“Ah, I really can’t take this anymore. There’s no way anyone has actually achieved memorizing the entire legacy of each former king and queen.”

Elric sat in a slouched position on a chair in the kitchen of his parents’ inn, clutching a book titled “Regal Chronicles: An Epic Odyssey Through Royal Legacies,” its pages marred by water damage.

“You rascal. Did you already forget what your mother said the last time she visited? Not only did Princess Lucina memorize the legacy of each king and queen, she also could name the years they took place,” replied Serena as she stood over the stove preparing silkberry pie.

Elric rolled his eyes at his aunt’s comparison. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure the princess will become the next royal historian.”

Serena smirked at her nephew whose pride was obviously hurt.

“Anyways, are you done with history now? You still haven’t touched the arithmetic books your mother left.”

“Ughh!” Elric whined, lowering the book. “I don’t want to!”

“Don’t be like that. Your mother worked hard to teach you to read, and she worked even harder to bring back these damaged academic books so you could get an education. The least you can do is study them.”

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Guilt-tripping me into studying!”

Serena laughed. 

“Okay, fine,” Elric relented. “I’ll take a look at the arithmetic books after helping you with the pie.”

“No!” Serena immediately protested, vividly recalling the last time Elric had “helped” her. How could he make silkberry pie taste like garlic?!

“You’re thinking something weird, aren’t you?” Elric accused.

“Haha, no...”

“Yes, you are! You liar! I’m going to help!”

“Ahh! No!”

As the two scuffled over the pie ingredients, loud knocks interrupted them at the inn’s entrance. It was Elric who answered, and he was surprised to find Hanna, Old Lady Agatha’s granddaughter, tearfully standing before him.

“Hanna?! What’s wrong?”

Her loud sobs made it difficult for Elric to understand her response. “Village chief…hunting…mana beasts…hurt.”

“It’s okay. Calm down,” Elric said, trying his best to soothe the eight-year-old. 

Serena emerged from the kitchen with a concerned face.

“Hanna, why don’t you just show us what happened?”

Hanna nodded and led Elric and Serena to the center of Vailee. When they arrived, Serena loudly gasped, covering her mouth.

“He’s the last one,” Tip sourly said, dragging the final body out of the forest.

Before all the villagers, half of Vailee’s hunting expedition team lay dead.

*

Vailee, a village once filled with vibrant laughter and lively chatter, was now submerged beneath a somber ambiance as grieving hearts gathered in unity.

Situated on the border of the Simmons fiefdom, Vailee found itself entangled in the expansion plans of Count Simmons. Eager to expand his estate, the count ordered cutting down the trees in the dense forests that surrounded Vailee. Such heedless deforestation disrupted the natural habitat of several mana beasts, provoking their anger and prompting them to steadily venture closer to the village. 

In response to the looming threat confronting Vailee, all able-bodied men in the village were mobilized to undertake patrol duties and carefully prepared hunting expeditions to safeguard their community from danger. This heightened state of vigilance has persisted for the last three years. 

Galeran, who had served as Vailee’s chief for over four decades, stood at the forefront of the decision-making process. However, all villagers mourned on the day when he, along with three other men from the village, tragically lost their lives during a confrontation with a ferocious Frost Hound—a grim outcome of a failed hunting expedition. 

“Fucking shit!!!” Tip yelled bitterly as he wept over his father’s dead body. 

Earlier that day, he had avidly tried to dissuade Galeran from going hunting, arguing that the funds sent by Elia and Maurim were sufficient to cover the minimum of the village’s necessities. However, his father remained adamant that they couldn’t just depend on the Sinclair couple every time things got hard. He emphasized that it was his responsibility, not theirs, to take care of their village.

“That heartless count!” cried Old Lady Agatha, her voice filled with a mix of sorrow and anger. “Even after all those times we stood outside of his manor to complain, he still callously chose to ignore us. May goddess Ymer have mercy on us!”

Her sentiments resonated with many other villagers, who murmured in agreement. Old Lady Agatha had vocalized their collective frustration, condemning the inhumane decisions of the count that had led to the loss of cherished lives. The sounds of weeping and the flickering of candles became the poignant backdrop to the graves being dug for the fallen, each shovelful of earth echoing the communal grief that gripped the hearts of the entire community.

In the midst of the grieving assembly, Elric, who stood with a heavy heart, suddenly felt a dampness on his right shoulder. He looked up, and his aunt Serena was trying her best to conceal her tears. Serena, the strongest woman he knew, appeared remarkably vulnerable at that moment.

When the last candle fizzled out, Tip, at the age of twenty-five, became the youngest village chief Vailee ever appointed.

* * *

“I can’t believe you actually wanted to accompany me for such a dull inspection,” Leonard remarked, gazing out the carriage window.

“What? And miss the chance to see nerics for the first time? No way!” Alan exclaimed with excitement. “Don’t you agree, Piggy? Oh, haha. I mean, don’t you agree, Milton?”

“Ah…yes.”

Leonard, along with his two friends and two assigned soldiers, was en route to Vailee.

A few days prior, when news of his punishment was still fresh, he sent two letters. The first went to Alan, the third son of Count Rubern, in which Leonard merely complained about his father’s mistreatment. Alan promptly replied, expressing interest in joining for the fun of it. Once Alan confirmed his participation, Leonard sent another letter to Milton, the second son of Viscount Irvine and the punching bag of their trio, bluntly instructing him to be at the Simmons estate by the next day.

“Well, I’m not expecting much,” Leonard replied. “Father isn’t even expecting a real report. He just wants me to shut them up.”

“Aren’t you looking down on this task too much?” Alan asked with a sly smile. “This is the perfect opportunity.”

“Opportunity?”

“You’re in need of another toy, right?”

At the mention of toy, Milton visibly flinched. 

“That sounds terrible; if my previous toys couldn’t last for a month, a neric wouldn’t even last a day.”

Alan smirked. “Strength appears in the places you least expect.”

Meanwhile, at the entrance of Vailee.

“Okay, that’s the last of it,” declared Serena after she finished loading the covered wagon with goods. Together with other fellow villagers, she prepared for Vailee’s monthly trip to Gorn’s market.

“I’ll be back in a few hours, Elric. You’ll be okay, right?” 

Elric nodded and then jokingly flexed his slender arm. “Don’t worry, I’m stronger than I look.”

Serena gave him a sad smile before tousling his hair. “You’re right.” With a final glance at Elric, she boarded the wagon, and it began to move.

As the wagon’s distance increased, Elric turned and wandered back into Vailee. The atmosphere was still heavy with grief after the recent tragedies. Engrossed in his thoughts, he suddenly collided with someone around a corner, and a makeshift spear fell to the ground. Elric immediately recognized the patrol duty tool. 

“You alright?” a gruff voice asked.

Glancing upward, Elric noticed Tip, a usually robust and outgoing man, now bearing a heavy shadow over his eyes. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Elric assured, getting up and returning Tip’s spear.

An awkward silence followed.

“It’s a little late, but I want to give you my thanks, Elric,” said Tip, breaking the silence.

Elric blinked in surprise. “Huh? For what?”

“If it wasn’t for you, the village would have starved five times over. The current situation would be way worse. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me; I didn’t do anything. That can be reserved for my parents.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“Find out what?”

“It’s true your parents sent emergency funds for the village, but you added some of your own personal money to the funds too, right?”

Elric sighed. Serena had definitely told him. “I didn’t earn that money myself, so you don’t have to feel indebted to me.”

Tip chuckled. “If you say so.”

Elric smiled. It seemed that the Tip he knew wasn’t totally gone.

“Wait, what’s that?” asked Tip, strongly staring at the entrance to Vailee. Elric turned around and noticed the fancy carriage approaching in the distance. 

Tip squinted his eyes as he observed the distant carriage. Its intricate design and embellishments hinted that the passengers were noble. As the carriage drew closer, Tip recognized the emblem on its side—double lions, the Simmons family crest. His curiosity turned into a frown. The carriage had come to a stop, and three young nobles stepped out, accompanied by two soldiers. 

Tip’s gaze narrowed in on the young noble in the middle. His hair was a bright orange, and he had freckles that messily decorated his face—unmistakable traits of the Simmons family. 

That bastard! Tip angrily thought. After years of blatant disregard, he opts to have his child deal with us?!

Leonard, catching sight of Tip, raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment, a subtle tension hanging in the air.

“Elric, go home. I’ll deal with those bastards.”

“Ah, okay,” replied Elric, though Tip had already distanced himself, approaching the new guests. 

As the guests walked further into Vailee, more villagers took notice of them. Tip had finally approached them, eyeing Leonard with a mixture of anger, suspicion, and caution. “I’m Tip Hubert, the village chief of Vailee. What brings you esteemed guests to our humble village?”

Leonard responded with a nonchalant shrug. “House Simmons decided to conduct a routine inspection. Nothing exciting, I assure you.”

Tip couldn’t contain his frustration. “That’s interesting,” he said through clenched teeth. “The Simmons family hasn’t done so for decades.”

Leonard gave a short look of surprise before erupting in laughter.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

His loud laughter sounded out of place in grief-stricken Vailee. 

“How about you put those claws of yours away and just lead me to your office like the dog you are. I think that’ll be in everyone’s best interest,” Leonard quipped, though his words were laced with seriousness.

The tension in the air had escalated, and Tip tightly clenched his fists, upset that he had been bested by a child. The villagers, who had been watching the scene unfold, remained silent, their curiosity mixed with apprehension.

“I apologize. Please, follow me.”

Tip hastily turned around, guiding the guests toward his home. 

Alan, ever the perceptive one, nudged Leonard, excitedly whispering, “Look at that spear! They really are barbaric!”

The walk to Tip’s home was very short. 

“Ugh! Piggy! We’ve barely left the carriage, and you’re already panting heavily?!” said an irritated Leonard.

“S-sorry,” stuttered Milton.

“Forget it.” Leonard’s attention was already drawn to the dismal condition inside Tip’s home. “Are you sure there’s an office in this shed?”

Tip’s eye twitched in response to the insult towards his home, but he maintained his composure.

“Here are all the documents about the current affairs of Vailee.”

Leonard took hold of the documents and settled into the chair behind the dusty wooden desk. It appeared as though a child who had just learned to write had organized the papers. Leonard couldn’t help but snicker at their inept arrangement.

After some time, he finally spoke. “According to these documents, the village can barely support itself despite not paying a single cent in taxes. House Simmons is truly kind for not trying to squeeze blood out of a stone.”

Tip understood what the young count was trying to convey. Vailee has been a part of the Simmons estate for many years, yet it was never required for such a poor village to pay taxes. To maintain this status quo, their complaints about deforestation must cease.

Tip knew. He understood it fully, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t at least try for his people.

“Will the Simmons family provide aid?”

Leonard looked up and dropped the useless documents on the floor. 

“I warned you. I told you to behave like the dog you are, but you dare decide to bark at your owner?!” yelled Leonard as he ferociously released his aura.  

Tip could only describe the scene before him with one word: ‘Hell.’ The blood-red energy surrounding the young Simmons heir permeated the entire room. Tip dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe, while the guests and the two soldiers accompanying the young count seemed unaffected.

Ah, this must be all nerics amount to, thought Tip bitterly. But even so! Tip managed to glare at Leonard defiantly. I’ll die before I ever give them satisfaction! Despite facing Leonard’s killing intent, Tip fiercely clung to consciousness through sheer willpower. 

A shiver went up Leonard’s spine. He really liked this guy. Is this what Alan meant by hidden strength? 

“I’m bored now; we’ll explore the rest of the village on our own,” he mentioned as he stood up slowly. Damn it, if only this guy wasn’t the village chief! He would have made a great toy!

Tip made a noise as if to tell Leonard to stop, but it was futile; he could barely move. 

“You guys, stay here,” instructed Leonard to both of the accompanying soldiers.

After the trio of young nobles left the dingy room, Leonard, leaving the door slightly ajar, issued one final command. 

“If he attempts to leave, kill him.”