Chapter 24 - Distrust

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Rei looks at Laili, who seems to want to say more every time she speaks, but holds back, swallowing her words. Her unusual behavior was to be expected.

The young woman had had a near-death experience and barely escaped with her life.

What's really surprising is that she tells everything with a certain naturalness, even though she leaves out some details.

From Rei's point of view, she's still suspicious - the way she constantly acts, her expressions, even the hesitant tone of her voice.

After witnessing how even ordinary people like villagers, farmers, and merchants can commit atrocities for the sake of survival, every possible scenario caused by actions devoid of empathy is on the table.

In the end, he can only come to one conclusion: Human beings are inherently cruel and selfish, prioritizing their own survival above all else.

Despite his negative outlook, there is some truth in his conclusions. But he couldn't ignore the coherence and urgency of Laili's words.

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After the woman's statement, the atmosphere falls silent until the rest of her companions return.

With plates of meat in hand, they pass one to Laili and then sit around the fire, close to everyone.

— Are you from a nearby village? — Rei asks.

— We were from Tierney, a city on the coast. With the invasion, unfortunately, it was devastated. — One of the young women answers immediately, without hesitation.

Rei lets out a frustrated sigh and looks at the girl.

While he thinks deeply about other related matters, his head fills with doubts.

Pensive, he puts both hands in his pockets.

"Where are the other survivors?"

"Did they all take refuge in the forests or did they manage to reach the capital? But wasn't the road blocked?"

"Other villages... were they destroyed as well?"

"Did the attack target not just towns and villages, but the entire kingdom? And what about the capital? Is no one from there coming to help?"

Before his mind gets overwhelmed with unnecessary questions and doubts, his attention is drawn to the voice beside him.

— Wait, repeat what you just said. — The merchant demands, holding his breath and widening his eyes.

Confused by the old man's sudden reaction, the black-haired girl repeats: — Uh... That the city of Tierney... no longer exists?

— How is that possible? Unbelievable! Tierney was supposed to be an impenetrable fortress, a surveillance post to monitor the coasts.

— If there was an attack or any suspicious movement in the area, it should have been reported to the capital and all local cities through the communication orb. — The merchant emphasizes, his voice filled with distress and disbelief, reluctant to accept the information.

He couldn't believe that even a renowned city that had stood for millennia could be destroyed in the blink of an eye.

Rei, who was about to sigh again after hearing the merchant's words, shifted his gaze to the black-haired girl and asked her.

— Did this really happen? Was she completely destroyed...?

After hearing the old man's words and Rei's question, the young woman looks at Laili and the rest of her companions, then puts her plate down.

Then she says: — Yes, it's... completely destroyed.

The way she spoke gave the impression that she was reluctant to say more on the subject.

Especially her tone of voice, which carried anger, sadness, and disbelief all at once.

— Seriously, the whole city was destroyed? What a fucking mess — Rei explains.

"Hmmm... Only four people out of a whole city survived? Okay... but somehow, I don't believe it. Surely more people managed to escape. Ahhh! Whatever... It's not my problem anyway."

After Rei's statement, one of the men from Laili's group starts to tell everything that happened.

— Was your village also destroyed? As we traveled, we noticed that several villages and towns near ours were partially destroyed.

— We fled Tierney and followed the lower part of the map to avoid attracting unwanted attention from creatures and demons until we reached Heir Forest.

— We didn't have much trouble on the way. Our goal was to sneak through the forest to the capital. Along the way, we even managed to pick up a few people who were lost and in the same situation.

— Everything was going fine until... damn! Those damned demons showed up — he declares angrily.

The man grits his teeth and clenches his fists as he recalls the dark memories he had pushed away.

Noticing his reluctance to say more, Laili continues the beastman's story.

— Two days ago, we were attacked by some demons that were nearby. Have you ever seen a demon enter the Heir Forest? That should be impossible! It's not supposed to happen.

— What? Why shouldn't it happen? — Rei asks, confused by her statement and her frustration.

— You... don't know? — Laili sighs. — The Heir Forest, though many say it is haunted and spooky, is still home to nature spirits.

— Hmmm...

— But what does that have to do with demons? Do the spirits keep them from coming here or something? — Rei asks.

Laili stares at the boy and lets a few words escape her lips.

— Yes, the nature spirits should repel demons from entering here. Their energies are opposites, and the forest acts as a natural barrier that drives away all creatures with demonic energy or miasma in their bodies.