The Orphanage in Flames
Fortunately, there was a spare carriage left at Frost Fortress. I borrowed it and rode all the way to Snowfield Village.
"Oh? If it isn't Venice. It's been a while!"
"Ben, it's been a while."
"Yeah. You must be pretty busy these days, huh? Try to show your face around the village more often."
"Haha... I will."
After exchanging greetings with the friendly guard Ben, I quickly made my way inside the village. I checked every inch—houses, alleyways, every hidden corner—for any lingering traces of dark mana. The village was still small, but it brimmed with life. The residents wore gentle smiles, as though nothing in the world could trouble them.
It hasn't started yet...
The sight of Snowfield Village was as peaceful as ever. I'd been worried I might have arrived too late, so I let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Ah... Venice! Why haven't you shown your face lately?"
"Haha... I've been a little busy with work."
"Really? Isn't that noble lady working you too hard? If that's the case, just tell me! I'll help however I can!"
The bakery lady flexed her nonexistent muscles as she spoke. I smiled, returned her greeting, and headed straight for the orphanage.
The old orphanage, located not far from the bakery, had been completely rebuilt with support from the Frost family head. The new building carried an elegant, antique charm. I smiled softly as I stepped inside.
Unlike the past, when the old hinges would groan loudly every time the door opened, the new one glided open smoothly and silently. The interior was now clean and comfortable enough for the children to live without a care. The dust clouds, floor holes, spiderwebs, and pervasive moldy stench were all gone.
"Kids~ Come get this... Huh? It's Mr. Venice!"
"It's really him! Everyone, Mr. Venice is here!"
Beri and Leni, sitting together on the neatly arranged floor, called out to the children. The little ones came running toward me, all talking at once.
"Haha. Have you all been doing well?"
The children were so excited they could barely contain themselves. They bombarded me with questions and shared their stories without pausing for breath. I listened carefully to every word and answered each one.
"Beri, Leni. Are you two holding up okay?"
"Yes. It turns out this is exactly what I was meant to do. I'm not tired at all. If anything, I look forward to every single day!"
"Same here. Since things have turned out this way, I'm planning to leave the knight order."
Just like when I'd first met them, both women clearly loved caring for the children and did so with genuine joy. The kids followed them beautifully too, so there wasn't a single problem.
We kept chatting until the hour grew late and it was time for the children to sleep.
"Mr. Venice. Where are you off to at this hour?"
"I still have some work left. I'll head out first."
"Aha... You really should take it easier. Well then, take care! And make sure you visit again soon!"
I said goodbye to Beri and Leni, who had just tucked the children in, and left the orphanage.
Stealth.
After confirming no one was watching, I concealed my presence and walked to where I had hidden my bag. The village, once so lively, had fallen into deep silence. I gazed out across the quiet streets.
Good. From here on, it's time to keep watch.
Dressed in a dark mage's robe and mask—very different from my usual appearance—I stood silently on the roof of a house that overlooked the entire village. The dark mages' assembly had declared they would attack Snowfield Village tomorrow. They hadn't specified an exact time, so I couldn't afford to let my guard down for even a second.
In case I run into any of those dark mages.
I had disguised myself this way to avoid raising suspicion if I encountered them. A knife in the back always cut deeper when it came from someone you thought was on your side.
The village might not be completely savable. There was no way I could prevent every building from taking damage or collapsing. But I had made up my mind: no one would get hurt. That was my goal.
"............."
I quietly surveyed the entire village from above.
Why... aren't they coming?
Time passed quickly. The next day arrived, afternoon slipped away, and night fell with the moon rising high. Yet there was still no sign of the dark mages. I knew I hadn't gotten the date wrong—the assembly had clearly designated today.
Contrary to my expectation of an intense battle breaking out the moment the day arrived, Snowfield Village remained perfectly peaceful. People continued greeting each other with gentle smiles. The air was so calm that no hint of danger could be felt.
It was the kind of extreme stillness that comes right before a massive storm.
Ding—
I had been up all night and was just beginning to feel the fatigue when a sharp alert rang out. A status window appeared before my eyes.
A powerful dark mana has been detected. Would you like to absorb it?
"...What?!"
I shot to my feet and scanned the entire village. From every corner of the once-peaceful settlement, dark mana began rising all at once. It seemed the dark mages hadn't arrived today at all—they had already been hiding inside the village. The ordinary residents, unable to sense the dark mana, continued heading home without the slightest idea of what was coming.
"Damn it all...!"
I hurriedly absorbed as much dark mana as I could while trying to assess the situation. The surges were coming from everywhere at once, so many that I couldn't decide where to start.
Why? Why hadn't I detected any dark mana before? I had been watching the village constantly since yesterday, yet I hadn't felt even the faintest trace.
This isn't the time to be thinking about that.
The first priority right now was evacuating the people. No attack spells or tricks had been cast yet, so there was still a little time. I sprinted toward the orphanage.
I kicked the door open and gathered every bit of oil and flammable material I could find inside. The reason the building was so quiet was that Leni and Beri had taken the children on a picnic. They were due back soon, but they hadn't returned yet.
Crackle...!
I checked every room in case any children had stayed behind, but the place was empty. I struck a match from the table, lit the fire, and rushed outside.
Whoosh...!
The oil, flammable materials, and wooden structure fed the flames. The orphanage began burning fiercely.
-Wh-what is that?!
-Fire! It's a fire!!
People saw the brightly burning building against the dark night and started shouting in panic. Residents who heard the commotion poured out of their homes.
There were several reasons I had no choice but to set the orphanage—the children's home and foundation—on fire.
First, even if I knocked on every single door telling people to run, not everyone would hear me. Some were already asleep, and others might dismiss it as the ravings of a madman.
Second, there simply wasn't enough time. With the village on the verge of being devastated by dark magic at any moment, burning the largest building was the fastest way to grab everyone's attention.
It broke my heart to burn the orphanage with my own hands, but it was the only building without people, and it was the most effective way to warn the entire village.
Fortunately, my plan worked. Startled by the screams, the roaring flames, and the sounds of explosions, people came rushing out of their houses.
-Shouldn't we put the fire out first?! If it spreads to the other houses...!
-How are we supposed to put that out?! Let's evacuate outside the village first!
-Leni... Am I seeing this right?
-Yeah... I think so. This isn't a dream.
Villagers slowly began gathering at a spot far from the burning orphanage. Thankfully, no one who hadn't heard the news remained inside their homes. Soon, every resident of the small Snowfield Village had assembled and started moving slowly toward the outskirts. The fire was simply too big to extinguish.
A powerful dark mana has been detected. Would you like to absorb it?
But the dark mages had no intention of letting the people gather peacefully in one place.
The dark mages who emerged from every direction were momentarily startled by the sudden fire. Then they looked at the gathered villagers and burst into maniacal laughter.
-Th-that's a dark mage, isn't it?! Run!!
-Get the children and elderly out first!
-Uwaaaaah—!
At the sight of the revealed dark mages, the villagers began fleeing in terror. Thanks to the recent imperial notices that had repeatedly warned people to beware of black robes and dark mana, even ordinary residents now recognized them for what they were.
"Kekeke... They've gathered so nicely. Wipe them all out—!"
The dark mages unleashed their spells at the crowd in unison. Fear flooded the eyes of the fleeing villagers. Some collapsed where they stood. Crude dark spears flew toward them. Several people squeezed their eyes shut.
"Not a chance."
Crash—!
I wasn't about to stand by and watch. I instantly used inverse calculation to nullify their spells. The dark mages flinched in shock and pointed at me.
"We can feel dark mana from you. You're a dark mage too—so why are you interfering with us?!"
"Haa..."
I had planned to slip quietly among them and eliminate them one by one. It looked like I'd have to change tactics.
Shadow Lance.
Stab, stab—!
Kyaaaak—!
Dark mana spears erupted from the shadows and tore through the dark mages before they could react. A few barely clung to life, so I finished them off with dark spears.
Let's move.
Judging by the powerful dark mana I could still sense, many more dark mages remained. Realizing the attack had truly begun, I raced toward the strongest sources of that energy.