Volume 4 Chapter 11 What's Inside The Wooden Box
"Well then, should we talk to that guy directly?"
Placida was about 190 cm tall (� 6 feet 3 inches), with a strong build and an intimidating face. If a normal person suddenly talked to him, they would probably be scared. But the guy was probably a thief. There was no way he would honestly say what he was up to. Al shook his head lightly.
"If we make a scene, it will delay the caravan. Let's not say anything here."
Placida nodded, realizing that would be bad. According to him, they were supposed to arrive at a pioneer village called Roland in the early afternoon. However, if the guard team had to deal with a nearby Barbarian settlement, they would be pulled into that fight.
"My side has orders from the Baron, so we probably won't get dragged into the fight..."
Placida grumbled. Al remembered he also needed to talk to Leda about his tasks. Since there was no work for Al yesterday during their trip, and they wouldn't be camping upon arrival, there wasn't much for him to do. So, he wondered what he should do next.
What really caught his attention was the wooden box hidden by a 'Conceal' spell. The caravan's situation was risky, as traveling to the pioneer village was dangerous. They likely used this caravan to transport something.
It must have been too heavy or big to carry on their backs. If the cargo was illegal, they could be in trouble.
"Do you know what kind of lodging we'll have in that Roland village?"
Al asked Placida about the pioneer village. Placida said he had visited many times. There are few travelers, and no inns in the village. Baron Hawthorne and the magician stay with the village leaders. The guard team uses the training area near their base, and some shops have branches in the village. Most other visitors camp in the village square.
"Well then, I'll investigate alone until evening. Mr. Placida, please wait a bit before calling out. Until then, can you keep doing your usual work so you don't raise any suspicions?"
Placida nodded lightly, looking a bit disappointed. Next to him, Kane nodded vigorously. It seemed he could also coordinate with the Baron, Eric, and the guard team. Al was impressed, thinking it was amazing since they were the same age. With that, Kane and Placida left.
* * *
Roland Village was a large pioneer village with around 500 people. The nearby fields had just been harvested and had watchtowers scattered around. As the merchant caravan came near, people in the watchtowers waved, and the guards at the front of the caravan waved back.
Al watched this scene while walking near the back of the caravan line.
In the morning, Al secretly watched the 3 people. The cart driver with the wooden chest was Bashel, and the two likely survivors of the bloody bandit group were named Van and Varden. Al was sure these two were the ones who ambushed him when he first arrived in Lester. He also confirmed that there were no other allies following this caravan.
Another thing he noticed was that Bashel touched the wooden chest at regular intervals. It seemed to be every 3 hours. From what he overheard, he guessed this was the effect duration of the 'Conceal' spell, and he believed he was right. Although it was shorter than Al's, it might have been the same duration when Bashel first learned it. This also made it almost certain that Bashel was a magician.
As they neared the village, Al sped up slightly to avoid drawing attention and caught up with Placida at the front. The group had already entered an area surrounded by earthworks and fences. The village head's house stood out, and like most villages in Margrave territory, there was a church dedicated to the earth goddess Ish near the square.
Al quietly slipped into the church with some villagers. After a quick prayer at the goddess statue, he climbed up to the 15-meter (� 49 feet) bell tower, where he could see the entire village square.
'Sensory Boost'--Enhanced Visual
Al hid at the top of the bell tower, watching the people in the village square prepare their camps. Bashel, Van, and Varden had just unloaded the bodies of Barbarians at the processing area near the village entrance and were now entering the square with an empty wagon.
'Magic Sense'
On the wagon Bashel was riding, there was still a glowing, translucent wooden chest. From what Al observed earlier, he calculated that the 'Conceal' spell would need to be recast in about an hour.
Al was unsure. He could have Placida restrain Bashel to match that timing. If he did that, the chest would become visible when the 'Conceal' spell wore off. But without knowing what was inside, it was a risky move. Also, Bashel would likely sleep at night, which could be when the 'Conceal' spell's effect ended. Al decided to keep watching for a while longer.
The 3 of them seemed to park their wagon at the edge of the square, away from the others. It was a quiet spot, far from the road, making it less noticeable. They parked the wagon with the chest further back and another wagon in front of it. They set up a tent in between, so the wagon with the chest wouldn't be seen from the road.
This cautious behavior made Al hopeful that while he was in the village, the chest might not have the 'Conceal' spell used on it.
After a while, Bashel and the 3 of them approached a wooden chest. Al watched carefully, wondering what they were doing, when suddenly the chest appeared. They must have canceled the 'Conceal' spell. Of course, a spell can be canceled if the caster wants to.
It seemed to have a lock, and Bashel took out a key from his waist pouch to open it. The 3 of them opened the lid while keeping an eye on their surroundings.
Inside, there was a large, dirty burlap sack. A human foot stuck out, wearing a long dark blue skirt. It looked like a young woman's foot. The foot didn't move--was she dead? No, the 'Conceal' spell only works with consent. She must be a corpse... Al watched closely.
The men removed the sack to reveal a young woman inside. When Al saw her face, he froze--it was Ruella, the eldest daughter of the Levy merchant guild and his classmate from middle school.
They weren't close friends, but he knew her well enough. Al felt shaken. Did these three kill her? Her clothes were messy but likely because of the sack--not because they undressed her. Did they kidnap her from Lester and hide her in this box? He couldn't believe she was dead and kept watching closely. Wait... is she still alive? Her chest seemed to move slightly; maybe she wasn't a corpse after all? But something felt off... Al activated Sensory Boost for better observation.
Ruella was alive. She looked limp and didn't seem to be trying to escape, so she was probably unconscious from magic or drugs. That was Al's conclusion. It was surprising that the 'Conceal' spell worked on her in this situation, but he sighed in relief knowing she was alive.
Al needed to rescue Ruella but hesitated to contact Placida. In his childhood, a woman from his village had been taken by orcs and, although saved, faced nasty rumors and broke off her engagement. He remembered her tears. She did find someone else to marry, but he worried about similar rumors spreading about Ruella.
In addition, he worried about the magician's (Bashel) intentions and feared Ruella might become a hostage. Instead of acting impulsively, Al thought it was wiser to plan the rescue carefully. He watched as they gave Ruella something to drink, laid her in a wooden chest, and locked it. Then, it seemed they used a 'Conceal' spell, making the chest vanish from sight.
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