Chapter 91: The Deergirl Feya (Part 2)

The deer girl stuttered in panic, “I didn’t… I haven’t…” 

Wu Qingsong shook his head, understanding her conflict and fear. However, guessing was not enough, he needed to ascertain the truth for the sake of those he cared about.

“Beck, take two squads and bring the village chief here,” Wu Qingsong commanded, then added as an afterthought, “Don’t frighten them, but surround them to prevent anyone from escaping.”

Contrary to their expectations, when the houndmen appeared outside the cave, the deerpeople, freshly awakened, screamed in terror, frantically fleeing deeper into the cave. In the commotion, several villagers were trampled. The houndmen had to revise their plan, storming the cave and using force to subdue them, eventually restoring calm.

An elderly deer person was brought out, visibly trembling. Upon seeing Feya, he yelled in horror, “My Lord! She’s not from our village! She’s not!”

“Village Chief?!” Feya expressed her shock, despair, and sorrow.

“She’s truly not from our village! Please, my Lord, have mercy!” pleaded the elder, collapsing to the ground in despair.

“I’m not here to hunt beastfolk, but you must tell me how you avoided being detected at the beginning,” Wu Qingsong insisted.

The village chief hesitated. Speaking out could lead to death, but what if he remained silent?

His gaze involuntarily drifted toward his fellow villagers. They were now utterly vulnerable, like lambs to the slaughter.

“My Lord, it wasn’t that we intentionally deceived anyone,” the village chief started hesitantly, shedding light on Feya’s background.

Feya’s parents were not original inhabitants of the village. The chief explained that they were travelers who arrived from another region about a decade ago, with Feya’s mother already pregnant.

The deerpeople naturally harbored skepticism and resistance toward outsiders. However, Feya’s father, a man of considerable knowledge, taught the villagers how to grow medicinal herbs, offering the village a chance to escape poverty. It was around this time that Feya was born.

Imperial law required newborns to be inspected by the lord. In practice, this regulation was often not fully enforced. Often, the task was carried out by tax-collecting teams sent by stewards, who also had the dreadful duty of executing massacres in villages where beastfolk were born.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Saint’s Eye Mercenary Group, the local lords, were not as strict in enforcing these laws as true Elven nobility. They had little interest in the weak and impoverished deerpeople. 

Shortly after Feya was born, her parents pleaded with the village chief to hide her existence.

The chief initially struggled to comprehend such a request, as it was a serious crime and not a normal course of action. However, Feya’s parents had become vital to the village by that time. The medicinal herbs they cultivated had become the village’s most important product. Thus, the matter was quietly resolved.

The deerpeople vigilantly stationed sentinels. Whenever they spotted the lord’s troops nearby, a warning was swiftly issued. Feya’s mother would then take her to hide in the cave they were using as a refuge.

In Feya’s fourth year of life, a girl around her age tragically succumbed to illness, a common occurrence in the impoverished beastmen community. Feya then assumed this girl’s identity, leading a normal life henceforth.

However, for the feeble deerpeople, prosperity was a sin. The medicinal herbs produced by their village gained fame locally, which not only attracted more attention and taxes from their lords but also lured wandering mercenary bands, or rather, gangs of robbers.

One night, these bandits attacked the village. Feya’s father tried to lead a resistance, but he overestimated both his fellow villagers’ will to fight and his own influence. The villagers quickly abandoned their makeshift weapons and fled, leaving him to be publicly executed as an example of his defiance.

After her father’s death, Feya’s mother deteriorated rapidly and soon passed away. The village chief then took the orphaned child under his wing.

Frightening traits began to manifest in Feya. After turning five, the chief accidentally discovered that she could make plants respond to her actions. She often whispered to them, and could even coax weeds in the medicinal fields to relocate, allowing the crops to thrive more robustly.

This revelation struck fear into the heart of the village chief.

The village chief was well aware of the legends surrounding the ‘demon seed’ and the stories of entire villages being massacred due to the presence of such beings. It became clear to him that Feya was undoubtedly a demon seed, and her existence could spell doom for the village.

He faced a harrowing choice. Quietly burn her to eliminate the threat to the village forever, or spare her life? After much internal struggle, he decided to let Feya live. He had a private conversation with her, explaining the nature of demon seeds and sternly warning her never to use her terrifying abilities, especially not in the view of others.

However, keeping such a secret was inevitably challenging, especially for a child. It wasn’t long before the villagers became aware of Feya’s uniqueness. Yet, her abilities also improved the growth of their medicinal crops, leading to increased profits. 

The villagers repeatedly debated whether to kill her or keep her alive. Ultimately, they couldn’t bring themselves to do it and chose to keep her secret while closely monitoring her to prevent any chance of being seen by outsiders.

The village also developed a habit of setting sentries to guard against strangers. A practice that ironically contributed to their survival during the insectoid plague. It was their decision to shelter the orphaned girl that led to their salvation, as Feya’s ability to awaken tree people provided protection during the insectoid onslaught, allowing them to survive.

The village chief desperately kowtowed, pleading, “I’ve told everything I know. She truly isn’t from our village. Please, show us mercy and spare us!”

Feya was in tears. Wu Qingsong ordered his men to escort the village chief away, then approached her.

“Kill me, but please don’t harm them!” she implored in despair.

For the first time, Feya realized that the villagers she had always regarded as family had once contemplated burning her alive. And that her father had died because of their cowardice, trying to protect them.

“Aren’t you angry?” Wu Qingsong asked.

Feya shook her head vigorously.

The truth might be harsh, but she had grown up under their care. How could she harbor hatred?

Wu Qingsong then untied her.

“Go,” he said to Feya. “I’m sorry for what I had to do, but I needed to protect my men and understand the situation. Some mercenary groups are indeed terrible, but not all are bad. Rest assured, I’ll keep your secret, and my men won’t speak of this.”

Stunned, Feya couldn’t fathom this outcome.

“Who are you?” she finally asked, as Wu Qingsong and his men began to leave.

“I’m Woody Tagraedi, commander of the Thirteenth Mercenary Group and the new owner of the Elmons Mine. If you ever face troubles, feel free to seek me out.”