034 - Interlude: Astra II

 

As they walked, the trio ahead stopped at their destination.

It was a wide open space—oddly large.

There was nothing but bare ground, no grass in sight. It could easily accommodate Astra's group of three hundred. Looking closer, it seemed something big had been there not long ago.

"This used to be the assembly hall. It got wrecked during Zamba Broad's attack. I thought you'd come, so I got wheat brought here," the demon said.

"Over there's a granary. Take what you need. We've set some aside for ourselves," he added.

No one was really worried about the orcs.

But what the demon said felt unnecessary. Over where he pointed, there was a worn-out granary. It didn't seem like it was set up just now to trick anyone.

"We'll check and take the wheat. If it's enough, we'll leave. Have you got enough wheat?" Captain Gyalan asked.

The demon just nodded.

"Yeah. If you were feeding a thousand people, it'd be different. But we've got enough for this village's size. We're not negotiating anymore. Any complaints, and we'll attack. And we'll destroy your stuff too," the demon said.

"...Or you could try taking our stuff first," someone said.

"Go ahead," the demon replied.

Their threats didn't scare them.

But they expected that. They knew Astra's group would come eventually. So, they prepared.

They knew what we wanted, and they got ready to protect themselves.

And we won't let them take advantage of us.

It felt bad.

Really bad.

"Hmph! I don't like this, but we're in a hurry. We'll get the wheat and go. You'll be safe. Alright?" Gyalan said.

"There won't be a next time."

"...What?"

"We won't keep putting up with this. We have our own goals—to beat the Lion King and get what he's hoarding."

"Got it. We won't bother with your village anymore. If you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone. And tell your friends they can have what we leave behind. Just leave and don't come back," the demon said.

We're different.

Gyalan was trying to convince himself.

We can't keep being ruled by the Lion King. It's wrong. But it's also about our pride.

You can't live without pride.

Being treated like dirt is just humiliating.

 

"Ufufu," a chilling chuckle pierced the air.

In an instant, the human girl's lips curled upwards, but it was no ordinary smile. It sent shivers down Astra's spine, as though every scale on her body had been mercilessly stripped away. Astra's gaze flickered back to the girl, a sense of unease gripping her, only to find the smile had vanished, leaving uncertainty in its wake.

"If that's settled, let's retrieve what we came for and depart! Hyenas and kobolds, haul the carts to the granary! I'll conduct the inspection inside. The rest of you, stay vigilant. Act without hesitation if anything seems awry. And you," Gyalan's accusatory finger pointed at the human girl, "You, lead the way to the granary. You know the terms; if anything goes amiss, her life is forfeit. Keep silent, demon."

"Yeah, whatever. I intended for the girl to guide you from the outset," the demon retorted dismissively, ushering them forward with a careless wave.

The blonde girl adorned a different smile now—genuinely captivating, unlike the previous unsettling one—as she gestured towards the granary, silently beckoning them to follow.

A sense of impending doom loomed.

But what awaited them exactly?

Astra couldn't say.

Yet, the urgency gnawed at her.

The blonde girl advanced towards the granary, with Gyalan trailing close behind. Meanwhile, the hyenas and kobolds arranged the carts for easier transportation of wheat.

One breath, two breaths.

Unconsciously, Astra counted her heartbeats.

Five, six, seven...

Just before reaching ten,

—The granary erupted.

It was akin to a scene from a painting; the explosion unfurled with sudden and intense combustion, accompanied by a deafening roar and scorching heat wave, expanding from the granary's core to its surroundings.

Naturally, the nearby hyenas and kobolds were thrown off by the blast's force. And as for Gyalan, who stood at the epicenter—it was needless to say what fate befell him.

Or rather... the girl should have been consumed by the explosion.

No one could have predicted such an outcome from her serene expression when she volunteered to lead them. If impending victims smiled like that, Astra doubted she could trust anything in this world anymore.

 

In the face of such calamity, no one could react.

Perhaps it was because Astra and her team stood somewhat distanced from the explosion's epicenter. Had it occurred closer, their bodies would have reacted before their minds.

Was this the source of the foreboding feeling—?

No, it felt different.

Suddenly, Astra's gaze shifted to the demon and the fox lady.

They had already bolted.

Towards the village outskirts. Towards the hills.

And—her attention was drawn once more to something at the periphery of her vision.

She couldn't comprehend what was unfolding.

Why were rocks raining from the sky?!

"Rocks—above—!!" someone yelled.

But from where, and why?

Amidst the onslaught of falling rocks, there was no time to ponder. Rocks of a size that promised instant death upon impact, yet might be deflected with a weapon, plummeted down.

But what difference would it make to deflect one?

Even if two were blocked, it wouldn't suffice.

It was senseless, unfathomable.

Yet, they understood all too well they had fallen into a trap.