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After the messenger departed the village, the whole place erupted into an uproar. People gathered near the chief's house, arming themselves with whatever weapons they had—big axes and longswords being the most common.
But only Dani was present. Her mother, the chief, was up in the mountains. So, the elders sent two guards to inform her of the situation.
I watched the chaos from the steps leading to the Big Stone.
"So… it's come to this," I sighed. The situation wasn't looking good.
I hate war. Everyone hates war.
Even soldiers hate war. But humanity's thirst for greed is unquenchable—just like in World War I and II, and the many wars before them.
Every war begins with a single spark, a small incident that gets twisted and manipulated by those in power to suit their agenda.
They're always the ones safest during the actual fighting, protected by rules and privileges even after the war ends.
What I truly hate is what comes after. Famine. Orphans. Widows. Chaos. They fill the void left by the warm, peaceful atmosphere that war crushes.
And if war actually breaks out, I'll be dragged into it too. I can't abandon this place if the people I was supposed to help are on the brink of extinction. All I can do now is hope for a miracle.
---
The next morning, a meeting was held between the chief and the village elders.
Lani was furious—at her daughter for her reckless words, and at the kingdom for provoking this situation.
She apologized for not being present when it all started and made it clear she didn't want needless sacrifices.
So, she came up with a plan to minimize casualties: a one-on-one duel between champions from both sides. But the real question was—would they accept?
---
"Why do I have to come too?" I protested to Lani.
We were on our way to meet the enemy near the river—Lani, Meliss, me, and two of her personal guards.
"You're the reason this started. Just come along. Nothing's going to happen to you," she said, trying to reassure me.
"Yeah. If we can't protect our own, then we don't deserve to live," Meliss chimed in.
That wasn't reassuring at all. But I wasn't going empty-handed. I brought my bow and a full quiver, and I'd already prepared myself mentally in case things got out of hand.
Soon, the sound of flowing water reached my ears. On the other side of the river stood seven soldiers, fully armored from head to toe… knights, maybe?
But compared to Lani and Meliss, they weren't all that intimidating. The size difference was almost comical.
Lani told me to stand at the edge of the river. She, Meliss, and the two guards stepped into the water and made their way to the center.
From the opposite side, the other group began to move as well. Their leader, who I assumed was the commander, took the lead. Her armor gleamed with gold trimming, and a plume feather crowned her helmet.
"State your intentions," the commander said. I could hear her clearly despite the river's flowing current.
"You and I both know what this is about," Lani replied. "You want to dominate us. You never learn from your history, do you?"
"…"
"And you know you can't win this battle."
"We outnumber you—"
"Numbers don't win battles. And your little tricks won't work here."
"Where's the man?" the commander suddenly accused. "I know you people kidnapped our precious man."
Lani chuckled. "That man is ours. Ours alone. Don't covet what was never yours."
Clank.
Two spears crossed in front of Lani as her guards raised their weapons, ready to strike. The enemy soldiers mirrored the motion, taking up arms.
"Lower your weapons," Lani ordered her guards calmly. "If this battle continues, it'll only lead to pointless bloodshed. So I propose a duel—champion against champion. Do you agree?"
"Hmph. We'll win. You barbarians don't stand a chance." The commander turned, nose high, and they all retreated to their side.
"So… who's our champion?" I asked, curious.
"Oh, she's my daughter," Lani replied casually.
"Oh… is that so?" I said, eyebrows raised with a hint of doubt.
"Haha! Look at you, doubting my daughter's strength," Lani laughed. "Just so you know, she might've been born from a coward, but she inherited my strength, my mind, and my might. So sit back and enjoy."
The duel was set to take place in four days, in a small open field next to the river—on our side.
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