Chapter 55: Who’s Pulling the Strings?
As expected, the two mages who had fled in terror after witnessing their companions transform into griffins spread panic beyond the gathering. By the time the Druids reached the nearby villages to calm the populace, the accounts of what transpired had evolved through several iterations.
“Master Arcaiste! I heard a dragon appeared at your gathering? Did it devour several Masters? Is this place still safe to live? Will it become a dragon’s lair? Can you protect us and help us escape? I don’t want to die! My wife is pregnant; she can’t handle the fright…”
In a nearby village, a Wood Elf villager rushed towards Arcaiste and Abyss’s group, anxiously inquiring.
Arcaiste’s expression grew even more somber. He shook his head and said, “No… please calm down. Don’t believe those rumors. We were indeed attacked while drawing magic from around the Sacred Tree, but the attacker was a griffin—a griffin transformed from an elf. The griffin has been killed, and it reverted to its elven form after death.”
“And he wasn’t a Druid. His transformation method was extremely violent, causing severe damage to his flesh and bones. This might be related to the recent animal abnormalities,” Abyss added in fluent Elvish, standing beside Arcaiste.
“I am the village elder. Please tell me what happened,” an elderly elf pushed through the crowd, his gait unsteady. He appeared much calmer than the panicked villagers contemplating fleeing the Keshel region, likely not having believed the outlandish rumors.
“Elder, we are investigating this attack, not to assign blame, but to ascertain the deceased’s identity,” Arcaiste, being an elf himself, found it easier to communicate with his kin. “If possible, I’d like your help in accounting for all the mages in your village. After the attack, all the mages observing the gathering returned. If any mage hasn’t returned home, please tell us their name and family.”
“What? Are you suggesting the attacker might be from our village?” The elder’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s terrifying! Could such a strange person be hiding among us? I’ll investigate immediately. Carack!”
A young elf rushed over. “Father! What is it?”
“Go as fast as you can to every household with a mage and ask if anyone went to observe the Sacred Tree and hasn’t returned!”
“Yes, sir!”
Upon receiving the elder’s command, the young elf swiftly took off. The Wood Elves’ agility was evident in his movements as he leaped nimbly between buildings and trees with incredible speed, simultaneously calling out to households with mages along the way, inquiring about any missing family members.
The Wood Elf villagers’ houses were either built against trees or directly on them. The nimble young man quickly returned with news. Jumping down from a nearby tree, he landed steadily and reported loudly, “Father! I’ve asked every household with a mage. Everyone has returned safely. The incident at the gathering scared everyone into hiding in their homes! So, no one is missing!”
“Ah, Master Arcaiste, that’s the situation. The attacker shouldn’t be from our village.”
The elder visibly relaxed, addressing Arcaiste.
Arcaiste frowned, turning to Abyss. “What now? This is the last village. No one knows where the attacker came from. Perhaps we need to expand our search area?”
“If he’s not from a nearby village, it’s hard to explain how he received such timely news about our drawing magic from the Sacred Tree and went to observe it,” Abyss pondered, then raised his voice, addressing the surrounding villagers. “Have you encountered any travelers recently?”
Abyss was human, and the elves should have been wary of him, but he was accompanied by Master Arcaiste, whom they all knew and trusted. Coupled with Abyss’s fluent Elvish, his race wasn’t a significant concern. The villagers began to think.
“Travelers?” The village elder seemed to have been reminded of something by Abyss’s question, but he had no immediate leads.
“I know! I did see someone resembling a traveler near our village a few days ago!” At that moment, someone in the crowd raised their hand.
Abyss’s eyes lit up. “Oh? What did he look like? Tell us quickly.”
“He looked like a wandering mage. He’s been here for a while because I’ve occasionally seen him roaming near the village after sunset, by my herb garden,” the villager who raised his hand recounted. “He was unpredictable; I didn’t see him every day. I don’t know what he ate either, as he never interacted with anyone in our village. He probably foraged for food in the wild.”
“Did he have any peculiarities? Anything that felt off to you?” Abyss pressed.
“Hmm… Let me think. Ah, yes, yes, yes! That fellow always scratched his back, as if he had a rash. Also, he always stared at the Sacred Tree.” The villager spoke, a look of self-reproach on his face. “Oh dear, now that I mention it, he does seem very suspicious. I should have reported him to the gathering earlier.”
“It’s not your fault. We’re grateful that you’ve provided us with this information,” Arcaiste bowed to the villager. “Do you know anything else?”
“I don’t know anything else. After all, I haven’t spoken to him. I don’t like talking to strangers,” the villager shook his head. “Has anyone else seen him?”
The other villagers shook their heads. It seemed the attacker had maintained a low profile: never interacting with the villagers, staying within a limited area, and acting inconspicuously, so few had noticed him.
“It’s almost like… it was premeditated,” Rebecca murmured, standing beside Abyss.
Arcaiste glanced back at Rebecca and nodded. “So, the person who attacked us was trying to prevent us from discovering the Sacred Tree’s secret?”
“He wanted to take me out, but he was too weak compared to my companions. So, the nature of the recent series of events is now clear,” Abyss said, smiling as he ruffled Leona’s hair. “The Sacred Tree is withering because of an external influence, and the animal mutations aren’t natural phenomena. Someone is deliberately causing them…”
Abyss could have easily questioned the deceased’s soul, but when he attempted to summon the unfortunate soul whose brain had been pulverized by Leona, he discovered it had transformed into a mindless, highly unstable griffin, incapable of communication.
However, having encountered a cooperative villager, Abyss had achieved his objective.
Indeed, the current situation pointed to an Outer God as the mastermind, and the attacker was likely a follower of this deity!
“Things are getting interesting…”
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