Around midnight, Elys woke up. She felt cold all over. Then she turned toward the campfire, only to find that the wind had already blown it out.
For a few seconds, Elys was stunned. The corpse of the man she had killed before going to sleep was gone. Elys immediately woke Jerome, who was still sleeping soundly. "Jerome," she said, shaking his body.
The man woke up with a rumpled face, his eyes narrowed as well. He looked like he might be exhausted. "Is someone following us? What is it, Elys?"
"I haven't said anything yet. Shut up!" Elys snarled, her brows drawn together and her forehead furrowed. "Where did you hide that man's corpse, Jerome?"
Jerome explained what had happened while Elys was asleep. He had buried the man's corpse beneath a shady tree. "Who told you to do that?"
"No one. I just felt sorry for you if you had to bury him too," Jerome replied.
"Where did you dig the grave?"
"I told you, beneath that shady tree."
"Why did you do that without telling me?"
"I thought you were already too tired, Elys."
Elys let out a harsh breath. It seemed she had just realized that her plan had failed because of Jerome's presence.
Jerome, unsure what else to do, simply handed her the item he had stolen before burying the corpse.
"Where did you get this?"
"From the man whose life you took last night."
Elys was intrigued by the iron ring with a gold inlay. She took it from him and examined it up close.
"You know, Jerome? The man I killed was actually part of the Vire tribe."
"Really? Didn't you say that tribe was the one that attacked our valley, Elys?"
Elys nodded. She couldn't have been mistaken. The shape and material of this ring... they were exactly the same as those belonging to their lord.
"Elys, the world has lifted its veil. Now is the time for revenge."
The woman immediately remembered what had happened in the past. The memory was so vivid, as if it had happened only yesterday afternoon. It was when her father had been accused of being involved in cooperation between the valley's inhabitants and the Vire tribe. The ring possessed by a Vire leader was exactly the same as the object she was clutching now.
In the lightless darkness, the two of them continued their journey, accompanied only by the moonlight hanging overhead.
At a magnificent throne, a leader was giving a speech before his people. Every sentence that came from his mouth sounded fiery. Not only that, but he also slammed his fist on the podium between parts of his speech. This prompted his people to erupt in cheers.
From another direction, a guard approached the podium. The muscular, upright man conveyed something to him. He whispered, as though some emergency had occurred.
The people, unaware of what was happening, merely glanced at the others beside them on either side.
"People of the Vire tribe, let us toast to the success of this nation. Under my leadership, the Vire tribe will always prosper." His booming voice was warmly received by the people.
After his speech ended amid his people's cheers, he stepped down from the podium. His guards followed as he hurried away.
"Your Majesty, I heard some bad news. Our envoy has been killed. There are no more pigeons to deliver messages to us." The guard was slightly afraid. He had kept his face lowered the entire time, too afraid to look at his master's face.
"Why are our plans always being obstructed? Now, who dares oppose King Vire!"
The Vire tribe leader's face turned bright red. He barked at the guard, who had merely reported what he had learned.