WHY ME!!

Chapter 8: A Call to Arms

WHY ME!!

Chapter 8: A Call to Arms

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Argus closed the old book on The Great War and let out a deep, frustrated sigh. The ancient tale of battles and heroes felt heavy on his mind, stirring up more questions than answers. He stared out his bedroom window, looking at the quiet village beyond, now ghostly in its stillness. Just days ago, life here had been as lively as always—laughter, street vendors calling out their wares, children chasing each other down winding paths. Now, the entire village felt like it was holding its breath. News of a special-ranked monster lurking in the nearby forest had spread like wildfire, and now every door stayed tightly shut.

But that’s not the only thing bothering me, he thought, recalling his father’s strange, cryptic comments about “the war.” The Great War happened 500 years ago, he thought, frowning. There’s no way he could’ve been there, so what war was he talking about?

The mystery gnawed at him. And his mother’s hints about old scars on his father only deepened the puzzle. Who was his father, really? Argus shook his head, hoping a walk would clear his mind.

Three days had passed since the village chief’s announcement. By the third day, Argus couldn’t stand the silence any longer and decided to head toward the village just to escape the suffocating stillness at home. But he didn’t make it far before his curiosity was pulled elsewhere.

As he reached the square, he noticed a crowd had gathered once again. Anxiety buzzed in the air as villagers whispered to each other. The village guards stood at attention, their expressions grim, and it was clear they had news.

One of the guards stepped forward, his voice sharp. “We’ve spotted more monsters moving closer to the village,” he announced, his gaze sweeping the crowd. “They’re fleeing the forest, like something’s forcing them out… as if something's terrifying them. One of our own was attacked today—a pack of wild beasts came from nowhere, and…” He trailed off, swallowing. “He didn’t survive.”

A hush fell over the square as the villagers exchanged panicked glances. Gasps rippled throughout the crowd, fear evident in every face. Argus’s chest tightened as dread washed over him. If even the monsters are running, how much worse could things get?

The village chief, usually calm and reassuring, looked unusually tense as he raised a hand for silence. “People, we can handle this,” he declared, though the tightness in his voice betrayed his worry. “Our walls are sturdy, and we’ll increase the number of guards on patrol to make sure nothing gets through. But I need everyone to remain calm.”

A villager’s voice rang out from the back, shaky but loud. “Calm? Our walls are made of wooden logs! What if too many come at once? We don’t stand a chance!”

Argus’s thoughts mirrored the villager’s fears. We only have 18 guards. That’s barely enough for a real attack.

The chief clenched his jaw, but his response was even. “We’ve sent a request to the Adventurer’s Guild for reinforcements. Help will arrive soon.” His words settled some of the crowd’s fears, but Argus, watching from the side, noticed the chief’s tight, forced smile. He doesn’t really believe they’ll come, Argus realized, studying the chief’s forced smile. I’ve done this so many times in my past life. I always thought my life would change, my better days would come too… but it never happened.

When most villagers had left, Argus approached him, unable to contain his curiosity. “Chief,” he called out, “if help is really on the way, why do you look so worried?”

The chief gave him a strained smile. “You’re a curious one, aren’t you? You’re young—you shouldn’t have to worry about these things. Leave it to us. Things will be alright.”

But as the chief turned to go, Argus couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t getting the full story. Frustrated, he decided to ask the village guards directly.

Frustrated, he scanned the square for searching guards and spotted one who looked especially tense, pacing near the edge of the square. Argus approached him cautiously. “Hey,” he called out to one of the guards, who seemed especially agitated. “What’s really going on? Why does the chief seem unsure?”

The guard hesitated, then finally burst out, “The truth? No one’s coming, kid. Villages like ours don’t matter enough to the Guild. The Guild doesn’t waste time on villages like ours. No one takes requests for a low reward price."

Argus’s heart sank, a feeling of helplessness washing over him. So we’re on our own.

Days slipped into weeks. The heavy tension that cloaked the village grew thicker with each passing day. Argus found himself scanning the horizon each morning, half-hoping to see adventurers arriving, though he knew now it was a foolish hope.

One evening, just as the sun began to dip below the trees, a messenger arrived at their door. Argus watched as his father, Kaelen, talked with the messenger. His father's face turned filled with worry. “It was a summons from the village chief,” he said in response to Elysia’s questioning look. “He’s calling a meeting.”

After dinner, Argus followed his father to the door as he prepared to leave. “I’m coming with you,” Argus insisted, meeting his father’s eyes.

Kaelen raised an eyebrow, giving him a sharp look. “This meeting is for those who can fight. Go to bed, son.”

Argus clenched his fists, determined to prove himself, refusing to back down. “I’m strong enough, Father! I may be young, but my mana core is just as strong as any guard’s!”

At that moment, his mother stepped forward, her hand resting gently on Kaelen’s arm. “Take him with you, dear," she said softly. "He’s a warrior’s son, after all.”

Kaelen looked at him, a tense pause, then sighed, nodding. “Alright, come along. But stay close.”

The chief’s house was crowded, the air thick with anticipation as hunters and the few spellcasters who lived in the village gathered around. Argus moved through the sea of anxious faces, recognizing many of them, though tonight they looked different—strangers in their fear. The chief stood at the center, looking out over the crowd, his face lined with worry.

The chief cleared his throat, addressing the crowd. “Earlier today, a big rare-grade monster attacked the northern wall. Village guards managed to kill it, but a section of the wall was damaged. We need volunteers to gather wood from the forest and repair it by tomorrow dawn.”

Argus watched as his father stepped forward without hesitation, and a few others followed suit. The chief quickly divided the volunteers into two teams: one would guard the perimeter while the others chopped wood in the forest.

The meeting ended, and Argus fell into step with his father as they walked home through the darkened streets. When they reached their house, they found Elysia waiting up, her face a mix of relief and worry.

“You should be sleeping,” Kaelen chided, though he smiled gently.

“I can’t sleep when you’re out there planning to fight monsters,” she replied softly, reaching out to touch his arm.

Argus watched his parents, seeing the quiet strength in the way they looked at each other, a wordless understanding passing between them. For the first time, he felt a pang of realization—they had faced this kind of fear before, yet they kept moving forward, side by side.

As he climbed the stairs to his room, he felt the weight of tomorrow’s task settling heavily on his shoulders. If I’m strong enough to help the village, I have to prove it. I just have to.

End of Chapter 7