The Traitors

Kent sat in the Village Hall with a stern look on his face. The room was quiet except for the soft creaking of the wooden floor beneath their boots.

In front of him stood three warriors. Two young men, their faces still marked with the energy of youth, and one older man, a seasoned warrior with a deep scar across his cheek.

They had just returned from scouting.

Kent leaned forward, elbows on the wooden table, his eyes sharp.

"Well?" he asked. "Do you guys manage to confirm it?"

The older warrior stepped forward. "It's confirmed, Kent. Green Village is on the move."

Kent's eyes narrowed. "Are they coming here?"

One of the younger warriors nodded. "Yeah. And fast. We overheard them talking. They mentioned Riverwood by name."

Kent leaned back in his chair, his jaw tight. "Why us? What do they want?"

The older warrior didn't hesitate. "They want the village. Said it's in a perfect spot—right by the forest, fresh water, clean air. And now with the new walls and buildings? It caught their eye."

Kent frowned. "How would they even know about all that? The walls just went up."

"Magic," the older warrior said. "Probably some kind of communication spell. Either that or someone came close enough to see it."

Kent didn't respond right away.

That was exactly what he was afraid of.

Riverwood had always been hidden well. It was tucked near the forest, far from any major path.

The only real threat had been the Whispering Forest to the east, filled with wild beasts. Bandits rarely came this deep.

It was too dangerous. Too far.

For years, Riverwood had stayed safe. Thanks to warriors like Old Hann... and Xabi's father.

But those days were over.

Some of the old warriors had died. Others left the village to chase their own paths and never came back. The ones left behind, the new generation, were still learning. Still growing.

That's why Kent had spent so much time training them. Teaching them to fight. To defend what they had.

But deep down, he knew the truth.

Something was missing.

Most of the young ones focused only on getting stronger. They wanted to swing swords and win battles but they didn't care much about farming, raising animals, or fishing.

They could fight, sure. But they didn't know how to build, how to heal, or how to keep the village running.

That's why Kent didn't complain when the Reading Hut appeared. Or when the school was built. He didn't feel threatened.

He felt hopeful.

For once, Riverwood wasn't just preparing to survive, it was starting to grow.

Kent wanted more for the younger ones. He wanted them to be like the warriors of great empires. They were strong, yes, but also smart. Brave, but thoughtful. Fighters who could also lead, build, and teach.

That's why he had kept an eye on Xabi.

And now, on Finn.

There was something different about them. Something he couldn't quite explain. But he knew they mattered. That they could shape Riverwood's future.

Kent didn't want to control them. He wanted to guide them. Help them rise. Make sure they had what they needed to become the village's foundation.

Not everyone saw it that way.

Some of the older warriors still held onto the past. To them, strength was everything. The sword was the only answer.

But Kent didn't agree.

He didn't think they were surviving. He thought they were just getting by.

And if Riverwood wanted to do more than survive, if it wanted to thrive, then something had to change.

And now, with Green Village on the move... that change had to happen fast.

The older warrior called out, "Kent?"

Kent didn't answer.

"Kent?" he tried again, a bit louder.

Only after the third time did Kent blink and return from his thoughts.

"Are you alright?" the man asked.

Kent nodded slowly. "I'm fine. Just… thinking."

He sat up straighter. "I was thinking about how to deal with this move from Green Village."

He tapped the table once. "We have the new stone walls and proper gates now. But if they really send their warriors to attack…"

He shook his head. "That won't be enough."

Then, he looked at the three of them. "When did you say they're planning to attack?"

One of the young men replied, "In two days. They started preparing yesterday."

Kent's eyes narrowed.

"Alright," he said. "Then we prepare too."

He stood up. "Go rest for now. I've arranged a place for you. There's food from the new supplies. Take your time. You've earned it."

The three of them beamed at the sound of food. They'd heard stories. Meat. Seasoning. Rice. Real rice.

Kent turned his head. "Rolo."

Rolo stepped forward.

"Take them there. Make sure they eat well," Kent said.

Rolo gulped before nodding. "Yes, Kent."

Despite the simple order, Rolo seemed to tense.

That was because Kent had given a subtle signal with his hand as he spoke. A small twitch of two fingers.

Rolo's face changed slightly, just for a moment. But he understood.

He gave a slow nod and walked toward the door.

"C-c-come everyone. Follow me," Rolo said.

The three warriors followed him out, laughing and talking among themselves.

Inside the hall, Kent stood alone.

He looked toward the door.

His smile disappeared.

"Do you guys think I'm that stupid?" he muttered under his breath. "How dare you three…"

His voice dropped into a growl.

Then, without another word, he left the hall and started walking toward the East Section.

He had things to prepare while the three warriors stepped into the small, quiet cottage.

The smell of warm food greeted them instantly.

Bowls of stew. Roasted vegetables. A full plate of meat. Rice. Warm tea. Soft bread.

They couldn't believe it.

"By the spirits," one of them said, "this smells amazing."

"Sit down," Rolo said with a smile. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

The three didn't think twice.

They sat on the floor, laughing as they grabbed the food with their hands. They dug in, shoving meat into their mouths, gulping tea like they hadn't eaten in days.

They didn't notice Rolo slowly step out. They didn't see him close the door behind him. And they didn't hear the soft snap of his fingers.

From the shadows, seven warriors moved in.

Four with bows.

Three were carrying small barrels of oil.

One of them nodded toward the building.

"Ready?" he asked.

The others nodded.

Inside, the laughter was gone. One of the men sat slumped over the empty bowl. Another was lying on the floor, his hand still clutching a half-eaten bone.

The last one was struggling to keep his eyes open. "Wha… what is this…"

Then, his body dropped.

Outside, the oil was poured all around the cottage. Over the walls. On the roof.

The smell of it filled the air before the archers stepped forward as they lit their arrows.

"Shoot."

Four arrows flew straight through the thin wooden walls.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

The bodies inside jerked. Then went still.

More arrows followed.

Then one of the men stepped forward with a torch and dropped it onto the soaked wall.

The flames spread fast. The cottage crackled. Fire roared. And in less than a minute, everything was burning.

Nothing escaped.

Not even a scream.

***

While Finn was behind the school, standing in the space between the new school building and the tall stone wall near the East Gate, he noticed something strange.

Smoke.

A thin column of it, rising steadily into the dark sky, lit slightly by the moon.

He squinted. The direction seemed to be somewhere within the village.

'What's burning?' he thought.

But before he could think further, he was reminded by the time remaining before the day ended for his Daily Mission.

[Time remaining: 04 Hours 17 Minutes]

He sighed.

"Right. That…"

The system had assigned him the same Daily Mission again. 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 km run.

He muttered, "Whoever designed this system has no mercy."

Still, he dropped to the ground and started with the push-ups. One after another, his arms moved with smooth precision.

Compared to yesterday, this felt manageable. He wasn't struggling to breathe. His arms didn't shake.

When he moved on to sit-ups, he noticed something even more bizarre, his spine felt lighter. His core was much stronger.

By the time he was doing squats, his legs moved like springs. Controlled and stable.

However, the real test came with the run. "Let's see how much the upgrade will help me."

He took off along the East wall, tracing the perimeter of Riverwood. His feet pounded the earth. Wind rushed past his face.

But it wasn't painful.

It wasn't exhausting.

It was almost… fun.

"This is amazing," he muttered without knowing that tonight was far from over.