In the darkness of the room, a faint oil lamp cast a dim, amber glow, illuminating a lean and sturdy figure.
Flora's slightly wavy black hair cascaded over her shoulders as she sat slumped in a corner. There was blood at the corners of her mouth, and though her breathing was weak, it remained steady.
Her weapons had long since been confiscated, and her body was covered in bruises, yet her gaze remained bright and unyielding.
Faint voices drifted in from outside the room.
"Is this really the right thing to do?"
"Who knows? Boss gave the orders. We can't let her go until that outsider is convicted."
Flora slowly opened her eyes. Her ears caught snippets of the conversation, and she couldn't help but let out a cold sneer.
She already knew exactly who was behind this whole mess.
At that moment, the wooden door creaked open. A harsh white light pierced the gloom, spilling over Flora.
A white-haired youth stepped inside.
He was tall and sturdy, his features marked by a rugged maturity that he tried to hide behind an air of youthful innocence.
Carrying a medical kit, he approached Flora and knelt down, his expression conflicted.
Flora stared coldly at the boy before her, her eyes sharp as knives, making no effort to hide her disgust.
"Sister Flora..." The white-haired youth acted like a child who had done something wrong. He pulled out some ointment from the kit and reached out cautiously to treat her wounds.
Flora stood up and rejected him sternly. "Don't touch me! Now! Get! Out!"
The youth froze, his face flushing with embarrassment. His name was Retos, the only son of Raymond, the chief of Schrade Village. He had grown up with Flora.
For a long time, Retos had harbored a secret crush on the girl who was always solitary and as fiercely independent as a hawk.
However, those feelings had never reached Flora.
"The wounds need medicine, or they'll leave scars." Retos handed the ointment to Flora and continued, "You're safe here. No one will dare harm you."
"Save it. Don't think I don't know what you're up to." Flora leaned against the wall, unable to suppress her rising anger. "What exactly do you want?"
Retos withdrew his hand, a look of internal struggle surfacing on his face.
Flora watched him silently, her gaze unwavering and filled with nothing but cold indifference.
"Retos," Flora said, her voice so cold it lacked even a hint of warmth. She whispered, "If you still remember our childhood, then let me go."
Hearing this, Retos trembled slightly. The medicine bottle slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor with a sharp crack.
He looked up, staring into Flora's stubborn and haughty eyes. His throat bobbed as he struggled with his emotions.
"I'm sorry, I can't," Retos said in a low voice. "But I will never hurt you."
"Fine, then get lost." At his words, the last spark of warmth in Flora's eyes vanished completely.
Retos's fingers gripped the hem of his shirt tightly, his knuckles turning white. He lowered his head, unable to look at Flora any longer.
Silence stretched between the two of them.
A long time passed.
Only then did Retos speak with difficulty. "Just bear it a little longer... once the outsider is dealt with..."
"Get out." Flora looked up, her eyes filled with absolute disappointment. She closed them, refusing to offer any further response.
Seeing this, Retos silently picked up the shards of the medicine bottle and left in resignation.
The moment the door shut, only the solitary oil lamp remained, its flickering light on the verge of dying out.
Flora opened her eyes, a resolute chill gleaming in the depths of her gaze.
*She would absolutely not sit and wait for death.*
* * *
Night fell.
The sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, swirled through the forest.
Sparse campfires flickered on the outskirts of the village, and the silhouettes of patrolling hunters were faintly visible.
Not far away, Leon lay prone in the bushes. His gaze was as sharp as a leopard's as he watched the village intently.
Dumpling and Coco were huddled beside him.
Leon didn't recall such a place in the game. Curious, he asked, "What's the deal with this village?"
"This is Schrade Village, meow," Coco explained simply. "It's a village established long, long ago by humans who crossed the sea from the Kingdom of Schrade."
"Then aren't they outsiders too?" Leon certainly knew of the Kingdom of Schrade; it was an ancient realm present since the early days of Monster Hunter.
Legend had it that the powerful Kingdom of Schrade was invaded by the Black Dragon, eventually splitting into the eastern and western nations.
Coco replied noncommittally, "It depends on how you define 'outsider' versus 'local.' But as far as the Research Commission is concerned, the residents of Schrade Village are indeed considered local hunters, meow."
Schrade Village was a small fishing village located on the southeast coast of the New World, to the east of Astera.
In ancient times, due to the split of the Kingdom of Schrade, refugees fled across the sea to escape the disaster, eventually arriving here.
It wasn't until the First Fleet of the New World Elder Dragon Research Commission arrived that the people of the Old World gradually learned of this mysterious village's existence.
After establishing a connection with the Old World, hunters began to appear in the village, and they too followed the regulations of the Hunters Guild.
At first, the two sides collaborated closely to explore the unknowns of the New World. However, in recent years, as the situation stabilized, the younger generation led by Retos began to grow xenophobic...
Because so many hunters had flooded into the New World, they felt their resources were being snatched away by the Research Commission.
They little realized that it was only because of the powerful hunters from the Research Commission that the various threats of the New World were kept in check.
Complacency had led to poor judgment.
Leon pressed for more information. "Do you have any more intel? Like, who is the chief of Schrade Village?"
"It's Raymond, meow!" Dumpling beat the other to the punch.
"Raymond is an eight-star hunter, meow," Coco added. "Supposedly, he once hunted a High Rank Rathalos and Rathian pair single-handedly. But... he and the Admiral have both been missing for a long time. No one knows where they went, meow."
"There's more, meow!" Dumpling chimed in. "Raymond's son, Retos... I heard he's really skilled too, meow... He was already a four-star hunter by seventeen, meow..."
Hearing this, Leon had a general idea of what they were up against.
Schrade Village was a mysterious settlement with its own organization and military power. If he tried to force his way in, not only would he fail to save Flora, but he and the two Felynes might also lose their lives there.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at Schrade Village under the cover of night.
After a moment's thought, Leon asked, "Can you two find Flora's location first?"
Dumpling and Coco exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.
"We... we should be able to..." Dumpling said softly. "But there are quite a few patrol cats in the village, meow..."
"Hey! Have a little confidence, will you?" Coco glared at Dumpling sternly. "Did you forget our special training? We can slip in during the patrol rotation, meow."
"Okay, meow! I'll do my best..." Dumpling anxiously pawed at his ears with his white paws.
Hearing this, Leon said in a low voice, "Fine. You two handle the scouting. Once you find Flora's location, come back and tell me. You must not reveal yourselves."
Coco and Dumpling nodded in agreement and slipped silently into the night.
Leon continued to hide in the bushes.
A few dozen minutes later, Dumpling and Coco crept back, breathless as they reported, "We found her, meow!"
Coco used his claws to sketch a simple map on the ground. "Flora is being held in a wooden shack in the southwest corner, meow. There are four or five hunters guarding the area, meow."
Dumpling added, "But the shack is connected to the woods. We can dig a tunnel to sneak in, meow!"
Leon studied the crude map intently, his mind racing as he planned the rescue.
After all, trying to rescue someone from the hands of veteran hunters was like trying to snatch food from a tiger's mouth, but his resolve didn't waver in the slightest.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]