volume 2 - Chapter 146 (1/2)

Chapter 146 – Warm words of hope (8)

There was a loud bang as the young man pounded on the desk with both of his hands. The veins on his arms were visible.

“I will never agree to it!” He retorted with bloodshot eyes. “Sifrid is still a child, and she’s Lady Sa.s.sa’s daughter. Are the men in our village going to trade a child’s life in order to survive? Can you really do it? Can you!”

His roars echoed throughout the Longhouse. Most of the men glanced at each other without answering the youth. Brynjar rocked his body back and forth with folded arms and said nothing. The Elder gave a soft sigh and raised his head, blinking his old clouded eyes.

“Who was that?” Brendel asked as his eyes went over to the direction of the Longhouse.

“Brother Thor.” The little girl said with her bell-like voice.

He nodded to acknowledge her words, and there was a short moment where no one spoke.

“…… That’s enough,” The thin middle-aged man shook his head and sighed: “You said too much, Thor.”

“Uncle Klarr!” The youth protested with clenched fists.

“Enough! We understand your point all too well— But we’re Senia’s citizens. Do you understand? This is the destiny we carry and the choices of life and death are not for us to choose. Do you not recall the villagers who froze to their deaths in the forest?”

The young man’s eyes widened slightly and he bit his lips. He trembled a few times before he blinked his red eyes: “Of course, my father…..”

“He sacrificed his life for yours.” The Elder sighed.

“I know.”

“Every one of us survived till this day because of the villagers’ sacrifices. You need to consider our circ.u.mstances, as well as the dead. They sacrificed their lives so we can live on, and we must not waste their efforts. Our folklore has a song dedicated to describe how our ancestors fought against the Dark Forest over generations, shedding blood and flesh and their lives for the sake of the Senia’s future. They did not sacrifice themselves to let us throw it all away for one reckless moment.”

Klarr paused for a moment, before he uttered the next few words one at a time. “Do you understand?”

A few men started tearing up upon hearing his words.

“I…… understand. But are we going to live on like this forever as cowards? G.o.ddess Nia said we should not live just for the sake of living—” Thor wiped his eyes with chokes in between his words: “Should we throw away everything so we can live on?”

“At the very least we still have hope while we are alive,” Klarr shook his head: “If we are not able to see that day happen, then I hope your generation would be able to see it—”

“Elder, please make your decision.” He turned his head to the oldest man.

“…… Very well. We have reached a consensus to this discussion. However, none of us have the authority to send one of us to their deaths. I hope to ask for Sifrid’s opinions.” The Elder’s eyes were dyed with sadness.

“But there’s no precedent to ask for one’s permission.”

“That is because the people before us have been adult men or the elderly. They have made their decisions through their judgments and understood what they were doing.” The Elder’s head was bowed as he spoke.

“But Sifrid’s a child. What would she know about our customs? Are we handing our entire village’s fate to a child? This is a foolhardy decision!” Someone objected.

Most of the men’s glares were cold.

“And do you not feel any shame on relying a child to save yourself, even if we have no choice?”

“Your words are not wrong but it is also true we have no precedent for this, and Sifrid’s also the Elder’s granddaughter……” That small voice filled the room again.

The men took a moment to absorb his words. When Thor realized what that b.a.s.t.a.r.d implied, he walked over to him, grabbed his s.h.i.+rt and forced him to stand up.

“Yes, she’s not your daughter, so you can f.u.c.king send her off like it’s none of your concern. You cowardly b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you’re not fit to call yourself a Senia, get the f.u.c.k out of this sacred building now!”

He threw him across the floor like a sack of potatoes. The men near the injured person retreated away from him.

“W-what are you talking about, I’m just stating it as a possibility, that doesn’t mean it’s true…..” That man stuttered and groaned in pain: “And who’s to say there’s no possibility of that? Can you a.s.sure us that the Elder isn’t favoring his own kind? Are you the Elder?”

The old man stared at the cowardly man backing away from the ground as Thor lumbered angrily over to him. His fist was raised and ready to strike the b.a.s.t.a.r.d in front of him—

“Stop fighting!” A child’s voice pierced through the coward’s distressed whining and filled the room.

The front door had been pushed open without anyone realizing it. Sifrid’s had balled her hands into fists and shouted with her eyes closed, pouring every ounce of effort to raise her voice—