The vow Rian had made, so simple in his mind, now felt like a lead weight in his soul. His hand, which had been locked around the scout's neck, went limp. He stared at the figure before him, truly seeing him for the first time.
"A feline-kin? Is he really a feline-kin?" Rian's thoughts churned in chaos. "What am I supposed to do with him? I promised to protect his people… but what if one of them is a traitor? Does my vow still apply? Damn it, this is too difficult."
He didn't know what to do. The scout's features were so similar to the villagers of Cikubangsari. With a frustrated growl, Rian began his interrogation.
"What is your name?" he demanded.
"I'm… Livi," he answered, his voice trembling, still reeling from the shock and terror of his capture.
"What is the meaning of all this?" Rian asked, his tone hard as steel.
"It's none of your business. Just kill me," Livi said, his voice hollow, as if he had already surrendered to his fate. "Even if you let me go, my life won't be peaceful anymore. Just kill me now."
Rian's frustration boiled over. He truly couldn't bring himself to kill the young man. He grabbed the front of his tunic and began dragging him back toward the village. When they arrived, the Chieftain was the first to greet them. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the person Rian was hauling. He recognized him instantly. He was the son of a kinsman who had died during the last wolf attack.
Knowing the chief knew him, Rian threw Livi at his feet. "He is yours to deal with," he said, surrendering the decision of his fate to the village leader.
Just then, Catty emerged from the house and hurried toward them. "Are you alright, Rian? The battle is over, but you seem troubled."
"I'm fine, just a few scratches," Rian replied, gesturing toward Livi. "The monsters are all gone, but this one remains."
"Who is he?" Catty asked, her eyes narrowing. "Isn't he a feline-kin, too?"
"He is the son of my friend," the Chieftain answered grimly.
"Then what was he doing with the enemy?" Catty pressed, still confused.
"He was the scout who used this mask to block mana detection," Rian explained. "It acts as a mana dampener, but in exchange, he has no power to attack. That's why I couldn't sense him, and why he didn't fight back when I caught him."
"Livi! How could you commit such a vile act and betray us?" the Chieftain roared, striking him hard across the face. Livi crumpled to the ground.
He didn't deny anything. "I wanted revenge against the leader who killed my family," he stated flatly.
Catty began to understand the situation. "What will you do with him?" she asked the Chieftain.
"Betrayal must be paid with an equal price," the Chieftain answered, his voice cold and resolute. "The law demands death by hanging or beheading."
Catty fell silent, unable to offer any defense. The Chieftain then turned to Rian, thanking him profusely for saving the village. At that moment, RQ rushed out of the house and threw her arms around her father.
"Father! I'm so thankful you're alright!"
"Rian has solved the problem. The entire monster horde has been eliminated," the chief explained. RQ looked past the village gate and saw the proof for herself: hundreds of monster corpses littering the field.
"Father, I am so relieved you are safe," RQ said, a sweet smile on her face. "But I'm sorry. Perhaps I will not be with you and mother any longer."
"What do you mean, RQ?" her father asked, shocked.
"I have made a promise. I will repay Rian by giving him anything he desires. A lion's promise, once given, must be kept."
Rian, overhearing this, froze in shock. Catty shot him a sharp, warning glare that clearly said, 'Don't you dare do anything weird.' Rian could only offer a sheepish grin and scratch the back of his head.
Meanwhile, Livi remained silent on the ground, tears of remorse falling from his eyes. His story about avenging his parents resonated with the pain Rian had felt when he lost Catty. He needed to know the full story. He approached the defeated scout.
"Livi," he began, his voice softer now. "If this was about avenging your parents, why did you side with those monsters? How could that possibly lead to your revenge?"
"At that time… I was lost in my grief," Livi began to explain. "I walked into the forest, and a wolf approached me. He could speak. He told me he was the younger brother of the pack's leader. He wanted to usurp the title from his tyrannical brother, who was responsible for killing my family."
Livi explained all the details. The younger brother wanted to change the pack's ways. Their plan was for Livi to act as a scout, guiding a small force of fifty wolves. This force would successfully raid the village, plundering homes and injuring villagers—but under a strict promise from the younger brother that no one would be killed. It was a heavy sacrifice, a price Livi was willing to pay to see his own people suffer, all for the sake of his revenge. The "successful" raid would earn the younger brother a promotion and command over his own troops. Then, they would work together to kill the true leader.
"But the plan was destroyed the moment you appeared in the forest," Livi choked out, looking at Rian with hollow eyes. "The leader of that first attack… the vanguard of fifty wolves. That was him. My ally. You killed him."
Rian felt a chill run down his spine.
"His death enraged his older brother," Livi continued, his voice breaking. "The one who led the main attack on the village. He was my target for revenge. He was the one I wanted to kill." He let out a bitter, broken laugh.
"And then… you killed him too. Before I ever had the chance. So my ally is dead, and my enemy is dead... all by your hand. There is nothing left for me now."
He looked up at Rian, his eyes filled with a bottomless despair. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, unable to hold back his tears.
Rian stood in silence, the weight of the story settling upon him. Vengeance never truly brought victory. It only sowed more sorrow, a cycle where every act of revenge would one day be answered by another, leaving nothing but ruin in its wake.