Revenge

Anissa could only gawk at the little girl who was wearing a frock embroidered with flowers as she looked at her performance, but Aaron just stood where he was, and didn't move.

Each and every thing the person under his foot had done so far had given him reason to believe that he was a very dangerous individual who had clearly been underestimated by that old man. He had said that this was a simple escort mission, but it was anything but.

So, Aaron was still reasonably certain regarding the ambush, especially because of the desperation he had seen in Max when the man had struggled to get till here even when his calf had been continuously bleeding. The pain from putting pressure on an injured calf was one of the most excruciating things in the world, so the fact that he had gritted his teeth and endured made Aaron suspect strongly that there was probably much more here than met the eye.

And soon…that was confirmed, as a tall man appeared from the crowd that had gathered and walked forward to stand behind the little girl.

Unlike the Hamlet Chief of Skystead Hamlet who had been built sturdily, this man was thin, but the taut muscles on his arms suggested that he had built his body for speed.

The little girl smiled up at the man as he appeared, and then, she turned toward Aaron with even more determination, as if she had gotten backup.

"Hello, can I ask what feud you have with Max, and whether it can be resolved in a non-violent way? Our Hamlet is indebted to him, and each and every one of us is ready to stand for him if need be. If it is money you desire, we are all ready to hand over all of our savings, and if it is something else, please state it, and we will make the preparations. No matter what you decide, though, can you please first allow our healer to take a look at that wound? He looks like he has already lost quite a lot of blood, and it might be dangerous."

The man spoke solemnly and with utmost respect, however, the atmosphere that his words brought upon the place was thoroughly wiped away as the little girl chipped in again, her pigtails swaying while she gestured violently.

"No, Brother Max told me to be brave, no matter what happens! He will chase you down if you don't run away! Shoo! Will it work if I say please?"

The little girl did not seem to have the knowledge behind putting out a proper threat, yet, as her last statement counteracted the rest. It made Anissa giggle, but after that, she said, "Aaron, he really has fainted. I expect he was also starving in the prison."

Aaron had already known that the moment he put his foot on Max, and besides, if the mischievous guy was awake, he would have been saying something by now.

However…unless there was absolutely no risk, whatsoever, Aaron was not prepared to give in and give up the only card he had that could save his life in case the worst-case scenario came to be.

So, he said, "I'm sorry, but I am not prepared to give him. If you want to heal him, though, you can do that without moving him, but if the healer acts funny, my companion will kill them. Understood?"

The tall man sighed as he heard this, and the face of the little girl actually began to swell up like a tomato.

She looked like she would burst out soon, but the man actually clamped his hand around her mouth to stop her and sighed before saying, "All right, we can do that. Barry! Come take a look at him. Please excuse little Liv. She's very expressive, and Max seems to have had a really huge effect on her. That can be said about us all, too, though."

Hearing his call, a middle-aged man came forward from the crowd and walked slowly to Aaron, before bending down and laying a hand on Max.

Woof slowly walked forward, too, with its canines bared, making it clear that it could jump to end his life before he tried anything funny.

Aaron didn't know exactly what the man did, but the wound slowly began to clot, and Max's breathing also started to return to normal in barely a minute's time.

After that, though, surprisingly, the man fainted, and two people had to come forth and carry him away.

Anissa spoke up to explain.

"Energy Manipulators can burst forth with all the power they have at once to achieve a desired effect. That man used everything he had to increase the natural healing power present in Max's body. There are serious drawbacks, though. He won't be able to move for a month. Clearly, all of these people really, really treasure him."

Although Anissa had been about to continue and say that they could relax, she didn't, as she understood that a Survivor's instincts were probably better than hers. Before she had lost that match, she might not have made that decision, and this realization made her appreciate her grandpa's actions.

Aaron, though, was surprised as he heard this.

So, he went ahead and asked so that he could get a better idea regarding the situation.

"What exactly did he do for you, that all of you are prepared to do so much for him?"

It was the tall man who gave the answer, and he did so in a tone that was filled with admiration.

"A week back, a group of people wearing masks invaded our Hamlet in the dead of the night and blockaded everyone inside. They disabled all means of communication, and they…had their way with all the men, women and in some cases, even the children of the Hamlet. We were completely powerless. Even their Teras delighted in playing with and then tearing apart all of our Teras whom we treated as our companions, and our tears, pain, and screams seemed to give them happiness. They carried away many and killed quite a few, and even the World Government Official who came was helpless as he said that they left no clues. Max…came after that. He studied what had happened, and when he saw the state that they left us in, I could see the anger in his eyes. In front of the whole Hamlet, he asked us all to persevere, and not choose drastic things such as suicide, or disbanding our Settlement because of losing hope. He said he would avenge us and return, and if he didn't, he asked us to think that he had died trying. To be honest…many were considering it, but he gave them hope. And today…he might just have given them back their lives, as the knowledge that those who subjected them to all those horrors are dead will go a long way in allowing them to live on, and persevere."