NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 26: Villagers (3)

Ravien was standing tall, his eyes scanning the crowd of villagers, patiently waiting for a question to rise.

Silence was only broken by the rustling of dry leaves dragged across the dirt by the wind.

At last, a middle-aged man with a bruise on his face slowly raised his hand. His fingers trembled. Ravien turned toward him; the man's eyes were dull, his expression worn out.

"Sir, I want to ask something."

Ravien tilted his head slightly in response.

"Don't hesitate. Ask."

The man stepped out from the crowd, careful with his footing. The piece of cloth he wore fluttered gently in the breeze. His eyes met Ravien's.

"A caravan passed through our village a day ago. Was that your caravan?"

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(POV: Ravien)

It wasn't hard to guess why he was asking that, not with that bruise on his face.

Yes... The caravan had indeed passed through the village. Fauriel had said they were helping the villagers, but now I understood just how empty his words were.

Something had clearly happened. They wanted answers.

"Yes, I ordered the supplies," I replied.

The mood in the crowd shifted instantly. Whispers spread, and the vacant looks in their eyes gave way to anger and uncertainty. Some women pulled their children closer; the elders looked away.

A few young men furrowed their brows—one of them clenched his fists.

So Fauriel had messed up after all.

"Why did you ask such a question?" I asked, my voice soft but clear.

The man lowered his head, eyes fixed on the dirt below.

"You say you'll give us supplies now. You say you'll protect us... But the people who came in your name attacked the villagers. Are you really telling the truth, or are you mocking us?"

His words dropped into the crowd like a spark in dry hay. A low murmur began to rise. People turned to each other, voices started to buzz.

An old man leaned on his cane, turning to the woman beside him:

"What's he talking about, what happened?"

The woman, eyes still fixed on Ravien, answered:

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"He means what happened yesterday... the thing with Lir."

The whispers grew louder. A child began to cry, and his mother rushed to hold and quiet him.

A baby? In this hellhole? You're starving to death and still making children. I guess hope is the last thing to die...

Whatever. I'll make this place livable, so it doesn't matter.

Ravien raised his hand. The crowd fell silent, almost instinctively. His face was serious, his voice firm but calm:

"Silence. I want to hear what happened. Speak—what happened that day?"

The man took a deep breath, eyes still on the ground, and began to speak:

"When the caravan passed through the village, some of us couldn't take the hunger anymore. We begged for food... some of us even cried. I was among them. And do you know what happened?

Those so-called guards... they attacked without mercy. No one stopped them. And that day... a boy named Lir and his mother were killed.

Their bodies are still in the same place. No one has dared to move them... because fear still lingers here."

Several people in the crowd lowered their heads. A young man gritted his teeth, his eyes wet. The wind blew again; dust lifted into the air, the pale sunlight melting into the shadows.

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(POV: Ravien)

I listened in silence. My face wore a mask of sorrow, but inside, I was just bored. Now wasn't the time to shout—it was time to maintain control.

I looked at the crowd one by one—no one spoke. Each face carried quiet worry.

They were too afraid of losing their chance at supplies to speak up. Hunger was stronger than courage.

I took a deep breath and turned back to the man whose eyes had filled with tears. I made my expression look a little sadder—more believable that way.

"That's... truly tragic. I didn't know any of this had happened. I'm deeply sorry for what happened to Lir and his mother. But I promise you—those responsible will not go unpunished.

The one who committed these acts is already in the dungeon."

The man looked up at Ravien, his voice stammering with disbelief:

"Really? Someone is actually being punished?"

Ravien tilted his head again and answered:

"Yes. You will be my people in the future... That means I have a duty to act."

A murmur rose from the crowd again, but this time it was filled not with fear, but curiosity and hope.

A woman wiped her eyes and whispered:

"For the first time... it feels like someone might actually care."

An old man nodded:

"We've heard promises before... but none have spoken like this."

A young man, not breaking eye contact with Ravien, asked:

"Are you really someone who'll protect us? Or is this just another game?"

Ravien scanned the crowd, letting the silence linger for a moment. Then he spoke with an expression that looked sincere:

"This isn't a game. This is a beginning."

The man dropped to his knees, bowing his head, his voice shaking:

"Thank you... for Lir's sake... for his mother's. Thank you for listening to us..."

Ravien said nothing, only nodded.

Just then, from the left side of the crowd, an old man who had been standing quietly stepped forward. He was short, white-haired, with a beard, and leaned on a cane. The gray servant's uniform he wore fluttered in the wind.

His voice was soft but clear:

"If there's anything you wanted to ask today but didn't get the chance, you can still ask later. I am Jiho, Ravien Sir's servant. I'll be happy to answer your questions."

The crowd slowly turned their heads to Jiho. In their eyes was surprise... and a faint glimmer of hope.

Ravien raised both his hands. His voice now carried authority:

"Now... if the questions are over, let's move on to the real matter."

He took a deep breath, then continued:

"If you accept, line up in front of the stall.

If you don't, I won't force you. The choice is yours.

But know this... only those who are my people will receive the supplies."

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Today's character profile features Jiho.

Name: Jiho

Surname: Crisro

Title: Servant of Ravien

Age: 78

Height: 1.72 m

Weight: 62 kg

Capacity: ???

Fate Ability: Sonic Detonations

Description: Jiho possesses the terrifying ability to weaponize sound waves into deadly detonations. He can emit high-frequency sound waves that explode either at their point of impact or at a chosen location within their range. These explosions can be triggered through direct contact or remotely by resonance. Whether in open fields or confined spaces, the technique remains lethal, its destructive potential scaling with Jiho's level of control. In the hands of a master like him, this power can level structures and rupture minds alike.