Chapter 11
The Beautiful Calm
"Chief, don't do this…
Why are you inviting a strange young man into your home in the first place?"
Some of the villagers spoke hesitantly as they looked at the old man.
But the elder simply smiled gently, his eyes filled with serenity. Then he turned his gaze toward Einver, studying him for a while.
"And why shouldn't I invite him? He's just a young man, a mere wanderer. What harm could he possibly do to an old man like me at the end of his life?…
Come along, young one."
With those words, silence fell upon the villagers. They quietly stepped aside for Einver, while the guard at the gate respectfully moved away as well.
Einver walked forward steadily, passing through the village gate.
It was a small village… peaceful beyond belief;
single-story wooden houses,
trees and flowers scattered among the paths,
a light winter breeze carrying the scent of damp wood and blossoms,
while gray clouds partially veiled the sky.
That beauty… that stillness… it was enough to quiet Einver's heart even further.
He felt like standing there in the middle of the village without moving,
just listening to the children's laughter and play around him,
just feeling the air brush against his face and swirl around his body.
To the villagers of the Little Moon Village, the sight was indeed strange.
The unfamiliar youth stood motionless—neither left nor right—
eyes closed… as if trying to embrace the breeze with every fiber of his being.
Einver closed his eyes for several moments, savoring that gentle wind,
while the children kept playing innocently around him.
The elder noticed and smiled, asking softly:
"Do you enjoy the atmosphere of our little village, young one?"
Yet, despite the question, Einver did not speak.
He simply responded with a polite, warm smile, remaining where he stood.
The elder smiled in return and lowered himself to the ground, leaning on his staff, while the children continued their games near him.
He himself did not know why he suddenly felt so calm in the presence of this boy… nor why he found himself sitting on the ground now.
And yet, he liked the feeling.
As a man who had lived long, fought many battles, and endured countless trials, he could easily tell the difference between wickedness and kindness.
And when he first saw Einver…
all he felt was peace in that face.
That quiet expression,
those pure eyes,
that gentle aura of calm enveloping Einver's body—
it left the old man's heart in a rare tranquility.
Meanwhile, the villagers carried on with their daily lives as if nothing had changed.
One bought food, another sold cloth,
one repaired a wooden fence, another watered flowers near his door.
Everything was simple. Everything was beautiful.
Children circled around the elder seated on the ground, smiling,
and around Einver—standing quietly at the center of the village, hands folded behind his back, his head slightly raised.
"Chief… what are you doing!?"
That sudden voice broke the stillness, ruining the moment for both of them.
It was a young man, startled by the sight of his village chief sitting in the dirt among the children.
As for the rest of the villagers, they merely smiled.
They knew their chief's character well.
The population of the village numbered around five hundred, give or take, men and women, elders and children alike—
and every single one of them knew each other closely.
They also knew well the ways of their chief.
"Ah… my foolish son…
For the first time in years, I was truly feeling peace…"
The elder sighed, rising to his feet with the aid of his staff, then turned to Einver with a calm smile.
"That was… truly wonderful."
"Wasn't it?"
Einver replied with a gentle smile, walking behind the elder.
At that moment, the chief grabbed his son by the ear and scolded him softly for the interruption.
Einver smiled faintly at the father-and-son scene, following quietly as he observed the village with his eyes.
As they passed several houses, Einver noticed the curious stares directed toward him.
It was only natural;
in a small village like this—where everyone knew everyone—
the sudden appearance of a stranger was bound to stir questions.
They kept walking until they reached a two-story wooden house,
with a small crescent-shaped emblem mounted on its peak.
The son hurried to open the door for his father.
"Welcome back… Chief of the village."
The old man sighed lightly:
"How many times have I told you not to call me 'Chief of the village' when we're at home?
You are my son, and I only want to hear one word from you—'Father.'"
The boy bowed his head, smiling innocently and sincerely:
"Sorry, Father… I didn't mean it."
The elder patted his son's shoulder with a gentle smile.
"It's fine…
And we have a guest today, so let us go inside."
The boy cast a steady, piercing glance at Einver for a brief moment.
He had noticed him from the very beginning, but he hadn't dared to ask his father who this stranger was, why he had been invited to the village, or why he was being brought into their home.
"Please, come in."
He spoke respectfully, bowing his head—first to his father, then to Einver.
The elder smiled and entered.
Einver followed in silence.
The door closed behind them…
and night had already fallen over the Little Moon Village.
The pale moonlight reflected against the house's wooden door, slipping through the cracks of the windows into the living room.
Einver and the village chief sat facing each other,
while the son stood quietly behind his father, one step away, in silence and respect.
The elder and Einver exchanged calm glances…
and in that moment, both felt a rare comfort.
"You're about eighteen years old, aren't you? And yet you wander through this world alone.
How… do you manage that?"
Though it was not the most important question on his mind, the elder chose to begin with it—out of courtesy, to test the boy's response.
If he answered calmly, then the elder would ask him more.
If not, he would leave him be.
Einver looked at the elder in silence… then smiled.
In truth, he wanted to speak with this old man—for he knew nothing about this world, and truly wished to ask him questions.
Within himself, he welcomed the elder's question with quiet joy.
"… I haven't been wandering for very long.
Before that, I lived with my father…
on a mountain."
---
You can contact me through my official page on the following Accounts:
telegram:
miraclenarrator
tiktok:
miracle_narrator
instagram:
miracle_narrator