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As we enjoyed yet another peaceful day together, my family fell silent when I revealed that I had experienced a new prophetic dream two days earlier—one that had filled even me with dread.
The silence was heavy. Now that our lives had finally stabilized and we were truly happy together, I felt nervous about shattering that peace.
It seemed as though everyone wanted to live like this for the rest of their days. But this world would not allow it.
"What did you see?" my father asked.
"You look so serious… Was it bad?" Astrid asked.
"Brunhild… you can tell us," my mother said gently.
I clenched my fists, then nodded as I met their eyes with a grave expression. Taking a deep breath, I began.
"Well…" I muttered. "What I saw was horrifying. Our village was raided by a massive army of orcs—at least a hundred of them. They were giants, towering over even our strongest men. Every single one of them was a monster in strength. The entire village was set ablaze. Everyone died… and I couldn't do anything to save you."
Just speaking the words aloud brought the nightmare rushing back. The trauma was so vivid that tears stung my eyes. I fought hard to hold them back, refusing to break down in front of my family.
A long, heavy silence followed as the truth sank in.
"W-We're going to be raided? By orcs?" my father asked, voice strained. "But why? We've finally settled down and built all of this… We can't just leave now. The winter would kill us before we could find a new home."
"Are you sure it was a real prophetic dream, Brun?" my sister asked hesitantly. "Maybe it was only a nightmare? Orcs never come to these forests. They stay in the distant mountains. It makes even less sense for them to attack in the middle of winter—their own warriors would freeze."
"No," I said with quiet confidence. "I can feel that it will happen… unless we change it."
"This is…" My brother hesitated. "Are you sure we all die? …Do you survive?"
I stayed silent.
"Enough," my mother said, looking at me. "Brunhild, the future can change, right? What you saw reflects our current path?"
"Yeah…" I sighed.
"Then the solution is simple," my mother declared. "We get stronger. We train hard in all the facilities you've built."
My father nodded slowly. "That's true… but our family alone can't hope to defeat an entire orc army."
"The whole village has to grow stronger," I said. "We'll have to push them, even if it's the last thing they want. Everyone is so happy right now… it makes me feel terrible about forcing them."
"Come on, don't think like that," my brother replied. "They owe you all this happiness. I'm sure many will support you once they understand."
"You think so?" I asked, letting out a heavy sigh.
"I guess all that responsibility of becoming the next chief is really weighing on you, huh?" my father said. "I knew it wouldn't be easy, but the elders insisted. It still frustrates me that they pushed you into this position just because of your achievements. You're still a kid, after all."
I am technically not a kid. I'm a grown adult. But after spending my entire previous life feeling worthless and like a waste of space, I still struggle with pressure and heavy responsibility more than I'd like to admit.
"That's not the point," I said, brows furrowed. "I want to protect the village. The only way is to help everyone grow stronger. We'll make full use of everything we have. Everyone needs to pray at the churches, offer tributes, and receive blessings. We'll visit the spirit sanctuary and try to form contracts. We'll produce better potions, elixirs, and stronger equipment—I have plenty of materials. And in the barracks, we'll train from dawn until night. That will raise everyone's stats."
"That sounds hard," Astrid murmured.
"We can't afford to relax," my father said firmly.
"I know it will be difficult," I replied. "We won't be able to enjoy peaceful moments like this for the next two months… but it's all to secure a better future together—so we can survive."
"No, it's fine," my mother said, nodding. "I completely agree with you, my daughter. Nobody disagrees, right?"
"Of course not!" my father laughed. "This is our only chance. Thank the gods she's here with us, or we would've all been dead long ago!"
"I hate to admit it, but Dad's right," Astrid said. "Without you, Brun… we'd likely all be gone by now."
"Thank you," my brother added softly. "Really… thank you for telling us. Now we can work to prevent it."
"E-Everyone…" Their words nearly brought me to tears again, but I held them back. "Thank you for believing me. But our family alone won't be enough. We have to tell the rest of the village."
"I agree," my father said. "We should speak with my father and the elders. Let's all go together—as a family."
"All of us?" I asked. "Even little Krarlak?"
"Hmm?" Krarlak tilted his head cutely at the sound of his name.
"Haha, yes, even the little one!" my father chuckled. "Let's finish our meal and head out."
After we ate, we set off together toward the Village Chief's Camp beside his large wooden home—the one I had built for him. It was surrounded by several beautiful tents.
There, my grandfather sat eating alone. The sight made my chest tighten. We really should invite him over more often.
"You wanted to speak about something important?" he asked, his expression growing worried. "What is it?"
I explained everything I had seen and told my family. His face shifted from curiosity to pure shock.
"What?!" he cried. "Orcs? Deep in this forest? What kind of nonsense is that?! Why would they travel all the way from their mountains, crossing grasslands in the middle of harsh winter? Do they want to die?"
"I don't know why," I said, sighing. "But they will reach us and destroy everything… unless we grow strong enough to change that future, Grandpa."
He clenched his teeth, staring down in disbelief. "I… I see…"
"Please tell the elders," I urged. "Then we can prepare the entire village."
"But that would cause mass hysteria!" he protested. "Half the village might try to flee instead of training… and they would die in the winter."
"You're worrying too much, old man!" my father stepped forward. "Just do what the girl says! We'll handle the people ourselves. What are you so afraid of? Do you really think they'll abandon a village with a magic farm that produces crops year-round, a ranch full of animals, and everything else she's given us? They'll want to fight when the time comes!"
The village chief fell silent for a long moment. "If you truly insist… I don't have much choice."
Afterward, we held a meeting with the elders and shared my vision. They listened with deep concern, especially the eldest among them—the one with the scaled hand.
"Child, you seem to have awakened a Bloodline," she said. "And one that resonates strongly with our own…"
"Yes," I nodded. "It happened after I drank a Bloodline Elixir we earned as a dungeon reward."
"I see." The elder smiled faintly. "Most simply call us 'Elders,' but my name is Solveig. You may call me Grandma Solveig from now on. Despite how we must act, I am Thorfin's mother."
"Thorfin… Wait, Grandpa?!" I gasped. "So you're my great-grandmother? I had no idea! Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because being an Elder sometimes requires impartial decisions for the good of the entire village," she sighed. "We cannot show favoritism to family… so we grow distant. But from the beginning, I have always seen great strength in you, my dear great-granddaughter."
"Grandma…" I felt a wave of warmth. "Um… can I hug you?"
"Hehe… I'm an old woman. Why would you want to—" She gasped as I embraced her tightly and kissed her forehead.
"Grandma!" I said happily. "I'm always glad to welcome more family. Please come eat dinner with us later!"
"Oh dear… how long has it been since someone hugged me?" she murmured with a soft laugh. "I… I don't know if I should. The other elders might criticize me."
I sighed. "That's okay. I can come visit you instead?"
"That… should be fine," she nodded. "Now, about your dream… We have decided to inform the rest of the village. We will gather all capable warriors and magicians and begin an intense training regime immediately. Crafters and alchemists will mass-produce potions, elixirs, and equipment—especially heavy armor and strong weapons made of quality metal. Normal weapons won't suffice against orcs. Their skin is harder than stone. You'll need magic weapons."
"I had no idea," I admitted.
Another elder, an old man, spoke up. "In the past, our clan was once attacked by bandits that included four orcs. Many died. We only defeated those orcs by luring them into a pit and bombarding them with poison and spells."
"T-They're that difficult to beat?" my grandfather asked, stunned.
"So that's how it is…" my mother said quietly. "We'll need to learn more magic as well. We must share the Scepter and Fireball Necklace. Do we have any other magic items that can help people learn spells permanently?"
"I have these," I said, opening my inventory to show them the items.
[Rafflesia Bracelet] – Boosts Vitality and health regeneration by 30%. Passively recovers 0.5% HP per second and grants minor Nature Elemental Affinity, allowing the learning of Nature spells such as Wooden Spear and Vine Bind.
[Forest Wyvern Fang] – A magical knife infused with spirit energy. Can conjure sharp vines, carnivorous plants, and poisonous attacks at the cost of mana. Also a highly sharp and venomous blade. Grants access to spells like Poisonous Fang and Poison Fog.
[Spirit Hydra Axe] – A powerful early-game weapon that inflicts poison with each strike and occasionally paralyzes enemies. Especially effective against reptile-type foes. My main weapon. Grants Potent Poison Blow and Hydra's Wrath.
"These are excellent," my great-grandmother said. "But how long would it take to learn such skills?"
"With our training facilities, the time will be greatly reduced!" I replied. "Those with talent can learn them very quickly. Ylva mastered all the spells from the bracelet in just a week."
"Wow, that's fast," my grandpa said. "How long for me?"
"You're not very gifted with magic, Grandpa… It might take you months to a year. We should lend them to those who can learn fastest. If possible, I'd like to form a strong magic squadron with our best spellcasters."
"It's possible," one elder nodded. "What else do you suggest? Even with intense training, two months alone may not be enough."
"You're right… realistically, it won't be," I admitted. "That's why we're also going to summon warriors to fight for us."
"Huh?"
It was time to use the Summoning Sanctuary.
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