["an!We'recoming!Justholdonalittlelonger!"]
Moiken'sboomingvoiceburstfromtheelemental'sthroat.anfeltlikehiseardrumswereabouttorupture.
"o.Don'tcome."
["hisisn'tthetimeforpride!We'reallexhaustedfromtheaftermathofbattle,butthat'snothingcomparedtowhatyou'vebeenthroughfightingdemonsdirectly.Don'tworry.lfRangersdonotbetraytheircomrades."]
heelementalthumpeditschestwithafist,mimickingitscontractor.
"Don'tcome."
["You'restillworriedaboutyourpride—!"]
Doesthisidiotnotlisten?
anwonderedwhythatelfbotheredcarryingaroundsuchlargeears.
"Yoursideisbeingattackedtoo."
["What?!"]
"hemamoolheadingforthedungeonaren'tallofthem.etreadytodefendyourownvillage."
anreachedouttobrushtheelementalaside.wistingitsbody,theelementaldodgedhishand.
["W-Wait."]
"What?"
["A-Anyinstructions?ike...howwe'resupposedtohandleit?"]
...uh?
Whywasthesameidiotwhohadignoredordersandcausedheadachesduringthelastbattlesuddenlyactingsoobedient?
itherway,thiswasnotthetimetodealwithMoiken.
"Figureitoutyourselves."
["What?!"]
anshooedtheelementalawayasifchasingoffafly.Unpreparedforsuchtreatment,theelementalstaredathimwithbetrayedeyesbeforeshootingoffintothedistance.
heyneedtoexperienceacrisisthemselves.
Peopleonlylearnedhowbittertheworldwasafterleavinghomeandsufferingalittle.henthey'dstartlisteningtoanproperly.eneededtoraisethealliance'strustlevelsabitmore,especiallytheelves'.
"Areyousureaboutsendingthemaway?Willtheybeabletoholdout?"
ood-naturedContaccaasked.
nsteadofanswering,antoreoffapieceofpaperandquicklyscribbledsomethingdown.henhehandedthenotetoJenea.
"ivethistoMoiken.ellhimtoreaditifthingsbecomedangerous."
"Mayaskwhatiswrittenonit?"
Jeneaasked.
"Asolution."
"Asexpectedofthewiseruler,ordan.YouimmediatelysawthroughMoiken'stendencytoactwithoutaplan."
"hat'sjusthowam."
WhatdoesunderstandingMoiken'spersonalityhavetodowithmyreputationasawiseruler?
angenuinelywondered.
Regardless,Jenea'selementaldepartedcarryingthenote.
Withthat,anhadpersonallyblockedthealliancethatcouldhaveprovidedhelpthefastest.
heywouldhavetostopthefirstwaveusingonlytheforcesgatheredhere.
Wecandoit.
Accordingtothereports,onlytwokindsofmamoolwereparticipatinginthefirstwave.Creaturesthattraveledacrossthegroundandcreaturesthatflewthroughthesky.
anhadtoldameitathatwhetheritwasinsomniaornot,peoplesleptjustfineonceexhaustionfinallycaughtupwiththem.venso,throwingtroopssufferingfromfatiguedebuffsintobattlewasinefficient.
heirstrengthwaslacking.
heirnumberofcombat-capablepersonnelwaslowerthanithadbeenatanypointinrecentmemory.
Sohowdidonestopahordeofmamoolwithonlyasmallforce?
itthemwithenvironmentaldebuffs.
ftheflierswerethrownsomewheretheycouldn'tfly,andthegroundbeastsweredrownedsomewheretheycouldn'trun,wouldn'tthatsolvetheproblem?
Fortunately,thedungeoncontainedspacesperfectlysuitedforbothconditions.
"Contacca.You'lllurethefour-leggedbeasts."
"Whereshouldleadthem?"
"helake."
anturnedtoouise.
"Youtakethewingedones.Youknowwheretobringthem,right?"
"Yes.hetrapzone?"
"Youcatchonfast."
anruffledouise'shairandlightlytappedthedesk.
"Whileouisebuysustime,we'llhuntdownthegroundbeastsfirst.heycameallthiswaylookingforagloriousdeath.heleastwecandoisdrowneverylastoneofthem."
Asforthatelfmerchantwhowoulddefinitelybeuseful,whoknewwherethebastardhadhiddenhimselfagain?
ehadrunawayduringthelastbattleaswell.Sincerecruitmenthadfailed,itseemedancouldn'tmakeuseofhimaspartofthedungeon'sdefensiveforces.
Still,thedungeonlord'sdecisiveattitudefilledhisfollowerswithunwaveringconfidence.
herewasnowaythepathchosenbytheirlordcouldbewrong.
hepeoplegatheredaroundthestrategymapgraduallybeganwearingexpressionssimilartoan'sown.
heywouldstopthemamool.
heillageofBetrayershaddescendedintochaos.
"nough,enough!Stoparguingandgetreadytorun!Justpacktheessentials!Doyouthinkwehavetimetowaste?"
"ButillageChief,wherearewesupposedtogoifweabandonthevillage?"
"Whendidweeverbecomepeoplewhosettleddownandlivedinoneplace?We'rewanderers!Wanderersbynature!Wecanputdownrootsnowhere,andwecanputdownrootsanywhere!Whereverwestaybecomesourhomeland!"
"hatwastrueinyourgeneration.obodywouldtakeusin,soyouhadtotellyourselvesthat.Butwefinallysettleddown,didn'twe?hisplaceisourhome.Andnowyou'retellingustoabandonit..."
"henwhat?Sithereanddie?"
"heproblemisthatyouaren'tevenconsideringfighting!"
"Fightahordeofmamool?"
heillageChiefyankedathisgrayingbeard.
heelderswhohadlivedthroughthoseyearsweresupposedtoberetiringfromactiveaffairsbynow.ehadplannedtocultivatepromisingyoungmenandentrustthevillage'sfuturetothem.
nstead,thosefoolswerespoutingnonsenselikethis.
rowlingattheillageChiefhimself?
"Youdon'tknowhowterrifyingtheyare!oneofyouhaveeverexperiencedwar—!"
"noughwiththewarstories.Youneverfoughtinthewaryourself,illageChief."
Someonemutteredunderhisbreath.
heillageChief'seyeswidened.
"Whosaidthat?!Whichoneofyousaidknownothingaboutwar?!"
"didn'tsaythat.saidyouneverfoughtinit."
"Backthen,survivingwaswar!Whatwedidwaswar!"
"t'sthesamenow.Youkeepsayingwedon'tunderstandmamool,butwe'renotchildren.We'velivedalongsidemamoolsincewewerebabies."
"ftheoldergenerationhadn'tstartedawarinthefirstplace,maybewe'dhavegrownupasignorantyoungsterswhodidn'tunderstandhowterrifyingwarwas."
"Y-Youlittle...!"
heillageChiefclutchedthebackofhisneck.Bloodvesselsbulgedinhiseyesfromthestrain.
"Weweren'ttheoneswhoopenedthegate!twashim!hatformerillageChief!hatbastardwhoalwaysactedsosuperiorbetrayedusall—"
"Right.fcourse.You'veneverdoneanythingwrong,illageChief."
"Weallknowthat."
"Knowwhat?Youlittlebrats...!sthismyfault?sitmyfaultthatthedemonstrampledus?hesonofthatformerillageChiefisstillaliveandbreathing,isn'the?!"
"Speakingofthat,doyouthinkit'strue?"
heyoungcaptainoftheguardfurrowedhisthickeyebrows.
heillageChiefimmediatelyunderstoodwhathemeant.
hetyrant'srecentproclamation.
heonedeclaringthattheClanofBetrayershadcommittednocrime.
"onsense!"
heillageChiefdeclared.
"Canyoureallysaythat?e'sstillourlord."
"urlord?Sincewhen?Wearenobody'ssubjects."
heillageChiefsnorted.
"Frederick...no,thatcriminalwasframed?ouiseisn'tthesonofatraitor?Soundslikehetook°•𝑜v𝑒light•°alikingtotheboy.heladhasadecentface,doesn'the?otmuchcharmtohim,butstill.hearthattyrantloseshismindwheneverheseesaprettyone."
"Forgetcharm.ouise'spersonalityissostiffcan'timaginehimdoingsomethinglikethat."
"noughuselesschatter!Packyourthings!"
heillageChiefslammedhiscaneagainsttheground.
"'mserious.Weshouldrequesttroopsfromhim.Whateverhappened,heclearlyvaluesouise.Whetherhe'safavoredattendantorasubordinate,wouldhereallyignorethefactthatouise'shometownisindanger?"
"hisisexactlywhat'swrongwithyoungpeople."
heillageChiefclickedhistongue.
"Doyoureallythinkouisewouldkneelbeforethattyrantandbeg,'Pleasesendsoldierstosaveus'?"
"Consideringtheydidn'tbeatthesonofatraitortodeathandevenraisedhim,that'salreadyablessingfromtheheavens."
"fhehasanyconscience,heshouldcomerepaythatdebt."
heyoungerleadersmutteredamongthemselves.
hecaptainoftheguard,however,lookeduncomfortable.
heimageofahungrychildappearedbeforehiseyes.
Aboywhohadalwayskepthisheaddowninsilencedespitethecursesandbeatings.
Buthehimselfhaddonenothingtosavethatchild.
Justlikeeveryoneelse.
isownfamily,hiswife,hischildren,hadbeenmoreimportant.
Andwheneverpityforouisesurfaced,angersoonfollowedatthethoughtthattheboy'sparentshadhelpedbringthisterribleworldintoexistence.
"nough.urryup!Beforewedon'tevenhavetimetorun!"
Peoplewholivedlonglivesaccumulatedwisdomtomatch.
heillageChiefknewthetruth.
venbeforetheworldhadchanged,theyhadbeenrejected.
obodyhelpedtheClanofBetrayers.
o.
heWandererClan.
ccasionally,aterritorywouldallowthemtostay.
Buttheresidentswouldsmilewarmlywhilepushingthemtowarddeathwithoutatraceofguilt.
nexchangefortemporaryshelterthroughthewinter,theywouldbesenttohuntsavagebeasts.
heillageChiefgroundhisteeth.
Fightthemamool?
oprotectwhat?
Peoplewhowouldn'tevenspareusaplaceintheirgraveyardsafterwedied?
erefused.
heywouldrun.
Whileyrantanheldbackthemamool,theywouldfleefaraway.
Andsurvive.
hatwashowhehadalwayslived.
UnlikeformerillageChiefFrederick,whohadfoolishlydreamedofbeingacceptedsomewhere.
heillageChiefhadsurvivedthroughhisownstrength.
"hat'sright.urry!"
"Wehavetoprotectthechildren.sn'tlifethemostimportantthing?"
venthehesitantyoungmenreluctantlynoddedastheothereldersurgedthemon.
Buttheywerealreadytoolate.
"Aaaahhh!"
"liza!"
earinghisgranddaughter'sscream,theillageChief'svisionwentwhite.
esprintedforward.
Whathesawwasahouse-sizedmamoollungingathisgranddaughter.
"o!"
hwack!hwack!hwack!
nthenextinstant,dozensofarrowsturnedthemamoolintoapincushion.
Boom!
Behindthecollapsingbeaststoodatallyoungman.
heillageChiefknewhim.
Withoutquestion,heknewhim.
Andyetsomehowhefeltunfamiliar.
hatboy...
heillageChiefrubbedhiseyes.
Ashisblurredvisioncleared,theyoungman'sfacecameintofocus.
heboywholeaptdownfromawolf'sbackwasunmistakablyouise.
heoutcasthadreturnedtosavethevillage.
eadingdozensofsoldierswithbowsslungacrosstheirbacks.
