Damn!
The protective gate of Wallheart Village was destroyed. There was no one standing there. There should have been some guards on duty, but now none of them remained. Morvath, who arrived there, was stunned. His bones cracked as he felt a terrible omen.
"What happened?" Morvath thought.
He walked toward the village gate. As he got very close, no one stopped him. Not a single person. He could enter without any inspection at all. This was good, but Morvath's bad feeling grew stronger.
Draaap!
The moment he stepped into the village, he froze. The houses there were destroyed. Blood stained the road and several corpses lay scattered in different places. There was not a single living person. This was far worse than what he imagined.
The foul smell of rotting bodies filled the village. Morvath had no nose, so he could not sense the smell. Yet the strange aura inside the village made all of Morvath's bones tremble. Not because of fear, but more like deep anxiety.
"How could this happen? Did they really destroy..."
Morvath did not finish his sentence. He simply snorted because he knew the nature of the kingdom. What he had guessed was now very likely true. Even he, a hero who once saved the Aetherion Kingdom, had been betrayed. Let alone just a small village in the border area.
It would be easy for the kingdom to dispose of all of them.
"They are truly disgusting," Morvath said.
Beside him, Anna was also shocked. The last thing she remembered was that Oakhall Village was not destroyed like this. Anna's body trembled. She felt something strange. Her hair stood on end. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, repeating it over and over so she could remain calm.
"Where are the people?" Morvath asked.
Anna looked around, trying to remember. "Ah, over there!" she pointed.
Morvath immediately walked in that direction. He now recalled Oakhall Village. He had come to this village several times. He knew some of the villagers, and he had one friend he admired. A very kind woman.
Every time Noir came to this village, he and his party would always be warmly welcomed by that woman. Her name was Isabella, the owner of a bar in Oakhall Village.
Morvath's bones trembled. His anxiety grew stronger. He feared that something terrible had happened to Isabella. His steps grew faster. They passed several houses and narrow alleys. Finally, they arrived at the location.
When Morvath reached the place, he froze. A woman without clothes was lying on the ground. A face Noir knew very well. He turned into stone, as if his world collapsed at that moment. This reminded Noir of the moment before he was killed.
His hands clenched tightly. The light inside his eye sockets flickered red. "All of you... will become corpses today!"
Morvath drew his sword. He walked toward the place.
**
"Boss," one of his men said, "we have searched every house. Nothing is left except useless things. What will we do now?"
The leader did not answer. He only closed his eyes for a moment, as if thinking about something. He wore ordinary clothes, as if he was not part of the kingdom's army. Yet he was actually one of the captains of a special force of the Aetharion Kingdom.
He had been given the task of attacking Oakhall Village. He was only allowed to bring a few soldiers. The rest, he had to gather on his own.
He did not know why he had to do this, but orders were still orders. Especially when it came directly from the king. He could not refuse.
"Are you sure no one is left?"
His subordinate nodded. "I am very sure. We brought everything here."
The commander looked forward. There were several women, children, and a few men who might be useful. He closed his eyes again, this time longer than before.
"If that is the case, we will have a feast tonight," the commander said.
His men cheered immediately. They looked excited. Their eyes were fixed on the women in front of them. They licked their lips, already impatient to begin their feast tonight. This was what they had been waiting for.
The commander then walked toward Isabella's body lying on the ground. Her clothes were ripped, her breathing weak and rough. He squatted beside her and gently tapped her head.
"Do not blame me, because I am only following orders," he said. "If you want to blame something, then blame the Demons. They were the ones who gave us this command."
"Bastard!" Isabella cursed. Her stare sharp. "You are all disgusting. Killing your own kind and framing the Demon race. You are truly filthy!" she mocked.
The commander grabbed Isabella's hair tightly. He slammed her face into the ground. Blood dripped from her wounded face. Then he lifted her head again and stared into her eyes.
"I already told you, this was the Demon race's order. They paid us to do this. You must remember that!" the man insisted.
Isabella smirked weakly. She looked at the man in front of her with one corner of her lips raised. "I know Demons are cruel and inhuman, but I also know they would never work together with humans. Whoever gave you the order, I know he is a coward."
The commander looked irritated. He grabbed a dagger. He planned to end Isabella's life immediately. He originally wanted to let Isabella live so she could spread the lie that Oakhall Village was destroyed by Demons, but he now had to change that plan.
"Do not blame me. You are the one who asked for it."
He raised his dagger and swung it, but suddenly he stopped. He sensed a strange aura from his right side.
Suddenly, the ground shook slightly.
"Sir, there is..."
The commander quickly turned his head. At that moment he saw a skeleton walking toward him. A skeleton wearing a brown robe. The stare inside that skeleton's eye sockets was sharp and serious.
"This is troublesome," he muttered.
He immediately stood up and drew his sword. He realized that his opponent this time was strong.
"Prepare yourselves! We will fight," the man commanded.
His men drew their weapons at once. They quickly formed a battle formation. At the same time, the skeleton came closer and closer. He held his sword tightly.
"You will die, bastards!" the skeleton said.