"No, don't do that. Don't twist what he did, Zara," the Village Chief responded with a solemn expression on his face. "I had sent Thak to personally give him my direct order, and yet he disobeyed, putting the rest of his team in danger. So I had to take that action just to make him understand that, even though I am his father, he is not above my authority. And, being my son doesn't grant him immunity or exemption from the rules."

The Village Chief suddenly asked, "And besides, wasn't it you who told me about how you were unable to see the child's future?".

"Yes," Zara nodded her head solemnly, "And I am still looking into that."

"Alright," the Village Chief nodded in understanding. "...but while you look into it, I just want to remind you that we are dealing with a boy whose future we cannot read. A boy whose semen is so fertile that he can impregnate several women from generations above his own with just one session."

"He fearlessly confronted several key figures of the village, boldly proposing a more ingenious plan than we've used for centuries. He possesses the highest potential for inner strength we've ever seen, and Naka has blessed him with a dangerous gift as a warrior, the lethality of which I've experienced firsthand." He continued, "Yet, you are asking me to take action against this young man who possesses all these extraordinary qualities. He is special, and that puts him in a status of his own."

Zara immediately bit her lips as she pondered on the Chief's words. Everything he had just said was true and made sense to her. However, she remained hesitant and frowned at some of the privileges Orion was unknowingly enjoying, visible dissatisfaction etched on her face.

While she had grown fond of him and was happy that he was able to get Ayla pregnant, which she didn't regret in any way, considering the result, she felt it was becoming a bit excessive from her perspective.

"Alright, I understand," she said, sighing tiredly before continuing, "But still, you can't keep treating him like that continuously. Otherwise, he might become aware and take advantage of it, especially considering the kind of intelligence he has shown."

The Village Chief's face showed a solemn frown as he responded to his wife, "Don't worry, if a day comes when he steps out of line and does something that I cannot overlook, then I promise you, as the Village Chief, I will properly punish him according to his actions."

Zara nodded, understanding the message her husband was trying to convey. Despite her own firsthand experiences with the surprises Orion had brought, she couldn't help but feel conflicted and concerned for their son's safety. "Also, when does Ayla have to go over there?" she asked, with concern in her voice. "Since she's pregnant, I don't want her to overwork herself while working for me."

"Anytime she wishes," the Village Chief responded with a warm smile. "I already tried to let her know that she could follow me to the farm this morning, but she insisted on waiting until you were awake and gave your permission too."

Zara couldn't help but smile, having already guessed that Ayla would act that way. She knew Ayla well enough and couldn't see any reason for her not to, considering the responsible and thoughtful woman that Ayla was.

......

Somewhere on the other side of the river.

Activating her gift to manipulate the water in the sand, Fiona immediately flooded the area with her gift. Soon after, she stretched her arms outward, performing a few hand gestures, all of which were mirrored by the large floating glob of water surrounding her. Suddenly, strange, tentacle-like arms emerged from the water and quickly latched onto the nearby two-star Vylkr vines.

As the water rose from the ground, its tentacle-like arms snapping several two-star Vylkr vines in two, rendering them lifeless, Fiona soon deactivated her gift, observing as the water retreated back into the earth. In her right hand, she wielded a meter-long battle axe, ready to face the remaining Vylkr vines. Fiona hadn't come merely to break through them with her gift; she craved the visceral sensation of her axe ripping through the lifelike skin of the Vylkr vines before her.

"HHHAAAAAIIIII!" With a fierce war cry that reverberated through the air, Fiona lunged forward, her adrenaline surging. Her arms extended, wielding the battle axe with a firm grip as she unleashed a devastating strike, cleaving the two-star Vylkr vine before her. The sheer force behind her assault caused several vines positioned behind the primary target to be severed in half, displaying the power behind her attack.

Bringing herself to a sudden halt with her right foot, Fiona left a small indentation on the ground. Without missing a beat, she swiftly shifted her momentum and unleashed another powerful swing, channelling every ounce of her strength into the strike. The force behind the blow was detectable, as her weapon cleaved through the air with a resounding "thwack." Sensing the need to halt her momentum once more, Fiona deftly planted her left foot, preventing herself from propelling any further.

"Haaaah!!! Haaaaa!!!!" Fiona panted heavily, trying to regain control of her breath after battling an endless swarm of Vylkr vines, a challenge she never imagined she'd have to face again. Yet, here she was, relentlessly fighting against the hordes since the previous night. Her battle axe sliced through the vines with brutality, but whenever she felt overwhelmed, she activated her gift, temporarily gaining the upper hand before returning to focus on the reason she was here in the first place.

However, no matter how hard she tried to push those thoughts away, they persisted. The memories she sought to escape resurfaced, stubbornly pulling her back into their grip. Fiona knew she was here to escape those thoughts, not to dwell on them again. Yet... yet, their hold on her mind seemed inescapable, leaving her caught in a disheartening cycle.

Despite being several generations younger than her, he had kissed her, hadn't he? He had even proposed to her. Those moments were vivid in her mind.

Yes, she had dismissed the significance of the kiss, claiming it meant nothing, but he had insisted otherwise... he had said it did matter. So why... why, then, did he not show up the next morning?

Did her appearance suddenly matter to him overnight, causing him to have a change of heart?