Chapter 43: Town’s heart

For most of the common people, the entire of their vast world was only divided between two large continents. The Western continent inhabited by two giant forces constantly fighting each other and the Eastern Continent sheltering the large and savage Wilderness along with the Dorell kingdom.

This powerful kingdom also called by many the magic kingdom had to face the constant threat from the deviants lurking at their very doorstep but, without realizing it, this exterior threat became the reason for the rise of a much greater risk for the daily lives and liberties of its inhabitants.

The rise in power of the Nobles.

Using the fear of the deviants, they spread their influence like wildfire. After several decades, even the King became powerless against the four strongest noble houses. He could only watch at the sideline their power struggles against each other while trying to conserve the power and authority he had left.

Only some small towns without much prospect or interest for the nobles could escape those destructive power struggles.

Near the capital on the land of the Waldemar house stood a small city in this situation. Because it lacked precious resources, it became a land free from the usual struggles between the noble factions.

However, it wasn't free from the threat of deviants awakening in the vast forest near it. If not for the forest having some value, this large noble house would never have been interested in the survival of this town and its inhabitants. However, even if it could provide some resources, it wasn't nearly enough to justify the deployment of a large force. Therefore, the guards dispatched by the Waldemar house were barely enough to defeat the deviants and protect the town.

Under this constant threat, many inhabitants chose to leave to find a safer location.

Humans’ fear of deviants was after all too strong and embedded in the bones and souls of every child and elderly.

With the decline of the Waldemar house, the strong guards ensuring the protection of the town simply left the villagers to their fate.

Living this close to a constant threat was too much to bear for most of the inhabitants. After three years, the small town became only a medium size village of only a few hundred souls.

This village was also doomed to disappear sooner or later when a miracle occurred.

A young couple chose to settle in this low key village.

They were former A rank adventurers and had enough strength to back up this title.

Their names were Seledia and Millodas.

In a few years, the village gained back its safety and raised its reputation thanks to the hard work of the husband working as a city guard. He was strong beyond compare but was also extremely gifted at teaching others. He slowly trained various villagers and taught them to fight so that they could defend their lands themselves in the future. Without the threat of the deviants lurking nearby, there was no more reason to avoid this location.

The villagers came back one after another to reform the town to its former splendor.

The saviors of this town became well known among the common folks. Their strong atmosphere and the image of a perfect couple that they radiated were enough to make them famous in this rebirth town.

While Millodas was restoring the prosperity of the former town, Seledia was giving birth to a small boy.

His name was Sillath.

This perfect family could have lived happily together in this town under the warm and respectful gazes of the people they saved but fate decided otherwise.

One of the most shocking events that has taken place in Tegralle since the desertion of the Waldemar guards hit those who saved it.

Sillath was kidnapped.

Millodas led the guards to search the forest, but despite the effort of the entire town, the little boy was nowhere to be found. Most of the villagers continued to search for him for several days without rest but with no result.

Witnessing their heroes suffering such a cruel fate let most of the citizens incredibly angry. However, without anyone to vent this anger or anything they could do to help, this anger slowly faded away replaced by helplessness and sadness.

According to what Aten reported, Sillath wasn't dead but losing a child in such a vast kingdom where slavery was common was also a calamity. It wasn't hard to imagine his fate but there wasn't much hope to find him anymore. 

Unknowingly, years slowly passed one after another.

The small town regained its peacefulness and tranquility. The anger and indignation were buried along with the memories of the young boy and his cruel fate.

Everyone knew that Millodas and Seledia didn't give up on him, but watching their young daughters growing up made them understand that there was nothing they could do to find him.

In a certain way, their love for their daughters was the greatest obstacle to find Sillath or at least to search him with their entire strength.

Four years after his kidnapping, no one dared to say Sillath's name anymore, fearing to open a fresh and too deep wound in the heart of their heroes.

However, they remembered.

They couldn't forget that four years ago, an innocent young boy was taken away from his parents by someone they trusted.

It's in this small town hiding its wounds that Sillath's sisters grew up, oblivious to his very existence.

Every inhabitant watched them grow up together while vowing in their heart that they wouldn't let an unjust fate befall this family.

Never again.