Woooooo—
Just as Aven was feeling overjoyed at the Shinx's transformation, a sudden horn blast echoed through the air.
This horn was only blown when magical beasts invaded a village. Aven's expression changed instantly, and he quickly ran outside with Petilil.
Outside, Uncle Mike was riding his Rhyhorn back from the orchard. Upon seeing Aven, he immediately asked what was happening.
Aven shook his head, indicating he didn't know either. Without wasting a moment, the two of them rushed toward the source of the horn, while Aunt Erin and little Andy, looking worried, quickly went into the cellar for shelter.
'What could it be?'
Aven's heart was heavy as he ran. He thought about the injuries the Shinx had suffered and suspected there might be some connection.
"Aven, it's bad!"
At that moment, Peter rode over on his Mightyena, his expression grave.
"What happened?" Aven asked urgently.
Gasping for breath, Peter spoke quickly, "Something attacked the Mightyenas. Several of them are seriously wounded."
He hesitated slightly, then urged Aven to hurry over and see the situation.
"The Mightyenas!"
Aven's pupils constricted. The Mightyena pack was incredibly strong. To wound them so severely—it meant the enemy's strength must be terrifying.
When they arrived at the meadow outside the village, Aven saw the Mightyenas. But when he took in the condition they were in, he was momentarily stunned.
The Mightyenas' bodies were riddled with arrows. Blood was flowing freely from their wounds, staining the grass beneath them red.
A few Mightyenas were especially badly injured, lying weakly on the ground, while the uninjured Mightyenas paced anxiously beside them, howling mournfully.
"Arrows…"
Aven muttered under his breath, his face darkening.
He had assumed the attackers were another group of magical beasts, but it turned out… they were humans.
"Awooo!"
The Mightyena leader, upon seeing Aven arrive, let out a cry of relief.
"It's alright now, Mightyena," Aven comforted gently.
Even so, the Mightyena leader itself was in bad shape—its fur soaked in blood.
After a breath of relief, the leader barked a few times at the critically injured Mightyenas, signaling Aven to check on them.
Aven nodded and went over. After escaping the human knights' assault, the Mightyenas had come straight here.
The villagers who had discovered the wounded Mightyenas had already administered healing potions, but the injuries to these Mightyenas were far too severe. The potions had limited effect.
"Lil, Lil!"
Petilil came over to help.
Standing still, it began using its Absorb move, switching from healing potions into life energy.
As its leafy appendages touched the Mightyenas' bodies, a soft green glow began to seep into their wounds. The injuries visibly improved.
The surrounding villagers were amazed. The effect of life energy's healing was incredible—even wounds that potions couldn't heal were mending quickly under Petilil's power.
Their expressions shifted from astonishment to joy. With Petilil around, the Mightyenas and Mightyenas seemed to be out of danger.
"Petilil, you've really helped a lot."
Aven let out a sigh of relief and focused on treating the Mightyenas' wounds.
"Lil, Lil!"
Petilil's eyes curved like crescent moons. As long as it could help Aven, it was happy.
"Aven, what's going on?"
Just then, knights Sutter and Fessen arrived.
After a long period of recovery, most of Fessen's injuries had healed. While he still couldn't engage in intense activity, he was fine for normal movement.
Before Aven could respond, Sutter walked over to a bloodstained arrow and picked it up. His eyes narrowed suddenly.
"This is… an arrow from the Aspiration City Knight Order! Why is it here!?"
"The Aspiration City Knight Order?"
The villagers gasped in shock upon hearing the name from Sutter.
Sutter had once been a knight in Aspiration City himself. If he said so, there was no doubt.
But why would Aspiration City's knight order attack the Mightyenas?
"It really is one of theirs."
Fessen walked over slowly and nodded grimly.
Judging by the scene before them, it was easy to conclude that Aspiration City's knights had launched an assault on the Mightyenas living in the abandoned orchard.
"The Aspiration City Knight Order?"
After helping treat the Mightyenas, Aven stood up, his expression serious.
In Aspiration City, the most powerful force was undoubtedly the Lady, and the knight order was the Lady's personal army.
"I think there's been some misunderstanding," Sutter said in a low voice, noticing Aven's troubled look.
"Maybe when the knights were sent to search for us—because of our disappearance—they stumbled upon the Mightyenas and attacked them by mistake."
Sutter's explanation made sense. Over time, the knights had come to understand Aven better and didn't want him to form unnecessary resentment toward the knights or the Lord.
Fessen nodded and added, "After all, they probably didn't know the Mightyenas had a connection with Fruitvale Village. Maybe they were just trying to protect the village."
The villagers exchanged glances and agreed with the explanation. When the knights eventually arrived, clearing up the misunderstanding would likely resolve the crisis.
'A misunderstanding, huh…'
Aven furrowed his brow, thinking of the injured Shinx again.
He had already found the creature's wounds puzzling, and now, in hindsight—weren't they clearly inflicted by a human blade?
If this really was just a coincidence as Sutter and Fessen suggested, then why had the knight order also attacked the Shinx?
Or… was their assault not limited to just the Mightyenas?
(End of Chapter)