The battlefield still smelled of smoke and gunpowder. Broken weapons littered the ground, and the cries of the wounded mixed with the steady rhythm of villagers tending to one another.
For the first time, the village had stood against a true threat and survived.
Itsuki walked through the village square, greeted by cheers, handshakes, and tears of relief. Some clasped his hands, others bowed, and children looked up at him with eyes full of awe.
"You did it, Itsuki-sama," Lyra said softly, walking beside him. Her bow was slung across her back, a few scratches on her arms, but her smile was proud.
"No," Itsuki shook his head. "We did it. This was everyone's victory."
Elara approached, her armor dented but her stance unbroken.
"The people fought like true warriors. They followed your plan without fear."
Selene, exhausted but radiant, added with a laugh:
"And now, no one can doubt that this village can defend itself."
Itsuki stopped in the center of the square. His villagers gathered around, bruised and tired, but smiling. For a long moment, he looked at them the first people who had put their trust in him, the first people he had sworn to protect.
"This village has survived its first battle," he began, his voice carrying across the crowd. "But this is only the beginning. From today, we will no longer be nameless survivors hidden in the forest. We will become a home… a place strong enough that no one will ever take it from us."
The villagers murmured with anticipation. Lyra, standing by his side, asked, "Then… what will we call this home?"
Itsuki looked up at the canopy of towering trees, sunlight filtering through the leaves like blessings from the heavens. He remembered the god's words, his oath to build a kingdom, and the resilience these people had shown.
"From this day forward, this village shall be known as…" He raised his hand high.
"Everwood."
The name echoed across the clearing. The villagers cheered, clapping, crying, voices rising together like a single heartbeat.
Everwood had been born no longer a nameless refuge, but the seed of a future nation.
Itsuki clenched his fist, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
This is only the beginning. One day, this village will become a kingdom… and beyond that, a legacy.