There was a large room within the village elder's house that was used for meetings. Currently, the room was full of people…. Well, one side of it has thirty or so people all crammed together, while my father and I stood on the other side alone. I clutched my father's hand and looked down at the ground. The gazes the people on the other side gave me were filled with malice and even murderous stares. My father must have felt my unease because he quickly pulled me behind him to shield me from the others.
This was my second time dealing with such a thing. The first time was the merchant caravan, and now this time. I truly wonder what I have done wrong to make people hate me so. It's not like I ever did anything to any of them, yet they still treat me as some kind of monster. I know my looks are strange to most, but I never tried to harm anyone except for Trent. It could be that my little display of strength also scared them. Either way, it was all unfair.
The village elder looked at both sides and cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Ahem… Today's meeting is to address the concerns of everyone here. First, Randol, you are the representative of the villagers so let's hear what you have to say."
Randol was a fat man with a mustache that wrapped around his jaw. His clothes were just as rugged as everyone else's, but he seemed to have a more haughty air about him. "Village Elder, we came here today for two reasons. First, is that Sander should not have so much land under his name. As a village, it should be allocated to those who are actually using it. Having a man who has a monster for a child should not be allowed to have land of his own to use against us hardworking human villagers."
"Randol, shut your mouth! You call my daughter a monster one more time, and I will rip your damn throat out!" My father yelled out. If I was not holding him back, he would definitely have lunged at the mean fat man. If he really did resort to violence, it would give these bastards a reason to take away whatever they can.
"Silence!" The village elder slammed his cane off the wooden floor and stared coldly at Randol. "Randol, I said you could speak of your issue, not pick on a young girl! Say another word, and I will hand over your entire property to Sander!"
"Village elder!" Randol cried out, looking at the old man in disbelief, his big face turning red with anger. He looked over and glared at me instead of my father. I didn't understand what I did, but he decided I was the enemy.
"Randol!" The village elder did not miss what he did, causing the fat man to snort and look back at the village elder.
"As I was saying, he should not have so much land under his name to hold over the village. He basically has the livelihood of our village in his hands." I also wondered how my father's family acquired this land. It seemed weird that the land was not under the village elder's control.
"That land is not something I can just take or give. If I did take it, it would be destroyed, and I would get repercussions from the king. That land belonged to Sander's grandfather and was given to him by the previous king himself. It may not seem like it, but Cyrilia is a knight family in name." This was like a huge bombshell to me. I never knew I was a kind of noble. It made me wonder why we lived so far out by the border. But I guess I can understand with how nice the scenery is.
"This…." Randol looked at my father with a bit of fear. My father gave him a smug look back. I couldn't help but pump my little fist as I inwardly cheered my father on. But that fear disappeared when he looked at me. "Fine. The land can't be touched, but the little girl is too dangerous! She is already able to use intermediate magic at her age. What if she goes on a rampage in town? She needs to be restrained!"
"So stupid! My daughter only used magic in order to protect herself. She was having a good time until that brat tried to hold a public lynching! Are you telling me she should have sat there quietly and let her head be cut off!?" My father yelled out. He seemed to not understand why Randol would even suggest such a thing.
"Humph! She is inferior to us humans, so why not? She should bow down like other demi's and do as we humans command!" Randol blurted out in anger.
"Say it again!" My father took a step forward, but I quickly held him back.
"Father, calm down. He is trying to get you to hit him!" I said in a not-so-low voice.
"If I hit him, his life will be gone. Shall we try it?" My father was truly angry.
"Randol!" A loud bang was heard once more. But seeing how the old man did not say anymore, I had to question his words. He did not seem inclined to keep his word from before about taking Randol's property.
"Village elder, you saw it! Not everyone in the village is so inclined to allow such a thing to be wandering around. We do not feel safe! As the village elder, you need to figure out a solution!" Randol was gritting his teeth. I am sure he wanted to call me all kinds of names. But I really couldn't stay quiet anymore.
"It has been a long time since I have been running around on my own, but not once have I ever entered the main part of the village in order to not bring trouble to those who might dislike me. I have always thought it was the best way to avoid trouble. But mister fatty here has made things very clear. He wants me to set his house on fire so he can experience what it means to truly anger me. I can act like the child I am and throw a fit because people are bullying me. Maybe I should really start acting like Trent and become the town bully. I am sure that spot needs to be filled up. I can bully everyone in this ro…."
"Enough! Faith, I know you have been staying away from the village. And I am sorry that your first time actually entering the main part of the village ended in such a way but to make such threats…." The village elder was definitely not a nice guy. I could tell because he seemed to be siding with the fat man.
"Make such threats? Then tell me, old man, what have I done wrong? Tell me, what have I done to make these people hate me so? Tell me, why is it just because I am slightly different, I am being treated in such a way? Do I not speak the same language as you? Am I not more intelligent than half the people in this room? Can you answer me this!?" I was losing it. Tears began falling from my eyes. My father quickly scooped me up. All my anger and confusion was spilling out. I just wanted to know why. What I did to be looked down upon.
"This…" The village elder was at a loss for words. There was only one reason, and he knew it. It was because I was a demi human. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Because monsters should not have the same rights as humans!" Randol answered in the old man's place.
I could only stare blankly at everyone in the room. This was the reality of being a demi human. A sad reality just because I looked different. The same thing happened on Earth due to the color of peoples' skin. It seems no matter what world you are on, it was all the same. "Village elder, from this moment on, my Cyrilia family has nothing more to do with this village. We will not step a single foot into the main part of the village. The tax on the lands I own will be raised by one hundredfold. I had expected more from you."
My father's words caused the others to suck in a cold breath of air. In truth, we did not need to go to the village for anything. We could easily get things ourselves. But it seemed the village elder was not very happy about my father's words.
*Bang!*
"Sander, stop right there!" The old man yelled out. "You can not raise the taxes so high on the land! That will just cause more unrest in the village. Do you want to start an uprising?"
My father snorted and turned to look at the old man. "Uprising? My wife alone can burn this whole village to the ground. What makes you think they can do anything to my family? Wasn't this whole meeting due to them fearing my daughter and her power? Then what am I? I am someone who has held off the beast tide multiple times to save the lives of you people, but yet this is how you treat my family and me. Village elder, as I said, I expected better from you. You seem nice on the outside, but in truth, you are no different from them. Now, if you will excuse me."
"Sander, stop right there, or you will be banished from ever stepping foot in the main village!" The village elder yelled out. His whole body was shaking in anger. He was the leader of the village, I understood that, but he had no control over the land that my father owned. On top of that, he was going against the very thing he promised he wouldn't do.
I heard my father laugh as he smiled brightly at the old man. "Fine by me. I will be evicting all the farmers from my land. You and your villagers can find a new source of food or try to cultivate some of the land outside the village away from my family. Oh, except for Finna, she can stay. She has always been kind to my family and me."
