While quietly reading a book on the running train, I suddenly noticed Hazel leaning forward from the front seat.
His real eyes gave off the impression of hiding something.
"Are you studying?"
"Well, yeah..."
"Of course, with that level of effort, you've become an individual that catches Luminary's attention."
I don't know what he's thinking, but his abrupt comment seemed out of place, and he awkwardly smiled.
If he knew that I was reading a book that was the most basic of basics, he wouldn't say such things.
"Did I disturb you?"
"No."
"To be honest, since this is my first time doing something with a magician, I made a bit of an effort to get along with Adrias. You understand my intentions, right?"
"I feel the same way. I hope we can get along without any issues."
Of course, I understand your intentions, you crazy fanatic.
Despite my true thoughts, I smiled and nodded.
Thanks to Singclaire showing interest in me, this lunatic has singled me out.
The Jevar Sect is a significant group of fanatics, even in the main quest.
Of course, Jevar is a real entity, so it's not a pseudo-religion.
The problem lies in the fact that Jevar is not a god but a demon.
"An incredibly malicious demon at that."
Jevar's appearance is quite different from the typical image of a demon; he has a fairly human form. However, his abilities are the issue.
Any humans who face Jevar forget their shame and become shamelessly corrupted, and it seems that the members of the sect are not in their right minds either.
Their ultimate goal is to bring Jevar to the mortal realm and create a harem kingdom.
It may seem childish and laughable, but the fact that it's actually possible, takes away the laughter.
"How do you feel about this mission?"
"Well, I think we'll have to see for ourselves when we get there."
The destination of the train we're currently on is a small village in the southern Boloric Barony.
In the game, it wasn't a significant location, just the destination of this particular mission.
The random mission we drew before departure contained a riddle-like description.
"A rumor has spread that the lord of the Sulim Village, belonging to Boloric Barony, has been murdered. Count Boloric dispatched investigators for the investigation, but there has been no news for over two weeks. As a result, an investigation request has been made through the Mercenary Guild."
It seemed like a simple matter that could be resolved quickly, and all the members of the group were happy about it.
However, I noticed something puzzling.
First of all, there was very little information.
The basic principles of investigation were completely absent despite the lord being killed.
We didn't know who was killed, and there was no trace of the basic investigative steps, such as whether the culprit was human or monster, when the murder occurred, or the specific location and time of the incident.
Since we didn't know the culprit, we didn't know their motives or the method of the killing.
Of course, that's why we're going to investigate, but the investigators sent by Count Boloric, who went first, were also suspiciously missing.
"I hope it's nothing complicated or dangerous."
Noticing my distracted mind, Hazel kept talking.
"From what I can see, once we arrive at the village, we should be able to resolve the issue quickly. It might take a bit of time for the investigation, but compared to other group missions like monster subjugation or thief hunting, it's much better."
Indeed, there was a higher probability that it was nothing significant.
It would be a huge problem if it was a big deal, considering it only happened in the territory of a baron.
Maybe I was overestimating it.
While my concentration was lacking, I looked around, and only Hazel was awake besides me.
Well, Vivian was awake too, but she was lost in thought while looking out the window.
The rest, Christopher and Ivy, were sleeping soundly, and their peaceful appearance made me laugh.
Yeah, nothing out of the ordinary will happen.
.
.
.
.
When we arrived at Boloric Domain, the only train station, we decided to visit the Boloric family first.
We took a carriage that was waiting near the station and arrived at a domain that was slightly too small to be called a city but too big to be called a village.
"Let's organize the questions first."
"What should we ask first?"
Hazel and Christopher mainly led the conversation.
Vivian had a naturally quiet personality, and Ivy didn't provide any opinions since she was in a supervisory role.
As the only member from the Magic Academy, I didn't have much influence, so I kept my thoughts to myself.
Their conversation went on, and Hazel continued to talk.
"First, we need to gather information about the deceased lord. That way, we can determine if there are any grudges or conflicts involved."
"Do you want to inquire about the missing investigators as well?"
"That's a good idea. The more information, the better."
After saying that, Hazel turned his head and asked me, who had been silently listening.
"Do you have any other opinions, Adrias?"
I pondered for a moment and replied, "I would like to know if there have been any recent rumors. Anything like monster appearances or unusual events."
"Yes, let's ask about that too."
While we were discussing, we arrived at the main gate of the lord's residence.
After paying the carriage fee, we approached the guards, who inquired about our business.
"What is your purpose for visiting?"
"We are students from the Rodren Academy who have come to confirm Count Boloric's request."
"Please wait a moment."
The guard immediately went to deliver the message.
After a while, he returned with a person who seemed to be a butler.
"Welcome. I am Ivan Edelin, the butler of Boloric Manor. I welcome the visit of the students from Rodren Academy. Please follow me."
As we followed him into the mansion, we saw a modest interior that matched the image of a rural baron.
The butler guided us to a reception room where Count Boloric was already waiting.
"Unexpected guests. Welcome. I am Evans Boloric."
"Pleased to meet you, Count Boloric. I am Ivy Claire, the teacher in charge of the group."
He had a thin and hysterical impression, and his pale complexion didn't look good.
Although his attitude towards us was not particularly welcoming, it might just be my misconception.
After the customary greetings and taking our seats, we began asking questions in earnest.
"I would like to hear more about the lord who was murdered."
"He was my cousin. He held the title of Viscount, being my small father's son, and as far as I know, he had no family. And it's still just a rumor, so it's not certain if he was indeed murdered."
Afterward, he described the lord's age, appearance, and other details, but there was no significant information.
"Was there any grudge or personal conflict with anyone?"
"I don't know about personal matters. In fact, he and I haven't seen each other for quite a while..."
I threw all the prepared questions, but no further clues were revealed.
One thing that bothered me was why only one group of investigators was sent in over a month.
When I asked about that, the Count replied.
"It was just a rumor, so we didn't pay much attention to it at first. However, when the tax collector who went to the village didn't return, we eventually dispatched investigators. But even they didn't come back. Since we had already confirmed it with the tax collector, we requested assistance from the Mercenary Guild to prevent further harm to innocent lives."
I observed the Count's breath, gestures, and habitual responses.
I noticed subtle tremors in his muscles and realized that he was either lying or hiding something.
"The content itself seems reliable, but something smells fishy."
What could he be hiding?
While I was still questioning that, the butler next to me checked the time and whispered something to the Count.
Then, the Count stood up and said, "I have urgent matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave. I hope you resolve this matter successfully."
As he left, the butler remained and explained, "I apologize for the lack of cooperation. The truth is, our young master is unwell and is being personally attended to by the Count. I wanted to inform you in advance in case you were concerned."
"It's alright. It can happen."
When Hazel smiled broadly, the butler also relaxed and bowed his head with a relieved expression.
"If it's alright with you, would you like to stay here for the day? We have plenty of guest rooms in our mansion."
After briefly discussing our opinions, I expressed my opposition, thinking it would be better to resolve the situation quickly.
Fortunately, the other team members seemed to have no objections and followed my suggestion.
"We will go to the location where the incident occurred right away."
"If you leave now, you will probably arrive by sunset. It might be better to stay here for the night and leave tomorrow..."
"Thank you for your consideration, but it's alright."
"It's dangerous at night. Please, I insist you stay."
"We don't have much time, so we'll decline."
Upon hearing our refusal, the butler gave us a displeased look.
His expression seemed as if he was both angry at being denied kindness and frustrated that things weren't going his way.
Finding it strange, I overcame the butler's further persuasion and walked out.
"It feels a bit suspicious."
"What part specifically?"
Hazel asked me as I spoke up.
"The Count seemed to be lying or hiding something."
"Really? Did you notice that?"
Hazel and the others stared at me strangely.
I shook my head, thinking that explaining about breathing or habitual actions would only make me appear more bizarre.
"No, it's just a feeling I had."
"Well, the butler's expression and attitude were peculiar when he left. You could definitely sense that."
With that remark, we obtained a carriage heading to Sulim Village.
However, Christopher had a slightly hesitant expression.
"Isn't this too hasty?"
"We don't have any more information to gather. Besides, we're capable enough, aren't we?"
Christopher displayed an unexpectedly cautious side, but Hazel assured him by patting his shoulder.
However, with a sense of doubt, he turned to Vivian for her opinion.
"Vivian, what do you think?"
"...I don't know."
Hazel chuckled at her response and quickly asked for my opinion.
"What about you, Adrias?"
"I still believe it's better to visit the village as we initially planned."
In the end, we decided to visit Sulim Village according to Hazel's and my opinion.
Honestly, with the information we had so far, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. But I trusted Ivy.
'I'm traveling with someone who will become the youngest-ever Master of Aura. What could go wrong?'
Ivy's presence provided some assurance, at least in terms of our lives being protected.
Moreover, there were no episodes related to Boloric Manor in my memories of gameplay.
Although I didn't know what had happened during the past, before the start of the game, if there were any major incidents, I would have known, just like the terrorist attack at the academy.
With that in mind, we departed for Sulim Village without much worry, taking a carriage.
"It's farther than I thought. We should catch an inn as soon as we arrive."
"Wouldn't it have been better to stay in Boloric and leave in the morning?"
"We don't have much time. We should investigate the surroundings while we have the chance."
As the day grew darker, I looked at the forest path where the sun was setting, and the closer we got to the village, the more inexplicable palpitations I felt.
"What is it?"
Uneasiness?
No, it was something related to my own heart...
Mana.
Mana was showing signs of agitation.
With this sudden anomaly, I examined the expressions of the others, but they all seemed calm, as if nothing was wrong.
"Why is it only happening to me? Did I eat something bad?"
And then, not long after I felt this strange sensation in my body, the carriage suddenly started to jolt.
Thud! Thud!
"Hey, slow down! There's no rush!"
Hazel shouted, pounding on the carriage wall, but the carriage continued its erratic movements, ignoring his pleas.
Christopher, sensing something was amiss, opened the half-closed window that allowed communication with the driver. The driver was lashing the horses in a bizarre manner, not responding to any commands.
"What's going on?"
"Why is he behaving like that?"
Christopher yelled, but the driver continued his strange behaviour, paying no attention to us.
It was only then that everyone realized something was amiss, and we assumed a defensive posture.
"Why is he acting like that?"
"The carriage might overturn at this rate."
Christopher, with a worried expression, took over the reins and started driving the carriage himself.
"The horses aren't in their right minds either! Something's wrong!"
Upon hearing Christopher's words, everyone inside the carriage turned to look at me.
It seemed like they were expecting me, the only mage, to come up with a solution, but I wasn't particularly sharp-witted.
"For now, let's try to slow down the speed as much as possible."
In the end, that was all we could say to Christopher.
Although we didn't know how skilled Christopher was at handling the carriage, fortunately, the speed began to decrease.
Thanks to that, we narrowly avoided the danger of the carriage overturning.
The driver continued his erratic behavior, even after Christopher took his place, jerking his body as if he were dancing.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"He's smiling!"
When the sudden words were spoken, everyone turned their heads to see Christopher, who had rotated the driver's body, showing us his face.
The driver had a grotesque expression, smiling unnaturally, as if he were dancing.
"Why is he like this? Snap out of it!"
"He's not in his right mind. He was perfectly fine until just now..."
Everyone was bewildered when suddenly the unrestrained carriage began to rampage.
The driver, along with the horses, seemed to have gone mad, running in an abnormal manner.
In the end, Christopher took control of the carriage himself.
"The horses aren't in their right minds! Something's wrong with their condition!"
Upon Christopher's trembling voice, we all heard it.
"What is that person doing?"
Everyone looked out the window.
There, we could vaguely see the villagers, who had all come out, dancing in a bizarre manner.
Their appearance, combined with the darkening sky, created an eerie atmosphere.
"What in the world is happening?"
"Is it a curse? Hey, San! What are they doing? As a mage, shouldn't you know?"
As the carriage approached the entrance of the village, Christopher forcefully brought it to a stop.
Despite the arrival of the carriage, the villagers paid no attention, continuing to dance with faces twisted into grotesque smiles.
In the dark village, where not a single torch was lit, it felt like a macabre festival was taking place.
I had never witnessed such a phenomenon, not even in the game. I couldn't pinpoint the exact cause, but in most cases, it fell into one of three categories.
One was mana abnormalities, another was magic, and the last one...
"Dark magic?"