My front door leads to a comic strip

Chapter 285, Chapter 284: Returning Home, Sending Off My Wife, Turning the Hero into One of Our Own (Eleventh Update)

A few days later, at dawn, the rumbling of the carriage stopped, and Wilmae finally set foot on the soil of his homeland.

Standing at the village entrance, gazing at the familiar treehouse silhouettes appearing and disappearing in the mist, she felt a surge of unfamiliarity mixed with a sense of trepidation at returning home.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The village was quiet.

Instead of heading towards his own cabin, Wilmae walked straight to the largest and oldest house in the center of the village, which was the village chief's home.

In the forest, Gu Yuan controlled his clone to stand quietly under the dense shadows of the trees, his gaze piercing through the morning mist and landing on the slightly uneasy figure behind him.

He pondered to himself, "It really is related to the village—"

I thought she was just making an excuse to leave.

He simply sat down against an ancient tree. Although his clone magic was not as powerful as his original body, it was enough for him to sense everything that was happening in the village.

"Knock knock knock," Wilme knocked on the wooden door of the village chief's house.

The door was quickly opened, and the elderly elf village chief looked surprised when he saw her.

But when she saw that there was no one behind her, her surprise quickly turned into seriousness.

Without asking any further questions, he immediately stepped aside to let her into the house, and said in a deliberately calm tone, "Prepare two cups of calming tea."

His wife peeked out from the inner room, saw Wilmae, her eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded silently.

"it is good."

Inside, the firewood in the fireplace crackled, dispelling the chill of the early morning.

Wilmae sat down in the familiar wooden chair, his hands gripping the warm teacup tightly.

The village chief sat opposite her, his gaze sweeping over her uneasy face. Without much small talk, he went straight to the point, his voice low and deep: "You came back alone. Did you fail, or—did you simply not dare to ask him?"

Wilmae raised his head, his eyes filled with struggle, his voice hoarse: "I—I can't do it, village chief."

"I—I can't find any justifiable reason to ask him for it."

She paused, as if trying to convince herself, "As you know, Gu Yuan opened the treasure vault with his own power. Although we don't know where he got the key, according to the conventions of the continent, for unclaimed treasure, the person who has the key and successfully opens it is its owner."

The village chief sighed softly, his eyes revealing understanding and weariness: "I know, child. What you said makes sense."

However, his tone quickly turned helpless, "But the other people in the village, especially the younger generation, don't think so."

"The glory and legacy of our ancestors are symbols that they cannot desecrate in their hearts."

"I can't hold it in any longer."

Just then, the curtain to the inner room was gently lifted, and the village chief's wife walked in with leisurely steps, carrying tea and snacks.

She placed the tray in front of Wilmès, wiped the water off her hands, and glanced at her husband's furrowed brow and Wilmès's pale face.

Her pragmatic and calm tone broke the oppressive atmosphere: "This matter needs a clear answer no matter what; it can't be delayed any longer."

"Since you, Wilme, can't bring yourself to ask, or even if you did, it wouldn't make a difference, why not just invite that 'hero' to the village?"

"It's better to have a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. It's better for everyone to talk things out face to face than to leave things unresolved and let rumors spread throughout the village."

Upon hearing this, Wilma became even more conflicted, her voice becoming urgent: "No, no, it's precisely because I didn't want to involve him, didn't want him to face this embarrassing situation, that I came back alone!"

Her eyes were full of pleading, hoping that the village chief and his wife could understand her predicament.

On a distant hillside, Gu Yuan, who sensed all of this through his clone, paused slightly in thought.

"So that's what it was about—"

He suddenly realized that Celie's playful warning to him years ago, "Be careful of the elves coming to your door in the future," was now clearly echoing in his ears.

Without any hesitation, he stood up, gently brushed the grass clippings and dew off his robes, and prepared to intervene.

"Since this matter started because of me, it should naturally be ended by me."

"Perfect opportunity to resolve this historical issue once and for all."

With that thought in mind, magical energy began to circulate around him.

However, just as he was about to reveal himself, the village chief's next words, spoken in a raised tone, made him freeze in his tracks.

"Nonsense!"

The village chief rebuked his wife in a low voice, his tone heavy, "If Lord Gu Yuan is really 'invited,' given his power and status, what if the two sides disagree or even come to blows? Who can handle the situation?"

He glanced around at the wooden house that had stood for hundreds of years, his meaning clear.

To clash with a powerful figure capable of slaying a demon king is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

As he spoke, a calculating glint appeared in his eyes, and he slowly uttered his suggestion: "Since neither side is willing or able to back down, and we are clearly no match for that hero—why not try a different approach? Make him one of our own?"

Seeing the great confusion rising in Vermeer's eyes, he stopped beating around the bush and said clearly, "Let him marry an elf from the village."

"In this way, he became a member of our village, and it became legitimate for him to inherit and use the legacy of his ancestors."

"We need to give those emotionally charged villagers a satisfactory explanation."

As he said this, his eyes were resolute, as if he truly believed that this was a solution that could save all parties in a desperate situation.

Then, he turned his gaze intently to Vermeer and asked, with a questioning tone, "What do you think of this method?"

Wilmae was completely stunned. Her red lips parted slightly, her pupils dilated with shock, and her brain seemed to stop functioning at that moment.

She never expected that the village chief, who was always highly respected and valued tradition, would make such a seemingly absurd suggestion.

But after the initial shock, she realized that in this predicament, it seemed to be the only way to save face for both sides and avoid conflict.

However, she knew perfectly well that Gu Yuan had just finished a grand wedding with Celia and Millie Alde!

The village chief seemed unaware of the wedding, nor of the turmoil churning within Wilmae's heart.

He continued his analysis as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and his words carried a hint of pride: "The elves in our village are in no way inferior to the beauties of the human kingdoms."

"Whether it be his appearance, skills, or character, marrying him to a hero would not be an insult to him."

He even asked Wilme in a probing tone, "You've spent so much time with Lord Gu Yuan, do you know—what type of elf does he prefer?"

"Is she lively and outgoing, or quiet and reserved? We'll be prepared to choose the most suitable candidate."

"I have no idea!"

Wilmae blurted out, her voice tinged with an urgency and inexplicable resistance she herself was unaware of, rising a few decibels, "And—I don't think he would ever agree to something like this! It's ridiculous!"

The village chief was slightly taken aback by her overly intense reaction and asked in confusion, "Why are you so sure? Could it be that he likes—"

In an instant, he seemed to catch something from Wilmae's unusual reaction, a knowing glint in his eyes as he looked at her thoughtfully.

At the same time, a guess that grew clearer and clearer in his mind became: "No way—could it be that what he really cares about is—"