13 – The Village

"Stop right there!" Someone who looked to be in his forties and had a scar on his face gave a warning. He was standing on the outskirts of the island with several other people. "Don't come any closer!"

Alan motioned for Brunch to stop, then observed that group. There were about ten of them in total, most of them wearing armor, both women and men, including the man with scars. But their gear and weapons are not uniform.

"We come in peace!" Alan raised his hands, trying to speak to that scarred man. "Please, allow us to visit your village!"

"No!" The scarred man took the oversized sword from his back, then pointed it at Alan. "Leave, now! We don't believe you! Many have come here and done evil for their own sake!"

Brunch roared, causing the warriors guarding the island to shudder in fear, except for the scarred man.

Celia rubbed the beast's neck. "Take it easy, Brunch. They won't attack us yet. We'll ask for your help if we need it."

The beast was still glaring at those people, but this time she only growled.

"And don't even think about entering our place from the other side!" The scarred man continued. "There are many guards around this island! We will destroy you if you dare to do it!"

Alan didn't want to fight against them. He does have Brunch, but he's not sure the beast can beat that many people. What's more, they don't seem like bad people. They are just traumatized by those who came to the island.

"Please, we just need a wind crystal." Alan didn't give up. "If we can't enter your village, we will buy that thing from you and leave…."

"Last warning!!!" The scarred man interrupted with a louder voice. "Or we will shoot you!!!"

Several archers had sprung onto the roof, aiming at Alan's group.

"Damn it." Celia hissed. "They really won't listen to us."

"Looks like there is no other choice…"

"They are not bad people!" A woman's hoarse voice came from behind those people. Then, not long after, an old woman with long gray hair walked out among them. "I can feel it. They are our saviors!"

"What?" The scarred man frowned. "What do you mean, Mrs. Hilda?"

"They are the ones mentioned in our holy scriptures." The old woman explained with trembling lips. "Humans awakened in the heavens, who have otherworldly knowledge, and within them are different energy flows."

Celia and Alan exchanged glances. Neither of them understood the meaning of that old woman's words.

"They are the ones who will give us salvation." Hilda spread her arms and looked up. "We must welcome them with open arms, or there will be a disaster!"

She then knelt down and bowed to Alan and Celia. The others also followed her, except for the guy with the scar. He looked around first, then did it too eventually.

"Are we gods?" Celia blurted out.

***

Apparently, Hilda is the main religious leader in the village. She did manage to bring Alan and Celia to this island. But the residents' behavior was not as friendly as the old woman's. As they walked along the village road, those people kept watching them.

Alan couldn't read their expressions. Are they suspicious, frightened, or indifferent?

"Take it easy. The villagers here are not bad, I promise." Hilda poured tea into the two cups on the table. "They just can't accept foreigners because of some unpleasant incidents from some of our guests... Ah, please."

"Thank you very much." Celia took a piece of cake from the metal plate.

"It's okay, Mrs. Hilda," Alan answered. "We are grateful to be invited to this lovely village."

He and Celia had been sitting on a sofa for quite a while, waiting for that old woman.

"I wanted to invite your fire-breathing friends too, but the villagers were terrified. I have to make a compromise." The old woman walked over to a bookshelf in that all-white room.

Since entering the church-like building, Alan found many paintings depicting various scenes. In that room, there was also a painting showing a crying blue-haired woman.

The young man recognized her as the woman in the Grand Azure Online icon.

"This is the verse I mean." Hilda returned to Alan and Celia carrying an open book.

Alan read a text pointed out by the old woman.

[The great blue sky becomes the awakening site of the chosen ones. What's on their minds is different. The other world becomes their primary knowledge. They also have different streams of light in their bodies. Your saviors. They will come when you need them]

Those words really suited Celia and Alan's condition, who came from another world, even though they were just playing a game. But there was one thing Alan didn't understand.

"What do the different streams of light on their bodies mean, Lady Hilda?" the young man asked.

"The energy within you is not the same as the inhabitants of this world." The old woman smiled. "As someone who has studied the Odeathan religion for a long time, I can see that."

Alan read the text one more time. "To be honest, this whole thing is new to me."

"That's fine." Hilda chuckled. "This holy scripture also explains that you will know nothing about this world. But don't worry, I'll guide you guys."

"Well…." Alan cleared his throat, choosing the right words to avoid offending this woman. "Sorry, but we only need a piece of wind crystal here and maybe some crop seeds, nothing more."

"Of course." Hilda widened her smile. "I've sent some people to get it for you guys, and we still need time to process it. So, we ask you to rest in this village for a while."

Alan looked to Celia, who was still munching on the cake.

"I don't mind at all." The female fighter swallowed the food in her mouth. "This village looks comfortable. I can also relieve myself more privately…. Ah, I shouldn't have said that."

Hilda chuckled a second time.