The king's carriage disappeared from sight, and the villagers slowly began to disperse, returning to their daily tasks. But the anxiety they felt remained, and there was a sense of unease in the air.
The villagers knew that the king's investigation would likely bring changes to their village and their way of life, and they could only hope that their secret would remain safe.
Over the following weeks, the villagers waited anxiously for news of the king's investigation. They continued to practice their magic as usual, trying to keep things as normal as possible, but the specter of the king's investigation was ever-present in their minds.
Finally, one day, a messenger arrived in White Town, bearing a message from the king.
The villagers gathered in the town square as the messenger read the king's message aloud.
"King Victor has heard tales of unusual magical activity in White Town," the messenger said, his voice carrying clearly across the crowd. "He has sent a team of mages to investigate these claims and determine the truth of the matter."
The villagers exchanged nervous glances. They had known that the king's investigation would bring outsiders to their village, but actually hearing about it made it feel more real and more threatening.
The messenger went on to explain that the team of mages would arrive in a few days and that the villagers would need to cooperate with them and provide them with all the information they requested.
The villagers were less than pleased to hear this. They already disliked the idea of outsiders coming to their village and poking their noses into their business.
However, they knew they had no choice. If they refused to cooperate, the king's mages would only become more suspicious and might even take drastic action.
The villagers reluctantly agreed to cooperate with the king's mages, but they made it clear that they would not give up the secret of the ice spirits easily.
They decided to give the mages as little information as possible, while still appearing cooperative enough to keep them from becoming too suspicious.
The days passed quickly, and soon the mages arrived in White Town. They introduced themselves as a team of magical experts who had been sent by the king to investigate the rumors of ice spirits.
The villagers greeted them with a mixture of curiosity and wariness, unsure of what the mages' true intentions were.