The carriage stopped in front of a village gate. It was old and looked quite dilapidated.
"Sir Loir, We can rest for a day here."
Loir came out and saw the village in front of him, His eyes flashed with coldness and murderous intent but it was just a flash and his eyes became normal soon.
"Guard Theon, what is this place?"
Theon glanced at the village, It was quite ancient and the houses a bit far looked inhabited, It would have been a deserted village if not for the people working and talking around.
"Sir Loir, I don't remember if there was such a village but I have heard some rumors about this village, Right after Hukile Mountain Ranger there is a small but welcoming village, BlueLake Village."
Looking at the village was quite small, At least 20 houses could be seen but there were farms surrounding the village making it look big.
Theon moved forward and walked towards a young man on the farm and talked about something.
The young man looked at them with a smile and then Theon returned.
"Sir Loir, Though there is no inn, there is a house free at the moment we can stay there."
House Free at the moment huh?
Loir nodded at looked at Sugel.
"Uncle, will you stay?"
Sugel sighed, he wanted to go to the Town without stopping but Loir's condition is not better so staying a night won't be bad.
"Of course, You rest early tonight."
Loir looked deeply at Sugel, he hummed in agreement and glanced at the young man who was talking with Jace with a smile.
Jace liked this young man, he had a somewhat similar personality to himself.
"Oh, Duin can you show us the place where we will stay?"
Duin, the young man nodded with a chuckle.
"Don't be so polite to me, Come with me."
Theon frowned.
"Will you not inform the village chief?"
Hearing this, Duin paused for a moment and then shook his head.
"Village Chief died a month ago."
Theon and Jace glanced at each other, Sugel frowned and Loir's eyes had ridicule in them.
He looked at the eyes of Duin who showed no sadness.
"I am tired."
His voice was cold not like the usual one.
Theon nodded and asked Duin to hurry.
.
A few minutes later they reached the house, it was on the outer periphery of the Village.
It was still early in the morning and they can rest a lot today. The house was quite clean except for some dust it was usable.
Though there were only two bedrooms.
"Loir, Child you rest in the bedroom upstairs, The guards and I will adjust in the second bedroom."
Theon and Jace nodded in agreement, they had no problem.
Loir glanced at them and moved upstairs saying.
"Wake me up before dinner."
Sugel smiled and then the two started to become busy.
Theon glanced at the back of Duin who was going back and narrowed his eyes. Jace saw him like this and asked.
"Sir Theon, Is something wrong?"
Looking at the few villagers in the distance through the window, Theon shook his head.
"No, Just that the village is a bit happy."
Jace tilted his head in confusion, what's wrong with being happy? But he didn't ask cause he knew that this question will annoy Theon.
He skipped to Sugel in the kitchen.
"Sir Sugel, Do you need help?"
Sugel knew about the 'Food' he could make, so he quickly denied it.
"Not at all, This much is easy for me alone. How about you make some tea for Little Loir? His face was pale today."
Hearing this Jace nodded happily.
Seeing him going away, Sugel sighed with relief and started to cook.
Theon who was standing at the window heard some gossip from the villagers passing by not far.
"The Son-in-Law of the third Uncle? he passed away too?"
"You don't know? Third Uncle's daughter fainted that day."
"Is that so? But I didn't even get the news till now."
"That's weird. Anyhow, the third uncle's daughter is acting weird now, even her son is acting weird."
"Really? Is there a ghost?"
"Who knows, But I heard that they acted abnormal, not human-like at all."
The voices moved far from Theon's hearing range but it was more than enough for him to think that this village is weird, Not good at all.
"Sir Theon, food is ready."
Jace's voice called him back from the trance. He moved to the dining table and saw Loir already sitting there with a book in his hand.
"Sir Loir, What are you reading?"
For a week now, He only saw Loir either reading or knitting, he was more like an old man than an old man.
Loir glanced at Theon while answering him.
"Hero King and Demon King."
This is a children's fairytale-like book but it is a Legend for more than 5000 years now and it is believed that Hero King did exist and sealed the Demon King with his own soul.
The respect for Hero King is the inherent nature of humans. After all, Gods ascended and left the mortal world, The humans were hunted down by various species, dragons, elves, and vampires all alike loved to drink human blood, use them as playthings, and such.
That whole century was the dark age of humanity. In those times arose the Heroes.
They protected Humans, followed justice, and were fair.
However Heroes were in the end humans too, they were affected by their feelings be it parental love, love for their children, or love for their spouses, The Demons used these feelings as their weakness and killed the heroes one after another.
The bright era's candle went out before it was even properly lit up.
At that moment, the remaining heroes had to become cruel and heartless.
They left their families, loved ones, and children behind. Some Heroes saw their families happily sacrificing themselves so as not to become the chains on their necks.
So the Demon King enjoyed the Heroes becoming cold and heartless, they didn't care about human emotions and feelings and just became demon killing Machine.
In such days, arose the Hero King. This title didn't exist before but after Hero King brought out the revolutionary era, this era came into existence.
Everyone said that Hero King was actually from another world, some said he was a descended God and some said he was the incarnation of God of War but no one could come to believe that person was a human being from their own world.
Anyhow, The hero king did defeat the Demon King but the Demon King's soul was extremely powerful so the Hero King used his own soul that was on an equal strength level as Demon King and killed the Demon King and sealed the Demon Realm.
Jace was in trance after hearing this familiar story. It was the storybook he read in his childhood and after that, he never picked this book.
Now hearing it again, He was dazed for a moment.
Sugel sighed for the Heroes of that time.
Though story book. Many things in this legend are worth pondering over.
Theon looked at the book on the table.
It was a bit different edition from the normal storybook sold around their Empire.
"Are you interested?"
Theon heard the toneless voice of Loir and said.
"Yes I am, though I have a question."
Loir nodded.
"Sir Loir, Do you feel the atmosphere around the village?"
A smile flashed in Loir's eyes. As if he had expected him to ask this.
"I did, though faintly."
Theon heard his answer and he was sure that his guess was not wrong. This village is suspicious.
Where this weird feeling came from was not answered but the atmosphere was too weird.
Jace came back after throwing the garbage.
"It's weird..."
He mumbled and Sugel who was near the door heard.
"What's weird?"
Jace looked back and the door.
"The people are weird."
This time he said it a bit loud which Theon and Loir also heard.
"You finally sensed it."
Theon smirked, Jace however tilted his head.
"Not like that...They are not affected by the deaths at all."
Hearing his point, Loir raised his eyebrow. This little guard can think this much is already a good thing to show that there is something wrong.
Sugel couldn't wrap his head around the talk.
"Ok, talk tomorrow, Anyway we will leave tomorrow. Let's go to sleep."
Loir got up and went back to his room.
Before entering his room, he said to the three.
"Be vigilant tonight."
Theon and Jace nodded and Sugel was puzzled however he agreed.
Loir closed the door and sat on the bed. It was not soft like the one at home.
But it was good to sleep in.
He peacefully closed his eyes and his breath became even. When sleeping he looked ethereal and unreal. His beauty reached its zenith.
The moment his breathe evened out, A purple light shone on the window pane.
After two knocks, Loir still didn't 'wake' up. Seeing this, the purple light broke the window pane.