“Thank you very much, seniors. The village head will be filled with joy once she learns that such incredible seniors will provide a helping hand to defend the village against monsters!” expressed the grateful guard.
“Seniors, please follow me. I will lead you to the Village Head’s Manor,” another guard exclaimed with an excited voice.
The guards guided Yuan and his wives through the village, and the curious and excited villagers watched their every move.
The extraordinary abilities possessed by these travelers, coupled with the beauty of Anna, Grace, Lily, Emma, and Xi Meili, captivated the villagers’ attention. Men and women alike couldn’t help but admire their elegance, but no one dared to harbor any improper thoughts.
Witnessing their descent from the heavens had instilled a deep respect, for thinking ill of these divine beings could invite divine punishment. So, the villagers looked upon the beauties with awe and admiration.
After a short walk, they reached a grand building situated at the heart of the village.
“Seniors, please wait here for a moment while I inform the Village Head of your arrival,” the guard said, offering a polite bow before swiftly leaving the scene.
A few minutes later, the guard returned, accompanied by a strikingly beautiful woman. She had long blond hair, sharp eyebrows, and a voluptuous figure.
“Welcome to Pinebrook Village, esteemed seniors,” the woman greeted them with courtesy, introducing herself. “I’m Ava Monroe, the youngest daughter of the Monroe family, who governs this humble village. Allow me to welcome you. Please follow me inside.”
“You can call me Yuan, and these ladies beside me are Anna, Grace, Lily, Emma, and Xi Meili,” Yuan introduced himself and his wives.
“Senior Yuan, Senior Anna, Senior Grace, Senior Lily, Senior Emma, and Senior Xi Meili, right?” Ava repeated, her smile widening as she addressed Xi Meili. “Senior Xi Meili, what an unusual name you have there. I’ve never heard such a unique name before!”
“Oh, sorry for being disrespectful, seniors!” Ava quickly apologized with a polite bow.
“It’s alright. I don’t mind since my name is indeed very unique here. I have never met another individual with a similar name to mine,” Xi Meili replied calmly, finding her name to be a point of pride in this world.
“If it’s not too much to ask, Senior Xi Meili, where are you from? You look very unique to me with those magnificent horns on your forehead and those scales. I have never heard of a beastman with such unique features,” Ava asked curiously. The group before her seemed far from ordinary, each possessing a distinct presence.
“Let’s just say Xi Meili is from a very faraway place. And please, drop the formalities. You can simply call me Yuan, and the same applies to the ladies beside me,” Yuan responded instead of Xi Meili. Being addressed as “senior” made him feel rather old, and he preferred a more casual approach.
“How does Mr. Yuan and Mrs. sound? I do not dare to address someone as powerful as you with incredible abilities so casually,” Ava said with a smile on her face.
“Powerful, huh? Well, it does sound less weird than being addressed as Senior. I guess you can address us as Mr. and Mrs.,” Yuan replied, nodding slightly.
“You emit a very powerful aura, which makes me feel like I’m before an incredible being. I feel like an ant in your presence. And not to mention the beautiful ladies beside you, each of them is enveloped in a formidable aura just like yours. I’ve encountered many powerful hunters and mages before, but none of them made me feel the way I feel right now,” Ava admitted, a nervous look on her face as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Though Ava couldn’t sense any mana in their bodies, she understood that they were far more powerful than anyone she had ever encountered. The villagers had witnessed their descent from the sky and recognized that they were no ordinary beings.
As they strolled through the garden toward the main building, Yuan inquired, “The guards at the entrance mentioned that the village head is currently in a troubled situation. They also mentioned powerful monsters threatening this village. What’s the situation, and how can we help?”
“It all began a few days ago when a group of powerful mages from the empire arrived in Pinebrook village. They were sent here by the royal prince to capture the Wyvern that resides deep within the mountains, a few miles away. However, they only managed to find the Wyvern’s child and took it with them. Enraged, the Wyvern came to our village and demanded the return of its child. It threatened to send an army of monsters to trample our village if we didn’t comply. Since then, monsters have been constantly attacking our village, targeting our merchants and hunters.” Ava explained.
“A Wyvern? How powerful is the Wyvern?” Yuan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the mention of such a creature.
“A Wyvern is an A-rank magical beast, a fearsome creature with the blood of a dragon. It’s a subspecies of dragons and acts as the guardian of the Pine Forest, adjacent to our village. With the Wyvern’s protection, no monster had ever attacked our village before. Most of the villagers refer to it as the guardian of the Pine Mountain. However, my father, a powerful fifth-circle mage, is currently suffering from a severe illness, and my elder sister, Rose, who is a fourth-circle mage, is managing the village. We have 70 third-circle mages under us, but we lack the means to defend ourselves if the Wyvern decides to attack,” Ava explained, conveying the direness of the situation.
“This is why we are desperately seeking any help we can get. If Mr. Yuan and the ladies beside you lend us your power to defend the village, I believe we can minimize casualties. Please understand that we won’t spare any effort in repaying you for your assistance,” Ava pleaded, bowing her head as if begging for their help to defend the village and its people.
“Since the village needs our help, and the strongest threat is only an A-rank monster, there is no reason for us to refuse this request. It will also provide us with valuable experience in battle,” Yuan nodded, his decision made.
“By the way, what does this Wyvern look like? I’m quite curious, considering it possesses the blood of a dragon.” Xi Meili asked Ava, her curiosity piqued upon hearing about the Wyvern’s dragon blood.
Ava couldn’t help but feign surprise at Xi Meili’s question. How could someone not know what a Wyvern was?
“Well, Wyverns resemble lizards with long legs, claws, and sharp teeth capable of tearing through flesh. They have a pair of large wings on their backs, enabling them to fly. They are quite similar to dragons, I suppose.” Ava explained it to Xi Meili.
Xi Meili’s expression turned into one of anger and disdain.
“What? An overgrown lizard with wings claims to have the blood of a DRAGON? How disgraceful!” she muttered indignantly. As a true dragon herself, she found the notion of a mere lizard boasting dragon blood to be an absolute taboo and a disgrace that needed rectifying.
Xi Meili’s sudden outburst caused Ava to feel a powerful pressure bearing down on her, rendering her immobile. Fear gripped her heart as she sensed the presence of a mythical being that could effortlessly erase her existence.
Despite being a fourth-circle mage, just like her sister Rose, she felt utterly powerless in front of Xi Meili. What was this overwhelming feeling? It was as if she stood before a divine being.
“Xi Meili, calm down. You’re making it hard for her to breathe,” Yuan said, wrapping his arm around Xi Meili’s thin waist and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. He whispered soothing words into her ear, and Xi Meili immediately regained control over her emotions, calming her aura.
“Sorry, I lost my composure and made you uncomfortable,” Xi Meili apologized to Ava, her eyes filled with remorse for the trouble she caused.
“Oh… It’s alright. I understand. We all have moments when we lose our composure. It’s fine,” Ava replied, forcing a smile onto her face, though confusion lingered in her eyes. What had triggered that sudden outburst?
In a matter of minutes, they reached the main building of the Monroe family, which Ava referred to as her humble home. Yuan and his wives observed the grandeur of the structure and found it far from humble in its architectural design.
“Welcome to my humble home, Mr. Yuan, and to the beautiful ladies by his side. Please come inside and make yourselves at home,” Ava warmly invited them as they reached the doorstep of the manor.
Yuan and his wives glanced at the building, their eyes taking in its luxurious and intricately designed architecture. It certainly didn’t appear as humble as Ava had claimed.
“Welcome back, Young Miss! And welcome to the Village Head’s Manor, esteemed guests!” greeted a maid in a traditional maid outfit, approaching them with a polite bow.
“Where is my Big Sister?” Ava inquired. 𝑜𝘷𝑙.𝘰𝑟𝑔
“Miss Rose is currently attending to some village safety affairs in her office. She’ll be finished in a few minutes. She instructed me to arrange a resting place for our esteemed guests,” the maid replied dutifully.
Yuan and the wives exchanged glances, impressed by the level of attention and care they were receiving. It seemed that their arrival had garnered significant importance within the village.