Chapter 31: The Puppet

The Church Courtyard

The two arrived outside the church. A nun was trimming the orange trees in the courtyard. Beyond that, the entire compound, inside and out, was silent. Rella had already noticed the commotion beyond the walls. That suit of armor hadn’t changed in twenty years—the Church was truly frugal. Mithril production was scarce each year, and the equipment forged from it even rarer. Who would’ve thought such a prominent figure would come? “Please, come inside,” Rella said with a faint smile, turning to head back into the house. A moment later, she returned with tea for Anna and Roger.

After introductions, the three got straight to the point. Roger removed his helmet through a tedious process. His face was younger than expected, around thirty, clean-shaven but still showing traces of stubble. “Please lead the way.” “My duty,” Rella nodded lightly, though her gaze toward Anna held confusion. If she wasn’t going with them, why had she come along?

Noticing Rella’s curious look, Anna only returned a smile. After the two left, she wandered into the village. Dismounted, she was no taller than a child. Even without her black trench coat, she could likely blend into the crowd. Still, she preferred to keep a low profile.

Anna strolled toward the village, recalling years ago when she and her husband could leisurely walk across a small bridge, watching the water rush below. How long had it been…?

“Who’re you? I haven’t seen you before,” a girl appeared before her, slightly taller than Anna. Viyi wondered why she was dressed like that—she seemed like an outsider. “I’m a lot older than you,” Anna said, amused, sizing up the playful girl before her, intrigued by the purple egg in her hand. “Really?” Viyi couldn’t tell from her face or voice. “Where’s your family?” “At home. My teacher’s out. Is something up?”

To the girl’s question, Anna responded with an odd one of her own. “Are you doing alright here?” What a strange person, asking such strange things. Viyi was about to change the subject when she heard something fall. The “little girl” in front of her collapsed without warning.

Anna apologized and asked for help. “Could you grab my ‘leg’ for me?” “…” The girl stood frozen, unable to process. Anna had to pick up her fallen “leg” herself, sitting on a roadside stone to reattach it. “Alright, I won’t trouble you… It’s been too long since maintenance; I almost forgot.”

Muttering to herself, Anna pulled a small bottle from her pocket and applied it to her joints. Her expression seemed to recall faint memories stirred by the incident. “Did I scare you?” “You… this…” The girl stammered nervously, instinctively stepping back half a pace, holy magic faintly flickering in her hands.

Anna remembered how she used to explain to others that she was a puppet. Back then, some would speak up for her. Now… she missed it, just a little. In the moments that followed, Anna gently coaxed Viyi to sleep. In every sense of the word.

The faint glow in her deep purple eyes faded. Anna propped the girl against a wall and returned to the church. Best not to trouble others.

The Village at Dusk

Maple Whisper Village’s twilight was grander than expected. Anna sat quietly in the courtyard through the afternoon, until the sunset’s glow settled on the mountainside. Vast swathes of golden light fermented silently, the scenery above the snowline like a perfectly baked cake, dotted with occasional glimmers. Coming back to herself, she noticed the lights had climbed far upward. The entire backyard was cloaked in the lonely shadows of evening.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when two figures entered the courtyard. Anna could barely make out their faces. “Leaving tonight?” “The war shifts by the moment. A pillar is needed to steady hearts,” Roger said, leading his warhorse without pause.

Anna turned to Roger. “Everything settled?” “In the name of the Lord, it is done.” She nodded slightly and mounted her horse with a light step.

The two waited quietly as Rella closed the church’s doors and windows, then secured the gate. The three left under the cover of dusk, as if they had never come.

Carlin Village

Wooden spiked barricades tightly guarded the village entrance. The sun sank low. Anxiety stirred the air, as if people feared tomorrow’s sun would never rise. A boy leaned against the barricade, coughing incessantly. His left arm’s bandage was soaked with pus. A girl approached, her face full of worry, and replaced it with a clean cloth.

A middle-aged man leaned on a long spear, his face tinged with fatigue. “Uncle Taote…” The girl’s comforting words caught in her throat. The last ray of light left the church’s flag, stripping away the village’s final shred of hope. Though lamps were lit within the village, their sparks could never replace the sun.

Then, one by one, lights flickered in the surrounding forest. Countless fireflies seemed to rise, until those flames set the village’s barricades ablaze. “Prepare for battle!” The church’s great bell rang urgently, its heavy tolls like a lighthouse’s final song.

“Hiss—roar! Hiss—!” Beastly roars shattered the barricade. A swarm of goblins broke through, rushing in chaotically. Taote thrust his spear, piercing one goblin’s chest, then flung another sneaking attacker away.

The bandaged boy gripped his fists and joined the resistance. Youth made him prone to mistakes, but a nearby old farmer saved him with a hoe. These creatures were small, barely taller than children, yet stronger and cunning, excelling at ambushes. Though not clever, they wielded weapons. The village couldn’t focus its strength on one point.

Normally, they could hold out, but the sheer number of goblins now exceeded the villagers. Stamina was depleting rapidly, and they might not last. Worse, the fire was spreading toward the houses. The defenders gradually fell back, tightening their line. In the darkness, something else seemed to approach.

Inside the church, a girl shivered, clasping her hands in prayer. Women tended to the wounded, some gripping pitchforks in preparation. An arrow struck the church’s stained glass, a dull thud echoing. The boy burst through the church doors, and everyone instantly went on alert. “We need to leave! There are too many monsters…!”

No need for lengthy explanations—most weren’t fools. The soldiers who’d come asking questions days ago hadn’t returned. There was no more waiting. Everyone sprang into action.

Rite grabbed Aika’s wrist and pulled her outside. “Pastor Moro is still bedridden!” “You go first—I’ll get him!” He sent the girl into the crowd and turned back to the church. The pale-faced pastor lay on a makeshift stretcher.

Aika lingered nearby, refusing to leave until she saw Rite and others carry the pastor out. She barely exhaled in relief when a dark shadow lunged from a corner, tackling the boy! The massive figure left almost no room for resistance. A scream drew everyone’s attention.

The commotion seemed to carry far, reaching a silver-haired girl on a distant path, her expression unchanged as she rode the wind under the moonlight, hastening forward.