More and more people have come to us for food during the following days, their numbers increased constantly and I gave in, of course I would. I hunted twice the amount of animals I usually did to compensate for it even!

  But eventually, when animals became scarce and meat ran out, I had to start pushing them away. At first, I was just using words, no violence, and when that didn't work, that's when I knew I had to pull out my magic and start threatening them.

  That got them to back down finally, but they were definitely resilient bastards who didn't know when to give up.

  "So they're gonna start hunting soon, what are you gonna do about it?" Wardcruncha sat in front of me, his face impassive as he looked at some kind of map— or maybe it's a giant ritual circle? I'm not sure. "They will soon attract the attention of the migrating furbeasts, and when that happens, only you can save them."

  His question was clear: do you really want Flotol to get destroyed? Is your revenge worth that much?

  He's also asking me if I've gone insane, because there's no way the Rontress who walked in Misery Swamp at the start of winter would have done all these things. The one who walked out is so willing to commit mass murder that it's like we're two completely different people.

  And he'd be right, the me who hasn't lived through winter, fought and killed a Warped, and became an Inhuman wouldn't have done all these things... at least not unless she was pushed to the brink, which is what's happening to me right now.

  "You don't think I know that?" I throw the accusation back at him, the truth is, no one can throw around assumptions until something actually happens. "Of course I know that I'm the only one who can save them."

  The hum vibrating across my throat had a strange rhythm to it, the tune is based off of a faulty memory of mine, a song back on earth. I don't know the title or the lyrics, just the feel of it.

  "Flotol will be in danger, I'm the one who orchestrated everything... Or did I?" My smirk was pure evil as I looked at Wardcruncha, I quickly shook it off, not wanting to actually commit to the feeling, no matter how much I wanted to. "Flotol's going to get attacked no matter what anyway, at least this way we'll be able to solve the problems currently plaguing that village."

  "And that's?" Wardcruncha asked, still calm. Looking at his face didn't give me anything concrete, just that he's observing me, which he does all the time anyway. "You don't mean to say that the villagers are the problem right?"

  "What? No, they're not the main problem, only partially." My shrug was dismissive, casual. "The fact that they're all ignorant idiots who can't think for themselves is given because they haven't been uneducated, I don't blame monsters for attacking people without thinking now do I?"

  "But you do kill them."

  "Only out of necessity." I argued, my voice passive. I stand up and pick up the kettle that's been boiling before Wardcruncha came into my room to talk. "Tea?"

  "No thank you."

  "Fair enough." Can poison even kill him? It probably won't, right? So he's not suspicious I'm gonna poison him, and I doubt he sees me as an actual threat. Am I thinking too much about this?

  "Are you going to kill the villagers out of necessity?"

  "No, but I will save them for the same reason." I take a sip of the freshly brewed tea, it's shit. Maybe this is why Wardcruncha said no? "Wardcruncha, I'm not gonna let the people my parents have known all their lives die."

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Guess there's still something left in that brain of yours after all." The mage smiled, he shook his head as he watched me take another gulp. "How can you stand the taste of that?"

  "Pride." I grin, he already thinks I'm insane anyway, what's one more reason for him? "Anyway, I'm not stupid, I know that if I let Flotol die, my parents won't be the same and worse, the people of the town or village we'll be moving into will think of us as a family of criminals."

  "Why not reestablish Flotol?" Wardcruncha asks, the suggestion made me think. I mean, why can't I do that? There's no real reason why I can't, right? "You have the people, the resources, and the intellect to run a village of your own."

  "Ugh, god. No." Intellect my ass! Where does he even get the courage to say things like that? "No village running, I don't want to even think about it."

  Does he think I can run a village all by myself? I'll be so incompetent at it that I won't know where to spend the funds I get from taxes! People will think I'm corrupt when in reality, I'm just stupid!

  "Why not? Your family fears that you will leave this place one day—" and they are right too, on both accounts. I will leave sooner or later. "— and you want... Whatever it is you've been working for, it feels like becoming the leader of Flotol solves all of that."

  "I'm listening."

  "Your family won't have to worry about you leaving anymore and the power and influence that a village head or better yet, a noble, possesses will be the perfect tool to achieve whatever it is you wanted to achieve." Wardcruncha shrugs, he's probably making some kind of sense in his own head.

  Well... I can also understand his point of view, but does he understand mine? Sure I won't have to leave my family if I become a noble, but is the kind of influence and wealth a noble has enough to let me save the world?

  "Why do you look like you just swallowed something bitter?"

  "Nothing." I shake my head. "Don't worry about it, and as for what you just said, yeah, sure, I'll give it some thought."

  Save the world? What am I thinking? Why the hell would I want to save the world? The main characters exist for a reason! They can do that in my place! Hell, I made their journey easier by removing The Queen of Misery Swamp in the list of obstacles they needed to face!

  Becoming a hero is so beyond my pay grade, I'd rather not face the horrors of this world head on, I'm good enough in my own little world thank you.

  "You should." The mage nods like he doesn't understand the kind of weight that comes with being a leader. Or maybe he does? And that's why he thinks I'm good enough for the role.

  And what's heavier, saving the world or running a village?

  "Yeah, sure." I was dismissive, I really didn't want to think about anything like that right now. "So, let's talk about what we need to do when it comes to training my abilities, I really want to manually grow trees."

  Because come on, that kind of environmental manipulation is just too good to pass up.

  The next day, I walked out of our camp to head to Flotol's outskirts. Talking to Wardcruncha yesterday had given me insight on what to do next and you know what? I'm gonna do what he wants and try my best to save Flotol from the stampeding herd of furbeasts that will inevitably come down on them soon.

  As expected, a small group of hunters, around 5 or so, I don't recognize any of them... Wait, I think at least two of these guys are adventurers. Survivors from my previous massacre. It's good that they're up and about.

  With my higher stats and better perks, I stalk them, keeping myself just far enough to not be sensed but also close enough that I can hear whatever it is they're talking about right now.

  "No one told us that what we were fighting was an actual monster, they just said that the girl is a dangerous person!" Some guy with a patchy beard says, with the armor he's wearing and the great sword he's carrying, he gave the impression of a viking.

  "Yes, yes. You've repeated this what? At least a thousand times by now? Don't you get tired of complaining about it all the time?" Someone reasonable said, I don't know if he's an adventurer or not but from the way he talked, he's as powerful as one.

  Doesn't that just make him likely to be an adventurer then?

  "Yeah but..."

  "But nothing. There's nothing we can do now that we're here, the only path is forward so you better start walking." Mr. Sensible said with a small shudder. "And don't mention that the head priest gives you shivers even when we're alone, you'll get used to it and might accidentally slip up in the village."

  "Sure. Sorry." Beardy nods. "I'll make sure not to complain about this again."

  Well, even if you don't, I already have everything I need. Learning about how the people are frustrated with Folsan is good for me, because that means my plan is working.

  We're in the final phases now...