mtlumby2d Chapter 233 -: 232 Fearless couple union.[2]
Chapter 233 -: 232 Fearless couple union.[2]
"Good. Good."
The hooded man gave a satisfied nod before stepping past John Free and walking toward the front of the house.
The woman immediately followed after him.
Her movements contrasted sharply with his. While the man walked with steady, measured steps, she almost seemed to bounce forward, occasionally rising onto her toes as though she possessed endless energy that refused to stay still.
Both of them were tall, standing close to six feet in height. The difference was slight, yet noticeable.
The man’s broader shoulders and more masculine build gave him a little extra height, causing him to appear somewhat larger whenever the two stood side by side.
John hesitated for a moment before hurrying after them.
The pair settled beneath the wide wooden balcony roof attached to the front of the house.
The afternoon breeze drifted through the village, carrying the scent of freshly turned soil and crops.
Warm sunlight spilled across the courtyard while cooler air flowed beneath the shade, causing the edges of their black robes to flutter gently.
The woman immediately sat down beside her companion and began humming a quiet melody to herself.
John stared for a second.
The situation felt bizarre. One moment she looked like a mysterious expert sent to deal with dangerous bandits.
The next moment she looked like a child who had become distracted by a song only she could hear.
Suppressing the urge to comment, John turned toward the house.
"Emily!" he called loudly. "Bring some refreshments."
His voice disappeared through the doorway before he shifted his attention back toward the two hooded visitors.
The man remained seated calmly, one leg crossed over the other.
"You may explain the situation." His tone was relaxed, almost casual. At the same time, his gaze was fixed upon the sky above.
John unconsciously followed his line of sight. White clouds drifted lazily across the heavens.
Far beyond them, almost hidden within the blue expanse, dark silhouettes floated in the distance.
Three enormous shadows. The Floating Continents.
They appeared as vague outlines from the ground, suspended high above the world like forgotten islands drifting through an endless sea of sky.
No matter where one stood within the Four Stationary Continents, those ancient floating lands could always be seen watching from above.
"Haah..."
John’s weary sigh finally drew the hooded man’s attention away from the heavens.
The man lowered his gaze and looked toward the village chief.
John rubbed his forehead. Reluctance filled every part of him. Even now he wasn’t completely certain that speaking was the correct decision.
The possibility that these two were somehow connected to the bandits still lingered in the back of his mind.
Yet refusing them no longer seemed like an option. Not after the experience he had just suffered.
The memory of that terrifying pressure still lingered in his bones. His knees almost ached from remembering it.
At the same time, there was one thing that slightly reduced his suspicion.
Their accents.
The more he listened, the more obvious it became that they were not accustomed to speaking the local language.
Suspicious? Absolutely. But the bandits themselves were native Zlycons. They spoke perfectly.
These two sounded like they were wrestling the language into submission every time they opened their mouths.
After finishing his internal debate, John finally began speaking.
"The bandit group calls itself the Fearless Couple Union."
Silence followed.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Both hooded figures reacted simultaneously.
The synchronization was so perfect that John almost forgot his fear. There was a distinct hint of disbelief in both voices.
Even through the robes and hidden faces, he could practically feel the secondhand embarrassment radiating from them.
Honestly...he understood. The name was terrible.
It sounded like something a thirteen-year-old would invent after reading too many romance novels.
John coughed awkwardly. "They are... a strange group."
The woman nodded immediately. "Vely strange." Though her tongue slipped.
The man slowly nodded as well. "Extremely strange."
For the first time since they arrived, John felt a strange sense of unity. At least all three of them agreed on that.
"Every member of the group is part of a couple," John continued. "They ride horses and raid our village almost every day. They steal livestock, food, money, and anything valuable they can carry away."
The humor quickly faded from his face.
His expression darkened.
"They have killed villagers as well." The courtyard grew noticeably quieter. Even the woman stopped humming.
John lowered his eyes toward the ground.
Fear slowly surfaced within them.
"They spread terror wherever they go. People no longer leave their homes unless absolutely necessary. Parents keep their children indoors. Farmers are afraid to work their fields."
A heavy breath escaped him. "The villagers are terrified."
And truthfully...so was he.
"The worst among them are their leaders..." Before he could continue, the wooden door behind him opened.
All attention shifted toward the house.
A young girl stepped outside carrying a wooden tray.
She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old.
Her beauty was not the sort that stole one’s breath away at first sight.
Instead, it was softer. The kind of beauty that felt comforting. Like returning home after a long and exhausting day.
Long brown hair flowed down her back while clear blue eyes reflected the afternoon sunlight.
Her pointed ears marked her as a Zlycon, and her golden-brown skin carried the same warm glow as John’s.
She carefully carried three glasses filled with chilled orange juice. Condensation rolled down the sides of the glasses as she approached.
The sweet citrus scent drifted through the air. The hooded man accepted the tray first.
He picked up two glasses and handed one to the woman before keeping the other for himself.
Turning toward the girl, he inclined his head slightly.
"Thank you." His voice had become noticeably gentler.
The girl smiled politely.
The woman quickly attempted to do the same.
"Thenk."
She paused....her eyebrows furrowed beneath the hood.
"Thonk."
Another pause. The hooded man slowly lowered his glass.
The girl blinked.
The woman looked increasingly determined.
"You."
"Yo."
The hooded man pinched the bridge of his nose.
The girl bit her lip.
The woman finally straightened triumphantly.
"Thank you."
The words emerged awkwardly, but complete. The hooded man released a relieved sigh as though a great battle had finally been won.
The girl could no longer hold it in. A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"You’re welcome."
For the first time that day, some of the tension hanging over the courtyard weakened.
Even John found himself forgetting the bandits for a brief moment.
Though judging by the woman’s expression, mastering a simple thank you had apparently been the more difficult challenge.
....
....
After finishing their orange juice, the young girl quietly gathered the empty tray. The atmosphere beneath the balcony had become noticeably calmer than before.
Even John’s breathing had steadied, though the worry buried within his eyes remained unchanged.
As Emily turned and headed back inside the house, John watched her retreating figure for several seconds.
A softness appeared on his weathered face.
"She is Emily," he said quietly. "My daughter."
For the first time since meeting the two strangers, genuine warmth entered his voice.
The hooded man listened without interrupting.
John released a heavy breath. The warmth quickly faded, replaced by exhaustion and pain.
"The leader’s son has taken an interest in her. He wants to marry her despite her refusal."
The words seemed difficult for him to say.
Every father feared seeing his child suffer, but there was a particular helplessness in John’s situation.
He wasn’t dealing with an arrogant noble or a troublesome young master. He was dealing with bandits who answered to no law and feared no authority.
The hooded man nodded slightly. The woman, however, tilted her head.
Although she had been paying attention, her expression suggested she had only understood part of what had just been said.
She quietly nudged the man with her elbow.
The man turned toward her and spoke a few words in a language John had never heard before.
It sounded completely different from the Zlycon tongue.
The words flowed quickly and smoothly between them, carrying strange pronunciations that John couldn’t identify.
"He means the bandit leaders want their son to marry his daughter," the man explained to her.
The woman immediately nodded in understanding.
"Ah." A moment later she frowned.
"Bad."
The man nodded.
"Very bad."
The woman nodded again, apparently satisfied that she had reached the correct conclusion.
John wasn’t entirely sure what language they were speaking, but at least the woman seemed to understand now.
After finishing the brief explanation, the hooded man turned back toward him.
"Hmm. I understand."
John’s eyes brightened slightly.
At this point, most of his earlier suspicion had begun fading away.
The bandits he knew were impatient, violent people who preferred threats and blades over conversation.
If these two had truly been members of the gang, they would have had little reason to sit here listening to his problems.
They still seemed suspicious...very suspicious, in fact.
The strange accents remained. Their mysterious language remained. The lack of identification remained.
But honestly? John had reached a point where he no longer cared very much.
If they could solve the village’s problem, they could secretly be humans, demons, spirits, or descendants of the Floating Continents for all he cared.
As long as they helped, that was enough.
Gathering his courage, he looked toward the hooded man.
"Will you help us, my lords?" His voice carried both hesitation and hope.
The hooded man looked genuinely confused.
"Of course." He paused. "Why else would we come here?"
John blinked. That was... surprisingly reasonable.
The man casually leaned back against his chair. "Now get to the important part." He folded his arms. "When exactly will they attack?"
John straightened immediately. Hope surged through him. At that moment, any remaining doubts vanished from his mind.
The identities of these two no longer mattered. The strange accents no longer mattered.
All that mattered was that someone was finally willing to stand against the Fearless Couple Union.
Taking a deep breath, John looked toward the distant horizon where the afternoon sun was already beginning its slow descent.
A dramatic expression appeared on his face.
The hooded man and the woman watched.
John intentionally allowed several seconds of silence to pass before speaking.
"When the sun is about to set..." He paused again, clearly enjoying the suspense far more than necessary.
The hooded man’s eyebrow twitched beneath his hood. The woman leaned forward slightly.
John finally delivered the answer. "They will attack."