Chapter 4
After that discussion, and after mother got back from shopping, which she brought some goods in a woven basket, even though she could store them in her own [Storage Ring], just for a reason that she looks like a maiden, or something, we then took our breakfast meal together, and discussed our next destination.
After I have told the girls what happened, and what should we do, we then decided to head to the [Village of Portch], which is one of the villages we visited before.
(this discussion happened after they ate)
"Most of the corpse are already buried, while some still has their body missing. Though with those chaos, all the structures inside that village weren't ruined, completely unscathed"
"Any reason why?"
I asked
"We thought it might be due to how they wanted their operation to be in secret, as burning houses tend to signal chaos and such, but they could have destroyed those buildings without burning them, so we can't be so sure about it"
"How did they get in then?"
"Some of us speculate that their is someone who let them in, a spy, or a traitor among those people that they rescued, but with no grounded evidence, we can't say for sure"
"About those children that got away, did our men knew where they went?"
Mother asked in a very displeased tone
"Our team tried their best, but even so, they couldn't find any tracks on those kids, except for some footprints from a {Silve Wolf}"
"... I see"
Mother spoke in a grim tone, and wore a painful expression
"But even so, we couldn't find any leads that they were attacked, or ravish by those beast, as there were no tracks for any blood found in those area, where those footprints were found"
Sigh
"That's good to hear"
In low voice, mother felt relieved that there might be hope for them.
'But for how long?'
I thoughtly asked, as it wasn't merely days since this situation came, and them being lost, but right after we went to the south region to investigate some anomaly, their village was then attacked, and until then, those kids weren't yet found.
Swaying such thought away, I then asked
"Any possible direction then went? We are heading there anyway, we could try finding them"
Kath then went on a deep thought, remembering and analyzing.
"If we base on the footprints of those who are chasing them, our best bet will be the north and northeast of the village"
We then rode a carriage this time, unlike the last time when we just took a hitch. The carriage is made from a wooden materials, with a thin clothe covering it. Our Coachman is Isabelle, as none of us, except her, knows anything about horse riding, and the likes.
Riding across the plain ground, we then reached our destination, the forest where the village is at. We left our carriage outside, as it can't go with us with how cramped the pathway is, inside the forest, so we left the outside right after Isabelle placed some talisman that will protect it. The talisman could make anyone it locked on, invisible, except for the one who placed it, for 5 hiurs only of course.
We then hurriedly crossed the forest, as fast as we could, and didn't bother to any monsters we encountered, as we just straightforwardly rush. As we reached the village
"..... It wasn't really damage ha"
Isabelle spoke, as the gate that we standing in front, didn't even took any changes, except for the fact that it is new, right after what happened to that night.
I then took a glance at my right, and saw some chopped trees, with some new buds growing from it, guessing that they are expanding their village, maybe because of how the woods are highly in demand right now.
I then looked up, to the side, and saw some changes in their wooden wall. There is now some wooden pillar above, that surround the village, that which they place the torches, to light up the surrounding area, a [Torch Lamp].
[Torch Lamp] can be build with woods, iron, or stone. Design varies if it is custom made, or the overall design of the said product. It is equipped with a iron handler, where you could place the torch at.
The 4 of us then went inside the place.
The place is mostly empty, with no one inside, even those investigators that father and mother asked, to investigate this place. We then transverse the once blooming village, until we reached the house, where the once family we 1st meet
Standing at the door, I then remembered what Kath told me
"Mr. Ben, the father of those 3, was found dead just a couple of distance from their house, with an axe he holds on his right, and 2 {Hobgoblins} and {Goblin} on his side, maybe for stalling some time. His cause of death is from a sharp spear impaling his right eye, till the back of his head. He also receives some wound from a sharp, and blunt object, disfiguring his head in the process. While the mother was shot at the back of her head, with some wounds from a sharp teeth of some beast, ravishing her body through her clothes, chopping her lower body away, while her head was disfigured also"
Sympathetical we might be, but we can't mourn to their death, for now, as we have some important things to do. The 4 of us then walked inside, and went to the kitchen, where the said secret underground tunnel was. Transversing the said dimly tunnel, we then got out from the village, and started our investigation.
Standing outside, I then spoke
"Isabelle, Natsumi, I'll leave the surveying to both of you"
The 2 then nodded, and started activating their skills, as they moved forward, while me and Sheryl is at the back
"[Gales Embrace]"
"[Silver Wolf Sense]"
The 4 of us then moved towards the northeast, and started checking the area, where those 3 might have gone too
"..... Darling"
I then looked at Natsumi, as she called me out
"What is it?"
"Didn't that woman said, that there is a footprints of those beast here?"
"Yes, Kath spoke about some {Silver Wolf} chasing them, why?"
Natsumi then looked at me and stated
"There weren't some here"
"Those footprints?"
She then nodded
"Natsumi is right, there were no footprints around this area"
"....."
Leaving that thought aside, we then started our investigation
....
An hour already gone by, but there were no sign of those 3, neither any of their pursuers footprints. I even placed Isabelle and Natsumi just a few meters away from each other, to further widen our reach, but even with that, luck isn't on our side.
"It is as if they weren't there in the 1st place"
Sheryl spoke, as she cling her right arm on my left.
"Should we take a detour, darling?"
Isabelle asked
"No, let us continue this path for some time, before we turn back. Time is still in our hands, we shouldn't rush"
I spoke, as we needed to confirm every nook and cranny of this place, before we change our route of investigation.
"I hope they are okay"
"I wish too"
I replied to Sheryl's whispering voice. I then asked Isabelle and Natsumi to stand each of our side, while leaving the front to me and Sheryl, with that, we might get some chance.
.....
Another hour came, but even with how much we tried to look around, no traces, no finding, nothing, we couldn't find anything in this place, that might lead us to them.
Finding that our time bore no fruits in this area, I then decided that e should take a detour, until
"I found something"
We then looked at Isabelle, and saw her pointing upfront
"8 meters from here, there's a piece of clothe there"
All of us then headed to where Isabelle found something. And as we got there, Isabelle then picked up a blooded clothe, that was cut from the rest.
The said clothe was cut with a sharp object, in a careless manner. Unlike when it was accidentally torn, this one was completely cut, with how the edges aren't looking uneven.
"Do you think-"
"Might be, but we should try roaming this area, and find some more"
Gggrrrrrrrr!
Kkkrrhhhhhhh!
Gghhrrrrr!!
"Tsk! Those dmn Wolves"
We then looked to our side, and found some beast encircling us, some {Black Wolf}, 10 of them. A certain race of Wolf with a fur coated in black, just the same height of Sheryl, which is the reason why she despise them the most
{Black Wolves} is merely at peak copper rank to early silver rank, which is the same rank of Goblins, so I leave those guys in the hand of Sheryl, as I let Isabelle and Natsu I continue searching for more clues, while our angry loli will rampage.
Awwwoooo~!
"Shut up!"
Swoosh
And so the battle began.
...
After a few more minutes roaming around the forest, and Sheryl already taken care of those Wolves, we then found another clue, which is some undergarments of a woman, top and bottom, hanging in a branch, just at a mid level near a small pond.
I let Natsumi and Isabelle take care of investigating it.
".... I think the size could feat a teen aged lady, maybe at 13 till 16 years of age"
"Do you think it is from Cecile? But why did she left it behind?"
"I don't know, but we found some blood stained clothe just below the pond, so I guess they came here and wash themselves"
"But probably got attacked by those Wolves in the process"
Natsumi added, as she and Isabelle reported their findings.
"We will continue from here on, we might find some more"
As we agreed to what to do next, we then continued moving forward.
...
Arrrff!!
Arhkkkk!
Slicing one Wolf on my left by its neck, I then grab the other by its throat, and stab my sword to its mouth. I then throw away its corpse to the running Goblin upfront, and dash myself, and chop the monster from its stomach.
Kraaaa!!
Graaaa!!
I then propelled myself upfront, and confronted another bunch of this guys, with some {Goblin Rider}, {Goblin Mage}, and a {Goblin Swordsman}, which is being commanded by a dark shade of blue green colored Goblin, a {Goblin Variant}, which is a new type of Goblin that got discovered, a mid silver rank.
{Goblin Rider} is merely a Goblin atop of a Wolf, some are {Black Wolf}, with a spear or sword in hand, an early silver rank monster.
Dashing upfront, I then coat my sword with my flame, and making sure that it is enough to not caught this forest by my flame, I then twisted myself to my right, and swung my sword to the 3 in front of me, burning them in the process. I then rush to my left, and cut the Mage into 2, while cutting the one guarding it by their heads - {Goblin Swordsman}.
I then went towards the variant, and slash it, diagonally
Kraaaaaa!
After finishing my end, I then looked behind me, and saw Sheryl already cleaned up her spot too, while Natsumi and Isabelle continued searching, while defending themselves in the process. For almost another hour came, we are hiding deeper, and deeper inside the forest, and meet monsters after monsters. We already encountered some {Gray Wolf}, and {Hobgoblin} in our way, and even some {Hobgoblin Variant}, and some {Gray Wolf Variant}
{Gray Wolf} is much taller than {Black Wolf}, with their fur coated in grayish coat, and in mid silver rank. While {Gray Wolf Variant} has more darkish gray coat, quite ferocious and more hostile, and at peak silver rank.
"Darling!"
Isabelle then called me out. Arriving beside her, she then reported
"I pick up something, just across this river"
Looking at the river she spoke of, I then saw some pack of Wolves there
"We are seeing more and more Wolf, so that place might be their base"
"Should we head there?"
Natsumi asked
"That's the only path we could take, if we wanted to solve this mystery"
I then stared at the river and spoke
"It isn't much wide, so jumping will do"
As I said that, I then carried Sheryl in my arms
"Waaa!"
"Ehhhh!?"
"Darling!?"
And
Swoosh
Jump from where I stood, across this river, and landed at the other side. I then placed the still confused Sheryl, and turned around as I spoke
"Let us go"
And saw the 2 pouting at me. Sheryl then hurriedly cling at me with a smile, which made the other 2 gone sour.
After we all cross the river, we then continued on, while we confront some beast in our path
Aaawwooooo~!
Arhhkk! Arffkk! Arffk!
Bark! Bark! Bark!
Grraghrrrrrr!!
Baring their fangs at us, Natsumi and Isabelle then walk upfront, as they each took their weapon out. Isabelle summoned her sword at her right, as she closely close the distance between her and this beast
"Engulfed it, [Holy]"
And hold the hilt of her sword with both of her arms, and she bended down, and
"Desolate, [Holy Saber's Cross]"
And swung her sword towards them
Arrrrfkfkkk!!
Arrghhkk!!
Wolves after Wolves then cried, as they meet their end to the edge of Isabelle's sword.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Trees then fell down, as they were cut from their trunk
"Combine them, [Meld]"
At my left, Natsumi then took 4 arrows from her quiver, and aimed at those upfront
"[Gales Embrace]+[Sparrow Shot]+[Tempest Storm]+[Raging Gust]"
And
Swoosh
She then fired her arrows towards her enemy, with a strong gust of wind
Awwowoo!
Bang! Crash! Boom!
As another Wolves cried as they meet their death, trees were then blow away from such strong gust, creating a pathway upfront, with the ground being cleared with a swift blow
The 2 then took a deep breath, and turned their heads towards me, and smiledly spoke
"Let's go"
"Jealous"
Sheryl spoke, in a whispering tone, as she cling on me with a grin
.....
After a transvering the woods much deeper, and fighting those beast in our way
Arff! Arfff! Arfff!
Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark
"That place"
Isabelle then pointed out a small looking cave, just a distance from us, with pack of Wolves surrounding it
"That should be the place that we are looking for"
"Natsumi"
Natsumi then went upfront, took some arrows from her quiver, pointed her bow, and
"Combine them, [Meld]"
"[Sparrow Shot]+[Swift Shot]"
Swoosh
Fired her arrow to those pack, and shot one of them at its head. She then fired another arrow, as those Wolves were still confused, and shot another one again. Those Wolves then just noticed us, and hurriedly dash towards us.
Swoosh
Natsumi then fired 2 arrows at once, killing the 2 dashing Wolves by impaling the arrows through their jaws. The 3 of us then walked towards them, as Natsumi keep raining them with arrows.
...
Arrghhwoo!
After all the Wolves were killed, and after Sheryl stored them inside our [Storage Ring], as you can store dead body of monster inside the ring, but not the living one, we then arrived to the cave, with marks of claws and fangs could be seen around, painting the cave with those marks.
I then saw a small entrance, with a stone blocking it, with a small gap at the side. Moving the stone
"Arghhh!"
Stench of rotten flesh then greeted us, with a dreadful atmosphere inside the cave. Isabelle and the other then readied their sword, as I did too, as we went inside the cave, vigilantly.
...
"It's alright big sis, mister and Mr. Ben will be hear, so eat up."
She pouted, as she crossed her arms with her disheveled hair, and looked at Josh
"Hmpph! What do you think you are doing, Mr? You should be eating now, or else, Mrs. Natt will get angry at us, you know? So come one, eat up, I just cook all your favorite, [Mushrooms Stew with Meat]!"
" Darling"
Sheryl then hurriedly hid her head to my arms, while Isabelle and Natsumi closed their eyes, as I looked upfront, with disdain and frustration, as the little girl we once saw before, was now sitting down, with 2 corpses of once Cecile and Josh.
Their flesh was already rotten, with maggots coming out. Bone already could be seen, with their blood, solidified. And at the table where they all sat down, was a palate of blood dish, with flesh at each plate, and some bones in it
April, the once little girl in small remote village, was now eating, her brother and sister, with smile on her face
"Fuck!"