Mira and Her Siblings in Crisis

Looking down at Lisanna and Elfman, who were still watching him warily a short distance away, Hughes glanced again at the girl wrapped tightly in a large cloak in the corner.

Mira and her siblings were like three frightened hedgehogs. They had to leave the village themselves and let the warm sunlight of the outside world shine on them before their spines could soften.

Hughes had never experienced their grief, and he could not bring himself to take the moral high ground and offer them self-righteous comfort like a hypocrite.

He shook his head in sympathy and turned to leave. For now, it was more practical to hurry back into the village, find two lucky fellows to beat up and complete the system's task, then set off in search of the "King of Mount Colubo."

Inside, Lisanna and Elfman stared at each other in bewilderment, neither able to say a word for quite a while.

Bang!

Hearing the door slam shut behind him, Hughes, who had already walked some distance away, could not help twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Damn it, why does it feel like I don't have any of the presence a transmigrator should have?

Forget it. I'll go have some fun with the village chief's old man in his seventies or eighties.

Oh, right, he seems to have a son too. Perfect. The whole family should be together!!

Late at night, Hughes looked at the illusory screen before him. There was only one task left on the [Pending Tasks] line, and he felt deeply gratified.

The village was a nightmare for Mira and her siblings, but a blessed place for him. It had not only given him the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit, but also improved his physical condition.

After running around for most of the night, his legs were not sore in the slightest.

"So, can anyone tell me what I should do when I'm lost?!" Hughes stared in bewilderment at the dilapidated house that had appeared before him for the third time.

He was not Liu Zoro, so how could he get lost?

"Brother, why does that weird uncle keep walking around near our house?" Inside, the boy and girl hid by the window, whispering to each other with wary looks on their faces.

Hughes had circled their house three times already, so it was hard for Elfman and Lisanna not to suspect that the person outside had ill intentions.

What made the two even more frightened was that Hughes was still wearing that tattered blue-and-white striped hospital gown!

"Brother Elfman, do you think that weird uncle will break in?"

Elfman tightened his grip on the wooden stick in his hand, his eyes grave. "Lisanna, whatever you do, don't open the door again. If he comes in, take Sister Mira and run. Don't worry about me!"

"Brother Elfman..."

Outside, Hughes's face darkened. The system's reward of "improved physical condition" had not only greatly increased his strength, but also improved his eyesight, hearing, and other senses across the board.

He had heard everything. He had already said they were all still in their teens, yet they were calling him uncle? He would remember that!

You all heard it, right? Those siblings were the ones who provoked a mental patient first!

A tragic background and young age are no excuse when you're dealing with a mental patient like me!

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the village chief's house was decidedly grave.

The light of an oil lamp cast the shadows of several burly men. They sat upright, brows furrowed on their swollen faces.

Village Chief Ed sat at the head of the table, his usual mild, honest expression nowhere to be seen. He tapped the table. "You all saw what happened today. That's how terrifying a mage is. None of you said anything you shouldn't have, did you?"

He paused briefly, his eyes, reduced to slits by the swelling, sweeping over everyone present. Without exception, their cheeks were bruised and swollen; clearly, Hughes had beaten them all.

"Don't worry, Brother Ed! None of us are like that. But do you think that mage who suddenly showed up today might have found something in the church?"

Village Chief Ed glared at the man who had spoken. "You're scared now? Why didn't I see you take a smaller share when we split the money?"

"Even if he did find something, could we stop what we're doing?

"You're filthy to the core, and you still think you can wash yourself clean? You're just an ordinary person. What makes you think you can?

"Listen. When that mage was beating my father and my son, I watched him from behind. He didn't have a guild emblem on him, so he probably isn't from a major guild or the Magic Council.

"I just got word that the mage has left the village, but there are still mages in the village... I don't want to see another mage ruin our plans!

"So none of the Strauss family can stay in the village any longer. Tomorrow, keep stirring up those ignorant villagers and drive them out.

"After tomorrow, I don't want to see a single mage in the village. Do you hear me?

"Take this seriously. Once we finish these jobs, we'll run."

"Okay, Brother Ed. We'll gather the villagers tomorrow morning and drive the three Strauss children away. Speaking of which, can't we kill them? Why go to all this trouble?"

Ed looked at him as though he were an idiot. Everyone had seen with their own eyes how Mira had absorbed the demon.

Even now, he only dared to stir up those stupid, ignorant villagers to drive them away, rather than anger her by laying a finger on her brother or sister.

Even when driving Mira away, he was afraid of getting too close to the three of them. Every time, he hid in the crowd, with the villagers shielding him in front.

Is this kid brainless or just brave?

Village Chief Ed stood and patted him on the shoulder. "If you can do it, I'll let you take my place as boss!"

As the oil lamp went out, the village chief's house became a shabby, low little dwelling once more.

The next day, Hughes rolled over on the tree where he lay, avoiding the morning light about to fall on him.

He had thought about it for a long time the previous night, but could not come up with a suitable excuse to beat up the siblings. Sleepiness had overtaken him first, so he had simply found a nearby tree to sleep in.

Now, a torrent of foul abuse rose from beneath the tree. Hughes, still trying to sleep with his eyes closed, frowned deeply. He moved an arm, scratched his itchy backside, then opened his eyes in irritation.

"Damn it. I know the villagers ostracize the three of them, but do they have to curse them so filthily?"

"Demon, why aren't you dead yet? Won't you be satisfied until you've gotten everyone in the village killed?"

"Demon, get out of our village!"

"Your parents are dead, so why are you still here?!"

Hughes looked down at the unruly villagers beneath the tree, their hands clutching farm tools, pitchforks, and spears.

Their words were extremely crude, and some even picked up fist-sized stones from the ground and hurled them straight at the house.

Thud!

A stone smashed through the already cracked window and flew into the house. Hughes finally understood why the house Mira and her siblings lived in was so dilapidated!

"Sister Mira isn't a demon! She's the hero who got rid of the demon for the village!"

Lisanna, wearing a somewhat worn dress, shouted through the window, her eyes full of hurt.

"Mira's already turned into a demon, and you'll turn into one too! All three of you will become demons!"

"The people who disappeared from the village must have been killed by you."

"Get out of our village! Murderers!"

The growing clamor outside left the girl at a loss for a reply...

Sister Mira only went to the church to get rid of the demon for the village's safety... Why are they all saying she's hurt people now...

Suddenly, a pitchfork flew out of the crowd, its prongs gleaming coldly as they hurtled straight toward Lisanna behind the window.

"Sigh!" Hughes sighed helplessly from the tree, flames flickering in his hand.

Whoosh! Solid flames descended from the sky and exploded in the middle of the crowd. Sparks burst outward, sending several people flying.

Cries of pain rang out...

Hughes landed in front of the dilapidated house and caught the pitchfork firmly in his hand. Glancing sideways at the crowd ahead, he roared.

"Get lost!"

The clamor fell abruptly silent!

Seeing the villagers scatter and flee, clutching their reddened bodies, Hughes darkened his face and kicked the door open. He threw the pitchfork down with a clang in front of the withdrawn girl hiding in the corner.

"I'm no good at lecturing people, but demon or not, what's more important than your family?

"Don't wait until something happens to Lisanna and Elfman right in front of you before you make a decision.

"These people really do want to kill you. Leave this village and go see the world outside."

The girl beneath the large cloak lifted her head slightly. Two strands of hair hung down, and her blue eyes were full of helplessness and hurt.