The day after the battle ended, Elvin Village welcomed a modest yet lively celebration banquet.
Leo, the "Chosen One," was naturally invited to the seat of honor, where he and his teammates were surrounded by tribal elders; oak tankards clinked together as hearty laughter rang out from time to time.
Ansu declined the invitation to join them, instead sitting quietly with Freya at a wooden table in the corner.
Callen approached with a tray filled with food and ale, his face carrying a mix of apology and exhaustion. "The place is small and crowded, so I couldn't host you properly, Ansu."
He looked at his daughter and smiled at Ansu. "But we're family now, so no need for those empty formalities. If you need anything, just ask!"
Freya's cheeks flushed slightly as she gazed at Ansu. Although her father had consistently misunderstood their relationship, she felt that this kind of misunderstanding...
Was actually quite nice.
Ansu quickly insisted it was no problem, then let his gaze sweep through the crowd before asking, "Uncle Callen, where is your wife? I haven't seen her."
Callen sighed. "She... along with several other brothers and sisters, is in that small cabin over there, handling her father's funeral. After all, we must let the old chief return to the earth with dignity."
Ansu understood immediately; they were dealing with the head of the Staya tribal chief that the Wolfgar had thrown at them.
Although Freya had never met her maternal grandfather, her mood inevitably dipped. "Does Mother need my help over there?"
"Don't go," Callen shook his head, his voice low. "She and her father... their relationship had been very strained over the years. Back then, her insistence on marrying me caused great opposition within the Staya Tribe, and she distanced herself from the family because of it..."
He paused, noticing the atmosphere growing heavy, and forced a smile. "Forget it, let's not talk about that. It's all matters of the previous generation."
Callen then patted Ansu's shoulder, his eyes filled with unabashed approval.
"As long as you're sincere and treat my daughter well, as her father, I'll never oppose you like those old-fashioned fossils!"
He truly thought highly of Ansu. Having witnessed the battle the previous night, he saw that this young man was powerful yet unassuming, and extremely reliable in critical moments.
Furthermore, when his daughter spoke of him, that look of pride and reliance made it obvious she was already completely smitten... Was he, as her father, really supposed to forcibly tear them apart?
"Re-really?" Freya suddenly covered her mouth, stealing a quick glance at Ansu, barely able to suppress the joy in her heart.
Neither her father nor her mother opposed her being with Lord Ansu. It seemed that in their parents' eyes, they truly were a perfect match.
"Come, come, Ansu! Drink with me!" Callen laughed as he pushed an oak tankard toward Ansu.
He raised a cup himself, tilting his head back to take a large, hearty gulp, his gaze then becoming eager and curious.
"Tell me more about you two! How exactly did you meet in Benalu City? After all, with my daughter's personality, she isn't someone just anyone can get close to."
Ansu took the golden-hued ale and took a sip; the rich texture carried the unique bitterness and sweet aftertaste of grain.
He thought for a moment. "That... is a bit of a long story."
Actually, at the very beginning, he had only thought about threatening the little Holy Maiden, only for her to track him down and corner him at the academy...
The first time they met, she had come right up to him and started sniffing him, and then she had completely exposed his identity—'Are you my Lord Chosen One?'
"Our meeting, to be precise, was because of a letter," Ansu said.
"A letter?" Callen's interest piqued even further, the fire of gossip burning brightly in his eyes. "Could it be love at first sight? Writing a love letter the very first time you met? My, you young people certainly have your ways..."
"That..." Ansu's gaze silently shifted toward Freya.
Freya let out a giggle, bailing him out. "Father, can't you leave us two with some secrets? And..."
"I've finally come home after all this time, and you haven't even asked me how my life has been at the Cathedral of Radiant Radiance all these years..."
Callen put down his wine cup, his gaze softening as he looked at his daughter. "Right, right, then tell me about it..."
...
Amidst the clamor of voices, the celebration banquet gradually came to an end, and the villagers began to disperse.
Leo enthusiastically beckoned Ansu over. At this moment, those remaining in the courtyard were essentially the core of the Staya Tribe: several respected elders, Isera, and her siblings.
Of course, there was also the Hero Party that had turned the tide, and Archbishop Paul, who held a special status.
Leo's expression turned serious as he told everyone that there was no such thing as the demihuman allied forces he had mentioned.
This was something everyone actually knew in their hearts. The various demihuman tribes of the North were like scattered sand, filled with old grudges and new feuds, making it difficult to unite.
"But regardless, we must stand together! We must find a way to persuade them."
Leo's gaze swept over everyone present. "It is now a matter of interconnected fates! The Wolfgar could brazenly attack the Staya yesterday and decapitate the tribal chief; tomorrow, they can crush other tribes in the same way. They won't be satisfied with only conquering one of us!"
He paused briefly. "Furthermore, according to information our squad obtained, the Wolfgar have already allied with the demons. Their frantic capturing of people is not simply to replenish their ranks or for slaves."
Leo lowered his voice, a hint of chill seeping into his words.
"It is said... that their new high priest possesses terrifying forbidden magic. Those who are abducted will be... transformed alive into immortal undead monsters. That is the army the demons truly want—a massive undead army!"
'High priest...' Ansu heard this title once again and thought privately that this was at least a high-tier mage specializing in necromancy.
At the mention of undead creatures, Archbishop Paul's expression also changed. "This is exactly why I came here."
"Three days ago, I received an emergency distress call from a local colleague claiming there were signs of abnormal black magic activity in the Talin region. By the time I arrived, I saw large numbers of undead creatures running rampant, but the source was unknown..."
Leo nodded. "The appearance of the undead creatures coincides perfectly with the large-scale invasion of the Wolfgar. There must be the same mastermind behind this."
"Therefore, we must unite all the forces we can!"
He looked at everyone, his fist lightly thumping the table. "At the same time, we cannot place our hopes entirely on others. We must work hard to persuade the surrounding tribes while seizing time to build our own strength."
"And our Hero Party will take on the most dangerous missions."
His gaze became sharp. "At the critical moment, we will infiltrate the enemy camp and execute a decapitation strike to assassinate their leader, or... that high priest."
After Leo finished speaking, the tribal elders looked worried and discussed in low voices, while Isera's siblings were filled with righteous indignation, all wanting to avenge their father.
Despite the lingering disagreements and hesitation.
In the end, everyone had to admit that facing such a powerful enemy, the plan Leo proposed was almost the only feasible option.
Unknowingly, the last hope for the Staya Tribe's survival had been placed on this Hero Party.
After the meeting ended, Leo specifically said to Ansu, "Morris, for now, we need to clear out the undead creatures active in the surrounding areas first. It will both protect the villagers and allow us to build combat experience and synergy. I hope you can integrate into the team as soon as possible."
"Alright, I understand," Ansu nodded, readily agreeing.
Rate on N.U.
