Unexpected Visitors

The tension was palpable in the air as clouds gradually obscured the sun. A cold breeze accompanied it all, barely slowed by the leafless trees. Aristide rushed to his wife and tried hard to reassure her, while his son Klein continued to cry. Haruto, meanwhile, was unsure how to proceed given the current turn of events. He was naturally fearful of these individuals from the Church, especially after Bhelgor’s disturbing comments about their particular practices and beliefs. The young man therefore decided to take the initiative.

“Aristide, take the time you need to look after Norea. I’ll take care of Klein and bring him home to safety. Then I’ll go and warn Bhelgor and a few others,” said Haruto.

The statement had the effect of an electric shock on the farmer. He glanced in the direction from which Norea had come, then turned to the engineer and nodded slightly.

“All right, but promise me that nothing will happen to him,” Aristide pleaded.

Haruto then bent down to the boy with some trepidation. Even though the young man had no experience with children prior to his Arrival, he was still determined to help his hosts as payment for their hospitality. Fortunately, Klein had stopped crying, but his eyes were still red and wet. Haruto took a deep breath before addressing the little boy as gently as possible.

“Klein. I know you had a big scare, but everything is fine now. Let’s go home and wait for your parents, and I’ll tell you a story,” Haruto said with a smile.

The child stood there sniffling irregularly, but finally agreed after a few moments. He then reached out his small hands and grabbed one of the engineer’s hands tightly.

“All right. Let’s get going then,” said the young man.

The walk home went smoothly. Klein was remarkably calm for his age, and his attention was focused on Haruto, who told him the story he had promised. Even though the journey was short, the physical effort of walking was enough to exhaust the boy, and he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the straw mattress. Freed from this task, Haruto hurried to the blacksmith’s shop to let him know.

Aristide rejoined his companions about fifteen minutes later, sweating profusely. The smell of overheated metal still lingered in the air, but the usual din had given way to an unnatural silence for the place. The farmer was greeted with questioning looks.

“Is Norea okay?”

“She’s still shaken up, but I think she’ll be fine,” replied the farmer.

“She needs to be more careful, especially given her current state of pregnancy,” added Haruto.

“I’m well aware of that, I assure you,” replied the farmer with exasperation.

For his part, Bhelgor observed the interaction between the two men. His big arms were crossed in front of him, and he seemed deep in thought.

“There’s no way to think for thirty seconds in this damn forge,” grumbled the big man.

Haruto was about to respond, but stopped himself at the last moment. Aristide, however, had no intention of letting the matter drop.

“Think about what? We’re talking about guys from the Church, not mere merchants,” the man snapped.

“Damn it! That’s precisely why we have to act with caution, Aristide,” Bhelgor yelled back.

The young engineer couldn’t blame his host for his concerns, but he had to try to think logically and rationally in order to get the village out of this mess.

“This issue requires a resolution, and I am determined to discover it,” thought Haruto.

About an hour later, the sky had darkened even further, which didn’t bode well for the rest of the day. The Church militia made their way to the village’s well, where Haruto and other villagers, including Aristide and Bhelgor, were gathered in anticipation of their arrival. The patrol consisted of twenty men, all equipped for war. In addition, a large, elegant cart brought up the rear of the group. It was pulled by two horses that seemed to be in much better shape than the few others still present in Pauweik. The soldiers wore thick armor with plates that glistened like silver, and elements of chain mail could be seen between the gaps. The armor was complemented by a pristine white cape with an esoteric symbol in blue and gold. It was an equilateral triangle with one point facing downwards and topped by a large semicircle. Four small circles were also visible, separated into pairs on the left and right of the triangle. An imposing golden cross was visible above it all.

The troops came to a halt a few meters away from the villagers standing in front of them and formed a kind of square around the cart. The soldiers in position looked at the onlookers with a mixture of vigilance and haughtiness. The contrast between the men in their elegant armor and the villagers in their dirty clothes was striking. A middle-aged man with dark hair and a strong, charismatic aura stepped out of the square of soldiers and stood in front of the group of men to which Haruto belonged. He then spoke in a loud, confident voice so that everyone could hear him.

“Citizens. I am Captain Oscar, a member of the Holy Army of the Church of Niowe. I come to you as an envoy, charged with bringing you good news.”

“Oh, really? I can’t wait to hear how you’re going to help me with my work at the forge,” Bhelgor said sarcastically.

The captain ignored this interruption and continued as if the blacksmith had never existed.

“Rejoice. Thanks to our involvement, you are now free from the rule of the royal family of Nerfeldfer, who has been lying to you for too long.”

Haruto remained silent and listened attentively to Oscar. All this information was new to him and would enable him to form a better picture of this strange world and refine his future decisions. Murmurs began to spread through the crowd before an average-looking individual finally asked:

“What were they lying to us about?”

With a smile and satisfied that he now had the attention of the crowd, the speaker hastened to reveal the clergy’s view on the subject.

“By virtue of agreements reached with the leaders of all the countries on the continent, including your kingdom, the Church has, in its great kindness, agreed to turn a blind eye to the presence of existing magicians, provided that certain conditions are met.”

The captain then caught his breath and continued his explanation with renewed fervor:

“These conditions included, among other things, handing over to us all children with magical abilities. In addition, all artifacts that may have magical properties must be handed over to the clergy without delay.”

“And what about the royal family?”

“You see, numerous sources have shared damning information with us over the past year. It appears that the kingdom has gotten its hands on a mystical relic. Worse still, the royal family has learned how to use it without informing us beforehand. Such infamy is nothing short of blasphemy!”

“That’s all well and good, but why come to a remote village on the edge of the country if it’s the royal family you have a problem with? It doesn’t make much sense,” said Aristide, arms folded.

Encouraged by the farmer’s intervention, other villagers jumped at the opportunity and expressed themselves more loquaciously and much less hospitably.

“I agree, leave!”

“Get out of here!”

“Who do these people think they are?”

Captain Oscar glanced at his men, and they all drew their weapons.

“I see that the common people are having trouble understanding the validity of our actions, especially since our sole purpose was to purge the royal family for your collective good. We might as well set you back on the right path and collect the ecclesiastical tithe,” Oscar decreed.

The statement shocked many villagers, who were left speechless, while others shouted insults in protest. Seeing that the situation was about to escalate at any moment, Haruto decided to intervene with the soldiers to try to calm things down.

“With all due respect, Captain Oscar, couldn’t we talk it out or negotiate to find a way out of this impasse?”

The captain shot the young man a contemptuous look. He then looked Haruto up and down as if he were nothing more than trash.

“Sure, but what do you have to offer me? I don’t think this place has anything that can appease my anger,” Oscar replied, snorting audibly.

“I imagine it was a long journey to get to such a remote corner of the country. To that end, we offer you our hospitality for the evening and provisions for the road ahead,” the engineer suggested.

“That’s an interesting suggestion. I’ll think about it,” Oscar replied seriously.

After several long minutes during which everyone held their breath, the captain of the delegation signaled to his soldiers to lower their swords. He then stepped forward toward Haruto and extended his hand.

“I accept your offer, my boy. We will settle for a simple food donation this time,” he declared.

The villagers present breathed a collective sigh of relief after this tacit agreement between the two men. The Church representative then turned around and gave a counter-order to his men:

“Search every building in this village and collect all the food you find there. I give you one hour to gather everything here.”

The words that had just come out of Captain Oscar’s mouth seemed almost unreal to all the citizens present.

“Didn’t we just reach an agreement? I thought it was supposed to be a one-time payment,” Haruto asked incredulously.

“Indeed, we decided on the type of offering, but no quantity was specified. Furthermore, I intend to make an example of this foul-smelling place,” the man replied with a sneer on his face.

The captain turned around and climbed onto the bench in front of the cart so that he could be seen by everyone at the crossroads.

“Before anyone gets the wrong idea of trying to interfere, know that any act that interferes with my men’s work will be severely punished,” he declared in an authoritative tone.

Over the next hour, the captain’s henchmen followed their orders and carried out their raid throughout Pauweik. In addition, some soldiers from the clergy reported the existence of the pulley mounted on the well and the strange device installed in Bhelgor’s shop, but their superior remained silent on the subject. However, the operation did not go off without a hitch, and at least two recalcitrant farmers, including Cody, were punished. They were put in shackles, dragged through the mud, and beaten by Oscar’s men.

The process and the associated chaos had caused such a level of disruption that all the inhabitants of Pauweik had gathered in the center of the village, near the water source. With so many people in one place, a sour smell filled the air. In the absence of clear answers, uncertainty and fear began to take root among the populace.

“How will we survive without food?”

“Have you thought about the Darkness that is coming?”

“What will happen to the elderly, the sick, women, and even the children?”

All sorts of questions flew from all directions, relentlessly bombarding the clergymen who were bustling around the cart in complete silence. After a few minutes, they resumed their defensive position in a square formation, their hands clearly visible on the pommels of their swords. Captain Oscar spoke again.

“I hear your complaints loud and clear, and they are legitimate. I would like to reassure you that the Church knows how to show mercy.”

The man paused deliberately and waited for the crowd to calm down and the murmurs to cease.

“To this end, we will take care of all the children in this village. They will be housed, clothed, fed, and even educated,” he concluded.

This latest statement by the captain caused an uproar among the population, particularly among the parents. When the kidnapping of the children began, some desperate fathers threw themselves at the soldiers, while many wives sobbed and cried out in heart-wrenching distress. A few more level-headed members of the crowd, including Bhelgor, tried in vain to calm the others, which only earned them the wrath of the crowd.

The situation quickly turned tragic when a soldier from the clergy was struck on the head with a heavy stone. Inexplicably, Oscar managed to identify the culprit and then approached him with slow but determined steps. Once he was level with the man, he used his sword to sever his head with a movement so swift that it was almost imperceptible to Haruto.

When the body fell heavily to the ground, the crowd immediately ceased its agitation, and a deathly silence fell as the scent of blood spread among those present. Anger was still visible on most faces, of course, but it was also possible to discern shock, sadness, and fear. Haruto, meanwhile, was paralyzed by the event he had just witnessed. Even though violence and death were present in much of the media in his world, nothing could describe what he felt when he saw a human being executed before his eyes in such a grotesque and bloody manner.

“These men are not just barbarians, but fanatics. I must flee this place as quickly as possible,” thought the young man.

Taking advantage of the lull despite the tension still in the air, Oscar and his men finished loading the children onto the cart. Apart from the clanging of armor, a few children’s cries could still be heard in the central square of Pauweik. Not wanting to provoke a second confrontation with the villagers, the captain and his men set off again without looking at the onlookers. The latter could do nothing but watch the convoy drive away, their hearts heavy as thunder rumbled and a storm began.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the men of the Church decided that they had covered a good distance from the village. This reassured several of them, who relaxed a little and began chatting among themselves. Oscar, for his part, gave his orders for the next steps.

“When we arrive in Tunaust, I want the children to meet with an interrogator. You can take advantage of these few days of respite to relax a little.

“Yes, sir,” replied the soldiers, delighted.

“Then we will continue on to the holy lands in the southeast with our cargo. The girls will be sent to convents to be educated.”

“And what about the boys?”

The captain smiled slightly, then continued:

“The boys, meanwhile, will be assigned to the barracks. Eventually, they will help make up for the losses suffered during our noble battles against the kingdom.”

“But captain, what are we going to do with the food?”

“It was just an excuse to seize the children. You can sell it as you see fit and then share the proceeds among yourselves. However, don’t forget my fair share,” the man said to his subordinate.

“Yes, sir...”

                                                                           ***

Three days had passed since the children had been abducted and the clergymen had left. Many families were broken and struggling to recover from the shock of these tragic events. Of course, food remained a major issue, but some people had the brilliant idea of hiding a few supplies, which helped to ease the tension in the village a little. Haruto had noticed radical changes in his hosts. Norea hardly spoke anymore and would sometimes burst into random, uncontrollable sobs while going about her daily tasks. The kind and energetic Aristide had been replaced by an angry and irascible individual. A trivial problem could provoke him into a fit of rage with disastrous results. To this end, Haruto visited the blacksmith almost daily with damaged tools, and he was bringing him one now.

“Hello, Bhelgor, it’s me,” Haruto began as he entered the craftsman’s shop.

“Damn it, another thing to repair! That idiot will have to understand sooner or later that he’s not the center of my universe,” replied the burly man.

“And his world has just been turned upside down… Anyway, there’s no point in resuming this fruitless debate.”

The blacksmith merely grunted in agreement. Despite having no family, Bhelgor was in the same situation as the other villagers when it came to the lack of food in preparation for the coming Darkness. The stress was evident in his eyes and his more abrupt gestures than usual.

“Wouldn’t it be possible to trade some of the tools or materials here for food?”

“For the umpteenth time, no. Haruto, you know as well as I do that with the cold weather coming, it will be almost impossible to trade with the outside world.”

“I know, I know...”

The young man remembered the discussions he had had with Aristide on the subject. Apparently, the winter lasted an average of six months. This period was so harsh in terms of precipitation and cold that it was not uncommon for ill-prepared hamlets to be decimated. Worse still, it would be nighttime throughout the winter, with not a single ray of sunlight visible on the horizon. Perplexed, but now understanding where the name Darkness came from, Haruto tried to learn more.

“What about summer? Don’t tell me it’s light all the time? That seems unlikely,” he said jokingly.

“Yet it is the case. During the best months of the summer, there is simply no darkness at night. Needless to say, this contributes significantly to our annual harvests,” Aristide replied.

Stunned, the engineer didn’t dare bring up the subject with anyone else, as he found the idea so laughable.

Back in the present, Haruto knew that the situation was critical for the village, but, by extension, also for himself.

“Apart from farming, livestock, and bartering, aren’t there other ways to find something to eat?”

“Not really, and even less so with the Darkness at our doorstep,” grumbled Bhelgor.

From the blacksmith’s negative response, Haruto could deduce that the man had already given up and accepted his fate. Such defeatism was simply unacceptable to the engineer, who was struggling to find a solution.

“How did people in those days survive the winters and where did they find food? Certainly not by staying hidden in the warmth and waiting to starve to death,” thought Haruto.

The craftsman noticed that the young man was so focused that he had lost all awareness of his immediate surroundings.

“He can’t hear anything in this state. We might as well get back to work,” sighed Bhelgor.

As he picked up a red-hot piece of iron to shape it, Haruto disrupted the atmosphere by almost shouting, which startled the blacksmith.

“Eureka! We could do as our ancestors did and organize group hunts,” Haruto laughed.

“Holy shit! What kind of nonsense are you talking about now, kid?”

“I’m talking about a way to maybe survive this disaster you call Darkness,” Haruto replied.

The man put the piece of metal back in the fire, then placed his hammer on the anvil before turning his attention to his interlocutor.

“Careful. I hope for your sake that this isn’t nonsense,” Bhelgor growled, crossing his arms.

“Let’s just say that a long time ago, the people of my country had to face long, sometimes very harsh winters,” Haruto began.

He watched the blacksmith for a few moments to gauge his reaction, but the latter remained stoic and did not utter a single protest. The young man, therefore, took this as an invitation to finish his explanation:

“Of course, they tried to stay warm whenever they could, but they still had to eat, since the harvests weren’t sufficient. To do this, they organized hunting parties in small teams spread out over a large territory. This way, they increased their chances of success, since even the smallest catch helped to provide for the rest of the group.”

The craftsman did not respond immediately, but Haruto noticed that he was seriously evaluating what he had just said. After what seemed like an eternity, Bhelgor looked up with a small smile on his face.

“That could work. It just so happens that one of my friends is a former trapper. An old injury forced him to give up his work ages ago, but his knowledge of the surrounding woods could be useful to us,” said the man.

“Excellent! When can we go see him?”

The blacksmith glanced out one of the soot-stained windows, then turned back to Haruto.

“From what I can see of the position of the sun outside, he should be at home. We might as well go there right away,” he replied.

Once there, the engineer and the blacksmith spent the rest of the day talking with the old trapper. Lacking suitable hunting weapons such as bows and swords, they concluded that it would be best to dig rudimentary pits. That way, the men could hunt in the surrounding forest to guide the game toward the traps before killing it with spears carved from wood.

It took two days to get the people of Pauweik to accept the idea and to make the necessary preparations. Even Aristide, like the more stubborn men who had been affected by the confrontation with the Church soldiers, agreed to take part in the hunt. The community decided that it would be best to have the less physically robust villagers work with the elderly. Like a spider spinning its web, this group would wait for the poor animals to become trapped during their escape and then kill them. The second group was made up of individuals in better shape and with a certain amount of endurance. These woodsmen would have to work in small groups to flush out and drive any potential prey toward the target area near the village.

After about a week, the process was ironically so well established and effective that the surrounding wildlife was almost threatened with extinction. Each individual knew their role and carried out their task like an automaton, allowing the inhabitants of Pauweik to harvest an impressive amount of meat. Despite everything, a first layer of snow had finally covered the hamlet and the adjacent woods with a magnificent white blanket.

It was on a dark and freezing morning that a quartet including Haruto and Aristide, among others, was chosen to carry out the daily hunt. The branches of the trees creaked at the slightest movement, while the unique scent of burning firewood in the residences was still perceptible in the air. None of this discouraged the men, who had set off and had been walking for about an hour.

“Damn, it’s freezing in this godforsaken country,” complained the engineer, sniffing.

Aristide, who was walking ahead, laughed heartily before turning around and commenting:

“I didn’t know you were so sensitive to the cold.”

His companion gave him a dirty look and quickened his pace to catch up with the farmer.

“Then make sure you lend me clothes that are suitable for the climate,” replied the man.

“Enough, both of you. With all this noise, the local animals will promptly flee before they are spotted,” said the leader of the small group of hunters.

Before anyone could reply, the man raised his hand to signal to the team to stop. He pointed to a fresh trail in the snow.

“Judging by the shape of the footprints, it must be a deer. Let’s follow them, and we’ll surely find it,” he whispered.

The hunters all nodded silently and immediately set off. They finally located the beast late in the morning. The animal in question was indeed an imposing stag with antlers that looked as if they were made of crystal. It stood in the middle of a peaceful clearing, feeding on long grasses that had not been completely covered by the snow. The members of the hunting party had discreetly taken up positions around the area and formed a sort of crescent, leaving their target an escape route toward the village.

Haruto waited for the signal to charge the animal, but was distracted by a strange glimmer in front of him in the darkness of the forest.

“It looks like a pair of small emerald-colored lights,” he thought as he stood up, mesmerized.

The deer seemed to have noticed the same thing, but the sudden appearance of the engineer frightened it and caused it to flee. Aristide and the other two members of the hunting party leaped out of their hiding places and began chasing the animal.

“Keep formation!” yelled the team leader, running at full speed.

The engineer glanced once more in the direction of the strange, luminous phenomenon, but could no longer spot it. Perplexed, he nevertheless left his position to rejoin his companions. The pursuit lasted about twenty minutes before the men reached the outskirts of the village. Haruto immediately noticed that there was no one in the trap area, and a shiver ran down his spine.

“Wait, guys! Something’s not right here,” the young man said in a loud voice.

“Damn it, where are the others?”

“They’re definitely not in position as they should be,” Aristide grumbled.

After a few minutes of confusion and collective grumbling, the hunters ended up killing the game that had fallen into the pit themselves. Once their work was done and the meat was safely stored, the men headed for the center of Pauweik. The leader of the quartet was determined to get to the bottom of this story with the people involved.

When they finally arrived near the well, a shocking discovery awaited Haruto and the others. Before them stood all the villagers, but also the despicable Captain Oscar with his henchmen in silver armor from the Church of Niowe.

“I never thought I’d cross paths with those bastards again,” began one of the hunters.

“If they’re back, it’s surely for a good reason. We need to be careful,” Haruto added suspiciously.

Aristide, meanwhile, hadn’t said a word on the subject. On the contrary, he seemed frozen in place, his fists clenched, his nostrils flared, and his gaze fixed on someone standing next to Oscar. It was Norea, who was kneeling and sobbing, clutching something in her arms.

“Bastards! You’ll pay for touching my wife,” he roared before lunging like a rabid beast toward the captain.

“Aristide, wait!”

Just as the farmer began his blind charge, a few soldiers from the clergy, alerted by the sudden commotion, drew their weapons. The warriors moved to cut Aristide to pieces before being interrupted at the last moment by Oscar, who turned around nonchalantly.

“Don’t kill this fool, but make sure you do what’s necessary to subdue him,” he ordered his subordinates.

While his men roughed up and beat the farmer to keep him pinned to the ground, the captain surveyed the other members of the hunting party with disinterest. Finally, his gaze fell on Haruto.

“Hello, Haruto. I’ve been eagerly awaiting your return,” said the man with an unsettling smile.

“How do you know my name? I don’t remember telling you who I was when we first met,” replied the engineer suspiciously.

“You’re quick-witted, and I like that, but let’s get back to the matter at hand. You see, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive some valuable information about you.”

To back up his words, Captain Oscar pointed to Norea, or rather, the child she was holding in her arms. Haruto immediately recognized the son of the couple who had been hosting him since his arrival.

“Klein! Is everything all right?”

“Don’t waste your breath. Our educators were delighted to take care of this little one. In fact, he proved to be very eloquent, which allowed him to become one of our faithful followers.”

Not knowing how to respond, Haruto decided to observe the child, who looked more like a lifeless doll than a real person. He seemed indifferent to his mother’s cries, as if disconnected from reality. Moreover, his bright eyes had given way to a gaze devoid of any spark of life.

“Educated?! You’ve brainwashed him with your nonsense!” shouted Aristide, who was still pinned to the ground.

“Shut up,” ordered a guard, kicking the farmer violently in the face.

“I assure you, he has never been better. I have many questions for Haruto, and his level of cooperation will certainly have an impact on how things proceed,” replied the captain calmly.

Whispers rippled through the residents of Pauweik gathered around the central well. A certain tension was palpable in the air with the soldiers on alert, and most eyes were fixed on the young engineer, who was still hesitating over the best approach to take in the situation. Wanting to maintain the initiative, Captain Oscar then spoke up.

“I see... We might as well put an end to this silence without further delay,” he declared before giving a subtle nod to one of his men.

“At your command.”

The warrior in silver armor then walked toward the crowd with two other soldiers. Moments later, the trio returned to Oscar, escorting Bhelgor, their hands clearly visible on their weapons. Although he was shorter than most men, his muscles and imposing stature commanded respect.

Unfazed, the leader of the clergy then addressed the craftsman in a tone that left no room for interpretation:

“The question will only be asked once, blacksmith. Explain to me where the device installed in your shop came from.”

“What business is that of yours?”

“I’m still waiting for your answer. This is your last warning,” said the captain.

Bhelgor spat on the ground in protest.

“It seems you refuse to answer such an easy question,” sighed Oscar, pouting.

“You can all go to hell,” replied the blacksmith, glaring at the men of the Church.

“So be it,” declared the captain, who glanced at one of his warriors as he ran his index finger across his throat.

Haruto was about to take a step toward his companion, but the latter shook his head, which had the effect of stopping him in his tracks.

“Run away... eurghh!”

The soldier at the craftsman’s side showed no hesitation. Following orders, he drew a dagger from his belt and slit the poor man’s throat like a pig. Bhelgor gave the engineer one last bloody smile before falling face down on the ground, his body convulsing.

The villagers remained where they were, without moving a muscle or saying a word. The last time the Church had burst into their lives, it had changed them irrevocably for the worse. As a result, no one dared to defy Oscar, not wanting to suffer the same miserable fate as the blacksmith.

Haruto clenched his fists, his mind filled with feelings of anger, but also fear in the face of these ruthless brutes.

“You’re nothing but a monster without any morals! Why did you kill him so coldly? That man was innocent,” the engineer began angrily.

“Innocent? I don’t think so, especially if I go by this,” replied Oscar, throwing a familiar object at the young man’s feet.

Stunned, Haruto’s eyes widened as he recognized his encyclopedia. He remembered hiding the precious book to avoid trouble.

“Damn it! Klein must have shown them the hiding place in response to his brainwashing,” he thought.

Looking up, the engineer met the gaze of the charismatic man who was watching him intently, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

“Am I supposed to know what this is about?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. The kid told us everything in detail, and I also have this strange witchcraft tool that you had hidden,” said Oscar, pointing to the cell phone.

He slowly approached Haruto, showing no apparent sign of hostility. He stopped a few inches from the young man’s face before leaning in to whisper in his ear:

“The forge, the well behind me, and this book, with its bizarre images, is blasphemous according to the teachings of the Church,” Oscar began.

After a short pause, he continued his verbal attack with words that made the engineer’s blood run cold.

“My little finger tells me that you are behind all of this. If you don’t want this sow and her husband to suffer the fate reserved for heretics, tell me the truth right now.”

Caught off guard, Haruto glanced at Norea, but also at her husband Aristide, who was still struggling. However, such a frank threat accompanied by such a murderous aura would make most men falter, including the engineer, who could only respond by stammering.

“I, I...”

“Yes? What are you trying to say?”

“It’s me,” he finally admitted in a low voice.

Satisfied with the answer, Captain Oscar gave the young man a friendly pat on the shoulder before returning to his henchmen.

“Seize him,” ordered the captain.

One of the soldiers in shining armor stepped forward toward his superior with a question on his lips.

“What about the rest of the village?”

“I give you full discretion as to the method, but make sure you leave no witnesses. After all, we don’t want any unholy knowledge spreading.”