Overlord

Chapter 1: The end and the beginning - Part 3

Situated on the border between the Baharuth Empire and the Kingdom of Re-Estize, to the south of the Azellerisia mountains, was a vast forest called 'The Great Forest of Tob'. On the outskirts of this forest, lay the village of Carne. It had a population of about 120 people, which were divided into 25 families. For a border village of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, this number wasn't unusual.

The main livelihood of the villagers came from the forest and their crops, since there were almost no visitors except for some pharmacists looking for herbs and the tax collector who came once a year. It was a village frozen in time. The villagers were busy the moment they woke up at sunrise. As a village without a magical light, the 'Continual Light', they worked from sunrise until sundown, it was that kind of life.

Enri Emmot's first task every day would be to go to the nearby well and draw water. Drawing the water was a girl's job and once the water tank inside her family home was full, her first task of the day would be completed. Around this time, her mother would prepare breakfast, and the family of four would enjoy breakfast together.

Breakfast consisted of boiled wheat barley or wheat porridge, as well as some stir-fried vegetables. Sometimes they would also eat fruits. After dining with her parents, her 10-year old sister would leave for the forest to pick up fresh firewood, or help out with the fieldwork. In the village center, once the bell rings for noon, everyone will rest in the nearby square to eat lunch together. Lunch consisted of black bread a few days old, along with some minced meat soup. After that they would continue working in the fields and once the sun set everyone returned to their homes to eat dinner.

Like lunch, dinner also consisted of black bread, along with bean soup. If the village hunters managed to catch some animals, there would be some meat as well. After dinner, everyone would use the lights from the kitchen and chat happily, while mending torn clothes. They would go to sleep around 8 o' clock. Enri Emmot was born 16 years ago, and up to this day she had never left the village. She was wondering, would her days always stay the same? Just like any other day, Enri got out of bed and went to the well to draw water. It usually took her about 3 trips to the well in order to fill up the huge water tank.

"Yosh." Enri rolled up her sleeves and showed off some eye catching white skin that had not been exposed to too much sun. Working in the fields had made her arms slim, but brawny. Even though the filled water jug was heavy, Enri easily picked it up. If the jug was filled to the brim, she would have to make fewer trips, which would make her job a lot faster, right?

But it shouldn't be too heavy for her to pick up. While thinking this way, Enri started to make her way home. On her way back she heard a sound and after turning towards it her heart tensed up with a feeling of dread. The sound she heard was the noise of wood being smashed. Followed by-

"A scream...?" It sounded like the cry of a strangled bird, but it was definitely not a bird who produced these cries. Enri could not help but shudder. She didn't want to believe it. It must have been her imagination that definitely was not the scream of a human. Many horrified thoughts flashed through her mind.

She had to hurry, because the screaming appeared to have come from the direction of her family's home. She threw the water jug aside, since it was impossible for her to run while carrying such a heavy thing. Although she almost tripped over her dress, she quickly regained her balance.

The sound came again. Enri's heart pounded. That was definitely a human screaming, there was no mistake about it. She continued to run, and run and run. Never in her life did she run so fast, she ran until she tripped over her own legs. The sound of a horse, people screaming and shouting.

Everything became clearer and clearer. In front of Enri's eyes, from far away, she could see a stranger in a full suit of armor pointing a drawn sword at the villagers. On the ground was a villager with a fatal stab wound.