After walking toward the forest for about an hour, the four siblings and

  Ella came upon a small village.

  It lay on the outskirts of Lagash, where Elamites who had drifted in from

  outside lived, cultivating crops and selling them at the market.

  In addition to barley, their staple, they also grew beans and vegetables, but

  the farming conditions did not look good.

  They seemed to rely on a stream flowing in from the river, but the water level

  was dropping, and the crops were withering.

  The thief boy they had encountered at the market recognized Tamar and waved.

  He was helping his parents work in the fields.

  “So you live here, kid.”

  When visitors arrived, the villagers stopped their fieldwork, greeted them,

  and welcomed them warmly.

  Hearing the boy’s words, they tried to prepare a meal for their guests.

  Tamar quickly waved them off.

  “We just ate ourselves sick. Just give us some water, please.”

  An elderly village chief brought water and beans on a plate and treated the

  group.

  The siblings sat down, shelling beans as they asked the chief about the

  village’s situation.

  The chief complained that for several months the waterway had been cut off and

  crops were no longer growing.

  He said it was because of a monster called Shamu.

  Elaton listened carefully and asked,

  “Have you seen the monster yourself?”

  “Well… no. There’s a learned sage living on the outskirts of the village. He

  told us. He’s also helped us with farming in various ways.”

  At the mention of a sage, the siblings exchanged glances.

  “Where does this sage live?”

  The chief pointed to a small thatched house on a hill.

  The siblings brushed themselves off and stood up.

  “Thank you for the hospitality, Chief. We should go ask the sage a few

  things.”

  Nephilim sometimes disguised themselves as sages or kings and hid among

  humans.

  The group climbed the hill in tense readiness for combat.

  At the top stood a shabby thatched hut.

  A short, stout old man wearing a straw hat was busily tending a vegetable

  patch.

  When he saw the group approaching, he flinched and shrank back in fear.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Azael spoke to him with a bright smile.

  “You’re the sage who’s been helping the village, right?”

  The old man hesitated warily, then spoke.

  “I am… but what business brings you here…?”

  Azael sat down on a stool in the yard and continued calmly.

  “We’re hunters who deal with evil Nephilim. And… you are a Nephilim, aren’t

  you?”

  The old man recoiled in shock, gripping the plow in his hand as he glared at

  the group.

  Seeing him break out in a cold sweat, the siblings exchanged looks and

  shrugged.

  Elaton stepped forward to mediate.

  “We didn’t come to harm you. We just wanted to ask a few things.”

  The old man remained standing, tense and silent.

  Azael continued in a relaxed tone.

  “If you’re the god who oversees farming around Lagash… that would make you

  Shara, wouldn’t it?”

  The old man did not answer at first, then gave a slight nod.

  “We saw villagers suffering because of the monster Shamu. We think we might

  be able to help.”

  At Azael’s words, Shara’s face darkened, and he sat down beside him.

  “…That’s right. One day it appeared in the cedar forest over there…”

  Shara gestured toward his vegetable patch.

  Having lowered his guard, his expression turned weary, and words began to spill

  out.

  “As Lagash turned into a city of commerce, the people who worshipped me

  gradually dwindled. Neglecting farming… how foolish. And because of that Shamu

  creature, my authority has shrunk to the point where I can barely protect this

  little garden. I have to at least keep this place going to feed the villagers…”

  When he extended his hand toward the patch, the crops began to grow ever so

  slightly.

  “If you’ll help me, I’m in no position to refuse. I’m not asking for

  charity. I’ll reward you well.”

  Tamar picked up a twig from the ground, snapped it into four pieces, and

  held them out to her siblings.

  “Hey, let’s get this over with. Draw.”

  It was drawing lots.

  The one who drew the short piece was Tamar.

  She let out a sigh.

  “Ah… I keep getting picked lately. More wrinkles for me, I guess… Sigh. Old

  man, lead the way.”

  Shara, not quite grasping the situation, blinked in confusion before going

  inside.

  When he came back out, he was wearing a helmet made of woven straw and holding

  a heavy hoe.

  That seemed to be his equipment.

  “Ella, come with me. Time for some on-the-job training.”

  When only the two women stepped forward, Shara barked irritably.

  “You clearly don’t know how terrifying Shamu is. If you’re going, everyone

  should go. What is this supposed to be?”

  Elaton stepped in to calm him.

  “Don’t worry, sir. She may not look it, but she’s incredibly strong.”

  Shara gave him a dubious look.

  “Hmph. Go if you want, don’t if you don’t. I’m heading out.”

  As Tamar walked toward the forest, Shara reluctantly followed.

  He grumbled under his breath the entire way.

  It was Ella’s first outing, and she was visibly tense.

  As they passed the village and the forest drew near, she pulled out the

  meteoric-iron dagger Azael had bought for her and gripped it tightly.

  Tamar decided to test the staff she had obtained from Ishtar.

  When she took a small rod from her clothes, it gradually grew, transforming

  into a black staff.

  Shara’s eyes widened.

  “That… where did you get that?”

  “Hunted it. It’s not fully attuned yet, so I figured I’d try it out.”

  A light drizzle began to fall.

  They arrived at the entrance to the cedar forest, where shadows lay thick and

  dark beneath the trees.