Chapter 217: Trial Of Lord [2]

The next few days passed much like the first, and as time went by, Elias gradually lowered his guard and allowed himself to enjoy the ordinary life he shared with his wife.

They bathed together in the river, where the cool water washed away their fatigue, and spent lazy afternoons lying in the wheat fields, gazing at the sun as it drifted across the sky.

Sometimes, they climbed to the top of a nearby cliff and watched the sunset, remaining there until the last rays of light disappeared beyond the horizon.

On other days, Elias took his bow and arrows into the surrounding woods to hunt rabbits, foxes, and other small animals, while Natasha either accompanied him or stayed behind to help the villagers with their daily chores.

They also spent their time helping the elderly villagers, whether by gathering firewood, repairing damaged fences, or carrying heavy supplies that they could no longer manage themselves.

Natasha, in particular, seemed to know everyone and was always willing to lend a hand, and Elias soon discovered that she could use various herbs to treat minor ailments.

Apparently, she had learned about their medicinal properties from his mother, and watching her carefully prepare remedies for the villagers made him realize how much he still didn’t know about the woman he called his wife.

Then, on the fourth day, their peaceful routine was interrupted when a group of bandits attacked the village.

The villagers panicked as armed men poured through the narrow streets, threatening anyone who refused to surrender their belongings, but Elias quickly took matters into his own hands.

Although he wasn’t a warrior, he had spent years hunting in the wilderness and knew how to handle himself in a fight, so he used his bow when the distance allowed it and relied on his fists whenever the bandits came too close. By the time the confrontation ended, the attackers had been defeated, and the villagers were able to return to their homes without suffering any serious losses.

Afterward, life returned to its usual rhythm, and Elias found himself thinking less and less about the dangers he had once faced.

This place was peaceful and lovely, far more calming than the life full of dangers and responsibilities he had known before.

Here, he didn’t have to worry about the Crimson Ducal Clan, the spatial rift, or the countless problems that seemed to follow him wherever he went. He could wake up beside his wife, spend his days hunting or helping the villagers, and return home each evening knowing that nothing else was expected of him.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he could simply live.

Yet, as he sat outside the cottage one evening, watching Natasha move about inside as she prepared their meal, Elias suddenly furrowed his brows.

’Real world?’

The words had appeared in his mind without warning, and he couldn’t understand why he had begun thinking of this place that way. What did he mean by the real world, and why had the thought made this peaceful life feel strangely distant for a brief moment?

He tried to examine the question, but the more he thought about it, the less sense it made, so he eventually shook his head and pushed the thought aside.

It didn’t matter.

Whatever might have existed beyond this village, he had no desire to concern himself with it. All he wanted was to remain here with his wife, enjoying the simple happiness they had found together.

And so, he returned inside, joined Natasha for dinner, and spent another quiet evening in her company.

More time passed, and the days gradually became weeks before the weeks turned into months. Elias grew accustomed to the village and its people, and his peaceful life with Natasha began to feel so natural that he could hardly imagine living any other way.

Then, one day, while walking along the river, he discovered a woman lying unconscious near the water’s edge.

She wore a suit of knight’s armor, although several parts had been damaged, and her striking crimson hair lay scattered across the damp ground. There were injuries on her body, and her breathing was faint, suggesting that she had endured something terrible before reaching the river.

For some reason, the sight of her stirred a strange sense of familiarity within Elias, but no matter how carefully he examined her face, he couldn’t remember ever meeting someone who looked like her.

’Have I seen her somewhere before?’

He frowned briefly, but the woman was in no condition to answer his questions, so he crouched beside her and checked whether she was still breathing. Once he confirmed that she was alive, he carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the cottage.

Natasha was surprised when he returned with an injured knight, but she immediately set aside what she had been doing and helped him lay the woman on the bed.

After examining her wounds, she prepared the necessary herbs and treated the injuries as best she could, while Elias stayed nearby in case the stranger’s condition worsened.

However, the knight did not regain consciousness that day, and she remained asleep throughout the following morning.

It was only two days later that her eyes finally opened.

The first thing she saw was Elias and Natasha making love.

The knight froze as she realized what she was witnessing, and after a brief moment of bewilderment, she quietly turned her gaze away and decided not to interrupt them. Instead, she remained perfectly still and waited until they had finished, choosing to keep her presence a secret until a more appropriate moment presented itself.

When evening fell, Elias finally had an opportunity to speak with the knight, who had already recovered enough strength to sit upright.

After introducing herself as Stella, a knight captain serving the Empire, she explained how her unit had been ambushed by a group of Rotted while traveling through the region. The attack had been sudden and devastating, and most of her fellow knights had been killed before they could organize a proper defense. With her enemies closing in and no other means of escape, she had thrown herself into the river, hoping the current would carry her away from the creatures.

Fortunately, she had survived, although the injuries she had sustained had left her unconscious until Elias discovered her.

As he listened to her account, Elias’s expression gradually darkened at the mention of the Rotted.

Those vile, sickly creatures were no different from nightmares, and even remembering them was enough to stir an unpleasant feeling deep within him. He knew how dangerous they were, and the thought of those things wandering anywhere near the village made him instinctively wary.

"We need to prepare the villagers before they arrive," Stella urged, her expression turning serious as she looked at him. "If the Rotted are moving through this region, then this village could be in danger. We should organize the people, gather supplies, and establish a way to defend ourselves before it is too late."

Elias shook his head without hesitation.

"No. Once you are healed, you should leave the village," he replied, his tone firm enough to make it clear that he had no intention of reconsidering.

Stella stared at him in disbelief. "You cannot be serious. Those creatures will kill everyone here if we do nothing!"

"And what exactly do you expect me to do about it?" Elias asked, furrowing his brows. "I am a hunter living in a village at the edge of nowhere, not a knight capable of fighting those horrors. If even your knight order was overwhelmed by the Rotted, then how am I supposed to stand against them?"

"You have the will to fight them," Stella insisted, meeting his gaze without backing down. "I can see it in you. You may not be a knight, but that does not mean you have to surrender before the battle even begins."

However, Elias refused to entertain her suggestion.

Instead of risking their lives against creatures that even trained knights struggled to defeat, he could simply take Natasha and leave for another village, or perhaps settle in a city where they would have a better chance of living peacefully.

Why should he put their lives in danger when he had another choice?

The following day, he approached Natasha while she was preparing herbs inside their cottage.

"We should leave this village," he told her, getting straight to the point. "We can find somewhere else to live, somewhere better. There is no reason for us to stay here and risk our lives."

Natasha paused what she was doing and glanced at him, but her expression remained calm.

"I am not leaving," she replied.

Elias frowned. "Natasha, you heard what Stella said. Those creatures are dangerous, and we do not know when they will arrive. If we leave now, we can avoid the danger entirely."

"I was born in this village," Natasha answered, returning her attention to the herbs spread across the table. "My parents lived here, and so did the people who raised me with them. This is my home, Elias, and I intend to die here."

He stared at her, struggling to understand why she would willingly remain in a place that might soon become a graveyard, especially when leaving could save her life.

"But what about me?" he asked quietly. "What about the life we could have somewhere else?"

Natasha stopped working once more, and after a brief silence, she turned toward him.

"I want to live that life with you, too," she admitted, her voice softening as she reached for his hand. "But I would not abandon everyone here just because we are afraid of what might happen. These people are my family, and I cannot simply turn my back on them."

Elias lowered his gaze toward their joined hands, feeling the warmth of her fingers against his palm as he considered her words.

He still disagreed with her decision, but he knew Natasha well enough to understand that she wouldn’t change her mind merely because he asked her to. Once she had decided something was right, she would stand by that conviction even if doing so brought her suffering.

In the end, he could only exhale and accept that they would remain in the village, although he couldn’t shake the unease that had settled in his chest.

Five days later, the Rotted attacked the village.