Chapter 317: Unexpected guest
"Rivaling village?" Luke asked in surprise. "We have that too?"
Dart blinked at him. "So I’m not the only one clueless about these things, huh?"
Luke chuckled. "Come on, don’t make me sound stupid. I only recently started going out and exploring. I’m just as ignorant as you are."
He hadn’t explored the world enough yet to know about these things. And considering the recent attempt at knowing more about the world, he would rather remain ignorant for some more time.
Dart let out a snicker. "So there is something you’re bad at after all. Good to know."
Luke just rolled his eyes. He never claimed to be a master of all.
The two continued walking side by side as Dart explained, "Apparently, there’s a rival tribe living far from here. Unlike our Head Village, they’re much more compact, or so I’ve heard. But when it comes to strength and manpower, they can easily stand toe to toe with us."
"Wait a second..." Luke turned to him. "So the rivalry is between the Head Villages?"
Dart nodded. "Yeah. I told you they’re from the rival tribe."
"..."
Luke had assumed they were merely a rival village. Instead, they belonged to an entirely different tribe, one powerful enough to stand against their own.
’No wonder there are guards everywhere.’
His gaze swept across the village. Compared to before, the number of patrolling guards had increased significantly.
"But... is this enough?" Luke asked. "There still aren’t enough guards to secure the entire village. Wouldn’t it have been better if the Chief requested reinforcements from the Head Village?"
"The problem is, we never had the chance to inform the Head Village. We were only told yesterday that they would be passing through and needed a place to rest. So they chose this village. It doesn’t seem like they care that we belong to a different tribe."
"Well, they must have a lot of confidence in their guards." Luke shrugged.
After visiting Roxanne’s homeland and witnessing the sheer number of awakened individuals there, he realized just how pitifully weak this place truly was.
It wasn’t just the security. The infrastructure and overall management were lacking as well.
If even three capable men planned carefully, they could infiltrate the village, move around unnoticed, and launch an ambush whenever they pleased.
To people from the rival tribe, this village probably looked no different from a roadside inn they had reserved for the night.
’That somehow feels insulting... but whatever.’
He wasn’t the Chief, so there was no point worrying about such matters.
After a brief silence, Dart said, "The Chief will probably call for you by this evening. As the guardian of the village, I’m sure you’ll be more than willing to help strengthen our security."
The sarcasm dripping from his voice was impossible to miss.
Luke gave a wry smile and shook his head. "I don’t know, man. I just got back. I’d rather stay out of everything involving the guests and the security."
Dart shrugged. "I think your presence alone is reassuring. If something manages to break through our defenses, it would be a threat to the entire village. And if it comes to that, I know you won’t just stand by and watch."
Luke groaned. "Stop saying things like that. You’re raising way too many death flags."
"Death flags? What do you mean?" Dart asked, frowning in confusion.
Luke simply waved him off and started making his way home without offering an explanation.
Just then, Dart called after him.
"If you have time, go see Nadia!"
Luke let out a quiet sigh.
Right. Nadia.
The last time he had seen her, he had left them with good news.
He still didn’t know how he was supposed to act around her. It was the first time he had gotten a woman pregnant, and she had chosen to keep the child.
She wasn’t his wife, and the child wouldn’t be calling him Father. The best thing he could do was treat the situation as though it were truly Dart’s child and leave it at that.
’God... visiting her before the pregnancy was so much easier.’
A faint smile appeared on his face.
’Still, I don’t regret what happened.’
Everything had always been about their happiness.
And now, they finally had it.
That was enough.
...
Krik
As Luke stepped inside, he found Monica and Laila sitting in the dining area, with Ginna and Dalia beside them.
The four seemed to be admiring everything Monica and Laila had managed to buy during their brief shopping trip before leaving the village previous morning.
His arrival immediately drew everyone’s attention.
"Hey, miss me?" Luke asked, his gaze settling on Ginna.
From the side, Dalia gave her mother a playful nudge.
Ginna slowly rose to her feet and walked toward him.
"How have you been?" Luke asked, slipping his hands around her waist and gently pulling her into his embrace.
Ginna’s cheeks flushed. Being held so openly in front of everyone was embarrassing, especially with Monica’s quiet giggles reaching her ears.
Still, the embarrassment faded within moments.
She wrapped her arms around him and returned the embrace.
"It... felt so long without all of you."
She had believed staying close to her daughter would keep the loneliness away.
But the truth was different.
She had been counting the days until their return, and more than once she had wandered near the village entrance, hoping to catch sight of them coming home.
"Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon." Looking down at her, he added, "And next time, you’re coming with me."
Ginna didn’t even need to think about it.
She nodded without the slightest hesitation.
Kreak
The front door opened once again, revealing a familiar figure.
"Ah, Luke, you’ve returned." Gustav greeted him with a broad smile as Lex and Terek stepped inside behind him.
The moment Luke’s eyes landed on the largest of the three, a trace of bitterness surfaced in his heart.
Still, after everything that had happened recently, Terek seemed to have changed.
He merely said, "Glad to have you back," before walking past everyone and disappearing into his room.
Gustav pulled out a chair for himself and another for Luke.
"Come on, sit." He grinned. "Now tell me everything about the trip. Don’t leave out a single detail. I’ve been dying of curiosity these past few days."
Luke let out a quiet sigh before taking his seat.
His eyes drifted toward his mate.
The uncertainty written across her face made it obvious she wasn’t sure whether they should reveal everything to the family.
Then he thought it over.
Keeping it hidden would only be unfair.
Sooner or later, Gustav and the others would realize something had gone terribly wrong during the journey.
Even if they somehow missed everything else, the vacant look lingering in Laila’s eyes was enough to tell anyone she had experienced something that left a lasting mark.
In the end, Luke decided it was better to tell them the truth.
"Well... unlike what we had planned..."
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