Even from afar, Joshua can see that the village as a whole is not small; despite being located in the middle of the forest where not many would be staying for various reasons, he can see more than fifty houses in this village as he enters it through the road.

  ?There is a main road into the village, which then splits into a few tiny paths leading to separate places through it. And all along these roads are houses that are built close to each other. Only on the main road that leads through the village are important buildings located.

  ?At the moment, the old man leads the group past a tavern in the village, and past that, they see a tree that is located in the central area of the village; and behind that tree is a giant square-shaped stone that stands tall to reach to the sky.

  ?No matter how one sees it, they are able to observe that the light circle that surrounds this village appears to be emanating from this giant stone.

  ?Under this giant stone is a figure clad in iron armor that shines without a light; the man stands proudly while leaning onto the stone. Beside him is a hammer which Joshua recognizes as the same hammer that shattered the gigantic beast he and the others ran from.

  ?Seeing everyone's curious faces, the old man turns to look at the man under the stone.

  "Oh him? He's a mysterious figure even for me; he appeared just when that large stone and all these weird things started to happen, and he doesn't do much beside killing any beasts that enter past this light that surrounds this village," explains the old man.

  ?The group does not halt their walk, and they continue to follow the old man's guide until they come to an open space located beside the tavern where they see another group of armored men battling among themselves.

  ?Some among them show extraordinary skills similar to those able to be done by the soldiers in Sedric's group. And among them is a figure that showcases skills that are far more impressive than the others.

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  ?Once Sedric and his group arrive at the field, the group's attention is directed at them. And the leaders of both groups notice each other.

  ?"Astegon, you seem... well?"

  ?"Death Galloper Sedric, is this really you?"

  ?Both leaders recognize each other, and their words show extreme friendliness hidden by doubt, as their appearances have slightly changed from their usual ones.

  ?But Sedric is glad to see a man from the same force, and Astegon is relieved as he has someone reliable to depend on from now on.

  ?"How did you wind up in a place like this?" asks Sedric of Astegon.

  ?"I was assigned to get the young lord of the barony nearby this area, and after finishing that task and heading back to the empire, I was assaulted by a sudden group of unknown beasts with weird powers. While we were running away from them, we stumbled into this village which appears to have some sort of a barrier like this one that makes it almost invisible to the eyes of the beasts, if my guess is correct. But what about you? How did you end up in this place?" Astegon asks as he gives an answer.

  ?Both of them walk to each other and have already gotten close; their groups follow them, as some among them already know each other.

  "I was assigned the same task as you, and the rest of what happened is pretty much the same as you." Once they are in front of each other, a quick gesture was passed between them as a sign of respect and honor for each other. It was something like a tradition within the military force of the Ottoman Empire, showing that they both still acknowledge each other's position and loyalty to their empire.

  ?It was only after this gesture that both of them truly trusted each other, and believed each other to be the ones they truly knew; their faces turned to a smile afterward.

  ?"I was unaware of you being assigned the same task as me. Hadn't you been released from duty such as this?" Astegon questioned, and to answer that, Sedric turned his gaze to Joshua, standing at the back of the group.

  ?"My target was him, and his father was Baron Joseph," said he, with a soft but clear tone.

  ?"Oh, that must have been a sight to see. Not only did you slay the right-hand man from that baron, but you also took his son from him. Must have been a bloody day for him," Astegon chuckled as his gaze landed on Joshua.

  ?"Where is your target now?" Changing the direction of their discussion, Sedric asked Astegon; and to answer that, Astegon turned to face somewhere else.

  ?"It was not a 'him' I retrieved; it was a 'her'," said he. Both of the leaders' gazes landed on a female figure standing a distance away from both groups. The woman was wearing armor, had a blade in her hand, and her dark yet slightly purple tied hair fell from behind her head armor, kind of like a rope, increasing her charm despite the iron armor surrounding her figure.