Free Web NovelChapter 72: The village
Later that night I laid inside the tent while hugging fake Leon tightly buried in my chest beneath the blankets.
The camp outside had mostly gone quiet by now. A few distant conversations still echoed from farther across the clearing while the nearby campfires crackled softly beneath the warm summer night.
Meanwhile I stared down at fake Leon seriously.
"...I’m sorry she grabbed you."
The badly drawn smiley face stared back peacefully.
I gently rubbed one hand across the stolen clothes that was wrapped around the pillow.
"That mean woman hurt you."
From the adjacent tent—
A very small laugh escaped.
My eye twitched instantly.
I slowly raised one hand toward Clara’s tent without even looking.
Then—
SPLASH.
A large mass of freezing water materialized above Clara before immediately crashing down directly onto her sleeping bag.
The resulting shriek nearly woke the camp.
"LILLITH—"
"Apologize."
"I’M SORRY."
Good.
Silence returned shortly afterward aside from Clara muttering from inside her soaked tent.
Meanwhile I snuggled fake Leon closer again before laying back down peacefully.
Then quietly—
"Now it’s just us again."
The rest of the night passed the same way most nights usually did for me.
Awake.
Because I only really needed sleep around once a week now.
Instead I spent the hours laying quietly beneath the blankets while staring at fake Leon and imagining things.
Future conversations.
Future dates.
Future honeymoons.
At one point I imagined Leon finally introducing me properly as his wife during some noble gathering while everyone else looked horrified.
Very satisfying.
Later I started imagining what our future children would look like again.
Then eventually I spent nearly an hour wondering whether Leon would let me sit on his lap while he worked.
Probably not.
But eventually yes.
Definitely eventually yes.
Outside, the night slowly faded while sunrise gradually brightened the edges of the tent.
Then suddenly—
FWIP.
The tent flap opened.
"Lillith wake u—"
Clara froze instantly.
Silence.
I slowly looked toward her from beneath the blankets while still wrapped completely around fake Leon.
Meanwhile Clara stood at the entrance staring directly at the horrifying sight before her.
The feared Lady Nightbane.
Future heir to the most powerful duchie in the kingdom.
S-rank monster.
Terror of the academy.
Currently cuddling a badly drawn pillow stuffed into a stolen man’s clothing.
I watched Clara physically struggle not to laugh.
Her entire body trembled violently.
"...Don’t."
That only made it worse.
She immediately covered her mouth while turning slightly red trying not to explode.
Then despite every instinct clearly warning her not to—
"...Did you two have a romantic night together?"
Silence.
Very slowly—
I raised one hand.
Clara immediately panicked.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT—"
A massive sphere of freezing water formed above her head instantly.
"I’M SORRY."
The water remained floating threateningly.
Clara pointed toward fake Leon desperately while still trying not to laugh.
"I couldn’t help it!"
"You’re horrible."
"I KNOW."
Eventually I let the spell disperse before sitting upright beneath the blankets while fake Leon remained tightly hugged against my chest protectively.
Clara stared for several more seconds before sighing dramatically.
"You are never beating the obsessed allegations."
"I am literally engaged."
"That is not helping your case."
A while later I finally packed fake Leon away again very carefully while Clara pretended not to watch the entire process with growing amusement.
Then the two of us eventually rejoined the others outside the camp.
Adrian immediately looked like he wanted to ask why Clara’s tent and clothes were still damp.
Fortunately for him—
He valued survival enough not to ask.
The convoy resumed traveling shortly afterward.
The journey lasted most of the day as the carriages slowly moved through forests, hills, and smaller roads far from the capital now. The farther they traveled, the more isolated the surroundings became.
Eventually even the roads worsened significantly.
Professor Hale occasionally explained information about the assignment from the front carriage while the students listened.
Apparently the village had experienced repeated monster sightings near the nearby forests over the past month.
Missing livestock and people.
Destroyed fences.
Occasional disappearances.
Nothing large-scale yet.
But enough for the local lord to request assistance.
Marcus finally spoke for the first time in hours while sitting across from us inside the carriage.
"What kind of monsters are we expecting?"
Professor Hale answered calmly from outside.
"Mostly goblins according to reports."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"That’s it?"
The professor’s tone sharpened slightly afterward.
"Never underestimate goblins."
That actually got my attention slightly.
Professor Hale continued.
"Individually weak monsters become dangerous in groups."
Though honestly almost everything became dangerous in groups eventually.
By late afternoon the first signs of the village finally appeared ahead.
Smoke drifted upward from chimneys beyond the trees while wooden fences and farmland slowly came into view beneath the warm evening sunlight.
The carriages gradually slowed as they approached the settlement.
And almost immediately—
I noticed something wrong.
The atmosphere.
The villagers standing near the roads looked nervous.
Tired.
Several buildings showed signs of damage while sharpened wooden barricades had been erected near parts of the outer perimeter.
This wasn’t just random monster sightings anymore.
Something had been happening here repeatedly.
Professor Hale stepped down from the lead carriage first while scanning the village carefully.
Meanwhile I quietly narrowed my eyes slightly.
Because suddenly—
This mission looked much more interesting than I originally expected.
The village chief greeted them near the center of the settlement shortly after the convoy arrived.
The old man looked exhausted.
Deep bags rested beneath his eyes while stress visibly weighed across his face. Several local guards stood nearby holding spears and hunting bows, though most of them looked nervous rather than confident.
Professor Hale stepped forward first.
"You sent the request for academy assistance?"
The chief nodded quickly.
"Yes."
His tired eyes moved toward the gathered students afterward.
"Thank the gods you finally arrived."
The old man explained the situation shortly afterward while several villagers listened nearby anxiously.
At first it had only been livestock disappearing.
Goats.
Pigs.
A few cattle.
Then eventually people started vanishing too.
Mostly hunters and villagers traveling near the forests surrounding the settlement.
"We also found strange tracks," the chief added quietly.
"Tracks?" Marcus asked.
The chief nodded.
"Large ones."
His expression darkened slightly.
"And some of the hunters reported seeing shapes moving through the trees at night."
That immediately caught Professor Hale’s attention.
"What kind of shapes?"
The old man hesitated briefly.
"...Something big."
Wonderful.
A while later the students finally split into smaller scouting groups near the forest edge while the sun slowly began lowering toward the horizon.
The massive woods surrounding the village looked dense and old. Thick trees blocked much of the sunlight while vines and heavy roots covered sections of the forest floor.
Meanwhile I already felt annoyed.
Mostly because Adrian kept trying to subtly position himself near Clara during the briefing.
Embarrassing behavior honestly.
The moment we reached the treeline, I immediately looked toward Adrian and Marcus.
"We’re splitting into groups."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"Wouldn’t it be safer to—"
"You two should fuck off."
Silence.
Marcus looked like he physically wanted to disappear.
Adrian opened his mouth slightly before immediately stopping after seeing my expression.
Eventually the two awkwardly moved toward another direction deeper into the forest while Clara sighed beside me.
"You could try sounding slightly less threatening."
"No."
The two of us continued deeper into the woods afterward while the sounds of the village slowly faded behind us.
The forest felt strangely quiet.
Too quiet honestly.
Clara nervously looked around while holding her staff tighter.
"The missing people thing is creepy."
"Mhm."
"I thought this was supposed to just be goblins."
"Professor Hale was probably wrong."
"That is not reassuring."
Branches cracked softly beneath our feet while sunlight filtered through the thick canopy overhead.
Clara continued speaking quietly beside me.
"Do you think the villagers are exaggerating?"
"No."
"Why?"
"The atmosphere feels wrong."
That immediately made Clara look more nervous.
Great.
For several more minutes we continued deeper into the woods while talking quietly.
Then suddenly—
Everything inside me locked in instantly.
Presence above.
Without hesitation I grabbed Clara around the collar and leaped backward violently.
CRAAAASH.
Something massive slammed down exactly where we had been standing moments earlier.
The ground shook beneath the impact.
Clara let out a startled yelp while I calmly set her back down again.
Then both of us looked forward.
A massive creature slowly rose from the impact crater.
It resembled a gorilla.
But wrong.
Its body looked covered in rough dark-brown skin that almost perfectly mimicked tree bark while thick vines and leaves grew naturally across parts of its shoulders and arms.Red eyes stared toward us aggressively from beneath its heavy brow.
The thing was enormous.
Easily over three meters tall. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Clara immediately panicked.
The creature roared before charging directly toward us.
I stepped forward calmly.
Then casually swung one arm.
BOOM. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
The monster got launched sideways instantly like it had been struck by a siege weapon.
Its massive body smashed directly through several trees before crashing against a large boulder hard enough to crack the stone itself.
Silence followed.
The creature collapsed motionless afterward.
Clara stood there completely dumbfounded.
"...What."
I blinked once.
"What?"
"You just..."
She pointed toward the unconscious monster.
"...You sent it flying."
"Mhm."
"With one arm."
"Yes."
Clara stared at me for several seconds longer.
Right.
Aside from Adrian, she had never actually seen me fight properly before.
Meanwhile I calmly walked toward the collapsed creature.
"It’s still breathing," Clara suddenly said nervously.
I looked down toward the monster.
Indeed.
Still alive.
Annoying.
A glowing magic circle immediately formed beneath it.
Then suddenly—
"WAIT."
I paused slightly before looking toward Clara.
The girl hurried closer while adjusting her glasses nervously.
"I recognize it."
That got slightly more of my attention.
"...You do?"
Clara nodded quickly.
"It’s a forest gorilla."
I stared at her blankly.
"And?"
Her expression turned increasingly confused.
"...They shouldn’t be here."
That actually caught my attention now.
Clara pointed toward the unconscious creature.
"These monsters normally live in the southern Sebestan Wilds."
She looked around the forest afterward.
"We’re nowhere near their natural habitat."
I blinked once.
"...You’re much smarter than I give you credit for."
Clara immediately looked offended.
"We literally learned about this less than a week before summer break!"
I ignored that part.
Meanwhile Clara continued examining the creature carefully from a safer distance.
"They’re also normally herbivores."
"Forest gorillas are usually docile unless provoked."
Now that was interesting.
I slowly looked down toward the unconscious creature again.
Because this thing absolutely attacked first.
Which meant either—
Something provoked it.
Or something forced it here.
Clara frowned slightly afterward.
"This whole thing feels strange."
"Mhm."
I eventually dispersed the magic circle beneath the creature afterward.
Then calmly froze the monster completely in thick layers of ice instead.
Just in case.
The two of us eventually returned toward the village as evening settled across the forest.
By the time we arrived back, the sky had already darkened while lanterns illuminated sections of the settlement roads.
Professor Hale listened carefully while Clara explained what we encountered.
The village chief looked even more worried afterward though.
"Those monsters shouldn’t be here..."
Exactly.
Something larger was probably happening.
Eventually the village chief arranged sleeping accommodations for us inside a nearby guest house rather than tents.
Mostly because too many monsters had been spotted near the forests recently.
Which honestly seemed reasonable.
That night Clara and I ended up sharing a guest room together.
The room itself felt small but comfortable enough. Two beds sat near opposite walls while warm lantern light flickered softly across the wooden interior.
Clara immediately collapsed face-first onto her mattress dramatically.
"I am exhausted."
"Mhm."
Meanwhile I quietly unpacked fake Leon again.
Clara noticed instantly.
"...You brought him into the village?."
"Obviously."
The girl physically rolled over while staring at me in disbelief.
"You’re actually serious about this."
I carefully placed fake Leon onto the bed before climbing beside him peacefully.
"He helps emotionally."
"That is not normal."
I ignored her while hugging fake Leon comfortably beneath the blankets.
From the other bed Clara immediately snorted into her pillow.
I slowly looked toward her.
"Do not start."
"I physically can’t help it anymore."
Meanwhile I continued fixing fake Leon’s clothes carefully.
Clara eventually looked over again afterward while resting her chin against one hand.
"...So."
I narrowed my eyes slightly already.
"What."
"When you marry the real Leon..."
She pointed toward fake Leon.
"...What happens to him?"
Silence.
I slowly looked down toward fake Leon thoughtfully.
"He retires."
Clara buried her face into the pillow immediately trying not to laugh again.
She was becoming very rude lately.
