The Burden

"Ancient waters once flowed before your eyes,

Towering mountains once made you stop and gaze;

Whenever your journey came to an end,

You found rest in a golden homeland."

The clear, sorrowful melody played on.

The low, gentle singing continued.

Before the oak tree, its golden leaves swaying in the breeze, Tang Qi placed a freshly picked Newleaf on the newly erected gravestone.

An old man past seventy, gray at the temples but still ramrod straight, pressed a sacred emblem to his chest and murmured:

"Gullagas the Drunken, grant the dead swift release from the shackles of death, and guide them to the heavenly land of joy and wine, where through your loving kindness they may enjoy the happiness of eternal life."

The silent Dwarf poured the last cup of Star Plum Wine before the gravestone.

It also signified that the deceased's prayers had come to an end.

"He wasn't a good man."

Father Lynn spoke plainly,

"Nor was he a good father."

He fell silent for a moment, but in the end looked toward the girl standing before the gravestone, still silent.

At last, he could only sigh:

"But at least he loved you deeply."

Catherine nodded slightly. Nothing in her expression revealed what she was thinking.

In front of others, she always maintained this poised and courteous demeanor.

She took out a bulging money pouch.

"Thank you for your help, Father Lynn. This is a donation to the church—"

Father Lynn merely waved a hand.

"Child, I'm not a competent priest. I couldn't cast divine magic on him or purge the dark corruption.

"Herbs couldn't save his soul, and what we've done now is no more than a small kindness offered when nothing could be done to save him.

"Besides, a donation to the church...

"When monsters' iron hooves finally trample this little town, wealth won't matter anymore."

Catherine wasn't stubborn. She put away the money pouch and bowed solemnly as she replied:

"Then please pack your things at once. When the time comes, we'll leave together."

"No, child. I can't go anywhere."

"Why?"

The old priest only shook his head. He looked beyond the courtyard toward the little town shrouded in fear and answered:

"I've spent decades in this town, pouring my youth and fervor into spreading the word of the Lord.

"I truly hoped to bring joy and lasting peace to this land.

"So I accepted the love and donations of the faithful, repaired the holy church of wine, and did all I could to provide Star Plum Town with basic medical care and faith.

"I can't abandon them now, when they're afraid, just to seek safety for myself."

"But if you stay, you can't change anything."

Catherine clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly.

"Everything here will be reduced to ashes in the Beastfolk's pillaging."

"Then I'll die alongside them and lead them to the heavenly kingdom of wine."

"But—"

"Ahem, sorry. Please let me interrupt for a moment."

With all sorts of questions weighing on him, Tang Qi had no choice but to step into their conversation.

"Why insist on staying here? Wouldn't it be better for everyone to leave together?

"From what I've observed, those giant turtles move rather slowly.

"If my estimate is right, they won't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest.

"Even if we have to prepare food and supplies for the journey and travel by ox cart, we should still be faster than the giant turtles.

"The Beastfolk migrated from the southern part of the forest. We just need to head north, take a detour for a few days, and then make for Dragon Gold City. We should be able to avoid them—

"We have enough time. You could take the townspeople and leave. There's no need to stay here and wait to die, is there?"

Why were they acting as if they were ready to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Catherine and Father Lynn exchanged a look. They soon sighed, and she explained:

"But all of that depends on us being able to find our way through the forest."

Tang Qi couldn't help clicking his tongue.

The effects of the Eye of True Sight had long since worn off. At least for now, he couldn't see through the forest's mist.

And he couldn't write a story in his journal and gamble on it granting him another potion with the same effect—

The journal required a story with a beginning and an end, a full arc with twists and turns.

Clearly, he would have to escape and put some distance between himself and the Beastfolk, then wait for things to settle down before he might have a chance at a reward.

And he couldn't guarantee that the reward would be what he wanted.

"If going into the forest means we might get lost, and staying here means we'll be pillaged anyway, we'll die either way. Wouldn't it be better to die a little later?"

Father Lynn shook his head and mentioned the order that Steward Hus had given after fleeing back to Star Plum Town before Tang Qi returned.

"After the steward and the young lord retreated to town, they quickly used some method of communication to notify Lord Mel, who was far away in Dragon Gold City.

"Lord Mel immediately reported the matter to the council in Dragon Gold City and asked the city to send troops, in case the Beastfolk discovered Star Plum Town and put the territory in danger."

Star Plum Town was under the jurisdiction of Dragon Gold City.

It paid taxes to Dragon Gold City, and in return was protected by the city's laws.

Sending troops to help when its territory was attacked was explicitly required by law.

Even if Dragon Gold City was unwilling to act, preventing the Beastfolk from crossing the Southern Great Wall was the very reason the Lord Alliance had been founded.

The Beastfolk's appearance in the Twilight Forest would have a tremendous impact on the entire alliance.

Once they learned of it, they would certainly keep track of the Beastfolk's movements and launch a campaign to wipe them out—

Of course, all of this depended on the news actually getting through.

The priest continued:

"But no one knows whether the Beastfolk will find the town, or when the troops will arrive.

"So Steward Hus ordered every able-bodied man in town to take up whatever farm tools or iron rakes they had and prepare to join a temporary militia and build makeshift defenses. The remaining women and children were ordered to stay in town, and everyone was forbidden from going outside."

"That's because I haven't told them yet—

"Whether or not troops come to help the town, the Beastfolk are coming."

After returning to Star Plum Town, Explosive Wolf and his master, Melard, had gone to the village official's residence to keep themselves safe.

As a result, Tang Qi had only seen a few mercenaries who'd escaped alive, guarding the inside and outside of the surrounding fence.

After that, he had first taken Black Snake to the church. When it became clear nothing could be done, he'd finally buried him beneath the golden oak.

There hadn't been time to report anything to the town along the way—

He'd also been considering whether he should report it at all.

Now, he stated with certainty:

"The chieftain has a construct on his shoulder that's identical to the one on Melard. They can find their way through the forest. This town is their target."

For that reason, Tang Qi didn't even think Dragon Gold City would follow the law and send troops to help.

"But even if you tell the nobles, what will that change?"

The priest, who had spent his entire youth in this town, clearly understood its lords better.

"Do you really think that after hearing the news, they'll take pity on the residents and call on them to pack their belongings and flee with them?

"Of course not. They'll only cast these burdens aside.

"They might even use these 'burdens' as a shield to cover their own escape."