The Genesis of the Dead

With Zoran's departure, the makeshift festival carried on uneventfully late into the night. Maveth was provided a small, modest shack by the chief as a place to rest his head and hang his few belongings. The chief had inquired about the origins of the scythe Maveth wielded in combat, but Maveth's cold, empty eyes served as his only response.

Meanwhile, Zoran refrained from observing Maveth as he had done the previous day. Although he still harbored an unexplainable feeling, he trusted Maveth enough not to keep a vigilant eye on him day and night. Moreover, Zoran was exhausted. He had fought with his life on the line and had nearly paid the ultimate price for it. There was, however, a silver lining, as he had explained earlier that with the death of the Twintails he defeated, he had grown just a little stronger.

It wasn't enough to propel him into the ranks of the strongest, but it was sufficient to give him confidence. Even if Maveth were to betray his limited trust, Zoran believed he would be able to protect those he cared for.

As time passed, life began to settle into a regular rhythm. Silvia postponed her planned trip to the city until all the injured from the Twintails' attack had recovered enough not to require her constant attention. Consequently, Asha was able to extend her stay and begin her training in earnest.

Each morning, Zoran began by training Asha before turning his attention to the handful of militiamen who had volunteered for instruction. They had come forward after feeling powerless during the beast attack. Among them, Freir showed the most significant improvement. Zoran's training sessions were rigorous, and even after the others had long given up from exhaustion, Zoran continued by sparring with Maveth.

Zoran had taken note of Maveth's reckless and unorthodox fighting style and was determined to drill discipline into him. Thanks to Silvia's medical expertise, Maveth's right arm, though unusable, was treated with care. The gruesome wound that had made many villagers gag in nausea was thoroughly cleaned and bandaged, allowing it to heal as well as possible given the circumstances.

Despite Zoran's relentless efforts, Maveth struggled to improve. He repeated the same mistakes time and again as if trapped in a cycle. Zoran remained patient and refrained from scolding him, though he found the situation peculiar. While Zoran had encountered many poor students before, Maveth made even the worst seem competent by comparison. Adding to the frustration, Maveth could not effectively control his mana, rendering him incapable of executing unique attacks like Zoran's. Nonetheless, Zoran refused to give up on him and continued training him daily.

In stark contrast, Asha was a natural. She absorbed every lesson like a sponge, and Zoran watched her progress with admiration. He was convinced that the girl was a prodigy in the making. Her ability to adapt to the flow of battle left Zoran thoroughly impressed. However, her relentless dedication and undeerline condition often led to her fainting, serving as a reminder to both herself and Zoran of her physical limitations. Despite this, Asha never gave up. Upon waking, she would throw herself back into training, much to the concern of her mother.

Outside of the training sessions, village life remained serene and peaceful. Maveth frequently helped with chores and earned the villagers' admiration. They began calling him "the inexhaustible" for his tireless work ethic, even during menial tasks. His demeanor left a strong impression, and many of the younger, unmarried women started to view him with growing affection and infatuation.

After more than a week, it became difficult for Maveth to walk through the village without being greeted or called out to by numerous people. He reflected on the stark contrast between his first day in the village and the present, suppressing the faint regret his otherwise emotionless self allowed him to feel.

Time continued to pass, and the injured finally recovered enough for Silvia to decide it was time to make her much-needed supply run. As the only one who knew which medicines were nessary, she saw no alternative.

Before her departure, Silvia called Maveth aside for a private conversation. "I'm not going to comment on the fact that you're not human. We all have our reasons to keep secrets, and as your doctor, I'll respect yours. But you should know that not all healers are the accepting sort. Some won't take kindly to someone like you," she explained while packing her belongings.

Maveth remained silent, standing motionless as he considered her deduction about his non-human nature.

"There's a supply route that cuts through the woods behind us. Along that route, there's a natural spring where travelers stop to collect as much water as they can carry. This isn't just any water, it has incredible healing properties. I'm talking about the kind of properties that could regrow an entire arm," Silvia continued, her hands busy arranging her supplies.

"Where is this natural spring?" Maveth asked, curious as to why she hadn't mentioned it earlier.

"It's straight northwest. Trust me, you can't miss it. I should apologize for not telling you sooner," she replied, almost as if she could read his mind. "I didn't mention it before for two reasons. First, while that water can heal, it comes at a serious cost. To be specific, pain. The worst kind of pain you can imagine. So severe that even a single drop can make you wish you were dead. Doctors have to heavily dilute it to make it usable. Otherwise, drinking enough to heal an injury like yours would kill you. I'm only bringing it up now because I don't think you feel pain, do you?" She turned to look at him, her packing momentarily paused.

"What is the second reason?" he asked, ignoring her question.

Silvia smiled faintly, her tone devoid of any regret. "I didn't trust you."

"And has that feeling changed?"

"No, I still don't trust you. You see, I'm one of those humans who isn't exactly kind to other races, like I mentioned earlier. I'm only telling you this because you saved my daughter."

"Why do you dislike other races?"

"I have my reasons. It's not about like or dislike," she paused before elaborating. "It's about trust and distrust."

"I see..." Maveth said quietly.

Outside, a large black bird perched on a tree branch, silently observing as preparations for departure began. At the crack of dawn, as the first warm rays of sunshine battled the mid-autumn chill, Silvia and Freir loaded basic supplies onto a weathered wagon drawn by a single horse. Seeing her off were Asha, Zoran, and Maveth, who stood a few feet behind the other two.

"Are you sure about this, Silvia?" Zoran asked as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"Yes, I'm sure. Take good care of her for me," Silvia replied. She then looked down at Asha with a warm smile. "And you behave yourself, alright? I don't want to come back and hear about all the trouble you've caused."

"Obviously! I'll be the most well-behaved ever. Mom, can I ask you something?" Asha said, her tone shy yet hopeful.

"Of course, sweetheart. What is it?" Silvia's smile grew even gentler.

"While you're in the city, can you bring back a magic gem for me?" Asha asked hesitantly.

"A magic gem? What do you need that for?" Silvia inquired, her brow furrowing in mild confusion.

This time, Zoran answered for her. "When I asked Old Man Red to craft a weapon for her, he suggested we get a magic gem to use as its core. He claimed it might help with her Awakening. Personally, I think he just wants an excuse to work with one again."

Silvia shifted her gaze between Zoran and her daughter. Asha's eager, expectant expression was almost impossible to resist. After a moment of deliberation, Silvia sighed and relented. "Fine..."

"Yay! Thank you, Mom!" Asha exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Silvia with the enthusiasm of a child clinging to a beloved tree. As the atmosphere lightened with joy, Maveth spoke, catching everyone off guard.

"Asha, you should accompany your mother on her arduous journey."

"What? But my training!" Asha protested, taken aback.

"She may encounter danger along her expedition. Would your presence not ensure her safety?" Maveth replied, his tone calm.

"Expa—what?" Asha stumbled over the word.

"He's saying that you can protect your mom if something bad happens," Zoran clarified, his curiosity piqued by Maveth's suggestion. While he wasn't opposed to the idea, he wondered what prompted it.

"That's right! I can put my training into action. I can protect you, Mom!" Asha's excitement grew, her imagination undoubtedly filled with heroic scenarios.

"Oi, what about me? Am I not good enough?" Freir grumbled from behind the wagon, clearly annoyed as he continued loading supplies on his own.

"Maybe that's a good idea," Silvia admitted, though not entirely for Maveth's stated reason. To be frank, she preferred to keep an eye on her daughter and had only agreed to let her stay behind because it was what Asha wanted at the time. Now that the situation had changed, she was more than willing to bring her along.

With that decision made, the group of three began their journey, disappearing into the horizon. Zoran watched them go, a faint pang of regret surfacing within him. Still, he suppressed the feeling, reminding himself of his duty to remain behind. His role was to protect the village, ensuring that they would always have a safe place to return to, a sanctuary they could call home.