NOVEL FROG Chapter 34: Risks and Benefits
Jonn got up from his bed and ran out of the house, encountering a similar scene in front of the other houses in the village.
When he saw Petyr appear through the door of the house opposite his own, Jonn already had the [Scorching Spear] in his hands. He didn’t bother to put on a shirt and ran next to the red-haired man, who also had a weapon in his hands.
Elia watched as the men with more combat experience moved toward the village gate, while the elders muttered among themselves. She felt the blood rushing to her head as her chest heaved.
“Everyone, go to your houses and avoid going out. The men and the younger ones should stay in position with their weapons in case something happens,” she recommended after the first few moments of fear.
Meanwhile, Eliot climbed down from one watchtower and went to the side of the gate where Asher, Jonn, and Petyr were already gathered, with Lance opening the gate for them.
“A carriage is approaching from the southwest. I don’t think they’re like the fake mage. Anyway, they should be here in three minutes,” the young archer said, trying to lighten the mood of his companions.
“We can’t be sure of that until we know what they want,” Petyr said in a low tone. “Everyone who comes to the Eternal Village is a potential enemy. At best, a problem.”
Jonn couldn’t disagree with Petyr’s decisive words. “Let’s handle this carefully. Eliot, go back to the tower and get into position. We’ll take care of this problem.”
Eliot ran back the way he had come, while Asher, Jonn, and Petyr walked outside the village and soon joined the wolves. The two animals had already sensed that something was going on and had moved in.
Lance closed the bamboo gate while the three men stood outside the village. They soon agreed on what to do and were soon on their horses. Whatever these unwelcome visitors wanted, it was best to keep them far away from the village.
In less than a minute, the three of them were riding alongside Ice, while Phantom stayed behind.
They crossed the path between the village and the unwanted visitors. They focused their minds on a possible fight, each of them thinking as fast as their hearts were beating.
The tension in their bodies increased as the sight of the horse-drawn carriage became clearer.
Maybe I’ll finally use [Air Palm] against living beings?
Jonn asked himself, feeling a little hesitant. He had never used such a {Spell} in front of his fellow villagers. He was sure it would raise questions.
If possible, he wanted to avoid fighting in front of his people, but he was willing to do anything to protect his home.
As the village horses slowed down, the people in the approaching carriage realized they would not reach their destination before being stopped.
Arnald frowned when he saw the weapons in the hands of the three men, especially when he noticed the red-haired man running slightly ahead of the trio.
Petyr!
But Arnald had already prepared himself for meeting old acquaintances. He slowed his horse and gradually stopped his carriage in front of the trio from the village.
The four people in the carriage looked out, concern, curiosity, and nervousness visible in the eyes of the three adults and one child.
Jonn, Petyr, and Asher stopped 20 meters in front of the carriage, where their torches helped them see better the only man outside the carriage, acting as the coachman.
Petyr frowned at the sight of the man, momentarily reminded of the old Petrus. But Petrus had been dead and buried in the village for years.
Jonn didn’t know that his chief village guard had doubts about the identity of the middle-aged man in front of the carriage. He asked aloud, speaking with a power and energy that was hard to ignore. “Who are you? What do you want here?”
Arnald looked at Jonn and did not know who he was. But judging by the way Petyr stood to the right of the tall, strong young man, and the other man, whom Arnald didn’t recognize, to the left of Jonn, he realized that the position of the one who asked him was not simple.
“I’m sorry for approaching the village like this. I wish I could have been faster and appear during the day. But we had problems on the way here,” he said, trying to be friendly by showing his hands and smiling. “My name is Arnald, son of Petrus Oatstrider. I’m a former member of the village who has been away from the region for the last few decades! Nice to meet you, young man.”
Jonn didn’t know Arnald and looked at Petyr. The man to his right immediately grimaced and looked at Arnald as if he saw an enemy instead of an old village companion.
“Is there a problem?” Jonn asked quietly, not introducing himself to the newcomer.
“I remember him. His father was a good man. Honest and hardworking. But the Arnald that I remember wasn’t someone you’d let into your house,” Petyr replied, looking at Jonn suggestively. “He doesn’t owe the village anything, if you ask me. But he made a mistake and was asked to leave. I don’t know his motives for returning, but I wouldn’t take him back, Jonn.”
Petyr guessed Arnald wasn’t just passing through and shared his opinion with Jonn.
Jonn narrowed his eyes as Asher remembered the past. He was a few years younger than Petyr and Arnald, so he didn’t identify the man at first. But after his cousin’s comments, old memories surfaced in his mind.
“Wasn’t Arnald one of those who went to Eldoria in search of opportunities?”
“Yes, he supposedly went to Eldoria. But unlike the others, he tried to steal the village’s gold before he left… If it hadn’t been for Elder Hewet’s mercy, this worm would have paid differently for his attempted treachery,” Petyr said, clenching his right hand on his sword. “I’ll be honest with you. I want to kill the worm right here.”
“That wouldn’t be right,” Jonn shook his head. “My grandfather forgave him and let him go. The matter is settled and should be forgotten.”
“What do you intend to do?” Petyr asked.
Despite Petyr’s impulses, he didn’t intend to act. He respected Hewet’s orders more than anything else and simply wanted to share his honest opinion with the two villagers.
“I haven’t decided yet. We need to understand what he wants and what he offers. I’ll bring the matter to the Council to decide their fate.”
Jonn took the reins of his horse and approached Arnald’s carriage.
“My name is Jonn Irondoom, Elder of the Eternal Village.” He introduced himself as Asher and Petyr approached the carriage.
‘Elder?’ Arnald’s eyes narrowed. ‘Irondoom? That was old Hewet’s family name.’
“So it’s Elder Jonn…” Arnald muttered as he knocked on his carriage and motioned for his family to greet the three envoys. “Does that mean Elder Hewet is no longer with us?”
“Exactly. My grandfather died some time ago,” Jonn replied, not hiding the truth.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Arnald tried to sound genuinely sad. “Petyr must have told you I had my problems with the village in the past, but Elder Hewet was merciful to me. I was a fool then. Sigh! The years have taught me to regret the foolish actions of my youth…
But what happened can’t be undone. Anyway, here is my family, Elder Jonn. This is Nibb, my wife, Johan, my son, Marian, my mother-in-law, and Sayer, my brother-in-law. We come from a small town called Littlewood on the border of Eldoria. We had no other way to survive in Littlewood and risked our lives to travel north.
I’m not asking the village to open its doors to my family and welcome me in as if I had done nothing wrong in the past. But I ask the village to give my family a chance to at least prepare for the journey north.”
Petyr couldn’t deny that Arnald spoke well. But he looked away and let out a ‘tsk’ of displeasure at the man’s well-thought-out words.
Jonn narrowed his eyes and looked at the three adults and the child beside Arnald.
They are certainly strangers with the potential to bring trouble to the village. But none of them looks sick. Even the oldest seems to be able to work…
The village needed reinforcements. The current number of residents was small, and some were elderly or had limited abilities due to old injuries.
All it would take was for a disease or a problem like the fake mage to strike the village, and in no time, they would have less than 20 people capable of working.
Jonn didn’t like that!
“You seem to have found a good family, Arnald,” Jonn began, attracting the attention of both humans and animals. “I can give you a chance, as you ask. But it won’t come without a price. You’ve already made a mistake in the past, and as much as that problem has been solved, I can’t ignore it.”
Arnald swallowed his saliva and asked, “What is the condition, Elder Jonn?”
“It won’t be up to me alone to accept your group, even temporarily. I will present your case to the Village Council at dawn, and they will decide if you can stay. But before that, you must understand that staying here for any length of time will cost you irrevocable loyalty and your daily efforts in services of my choice.
If one of you commits a crime and betrays the interests of the village, they will lose their head and the rest of you will be expelled from my village forever.”
Arnald’s eyes widened. He had never heard of such a severe punishment. Hewet had never allowed savagery among the villagers. For decades, Elder Hewet had ruled with moderation. The worst one could suffer for committing a serious crime was to be restrained and forced to work.
The death penalty didn’t exist in the village that he knew of!
Asher and Petyr looked at Jonn in silence, both surprised. But neither objected to the path their leader seemed to be taking. The village didn’t have a death penalty until this evening, but this wasn’t exactly a group of village members.
“A-All right,” the middle-aged man agreed and couldn’t help but look at his wife’s family and gesture for them to follow the rules.
‘I can’t make a mistake this time,’ he thought, as Jonn seemed satisfied for now. ‘I’m not alone anymore. It would be our end to be expelled, even if he’s not going to kill an offender.’
The situation on the continent was worse now than it had been decades ago. The roads were more dangerous, there was less food, and people were more prone to all kinds of savagery.
“Come with us back to the village. You’ll camp on the east side tonight,” Jonn said, pointing as he turned around.
They made their way back to the village, where Arnald would finally realize that the drastic changes this place had undergone were not limited to the death penalty Jonn had mentioned. This group found themselves unable to gauge the potential of the Eternal Village tonight. They were on the opposite side of the area from the plants and it was too dark te see around.
Jonn left Ice to keep an eye on the group before returning to the walled area of the village with Asher and Petyr.
“Eliot, monitor them,” Jonn ordered shortly after his return. “And Lance, let the Council members know we should meet at dawn. We’ll sort out the visitors together!”
“Of course, Elder!” Lance said, still in the dark about who had just arrived in the village.
The hours passed quickly after Jonn’s return, and gradually a new day began. The village Councilors woke up early, curious. They were still in the dark about what had been the problem the night before.
But soon the group would meet in the Council where Jonn would explain the situation they had to decide on. They should accept a strange group and have the benefits of more people working in the village, or deny Arnald’s request and continue as before!
////Novaro////
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