We moved forward with a sense of trepidation, determined to unravel the enigma surrounding the death of Jessica's controlled bird. Yet, our journey took an abrupt turn after covering only a few dozen meters.
Before us sprawled around twenty lifeless bodies.
To the naked eye, they bore no visible injuries, yet blood oozed from their mouths and noses, creating a chilling spectacle.
Upon witnessing this haunting scene, my thoughts involuntarily harked back to a prior incident at the royal palace.
'No, this is different.'
Swiftly, I dismissed the notion of a mass poisoning in such a remote region. Crafting a deadly poison is neither facile nor inexpensive, especially one capable of causing deaths in such a mysterious manner. Moreover, the expressions and postures of the deceased hinted at a swift and unforeseen demise, mirroring the fate of Jessica's bird.
"Please, step back from this place a bit. I'm going to examine the bodies in detail," I urged with a grave tone.
The girls entrusted this somber task to me.
A brief span later, I shared my meticulous findings with them.
"From what I could discern, they're all adult men, over eighteen years old. Judging by the axes scattered on the ground, it appears they were merely engaged in woodcutting in the forest. What struck me as particularly peculiar, though, is that upon thorough inspection, I found no visible injuries. There were no traces of mana on their bodies either, ruling out magical intervention in this matter."
I cast a solemn gaze toward the distant corpses.
"Given the circumstances of their deaths, I can only contemplate two possibilities," I declared, raising two fingers of my right hand.
"The first would be death by poison... highly improbable given the challenges of producing such a substance in this locale..."
"So, what would be the second option?" inquired Eva.
"They might have succumbed to something entirely different... Based on what I just witnessed, I'd dare to say it could even be an epidemic. A remarkably lethal one," I replied, my expression darkening.
A momentary silence hung in the air in response to my grim revelation.
"A-A pandemic?"
"Franz, are you alright? I mean... Weren't you in direct contact with the corpses just a moment ago?"
"I understand your concern, Eva. But don't worry too much," I reassured, shaking my head.
"We're mana users. Our bodies expel harmful elements the moment they attempt to infiltrate our system, including the vast majority of existing poisons. This is why incredibly deadly poisons, like the one from the Jacinto royal family, are so perilous. Nevertheless, I would recommend that you all wear improvised cloth masks for now. It's better to take precautions, don't you think?"
The girls nodded in agreement, and soon we were all wearing masks, a makeshift barrier against potential hazards.
"Before we proceed, I'll arrange for the burning of the bodies... Ideally, I would have preferred a burial, but safety takes precedence," I decided, opting against magical fire in compliance with the girls' caution.
We initiated the fire using traditional means, wood, and stones. Thanks to my superhuman strength and speed, generating the necessary sparks to ignite the fire proved effortless. As the corpses began to be consumed by the flames, the girls commenced their prayers. Although I held no religious beliefs, I stood by the fire, bidding silent farewells to the departed.
After this brief ceremony, we resolved to continue our journey.
After half an hour of walking, we reached the lifeless body of the bird.
'So, its fate mirrors that of the men from earlier,' I thought with growing concern.
"We need to gather more information in the village. Given the potential of an epidemic, pessimism seems inevitable."
It couldn't be helped.
We continued until we reached a small village.
The condition of the houses immediately conveyed the residents' poverty. However, contrary to expectations, people roamed the streets, introducing an element of confusion.
Our first step was to approach the village inhabitants to inquire about the current situation. In the distance, a middle-aged lady and her daughter, both adorned with masks, caught our attention. The mother purchased bread while the daughter lingered outside.
For convenience, Angelica decided to approach the girl for information.
"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Angelica."
"..."
The girl, clearly hesitant to respond, wore an expression that communicated volumes.
'Maybe her mother instructed her not to talk to strangers?'
Despite appearing old enough to make decisions, it seemed likely that her parents had cautioned her against engaging with unfamiliar faces. Undeterred, Angelica persisted, endeavoring to earn the girl's trust.
"Your mother probably told you not to talk to strangers for your safety, but I mean no harm. I just want to ask you about the location of this village. We are travelers and are a bit lost right now."
"..."
The girl remained silent.
Angelica contemplated turning to the mother for information when, unexpectedly:
"You come from outside?"
The girl spoke in a hushed tone.
"How did you get into the city?"
Faced with this peculiar question, Angelica endeavored to respond, but an interruption ensued.
"Jasmine, be quiet, let's go home!" The girl's mother, visibly shaken, grabbed her daughter's hand and hastily departed without a backward glance.
"Excuse me, ma'am, could you please—" Angelica began to inquire.
Unfortunately, the lady hastened her pace upon hearing Angelica speak.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"That was rather peculiar," remarked Eva, her brow furrowed.
'What did she mean... how did we get into the village?'
"Let's try to gather information by asking other people. We should start by questioning the merchants," suggested Angelica.
"It's a good idea, let's do that," I agreed.
We dispersed once again to question the surrounding merchants.
A short time later, we regrouped to share our findings.
Unfortunately,
None of us managed to gather information.
We sighed deeply in disappointment.
"That's strange... When I asked, they gave me straightforward answers."
"..."
Except for Eva.
"I was told that this village is called Rumina. It has a population of around two hundred and is located on the border of the southern part of the Kingdom. They were very kind to me! They even gave me some sweets and, for some reason, warned me not to leave my house alone because it's dangerous outside."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Oh, God.
They must have assumed she was a local girl running errands, given her short stature and childish demeanor.
But there was no way I could broach the subject, so I remained silent.
"Excellent, Eva! If the village is called Rumina and is on the border, then we shouldn't be far from Winterland..."
I retrieved a Herssian Kingdom map and examined it before presenting it to the others.
"Hmmm... If we follow this route from here, we should be able to reach there in just one week. But before anything else, we should unravel the mystery of those dead men and decipher what that girl just said to us," Angelica declared.
'There's also the issue of not being able to use magic in this place... But it's probably a widespread phenomenon...'
Contemplating the accumulating mysteries made me feel dizzy.
I had anticipated a simple monster subjugation adventure—swing my sword a little, punch and kick
some bandits and monsters, share a few laughs, and return home.
...By the way.
The inclement weather did little to alleviate the situation.
While I generally favored the cold over the heat,
'Winter reigns supreme over summer, of course.'
This sentiment did not hold when temperatures plummeted below zero!
I shivered.
'This fantasy world challenges me in the most unexpected ways...'
"For now, let's find an inn to stay at," Jessica suggested, a tinge of concern in her voice as the sun approached the horizon.
"Yeah, I think the same."
We resolved to locate an inn to spend the night.
Fortunately, finding an inn in the village center proved to be no challenge.
However.
"Don't you find it odd that the inn is completely empty except for us and the owner?" I questioned.
"E-Even the inn owner acted strangely when we inquired about rooms," Jessica, growing more agitated, observed.
We presently discussed the matter in one of the inn's rooms.
Adhering to security measures, we had secured two rooms—one small for me and a larger one for the three girls.
The girls planned to take turns standing guard during the night.
Given my capabilities, I wouldn't be troubled even if ambushed while sleeping.
To be honest, it had happened many times before.
- Knock, knock.
Suddenly, as we continued talking, a knock sounded on the door, accompanied by the innkeeper's voice.
"Excuse me, dear guests, the village head wishes to have a meeting."
I exchanged quick glances with the girls.
No one objected, so I decided to open the door.
"Okay, we'll be there in a moment," I replied to the innkeeper.
To our surprise, the innkeeper gave an unexpected response.
"I'm sorry, but the village head wishes to meet only with you, Mr. Franz."