Episode 6

At some point, the number of Magical Beasts drastically decreased.

It had been about a month since that ominous priest had come and gone.

The villagers believed the priests had purified the area during their visits, but the deep-seated anxiety in their hearts didn't disappear.

'There's no way just one or two people coming and going could perform purification.'

In the game, purifying a location required dozens of priests from the Church and at least one bishop-level member.

Considering there was no bishop among those who came here, it probably wasn't purification.

It wasn't purification, yet the Magical Beasts had decreased.

'Is this a new setting added while making Black Nightmare 2? As far as I know, aside from purification, there's only extermination.'

Obviously, since no one had exterminated them, it's at least not a method I'm familiar with.

The fact that Black Nightmare only briefly explained the past made me even more anxious.

If it had been properly detailed, I wouldn't have worried.

'Maybe the Church actually took some emergency measures before leaving?'

They might actually be harmless.

It's true they were suspicious until the end ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the game, but they weren't exactly villains.

They were just suspicious, literally.

Given how closed-off they are, players might have been overly wary of them.

If you think about it, the Magical Beast stampede was probably just a device the game developers added for the plot, so it's not entirely unreasonable.

Changing initial settings is one of the chronic problems of games that have been running for a long time.

'All because that priest said we'd meet again...'

If it weren't for that sinister-looking priest, I wouldn't have worried this much.

But because of that damn guy's single comment, my anxiety wouldn't go away.

I let out a deep sigh and got up from my spot.

Water from doing laundry dripped down with a plop, plop, plop.

"The scouting party went out, but they're later than usual."

I looked toward the forest where the scouting party, including Delit Ajusshi, had disappeared.

Even though the Magical Beasts had decreased now, once Magi spreads, they keep appearing until purification is performed.

That's why they go out scouting.

"Hoo..."

Ivy, who finished her laundry a moment later, put the clean laundry in the basket and stood up.

She looked in the same direction and muttered.

"They usually return before sunset... but they're really late today."

"Right. I wonder if something happened?"

"They said they'd also look for a place for the village to evacuate in case of emergency. They're probably just a little late because of that. There's no way Ajusshi would go out without a plan."

Even though the Magical Beasts had decreased, the people here didn't blindly feel relieved.

They decided to proactively find a place to evacuate to avoid the calamitous beings.

My lips moved slightly as I muttered.

"That must be it."

Even though it was a small group that went out like a scouting party, and there were many people left to protect the village, we ultimately couldn't manage without Delit Ajusshi.

The presence or absence of a commander makes a huge difference in large-scale fights. And Delit Ajusshi handles all command in our village.

'It's probably just unnecessary worry.'

I forcefully denied my anxious feelings.

Carrying the laundry basket with both hands, I headed into the village.

"Thank you for your hard work. We're heading in now."

I greeted Hunter Ajusshi, who was guarding the village.

The ajusshi, who was sitting and fiddling with his axe, looked up.

"Alright~ You both worked hard."

He stroked his bushy beard once and added.

"By the way, have either of you chosen marriage partners? Sometimes when I go hunting, I hear the boys placing bets on which of them will get you two."

I smiled and shook my head at that.

"I'm still thinking about it. The village atmosphere isn't great lately. If possible, I'd like to get married and have children when things are more stable."

It was a blatant lie, but Hunter Ajusshi accepted it.

The current atmosphere wasn't conducive to marriage anyway.

"Right, of all times for Magical Beasts to appear... But don't worry, you can relax. Ajusshi and the boys will protect you somehow! Kuhaha!"

His hand, as big as my face, patted my arm repeatedly.

With a bold, hearty laugh that matched his masculine appearance, the ajusshi went back to fiddling with his axe.

After getting some distance from the entrance, Ivy whispered in my ear.

"Are you going to marry the Hunter?"

"No, he's a bit... too beast-like. He's covered in thick hair and isn't good-looking."

Ivy giggled at my disgusted expression.

"I think so too."

"Then do you have someone you like, Ivy? There are plenty of boys in the village."

"Hmm..."

Ivy thought for a moment.

Walking along, she finally clung to me after her contemplation and laughed.

"I don't really have any satisfying men... Maybe I just won't get married and spend my whole life with Mia? That seems much more fun."

To hear such words from my favorite character...

Maybe it's about time for me to achieve enlightenment?

"I'm fine with that. It would be nice to go to the city, find decent work, and live together. Or do you want to become mercenaries with Delit Ajusshi's help?"

"That sounds good too. Ajusshi said we'd become high-level personnel at our current level."

Of course, that assessment was based on our potential, so we'd need to grow more to be treated as high-level personnel.

I looked at Ivy, our heads gently touching.

She glanced down at me and smiled.

A smile where the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and her pearly white teeth showed between her slightly parted lips.

"When I'm with Mia, I feel like everything will work out. It's like you're my guardian angel or something."

I laughed softly at her words.

"I'm really glad you feel that way, Ivy. So, are you training again tonight?"

"Yeah, Ajusshi said to keep at it consistently, so I have to."

"Then... let's meet after dinner and doing the dishes. My brothers are all home today, so there's quite a bit to do."

Ivy smiled, nodded, and walked toward her house.

I waved and returned home.

*

As the proper eldest daughter of the household, I finished cooking and washing the dishes.

Since people in this medieval era did physical labor often, they ate a lot - four sturdy adults and two women meant about ten servings.

But weren't they supposed to be extremely poor in the original history?

Even if I had such doubts, I wouldn't be able to discern the truth since I don't know history well.

"Phew, dishes are done."

After finishing the dishes, I gathered the bowls in one place.

Having finished the now-familiar cleanup, I turned around to find my brothers gathered by the window.

Brushing my hands off in the air, I walked over to them.

"What, were you watching Ivy? Don't just watch, go talk to her. You talk just fine to our pretty little sister."

My eldest and second eldest brothers, being adults, had built separate houses in the village to live in.

My third brother went straight to his room since his wife lives with him.

So that left my fourth and youngest brothers.

"You're our sister. Talking to a sister is different from talking to a real girl."

"I guess so..."

After watching them for a moment, I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.

Because of the awkward age difference, both were unable to let go of their interest in Ivy.

Having a competent younger sister is a crime too.

"Aish, do whatever you want then. I'm going to exercise with Ivy."

I picked up the shield leaning by the door.

The shield was as tall as me, so I had to slightly tilt my body or sling my arm over my shoulder to carry it.

As I stepped outside with the shield, Ivy waved her hand with a bright smile.

"Mia! That took longer than I thought. Did your brothers take a long time eating?"

I shook my head.

"I used a lot of tools while cooking, so the dishes took a bit longer. Is it different for you since you only have one younger sister?"

"I guess so...? It's just the two of us making four servings."

"I'm jealous of that. Anyway, let's hurry and go train."

"Yeah!"

I followed behind Ivy as she walked with light, bouncy steps.

*

After exchanging several attacks, I plopped down on the ground.

Ivy's attacks had already reached a level similar to Delit Ajusshi's - unpredictable and fast, making blocking and counterattacking difficult in itself.

All I could do now was block and block again.

Even though I started as early as possible, I let out a deep sigh at my pathetic skills.

"Should I switch to a small shield too? Then I might be able to use a dagger."

"A small shield... doesn't seem to suit Mia. Small shields are all about blocking and counterattacking, or deflecting and counterattacking, but Mia lacks strength."

"Even you say that, Ivy..."

Being short and small-framed, I lacked strength since I hadn't awakened my Aura yet.

I was using this large shield by bracing with my lower body and rotating the shield with my whole body.

I was using the shield almost like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a staff.

'Will this really be useful?'

The principle was simpler than I thought.

Keep rotating the shield to block attacks, then strike with the momentum generated from that rotation.

It was such a bizarre fighting style I'd never seen or heard of that I didn't believe it at first, but once I tried it, it suited me so well ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that I've been using it effectively.

"This is probably the only fighting method suitable for Mia who lacks strength. Maybe the person who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠created this style had a similar physique to Mia?"

"Maybe... I think Ajusshi said something like that too."

According to Delit Ajusshi, someone learned the Dwarf fighting style hundreds of years ago and created this, but I'm not sure if it's true.

'But I scraped the bottom of this game's content, and this is a technique I've never seen before.'

I've seen plenty of ordinary shield fighting, but this method is new.

Maybe it was a technique scheduled to be added to Black Nightmare 2.

For now, I'm vaguely thinking that.

"Hoo... Then I have no choice but to try harder."

Ivy smiled and approached me, offering her hand.

I took her hand and stood up, chatting animatedly as we headed home, right as we were passing the village entrance.

"Oh, the scouting party is returning. But... something's strange? Why are they all walking like that?"

Hearing Hunter Ajusshi's muttering, I looked toward the forest.

Between the shadows of the trees, I could see figures illuminated by the moonlight.

But something was a bit off.

"...Are they injured?"

There's a basic way people walk.

They move slightly side to side and bounce up and down. But the people coming now were moving up and down like Jiangshi.

Ivy muttered with a trembling voice.

"Th-they're Magical Beasts."

Swish! Thud!

Simultaneous with Ivy's muttering, something flashed and flew through the dark night.

The thing that flew over in an instant embedded itself in Hunter Ajusshi's chest.

"Huh?"

Thud-thud-thud!

Before the ajusshi could even react, numerous arrows struck him in succession.

As he turned his head like a broken machine, another arrow hit his head, and the ajusshi collapsed with a thud.

Only then did I see it.

What looked like people were actually the heads of people from other villages that the Magical Beasts had brought.

"Magical Beeeeeaasts!"