Narrator:
"It isn't difficult to recognize a person's true nature..."
"You simply..."
"Have to wait for the right moment."
"A person's true intentions reveal themselves in only three situations..."
"First..."
"When they obtain wealth and power."
"Second..."
"When they lose everything..."
"Their wealth..."
"Their power..."
"And finally..."
"When they face hardship."
"Because in those moments..."
"Neither faces..."
"Nor words..."
"Reveal the truth."
"Only a person's character..."
"...Shows who they truly are."
Morning arrived over Restart Village.
Yet...
The warmth that usually greeted the village was nowhere to be found.
Grey clouds covered the sky.
The sun struggled to shine through them.
A cool breeze drifted between the wooden houses, carrying with it an unusual silence.
Even the birds...
Seemed quieter than usual.
The villagers couldn't explain why.
But everyone felt it.
Today...
Something was different.
The old assembly hall stood at the very centre of Restart Village.
It had witnessed countless celebrations.
Harvest festivals.
Wedding ceremonies.
Village meetings.
Moments of laughter...
And moments of grief.
Today...
Its wooden walls would witness another decision.
One that would change the village forever.
One by one...
Villagers entered the hall.
Farmers.
Hunters.
Craftsmen.
Mothers carrying young children.
Elders leaning upon wooden staffs.
Quiet conversations filled the room.
"Do you think the Chief will accept?"
"I heard the Holy Kingdom is offering soldiers."
"My cousin says we'll receive monthly support."
"Maybe life will finally become easier."
Others frowned.
"But why now?"
"Why would the Kingdom suddenly become so generous?"
No answer came.
Only uncertainty.
At the front of the hall...
Brald White stood silently.
His hands rested behind his back.
His expression remained calm.
Yet anyone who truly knew him could tell...
His mind had not rested for many nights.
Every word spoken inside this hall...
Every decision made today...
Would shape the future of Restart Village.
He slowly looked around.
Every familiar face reminded him why he had carried the burden of Village Chief for so many years.
These people...
Were more than villagers.
They were family.
Standing several steps away...
Minister Lazim quietly observed everything.
His luxurious royal robes contrasted sharply with the simple clothing worn by the villagers.
His posture remained elegant.
His smile remained polite.
Perfect.
Almost...
Too perfect.
No matter how many eyes watched him...
His expression never changed.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Near the back of the hall...
Alistair stood beside the Butler.
Neither spoke.
Neither reacted.
Yet both carefully watched every movement inside the room.
The Butler quietly whispered,
"...Something feels wrong."
Alistair answered without looking away.
"It has felt wrong..."
"Since the day he first arrived."
Silence followed.
Outside...
Under the ancient banyan tree...
V, Kai, T, and Lyara waited together.
Children were not permitted inside the meeting.
Kai crossed his arms.
"They're taking forever."
T looked toward the assembly hall.
"Do you think Father will be okay?"
V smiled reassuringly.
"He always is."
Even as he spoke...
A strange feeling lingered in his heart.
Inside...
Lazim slowly stepped forward.
Every conversation stopped.
He carefully unfolded a golden parchment.
The royal seal gleamed beneath the dim morning light.
"My friends..."
"Several weeks ago..."
"I presented His Majesty's generous proposal."
He allowed his eyes to travel across the room.
"Military protection."
"Financial assistance."
"And a closer relationship between Restart Village..."
"And the Holy Kingdom."
Several villagers nodded.
Lazim continued.
"Today..."
"The Kingdom requests your final answer."
He turned toward Brald.
"Village Chief Brald White."
"You have two choices."
His calm voice echoed throughout the hall.
"The first..."
"You sign this agreement."
"You remain Village Chief."
"The Kingdom protects your people."
"The Kingdom supports your village."
He paused.
"The second..."
"You reject the agreement."
"And resign from your position."
Silence swallowed the hall.
Not even the wind could be heard.
A farmer nervously swallowed.
"So..."
"That's really the condition..."
An elderly woman lowered her eyes.
"I never imagined it would come to this..."
Nearby...
Several younger villagers exchanged hopeful looks.
"If he refuses..."
"Someone else can lead."
"Someone willing to work with the Kingdom."
Brald slowly looked toward the contract.
His eyes carefully examined every line.
Every sentence.
Every condition.
He had already read it once.
Many times.
Nothing had changed.
The promises remained beautiful.
Almost...
Too beautiful.
Because every promise carried an invisible chain.
One signature...
Would place Restart Village beneath the Kingdom's direct authority.
Little by little...
Their independence would disappear.
Not through war.
Not through force.
But through dependence.
And once that happened...
There would be no turning back.
His thoughts returned to Alistair's warning.
"The danger you fear..."
"...isn't outside the village."
"...It has already entered through the door."
Those words had never left his mind.
Now...
Standing before the contract...
He finally understood them completely.
Lazim patiently waited.
Not once did he rush.
Not once did he pressure anyone.
His confidence suggested only one thing.
He believed...
Victory was inevitable.
Outside...
Dark clouds slowly gathered overhead.
The breeze grew colder.
Leaves drifted across the village roads.
Even the ancient banyan tree seemed strangely restless.
Kai looked upward.
"...Looks like it might rain."
Lyara quietly shook her head.
"No..."
"This doesn't feel like rain."
V remained silent.
His eyes stayed fixed upon the assembly hall.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
His heart refused to settle.
Inside the assembly hall...
The silence grew heavier with every passing second.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on Brald White.
The Village Chief stood motionless.
Not because he was uncertain...
But because he understood the weight of the decision before him.
This was never about a contract.
It was about freedom.
Brald slowly lifted his gaze.
His eyes moved from one villager to another.
He saw familiar faces.
People he had grown up with.
People he had fought beside.
People whose children he had watched grow.
For many years...
They had placed their trust in him.
Today...
That trust was beginning to change.
Not because they hated him.
But because fear...
And hope...
Often walk hand in hand.
He finally spoke.
"My friends..."
"I know what many of you are thinking."
"You believe this agreement will protect our future."
His calm voice echoed throughout the hall.
"And perhaps..."
"It truly appears that way."
He paused.
"But I have lived long enough to learn something."
"There is no such thing..."
"As a gift without a price."
Several villagers lowered their heads.
Others frowned.
One young farmer stepped forward.
"Chief..."
"We're tired."
"We've worked hard all our lives."
"If the Kingdom wishes to help us..."
"Why should we refuse?"
Another villager nodded.
"My children deserve a better future."
"We've struggled for years."
"If this agreement changes that..."
"Isn't it worth trying?"
More voices joined.
"We'll finally have soldiers protecting us."
"Our harvest will be safer."
"Our children will live better lives."
The room slowly divided.
Some villagers agreed with Brald.
Others supported the Kingdom.
Neither side hated the other.
They simply believed in different futures.
Lazim remained perfectly calm.
His hands rested behind his back.
He allowed the villagers to speak freely.
A faint smile lingered upon his face.
Not proud.
Not mocking.
Simply...
Patient.
When the voices finally settled...
Brald reached toward the silver emblem pinned to his chest.
The symbol of the Village Chief.
He had worn it for many years.
It represented responsibility.
Sacrifice.
Trust.
Family.
Slowly...
His fingers unclasped it.
Click...
The tiny sound echoed through the silent hall.
Every conversation stopped.
Every eye followed his hands.
Brald looked at the emblem one final time.
Then...
With both hands...
He gently placed it upon the wooden table.
"I will not sign this contract."
His voice never wavered.
"And because I refuse..."
"I can no longer remain your Village Chief."
A long silence followed.
"So..."
"As of this moment..."
"I resign."
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Even Lazim's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
The villagers stared at the emblem resting upon the table.
For years...
It had symbolised their leader.
Now...
It lay there alone.
A murmur spread through the hall.
"He really resigned..."
"I didn't think he'd actually do it."
"So..."
"We need a new Chief."
Another villager stepped forward.
"If Brald refuses..."
"Then someone else should lead."
"We cannot reject the Kingdom forever."
Soon...
Several voices echoed together.
"Manu should become the next Chief!"
"He supports the agreement!"
"We need change!"
One by one...
More villagers began agreeing.
Brald listened quietly.
He did not argue.
He did not defend himself.
Because deep inside...
He had already accepted the truth.
Fear changes people.
Greed changes people.
And sometimes...
Good people make dangerous choices...
Simply because they believe they are protecting those they love.
Lazim slowly rolled the golden parchment closed.
He stepped toward Brald.
For a brief moment...
Their eyes met.
"Thank you..."
"For respecting the Kingdom's process."
His voice remained courteous.
Almost friendly.
Yet something within those words felt cold.
Unnatural.
Brald said nothing.
Lazim inclined his head politely.
Then turned toward the villagers.
"I hope..."
"Our friendship will continue."
Without another word...
He calmly walked toward the exit.
His footsteps echoed softly across the wooden floor.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
The great wooden doors opened.
Bright daylight spilled into the hall.
For just a moment...
Lazim stopped.
Without looking back...
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Then...
He disappeared outside.
Brald watched the doorway in silence.
Something inside him tightened.
That smile...
It wasn't the smile of someone who had lost.
It was the smile...
Of someone whose plan was unfolding exactly as expected.
Outside...
Dark clouds gathered above Restart Village.
The wind grew stronger.
The branches of the ancient banyan tree swayed heavily.
V looked toward the sky.
"...Something feels wrong."
Kai nodded.
"I feel it too."
Even cheerful little T stopped smiling.
She quietly held V's hand.
"...Brother..."
"Why is the wind so scary today?"
V gently squeezed her hand.
"It's okay."
Although...
For the first time...
He wasn't certain those words were true.
Inside the assembly hall...
Brald slowly picked up the emblem one last time.
He closed his fingers around it.
"...I only hope..."
"...I've made the right choice."
At that exact moment—
KRRRRAAAAK!!
A bolt of lightning split the sky.
The entire hall flashed white.
Several villagers gasped.
A second later—
BOOOOOOM!!
Thunder roared across Restart Village.
The wooden walls trembled.
Dust fell from the ceiling beams.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Then—
BANG!!
The doors of the assembly hall burst open.
A villager stumbled inside.
His clothes were covered in dirt.
His breathing was ragged.
His face had turned deathly pale.
He struggled to speak.
"C-Chief...!"
Everyone turned toward him.
Brald rushed forward.
"What happened?"
The man looked at Brald with trembling eyes.
His lips shook.
Then...
He forced the words out.
"L-Lily..."
"...and T..."
"They're..."
"...gone."
The world fell silent.
Brald's eyes widened.
His heartbeat stopped.
For a single terrifying moment...
He couldn't breathe.
Outside...
Thunder shook the heavens once more.
And without anyone realizing it...
The peaceful days of Restart Village...
Had just come to an end.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter