The Nazar's built their camp where they will spend the night. The townsfolk disliked the Nazar's but they still patrolled inside the town because they had to obey orders, that's what soldiers do when there are barbarians around.

But when the people were in groups chatting with each other and a Nazar showed up, they just spread like they were going home.

Neia didn't like this at all. She is here to protect these people but they showed nothing but contempt. Only the children ran around the soldiers because they don't know what harsh world they live in, but still, the parents shouted at them to stay away from the soldiers.

"Tch!" Neia clicked her tongue. "What kind of bullshit is this?"

"Yeah Madeye, I'm annoyed too, but we have to endure this situation." said Joker.

"I bet Remedios would love these people, this town will feel like home for her."

"Who is Remedios?" asked Joker curiously.

"A retard." said Neia without giving an explanation.

"Perfectly understandable."

Neia and Joker giggled together but that did not last long because the had to make straight faces in front of the people. Not that she cares what they think but it was the pride as a Nazar.

There was only one inn in the town and Neia alongside Joker were heading there to drink something quick. They reached the front of the inn and went inside. Some people were inside and they noticed Neia and Joker coming in. All of them stopped what they were doing and stared at the two Nazar's.

"What's with those damn faces you maggots?!" Neia screamed inside her head. She wanted to ask why everyone hates them but she didn't have the courage to ask that.

Neia and Joker didn't go any further and got a table near the entrance because the didn't want to stay here for long. The bartender, a thin man with black hair arrived to take the order.

"May I take your order?"

Neia was surprised because this man didn't have the same expression as the other.

"You have beer here?"

"Yes, I have plenty of beer, lieutenant." he said in a good manner.

"We want a beer then."

The bartender smiled and turned. Finally a human being in this stupid town. Just because of this Neia was grateful. But the bartender might be the same as the others but he cares more for his business.

On another table near the bar were four men, one of them was a priest that worshiped the god of light. He was a middle-aged fat man with grizzle hair wearing a white robe. They had been looking at Neia and Joker since they entered here.

The bartender came back with the order and decided to ask him some questions.

"Sir, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." he came closer so the others won't hear anything.

"Why do these people detest us so much?" she asked.

"You are soldiers of the Sorcerer King and he is…"

He was afraid to say "undead" because he had seen how this woman reacted yesterday in the middle of the town.

"It doesn't seem like that good sir."

"...So what is it then?"

"It feels like they are trying to hide something and they are making our stay here uncomfortable."

"I… I really don't know."

Neia could see the sweat running down his forehead. The man was feeling uneasy and everyone inside the bar was looking at him.

"You should not serve the followers of the undead Baluk."

It was the priest from the other table that spoke all of sudden. Baluk turned to the priest.

"I want to eat, priest, they have money. Those who pay are always welcomed in my bar."

"I understand that Baluk, but the Gods do not forgive sinners."

"The world has bigger problems, priest. I don't think the gods would punish a man that is trying to do an honest job." Neia decided to speak for Baluk.

"Blasphemy! You are a heretic that should be burned with all those abominations that you have brought here. The gods see everything and everyone, no matter what they are doing.

"Showing the true colors huh. Why are you like that? What have we done to you? We are here to protect this town from the barbarians hordes."

"Keep that tongue behind your teeth, heretic."

The furious priest raised from his chair and went out of the bar with the other men that were with him.

Years ago Neia was just a young girl but she was sure that priests like this one were very common in the Roble Holy Kingdom. She was glad that her people changed from this mentality.

"What a miserable fanatic." said Neia with disgust.

Joker stood silent drinking his beer. When he was a slave, people like that priest were very common in Slane Theocracy. This town… it felt just like the place he was born.

"Sorry for causing you trouble, sir." apologized Neia.

"It's, It's okay."

Neia paid for the beer and went out of the inn with Joker. She had more questions but the bartender was very nervous and she didn't want to cause him trouble anymore. Because of her, Baluk might lose all his clients.

Now the young lieutenant wanted to get out of this place. The camp where her brothers and sisters built was better than this shit hole. Neia suddenly noticed Joker, he was looking at the people around concerned.

"Hey, Joker, what's up with you?"

"Ah, nothing Madeye, just looking if there are troubles."

"Joker, since we arrived here, you look worried. What is it?"

The wood elf sighed, he can't hide from the scary eyes of the lieutenant.

"Okay, this place reminds me of the Slane Theocracy."

"Slane Theocracy… you mean you were a-"

"Yes, I was a slave."

Joker lowered his head meanwhile Neias eyes went wide from his words. Of course, he was a slave, that was the status for the elves in the Slane Theocracy.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Madeye."

"We humans did that to you."

"No, no, no, Madeye. There is no need to blame humanity, it's the Slane Theocracy and the Elf King that cause such... things. But thank the Supreme One, I'm free now.

"His majesty is so benevolent. He saved the elves, us, and now is helping these ungrateful bastards that deserve to… ugh."

She wanted to punch those faces so badly because they were making her stay here very uncomfortable with those unwelcoming eyes.

Neia didn't ask Joker any more questions about his past because she did not want to bring up to surface horrible memories that Joker spent in Slane Theocracy. For the wood elves, that land is cursed just like the humans that thought about the Katze Plains.

The two Nazar's walked through the town until they reached the end. Neia and Joker had to get out of the street because a swarm of goats and sheep were passing by very fast.

Two young girls were running after them worried. Neia was not sure to help them because she thought those girls will have the same expression as everyone in this town.

"Please stop them, don't let them go in that direction!" the girl with long black hair shouted.

The two Nazar's did not waste time and went to help the two girls. Neia and Joker open their arms wide to stop the farm animals and scare them to run at the left side that leads to the fields near the forest.

The girls didn't follow the animals and ran towards Neia and Joker. Both of them seemed very happy.

"Thank you very much, big sister and big brother. If they ran through the town, it would have been a pain to gather all of them again." said the girl and bowed her head.

"Thank you!" said the other girl that looked younger than the other one.

"Big sister… Oh, it's okay, We are happy to help. Are those animals yours?"

"They belong to my fathers. We are sending them to the grasslands to eat."

Neia turned to see where those were located and she saw them near the forest, then she turned at the two girls.

"You know, that place that you are sending those animals might be dangerous girls."

"Thank you for worrying about us but we go there all the time and nothing has happened to us."

"What's your name?" Neia asked.

"My name is Manna, she is my little sister Mela.:

"Nice to meet you girls but be careful with both of you. It needs just one moment and a monster might pop out of the forest to hunt you."

Neia was shocked how a parent would let their children get near the forest, not even an adult shouldn't go near that place.

"Ah thank you for the advice-

"MANNA!"

A man with a straw hat was seen walking towards them. Seeing the expression of the girls, it told Neia that that man was the father. Neia also noticed a bottle on the man's hand.

"Haven't I told you before to not talk to strangers."

"So-Sorry father, these good people helped us."

"I want no excuses. I'll give you a lesson when we go back home. To the fields, now!" he shouted.

"Ye-Yes father."

The sister didn't have time to say goodbye and ran immediately to the direction of the fields.

"Sir, it's dangerous to go near the forest."

"Nobody asked you, undead follower, out of my way!"

The drunk man walked disorderly towards the inn. He spent all his day at that place drinking and wasting all the money.

Neia felt bad about those sisters that had this dumb father. They didn't deserve to live in a town like this. She doesn't like violence but when people like these exist, the whip need's to fall upon their spines and she agrees very much on that order.

If the Vampire Gendarmerie was here, the system would have become more strict. The vampires don't care if humans dislike them, all of them will obey the law of the Sorcerer Kingdom no matter what.

"Fuck that guy, Madeye. One day he will learn."

"Joker, I think we are neglecting things here."

"What do you mean lieutenant?"

"Just look at them, Joker. They express the hatred against us so openly like we wouldn't dare to touch them."

"The orders say to protect them."

"Yes of course, but we don't have to let them disrespect us like this. If words leak out, we will become the laughingstock of the Nazar army."

"You have a point... So what should we do?"

"If we are disrespected again, as that priest did to us, we will be more strict and use violence too if it is needed."

"Would that put us in trouble with our superiors, lieutenant?"

"I will answer for everything. We can't let these people walk over us."

She was right, they are here to guard and protect them. But the people here were acting like spoiled children. Neia is a proud Nazar, and looking down on her, means that she was putting the Nazar army into shame.

This was a sin.

"As you say lieutenant."

Joker had to agree with her. But he still had that instinct of the slave. If he acts tough in front of the humans, the inside fear captures him, the past returns again, the sound of the whip and the cries of his mother.

Most of the wood elves that were in Joker's situation would hate humans to the core. But Joker tried to forget his dark past. The only people that remind him of the slave days are his two half-elf sisters.

As many others, Joker was a bastard of the elf king. His mother was captured by the Slane Theocracy army when she was pregnant and Joker was born in Slane Theocracy. He grew up in slavery and has passed three generations of masters, now he was 99 years old.

After this, Neia and Joker went back to the camp.

From the window of a house, the priest of the Light Town and Ciris were watching the two girls that were sending the farm animals to the fields. With them were two other men that were watching with him.

"How old is your elder daughter Theolo?" asked the mayor.

The priest asked another man that was standing in the middle of the room. He was the drunk father of the two farm girls.

"16 years old, my Lord."

"She has reached the perfect age for the ritual." said the priest.

"Theolo, this time the ritual is very important."

"Ye-Yes."

"If we send your daughter as a gift to the God of Light, he with his divine power will destroy the undead followers. In the past, the sacrifices were sent for good fortune but this will be different." said the priest while clenching his fist.

The mayor of the city turned and walked near Theolo. He put his hand at his arm upon the man's shoulder.

"So what do you say Theolo?"

The eyes of Theolo went wide when the mayor showed a pouch with gold in front of his face. He has never seen so much money in his entire life.

"At least we will have one mouth less to feed." thought Theolo.

Not just him, but even his wife would accept this. The family was poor and they have been waiting to give their daughter to someone as a wife. But if she is going to be used for the ritual, it's even better. At least their daughter will be like a heroine of the town. Her sacrifices will please the God of Light and he will banish away from the Light Town the Nazar forces.

"I accept, my Lord, thank you. I am glad that my daughter will be the sacrifice this time."

"God bless you Theolo."

Everyone in the room smiled.

The day passed and the sun was setting. The two sisters, tired from the work gardening the animals, were happy to see the home again. Their father was at the entrance of the sheepfold.

All the farmers that had a large number of animals in their farm, counted them carefully when they brought the animals back home from the fields to see if they were missing.

So Theolo counted them every time when his daughters returned home.

"Hello father."

The younger daughter opened her arms to hug her father. But Theolo turned to her and slapped his daughter's face.

"Do not interrupt me while I'm counting them!"

The young girl ran inside the house crying. Her mother was waiting at the door and she didn't care to look after her daughter instead she kept watching her husband.

"101, 102, 103, 104, 10… Hmm, where is the last one?"

"Eh, but I counted 105. I have counted them three times on the way here."

"There are 104 here, you useless girl!"

Theolo shouted at his daughter and slapped her just like he did with the other one. With tears on her eyes, she turned at her mother but she too was looking at her with an angry face.

"Why are you careless, Manna?" her disappointed mother asked.

"No-No…"

"Our life depends on these animals and you go fool around!"

For some farmers, these animals were the only source where they can feed the family. Losing just one of them is a very bad situation.

"Father i swear this must be a mistake, let me count them again-"

"Silence!"

Manna was shocked by the angry voice of her father. She has never seen him before acting like this and he was not drunk.

"Get back to the forest and find the last one."

Manna turned her face to the west and saw the sun slowly going down.

"Fa-father, soon it will get dark and the forest is dangerous at night."

"I don't care if you die there! I want that sheep back now!"

Theolo pushed his daughter but she was not leaving and was looking at him like she was pleading for mercy.

"You don't want to go, huh? Wait there, wait."

There was a tree near the sheepfold and Theolo cut from the tree a birch. He removed the leaves and walked towards Manna. Theolo raised his arm and hit Manna's calves.

"Obey now!"

"I'm sorry father! I'm sorry! I'll go and bring it back home! Please don't hit me anymore, it hurts!"

"And don't you dare to come back without it."

The poor girl ran towards the forest . She cried and cried non stop. Her father and even her mother didn't care about her life. Manna has never been at the forest when it was dark, Theolo himself has told her that.

"Please! Please don't go far away! Please!"