### Chapter 67: Back Again
As the noon sunlight broke through the clouds and bathed the lush, vibrant soil, it spilled into the smoke-wreathed village, stretching the shadows of the scattered stone houses. The village folks, clad in rough linen, wrapped up their morning tasks and made their way home, chatting and laughing. A couple of groups ran into each other and exchanged cheerful greetings.
“What a beautiful sun today… Hey! Did you run into the Knight?”
One man asked, and the response came with a shake of the head.
“No! We were busy weeding the fields this morning, just got back… So, did a Knight pass by earlier?”
“Don’t you know? I heard from that Dorr brat. He said he saw a whole team riding those tall horned horses, heading past the mud ditch from the south of the village, looking quite majestic.”
“Really? That Dorr kid snuck out again to take a look?”
“That kid doesn’t do any work all day. He’s just always asking about stuff. He must be thrilled to see a Knight from the First Knights Order.”
“Just like Dorr, he can’t help himself.”
“I heard there are thousands of knights camped at the forest’s edge south of the village. If you climb over the southern ditch and walk a few miles, you’ll see a whole bunch of tents. When night falls, with the torches lit, they say it’ll light up half the forest!”
“Is that true…?”
“Of course it is! A few days ago, Frode went to check it out, came back shaking like a leaf, claiming he saw the Pope Knight there.”
At this, everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.
“The Pope Knight? South of the village?”
“Yep.”
“I just can’t believe it… How on earth can Frode recognize the Pope Knight?”
“Come on, you can tell just by the cloak, with those beautiful flowers and gold trim, just like what Little Shay wore last year. Anyone in the village who saw it would never forget!”
“That’s true…”
“Did Frode say which Hero came along?”
“He mentioned more than one, some even had black cloaks.”
“What’s going on, anyway?”
“Who knows…”
“Wasn’t there a fight at the Moser Coast recently? Even Claire’s kid went. I wonder if it’s related…”
“Hey, how about we all go take a look south tonight?”
“Sounds good…”
“Just don’t tell my wife…”
“She won’t mind…”
“Of course not…”
The group continued their chatter as they walked away into the shade.
…………
On the narrow path south leading to the houses, Ryan slouched with squinted eyes, a piece of straw in his mouth, hands tucked behind his head, leisurely making his way home after wandering around all morning.
“Mom, is there anything to eat?”
Entering the small courtyard enclosed by a rickety fence, he trudged through the muddy vegetable patch and reached the door of his stone house. He pushed the decaying wooden door open with a grunt and shouted into the house before even crossing the threshold.
“I’m hungry! Mom, did you k*ll a chicken this morning? Mom?”
The house was hot and damp, water stains covered the floor, and there were a few scattered vegetable leaves. The stone walls had cracks, with moss growing in between, and the modest living room had very little furniture – a storage cabinet, a wooden frame hung with currants, and a bed made of straw mats, all looking quite aged. The only decent piece was the wooden table sitting in the middle, surprisingly new.
Ryan plopped down at the table, propped his left ankle on his right thigh, peered at the mud on his shoe, scraped it off, and wiped his fingers on his clothes. Just then, he heard some commotion coming from the kitchen and called out, “Mom? Are you there? What about that chicken from this morning? I want chicken!”
“Mom—”
“Quit yelling! There’s no chicken!”
A plump, dark-skinned middle-aged woman emerged from the kitchen, clearly irritated, holding a steaming ladle, and pointed at Ryan, “Where have you been?! I told you to gather some hay to fix the roof. You disappear as soon as I turn around! Look at the floor! The rainwater from two nights ago hasn’t dried yet! Just eating and eating! You’re a grown man! Can’t you take some responsibility for the house?”
“I wasn’t feeling well this morning!”
Ryan countered, a bit grumpy after being scolded. “I was achy all over! Where’s Dad? Why doesn’t he fix the roof? Why do I have to do everything?”
“He? He went to the Knight camp to watch the show! Took the chicken you were thinking about to give to the Hero! You can have stew for lunch… Honestly, always idolizing heroes, you two are just the same!”
“What’s wrong with idolizing heroes?!”
“Nothing much, but you should finish your chores first.” The woman waved her hand impatiently. “Whatever, I can talk ’til I’m blue in the face. Just wait! I’ll make a pot of stew; there’s black bread left over. You’ll have that for now, and when your father returns, you two will fix the roof.”
“Why is it always stew and bread…”
Ryan grumbled unwillingly.
The woman was about to turn back into the kitchen when she suddenly snapped around at his complaint, glaring at him, “What do you have to complain about? If you don’t want to eat, then don’t!”
Ryan wasn’t backing down either, glaring back, “What’s wrong with me?!”
“What’s wrong with you? Look at yourself! At twenty, you’re just running around with a bunch of kids, doing nothing all day, and still complaining about this and that! Other kids your age are already hard at work, while you can’t even handle a hoe! Keep it up, and what girl’s going to want you?”
Her words hit home, and Ryan’s face turned red with anger, teeth gritting as he found himself at a loss for a retort. He sat at the table, locking eyes with his mother, but he couldn’t beat her glare and eventually turned his head away, “Hmph, what kind of girls are in this village? I wouldn’t want them anyway!”
“Oh, look at you getting all high and mighty!”
The woman couldn’t resist needling him further, “You can talk big, but if you really had what it takes, why don’t you go ask Claire’s girl where that Little Beauty is? You ought to bring her home!”
Ryan whipped around, “Mom—!”
His face was flushed, mouth agape, eyes wide as saucers, like he was about to explode. But his mother didn’t give him a chance, wagging her ladle, her voice relentless, “That Little Beauty has been gone for a year, hasn’t she? If you really could do something, you’d go chase after her! You could marry her! But look at you! You think you’re worthy? That girl is on another level, living who-knows-where, in a life you can’t even imagine! You can’t just daydream about a frog wanting to eat swan meat; get your own life in order first!”
“What do you know! Little Shay blushes every time she sees me!”
“That’s because you annoy her!”
“No, it’s not!”
“She even threw rocks at you! Don’t think I don’t know!”
“You don’t know anything—”
“Could you please show a little self-respect? Look at Barry; he’s younger than you and already a Knight!”
“So what?! As long as I want to do it, I can definitely be better than him!”
As the two argued, suddenly a sound of water boiling over came from the kitchen. The woman’s face went pale.
“Oh no, the pot…”
Ignoring Ryan, she dashed back into the kitchen.
Leaving the sulking boy sitting at the table, fuming.
Why can’t I do anything…
Ryan had his hand raised, ready to smack the lamp off the table, but paused, thinking that if it broke, his mother would probably make him go to the next town to get it fixed. After deliberating for a moment, he lowered his hand again.
He felt suffocated.
Staring blankly at the table, he replayed his mother’s words in his mind, and suddenly the vision of a clear, captivating face floated into his thoughts, like an angel.
Little Shay…
The girl who had only lived in the village for a short time, yet captivated the hearts of all the unmarried boys, including Ryan and Barry, was now somewhere, living who knows how well.
But she was already a remarkable Hero…
A year had passed, yet Ryan still had nightmares occasionally.
In his dreams, twisted, silly, and creepy demons relentlessly chased him, their sharp footfalls echoing like knives on the ground, “Clang—Clang—” The sound was spine-chilling and ever-closer. Ryan ran desperately, gasping for breath, unable to shake them off.
Then, a flurry of frost fell like snow, and the delicate white figure hidden in the swirling snow, the flash of black hair, appeared again before him.
Ryan’s dreams always awakened at the moment of the girl’s reassuring smile thrown his way.
He couldn’t tell if this was a nightmare or not.
Regardless, that terrible disaster had passed a year ago. Now the villagers were slowly emerging from the shadows of the past. The damaged houses still stood, remnants washed clean by countless stormy nights, their sorrowful essence faded. Wildflowers bloomed in the stone ravines, vines spiraling up wooden beams, creating a surprisingly pleasant sight from afar.
Recently, Hank, who lived in the house opposite Ryan and had played with him since childhood, married the hunter’s daughter.
The wedding took place in the town’s church, with Father Merlin officiating. Ryan, as his good friend, naturally attended. They embraced in the beautiful hall, making vows before the altar and sharing a kiss. Watching from below, Ryan silently blessed them while imagining if one day, he and Little Shay could be like that…
Yet the girl who haunted his thoughts had long departed to another vibrant world he knew nothing about.
A world he couldn’t imagine.
She must be living a life beyond his wildest dreams.
But that didn’t mean that Little Shay wouldn’t glance back at this place.
Ryan always felt she would come back.
The time she saved him, he didn’t get to say a word of thanks. After the demons disappeared, Little Shay lay in the warmth of the Dragon God’s fur, safe and sound, sleeping peacefully.
For three days.
No one knew, Ryan had quietly watched over her for those three days, hidden from view.
He had no other thoughts; he just wanted to express his gratitude to that girl, who seemed like a mythic being.
The words he always wanted to say.
But before he could muster the courage, she had quietly left one morning.
Ryan had actually understood long ago.
Little Shay, she didn’t belong here.
Someone like her wouldn’t belong to his humble village; Ryan knew that well. His mother was somewhat mistaken about him; he wasn’t lost in unrealistic fantasies. He just wanted to say thank you… just a simple thank you.
If Little Shay ever came back…
He would gather his courage.
This thought had been swirling in Ryan’s mind for a year, especially in the last month. He noticed many Knights stopping by, sometimes entering the village as if inspecting something, asking villagers a few questions. Later, they set up camp to the south, and Ryan had secretly gone to see it several times; he even spotted the Pope Knight there, the legendary Hero. Although he couldn’t recognize which one it was, that didn’t dampen his excitement.
It seemed something big was about to happen that he didn’t know…
So many people coming… and the legendary Hero…
Would Little Shay…
Come back?
Ryan had a quiet lunch that day.
After lunch, under his mother’s insistence, he reluctantly carried a bucket to fetch water at the village entrance.
With his mind racing, he dashed along, planning to quickly bring the water back and sneak away before his father returned, so he wouldn’t have to help fix the roof. He could grab a few friends and run south to check out the Knights’ camp.
With the bucket swinging behind him, he jogged, feeling the wind rustle through the wildflowers and grass by the roadside.
“Ryan! Ryan!”
Suddenly, a familiar voice called from behind. Ryan turned and saw two little buddies who always stuck to him, running up, faces flushed with excitement.
“Ryan! Have you heard?! Have you heard?!”
His friends, breathless and giddy, gestured towards the village entrance. “Over there! My mom said a whole bunch of Knights have come! So many! And even a Bishop in a fancy robe! Bro, it seems some important people are coming! They all went to see, even Father Merlin is over there waiting. I just saw him go!”
“Bro! Let’s go see!”
“We might even get to meet the Pope Knight!”
The Pope Knight…
Ryan’s eyes lit up, his excitement bubbling over.
“Lead the way!”
He dropped the bucket, forgetting all about fetching water, and dashed off with the two kids towards the village entrance.
By the time they arrived, the entrance was packed with people, a cacophony of excited voices could be heard from afar.
“Did you ask…”
“I asked! I spoke to this friendly Knight over there, and he was willing to chat with me…”
“What did he say?”
“He said a caravan is coming with some important people; they’re all waiting…”
“Who could it be, with such a big deal?”
“The Knight wouldn’t say…”
“I just saw Father Merlin! Look! He’s over there! Who’s brave enough to ask him…?”
“Isn’t that a Bishop standing next to him? I wouldn’t dare…”
“Even the Bishop is standing there…”
“Right…”
“The lead Knight has dismounted…”
“Who could it be…”
“We can’t even begin to guess…”
“Whoever it is, they must be blessed by the Deity…”
“Will we prosper from this…?”
Ryan, with his little buddies, tried to push through the crowd, but it was packed too tightly, making it impossible to get to the front. The kids bounced around anxiously, and Ryan glanced around until he saw a tall tree nearby. He tossed the bucket aside, saying, “You guys keep an eye on the bucket! I’ll climb the tree to see what’s going on and tell you!”
The kids nodded eagerly, and Ryan rolled up his sleeves, quickly made his way to the tree, spat into his hands like a frog, and scrambled up the trunk. Once he reached a sturdy branch, he stood up slowly, craning his neck to look out of the village.
Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, painting the distant flower-strewn grassland in a shade of wheat gold.
About a hundred meters from the village entrance, hundreds of knights clad in golden armor stood in neat rows, as proud and solid as pine trees, motionless. Beside them, the horned horses were also decked out in sturdy armor, shimmering under the sun, standing as quietly as their riders.
At the very front of the line stood a grand figure in ornate armor, wrapped in a white cloak.
This man’s blade was already unsheathed, plunged into the ground before him, supporting himself on the hilt with both hands, his cloak fluttering wildly in the wind. Ryan’s eyes widened, and he caught a glimpse of the gorgeous golden flowers embroidered on that cloak.
This was the symbol of the hero he revered the most: the Pope Knight.
“Ryan! Ryan! What do you see—”
“Quick, tell us!”
The two kids bounced and jumped below, eagerly waiting for his update.
But Ryan was so shocked he could barely speak.
This was a scene of grandeur he had never witnessed before.
The remarkable, great people, were all quietly gazing ahead, patiently waiting for something.
Ryan could not fathom who could be commanding such respect from these distinguished individuals, standing under the sun.
He stood on the branch, staring at the scene for a long time. When his excitement finally calmed, he prepared to look down and talk to the kids when dust suddenly rose in the distance. A caravan rounded the hillside, coming into sight.
The people gathered at the village entrance erupted into commotion.
“Holy Church’s First Knights Order!!!”
From the front of the line, the cloaked hero’s voice roared into the sky, resounding in Ryan’s ears.
He plunged the sword he held into the ground and crisply declared, “Salute—!”
Whoosh—
Everyone stood tall at that order, instinctively raising their fists against their chests in unison.
They eyed the approaching caravan, watching the regal horned chariot slow to a halt in front of them. The leading knights dismounted their beasts in quick succession and bowed respectfully to the Pope Knight waiting.
Then the chariots came to a stop.
Ryan’s attention fixated on the grandest carriage.
It halted at the forefront, and the driver, dressed like a clergy member, hopped off the beast and swiftly approached, respectfully lifting the curtain of the carriage.
A girl dressed in a black skirt and wrapped in a white cloak jumped down from the carriage.
As she stepped off, she appeared a bit dazed, scanning her surroundings. She had a huge black leather suitcase slung on her back, and her petite body was tightly enveloped by the cloak, which fluttered in the wind.
That was…
In that moment, Ryan held his breath, his eyes widening, his heart racing.
Little Shay!
He almost shouted her name.
Ryan stood frozen on the tree, watching that figure he had yearned for day and night. Watching the knights welcoming her, his mind was utterly confused, unable to distinguish between dream and reality.
It was her…
Was it really her?
She…
Had returned…
