A few days after the battle in the village of Noive, the villagers of Noive arrived in Dyrth ciy.
Dyrth city, the administrative heart of the Varda region, was at the height of its bustling activity. However, the cheerful atmosphere at the city gates suddenly turned cold as ten men dressed in simple peasant clothing stepped inside. At the front, Keywiln walked with a heavy yet steady gait, his eyes fixed forward, ignoring the clamor of the marketplace.
The nine villagers behind him carried very little, but the way they observed their surroundings made the city guards feel intimidated. They did not look like commoners who had come to trade. They looked like a walking storm.
Their first destination was the Adventurers' Guild. The large wooden doors opened with a dull thud. Keywiln stepped toward the reception desk, disregarding the bewildered stares from the gathered adventurers.
The guild receptionist, a young girl, was about to scold them for their attire. However, as Keywiln stood before her, she felt her tongue go numb. The atmosphere surrounding the old man was so thick and oppressive.
"Send this letter immediately to His Majesty the King in the capital!" Keywiln said quietly, yet every word felt like an undeniable command.
"Y-Yes, sir... We will send it immediately using the fastest courier!" the receptionist replied, her hands trembling.
Shortly after, a middle-aged man with a scar on his face descended from the second floor. He was the Guild Master of Dyrth. He had sensed an unusual aura from the moment these ten men entered his building.
"I am the Guild Master here. What is your business, old man? That letter seems quite urgent." the Guild Master asked warily.
Keywiln did not blink. His sharp eyes stared directly into the Guild Master's pupils. "I only ask that the guild ensures this letter reaches the King's hands. And now, take me to the residence of Marquis Sylvestre."
The Guild Master hesitated at first. Escorting strangers to a noble's residence was a risky move. However, as he looked into the depths of Keywiln's eyes, his adventurer instincts screamed. The old man before him was no ordinary person. "Very well... Follow me."
Upon arriving at the gates of Marquis Sylvestre's mansion, two knights in full plate armor stood guard at the iron gates. Seeing the group of commoners approaching, the guards immediately unsheathed their weapons.
"Halt! Commoners are forbidden to approach! Leave before we drag you to the dungeons!" barked one of the guards.
One of the villagers accompanying Keywiln stepped forward. "Open the gate, or we will destroy it along with this entire wall."
The guards laughed mockingly, dismissing it as the bluff of a mad farmer. However, a villager immediately utilized his magic.
Boom!
The gate shattered, and the two guards were instantly blown back. Hearing the commotion at the mansion gates, everyone, both inside the mansion and in the surrounding area, rushed toward the source of the noise.
The Guild Master could hardly believe his eyes. He had never imagined a villager could use magic powerful enough to obliterate an iron gate.
Keywiln and the nine villagers walked into the mansion courtyard. Right in front of the luxurious manor, the Marquis's wife emerged in an expensive purple silk gown, escorted by a line of servants and private soldiers. She looked at the chaos at the gate with utter disgust and fury.
"Hey, peasants! How dare you soil my courtyard with this mess? Do you wish to be executed so badly?" the woman shrieked in a high-pitched voice.
Keywiln stood tall, returning her gaze with icy indifference. "Execution? It is today's meeting that will determine whether your family still has a tomorrow, Madam!"
"How insolent!" the Marquis's wife screamed, her face flushed with rage. The Guild Master tried to calm her, but she was already consumed by fury.
"Do you know?" Keywiln began in a calm yet piercing tone. "Marquis Sylvestre attacked our village. A foolish act driven by ridiculous accusations and blind ambition. He disturbed a place that should never have been touched by someone like him."
The Marquis's wife froze. She knew her husband had taken a large force, but she never expected a result like this. "Where is my husband? Where is my son, Tristan?!"
"So, you knew about the invasion plan, Madam? Do you not know the consequences when someone dares to attack our village?"
Keywiln and the other villagers began pulling the remaining corpses from their spatial magic bags. Hundreds of Varda's elite soldiers were piled in the mansion courtyard, including the body of Marquis Sylvestre himself and his commander.
"Your son and that arrogant mage..." Keywiln held up Victor's silver staff. "They have both turned to ash on our soil."
The Marquis's wife collapsed onto the marble tiles. Hysterical sobbing tore through the air. The guards, seeing their fallen master, moved in a fit of rage, drawing their swords to strike the villagers.
In an instant, the nine villagers moved. Their movements were incredibly fast and efficient. Only the sounds of physical impact and short groans could be heard. Within seconds, dozens of guards lay collapsed on the ground, helpless against the physical prowess of the people of Noive.
The Marquis's wife, having lost her mind to grief, suddenly rose. She was quite a powerful mage. She began chanting a high-level fire spell combined with wind. Blue flames began to swirl around her, creating an intensely hot storm.
Keywiln saw this not as a threat, but as an act of stupidity. If that magic were released, many innocent citizens would be caught in the blast. Without hesitation, Keywiln lunged in a single breath.
Zrash!
The woman's head was severed from her neck in a single sword movement that even the Guild Master failed to track. The woman died instantly, her magic flickering out before it could explode.
"Why this woman release high-level magic?" Keywiln said coldly as he wiped his dagger. Did this woman intend to destroy the city and everyone in it?"
The entire mansion courtyard fell into a deathly silence. The Guild Master, the servants, and the remaining soldiers stood frozen, their bodies trembling violently. They realized that the people before them were no longer ordinary humans, but apex predators who had been hiding behind the status of farmers.
Keywiln turned to everyone around him. "You nobles have forgotten who brought great victory to this kingdom during the Great War against the Fellims Kingdom in the past. You have become conceited and dared to disturb us!"
Keywiln released a suffocating aura of killing intent. Several servants fainted instantly, while others fell to their knees under the sheer mental pressure.
"Whoever disturbs us, your lives shall be the price! I hope His Majesty can quickly deal with the fools who try to break that ancient pact!"
The ten men from Noive turned and walked out of the mansion with calm steps. They left the City of Dyrth with a wound that would never heal in the memory of anyone who saw them that day.
The Guild Master could only stare at their retreating backs in horror. Terrifying... The Marquis and his entire power were erased in an instant. I never suspected Noive Village harbored monsters in human form.