Lian looked at Kharvek’s headless body, then turned his gaze to Seris, and this time his smile became more genuine.
"You might not believe it, but I missed you." He then laughed briefly.
This sentence, more than the field full of corpses, threats, or even anything, managed to surprise Seris.
For a moment, she remained completely still, a very faint color formed on her pale cheeks.
So faint that probably no one except Lian would notice it. Her black eyes shifted away from him for a moment.
That girl, who had an immediate response to attacks, threats, and even death, this time did not know what to say.
A few seconds passed, and finally, she answered briefly.
"Your weclome."
Lian laughed. It hadn’t been long since he had wished Seris was also here.
Crossing the Forest of Giants would be much easier with her presence.
Massive monsters, unknown areas, dangerous colonies, and paths that were deadly for one person would be less of a threat against their combined power.
And now Seris was really here.
But why? Wherever Lian went, sooner or later she would appear on the same path.
The first time he entered the Ruined Realm, in the Vorhelm clan, in the fighting arenas, and now in a world that neither of them had even heard of a few days ago.
Was this just coincidence? Or was some unknown force repeatedly pulling them toward each other?
Fate? Destiny? Or maybe something in their Talents, Bloodlines, or growth paths caused them to meet at important points?
Lian had no answer, but the number of these encounters was too many to seem completely normal.
Seris took her gaze away from him and gave it to the few surviving Varkesh soldiers.
At that same moment, their bodies tensed, and she addressed them.
"I killed your leader. Go back and tell them that the leader’s eldest daughter is now the leader."
A few Varkesh looked at each other. The name of Kharvek’s eldest daughter, Veyra, was known to them.
A powerful warrior, ambitious, and among Kharvek’s children, the only one who could replace him without the tribe completely collapsing.
No one dared to oppose Seris’s decision. Three of the healthier soldiers left Kharvek and quickly ran toward the tribe’s path. One of the wounded also followed them limping.
Seris looked at Lian again.
"So. Our work here is done." She paused briefly and added.
"Let’s go?"
"You want to come with me?" Lian said with a more sarcastic tone.
"Are we going to do anything else?" The girl answered very casually.
Lian looked around. Kharvek was dead, the Varkesh were defeated, and the river was practically under Averian’s control.
"I guess not."
Before moving, the tribe leader left part of his forces beside the Silvervein Basin.
Ten soldiers were chosen to guard the basin.
Two archers were stationed on the tall roots around to monitor the paths leading to the area, and another group removed the stone and wooden barriers that the Varkesh had built inside the Lacerians’ channel.
The logs were pulled out one after another, and the large stones were moved with ropes and the strength of several soldiers.
When the last obstacle was removed, the water that had been gathered behind the temporary dam suddenly rushed forward.
A current of water poured into the dry channel. At first it was narrow, then it became deeper.
The water moved over the shiny deposits and continued its path toward the Lacerians’ territory.
Averian watched the flow for a few moments and then said.
"No one enters Varkesh territory without my command."
"Could they attack after Kharvek’s death?" one of the commanders asked.
"Maybe." Averian answered.
His gaze stayed on Seris for a moment.
"But for now, they are more worried about their new leader than about war." He preferred that Kharvek’s death would not start a full-scale war.
The water had returned, that was enough for today. Now he was no longer worried about his tribe for a while, and as much as possible, he preferred to avoid further tension and war.
With that bastard’s death, his tribe would certainly become weaker. This was an opportunity for him and his tribe to attack the Varkesh and absorb them.
But even if they became weaker, defeating them would still cause damage, and they would also suffer many casualties. He did not want to ask Lian for help either, because that would be the height of shamelessness.
Even now, their tribe owed too much to this outsider, and he did not want this debt to grow more and more.
So it was just better to stay away from war...
The caravan returned to the tribe.
Seris also sat behind Lian on One.
And One moved at a calm speed alongside the caravan, passing over roots, slopes, and tall moss without the slightest sign of fatigue.
When they approached the Lacerians’ territory, the sound of bells was heard from a distance.
This time, not alarm bells, but victory bells. The guards on the wall saw the water flowing in the channel.
And their shouts echoed among the roots.
"Silvervein has returned!"
"The water is flowing again!"
The news spread through the entire tribe faster than the caravan. People came out of their houses, and children ran beside the channel.
Families brought containers, water skins, and skin-covered baskets. After days, water was flowing again through the tribe’s main path.
An elderly woman knelt beside the channel and dipped her hands into the water. When she raised them, tears fell from her eyes.
Another man filled a container and raised it above his head. A shout of joy rose among the crowd.
The immediate fear of thirst was gone. The crisis was not completely solved. The cause of the waterways drying up was still unknown.
But at least for a while, the Lacerians had water again.
The people’s joy increased for a few moments upon the caravan’s arrival.
But then the gazes fixed on Seris. The noise quieted down. The people had not expected to see another Otherworldly.
Seris attracted even more attention among the Lacerians than Lian.
Long silver hair, pale skin, and light dark armor that followed the lines of her body and was built for speed.
Her beauty was cold and unusual.
But Averian’s story was still fresh. Everyone knew who had cut off their leader’s hands.
As a result, the people’s curiosity was mixed with a deeper fear.
Ravian was standing near the main square. When he saw Seris, he paused for a moment.
The unusual beauty of the silver-haired girl surprised even him, but his surprise did not last more than a second.
His gaze fell on the thin sword at Seris’s waist, and then the image of his father with both hands severed came alive again in his mind.
His fingers unconsciously tightened around the spear’s handle.
Sera also stared at Seris with a cold gaze.
Nemi stayed half a step behind her sister. None of the three were happy about her presence.
Even if Averian was now completely healthy, the memory of the blood, burnt cloths, and his unconscious body would not fade from their minds so soon.
Seris noticed their gazes, but she did not care the slightest. She did not offer an explanation, nor did she apologize, nor did she even try to soften her expression.
From her view, Averian had stood against her in battle and had lost.
That was it.
But others didn’t see it that way...