Inside the village, Acht was quite taken aback by how beautiful and tidy it was. The small, wooden houses and the beautiful greenery that filled every nook and cranny of this place created such a relaxing atmosphere that made Acht feel at peace.
His ears also caught the sound of birds chirping happily as they flew across the wide blue sky passing under the warm sun that sent its strands of golden rays of light.
It was indeed a small paradise on earth for those who sought a calm life.
His eyes then fell on the people that were doing their work around him. They all had such blissful expressions as they conversed with each other.
They all seemed to live in such a harmony that is hard to find anywhere else in the world. Each one of them knew each other and so this small community was very happy.
'This is indeed a very good place. I might actually enjoy my stay here more than I thought.'
"Oh! Sali, who is that small boy with you?" A man suddenly approached them from a small field he was working in.
He had brown skin and a cheerful and warm look. He didn't even show any hostility toward Acht who was a stranger which was something new to Acht who grew accustomed to such an attitude from every person he met.
"He is the new person that will live in the village from now on." The drunkard responded.
His answer made the man smile even more as he approached Acht and tapped his shoulder.
"Welcome here, young man! We are always happy to welcome anyone who wants to stay here. What's your name?"
"Cero. You can call me Cero."
The man smiled even more.
"My name is Rix. I am the village chief, pleased to meet you. May I ask where your parents are?" He asked as he looked around.
Acht coughed slightly before responding.
"They are dead."
"Oh….I-I apologies for asking about this."
The young boy shook his head and smiled slightly.
"You don't have to worry about it. Anyway, may I know where my house would be?" He asked to change the topic and get rid of the awkward atmosphere that took over their conversation.
"Yes! Sure, Sali will show you the way. It's not that far away." The man said before excusing himself to go back to the field.
Acht could see the curious looks that the village people gave him from afar. They didn't want to just go and talk to him since he was a stranger.
Acht was also grateful for that since he didn't want a swarm of people coming to talk to him.
'I guess my average-looking face is also one of the reasons.' He thought as he touched his face instinctively.
He had bought a new device to change his features. Even though he ended the war and saved the whole world, he is still a criminal so hiding his identity was something essential for the calm life he was searching for.
So, the two then moved through the main road of the village, passing beside many houses and also many people who gave Acht the same curious looks. They kept whispering to each other while eyeing him.
The problem here is that Acht could hear their whispers loud and clear.
'This is even more uncomfortable than I thought.' He pondered quietly.
They didn't say any harmful things about him so it wasn't that bad.
Finally, they reached a small house slightly far away from the village entrance.
The house, like every other house in this village, was made out of sturdy wood and glass.
It was very simple yet also tidy at the same time.
"This is your new house. What do you think?" Sali asked.
"It's…Not bad." Acht muttered as he eyed it up and down.
"We received the info that you were coming a few more days so it's still not fully clean. I hope that isn't any inconvenience for you." He said.
"No, it's fine. I could clean it myself."
Then, he walked to the door and entered it. He didn't even need keys for it for some reason.
The inside wasn't that big as there was only a kitchen, a living room, a toilet, and a bedroom. There was also a balcony at the back of the house that had a view of the mountains behind the house.
But, the thing he focused on was what seemed to be a young woman who was wiping the table in the kitchen. From her appearance alone she looked to be 13-years old at most. She had cute facial features like that of a small cat and two beautiful green eyes. She was indeed a cute girl.
"Hm? Who are you?" He asked confusedly.
Sali didn't mention anyone being inside the house so it made him slightly wary.
"Mia! What are you doing here?" Sali barged in and shouted angrily.
The girl looked at the man and merely smiled while ignoring his glare. She then walked closer to him.
"Why are you this angry, pops. The chief asked me to clean the house so I did just that." She replied with a chirpy tone.
Her bubbly character made her seem all the more kind and likable.
"B-But….Sigh, why did you not tell me?"
"It's cause pops is always either drunk or asleep. You sleep more than both me and mom combined."
"Hey! Don't give the wrong idea. I am a hard-working man that keeps this village safe."
"From what?" She asked as she tilted her head cutely.
"From…from…From the dangers."
He said after he thought for a moment.
'You don't even know which kind of job you do.' Acht and Mia thought at the same time.
"Mm...Excuse me. Is this perhaps your daughter?" Acht barged into the conversation when he found the perfect time.
Sali looked back and nodded.
"This is indeed my daughter. Her name is Mia. Come on, say hi." Sali said as he pushed her slightly.
"Hi hi~~~ My name is Mia. What is yours?"
"Cero. Nice to meet you, Mia." Acht responded.
He then looked around and added.
"Also, thank you for cleaning the house."
"I enjoy cleaning so you don't need to thank me. I am a hard-working girl, unlike a certain person." She responded as she peeked at her father.
Sali was oblivious to this as he kept shaking his alcohol flask to see if there was any alcohol left.
However, it seemed to have been empty as his face paled before he walked to the door.
"I will excuse myself now. My alc- My job is waiting for me. If you need anything you know where to find me. Also, again, welcome to our humble Village, Cero. I hope you enjoy your stay."
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