The two Gerudo women remained frozen in place, eyes wide, breathing hard.
—… —one of them tried to speak, but no words came out.
Eric lowered the bow slowly.
The light faded from the surroundings, and the night returned.
Then, without any ceremony at all, Eric looked over the battlefield… and smiled again.
—Good —he said—.
—Now we can actually… farm.
The Gerudo looked at each other.
Then they laughed.
But this time, it wasn't mockery.
It was pure disbelief.
—Definitely —one of them said—.
—An interesting shiok.
—He really is!! —the other replied—
Under Hyrule's moon, as the dark energy slowly dissipated, Eric finished storing the last piece into the system's inventory.
The blue screen confirmed the action with a subtle pulse.
[Storage Full]
That was when his legs finally gave out.
He dropped to his knees first… then fell backward, staring up at the night sky.
—Ah… —he exhaled—. This… was too much…
His breathing felt heavy, and his body, even strengthened, demanded payment for the battle.
The burst of light had been clean. Decisive.
And brutally taxing.
The two Gerudo warriors approached without haste.
—Hey, kid —one of them said, crouching beside him and pressing his cheek—
—You still alive?
Eric raised a thumb without opening his eyes.
—Technically… yes.
They laughed.
The other crossed her arms, looking him up and down.
—I don't get it —she said—.
—That body shouldn't be able to endure a fight like that.
Eric opened one eye.
—I never said it was a good idea.
The Gerudo leaned in a little closer.
—Then tell me —she pressed—.
—Where do you get that much strength with such a skinny little body?
Eric let out a dry chuckle.
—From not wanting to die —he replied—. And from hating to lose.
There was a brief silence.
Then the first Gerudo clicked her tongue.
—You… —Eric said suddenly— said something interesting earlier.
Both women raised an eyebrow.
Eric pushed himself up slightly, resting on one elbow.
—You mentioned you owed me one.
They looked at each other, half-smiling.
—True —one admitted—
—We underestimated you. And that… isn't a small thing for us.
Eric took a deep breath and decided to fire his shot.
—I need to forge a weapon. And Gerudo is well known for having exceptional smiths.
The air shifted.
—What kind of weapon? —the second woman asked, more serious now—
—One I can't buy in any shop —Eric replied—. One as incredible as the Hylian Hero's sword!
His face lit up with excitement at the mention of the Hylian hero.
The Gerudo exchanged a long look.
Finally, one of them sighed.
—Well… —she said— that's one hell of a favor to cash in.
She straightened and spoke firmly.
—Listen carefully, brat.
Eric looked up.
—We're not just wandering warriors. We are the trusted hands of the greatest smith in Gerudo Citadel.
The air seemed to thicken.
—Seriously…? —Eric hadn't expected his luck to be this good—
The women nodded.
—So then… —Eric murmured, anticipation rising—
But they stopped him.
—We don't allow shiok inside Gerudo Citadel. But if our new matriarch likes you, you'll be just one step away from your goal.
The Gerudo smiled.
This time, it was a smile of equals.
—I'm confident —Eric replied—. As long as you can make that weapon for me, I'll help with anything you need.
—We actually need a lot of help —one of them said, recalling the citadel's precarious state—. But first, you'll have to stay alive!
Eric leaned back again, staring at the stars.
—That… —he said with a tired smile—.
—That's already a habit.
The night closed over Hateno, calm for the first time in hours.
Eric returned to the village escorted by the few people who had gone out to defend it.
They had witnessed how one-sided the battle had been. In fact, they hadn't even had the chance to draw their swords.
Eric led the group with an excited grin as they were welcomed by everyone.
—They're back!
—They won again!
Torches lit one after another.
Hateno, like many other villages, understood the language of survival. That night, it spoke it through laughter, improvised tables, and shared food.
Eric insisted that the Gerudo warriors stay the night.
—I don't accept help and then send people away —Eric said—
They laughed… and agreed.
The celebration was clumsy, and the wine plentiful.
Stories grew by at least thirty percent with every mug poured.
Eric reached for a jug.
—Don't even think about it —Lyra said beside him, not raising her voice—
Eric turned slowly.
—Mom…
—You're underage.
—But I just—
—Under.
—Age.
She placed a glass in front of him.
Juice…
Fruit juice.
—… —Eric stared at the glass—.
—This is humiliating.
The Gerudo nearly collapsed laughing.
Eric sighed and took a sip.
—It's good —he admitted—.
—But it's still humiliating.