After walking for a while under Pal’s guidance, the Lux village finally came into view.
Nestled at the foot of a quiet mountain, far from any other t
own—
it should have been a peaceful place.
But—
The moment we stepped inside, something felt… wrong.
Too quiet.
The wind echoed unnaturally loud.
There was no sign of life.
I scanned the surroundings.
The houses—were destroyed.
Roofs had been blown away. Walls were torn apart as if something had ripped through them from the inside. Doors were shredded, and the window frames were covered in deep claw-like marks.
Burnt wood had turned black, and a faint smell of smoke still lingered in the air.
The ground was scarred—drag marks, impact craters, gouged earth.
Some houses had completely collapsed, crushed as if by an overwhelming force from above.
And then—
There were traces of everyday life.
Shattered dishes. Scattered food. Tools abandoned mid-use.
It was painfully clear—
Just moments ago, this place had been alive.
And then, in an instant… everything was taken.
“…What happened here…?”
The words slipped out of my mouth.
Pal, Pul, and Pol stood frozen, unable to speak.
Only our footsteps echoed as we walked through the empty village, searching for any sign of survivors.
Then—
“Wait… I smell someone. This way.”
Ligan said, sniffing the air.
A flicker of hope ignited.
We immediately headed in that direction.
Soon, we spotted a lone figure.
An elderly man with silver hair knelt before a statue of a goddess, quietly praying.
Amid the ruined village, that place alone felt… untouched. As if time had stopped there.
“Grandpa Enya!!”
Pal and Pul ran toward him.
“That’s Grandpa Enya,” Pol explained.
“He takes care of the Three Sages. Everyone in the village respects him.”
The old man slowly lifted his face.
The moment he saw them—
His eyes widened.
“P-Pal-sama…?!”
His voice trembled.
“You’ve returned… safely… thank the heavens…”
Tears welled in his eyes.
“Grandpa Enya, what happened?! Why is the village empty?!”
Pal grabbed his shoulders, demanding answers.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then spoke.
“…A few days ago, we were attacked by the Dragon God Tribe.
They demanded that we submit to them—or be wiped out.”
His voice shook as he continued.
“For several days, the Three Sages tried to negotiate… but they refused to listen.
Eventually, they resorted to force.”
“…The Three Sages led the adults of the village to fight back…
but their power… was beyond anything we had imagined.”
The old man’s face turned pale as the memory resurfaced.
His body trembled.
“Then… what about the Sages? The villagers…?”
Pal asked, her expression desperate—as if praying for a miracle.
“…The Three Sages were killed in that battle.
Most of the adults… as well.”
His words fell like a blade.
“The children… I was ordered by the Sages to evacuate them. They are hiding in a cave in the mountains.”
Silence.
Pal’s hope shattered.
“…No… the Sages…?”
Pal, Pul, and Pol stood there, speechless.
“Grandpa Enya… please take us to the cave. To the survivors.”
Pal’s voice was weak, barely holding together.
As we headed toward the mountain cave, guided by Grandpa Enya, he told us more about what had happened.
There were only two attackers.
One was a young man—with long hair reaching his waist and a tattoo stretching from his left cheek to his left eye.
The other… was a woman.
She laughed the entire time—
even as she slaughtered the villagers.
Their strength was absolute.
Even the Three Sages’ most powerful magic had no effect.
Over fifty villagers fought back.
They were wiped out in less than five minutes.
“It wasn’t a battle…” Enya whispered.
“It was a massacre.”
As we listened, the three future sages clenched their teeth, their bodies trembling with rage.
“Pal-sama, Pul-sama, Pol-sama… please do not blame yourselves,” Enya said gently.
“The power of the Dragon God Tribe was far beyond our imagination.
Even if you had been there… the outcome would not have changed.”
He looked at them softly.
“In fact… the fact that you survived is a blessing.”
His voice carried quiet weight.
“You were meant to lead this village one day.
For the Lux Tribe… you are our hope.”
コメント