Chapter 89: A Common Occurrence (1)

Somewhere on the Empire’s frontier, a carriage sped along a rural road scattered with twigs and stones. Though it looked like a traditional carriage, it wasn’t one pulled by horses like in the old days. Its official name was a magi-car, a magical vehicle powered by mana stones and crafted using the Republic’s technology.

Initially, only the wealthiest nobles from the Empire, high-ranking priests of the Holy Empire, and tycoons in the Republic could afford it. Once mana stones became mass-producible, it turned into one of the most common means of transportation, alongside warp portals. Of course, for those who didn’t even qualify as part of the so-called “common people,” a magi-car was still as alien and unreachable as some advanced artifact from another world.

“Whew!”Seated in the driver’s seat, Professor Baldwin flicked the ashes from her cigarette out the window with a frown. “Driving on these rural roads is indeed something else.”

In the imperial capital and major cities, paved roads made driving smooth and effortless. But out here in the countryside, one could feel the constant bumping and jostling with every fiber of the body, down to the second.

“If you’re tired, should I take over driving?” I asked her.

“Hmm? Do you even have a magi-car license?”

“Ah!”

It made me recall that I didn’t have one when I was still a cadet. At the time, I was so broke I had to split the campus store bread into portions. Getting a license was out of the question. I didn’t even get mine until well after I had graduated. And that happened only because the captain of the mercenary group I was in had made me act as his driver and forced me to get one.

In any case, I didn’t currently have a license or even a test certificate on me, so I confidently said, “I don’t have a license, but I do know how to drive.”

“Now, that inspires loads of confidence.”

“I really can drive, though.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass. We’re almost at the village anyway.”

I shrugged. “At this pace, we should reach it in about two to three hours.”

“Yes, probably around… Hmm?” She tilted her head and curiously looked at me. “Weren’t you born in the Republic, Dale?”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”

“Then how do you know how long it takes to get to a remote Empire village by magi-car?”

I pressed my lips shut. How could a guy from the Republic know the layout of some backwater Empire region? Well, I had wandered the continent for thousands of years in search of the Primordial Flame. I knew every backwater village in the Empire or every sacred ground in the Holy Empire. However, I could not just tell that to Professor Baldwin.

So, I made up an excuse. “I studied hard during the first-year geography class.”

“For someone who claims that, your grades were rather… ahem. Well, never mind. It’s not important.”

She didn’t seem interested in pressing further and turned her gaze back out the window. The view outside was plain, rustling shrubs swaying in the wind and the stream flowing with a gentle sound. Professor Baldwin watched the mundane scenery with a wistful expression, as if caught in a memory.

“Come to think of it, Professor, didn’t you say you were from a rural village too?” I asked.

She nodded. “Well, yes. I’m from one of those all-too-common tiny villages scattered along the Empire’s borders.”

Was she reminiscing about her childhood? She slowed the magi-car down a bit and continued in a soft voice, “There were barely a hundred people in the whole village. We lived off farming and hunting… that kind of place.”

“The village we’re headed to now is similar, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Professor Baldwin gradually eased the carriage to a stop by the roadside. “Let’s have a quick meal here before continuing.”

“Huh? But aren’t we almost at the village anyway?” I asked.

If we were just two to three hours away, eating out here on the roadside seemed unnecessary.

She let out a wry chuckle before explaining, “Well, that’s true, but the smaller the village is, the more fearful and reverent they are toward outsiders. Especially when they’re on the receiving end of help, they’ll want to repay it more than necessary.”

It looked like she wanted to avoid being treated too extravagantly.

“You don’t want them to empty their already scarce storage for us, huh?” I said.

“We’re not exactly starving wanderers, are we?” she replied.

“Haha, fair point.”

It was a surprisingly thoughtful gesture from someone with such a cold and unapproachable aura.

Didn’t she also run a foundation? I remembered what Vincent had said as I stepped out of the car.

“So, what did you pack for food?” I asked.

“Nothing at all.”

I stared at her, dumbfounded. “Nothing at all?”

Seriously? Then you could’ve told me to bring something,I thought.

Since she said to just bring myself, I hadn’t brought any food either.

She chuckled. “Well, we’re surrounded by food. Why bother packing when it’s more trouble than it’s worth?”

She walked toward the stream nearby. With a flick of her fingers, a few thin silver threads shot out and into the stream. The threads whipped through the water, slicing through it violently. In a flash, they wove themselves into a small net.

“Hmmph.” She yanked the silver net up, and two fish the size of forearms flopped out of the water, caught cleanly. With a smug grin, she held up the two wriggling fish. “See? Told you there’s no need to pack.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Didn’t know spiders could fish now.”

“Adaptation is a living creature’s greatest strength.” She skewered the fish onto a sharp branch and looked back at me. “Mind starting a fire?”

“Sure.”

I gathered some branches nearby and lit a small campfire. Meanwhile, Professor Baldwin rummaged through the nearby bushes.

“What are you doing over there?” I asked.

“Well, every good meal deserves dessert,” she answered, returning to the campfire with colorful fruits in both hands, each no bigger than a thumbnail. “They’re perfect for a light palate cleanser. I used to pick these all the time near my house when I was a kid.”

“You’re surprisingly resourceful, more than I expected.”

The image of a beautiful woman in a sleek black suit foraging for fruit in the bushes was oddly surreal, like watching a noble lady from an aristocratic family plowing a field.

Professor Baldwin shrugged with a playful smile. “Hehe. Well? Do I seem more charming in a different way now?”

I couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle and nod. “I like you better now than when we first met.”

“Oh dear, now this is a problem.”

“What is?”

“I never imagined I’d be proposed to by a greenling cadet.”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

What on earth is this woman saying?

“Just joking,” she said.

With a mischievous grin that didn’t quite match her usual cold demeanor, Professor Baldwin took a bite of the perfectly grilled fish.

***

After our simple meal, Professor Baldwin and I got back into the magi-car and headed toward the village. About two more hours of driving down the bumpy country road brought the silhouette of the village into view. Standing just outside, leaning on a cane, was an elderly man, seemingly waiting for us. As we stepped out of the carriage, the old man approached us.

“Are you the heroes who’ve come to subjugate the demonic monster?” he asked.

“That’s right,” Professor Baldwin replied.

The elderly man bowed repeatedly, his face full of emotion. “Oh, thank you! Thank you, brave heroes!”

“And you are?” Professor Baldwin asked him.

“Ah, pardon me. I should’ve introduced myself sooner. My name is Oliver, I’m the village chief.”

“I see. Do you mind if we take a look around the village?”

“Of course! Have you eaten? If you haven’t, we can prepare something right away!”

“No need. We’ve already eaten, so no preparations are necessary,” Professor Baldwin quickly replied.

“I-I see. I had hoped to show some hospitality in return for your efforts, but that’s a shame.” Despite his words, a visible wave of relief washed over Oliver’s face. “Please, come inside.”

Following Oliver into the village, we were met with a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere in the small settlement, which seemed to have fewer than a hundred residents. A few cautiously peered at us through cracks in their old windows. Some quickly ducked back inside as soon as our eyes met. Others simply sat dazed in the streets, their faces pale and lifeless. It didn’t feel like we had entered a village; it felt more like we had wandered into a graveyard.

Oliver looked around with a pained expression in his eyes. “Hah! I’m so sorry. Our village wasn’t always like this.”

“Is it because of the demonic monster?” Professor Baldwin asked.

“Yes.”

An eight-eyed demonic monster had been abducting villagers; it was natural that the whole place would be steeped in fear.

“When did the monster first appear?” she asked.

“It’s been… about a week now,” Oliver replied.

“And how many people have been taken so far?”

“Seven in total.”

Professor Baldwin frowned, her voice sharpening. “Seven? So, it’s been taking one person a night?”

Oliver clenched his fists and bit his lip. “That’s right.”

As he continued, his voice trembled with fury, and the deep wrinkles on his cheeks quivered. “That vile monster is toying with us! Every single night, it takes one more person!”

“And yet you’ve all just stayed in the village?”

“W-we’re just ignorant folk… Where in the Empire could we possibly flee to? If we lose this village, then we…”

To people who survived by farming and hunting, being told to abandon their homes and find a new life elsewhere was no different than being handed a death sentence.

With arms crossed, Professor Baldwin let out a low hum. “Hm! I heard someone saw the demonic monster.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right.”

“Where is he?” Professor Baldwin asked.

“P-please, follow me.” Oliver led us into a nearby house.

Inside the weathered wooden home sat a man who looked to be around forty years old. Strangely enough, he was quite well-kept, unusual for someone living in such a remote village.

As we stepped inside, the man stood up hesitantly. “I-I’m Harris.”

“You’re the one who saw the demonic monster?” Professor Baldwin asked.

He nodded nervously, visibly tense. “Y-yes!”

“Describe what happened in as much detail as possible, everything you saw, and what the monster looked like.”

“I-it’s just like I wrote in the report. Around one in the morning, I heard a commotion outside and stepped out to check. That’s when I saw it, a monster that looked like a bipedal crocodile. It had wrapped its long tail around one of the villagers and dragged them away.”

“Was the person still alive?”

“Y-yes. Still alive.”

“Which direction did it take them?”

“Into the mountain behind the village.”

“Any other witnesses?”

“Others saw it too, but… everyone was too scared to come outside.”

Professor Baldwin gave a small nod. “I see. Understood. Then we’ll be on our way.”

Harris dropped to his knees and bowed deeply. “P-please! You have to defeat that horrific monster!”

“We’ll do our best.” Professor Baldwin gave a curt reply and turned her head away.

Harris broke down into sobs on the floor, and Oliver tried to console him. “H-Harris, please calm down.”

Professor Baldwin and I stepped outside. With a deep sigh, Professor Baldwin pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “Phew!”

“Is something bothering you?” I asked.

“That man, Harris.” She spoke as the lighter sparked, igniting the end of her cigarette. With a puff of smoke, her violet, sinister eye gleamed ominously. “He’s lying.”

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