Incompatible Interspecies Wives

Chapter 72: Dems Village (3)

After the meal, I approached the members who were making final preparations to set out.

Ner, who had been carried into the inn, now seemed to have regained her strength and walked behind me.

Upon my arrival, Baran started to gather the members.

No matter how minor the request was, everyone took a deep breath and mentally prepared themselves.

Seeing us gather like this, the villagers also started to come out to watch.

Village Chief Nox, who had been resting nearby with his daughter Kayla, approached us as well.

I could feel anew just how vital this request was to this village.

"Berg-nim, are you leaving now?"

Nox asked with concern.

I looked at him and nodded.

"That's the plan."

"Please be careful. I know you can handle it, but... I can't help but worry."

His lighthearted words conveyed a deep sincerity.

It made me think he must have been the chief of the village for reasons like this.

To alleviate his worries, I nodded again.

"....Um..."

Just as I was about to give Baran a command, Nox approached me once more.

He swallowed his words and hesitated for a while before carefully saying,

"...Would you consider taking Kayla with you?"

Seeing my silent puzzlement, he quickly tried to explain.

"It's, it's not that we don't trust you... but this is a matter of our safety, and we want to be absolutely certain..."

"...What do you mean?"

Nox leaned in and earnestly clarified.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way. But if by chance Berg-nim were to overlook any monsters... there's nothing more troubling for our village. We'd feel more at ease if Kayla could see and verify things firsthand..."

Though he chose his words carefully, I understood his intent.

"...So you're saying you need a witness?"

"..."

Nox confirmed my statement with silence.

In truth, trust was paramount in a relationship bound by promises.

But it couldn't be built solely on blind faith.

I wasn't particularly offended by his words.

So I proposed an alternative.

"How about I bring back the heads of the monsters as proof? Would that suffice?"

"Wouldn't it be more convenient to take Kayla with you? She's familiar with the local geography and could be of help."

"..."

Considering it, Nox had a point.

If the boss monster was the primary target, presenting its head as evidence would be sufficient. But killing dozens of dispersed monsters in Dems Village and collecting each one wouldn't be an easy task.

Both options had their conveniences.

Dems Village would get a reliable witness, and we wouldn't have to meticulously collect monster corpses.