Suddenly, a radiant glow captured my attention. My eyes widened as I witnessed the appearance of a stunning, tall, slender tree nymph. Her upper body shimmered with a bright green hue, along with her long flowing hair, while her lower half exuded a gorgeous golden glow.
She wore a short, beautiful mini dress woven from thin deep green vines, which revealed captivating glimpses of her figure. It seemed as if the dress barely covered her, with several eye-sized hole gaps allowing me to catch glimpses of her nipples and flower peeking provocatively through the gaps of thread-like vines fabric.
With elegance, she emerged from her tree and approached the Village Chief, with her modest golden buttocks also pressing and peeking out of the various eye-sized hole of her dress.
"Village Chief Brane, I wasn't expecting your visit today..." the tree nymph said before her eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh my, how did you sustain those injuries?"
'Brane,' I silently repeated to myself, finally learning the Village Chief's name. Looking at the tree nymph, I observed the interaction between her and the Village Chief. The tree nymph halted in front of him, extending her hands toward his face as if she intended to adjust something. However, the Village Chief instinctively flinched and averted his head, causing her to retract her hand abruptly.
During their sudden movements, at that moment, the tree nymph's gaze met mine, and her eyes widened as she took in my presence. Without hesitation, she left the Village Chief's side and approached me. Once she reached my location, she squatted down and reached out her slender, verdant hand towards my swollen lips, gently touching them.
Then, she turned her head to glance at the Village Chief, her narrowed eyes filled with suspicion. She alternated her gaze between me and the Village Chief, who now weariedly shook his head, his posture slumping low as he let out several tired repeated sighs.
The nymph furrowed her brow, her expression displaying concern and consternation. "Don't tell me that you two fought?" she uttered, her voice tinged with a frown as she turned her attention back to me. Her fingers gently traced over any injuries that I might have sustained from the rough impact with landing and rolling on the ground.
"It was an accident," the Village Chief finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of guilt. "I revealed to the boy the harsh reality of how we've been managing our numbers, and understandably, he became angry. However, it seems he has calmed down now. But, since we can't return to the village or seek treatment from the village healer looking like this without raising suspicions, we came here to get healed so that we can return without causing any trouble." His gaze locked with mine as he finished his explanation.
Yet, despite his words, my gaze involuntarily shifted away from his, my eyes drifting elsewhere. Letting out a silent sigh, I realized that I might have overreacted given the circumstances. After all, he and the others bore the weight of leadership in the Village and were burdened with difficult decisions that they had to make.
And besides, I couldn't entirely blame them, as back on Earth, there were also leaders who resorted to questionable actions behind the scenes to maintain societal order.
And for one, though I felt a combination of sympathy and apprehension at what I had just witnessed, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief that they possessed the courage to take action. The mere thought of what could have happened if they had succumbed to despair and resigned themselves to their fate, resulting in the destruction of this Village, or worse, imagining myself as one of those children being sacrificed to the merciless grasp of the Vylkr vines, sent shivers down my spine.
It made me question whether my transmigration into this world would have been successful at all.
In short, I was feeling a bit conflicted about the whole situation.
Suddenly, the tree nymph's eyes widened in surprise, a glimmer of comprehension shining in her gaze. "Ah," she exclaimed, nodding her head in understanding. "I see." Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, assessing my state, before she turned her attention to the Village Chief. Curiosity dripped from her voice as she asked, "Chief, don't tell me you had a reason for revealing the truth to him. Considering all of you, it seems unwise to show something like that to a young man like this."
The tree nymph, no longer squatting, knelt on the lush grass and motioned for me to lie down, a gentle smile playing on her lips. Without a word, I nodded in understanding and carefully positioned myself on the ground, my back resting against the smooth softness of the grass.
"There is a reason..." the Village Chief began, settling himself on the ground as he noticed me lying down. With a deep breath, he proceeded to divulge every detail of what had happened, from the unexpected pregnancies of women past their fertile years to the desperate measures I had suggested to preserve the village's numbers.
As the Village Chief spoke, the tree nymph's demeanour grew increasingly serious. She listened attentively while extending her right palm, gently guiding it from my head to my toes. Initially perplexed by her actions, I soon realized their purpose as I turned to the side and caught a glimpse of several thin vines emerging from the earth beneath the grass. These vines adhered to my body, slithering and intertwining as they ascended.
Within moments, an abundance of these vines, ranging from thin tendrils to more substantial ones, sprouted from the soil, enveloping my entire form, leaving only my eyes, nose, and mouth exposed. The centre of my face remained uncovered, serving as the only visible part amidst the leafy embrace.
After a while, I noticed how her hands emanated a rich, radiant yellowish glow as she moved them across my body, from head to toe. The radiance intensified as her touch reached my forehead, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, the vines that encircled me also began to emit a deep, captivating yellow glow. Shielding my eyes from the blinding light, I closed them momentarily, ensuring that I wouldn't be overwhelmed by it.
