The king was impressed by what he saw. The village was clean and well-kept, and the magic being practiced was clearly of a high caliber.
He could see several mages training in the square, creating dazzling displays of water and ice magic. He watched for several minutes before addressing the villagers.
"This village is truly impressive," the king said, his voice booming across the square. "The magic being developed here is unlike anything I have seen before."
The villagers beamed with pride, happy to hear the king's praise. They had worked hard to present the village in the best possible light, and it seemed to have paid off.
"But I have heard tales about this place," the king continued, his tone becoming more serious. "Tales about ice spirits that roam the woods around this town."
As he spoke, the mood among the villagers shifted. They knew what was coming next, and braced themselves for the king's question.
The king looked around, his gaze sweeping over the gathered villagers. "I must know the truth," he said. "Are these tales true? Do ice spirits truly roam the woods here?"
The villagers exchanged nervous glances. They had hoped the king wouldn't ask this question, but they knew they had to answer honestly.
One brave villager stepped forward, and spoke up. "Yes, Your Majesty," he said. "We believe that ice spirits do roam the woods around White Town."
The king's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had not expected such a direct answer.
"And have you seen these ice spirits with your own eyes?" he asked, looking at the villager intently.
The villager shook his head. "No, Your Majesty," he admitted. "We have not seen them with our own eyes. But we have seen their signs. Fresh patches of ice on tree trunks, a chill in the air, things like that."
The king looked thoughtful for a moment, mulling the villager's words over in his mind. He knew that tales of magical creatures were common in many cultures, and he wondered if the villagers' beliefs were simply the result of their superstitions.
But he couldn't rule out the possibility that something truly unusual was happening in White Town and its surroundings.
The king addressed the villagers again. "I will need to investigate these claims further," he said firmly. "But for now, I am impressed by what I have seen here. Your magic truly is exceptional."
With that, the king turned and returned to his carriage, his mind still preoccupied with the tales of the ice spirits.
As the king's carriage slowly made its way out of the village, the villagers stood watching in silence, their minds already racing with thoughts of what his investigation could mean for them.
They had been careful to keep the ice spirits a secret up to this point, knowing that outsiders might not understand or even fearing that they would try to harm the magical beings.