BIGBUTADORABLE.BL0GSPOT. C0M

1. Oak Forest

There's a large lake near the village. Every sunrise, a thick fog emits from its water and coats the entire village in a grey hue. The surrounding forest of towering oaks is no match for the mist either, making even the wind flowing through the trees feel cold and gloomy.

On the most opaque days, the mere glimpse of more than one set of gold eyes peering in through those tall oak trees or the sound of rustling footsteps emitting from the underbrush is enough to scare the villagers into locking their homes and retreating inside for a full day.

Yet with all these precautions, the danger is still present. On one such day, while riding the shadows of the mist, the goblins manage to reach their arms and hands through the cracks of one villager's locked door and spirit away with a newborn baby, not even a week old—all this within moments of the parents looking away. 

At sunrise the next morning, the fog is absent. Instead, the air is filled with the anguished cries of the newborn's mother and the grim tones of the townsfolk discussing last night's kidnapping.

“Shouldn’t we call for them?” A young man's voice stands out amongst the crowd, the father of the kidnapped newborn. 

The townsfolk come abuzz with uncertainty but none are willing to voice their true thoughts. For a long time, they gather together in hushed tones until they reluctantly agree—no doubt due to the continuous and earnest urging of the baby's father. 

Steadfast in their decision, a handful of men pass out torches to each other and make their way toward the north trail from the village. Although the fog has lifted from the forest, the weather is still poor with clouds much darker than usual.

The most experienced man among them warns the rest behind him after noticing this. "We have to make it there before sunset."

Then, they turn their backs on the village and enter the oak forest, the cold place.

Two hours on foot, quite a bit out of their village, there is another small village. No signposts. No one other than the villagers know it exists.

It is a very secluded place. Even the villagers will not be able to find their way without the experienced middle-aged man who had been there many times.

Arrived at the end of the puzzled road of the dark oak forest, there, a man is seen standing in the way, looking as if he already knows they are coming.

"What else is going on now?" he asks.

The man is about two meters tall, with golden eyes and a thick body. So thick his old clothes look like it's about to burst. The villagers hold up their torches high, honestly being wary of him.

"The goblin took another child."

"How many hours since?"

"About five hours."

"I can’t bring your child to life. And the bones may have been culled."

At the answer, the newborn's father cries out and thrashes in anger. But the man only narrows his brow slightly, does not even budge an inch. Watching the father continue to howl until he tires himself out from exhaustion.

Finally, one of the men standing at the front nods, knowing what this huge man wants. He throws something at him. A small pocket with no-one-knows what's inside. The man quickly takes it into his arms.

"Stay here. It won't take that long," he says finally and swishes into the woods.

He is obviously a man but once he jumps, and lands his feet on the ground, the man disappears and changes into a huge wolf swinging swiftly through the oak trees.

On the other side, the villagers then enter the small village. Beside the huge man who changed into a wolf, there are actually a few more people in the village but all hides in the house and not making a sound. Only a few golden eyes are peering through the old wooden window sills. If not because of those eyes, they would have thought this is just some empty abandoned village.

The villagers gather at the village entrance and sit down until, about thirty minutes later, a piercing howl cut through the oak forest. It is not the kidnapped newborn's father. It is a roar of an animal, so terrifying it can freeze your spine. Startled by the voice, the villagers stand up and look around.

"I had a bit of trouble finding it."

The huge man is back. On his hands are a small white skeleton and a few thin bones.

The newborn's father instantly weeps again. His fingers are trembling receiving the white bones, clean without any blood or flesh.

"Ah, sweetheart..."

"I'm sorry I was too late."

The villagers support the child's father who is about to collapse hugging the white bones in his arms. Then they turn their feet around and walk back to their village. Gone into the fog.

The huge man who brought the villagers the baby's skeleton also disappears into the village.

◆

It is not uncommon for a child to be kidnapped and eaten by goblins or orcs in this village. Very rare for them to be rescued before being eaten. In the end, the parents can only hold a funeral for their bones.

Like today. For the umpteenth time, the villagers again hold a funeral for a baby not even one year old. The mother of the child repeatedly wails, faints, and weeps again over the death of her child. 

"Isn’t that eastern mansion the problem?" one of the villagers says.

"I don’t know how brave you are. My two babies were also captured by the goblins. But don't put that mansion in your mouth."

"Can’t we just ask them?"

"Yeah, that's right."

The father of the deceased baby, who had been quiet, suddenly joins in. Looking at the village's chief.

The mansion in the east they are talking about is an old, dark mansion that stands on a low hill overlooking their village. From there, a cold wind and mist that always enveloped the mansion coming from the lake behind it blow toward them. As if all this darkness begins from there, the highest place around here.

The villagers are afraid of the mansion. Everyone knows what is living there. 

Every morning, the mist would freeze their arms and gives them shiver in their spine. The mist creeping down from there feels like a huge evil spirit.

"The vampire living there must be the one using the monsters to take our children! Yeah! They drink human blood! They eat human flesh! Did you all see how our children become all bones only? That must be the work of that damn vampire!"

"Keep your voice down."

"Who cares! My child is dead now!"

"Those who live in that mansion have ears for mice and eyes for birds, speak carefully. Unless you want to follow your children."

"Chief!"

But the village chief strides his shoes and leaves his people to roar. Everyone understands their chief's worry, but everyone is thinking the same.

'If only that vampire died, we don't have to hold any more funerals! Our children will grow up safer!'

They know it is the goblin and orc who took their children away but, they believe that that vampire is the one behind them.

The coward village chief has been pretending not to hear their complaints for years, but their anger―them who had lost too many children to the hands of monsters during the winter, the season of hunger, are on edge already.

"Let's ignore the chief's warning, we should just gather our strength together and kill that vampire."

"But Romaine, the only one who can guide us to their village, will never take the lead without the chief’s consent."

"Don't worry. I know the way."

"You, really?"

"I left traces on the trees on the way home last night."

And so, at his words, the men of the village gather.

"They will definitely get rid of that vampire."

"But what if they lose to the vampire?"

If they lose to the vampire, there will be no one to retrieve the bones of their dead child anymore. Some people seem anxious. But for the parent who had lost their child today and had also lost their minds, their anxiety is pathetic.

"I need to give them something worth it. After all, if that vampire dies, we don't need them anymore, right?"

"What are you going to do then?"

"I'll hand over my field that has yet to be harvested. Won’t they gladly take the risks?"

"No way! That's just too...! If we hand it over, our village's food source will be reduced, and we will no longer be able to borrow their strength. Ever again."

"Is that so important in this situation now? Wasn't your son got kidnapped once too? That boy is lucky to be growing up well now, but who knows when the goblins would come to you again?"

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NOTE

One of the novels I translate got removed from NovelUpdates. So...
I made a DISCORD SERVER. Just in case.


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