Leon is now standing in front of a withered and old house, he is holding Dusk in his arms and a villager is standing right next to him.
“This house belongs to one of the guy that used to live here. His name was James, he was a really good guy.” The villager spoke as he looked at Leon with a neutral expression.
“What happened to him ?” Leon asked.
“Oh… He thought he can make it out of the forest and left the village.”
“Maybe he escaped.” Leon replied with a neutral expression as he opened the gate and entered inside the house.
“No he didn’t…” The villager replied with a sad expression.
“Hmm..?”
“His head was tossed back in the village by those cursed monsters. So we pretty much knew that he was dead.”
Leon slowly placed dusk on the ground and walked out of the house.
“My name is Leon Luster.” He spoke as he raised his hand towards the guy.
“Oh… I am Olive, just Olive. My parents didn’t give me a last name.” Olive replied as he shaked hands with Leon.
“Olive, what do you know about the outside world ?” Leon asked with a smile.
“Outside world ?” Olive asked with a confused expression.
“Yeah… The world that’s out of this forest.” Leon spoke.
“There is nothing out there, except those monsters. That’s what my parents said.” Olive replied with a straight face.
’As excepted that means they have been living here for a very long time period that they have forgotten everything about the outside world.’ Leon thought with a neutral expression.
“I see… but what about you ? What do you think ? Is there something out there ?” Leon asked with a smile.
“Why would I think ? I know what’s out there and it’s nothing. You are one weird guy. Anyway take some sleep… You are going to have a long day tomorrow.” Olive spoke as he left immediately after that.
“Hey, You…” A sound came from the other side of the house.
“Hmm…?” Leon immediately turned around and noticed Mia hiding behind the house.
“Why are you hiding ?” Leon asked with a confused expression.
“Come here…” Mia spoke as she gestured towards Leon.
Leon immediately walked upto her and noticed that she is checking him out from top to below.
“Hmm… Those clothes are good. Is that what they wear out there nowadays ?” Mia asked with a curious expression as she slowly touched Leon’s chest.
“You were afraid of me when I entered inside the village and now you are curious about my clothes ?” Leon asked with a confused expression.
“When I first saw you… I thought you were some freak with a monster but when I focused on your clothes… They are amazing.
We are tailoring monster skin into clothes here for I don’t know how many years and wearing them but when I was a little girl, my grandfather taught me about this material.
It’s silk, right ?” Mia asked as she looked at Leon.
“Kind of but it’s mixed with-”
“I knew it… They called me crazy for believing my grandfather but I knew that he wasn’t crazy.
There are other humans out there, right ? And the oceans of water too ? It’s all true right ?” Mia asked with a curious smile.
“Everything you have heard from your grandfather is true.” Leon replied with a smile.
“Yes… I knew it. You will tell that to the villagers tomorrow, right ?” Mia asked with a smile.
“No.” Leon replied with a neutral expression.
“What !?” She asked with a shocked expression.
“W-Why won’t you tell them the truth ?” Mia asked with a very confused expression.
“Because I don’t want to be called an Idiot like you.” Leon replied with a straight face.
“What ? But I am not the idiot… They are the idiots for not believing me and my grandfather. You are the only proof that I have that can prove them wrong and they will stop seeing me as an idiot.” Mia spoke with a worried expression.
“You know most of the wise people are often regarded as idiots. Now, if you think that a village full of idiots are going to believe me when I tell them about the things that they can’t even imagine, I think they will also consider me an idiot.
Don’t you think ?” Leon asked with a neutral expression.
“But… You are wearing these clothes. You can show it to them.” Mia spoke with a serious expression.
“What should I tell them ? Oh hey look, I am wearing clothes made out of silk and there are oceans full of water out there.
I will get the hell out of this village tomorrow. That’s why I don’t have to prove anything to anyone.” Leon replied with a neutral expression as he turned around and walked back into the house.
*Thud*
He closed the door and sat right next to dusk.
’I should’ve listened to Dusk when he told me to get out of this forest. I can’t regenerate any mana while inside this village.
I need to step out of the protection runes if I want to recover my mana. But for now… All I want to do is just sleep.’ Leon thought as he slowly placed his head against the wall and closed his eyes.
….
*Blink-Blink*
“Hmm…? What’s this place ?” Leon asked as he opened his eyes and noticed that everything is really dark around him and there is water all over the ground.
*Sob-Sob-Sob-Sob*
Suddenly, he heard sobbing sounds coming from behind.
As soon as he turned around, there was a lady with four wings coming out of her back, sitting near a huge tree and she was crying while hugging the tree.
“Excuse me ? Hello ?” Leon asked as he started walking towards her.
The lady didn’t reply and continued to cry.
*Sob-Sob-Sob-Sob*
“Hello ? I am talking to you lady. Can you hear-” Before Leon could’ve completed his sentence, the lady turned around and looked at Leon.
Her eyes were emerald green and golden tears were flowing out of them.
There were black vines over her neck just like the cursed fairies and they were choking her.
“You are the last hope…” The lady spoke as she disappeared.
“What ?” Leon asked with a confused expression as he turned around and noticed seven cursed fairies standing behind him.
….
“HAAAAAH…”
*Blink-Blink*
Leon immediately woke up from his dream and sucked in a lot of air into his lungs.
“What the fuck !?” He spoke with a serious expression as he looked around the house and noticed light coming in from the windows.
“Master… Are you alright ?” Dusk’s voice came from the side.
“You are awake… Dusk.” Leon spoke with a surprised expression.
“Thank you for saving me from those monsters, Master.” Dusk spoke as he immediately bowed his head to Leon.
“How are you feeling ?” Leon asked as he looked at him.
“I feel better than last night master but my body needs mana to heal and I can’t sense even a tiny bit of mana inside this house.” Dusk replied as he looked at Leon.
“The whole village is covered with the protection runes… They protect the village from cursed fairies and also negates the mana regeneration.” Leon replied with a neutral expression as he looked at dusk and stood up from the ground.
“Should we leave master ?” Dusk asked with a confused expression.
“Yes… But first, I will heal you completely.” Leon spoke as he opened the door and walked out of the house.
As soon as he walked out, Leon noticed all the villagers stopped working as soon as he walked out and started looking at him with confused expressions.
Leon didn’t pay them much attention and started walking forward.
Dusk stepped out of the house behind Leon and everyone in the village stepped aside with worried and scared expressions on their faces.
Village Chief’s House…
The old man is boiling some water over the firewoods and he is staring at the fire with a blank expression.
*Knock-Knock*
“Hmm..? Who came this early ? Come in.” He replied immediately.
*Click*
The gate opened up and Oliver entered indi the house.
“Oh Oliver… What are you doing here so early in the morning ?” The old man asked with a confused expression.
“The boy and his beast is awake and they are going towards the boundary, Sir Orion.” Oliver spoke as he looked at the old man.
“I am coming.” Orion replied as he immediately stood up, grabbed his stick and started walking towards the exit gate.
As soon as he exited the house, he noticed that Leon and Dusk are walking towards the village boundry.
“Are you leaving young man ?” Orion asked with a confused expression as he looked at Leon.
“Is it a problem ?” Leon asked with a neutral expression as he looked at the old man.
“Can I talk to you before you leave ? In the house ?” The old man asked as he looked at Leon.
“Sure.” Leon replied as he immediately started walking towards Orion’s house.