Chapter 57: Target

  The four who approached were completely different in ages. An old woman, a middle-aged man, a small boy, and Sila.

  “Princess, these four are the ones who saw that Devil beast,” the village chief explained, his face still showing unease.

  They knelt before Princess Pailin. Except for Sila, the other three looked anxious. After all, they were before the royal family.

  “Thank you, all four of you. We need your cooperation regarding this Devil beast. Please understand that your cooperation means the safety of all the villagers. The more information we can gather, the sooner this Devil beast will be slain.” Princess Pailin explained while helping them up on their feet.

  “I am ready to explain everything I know, Princess,” Sila said first, his voice loud and his eyes filled with determination.

  Following Sila’s lead, the other three, who had looked uncomfortable, spoke up.

  “I…I will help as much as I can." The young boy gathered his courage and spoke.

  “I’m happy to be of help," the old woman said.

  The middle-aged man nodded slightly.

  "Then, please tell us about the events of that day when you encountered this Devil beast." Princess Pailin pulled out a small notebook and a faintly glowing pair of glasses. A pen in her hand floated up from the ground, opening the notebook and beginning to write on its own.

  "I was the one who found the second body. It was early in the morning. I heard screams coming from the city walls. I live close by and have my livestock around there, so I’m the first one to be there," the middle-aged man began first.

  Princess Pailin and the others listened attentively. The pen carefully writing everything down in notebooks by itself.

  "After hearing the screams, I rushed back and told my wife not to leave the house. I grabbed my trusty crossbow and ran towards the source of the sound," the middle-aged man gestured with his hands.

  "This Devil beast has already killed one live. Why did you run towards it without fear? Shouldn't you have called the guards?" Gion questioned.

  "At that time, I heard the screams. My only thought was to help people. I didn't expect it to be such a Devil beast. Most of the villagers are just 1-word Learner. I just wanted to help," the middle-aged man explained.

  "So that means you're stronger than most of the villagers?" Gion asked. Princess Pailin didn't interrupt, simply listening quietly.

  "I'm a 2-word Learner. I also used to be a hunter, so I'm somewhat skilled at fighting Devil beasts."

  "Got it. Sorry if it seems like a rude question."

  “It’s fine, I understand.” The middle-aged man nods his head and then continues his story.

  "When I arrived, I found Jenny, the woodworking shop owner's daughter, dead by the wall. I also caught a glimpse of that Devil beast running into the forest. It disappeared in the blink of an eye. So I couldn’t see it clearly." The middle-aged man sighed.

  "How fast was it?" Princess Pailin asked.

  "Faster than me, a 2-word Learner with considerable combat experience. It’s probably an Engraver."

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  "Can you remember any details about that Devil beast? Maybe species or appearance?"

  "I'm not an expert on Devil beasts, so I can't identify the species, but I vaguely remember its form. I'll try to draw it for you." The middle-aged man took a piece of paper from Princess Pailin and began to draw.

  "Granny, please." Princess Pailin wasted no time. While waiting for the middle-aged man to finish drawing, she began to question the old woman.

  The old woman nodded slightly. She took a deep breath and began to recount her story.

  "Mine was the fourth body. It was Khan, who lived in the house next to mine," the old woman sighed.

  "That night, I got up to go to the bathroom when I heard Khan's scream. I am only a 1-word Learner. My body is also old and weak, so I decided to shout for the guards at the observation tower. But because it was far away, I had to run. It was while I was running that I saw..." The old woman's voice trembled.

  "I saw a large shadow standing on the village wall. In its mouth was the body of a man. Even from afar, I was sure it was Khan. His body hung there lifeless. Just as I was stunned by what I saw, the shadow turned and looked at me. The old woman's body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I thought I was going to die. The distance between it and me wasn't that far. If it had come after me into the village, I wouldn't have survived."

  "How far was it? I mean between Granny and the village wall," Kasa asked.

  "Only three or four houses away. A Devil beast that can kill people that easily. If it had charged in, I…I wouldn't…" The old woman recounted trembling voices. She still has a nightmare about that night.

  Princess Pailin gently held the old woman's hand. She sniffed slightly and then continued.

  "But it didn't come after me. It simply dropped Khan's body to the ground and vanished without a trace."

  "Did it show any reaction, like being afraid to cross the wall or startled by being seen?" Kasa added.

  "My eyesight isn't very good, so I'm not entirely sure, but I think it didn't show any special reaction."

  "Thank you so much, Granny. I’m sorry for the troubles, but could you describe the appearance of that Devil beast?" Princess Pailin gently stroked the old woman's hand.

  "It was very dark, so I don't remember clearly, but I'll try to draw it," she said, taking the paper from Princess Pailin and beginning to draw.

  Princess Pailin glanced at the last boy. His face still showed worry and fear. Even though Princess Pailin tried to smile at him, he kept his head down.

  Princess Pailin secretly glanced at Nitaan. Seeing this, he nodded slightly and patted Kiita's head twice as a signal.

  Kiita reached into the small pouch beside him and pulled out a wooden sword. The boy's eyes widened at the sight. Though still a little fearful, he watched the sword with fascination.

  Kiita walked over to the little boy, skillfully swinging the sword with powerful swings. His black fluffy body darted around, captivating the boy.

  Kiita wagged his tail and placed the wooden sword on the boy's lap. The boy looked down at the sword in slight surprise.

  "Woof!"

  Gift! Gift!

  “Kiita said it’s a gift," Nitaan smiled. He points at the wooden sword on the little boy’s lap.

  "Really? Thank you so much!" The boy beamed, picking up the wooden sword and admiring it.

  "Keep practicing, and one day you'll be strong and cool like Kiita," Nitaan laughed. Kiita straightened his tail, his eyes fixed on the sky, his ears perked up, trying to strike the coolest pose to make the boy smile.

  The boy burst into laughter at the sight. He sat in silence for a moment. A glimmer of confidence flickered in his fearful eyes. He gripped the wooden sword tightly and began to speak.

  “I was the one who found Lily,” the boy said, his voice trembling slightly. Kiita immediately went to hug him, comforting him with its warm body and soft fur.

  The boy gently stroked Kiita. His heartbeat calmed somewhat, and his voice became clearer.

  Princess Pailin looked up at the village chief. He extended his hand, showing five fingers.

  The fifth body.

  “That morning, Lily and I went to gather herbs together at the forest edge.”

  “Two children went to gather herbs by themselves at the forest edge?” Napha tilted his head.

  “The herb gathering spot is less than 200 meters from our front gate. Even the guards can see the villagers gathering herbs. It’s quite safe, so children often help their parents by going there to gather herbs,” Sila explained.

  Napha frowned. He had a niece, and although it seemed safe, he certainly wouldn’t let her go to the forest edge without any adult.

  “Lily told me that if we walked a little further, there would be more herbs. So I followed her. After we'd been inside a forest for a while, suddenly it lunged at us. It snatched Lily…it…bi..bit..her…” The boy sobbed, unable to finish his sentence.

  Princess Pailin got up and hugged the boy. Even Kiita gently licked the boy's face.

  “That's enough. Thank you so much. Don't worry, we'll deal with this Devil beast.” Princess Pailin tries to wipe away the tears, but the boy shakes his head bravely.

  The boy wiped the tears from his face, gritting his teeth as he tried to explain further. The wooden sword in his hand was gripped so tightly that his hand was swollen and red.

  “I saw it, Princess. It had two legs, wings, a red body, and no arms,” the boy said bravely.

  Princess Pailin smiled at the boy, patting his head in gratitude. She opened her encyclopedia of Devil beasts.

  “That's not right. That monster had four legs, a long, slithering tail, and long, terrifying horns,” a middle-aged man frowned. He looked up, holding up a picture in his hand.

  The Devil beast in the drawing walked on four legs, with a long, cat-like body and a long tail that seemed to have a blade at the end. It had a single long horn pointing straight up from its forehead and a ferocious, terrifying expression.

  “No, that creature is humanoid, walking on two legs, with arms reaching the ground and terrifying red eyes. And it has two heads!” the old woman said, handing the paper with the drawing of the monster to Princess Pailin.

  The creature in the drawing resembled a large and weirdly tall human. It has arms so long that they reach the ground, two heads sprouting from its neck, and bright red eyes, staring at them with an indifferent expression.

  Nitaan looked at the faces of the three people. The middle-aged man, the old woman, and the crying boy. He frowned slightly at what he saw.

  No one seems to lie.