Zero to Hero

Chapter 8. Hidden Settlement

The journey that started with hope took a stark turn as we arrived at the concealed village.

"We freaking saved this kid! Why are you idiots acting hostile!" Tina's frustration was palpable as the guards bound her hands with coarse ropes.

"Now you know how I felt." My attempt at a joke fell flat as the beastman girl shot me a sharp glare with her piercing yellow eyes, bared her pointy fangs.

"Hey, can't you see I'm a delicate harmless girl? These ropes are too tight!" Candace teased the guard, who blushed uncontrollably.

"You didn't even tie her up properly! Are you even trying?" Tina yelled at the young man like she was in any position to complain or that it's a bad thing her own companion isn't getting properly restrained.

Meanwhile, Yami, ever so perceptive, slipped away, sensing the tension in the air before any of the guards noticed her existence.

Marching alongside the guards, my hands tightly bound, I found it peculiar that I, with a blade at my neck and my own broadsword confiscated, was the only one under heightened scrutiny while the girls faced a far lesser form of restraint. Amidst our entourage, Bailee, the young girl we rescued, apologized profusely for the predicament.

"Don't fret about it, Bailee. We'll sort things out," I reassured her in a composed manner, seemingly unperturbed by the circumstances, obviously unbothered by the situation where I could have easily broken free if needed.

Observing my compliance, I couldn't help but marvel at the expanse of this hidden area nestled amidst the mountain peaks, allowing these people to establish and sustain their village. Soon after, our journey led us to the village center, where a gathering of villagers surrounded an elderly man standing prominently in their midst.

"Bailee! Come here," a woman's voice rang out, summoning the young girl to her side.

"Elder, they saved me from the goblins, please don't harm them," Bailee pleaded earnestly, although the woman, whom I assumed to be her mother, attempted to hush her.

"Hello, my name is Theodore, the elder of this village. I regret that despite saving Bailee, we have you all restrained. Please understand, it's unusual to find humans in these parts," Theodore explained, his tone carrying a sense of caution.

"Do I look like a human to you?" Tina snapped aggressively, her words challenging my role as the peacemaker.

"Hello, Elder. My name is Ken. We mean no harm to your village. We're travelers heading to Ostrium City," I interjected, attempting to diffuse the tension.

"And where did you come from?" the elder inquired.

"We journeyed from the Chelmswell Forest, far up north, where my companion here is a native," I answered, trying to provide clarity.

"Not a friend," Tina interjected, attempting to further complicate matters.

"What's your relationship with the two ladies?" the elder asked me suspiciously, seemingly influenced by Tina's unhelpful comment.

"The redhead is a friend. The feisty one is my lover's younger sister," I responded, attempting to provide context.

"Your lover is a beastman?" the elder inquired.

"He's a huge womanizer! He's got beastman lovers, merman lovers, lizardman lovers, elf lovers and everything else in between," Tina decided to contribute again, adding unnecessary information that only made the situation more complex.

"Simply put, I used to attend Dragonspire, where I met her older sister. Our current journey is to Ostrium city, aiming to reunite with her siblings," I summarized.