Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Ghost City (2)
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- Tap, tap!
A hazy figure flashed past right in front of me. I reflexively drew my dagger, but the figure had already vanished. I kept the dagger at the ready as I scanned the surroundings. No presence could be felt.
"......"
Pushing through the rustling bushes, I found a plate that had been completely cleaned out. It should have held our dessert, the butternut-berry cold soup......
There were no wild animals nearby. Even if there were, they wouldn't approach our campsite with its bright firelight and noisy presence.
So, who the hell had devoured our butternut-berry cold soup?
I picked up the empty plate and returned to the campfire. El and Lloyd seemed to have checked the surroundings after hearing Ayla's howl, as the atmosphere was tense and unsettled.
"Theodore."
"Yes. I heard it too."
"I checked around again, but found nothing."
"I found this."
When I set down the spotless plate, Lloyd's eyebrow twitched.
"Someone ate every last bit."
"Then they must be nearby."
"That's what I think. But I couldn't sense any presence. If it were a wild animal, I definitely would have noticed......"
"......"
"It's also strange if it's not a wild animal. If it were a person or monster, why eat just the soup and leave without ambushing us......"
"It doesn't make sense."
"That's exactly it."
While I was talking with Lloyd, I spotted Ayla returning to the campfire with El. Unlike at dinner, Ayla seemed excited about something, though it was hard to tell if it was good or bad.
"Ayla."
A howl is a sound made by canines to communicate with their pack. It's usually to share locations, warn of danger, or mark territory.
Ayla's howl this time didn't fit any of those three reasons.
I stroked Ayla's scruff to calm her down. She shook her head at first but soon buried her face in my shoulder, whining softly.
......Storm's acting weird too. What's going on with them?
Was there some danger here that only they could sense?
Should we abandon the camp and push on to the village, no matter what?
I stared down at the burning campfire, lost in thought for a moment. The white figure in the bushes, the missing butternut-berry cold soup. The surroundings devoid of life, and the animals unusually anxious.
"......"
- Crackle, crackle.
This was a clear sign. I sprinkled sand over the campfire and began packing our gear.
"Something feels off. Let's travel through the night without resting."
"......Agreed."
Lloyd nodded and started erasing our traces around the area. El reloaded the gear near the campfire onto the carriage.
"El, I'll drive the carriage. You ride with Pipi and Legion."
"Yes, Master."
We arranged with Ayla in the lead, the carriage behind her, and Lloyd watching the rear. As Ayla sniffed ahead continuously, I soothed the anxious Storm while driving the carriage.
Even at night, the fog felt thick. Strangely, despite the heavy fog, the light on the horizon remained vividly clear.
One thing was certain: this wasn't an 'illusion.' I was wearing the [Starfish Leather Gloves], which granted immunity to most illusions while equipped.
This is bizarre.
But there was no other choice. Turning back to Dehidro now wasn't an option.
Once we reach the village, we can figure out what’s going on.
I steeled myself and stared straight ahead. With dawnstar tree fruit hung around Ayla's neck and at each corner of the carriage, our immediate surroundings were illuminated even in the dense fog.
On a moonless night, we pressed on along what felt like an endless road.
An eerie silence where not even a single grasshopper chirped......
In the bizarre stillness, how much time passed?
-Dooong......
-Hiiihiiing!!!
"Whoa, Storm. Calm down. Whoa, whoa."
A bell toll rang from afar. It was a very deep, heavy sound.
"Looks like the village is getting close."
Lloyd said.
"......Seems so."
As Lloyd said, the light was a bit closer. However, the fog had thickened proportionally.
Still, Storm refused to move forward, pawing the ground in place. With no choice, I fed him two pieces of dried cloud mushroom. Having eaten the cloud mushroom, which acted as a sedative, he'd have to calm down whether he liked it or not.
-Tap, tap, tap!
Quick footsteps echoed through the fog. Ayla noticed too and barked toward the fog a couple of times before looking at me. It was as if asking if she should chase the sound, but I clicked my tongue and shook my head. The sound piqued my curiosity too, but losing Ayla in this fog could lead to trouble.
"Ayla, from now on, stick close to the carriage."
-Grrrr......
For now, reaching the village was the priority.
-Wooooooong......
-Rattle! Rattle!
-Huuuuuuh......
-Bump! Bump!
With the horse settled, now the carriage was the problem. I glanced back at it. The carriage was shaking side to side slightly. It wasn't the rough road. The carriage itself was moving.
They called it a haunted carriage......
Come to think of it, a noble lady had met a gruesome end in that carriage. It was a luxurious, expensive one used by nobles, but after that incident, several ominous events occurred, causing owners to change endlessly until it became dirt cheap.
I knew the story when I bought it, but since it hadn't caused issues until now, I'd forgotten. How many nights had I slept in it without even a single nightmare? So I'd completely dismissed the haunted carriage rumors.
-Wooooo......
'It's just the wind brushing past the carriage.'
Any sounds like wailing were all illusions. Illusions.
-Wahhhh......
"......"
-Eeeeeek......
"......No matter how much you cry, I'm not interested."
I ignored the voices from behind my head and kept driving. The carriage rattled as if its wheels might fall off any second, but they held firm.
-Creeeak......
Finally.
-Whooooosh......
We arrived at the village. Due to the surrounding darkness and thick fog, I couldn't make out the color of the flag fluttering at the entrance.
Was there a village like this?
We'd definitely followed the light here, but the village was pitch black and lifeless. Not a single lit house in sight.
"......"
"......"
Lloyd and I exchanged quiet glances. Lloyd gave a slight nod and entered the village first, while the rest of us waited at the entrance.
-Whooooosh......
This was odd. The wind was blowing fiercely, yet the fog showed no sign of lifting. I carefully observed the surroundings. The houses were dilapidated, but nothing particularly suspicious stood out.
'That mansion looks fishy, though.'
The mansion with its exposed frame in places, as if recently burned. Well, maybe they hadn't demolished it yet since the fire was recent. It was strange that the surroundings were intact despite such a large fire...... As I was about to dismount for a closer look.
-Clack, clack, clack......
Lloyd emerged from the fog. Before I could ask, he spoke first.
"There's an inn inside."
"Good. Then tonight we'll—"
"Theodore."
Even with no one around, Lloyd lowered his voice to say my name. I listened closely. He whispered cautiously.
"We should just pass through this village."
"......Did you see something?"
"In this village......"
Before Lloyd could finish.
-Bark, bark!
-Eeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!
A bloodcurdling scream rang out.
* * *
When had it started?
'I'll give you all the gold in this mansion, all the treasures.'
Strange rumors began circulating in the once small and peaceful village.
Rumors that the grand mansion owned by the village's foremost mage couple hid treasures and gold enough to buy a kingdom.
'That couple was wealthy, sure.'
'But the mansion burned down ages ago.'
'Idiot, gold doesn't burn!'
'Foolish. It's a mages' mansion.'
'You'll die the moment you step in.'
'Rumor has it they unleashed hellhounds.'
'They say you can still hear children's cries.'
'Anyone who enters that mansion dies for sure.'
Whether the rumors were true or not didn't matter. People were already drawn in. The mansion's eerie aura meant nothing before human greed.
-Bark! Bark!
-Eeeeeeeeek!!!!
-Bark! Bark!
-Kyaaaaaaaak!!!!
Whenever someone entered the mansion, barks and screams shook the entire village.
'The mad mage unleashed hellhounds to bewitch people.'
'Anyone spotted by a hellhound gets chased to death!'
'But if there are hellhounds......'
'Doesn't that mean there really are tons of treasures?'
'If only we could get our hands on those treasures......'
A bizarre greed took root in the once peaceful village. It took no time for rust to corrode the hearts of ordinary folk. Even knowing the mansion was devouring people, they couldn't stop. Unaware that deep darkness had settled over the village and thick fog blanketed it, every other day, night after night, people threw themselves into the treasure-laden mansion.
-Bark! Bark!
When had it started?
When savage barks replaced people's laughter, filling the village.
-Kyaaaaaaaak!!!!!
When had it started?
When screams echoed, yet no one flinched anymore.