One side of the house was filled with split wood and dried branches, ready for the fire.

A jumble of broken and tattered farm tools cluttered the other side, clearly, they are the only things that they had managed to find and scavenge in their destroyed village.

By Cian’s world’s standards, even slum housing is preferable!

Even dogs wouldn’t like such a house.

That’s how bad it was.

Cian didn’t care about the house. His thoughts focused on their stories. So this is why there were barely any men in the village. Worse, is that, even if they can defend themselves together, but once they divided their number and went outside, they will be hunted by the Grakilis.

Despair after despair, huh…

Well, this is how life is…

A single law-governed here.

The survival of the fittest.

The strong take all.

“...We humbly apologize for the inability to provide better accommodations. As you can see, we don’t have anything noteworthy to offer,”

Having said that, Harley waved her hand, and several beastmen wearing skimpy clothing appeared and placed before him a tea-like drink. Which Cian have to admit, was rather surprising.

It looks greenish, is this even edible…?

But Cian thought it would be somewhat rude not to accept it, hence he took the cup and drunk it without hesitation. After all, consumable items were the least of his worries. They wouldn’t be as yucky as human bones he was munching from time to time as snacks.

Still… Although it tasted a bit sour, there was actually a flavor of sweet.

It doesn’t taste bad at all.

“…it’s the juice of Rurulia Fruit found in the vicinity. It’s good for recovering fatigue and injuries… it’s the best we can offer,” Harley smiled wryly.

“No, this is nothing…I think it’s rather tasty,”

Cian smiled.

“Thank you for your understanding,”

Harley chuckled in amusement.

The somewhat grave mood elevated a bit.

“Though, I said that… it seems like this place is indeed quite in a bad situation,”

Cian muttered as he looks around people that were gathered outside the door, trying to see him like an idol visiting. Most of these people were actually malnourished, so thin that most children and elderly look like walking bones.

The misery and the despair that hovered over the village on the day after the horrifying dragon attack as beyond description. The terrifying destruction of the village, down to last hut and fields, the lack of food, the makeshift huts packed with people, and the incessant harassment of the other tribes and monsters made people sick and desperate.

There were even some pitiful children that were all down with a high fever, swaying in the life and death condition.

The grave situation and their circumstances were making a heavy toll on their bodies, especially the children and elderly.

They wanted to rebuild the village at the very least and tried to salvage anything they could. But it was not possible even to think of it. The dragon’s onslaught had destroyed houses, tools, worst even the fields they farmed, created with so much sacrifice, indescribable and untold fatigue with all they had for many years.

All the work for the last many years of hardship was destroyed in but a single moment.

With little to no men left, women, children, and the elderly didn’t have the strength to rise up from the ashes.

Hmmm…

Cian was not a philanthropist.

However, seeing these pitiful children still, move his heart somewhat.

With a sigh, he stood up.

“Well, I had some more questions to answer, but it would be better to do something first,”

While saying that, a large pile of monster meats and corpses appeared just beside him, shocking both Harley and Cornelia and even all the people present inside the house.