"Miss Gwen is amazing. With just a quick touch, she fixed Martha right up. The bleeding stopped, too. And... and she's also very beautiful..." Welf blushed as he spoke.
"That's right, Gwen helped us a lot. Our dumb father got us lost, Mother was having terrible stomach pains, and I got hurt. It's a good thing Gwen showed up. I don't hurt at all now. She's a good person. She even taught us how to find our way in the Forest..."
Martha and Welf were trying to ease the tension.
They had clearly noticed Eric's hostile attitude toward Gwen.
"She really was a great help, Priest Eric," Tom added.
He suddenly remembered the witch trials from his hometown.
A woman who wasn't a Nun, wasn't married, and knew how to heal people... Back in his hometown, the priests would have easily condemned her as a witch.
'Priest Eric is a reasonable person. Surely he wouldn't...'
Eric slowly approached Agnes, crouched down, and placed his fingers on her forehead.
He then reached into his robes—a feigned motion, of course—and retrieved the Calendula Potion from his personal storage space.
He pulled off the stopper and was about to pour the contents into Agnes's mouth. As the golden liquid began to flow, Gwen's eyes narrowed. She lunged forward, grabbing the neck of the bottle and stopping Eric's hand.
"Alchemy?"
"You know about this?"
"Tricks used by deranged Cultivators to fool the ignorant. I already told you, she's just weak from childbirth. She's not your test subject."
"Is that so? Who do you think is more credible? A so-called 'doctor' who appears out of nowhere in the Forest, or a respected Monk? Or perhaps I should just call you a witch."
Eric snorted, snatched the potion back, and prepared to give it to Agnes.
The next moment, however, a sharp blade slashed toward Eric.
"So what if you're a Cultivator? How many people have died because of your foolish remedies? And then you just frame others as witches!"
A dagger was pressed against Eric's neck.
The next instant, however, a powerful force struck her wrist. Eric seized her by the throat and slammed her against a nearby tree trunk.
"Do you have a death wish?"
"No! Eric, she's not a bad person, she's a good person! You're wrong! *He's* the bad guy!"
Martha pointed at the big man standing to the side.
The big man grunted and waved his hands, then pointed at Gwen.
"No, Gwen isn't the bad guy, you are!"
To demonstrate for Eric, Martha started flailing her arms and legs. One of her kicks accidentally landed right between the big man's thighs.
Struck in his vitals, the big man collapsed, whimpering in pain. "Waaaaah..."
"That's not for her to decide."
Pinning Gwen to the ground with one hand, Eric ripped the hood off the big man, revealing a balding pate.
Clearly, this big man they had mistaken for a thief was actually a Cultivator.
"Was he born mute? I suppose that's the result of your Alchemy, too."
Startled, Tom, who was standing nearby, pried open the big man's mouth. Inside, he saw that the man's tongue had clearly been cut out.
This was a common practice the Welsh used on their slaves.
"I think our friend here is trying to tell me something. It seems you're not alone."
"Let me guess what you are. A Welsh Slave Hunter? Or a Pursuer."
The Viking invasions of Britain had a dramatic impact on its development. After Canute conquered all of England, slavery didn't just become entrenched there; it flourished in Wales as well.
Since the land in Wales was much poorer, the Welsh would raid nearby English towns when their crops failed. This, combined with England's own ruthless invasions and conquests of Wales, led the Welsh to enthusiastically enslave the English. They would then use the Vikings in Ireland as middlemen to sell the slaves to Scandinavia and the East.
Even in peacetime, some of the Welsh would engage in shady business in England, preying on lone English travelers, especially around Hereford. Fueled by their hatred for England, they were willing to do anything.
"I'm not!"
"The rest of you, get out here! I see you! You think you're well hidden? Enslaving people, harming a servant of the Lord of Heaven... You despicable wretches. May the fires of Hell burn your souls to ash!" Eric shouted toward the surrounding thicket.
There were at least three people in the bushes.
Eric didn't care whether their intentions were good or bad; he had no intention of entrusting his life to anyone else.
"I didn't do this! I was just..."
Gwen bit her lip.
Just then, several arrows sliced through the air, flying toward them.
Eric snatched one arrow out of the air and immediately tackled Martha to the ground. Another arrow grazed his cheek before embedding itself in a nearby oak tree, barely missing Agnes. The close call made Tom jump.
"Everyone, get down!"
A rustling sound came from the distant bushes. Eric hurled the arrow he had caught, and a pained scream echoed from the thicket.
It was followed by the sound of voices.
But it didn't sound like English. It was probably Welsh, which Eric couldn't understand.
At that moment, Gwen broke free from Eric's grasp. She retreated a few steps and glanced at Agnes, but ultimately decided not to flee.
"Don't let her drink that potion. She'll be harmed..." She looked at Tom.
But before she could finish, another sharp arrow shot toward them. Eric quickly pushed Agnes down to shield her.
"Damn it! Damn you, Welsh! You all deserve to go to Hell!" Welf, though frightened himself, shouted to show his bravery.
"Bibala~" [Gibberish]
Frowning, Gwen yelled something in Welsh at a patch of bushes.
The rustling from the thicket stopped.
"I mean no harm. I really just wanted to save her. I'm a doctor. At least... I want to be one."
She seemed to lose her confidence as she said the word "doctor," giving a slight shrug.
But the tense atmosphere didn't ease in the slightest. Martha was staring at her with fear in her eyes.
It pained her to see it. Just moments ago, everything had been fine between them.
"Um... If... If I've caused trouble for you all, I apologize..."
Gwen pursed her lips and gave them a slight bow.
She started walking toward the Forest. After a few steps, she turned back to look at them one last time.
"They're coming down. You should leave this Forest, quickly. It would be best... if you didn't stay here at all."
She turned and walked into the Forest, her figure vanishing among the trees.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
[Summon Mount. Cost: 100 Exchange Points.]
[Use this function?]
"Yes."
The bushes rustled, and a donkey and a white horse emerged.
"Tom, take the horse and donkey. Get your wife, son, and daughter out of here. It's too dangerous. Head back to Xialing and warn the garrison to be on guard for a Welsh attack."
"But, Priest Eric, what about you...?"
A white horse and a donkey were definitely not enough for so many people.
"Don't worry about me. Just go. I still have things to do."
Eric lifted Martha onto the horse.
"Eric, is Gwen a bad person?" Martha tugged on Eric's sleeve.
"I don't know. Sometimes people don't have a choice in what they do. Don't think about it anymore. The Lord will protect you."
Eric patted Martha's head.
Seeing Eric's firm expression, Tom said no more. He picked up his wife and mounted the white horse with her, while Welf rode the small donkey.
"God be with you."
Watching them ride off into the distance, Eric turned to look at the big man.
"You've had it rough, brother. You must have somewhere to go. Go on, get to safety."
"Mmmph! Mmmph!" [What I was trying to tell you is that the Welsh might be coming to this Forest! I'm not that girl's slave. I escaped from somewhere else.]
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"