"Mhm." Elyn hummed as she stepped outside the cabin.
Behind her, the faint sound of Hera's portal still crackled softly—barely heard through the thick wooden door.
She then looked up, squinting as the morning sun shone through the trees. The light pierced through the canopied, hitting her pale skin—warm and sharp like tiny needles prickling on her skin.
"I hate the sun," she muttered with a wince.
*rustle...!
She then pulled the hood of her leather armor over her head and started walking.
*crunch! *rustle! *crunch!
Her boots crunched over dry leaves and snapped twigs as she moved through the forest.
The air smelled of bark and earth, and birds chirped in the distance. She didn't stop or look around as she continued.
Her steps were steady and quiet, moving through the woods with ease.
After a while, the forest began to thin out. Through the gaps in the trees, she saw signs of life, smoke rising, fences and small wooden houses.
She stepped out of the woods and saw a village.
It was quiet, peaceful.
People walked about, tending to animals, carrying baskets, or talking to one another. The sounds of children playing reached her ears before anything else.
She slowed her steps and watched.
Children ran through the paths between homes, laughing and yelling as they played tag.
One of them fell, let out a short laugh, then stood back up and kept running. Their joy was simple, loud, and full of life.
Elyn stood at the edge of the village. She watched for a moment, saying nothing, her hood still hiding most of her face.
Yet she wasn't there to eavesdrop or to sightsee.
She had come to the village for one reason—to complete a hunting contract.
Her target was a vrakkan, a woodland beast known for luring people into the forest with its beautiful yet haunting voice—only to ambush and kill them once they were lost.
The job was already done.
In her left hand, she carried a rough sack, stained and heavy at the same time.
Inside was the head of the creature, a proof of the kill.
All that was left was to bring it to the main hall and hand it over to the village chief.
With no reason to delay, Elyn walked with purpose through the village paths.
Her hood stayed low, but that didn't stop the stares.
People watched her from doorways and windows, their eyes wide with fear and curiosity. The murmurs started quickly.
"Look... it's that woman!" a small child said, pointing a tiny finger at her.
The mother reacted fast, covering the child's eyes as her face filled with worry.
"Don't look! You'll be cursed!"
Elyn didn't react. She kept walking, her steps steady—her grip on the sack firm.
Then came the harsh words—whispers at first, then louder as more villagers joined in.
"Damned wretched bitch!"
"Get her out of here!"
"She'll bring ruin to this village!"
The voices hit her like a cold wind, but she didn't flinch.
She had heard it all before.
These weren't new to her ears.
Elyn was once a holy knight, sworn to serve the goddess with sword and soul. But that was long ago.
After her fall, after the betrayal of her order, she had become something else—something feared and something that fell from grace.
Now, she wandered from place to place, taking on beast-hunting contracts that no one else dared to accept. To the world, she was a cursed vagabond, a traitor roaming with the curse set upon her.
A woman marked by the divine and rejected by the holy.
She was a symbol of failure. A reminder of what happens when light is lost.
A holy knight no more—only a shadow of who she used to be.
She was as sinful as it gets.
With a firm push, Elyn opened the doors to the main hall.
*creak...!
The wood creaked loudly as they swung inward.
Inside, several villagers were gathered, talking in small groups or sitting near the walls. Most of them looked up out of habit—then froze when they saw her.
Their eyes widened at first, then quickly narrowed with clear disgust.
Whispers started almost immediately. Some turned away, pretending not to notice her. Others simply stared, their faces twisted in unease.
Elyn didn't react.
*Thud *Thud *Thud
She walked straight toward the front desk, her boots tapping against the wooden floor with soft and steady creaks.
She stopped in front of the receptionist, a young woman with nervous eyes and trembling hands.
"Bring me to the village leader," Elyn said, her voice calm but firm.
She lifted the sack in her other hand just enough for the woman to see the blood stained bottom.
"I've completed the request. I want my reward."
The receptionist blinked, her mouth slightly open in shock.
Then she quickly nodded.
"R-Right away!" she said, voice shaking. She turned and hurried through a nearby door, disappearing behind a curtain of cloth.
Elyn waited in silence.
More villagers whispered behind her, but none dared approach.
After a few minutes, the receptionist returned, still looking uneasy.
"The leader invites you inside, Lady Elyn," she said, stepping aside and gesturing toward the back room.
"Fine," Elyn replied without hesitation, then followed the receptionist toward the back room.
*creak...!
The wooden door creaked as she stepped inside. Her eyes scanned the room quickly—there were four guards inside, standing still, hands resting on their weapons.
The air was tense.
"Please," said a man seated behind a table. He gestured to the chair across from him.
Elyn didn't sit right away. She glanced at the guards again, her eyes sharp—then looked back at the man.
"You better not try anything," she said coldly, placing one hand on the hilt of her iron sword.
"I could kill everyone in this room before any of you take a step."
The guards flinched slightly at her words, but none moved.
The village leader gave a nervous chuckle, raising his hands halfway as if to calm her.
"What made you think that? Haha—no tricks here, I assure you," he said. His smile didn't reach his eyes.
He bent forward and pulled open a drawer in the desk, then took out a heavy sack of coins.
With a loud clank, he dropped it on the table in front of her. The coins shifted inside and the sound clear and full.
"I trust you've done the deed?" he asked, nodding toward the sack Elyn carried.