After feeding the young man named Tatum that sun-herb or whatever it was, it didn’t take long for him to start showing signs of life again. His breathing became a bit more stable, and eventually, he regained consciousness.
He was still in a dire condition— pale, shaking, and clearly at death’s door— but at least his heart was still beating.
"Urgh...!"
He let out a low, pained groan.
Every tiny movement he made seemed to spark a new wave of agony through his battered body. He tried to shift his weight, but the sword wounds were far too deep for him to do much more than lay there and hurt.
Currently, we were all gathered outside the ruins of the destroyed village. I had decided to move the group into the dense forest right beside it to take refuge. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but the dark, monster-filled forest is a much better place to rest than their own village right now.
’They can’t even lie down on the burnt ground with the dry blood all around there.’
The village was a graveyard of ash and copper-smelling dirt. Here, at least, the air was fresh, and the thick canopy of the trees provided some shades.
I had gone ahead and set up my tent, despite it being one of my few personal belongings. I let the seven of them use it for the time being. It was the least I could do, considering they looked like they would collapse if the wind blew too hard.
I let Bong rest for a while, too. I tied his lead to a sturdy branch, and he was happily munching on some wild grass not far away from us, seemingly unbothered by the heavy atmosphere.
While the survivors were trying to get comfortable, I stayed on the outskirts of our little camp with Onyx. The little guy had found a sturdy-looking stick somewhere and brought it to me earlier, wagging his tail like crazy. I was passing the time by playing a quiet game of catch with him.
"..."
I looked over at the seven young ones again. They were all currently tucked inside my tent, trying to rest as much as they can.
My tent isn’t that big— it’s designed for one person only— so except for the Tatum kid, who was lying flat on the blankets, the rest of them were just sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, cramped together.
"Haaah..."
I let out a heavy sigh, the sound cutting through the quiet rustle of the leaves.
The moment the sound left my lips, all six of the conscious survivors looked up at me. Their eyes were wide and filled with a visible worry. They were probably thinking that I was getting tired of them and was about to send them packing into the woods.
But ignoring the pathetic looks on their faces—
"I’m going to hunt some wild animals so you all can eat."
I told them that, my voice flat.
Their expressions shifted almost instantly. It was a weird mix of total disbelief and genuine surprise. I didn’t wait around for them to say anything. I simply turned my back to them, adjusting my stance.
"Just wait here and keep an eye on my horse and this little guy."
I instructed them, gesturing toward Bong and Onyx. I didn’t want any of them wandering off or getting into trouble while I was gone.
And without further ado—
BAM!
I kicked off the ground, the force of my movement leaving a small crater in the dirt. I blurred into a streak of motion, heading deep into the forest.
... ... ...
*****
Finding and hunting prey was no chore for me. With my current strength and senses, it was as easy as walking through a garden and picking up berries.
I hunted two wild boars in less than five minutes. It was a quick, one-sided affair. Once they were down, I grabbed them by their hind legs and started the trek back. I made sure to move quickly; I didn’t like leaving my stuff— or Bong and Onyx— alone with strangers for too long.
I came back to the camp in a hurry, emerging from the brush with a boar slung over each shoulder.
The look on kids’ faces was quite a sight to see. They stared at me with their mouths open, stunned that I had returned so fast with two massive boars with me.
THUD!
I dropped the corpses of the wild boars onto the grass near the tent. I didn’t bother trying to explain how I did it, and they were too intimidated to ask anyway. That was fine by me; it wasn’t like I was going to tell them anything if they did ask.
Moving on to the next task, I started collecting fallen tree branches and piles of dried grass from the immediate area. I piled them up in a cleared patch of dirt.
SWAAAHHH~!
I started a fire with a quick spark, the flames licking hungrily at the dry wood.
SLASH!
I drew my sword, the blade glinting in the firelight. I made quick work of the boars, dissecting them into manageable chunks of meat.
I found some thick, green sticks nearby and sharpened the ends, skewering the heavy portions of meat until I had several large kebabs ready. I stabbed the sticks into the ground at an angle near the fire so the meat would roast slowly over the heat.
Once the fat started to sizzle and the smell of cooked pork began to fill the air, I looked at the group again. I pointed at the cooking meat.
"That is all yours. Enjoy yourselves."
I said that, then moved back toward my original spot.
Their faces immediately lit up at my words. For the first time since I met them, they actually looked... happy. It was a strange sight, seeing that much hope on people who were just standing in the shadow of their burnt homes.
"Thank you!"
One of them cried out.
"Thank you, sir!"
"We wouldn’t forget this! We promise to pay you back for your kindness!"
The six of them started thanking me non-stop, bowing their heads so low they were almost touching their knees. I just brushed it all off with a casual shrug of my shoulders. To be honest, I often get uncomfortable in situations like this.
Anyway, after the initial round of bowing, they all gathered as close to the fire as they could get, watching the meat with hungry, wide eyes as it cooked.
Me, on the other hand, I took some of the leftover bunny meat out of my pouch and started feeding it to Onyx, who was more than happy to accept the snack. Bong was still minding his own business nearby, and I didn’t feel particularly hungry or thirsty. My needs were different, after all.
*****
After a while, the meat was finally cooked through.
The kids didn’t waste a second. They started eating with a desperation that was almost painful to watch, but they still made sure to help the Tatum guy. Even though he was barely conscious and clearly struggling to chew, they patiently fed him small bits of the tender meat.
I was really surprised at the way they took care of each other. Even in their state, they put the most injured among them first.
Anyway, with how starving they were, they finished off those two large boars in a flash. It didn’t even last for half an hour before the bones were picked clean.
And once they were finally full and done eating, they all turned to me and started the thanking ritual again. I just dismissed them with a casual wave of my hand, leaning back against a tree.
Instead of more thanks, I decided that now was the best time to get some information.
They had some energy back, and they seemed to trust me— at least a little bit. I could finally ask the questions I’d been curious about since I stepped into that ruined village.
"What happened to you guys? What happened to the village?"
I wasted no time and went straight to the point.
As I expected, the atmosphere turned cold instantly.
They all went quiet, looking down at the ground or at the dying embers of the fire. They were clearly hesitant to talk about it.
"..."
I just looked at them and said nothing. I didn’t pressure them, I just waited. It was fine by me if they decided not to answer; I was mostly just curious about what kind of force could wipe out a whole village so thoroughly.
But after a long silence—
"Our village was raided."
One of the girls spoke up. Her voice was small, but it carried a lot of weight.
"By bandits?"
I followed up, assuming that was the standard answer for this kind of thing.
But then, all of them shook their heads in unison.
"If it were just some bandits, our village would have been able to handle them just fine."
A young man said that.
His statement left me a bit confused. Most villages were easy pickings for organized bandits, so for him to say they could handle them meant they weren’t just ordinary farmers. I decided to ignore that detail for now and let them keep talking.
And immediately—
"What attacked our village were knights."
The young man continued, his jaw tightening.
"Knights of the [Kingdom of Halveron]."
He declared that.
Hearing that made my brows furrow. I was confused at first and honestly thought I had heard him wrong. Why would the kingdom’s own military slaughter a village in their territory? But seeing the raw pain on their faces— it was clear that this was the truth.
"The seven of us were out hunting for the village. We were gone for a few days. And during that time... our village was attacked by those bastards from the kingdom. They killed everyone. They didn’t care if they were elderly or children."
The young man started telling me the story, his voice rising in volume and anger as he spoke. The others remained silent, but I could see the intense rage and resentment burning in their eyes.
"By the time we got back here, the village was already destroyed... and everyone we knew was dead."
He continued with a solemn, hollow tone. But then he paused, his breath hitching.
"There were some knights and soldiers left behind here to clean the place up. We were outnumbered, and we were at a massive disadvantage in terms of equipment. We were already exhausted from coming back from a long hunt... but because we were blinded by rage and wanted revenge— we rushed in anyway. We fought every single knight and soldier we saw."
He added that, his voice sounding strained and raspy.
"...And we killed every single one of them."
The young man declared that, staring at me with an emotionless, cold look in his eyes.
"..."
My face remained straight, but I was genuinely surprised by what I just heard. Instead of my questions being answered, a whole set of new ones popped into my head.
Seven hunters taking down a detachment of trained knights? That wasn’t normal.
I opened my mouth again, leaning forward slightly.
"Why did the kingdom attack your village? What did you do?"
I asked them that, trying to find the logic in the massacre.
"..."
The six of them didn’t say anything at first. They all just looked at each other for a long moment, an unspoken communication passing between them as if they were trying to decide if they could trust me with their biggest secret.
But then, with a resolute look on their faces—
FWOOSH~!
They reached down and removed the tattered loincloths wrapped around their waists. Then, they reached up and pulled off the cloths they had used to cover their heads.
And after they did that—
"Huh...?"
I froze.
I saw furry tails unfolding from behind them, and on their heads, they had distinct animal ears that twitched at the sounds of the forest.
I was speechless... I didn’t know what to say.
And before I could even try to process what I was seeing—
"It’s because we’re beastmen."
The young man declared that, looking me straight in the eyes with a mix of pride and bitterness.