Vergil stood in the shadows between two houses, leaning quietly against a weathered wooden wall.
From his vantage point, he kept his eyes fixed on the Village Chief’s house, waiting for Captain Mark to emerge.
To pass the time, his thoughts drifted to the rumours surrounding the Rock Wolf Gym.
As one of the founding powers of Rock Hill Town, the Gym didn’t just train guards for the local settlements; whispers claimed they even maintained a mercenary force stationed as far away as Misty Lake Town.
Several minutes passed before the front door finally clicked open.
Captain Mark and Village Chief Raul stepped outside, accompanied by three unfamiliar figures.
One was a burly, middle-aged man with a jagged scar running across his face; his rugged build resembled Captain Mark’s, though weathered by heavier years of combat.
The other two were teenage boys, roughly Vergil and Paul’s age.
As the group headed toward the village entrance, Paul, Ben, and a tail of curious villagers immediately followed.
Vergil trailed at the very back of the crowd.
With the villagers blocking his line of sight, he lost a clear view of the Chief and the newcomers, forced to follow the moving mass of people simply.
When the crowd finally halted near the gates, Vergil stepped aside to regain his view.
He spotted Captain Mark and Chief Raul right away, but the three strangers were gone, likely having already departed beyond the walls.
A quiet wave of relief washed over him.
Ever since spotting the outsiders, a knot of unease had gripped his chest, leaving him wondering if they had come because of yesterday’s killings.
Yet, a darker, secret part of him had almost wanted them to stay, desperate to hear if news of the murders had broken out.
From the edge of the crowd, Captain Mark’s voice boomed over the murmurs.
“One week from now, Senior Ralph will return to test your boxing skills.
Anyone who satisfies him will be taken to the training camp.”
Excitement rippled through the villagers.
Jessy, the blacksmith’s son, called out, “So if we pass Senior Ralph’s test, we can join the Rock Wolf Gym?”
Captain Mark offered a faint, knowing smile.
“No.
You will only enter the training camp.
For three months, you will train in the Rock Wolf Boxing Technique.
Only those who successfully form its Skill Seed can officially call themselves members.”
The crowd erupted into loud exclamations, but Chief Raul quickly raised his hands.
“Enough.
Everyone return home and stop crowding the entrance.”
As the gathering began to disperse, Vergil slipped toward the periphery, intending to loop back and wait for Captain Mark.
But after only a few steps, he froze.
His eyes shifted beyond the open village gate.
Around him, the chatter gradually died down as the rhythmic, heavy thumping of approaching horse hooves echoed from the dirt road.
A moment later, a squad of armed riders emerged through the dust outside the village.
Whispers immediately rippled through the crowd.
“Is today tax day?”
Village Chief Raul shook his head, his brow furrowed.
“No.
There are still ten days left before this season’s collection.”
The whispering intensified as villagers exchanged uneasy looks, wondering why a force of heavily armed men had suddenly descended upon their remote village.
More people slowly trickled toward the entrance, drawn by the commotion.
The riders ground to a halt just before the gate.
Chief Raul quickly stepped forward, his posture bowing into a deeply respectful stance.
“Esteemed sirs, what can our village do for you?”
The man leading the detachment remained seated high atop his horse.
With a cold, stoic expression, his sharp gaze slowly swept across every face in the crowd.
Vergil’s heart skipped a violent beat the moment those piercing eyes locked onto him, before finally moving on.
Then, the man spoke.
“Everyone who went hunting yesterday, step forward.”
The villagers exchanged confused glances, murmuring among themselves, but nobody moved.
The rider’s expression darkened, his voice dropping an octave.
“Did none of you hear me?
Step forward!”
Captain Mark immediately stepped ahead of the crowd, placing himself between the rider and the villagers.
“Guest, I am the Guard Captain of this village and a Bronze Rank member of the Rock Wolf Gym.
May I ask what business you have with them?”
The mounted leader shifted his gaze downward toward Mark.
Almost instantly, beads of cold sweat broke out across the Captain’s forehead.
Vergil’s stomach tightened into a hard knot.
It was a certainty now—the riders were here because of yesterday’s killings.
They clearly didn’t know his identity yet, but rounding up the hunters was the fastest way to narrow down suspects.
Stay calm, Vergil ordered himself, forcing his breathing to remain steady.
Don’t let them see a thing.
The rider finally broke the suffocating silence.
“I am from the Hill Family.
Do as I say.” He let his gaze drift over the crowd one more time, a silent threat hanging in the air.
“You all know what happens to those who dare to disobey the Hill Family.”
Dread pooled heavily in Vergil’s gut.
The Hill Family was a founding power of Rock Hill Town, sharing equal dominance with the Rock Wolf Gym.
To offend them was a death sentence.
Captain Mark turned slowly toward the villagers, his voice tight.
“Everyone who hunted yesterday, step forward.
There’s no need to hide.”
He glanced back up at the riders, trying to offer reassurance to his people.
“The Hill Family values its reputation.
They won’t harm innocent people without reason.”
After a few agonising moments of hesitation, one villager finally stepped out.
Then another.
And another.
Seeing the momentum shift, Vergil detached himself from the crowd and walked toward the front of the horses.
There was no point in hiding.
Pete and Mill had both seen him return from the forest yesterday with a horned deer draped over his shoulders.
Trying to blend into the background now would only paint a massive target on his back.
The lead rider swept his cold gaze across the gathered hunters.
“Is this everyone?”
He looked toward Captain Mark and the villagers standing behind him.
Captain Mark did not answer immediately.
The rider’s eyes narrowed, dangerous and sharp.
“Don’t try to hide anyone.”
“We will eventually find out.”
“So don’t try to be clever.”
Captain Mark slowly surveyed the remaining villagers before replying.
“Some are missing.
They may still be inside their homes, or perhaps they have already left for the forest.”
The rider immediately ordered, “Go.
Bring everyone still within the village walls.”
Captain Mark silently signalled several guards standing beside him.
The guards turned quickly and hurried deeper into the village.
The lead rider then glanced toward the mounted men behind him.
“Jenkins.
Marshal.”
“You two remain here and wait for any hunters returning from the outside.”
Two young riders nodded obediently, shifting their horses to flank the gate.
While everyone waited in the tense, heavy silence, a villager standing near Vergil finally gathered the courage to speak.
“Sir… can I know why you need us?”
It was Sam.
He was a young hunter around Vergil’s age.
Vergil quietly listened, keeping his eyes downcast while carefully controlling every twitch of his expression.
The rider replied coldly, “You’ll know once after reaching the destination.”
Sam hesitated, his anxiety getting the better of him, before he asked another question.
“For how many days will we have to leave?”
The rider’s eyes immediately sharpened.
“Why are you asking so many questions?”
“Can’t you stay silent?”
His free hand slowly moved toward the weapon hanging at his waist.
Village Chief Raul quickly stepped forward, bowing slightly.
“Sir, please don’t be angry.”
“Sam’s mother is terribly ill, and he’s the only one caring for her.”
The rider paused briefly, his hand stopping over his blade before he let out a low hum.
Village Chief Raul turned toward Sam.
“Don’t worry.
I’ll look after your mother while you’re away.”
Fear still lingered clearly on Sam’s face, but he nodded gratefully.
“Thank you, Chief Raul.”
At that moment, Vergil suddenly spoke up, his voice steady and calm.
“Chief Raul, I still have a horned deer inside my house.”
“Could you sell it for me?”
Vergil deliberately asked this to appear as normal as humanly possible.
Someone hiding the guilt of murder would not be calmly worrying about the market price of hunting prey.
Village Chief Raul nodded immediately, grateful for a distraction that eased the tension.
“Don’t worry, Vergil.
I’ll handle it.”
Then, the Village Chief raised his voice toward everyone gathered near the gates.
“Everyone, stay calm.”
“I’ll personally take care of your homes and your families while you’re away.”
“Just cooperate with these honoured guests, and you’ll all return soon.”
Finally, he turned carefully toward the lead rider.
“Right, sir?”
The rider stared down at him expressionlessly.
“Don’t ask unnecessary questions.”
“Go stand back.”
Village Chief Raul immediately retreated toward the crowd again.
Several minutes later, the missing hunters arrived, escorted by Captain Mark’s guards.
Once everyone was gathered, the riders left the two designated men behind at the village entrance.
The rest turned their horses toward the dirt path leading to the main road.
And with the hunters walking under armed watch, the group slowly departed from the village.