Chapter 233: Future Cheif!
I watched as Tessa sprinted down the sun-drenched path, her joyful shout echoing through the quiet settlement.
The noise caught the attention of the locals immediately.
A group of young girls, clearly her childhood friends dropped their woven baskets near the well and practically tackled her into a massive, giggling group hug.
Older folks tending to their porches or hanging laundry looked up, their weathered faces breaking into warm, familiar smiles.
"Oh, Miss Tessa, you’re back!"
Then, their eyes shifted past the girls and landed on me.
The casual, friendly atmosphere instantly shifted into one of deep, earnest respect.
It hadn’t been that long since I first stumbled into Oakmere and helped them fend off that beast wave, but in a small border town, shedding blood to protect their homes earned you a permanent place in their ranks.
"Welcome back, young master," an elder nodded respectfully, tipping his straw hat as I approached.
An older woman sweeping her front steps paused, leaning heavily on her broom.
She looked between Tessa and me, a deeply teasing chuckle rumbling in her chest.
"Or should we say... the future Chief of the village?"
A chorus of good-natured chuckles and approving murmurs rippled through the nearby elders.
I let out a long, long-suffering sigh, shaking my head as I rubbed my temples to ward off the incoming headache.
I just kept moving, ignoring the heat creeping up my neck.
Mira blinked, stopping in the middle of the dirt road to look between the laughing villagers and Tessa’s retreating back.
"Wait, you mean...?"
"Yeah," I nodded, keeping my voice low as we walked. "Tessa’s grandfather is the village chief."
Mira’s eyes widened in realization, and Yenna let out a soft, understanding hum.
It suddenly made a lot of sense to them why Tessa carried herself with such a fierce sense of responsibility for the people around her.
"Tessa," I called out as we reached the center of the village square.
"Go ahead and take Mira and Yenna up to Zen’s place."
Mira paused, looking back at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Where are you going?"
"I have something to do first," I replied simply, adjusting the strap of Oathstorm on my shoulder.
Tessa didn’t pry. She just beamed, reaching out and grabbing both Mira and Yenna by the hands.
"Come on! Let me show you my home!" she chirped, enthusiastically tugging the two formidable women down.
Scarlet let out a quiet, indifferent huff, trailing a few paces behind them with her hands stuffed in her pockets.
A few villagers paused to give the demi-human’s vibrant red fox ears and tail a curious, wary look, but seeing her traveling openly with the chief’s granddaughter was enough to keep them from pondering any further.
Once they were out of sight, I turned on my heel and headed in the opposite direction.
I navigated the familiar, winding dirt paths, walking toward a quieter section of the village near the tree line.
I finally stopped in front of a well-kept, sturdy wooden cottage with a small, meticulously maintained herb garden out front. I stepped up onto the porch and knocked three times on the heavy door.
"Coming! Just a moment!" a soft, pleasant voice called from inside.
A few seconds later, the iron latch clicked, and the door pulled open.
Standing in the doorway was a woman dressed in a simple, practical linen dress, a faded but clean apron tied neatly around her waist.
Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back into a thick, elegant braid that rested over one shoulder, with a few soft, loose strands escaping to frame her face.
The moment her bright green eyes landed on me, they widened in absolute, complete shock.
I leaned casually against the wooden doorframe, offering an easy, familiar smile.
"Missed me, Agnes?"
"Young master!" Agnes gasped.
She immediately took a step back, her hands smoothing down her faded apron as she instinctively lowered her head to offer a formal, respectful bow.
But I didn’t let her finish it.
And stepped right over the threshold and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight, grounding hug.
Agnes stiffened for a fraction of a second, completely caught off guard by the sudden breach in protocol, but then she let out a soft, melodic laugh.
Her posture completely melted. She raised her arms and hugged me back, her hands gently patting the center of my back.
"Welcome back," she murmured, the genuine warmth in her voice making the lingering ache in my chest recede just a little bit more.
I slowly pulled back, offering her a tired but deeply sincere smile.
"How have you been?"
"I’ve been perfectly fine," Agnes smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling with quiet joy.
She reached out, lightly dusting a speck of travel dirt off the shoulder of my coat.
"The village has been wonderfully quiet. But look at you... you look like you’ve been carrying the weight of the world, you should smile more young master. Now come inside."
She stepped aside, ushering me out of the midday sun and into the cool, cozy interior of her cottage.
The house smelled exactly as I remembered it, a comforting blend of dried lavender, polished pine, and whatever sweet dough she had been baking in the morning.
Everything was meticulously clean and in its proper place, radiating a sense of absolute, unbothered normalcy that felt entirely alien after the suffocating dark of that thing down in that dungeon.
"Sit down at the table," Agnes instructed, already bustling over to the small, brick-lined hearth in the kitchen area.
"I’ll bring you something warm to drink."
I pulled out a wooden chair and sank into it, letting out a long, slow exhale.
Then let my eyes wander around the room, taking in the small details.
A basket of freshly picked herbs resting on the windowsill. A half-finished knitted blanket draped over the rocking chair.
But there was a noticeable absence of something.
"Where’s Shira?" I asked, looking toward the hallway.
{A/N: I am really sorry for the confusion, but her name was typo, "Sira." Which was name of Jin’s friend, I mixed it up here, I fixed it now.}