Inside the wooden walls of a bamboo hut, a group of people surrounded a woman whose face glistened with beads of sweat, her expression one of serious discomfort. Every now and then, her face would twitch and contort in pain, but the people around her could do nothing but pray in silence.
"Lady Merlin, please give it one last push!" a maid, also sweating profusely, urged softly as she positioned herself near the birth canal of the woman, who was clearly named Merlin. Despite her agony, Merlin listened to the maid and summoned her strength for a heavy push, grunting as the head of a miniature-sized human finally emerged from the birth canal.
Wasting no time, the maid immediately supported the woman and helped pull the baby out slowly. "Bless the gods! My lady, it's a boy!" the maid exclaimed joyfully, wrapping the crying child in a soft towel before presenting him to the exhausted woman on the bed.
Merlin, the beautiful woman with flowing blonde hair and striking neon green eyes, gazed at the child with a weak smile, shakily caressing his cheek. "Welcome, Jett," she whispered, her voice filled with love, before her eyes fluttered shut, and she fell unconscious, alarming the maids around her.
"Immediately get Irene to heal Lady Merlin! Also, inform Chief Lucas about the good news!" commanded the head maid, a middle-aged woman with a wrinkled face. She quickly took the child and placed him in a cradle beside his mother.
Meanwhile, at the gates of the large wooden walls surrounding the small village, a handsome brown-haired man, equipped with a sword at his side, stood staring at a group of people clad in low-quality armor.
"Chief, our scout just returned not long ago. It seems the soldiers of Eevin village have begun moving again, and they're on their way here right now. They've also brought support from Kient; in total, they number almost fifty soldiers! It seems they're serious about taking over the village," reported a middle-aged man, beads of sweat gathering on his grim face.
Unlike the others adorned in armor, he wore simple clothing and carried no weapon. He was Arik Boul, the right-hand man and advisor to the village chief.
"Well, since they're this prepared, I think we should respond in kind. Mikir, run along and summon Ozborn and Hera; it's about time they paid their rent," the brown-haired man replied with a grin, a trace of shock spreading across the faces of those around him. The names of the two individuals he mentioned were rarely invoked in such contexts, yet today he had decided to summon them.
"Yes, Chief!" Mikir, a young man in low-quality gear, said with a bow before turning and bolting off into the village.
Just then, a woman dressed in maid's clothing, her face disheveled and drenched in sweat from her continuous running, came into view. She stopped in front of the village chief, resting her arms on her knees to catch her breath.
"C-Chief! Lady… Merlin has finally given birth to a baby boy, Jett!" The maid spoke, her breaths deep and labored, clearly exhausted from her sprint. However, when she saw the large grin on the village chief's face, she couldn't help but smile softly in return.
The village chief was elated upon hearing this news; it lifted his spirits and fueled his determination to win the forthcoming battle. "Bless the gods!" Lucas yelled, and the armored villagers echoed his sentiment.
"Merlin, Jett, wait for me! I'll be back soon," Lucas thought inwardly as he nodded to the maid, allowing her to turn and run back into the village, having already summoned Irene before arriving.
As Lucas reveled in the joyous news, a deep voice suddenly called his name. "Oi, Lucas!" Turning around, he was met by the imposing figure of a large, brawny man with bulging muscles and intense veins, accompanied by a beautiful woman with long black hair and an impressive figure. She wielded a staff and wore armor that exposed parts of her body.
"It's Chief Lucas to you," Arik corrected with displeasure, glaring at the large man and the beautiful woman with contempt. He despised how carefree they were with their village chief, even if they had known each other for years; Lucas held high authority in their village.
Witnessing this, Lucas sighed helplessly and raised his arms in a gesture of peace. "Arik, it's alright. Besides, we're currently in need of their expertise," he said, calming his advisor, though Arik remained grumpy, closing his eyes in annoyance.
"Ozborn, Hera, I thank you for responding to my summons. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have called you, but due to the gravity of our situation, I had no other option," Lucas said, a warm smile on his face that quickly turned serious.
"As you both know, there have been power struggles in our domain recently, and even after reaching the attention of the Mayor, he hasn't reacted in months. We've already faced our fair share of battles this year, which has severely reduced our numbers from fifty-two to a staggering twelve."
"Currently, we are in no condition for war, but due to Eevin's continuous pressure to sell the demi-humans in our custody and our steadfast refusal, they have decided to take what they want by force, which brings us to our present situation," Lucas explained, his voice steady as Ozborn and Hera regarded him with indifferent expressions, prompting Arik to click his tongue in frustration.
"Ozborn, Hera, please lend your strength to protect my village," Lucas said humbly, kneeling before them. This act made Arik's eyes widen in disbelief, nearly turning blood red; he couldn't bear to see his chief humiliated in such a manner.
"Lucas, get up quickly—" Arik urged, but the sudden glance from Lucas silenced him, making him grit his teeth in annoyance. He turned his gaze back to the duo, feeling even more aggrieved. They didn't seem touched in the slightest; instead, they stared at him with indifference!
Arik knew that Lucas was no weaker than either of them and could likely match both in strength, but he also understood Lucas's reasons for seeking the assistance of such arrogant individuals. Alone, Lucas couldn't fend off the opposition and protect the village, but with their help, victory was more likely.
"Finally, it's about time I stretched my muscles," Ozborn said, excitement lighting up his square face as he flexed his impressive muscles. Meanwhile, Hera closed her eyes in thought for a moment before nodding her head lazily.
"I guess that'll be my rent for the month," Hera said, her eyes half-open, always appearing tired and ready to sleep at any opportunity, which led some warriors to question her true strength.
Hearing their responses, Lucas felt a cool sensation wash over him as he stood up, a smile spreading across his face. "Sir, they're a meter away from the village," a guard at the gate informed him. Lucas nodded and turned to the group.
"It's time to head out!" With that, they passed through the gates and stood before the entrance of the village, ready to face the impending challenge.