Chapter 195 - The Vanished Village
The forest road, devoid of even the faintest starlight, was devoid of any artificial illumination. Despite the small states often seeing regular travel, these roads were little more than widened animal paths. Potholes, rocks, and fallen trees were common, making travel by day slow and cautious, let alone at night. Without a certain level of magical ability, moving by vehicle at night was practically impossible.
This countryside was truly a rough place. Naturally, it was dangerous, so we took a straightforward approach: rest during the night and set off at dawn.
We took turns keeping watch while the fire burned. With our small group, even I, the president, had to take a shift. We settled the watch order right after dinner, decided through a game.
"Daytime travel is tough on Mia, so you don't have to take the night watch."
"No, it helps me stay calm. I also want to get used to the forest at night, especially in the early days."
"Hmm, I see. But don't overdo it."
Mia, a former adventurer and scout, possessed exceptional skills in terrain analysis, enemy detection, tracking, and securing escape routes. During her time with the Kikyo Society, she awakened a special skill, Heaven's Eye, which granted her an absolute sense of direction and distance. It was like having a constant, precise map in her mind. No matter how complex the terrain or route, she never got lost. For exploring unknown lands, no ability was more reassuring.
Even without this skill, Mia's abilities were trustworthy, and other members of our group had similar skills. Initially, her participation in the expedition wasn't considered essential, but it was reassuring to have someone so reliable with us.
"Since I'm not good at magic, I have to make up for it in other ways."
"Nah, I think you're already doing great."
Underestimating one's own contributions isn't a good habit.
Certainly, Mia's magical aptitude wasn't very useful. Her magic, a type of detection spell, specialized in finding ants. It's hard to imagine situations where you'd need to detect ants, but her general magic skills were decent enough, and not lacking by Kikyo Society standards.
However, Heaven's Eye more than compensated for her magical shortcomings. Combined with her already superior skills, she was like a demon with a golden cudgel. Her combat abilities, centered around knives, were also solid, leaving no room for criticism.
We passed the first night in the forest with quiet conversation, staying alert to the surroundings while trying to relax as much as possible. With practice, it would become easier.
When dawn came, we tidied up, stretched, and took a short break before having a proper breakfast. Regular routines are essential, even on long journeys. We couldn't afford to let our bodies get sluggish, especially before important tasks. We needed to maintain our condition.
"Let's get moving. If we follow the road, we should reach Tresmaria by midday."
"Torietta-san's hometown, right? It should be a smooth journey."
Torietta-san, the owner of the Brillonvest clothing shop, is a distinctive rabbit-eared anthropomorphic. Tresmaria is known for its many rabbit-type anthropomorphs. The route was familiar, so we expected no major issues until we crossed the border. However, our destination was once again a remote area, far from any major towns.
"I'm going to sleep until we get there. Mia, you should sleep too since it's just following the road."
"Yes, I will."
"By the way, if you can sleep during the night watch, you should try to get some rest."
"I just woke up, so it might be a bit hard for me..."
I climbed into the large jeep, listening to the group's chatter, and promptly fell asleep. I hoped they would gather food along the way.
When I woke up, the forest scenery remained unchanged, and the brightness indicated it was midday. The gentle weight and soft breathing of my younger sister leaning on my shoulder were endearing, soothing my groggy mind.
"Mmm..."
I carefully stretched my neck and legs to avoid waking her, and Ophelia, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at me.
"We just crossed the border. How about we stop for lunch?"
"Whenever you're ready. Anything happen on the way?"
"Valeria managed to hunt a large magical beast. She was excited because it was a bird type that Yukari likes."
Verone, who had been driving, chimed in with the details.
"Got it. Let's look for an open area to have lunch."
I stroked my sister's hair as we drove, eagerly anticipating the taste of bird meat.
After lunch, we left the main road and headed into the remote area. We widened the path where the large jeep couldn't pass, as we expected such obstacles when heading to hidden locations.
Without Mia's Heaven's Eye navigation, it would have been difficult to know if we were on the right path or even in the right direction.
As we approached our planned campsite, the lead vehicle stopped. Liliane leaned out the window and gestured for us to back up. Valeria relayed the message to the armored vehicle behind us.
We all got out of the vehicles and gathered to hear the report from the lead team.
"A bit ahead, the forest opens up into a large field. It might be a drug field, but we can't tell without getting closer."
"The sun will set soon, so we'll scout at night."
"I'll go too. We can split up and investigate."
"In that case, we'll have dinner afterward. For now, we'll wait until it's completely dark. If anyone approaches, capture and restrain them. The Magic-Sealing Bracelet will come in handy."
It's a bit rough, but the chances of ordinary people being in such a suspicious remote area are low.
"Let's disperse and keep watch until nightfall."
Ideally, we'd avoid confrontation, but there was no space to hide the vehicles, so we had to act decisively. High-level disguise magic is rare, and even skilled mages like Verone can't achieve optical camouflage, especially not quickly.
No one should be wandering in the forest near sunset, and there seemed to be no guards around. We assumed we wouldn't be discovered.
When it was fully dark, Mia and Graylease set out to scout.
We ate a light meal in the vehicles and waited quietly. Even with the faint starlight, visibility was poor. Only those with special abilities like Mia and Graylease could move freely. Valeria and Ophelia also had such skills, and I had trained a bit, but I still lagged behind them. I aimed to improve during this journey.
"I'm going out for a bit."
"Is something wrong?"
"Just a walk to wake up. Mia and Graylease might not return for a while, and Verone will keep watch. I'll be back soon."
Indeed, Ophelia had fallen asleep without a care, and Valeria nodded off after a light snack. The young men were likely staying awake, but Albert and Liliane were probably asleep. It was quiet and boring, so Verone's watch was sufficient. If anything happened, everyone would wake up quickly.
Stepping outside, I was enveloped by the steamy night air. I had changed from the revealing outfit for the forest to something more practical, but I would still sweat after a short walk without the temperature regulation feature of my coat.
The darkness deepened as soon as I entered the forest. Even the ground was hard to see, and the path ahead was nearly invisible. My eyes wouldn't adjust quickly, so I had to sharpen my senses.
I closed my eyes and visualized the space in three dimensions. My movement stirred the air, and sounds resonated. I combined these sensory inputs, letting them merge naturally. Observing the dense magical energy in the environment could even reveal the shape of objects.
However, the more precise the magical perception, the more exhausting it was, and relying solely on it was impractical for combat. To reach Mia's level, I needed to integrate and naturalize these skills. The bar was high, but I set my goals high.
As I moved lightly, I detected two strong magical presences.
"Welcome back."
They had completed their mission successfully.
Returning to the vehicles, I found everyone stepping out at the same time. It seemed the scouts had met up during their mission.
"That took a while. How did it go?"
"The open area ahead isn't a field. It looks like abandoned land. It might have been a field before, but nothing is being grown there now."
"At least it hasn't been cultivated this spring."
Graylease spoke first, and Mia added details.
"So, it's an unused or abandoned site. Another dead end?"
Graylease continued with a hint of excitement.
"I explored the village farther in, and Mia found something troublesome."
My interest and curiosity were equally divided. Everyone else felt the same.
"Let's hear the concerning report later. What about the village?"
"It seemed to be a village of over a hundred people, but it was completely empty."
"Completely empty? An abandoned village?"
"Seems so, but it doesn't look like people have been gone for long. The belongings were still in place, which is strange, don't you think?"
Indeed, a village that suddenly vanished. If people disappeared, it made sense that the land would turn into a wasteland. This was unsettling. From Graylease's reaction, it seemed Mia had found the answer.
Graylease glanced at Mia, and we all turned to her for the details.
"I followed the road south from the field and found a large cave leading underground. There were five guards, and they seemed to be mining. I saw trucks loaded with minerals. The guards were from the McDallian Family's remnants."
"I confirmed some familiar faces, so it's definitely them."
Ah, the McDallian Family. The remnants who left Exembra, or perhaps they were already here.
"Does this connect to the vanished villagers?"
"Probably forced labor. Those scum from the McDallian Family would do something like that."
Indeed, the mining site must be valuable. Maybe they're using it to fund a new organization or to gain favor elsewhere.
This is promising. Clearing out the mining site and the McDallian remnants would allow us to help the villagers and gain their gratitude. It's more than a two-for-one deal.
"Is it difficult to investigate further?"
"Security might be a bit lax late at night or early in the morning."
"Got it. You two will scout again tonight. If that's not possible, we'll launch an assault before dawn."
Full speed ahead.
"This is getting interesting."
"The situation is unclear, but if the McDallians were in charge, we might be able to smooth out the transactions. Hopefully, the villagers are safe."
"They're still valuable labor, so they probably haven't been killed. The villagers aren't fools, so they might have escaped at some point."
"Or they could be held hostage."
"Or sold into slavery by the Gandrault Gang or the Snake Head Society."
It's wise to prepare for the worst. But let's not dwell on it too much.
"Mia and Graylease, take a break and eat before the next mission. We'll rest as much as we can too."
A night raid in the forest against the enemy's hideout. This is shaping up to be an exciting scenario. Hehe, I'm looking forward to it.