Plundering Worlds: I Have a Shotgun in a Fantasy World-Chapter 58: Miracles

[Mountain Path - Three Days After Leaving the Village]

Kael walked through the forest, following a narrow trail that wound between ancient trees.

The forest was dying.

Leaves hung brown and brittle on the branches. The underbrush was dry and crackling. Even the moss on the stones had turned gray and lifeless.

He came to a stream—or what had been a stream. The streambed was empty, just cracked mud and scattered stones. A few stagnant pools remained in the deeper sections, their water dark and foul-smelling.

Kael crouched beside one of the pools and dipped his fingers in. The water was warm, almost hot, and it left a faint oily residue on his skin. He wiped his hand on his clothes and stood.

His water gourd was nearly empty. He’d rationed it carefully, but three days in the wilderness had depleted his supplies.

He needed water.

Kael closed his eyes and searched through Luzhihuan’s memories. There had been a river—southwest of here, a broad waterway that cut through the lowlands and fed the surrounding villages. If he could reach it...

He opened his eyes and looked southwest, toward where the land sloped downward.

The riverbank.

Kael adjusted his pack and started walking.

[Two Days Later - Riverside Hills]

The smell of damp earth and silt reached him first.

Kael stopped at the crest of a hill and looked down. A broad river stretched across the lowlands below—dark, slow-moving, its surface broken by drifting reeds and sandbars. The current rolled steadily east, wide and heavy with spring melt.

And below, nestled along the bend of the river, was a village.

[Riverside Village]

Kael stopped at the edge of the village and looked around.

Unlike the ruined settlements he’d passed through, this place was intact. Houses stood whole, their roofs unbroken. Smoke rose from chimneys. Children played in the streets.

The village sat along the riverbank, built on raised ground above the waterline. Fishing boats were tied to wooden piers, their nets spread on the shore to dry. The smell of river mud and drying fish hung in the air.

Kael walked through the village gate. A group of fishermen sat mending their nets near the docks, their voices low and tired. An old woman swept her doorstep, her movements slow and weary.

It was peaceful. Smoke rose from the roofs, and people moved about their work.

Kael’s hand rested on his sword hilt as he walked deeper into the village.

Then he heard it—laughter, cheering, the sound of celebration. Too loud, too desperate, like people clinging to hope.

He followed the noise to the village square.

A crowd had gathered around a small shrine, weathered stone carved with the image of a serpentine dragon, coiled and majestic. Offerings lay at its base: fish, rice, incense, flowers.

At the center of the crowd stood a young woman, her belly swollen with pregnancy. She wore fine robes—red silk embroidered with gold thread, far too expensive for a fisherman’s wife. She stood with her hands resting on her stomach, her face calm, eyes half-closed as if in prayer.

An old man stood beside her, arms raised—the village elder, gray-haired and weathered.

"The Dragon King has heard our prayers!" the elder proclaimed, his voice carrying across the square. "After two years of suffering—of empty nets, of hunger, of fear—he has granted us a miracle!"

The crowd cheered, but there was an edge to it, relief mixed with desperation.

"A child born of divine will! A sign that the Dragon King has not abandoned us!"

"We are saved!" a woman cried out.

"The Dragon King blesses us!" another voice shouted.

Kael stood at the edge of the crowd, watching. The celebration was loud, chaotic—people shouting blessings, children running between legs, someone beating a drum.

Near Kael, two fishermen were arguing.

"—told you we should’ve saved more rice—"

"The nets come up empty every day! We had nothing to save!"

"Keep your voice down! Today’s a blessing, you want to ruin it?"

The first fisherman spat. "Blessing. We’ll see how blessed we are when winter comes and we’re still starving."

An old woman shuffled past them, muttering prayers under her breath. She clutched a basket of wilted flowers, heading toward the shrine.

Kael moved through the crowd, observing.

A young mother held her child up to see the pregnant woman. "Look, see? The Dragon King chose her. Maybe he’ll bless us too."

The child stared, confused. "Why is her belly so big?"

"Shh. Don’t ask questions like that."

Near the shrine, the village elder was speaking to a group of merchants who’d stopped to watch.

"—a sign, I tell you. Business will return to the river. The fish will come back. You should invest here, before—"

One merchant looked skeptical. "The river’s been dying for years. One pregnant woman won’t—"

"Not just any woman," the elder cut in. "Blessed by the Dragon King himself. You’ll see. Mark my words."

Kael drifted closer to the pregnant woman. She stood at the center of attention, smiling, but her eyes were tired. An older woman—maybe her mother—stood beside her, occasionally adjusting her robes or whispering something in her ear.

A group of village women clustered nearby, talking in hushed, excited tones.

"Did you see how she glows?"

"I heard she hasn’t been sick once. Not even morning sickness."

"That’s how you know it’s divine."

"My sister was sick for months when she was carrying. Couldn’t keep anything down."

One woman—younger, maybe recently married—asked quietly, "But... Wei’s been gone two years. How...?"

The others immediately shushed her.

"Divine timing isn’t the same as mortal timing."

"The elders confirmed it."

"Are you questioning the Dragon King?"

The young woman flushed. "No, I just—"

"Then keep such thoughts to yourself."

Kael moved on.

Near the back of the crowd stood a young man—strong build, laborer’s hands, maybe twenty-five. He was smiling, laughing with others, celebrating. He looked genuinely happy.

Kael watched him for a moment. Something felt slightly off, but he couldn’t place what. Maybe the man was just relieved—everyone in the village seemed desperate for good news.

Kael dismissed the thought and turned away from the crowd.

The sun was sinking toward the horizon. He needed to find somewhere to spend the night. He walked toward the edge of the village, where the houses gave way to farmland and forest.

The village was too small for an inn. He could ask a villager for shelter, but they were all busy preparing for tomorrow’s formal ceremony. Better to avoid the intrusion.

Kael looked up at the hillside beyond the village—trees, rocks, a good vantage point. He started walking.

[Hillside - Evening]

Kael climbed the slope until he found a suitable spot—a flat area beneath an overhanging rock, sheltered from the wind, with a clear view of the village and river below.

He set down his pack and gathered some dry wood for a small fire. As the sun set, the village below came alive with lantern light. He could hear distant music, laughter, the continued celebration.

Kael ate some dried meat from his pack and drank the last of his water. Tomorrow he’d refill at the river.

The moon rose—nearly full, bright and silver. Kael let the fire die down and sat on the hillside, looking out over the valley. The river moved slowly below, reflecting fragments of moonlight. The village was quieter now, most houses dark, only a few lanterns still burning.

It was peaceful.

Kael’s gaze drifted along the riverbank, following the line of trees and houses.

Then he saw movement.

Near the edge of the village, two figures emerged from separate houses. Kael’s eyes narrowed. One was the pregnant woman—even from this distance, several hundred meters away, he could make out her silhouette, the curve of her belly visible in the moonlight.

The other was the young man, the laborer he’d seen in the crowd.

They moved carefully, quietly, checking over their shoulders. They met at a small clearing near the riverbank, away from the houses, hidden by trees.

Kael watched.

The woman spoke. The man reached out, touched her face. She leaned into his hand. They stood close together, foreheads touching, and the man’s hand moved to her belly, resting there gently.

They stayed like that for a long moment. Then they kissed.

Kael sat motionless on the hillside.

After a while, they separated. The woman spoke again, her gestures urgent—probably a warning. They couldn’t meet like this again. The man nodded, clearly reluctant.

They kissed once more—longer this time, desperate. Then they parted, each returning to their separate houses, moving through the shadows like ghosts.

The village fell silent again.

Kael sat on the hillside, looking at the moon, the river, the sleeping village. He’d just watched a secret that could destroy everything.

[The Next Morning]

Kael returned to the village as the sun rose.

The square was already bustling with activity. Villagers were preparing for the formal ceremony—decorating the shrine, arranging offerings, setting up tables for a feast.

The pregnant woman was there again, wearing the same red silk robes, smiling and accepting blessings. The young laborer was helping carry supplies, laughing and joking with other men. Everyone believed the miracle.

Kael walked to the river docks to refill his water gourd. As he crouched by the water, he heard voices approaching.

"—boat should arrive by midday—"

"Finally. Two years is too long."

"Wei will be so happy to hear about the blessing."

Kael stood and turned. Several villagers were walking toward the docks, scanning the river for incoming boats.

"Do you think he’ll believe it?" one asked quietly.

"Of course he will. The elders confirmed it. The Dragon King blessed his wife."

"But two years..."

"Divine timing. Don’t question it."

Kael moved away from the docks and returned to the square. Hours passed. The sun climbed higher.

Then, around midday, a shout went up from the docks.

"Boat! The boat’s here!"

The village erupted into excitement. People rushed toward the river. Kael followed at a distance. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

A weathered boat pulled up to the pier.

Soldiers disembarked—men with hollow eyes and tattered uniforms, bearing scars and limps, exhaustion etched into every movement. They carried no glory, only the weight of what they’d survived.

Among them was a young man with a scar across his cheek and a pronounced limp. His eyes were distant, unfocused—still on the battlefield, still surrounded by death.

Wei.

Villagers surrounded him immediately.

"Wei! You’re back!"

"Welcome home!"

"There’s been a miracle!"

Wei smiled weakly, nodding as people spoke. His eyes remained elsewhere, his mind still trapped in whatever he’d left behind.

The crowd led him toward the square, talking excitedly about the Dragon King’s blessing. Kael followed.

The square was packed now.

The village elder stood at the shrine, beaming. "Wei! Come! The Dragon King has blessed your family!"

Wei stepped forward, confused. "Blessed...?"

The pregnant woman emerged from the crowd, wearing the red silk robes, her face calm.

"Husband," she murmured.

Wei stared at her. His eyes went to her belly.

For a long moment, he stood frozen. The crowd waited, holding their breath.

"The Dragon King..." His voice was barely audible.

"Yes." The woman took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "He granted us a child. A gift. A sign of his favor."

Wei’s hand trembled slightly on her belly. The crowd erupted in cheers.

"The Dragon King blesses Wei’s house!"

"A miracle!"

"We are saved!"

Wei’s mouth curved upward, but the expression reached nowhere else—his eyes remained empty, distant. "Yes." The word was barely audible. "A blessing."

The woman’s eyes met his. There was a question there—do you understand?

Wei held her gaze, then nodded slightly.

The crowd pressed in, congratulating them, praising the Dragon King. Wei stood at the center of it all, accepting blessings, his hand still resting on his wife’s belly. But his eyes remained hollow.

Kael watched from the edge of the square.

The celebration continued, but Wei had slipped away from the crowd.

Kael found him sitting alone near the riverbank, staring at the water.

Kael approached.

Wei kept his eyes on the water. "You’re the stranger. The one who arrived yesterday."

"Yes."

"What do you want?"

Kael watched the river for a moment. "I know."

Wei’s jaw tightened. "Know what?"

"That it’s not the Dragon King’s child."

Wei stayed quiet, his hands gripping his knees.

"I saw them last night. Your wife and the laborer. On the riverbank."

Wei’s hands clenched, but his expression remained calm. After a long silence, he spoke. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you deserve the truth."

Wei laughed—bitter, hollow. "The truth?" He finally looked at Kael. "I knew the moment I saw her. I’ve been gone two years. She’s five, maybe six months pregnant. The math is simple."

Kael remained silent.

"But what am I supposed to do?" Wei’s voice was quiet, strained. "Call her a liar in front of the whole village? Watch them stone her? Watch them kill him? Watch the village lose the only hope they have left?"

He looked back at the water. "This village is dying. The river’s dying. The fish are gone. People are starving. My wife gave them something to believe in, a reason to keep going. And I’m supposed to destroy that because of my pride?"

Kael offered no response.

Wei’s voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "This place doesn’t have any fools. Everyone wants to believe. Some probably suspect the truth. But they need this miracle more than they need the truth."

He stood and turned to face Kael. "So yes. I know. And I’m going to raise that child as my own. Because that’s what this village needs."

He walked past Kael, back toward the square.

Kael watched him go. Wei rejoined his wife at the shrine. She looked at him, worried, and he smiled—reassuring her. The crowd cheered around them.

Kael turned away from the square.