Chapter 16 Entering Black woods

Chapter -16.

As Gilbert walked out of the house, Lucien turned to look at Aleena, who was gazing at him with eyes full of concern. He pulled her into his embrace and began to taste her lips once again. After squeezing her hand with a reassuring smile, he let her go and walked out of the house.

The two of Gilbert and Lucien stepped out into the cool, crisp morning, the village slowly waking up around them. The sun peeked over the horizon, casting a warm, golden light over the thatched rooftops and cobblestone streets.

"They are waiting for us in the tavern. You'll find other weapons there if you want some," Gilbert said, leading him to a large house. He swung open the door with a creak, and Lucien followed, noticing a group of villagers whose faces were a mix of excitement and slight fear.

The group was armed to the teeth with crude weapons—pitchforks, sharpened sticks, and swords that had seen better days. Upon noticing Gilbert walking in, their eyes lit up immediately, and then their gaze fell upon Lucien. A few of them muttered, "Is he the one Gilbert was talking about?"

"He looks strong."

"Look, that rude blacksmith even gave him a sword. That means he must be strong, right?"

The group's discussion and the logic behind their conclusion didn't make sense to Lucien; however, since it didn't matter, he ignored the chatter and walked forward to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Lucien."

Seeing Lucien introduce himself, the group smiled and stepped forward to begin introducing themselves.

"We're counting on you, Mister Lucien," said a young man while shaking Lucien's hand. His other hand tightened around the handle of a well-used axe. His voice was firm, but there was a tremor in it that betrayed his nerves.

"I'll do my best," Lucien said, trying to reassure him, as he didn't know that such a young person would also come with them to fight the goblins.

"Alright, that's enough of the introductions." A loud voice suddenly cut through the calming effect Lucien's reassurance had given the villagers.

It was Gilbert, who was now standing next to a small chest containing a few old-looking weapons. Gilbert looked at Lucien and said, "If you want a secondary weapon, you can choose from one of these. Anyway, we should move quickly." His voice was full of urgency. "The longer we wait, the more of a disadvantage we might have against those crafty goblins."

The villagers, who had been silent after hearing Gilbert's loud, piercing voice, now nodded their heads in agreement, though a sense of fear enveloped their hearts as they recalled the destruction that had befallen them thanks to those goblins.

Seeing the rising tension among the villagers, Lucien didn't dilly-dally any longer. He made his way toward the chest and began to rummage through it until he found a small bow and a pocket knife. Contrary to his swordsmanship, Lucien was more of an expert in archery; his natural affinity for aiming required little training, as he had discovered during a fun trip he took after getting bored at home.

"This is all I need, I think," Lucien said, finally picking up a few arrows and placing them in an almost broken quiver.

"alright then, let's go." Gilbert said, his voice firm and commanding, "We march together, and we'll return together. the goblins will feet the wrath of our village." his rallying cry sends a jolt of energy through the group, and they follow him as they set off towards the black woods. the sun climbs higher in the sky, casting long shadows that seem to dance alongside them as they march forward.

amidst the praying gaze of villagers and kids playing around in the morning's kind warmth; the group cross the broken wall of the village, the sight of the field finally appearing in front of lucien, who couldn't help but feel that, those bastards of goblins really needed a thorough cleansing.

the sight of the field was a stark reminder of the monstrous threat lurking outside, as the once-verdant expanses are now marred by the ravages of the goblin raids. Lucien sees patches of blackened earth, destroyed crops, and the occasional twisted corpse of the goblins that didn't manage to escape the village's wrath.

"We should burn these corpses, their dark and monsterous energy is coroding our fields." A villager couldn't help but say while looking at the black patches appearing in the fields.

the group's anger at the sight of the destroyed fields is palpable, and they couldn't help but exchange dark glances, their fists clenching around their weapons, their steps quickening with each curse that leaves their lips.

"We'll have to make them pay," Gilbert said, feeling a fierce protectiveness welling up inside him. Meanwhile, Lucien, who was walking in front, couldn't help but feel anger rising within him. However, he also knew that there was no way he could fully understand what was going through the villagers' minds without experiencing it firsthand.

As Lucien grappled with these thoughts, the villagers felt a rush of energy and killing intent toward the monster they had set out to slay. Their burning hatred fueled their tired bodies.

The march to the Black Wood was tense, as the group had to trudge along a thorny path, navigating fallen trees that blocked their way forward. It began to seem as if someone didn't want them to cross this path. Nevertheless, the villagers, driven by their desire to slay the goblins that had attacked their village and fields every week as if they were mere playthings, ignored this warning and continued onward.

Lucien, on the other hand, the most cautious among the group, was not fueled by hatred. He continued to inspect the surroundings in the woods as they walked among the large trees that blocked most of the sunlight.

"Mister Lucien, did you really kill more than 20 goblins in a single day?" the young boy from earlier suddenly approached Lucien and asked, excitement clearly visible on his face.

Swoosh...

Lucien looked at the boy and wanted to reply; however, his ears suddenly picked up a swooshing sound approaching him at considerable speed, reminding him of the danger that lurked in the Black Woods.

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