Village Girl
The following day the sky stretched out beautifully in clear blue, and the land was showered in the light of the shining sun above. Wildlife sought refuge in the shade of towering trees in the forest, as the unbearable heat made it difficult for most creatures. However, Shin was enjoying his journey to Naga Town, every step he took was silent yet it shook the ground below him, he concealed his presence to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Throughout his journey, Shin encountered various obstacles including robbery, monsters, extreme terrains, and harsh weather. Yet, he seemed to handle everything that crossed his path with ease. Shin was trained from the day he was born, such tasks are something he had accustomed to.
Weeks after his journey from the Meral Kingdom to Naga Town started, he reached Kanao Village, the closest village to his destination. During his stay there, he encountered a distressing scene; three men surrounding something. Out of curiosity, Shin walked closer to them, the three individuals encircling a girl in the middle of a paddy field. The young woman appeared visibly frightened and uneasy, enduring their unwanted physical contact and verbal abuse.
The three men suddenly heard a menacing voice that sent shivers down their spines. "Hey… What's the meaning of this? Stop it."
Startled, they turned their attention towards the source of the voice, only to discover Shin standing there alone by himself. Although momentarily taken aback, they quickly regained their composure, their confidence resurfacing.
The first man strode towards Shin and challenged him, his gaze fixed on Shin's eyes, attempting to intimidate him. "Huh? And who might you be?"
Maintaining a composed and formal demeanour, Shin introduced himself with a slight bow at the end. "My name is Shin Naga, the General of Spasitel."
The second guy chuckles, they don't believe Shin's ridiculous claim. "General of Spasitel? Ha! Don't make me laugh."
The third guy testing Shin's claim, stood in front of Shin challenging him. "And what are you doing here? Do you want to get beaten up?! You better leave now or else."
Undeterred by the threat, Shin remained composed and addressed the third man in a polite tone, expressing his intention to avoid any unnecessary conflict. "I have no intention of engaging in a fight. However, I kindly request that the three of you cease troubling this young lady."
Shin's focus remained on the well-being of the girl, seeking a peaceful resolution without causing any further trouble.
The second guy mocks Shin as he thought that Shin is a coward and weakling trying to escape the situation. "Oh yeah? You want to play the hero huh? What are you going to do about it?"
The first guy moves closer to Shin and stares dead into his eyes in an attempt to intimidate him. "You know what, you remind me of the first guy I killed."
"You killed a guy before?"
The first guy is cocky as he is replied. "No, not yet because you are going to be the first one." He smirks.
Seeing Shin not affected by his words he started to throw a punch, Shin swiftly caught it, displaying his agility and reflexes, he does not seem to be impressed. Extreme pressure suddenly pushed the three guys down to the ground, they realised Shin had been concealing his presence the entire time; two tried to back away. Shin stares straight into the guy's eyes who had his fist in Shin's grip, Shin began squeezing the guy's fist causing him to roar in pain.
Kneeling because of pain and he begged Shin to let him go. The other guys are just watching in horror with terrified looks on their faces seeing their friend roar in pain. In the midst of the intense situation, overwhelmed with emotion, the girl grasped Shin's arm, her tears streaming down her face, and pleaded with him.
"Stop, please! That's enough. let him go!"
Shin looked confused but he just complied and released his grip on the man. He then dropped to the ground as his companions hurriedly assisted him and fled from Shin's presence. From a distance, the first man shouted defiantly.
"I'm going to make you regret ever doing that to me!"
As Shin's attention shifted to the girl, a striking contrast in size and stature became apparent. Towering at 190cm, his yellow eyes locked onto the petite figure of the girl, who stood at a mere 150cm in height. The intensity of the moment was palpable, as their eyes met, conveying a mixture of curiosity, concern, and a hint of vulnerability.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
The girl looked terrified thinking Shin was going to harm her, squeezing his arm and closed her eyes.
Familiar with the reaction Shin says to the girl. "Alright then, be careful next time." With a swift motion, he gently freed his arm from her grip and began to walk away, giving her the opportunity to collect herself and regain a sense of security.
The girl was surprised that Shin didn't do anything terrible to her; she then realises that Shin doesn't mean any harm to her. She runs up after him.
"Wait! Please wait!"
As the girl caught up to him, her breathing heavy from the exertion, Shin turned around to face her, his expression a mix of curiosity and slight confusion. "What do you want from me?" he asked, genuinely perplexed by her sudden pursuit.
"I-I'm sorry about what happened earlier."
Shin gave her a little smile. "I don't mind that."
Shin halted once more as the girl interrupted him again, her remorse evident in her voice. She seemed genuinely regretful of her earlier behaviour.
"Wait, please," she pleaded once more. "I am sincerely sorry about that. If you don't mind, let me offer you a place to sleep?"
Shin felt sorry for her and was unwilling to turn down her offer; he accepted her offer but with one condition.
"I accept your offer, but on one condition," Shin stated, his voice filled with empathy. "I don't want you to feel threatened or uncomfortable around me. If you can assure me that you won't perceive me as a threat, then I will gladly accompany you to your house."
The girl nodded eagerly, showing that she understand and agreed to the condition he set.
***
As they walked towards her home, Shin decided to break the silence and engage in a friendly conversation.
"Hey before we arrive, may you tell me what your name is?"
The girl appeared slightly perplexed by his question, her confusion stemming from the unique cultural norms of Kanao Village. In this village, it was customary not to ask for each other's names unless a significant period of time had passed, calling each other by name is a considerably intimate action if were done by two people that are not related.
Following her instructions, Shin crouched down as she requested, curious about her sudden change in demeanour. He leaned in slightly as she whispered her name to him, "Eira."
A warm smile formed on Shin's face as he took in the beauty of her name. He whispered back, "It was a beautiful name, Eira."
Eira's cheeks flushed with a deep shade of red, surprised by the unexpected compliment. She had rarely received such kind words before, and it touched her deeply. "Th-thank you," she stammered, a hint of shyness in her voice.
Eira feels like the exchange created a moment of connection between them, as she never had someone that treated her with genuine kindness before.
***
After a long walk, they eventually arrived at Eira's house at dawn. Upon entering Eira's house, Shin was met with the sight of a man lying down in the living room. Eira introduced him as her father, explaining his condition to Shin. Her father was unable to move, speak, or see, but he could still hear and feel her presence. Eira shared that her father was the sole reason she found the strength to keep going.
Deeply moved by Eira's words and the circumstances surrounding her father's condition, Shin felt a surge of empathy and compassion. He recognized the immense responsibility Eira carried and the difficult situation she faced. She also explained to him that all the men who harassed her back then are the owner of the paddy fields she is working at.
Feeling bad for her, he feels like the least he could do is hunt food for her.
"If it makes you feel better, I will hunt you food for tonight."
Despite Eira's initial attempt to decline Shin's offer, he insisted on hunting for food to alleviate her burden and express his gratitude for her kindness.
"No, no thanks. We have enough food for tonight. Please don't trouble yourself," Eira protested, her voice filled with concern.
Shin's determination remained unwavering as he responded, "It's fine. You have already done so much for me. I shall return the favour."
Eira was cornered by Shin's words. "If you insist then alright, but you have to bring me with you."
Shin agreed; he then brought her to the nearest forest. Shin's expertise and swift movements allowed him to set traps in the nearby forest. As they patiently waited, the time flies, it's already been half an hour since he set the traps, and one of the traps was triggered, alerting Shin to the presence of prey. Reacting with remarkable speed, he drew his sword and skillfully took down the deer, all in a seamless motion.
Eira caught up in the intensity of the moment, was momentarily unaware of Shin's actions. To her surprise, she turned to see Shin already holding the deer, having successfully secured their meal.
Confused seeing a dead deer in Shin's hand. "Wait, how!? You're just standing right there!?"
Impressed by Shin's proficiency and grateful for his resourcefulness, Eira couldn't help but express her astonishment.
Shin looked at her and smiled. "This is our food tonight."
The night is already late as the full moon shines on the ground below, the owl flying looking for prey, just as Shin and Eira did, they are on their way back, but Eira's curiosity hasn't been answered yet.
"How did you catch it so fast?"
With a mischievous tone, Shin leaned in closer and whispered, "That is a secret."
Eira's annoyance was palpable as she felt frustrated by his cryptic response. "Huh? That's not fair!" she exclaimed, wanting to uncover the mystery behind his exceptional hunting abilities.
***