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Chapter 70 : Passing By
Chapter 70 - Passing By
“So, you're saying that the demon snakes kidnapped the villagers of your village?” Winnie asked with a strange expression.
“That must be the case, right? After all, those monsters are capable of all sorts of evil.”
“No, no, old man, you misunderstand me. I'm not questioning whether the monsters are evil or not.” Winnie glanced at Aesphyra beside him, his eyes clearly asking her, 'Can demon snakes, which sound like low-level monsters, really do something like kidnapping?'
If demon snakes attack humans, it's either death or injury. Why would they capture people alive? What's the point? Even if they did have the intelligence to kidnap villagers, how could the villagers have rescued the captives?
E ñûm̌a.. і̌ d̂
“After rescuing the people, did the guards leave? Did they not investigate the situation further?” Aesphyra continued to ask.
“Ah, didn't I say it earlier? Those lord's guards from the city are all high and mighty, looking down on our poor village. They couldn't wait to wrap things up and leave.” The old man shook his head, leaning on his cane. "But thankfully, there was that priest from the church. He led us through the toughest times and provided free treatment for our injured villagers. He's a devout and kind-hearted priest."
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“Has that priest returned yet?” Winnie pressed.
“No, the priest is worried that the demon snakes might return, so he's staying in our village. He said he won't leave until the village is completely safe.”
“In my many years of life, I'm not afraid to say this: sometimes, it's the church that cares more for us common folk.” The old man sobbed.
“Where is the priest staying now?” Aesphyra inquired.
W̃е̇bň о̌ v́ е l̄ Е̃nu m̌ а̃
“The priest is currently staying in our village's church. It's not far from here, right in the center of the village.” The old man points out the way.
Do border villages like this have churches?
Winnie was puzzled.
“Alright, we understand. Thank you for your time, sir.” Aesphyra politely bowed.
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“It's nothing. Lake Village has no specialties; it's just a poor village on the edge of the Demon River. It's been a long time since outsiders visited, especially recently. I feel like the village has been lifeless lately, though it's always been a quiet place.” The old man sobbed and walked away with his cane.
“Hey, hey, silver-haired dwarf, what do you think?” Winnie whispered, watching the old man's retreating figure.
Ŵeb ṅo v̂ѐl̄ È n̈ù mа
“Winnie, hasn't anyone taught you to maintain basic courtesy when addressing a lady?” Aesphyra smiled thinly at Winnie.
“Titles aren't the point. Do you think we still need to stay in this village?” Winnie felt the village was strange. The old man's explanation had many inconsistencies, but it could also be explained as an unusual snake infestation. It couldn't be so deep that there were piranhas hiding, right?
At least for now, the village seems peaceful. The snake problem has been resolved, and the church's priest is here. He's more professional than the two of us.
“Do you really think demon snakes would kidnap humans and not kill them?” Aesphyra countered.
“The world is full of wonders. Maybe we just haven't seen enough.” Winnie snapped. Otherwise, he couldn't think of any explanation, as he knew nothing about demon snakes.
To be precise, he knew nothing about most monsters.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“No, this is absolutely impossible.” Aesphyra rubbed her chin firmly. “Demon snakes are not highly intelligent and are hostile to humans. Anyone with a bit of professional knowledge would never believe that demon snakes could capture humans alive. They have no reason to do so.”
“Then what do you think? Could the villagers have been captured by the guards?” Winnie frowned. “Both the priest and the guards arrived after the incident. Could it have been bandits? Are there bandits around here? No, right? Bandits usually operate in profitable areas. This place isn't a major route; it's just a small border village. Robbing them wouldn't sustain bandits.”
“Tell me, why did the teacher assign this as a two-person task?” Aesphyra pondered.
“What else? The academy couldn't have real-time control over the situation here. They probably didn't even know what happened afterwards.” Winnie speculated.
“There are too many strange things.” Aesphyra thought. “The people from the town earlier, don't you think they reacted similarly to the man I spoke with?”
“What do you mean?”
Е̇num а̌ .і d
“I'm not sure yet, but there must be some connection. For now, we can only wait and observe further.”
“So, where are we sleeping tonight? It's getting late. Is there an inn here?” Winnie looked around. Clearly, such an undeveloped village wouldn't have anything like a hotel.
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We can't just sleep on the grass, can we?
Then, Winnie noticed Aesphyra looking at him with a rather peculiar expression.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Of course, we need to prepare to set up a tent. Where else do you think we'll sleep? It's not certain we'll find lodging in someone's home.” Aesphyra tilted her head.
Е n um̆ä
“Ah, this.” Winnie was suddenly at a loss.
“Winnie, you didn't even prepare a tent for the trip?” Aesphyra saw through his thoughts, her lips curling with teasing amusement.
“Who would've thought we'd end up sleeping on the streets without even finding a hotel?” Winnie complained.
“Winnie, you lack outdoor experience. There's no helping it~” Aesphyra playfully blinked her onyx-like eyes.
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“Heh, so, my lady, did you bring an extra tent? I knew it! You're always so thorough. You wouldn't let your little brother suffer!” Winnie immediately changed his tune. Previously, he had been calling her “white-haired shorty,” but now that he needed her help, he switched to “big sis,” his speed of changing faces was truly remarkable.
“An extra tent?” Aesphyra lightly tapped her lips, then, as if deliberately teasing Winnie, hesitated for a moment before dragging out her words with a mischievous smile. “No~no~”
Е̌n̈ ǔm a. i d
“The weather seems nice tonight. I can even smell a hint of rain in the air.” Aesphyra looked up at the sky.
“Rain is considered nice weather??” Winnie couldn't help but ask.
“It's quite nice, at least for my mood.” Aesphyra smiled like a cat.
So, you're saying you're happy because I'm going to get soaked??
Winnie's lips twitched.
“Well, Winnie, if there's anything urgent tonight, you can wake me up. But if it's nothing important, don't disturb my sleep. Listening to the rain while sleeping is very soothing.” Aesphyra covered her mouth with a light laugh, her smile tinged with mischief.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“And listening to me getting soaked outside is even more soothing, right??” Winnie added irritably.
“Mmm, how could that be? You're my dear classmate, Winnie. Usually, you're so sweet~ For that alone, I wouldn't want you to get soaked. What if you catch a cold? How could I be happy? It's just that I really don't have an extra tent.”
I don't believe a word of it!
Knowing he'd be drenched tonight, the silver-haired dwarf's smile was harder to suppress than an AK.
{Ps. Ak 47. It's very hard to suppress than other rifles}
Her words made it clear: this was payback for his usual antics, ruining her plans to flirt, and giving her nicknames like “small bun” and “dwarf.”
Е̇ n̈.u ḿ.a_. і d
Ah, but what can he do? It's his own fault for not being prepared. If he can't find lodging tonight, it'll just have to be a lesson learned.
As the sky darkened, the two headed to the center of the village. There, they found a slightly larger wooden house surrounded by piles of firewood and bags of vegetables.
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There was no courtyard, no statue of a goddess. If not for the six-winged cross hanging in front, no one would recognize it as a church, it looked more like a storage shed.
“Excuse us, we're sorry to bother you.” Aesphyra raised her hand and knocked on the door.
A long time passed, but there was no response.
“Maybe no one's home?” Winnie wondered.
W̊ е b̆ n о̂v̈ е l̃. Е n̂u m а
Aesphyra remained silent. Just as she was about to knock again, footsteps sounded from inside, quickly approaching the door. Then, the door opened from within.
“Excuse me, devout followers of the goddess, this church closes to visitors after six in the evening. If you wish to pray, please come back tomorrow.” A burly, kind-faced middle-aged man in a white robe emerging, leaning on a wooden staff.
Upon seeing their attire and appearance, the man's expression flickered with surprise. “You're not locals, are you?”
“Excuse us for disturbing your rest, Father. We're students from Carillian Academy. Our final semester requires us to help the villagers of Lake Village deal with the demon snake infestation. The academy has informed the local villages of our arrival.” Aesphyra politely explained their purpose.
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“You're from Carillian Academy?” The man's gaze lingered on Aesphyra with a hint of admiration, then he nodded in understanding. “Ah, I do recall something about that. But, I'm sorry to say, it seems I've already taken care of your task.”
“Before you arrived, The demon snake problem was resolved. The demon snakes haven't returned since.”
W еb̊ nо̄ v̂еľ Е̇ ṅ u m a
“Is that so? Honorable Father, may we ask you a few questions?” Aesphyra spoke up.
“Of course, esteemed guests from Carillian Academy.” The priest smiled. “This isn't the best place to talk. Please, come inside.”
With that, the priest ushered Aesphyra and Winnie into the modest wooden church.
“Apologies for the humble accommodations. I can't even offer you proper tea.” Soon, the priest brought two cups of hot water served in wooden mugs.
As he did, he gave them an admiring look. “It's an honor to have such outstanding students from Carillian Academy grace our humble abode.”
Once inside, Winnie curiously looked around.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The wooden house wasn't spacious, and its furnishings were minimal, consisting mainly of basic necessities. In the center were two rows of long wooden benches for prayer, with a small goddess statue on the counter in front, forming a simple prayer area.
Although he wasn't particularly fond of the church, he held a deep respect for its groundswell priests and nuns who helped the poor. After all, he himself had been saved by a priest in the capital, so he naturally felt goodwill towards the clergy.
“Father, I heard from the villager that you led the rescue of those kidnapped by the demon snakes, is that correct?” Aesphyra sat upright on the wooden chair, unlike Winnie, who kept looking around.
“Yes, it was quite a dangerous situation.” The priest sobbed.
“Let me introduce myself. I'm Varkas, a priest from the church in the city of Mallmoth in the Tyrell Empire. I was sent here by the bishop to assist the villagers of Lake Village.”
“Father Varkas, if it's not too much trouble, could you recount the events of that day?” Aesphyra asked.
Е n̂üm a
“Of course. The snake nest is northwest of the village. You can go and see it now, though the villagers burned it down, so I'm not sure what's left.”
“When we stormed in, a few demon snakes attacked me, but I burned them with magic. Then I used magic to burn the other snakes nesting in the cave. The villagers were lying unconscious deep inside the cave.” Varkas explained.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“But, have you considered that demon snakes couldn't possibly capture humans alive?” Aesphyra frowned slightly.
“That's true, but that's what happened. I find it strange as well.” Varkas nodded, expressing his own confusion.
“Father, do you think it's possible that the kidnapping wasn't done by the demon snakes?”
“Regarding that, I haven't found any evidence to support it.” Varkas furrowed his brow. “I also find it strange, but I'm not a professional demon hunter. My main duty in the church is to heal the wounded.”
Еn̊ ü mа.îd̄
“Has anything unusual happened recently?”
“No, everything has been quiet. Since the nest was destroyed, the demon snakes that used to attack the village have disappeared. At least, I haven't seen them, nor have the villagers mentioned any snake attacks.”
“I see.” Aesphyra nodded, asked Varkas a few more questions, and then left the church with Winnie.
“Take care, you two.” Father Varkas bid them farewell warmly.
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On the way back, Aesphyra remained silent, deep in thought.
“So, what did you find?” Winnie, who hadn't noticed anything unusual, asked her, seeing her thoughtful expression.
Ё ń ũ m̌ а̀ . іd̂
“It's still unclear. We need to go to the snake nest in the northwest and take a look.” Aesphyra said.
The two walked on, and before they knew it, Aesphyra had completely taken the lead.
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