Volume 8 Chapter 11 To The Abandoned Village
The next evening, Al was walking alone in the wilderness, quite far from the town road leading from Milton City to the border city of Lester. His steps were light.
"Once we get over that hill, we should be able to see our destination."
"Hmm, it does seem like there are no signs of people around here. This should be fine. But things have changed quite a bit while I was sleeping in the grave..."
Al spoke cheerfully while Malachi followed him closely in the empty area. Malachi was with a High-Rank Work Golem and the body of Tempest, which was wrapped in a blanket. They also had barrels filled with Alunite, all hidden on Al's 'Carrier' disk using a 'Conceal' spell to avoid detection.
Carrying a body on the town road would raise suspicion. Although there might be security magic tools at the town entrance, they couldn't enter the town with a body. After discussing their options, Al and Malachi agreed that this was the least noticeable way to proceed.
"Has it really changed that much?"
"Well, the terrain itself hasn't changed, but this area should have been covered in forest except for near the coast. Plus, the types of trees have changed. Back then, they were coniferous trees."
Al tilted his head. When he thought of coniferous trees, he imagined things like red pines that grow further north. Could the trees in the forest really change over time?
"That abandoned village is over there."
Al stopped for a moment when he reached the top of the hill. This was the same spot where he had looked down at the village with Barbara before. The village was empty, and it seemed like nothing had changed since that time.
"Hmm, it looks like there are no signs of people living here. But why did they abandon it? Did Barbarians come here?"
"I'm not sure why they left. It could be that there wasn't enough rain for the crops to grow, or maybe there was a disease, or the well dried up. As for Barbarians, it's possible they could come over the mountains, but I think it's pretty unlikely."
"Hmm. Well, that's fine. Let's head to the village then."
Al walked down the hill and crossed the fence around the village. He arrived at the central square, where the village head's house and an old church stood. This church had once been a hideout for bandits, but it looked the same as before. Al wondered if the guard team had come to check this area after the incident. He looked around but saw no signs of change.
"It seems safe."
When Al spoke, Malachi, the golem, suddenly appeared, as if he had jumped from the 'Carrier' disk. He was dressed like a butler. Al had just purchased it from a traveling merchant in the nearby village. Malachi held the staff that the guardian golem had used before. Al could use the 'Conceal' spell on the golem, but if it moved even slightly, the spell would fail. It was unusual for a golem to talk, but Malachi explained that golems can speak without moving their mouths, so it wasn't too strange.
"Well, I want to check the village a bit. Can you lead the way? Even though we need to stay hidden here for a while until you reach the research tower. High-Rank Work golem, follow me."
Malachi, like the other golem, hopped on one foot and appeared. He also held the staff that the guardian golem had in his right hand. It was a staff that could use 'Magic Missile.'
Al nodded and walked around the village with the two golems. He had once tied up a band of bandits that used to make this place their base, and he had explored while waiting for Barbara to bring the guard team. There was the village head's house, a church, and maybe a dozen other houses. Many of the doors and window shutters were broken.
"Well, let's use the basement of this house. It's bigger than the others, and I can camouflage the stairs well."
Malachi chose one of the houses. Like the others, it had an old red roof and was smaller than the village head's house, but it was a solid 2-story stone building.
"Make sure to carry Sir Tempest's body carefully. There are many obstacles inside the house. Shouldn't you remove the 'Conceal' spell?"
"Huh? It shouldn't be seen, right?"
Al responded with a puzzled look to Malachi's worried voice. Malachi shook his head.
"You only feel like it won't seen. It definitely has a real presence."
Al had thought he had tested it many times, but the effect of the 'Conceal' spell seemed a bit different from what he expected. Following instructions, he placed a large box with the 'Conceal' spell on the 'Carrier' disk and tried to pass through a narrow gap, but it seemed that the big box got stuck, and Al couldn't move forward anymore.
"I thought the magic would make it disappear."
Al looked a bit sad. He learned the basics of magic from his grandfather when he was young. Since then, he has been teaching himself spells without a proper teacher. After arriving in Lester, he met Eric, which allowed him to discuss some spells. However, he still has no one to ask about the 'Conceal' spell. While his self-study helps him use spells in his own way, not knowing the specific effects of the spells is a significant disadvantage.
"I noticed that the golem doesn't get affected by 'Conceal,' but as I said before, I'm not very knowledgeable about spells either. I think it would be good to research it at Sir Tempest's research tower. Besides, this kind of thing probably happens often. You shouldn't worry too much."
'If you could add that function (module) for me, I'll do my best to research it! Let's study more together!'
Encouraged by Glee, Al began to feel that there was still so much to learn, and his eyes sparkled as he nodded enthusiastically.
After putting Tempest's body in the basement, Al and the others got to work. They made the area look like a tomb and set up watch points around the village. They also checked the fences that keep beasts away. Since no one showed up, it looked like the place had become a hideout for bandits, but this could change. If things got bad, Malachi the golem might need to use his staff for protection. There was a lot to do, and soon, night fell.
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