Meanwhile, in a quiet village…
Bob! Bob!
The sound of chopping echoed from the kitchen of a small wooden two-story house.
Through the glowing window, two silhouettes could be seen sitting across from each other.
Mei Yan smiled nervously, her cheeks flushed red as she fidgeted with her toes under the table.
"Hehe~ sorry… I can't treat you properly. We don't have much, so I hope you don't mind."
Across from her, Elarae sat in plain clothes she had picked up from a roadside shop run by an old granny. With only her hands, feet, and face showing, she blended in perfectly, looking like any ordinary village girl.
"You don't need to apologize," Elarae said softly, glancing around. "Honestly… I kind of like it here."
The little room glowed warmly in the candlelight. The chairs were uneven, the table a little scratched, but the space carried a homely warmth. On one side, stacks of clothes with different patterns showed the fruit of her parents' hard work.
So this is what they call… family? Elarae thought, listening to the steady rhythm of chopping from the other room.
Soon, the sounds stopped. A gentle woman entered, carrying handmade wooden plates. She set them down carefully, then returned with a bowl of steaming food.
"Dinner's ready."
Mei Yan quickly helped, filling the plates and even setting food in front of Elarae. She wasn't sure if Elarae even ate human food—but that wasn't important. What mattered was showing kindness.
"Here, Ela. Eat."
Her mother finally sat down with them, studying their guest. After a moment, she asked with curiosity,
"So, little girl, where did you meet my daughter?"
Earlier, when Mei Yan had suddenly brought someone home, her mother had almost scolded her. But when she saw it was another girl, she relaxed.
Elarae smiled warmly. "We met in town by chance. We talked a little, and… well, we became friends."
"I see, I see," her mother nodded, clearly pleased. "What a fateful meeting. Mei Yan doesn't bring friends home often. You must be special."
Mei Yan just smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say.
The three of them chatted lightly until the front door creaked open. Heavy footsteps followed.
A deep, rough voice rang out,
"I'm back—! Smells good today!"
Mei Yan froze. "Ah! Father's back!"
A broad-shouldered man with soot-stained clothes stepped inside, stretching his arms. But then he stopped mid-stride. His eyes landed on Elarae, sitting at the table beside his daughter.
"…Who's this?"
The room went silent for a moment. Mei Yan's mother gave her husband a small reassuring smile, but Mei Yan's hands clutched her skirt tightly.
Elarae, calm as ever, gave a polite bow.
"My name's Ela. I'm Mei Yan's friend."
The father raised a brow, clearly surprised. His daughter—his little Mei Yan—actually had a friend sitting at their dinner table?
He blinked, then let out a booming laugh that filled the room.
"Hah! So my daughter made a friend, huh? Welcome, girl! Eat, eat! Don't be shy."
"Father, don't force Ela to eat," Mei Yan said, glancing at Elarae's reaction to the food. If Elarae didn't like it, she would never push her—she'd find an excuse instead.
Her father just laughed, then wandered over to his little workspace in the corner. The sound of moving wood echoed through the house.
Elarae tilted her head, not sure what he was doing.
"Father's arranging the treasures he made by hand," Mei Yan explained with a warm smile.
After a while, her father returned and joined the dinner.
"Oh, here, Ela—eat more. Do you want this red meat?"
"Thank you!"
Clang!
The sound of chopsticks against a plate filled the room before her father suddenly frowned, as if remembering something.
"Oh yeah… won't your parents be looking for you?" he asked seriously. "A girl like you shouldn't be out this late. There are many bad men around—even in this village."
Mei Yan's mother also stopped eating and looked at Elarae.
"Huh?"
Mei Yan blinked, her brain racing for an excuse. She had forgotten about this part.
Elarae met her eyes. Then she opened her mouth to speak—
Suddenly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Heavy knocks rattled the old wooden door.
Mei Yan's father frowned, his thick brows drawing together.
"Who comes knocking at this hour…?"
The family exchanged uneasy glances. Mei Yan's mother shook her head, her face pale in the candlelight.
With a grunt, her husband stood, reaching for the small axe hanging by the wall.
"Stay here. I'll check. Keep eating."
But nobody touched their food. All eyes were fixed on the door.
He pulled it open slowly, the hinges groaning.
Creak—
The night wind slipped in, carrying the smell of smoke and sweat.
"Yo!"
A grinning thug stood on the doorstep, messy hair hanging over his scarred face. Two men lingered behind him, their shadows stretching long in the moonlight.
The father's expression hardened.
"…What do you want?"
The thug's grin widened as he leaned against the doorframe.
"What do you think? Same as always. Protection fee."
"Old man, hurry up and give us the money for keeping this house safe! Do you know how cold it is outside? We almost froze to death! Just think of it as repayment for our hard work!"
Their breath stank of alcohol. Bits of food clung to the corners of their mouths, and on the necks of the two behind him were red marks, like lip mark. They must have come straight from a brothel.
"You shameless thieves…"
The father gritted his teeth but stayed silent, his grip on the axe tightening until the handle creaked.
The thug's eyes wandered past him, peeking into the warm glow of the house. He froze when he spotted the two girls at the table.
"Well, well… what do we have here?"
His grin turned slimy as he nudged the man beside him.
"Not bad, huh? Two pretty girls under the same roof. Hahaha. Though—" he smirked, remembering a certain lady he'd seen in the city, "—they're nothing compared to that businessman's daughter. Still, for a village like this… not bad at all."
Mei Yan frowned, but she wasn't afraid. Why? Because she had already awakened her magic. And besides—they were still in the village.
Her father stepped forward, blocking the thug's view. His voice was low and dangerous.
"Enough. You came for money. Take it and leave."
He pulled out his pouch, counted a few coins, and handed them over.
The thug snatched the money with greasy fingers, making the father's brow twitch in disgust—but he stayed quiet, not wanting to escalate things.
"…Not enough."
The thug smirked, pocketing the coins, then raised his head to stare at the middle-aged man in front of him.
Though this villager looked strong, the thug wasn't afraid. He had a dagger at his waist, two men behind him, and a boss with awakened magic. That was enough to make him arrogant.
"What?! Not enough?! Is my two hours of hard work not worth it?!"
The father's face darkened. He raised the axe slightly, his eyes sharp. Did they really think he was so easy to bully?
"Hey! Be careful with that axe!"
"What are you trying to do, old man?!"
The thug at the door stepped back, realizing the danger. His two brothers drew their weapons—one with a dagger, the other with a hammer.
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
An arrow flew through the doorway and struck the leader in the head.
Puff!
Blood sprayed. The man collapsed without a sound.
"AHHH!"
"You!! You're done for! That's the boss's younger brother!" the other two screamed. But instead of fighting, they turned and ran into the night.
"Just you wait!" their voices echoed as they vanished.
Doors opened, windows slid. Villagers peeked out, whispering.
"Isn't that the Little Wolf Gang?"
"They came from Lao's house!"
"Those damn thieves again… grab your weapons!"
A group of men rushed out, chasing the fleeing thugs.
Silence slowly returned.
"…Father, are you not angry?" Mei Yan whispered, lowering her head. The bow in her hands trembled. She had acted on impulse, loosing the arrow without thinking.
Her father was quiet for a long moment. Then he smiled, placing a large hand on her head.
"You've grown, Mei Yan. I'm proud of you."
She looked up in surprise.
"Don't worry," he added. "I've already spoken with some hunters in the village. We'll invite a magician soon."