Eugene and the elven knights were treated with the utmost hospitality by the village chief and the residents. Eugene did not bother mentioning that the entirety of the Tywin territory, including the village of Broadwin, technically belonged to the Dukedom of Maren and that he was its king. He already knew that the chief and the village residents were showing him and his group sufficient courtesy and treatment. He would only ruin the atmosphere by mentioning that he was now a king, and Eugene hated such outcomes. As the friendly, festive mood continued, the chief spoke while looking at Eugene with cautious eyes, “Excuse me, Sir Eugene…”

“What is it?” Eugene answered.

“With all due respect, may I ask what brought you to this village?” the chief asked.

“Well, just this and that. Why? Is there a problem?” Eugene said, instinctively realizing that there was something more.

The chief waved his hands. “No, no. It’s nothing like that. Why would I have any problems with you, Sir Eugene? It’s not that… But lately, monsters…”

It was just as Eugene expected. Although he had killed numerous monsters on his way to the Tywin territory from Maren, it could not have accounted for all the monsters that had escaped from the evil land and the offspring they had produced. The aftermath of Christian’s work was affecting even...