Chapter 15: The True Face of the Strange Village
After receiving confirmation from Abyss, Flora politely took a couple of bites of the food. As a high-ranking undead, she didn’t need to eat, but it wouldn’t harm her either.
Once they finished their meal, Abyss took Flora’s hand, stood up, and said to the woman and the one-eyed old man, “Thank you for your hospitality. My assistant and I need to discuss what songs to sing for the children.”
“Please, feel free,” the woman said with a smile. “If you’re gathering inspiration, Bard, sir, please feel free to wander around our village. If you have any questions, you can ask anyone.”
Abyss nodded and led Flora out of the house, finding a secluded corner to talk.
“Abyss, I feel something’s off. The way the villagers look at us is unnatural,” Flora whispered. “Maybe we should leave quickly. Although they’re all very hospitable, and the children are adorable, I still feel uneasy.”
Abyss, not being very good at dealing with the living, asked, “You said their eyes are unnatural? In what way?”
“I can’t quite explain it. Although they genuinely want to be hospitable, I can see in their eyes that they actually want us to leave,” Flora said. “There’s a hint of fear in their emotions.”
“That’s very strange,” Abyss frowned, looking at the nearest house. “This place is as weird as a vampire’s kidney.”
“Also, I don’t know any bard songs…” Flora said sheepishly.
“It’s alright. You must know a couple of nursery rhymes. You can just… wait a minute,” Abyss suddenly paused and walked towards the house he had been looking at. He gently scratched the wall with his finger. The wall was of good quality and didn’t show any marks from his scratch, even though the bricks looked weathered, suggesting they were quite old.
“What’s wrong? Did you find something?” Flora asked softly, approaching him with concern.
“So it’s true…” Abyss stared at the bricks, nodding. “Flora, look, although the bricks are weathered and seem quite old, the concrete used to build the wall doesn’t match their age. It doesn’t look more than fifty years old.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, does it?” Flora asked curiously. “What if this house was renovated?”
“Let’s go check out the other houses,” Abyss said and led Flora towards the house next door.
As Abyss explained, Flora was surprised to discover that although the neighbor’s house had a different style, the walls were in the same condition—old bricks and concrete that was less than fifty years old.
They checked a couple more houses, and it was the same story.
“Then the conclusion is obvious…” Abyss said, clasping his hands behind his back. “And the elderly people in this village are still quite strong. Judging from the way the men walk, they seem to have better balance than ordinary farmers. They must have had Dou Qi training. Although farmers can also train in Dou Qi, if all the men in the village are like this…”
“Princess Leona died forty-two years ago…”
“Flora, go sing for the children. I need to do one last confirmation,” Abyss said. “The children will love you.”
Flora nodded, pursing her lips. “I understand!”
Abyss watched as Flora walked towards the village square. The curious children ran up to her and surrounded her. Flora smiled gently, letting them form a circle around her. She cleared her throat slightly and began to sing.
Her melodious voice filled the air. At first, only the children were listening, but soon, the entire village was captivated. In her previous life, Flora was not only a powerful Divine Arts user but also a beloved singer. Her hymns could even induce a blissful trance in some believers. Abyss only knew that Flora was a good singer but had never heard her sing in person. Now, as she showcased her voice, even the well-traveled Abyss couldn’t help but gasp softly in admiration.
He didn’t linger, however, but headed towards a small hill behind the village.
As a necromancer, Abyss could sense the aura of death emanating from that direction from a distance. On the hill was a small graveyard with only twenty or so tombstones, some of which looked recently erected.
“This graveyard only holds one generation,” Abyss said, nodding slightly, clasping his hands behind his back. Then he turned around. From this angle, he could see the entire village. “I see. Princess Leona is buried here. The people in this village, who appear to be villagers, are actually soldiers stationed here for generations under the Empire’s orders? That explains why they’re so reluctant to have any conflict with travelers and try their best to satisfy them. They simply don’t want this remote village to attract too much attention…”
“Then… Princess Leona should be buried underground somewhere around here…” Abyss muttered to himself, closing his eyes.
…
When Abyss returned to the village, Flora was surrounded by a crowd of villagers. They were all lost in the afterglow of her singing, still clapping unconsciously.
“Ah, A… Master, you’re back!” Flora greeted Abyss as soon as she saw him.
The villagers then noticed that Abyss had been gone for a while and looked at him with a hint of wariness.
“I went to the nearby hillside to admire the scenery. This village is truly beautiful. I think I’ll be able to write my new sonnet soon,” Abyss said loudly to Flora, trying to appear artistic. “My assistant, come here quickly. I need your opinion on my verses.”
Hearing that Abyss had only gone to admire the scenery, the villagers relaxed slightly, thanks in part to the goodwill Flora had earned from them.
“Did you find anything?” Flora asked as soon as they reached a secluded spot.
Abyss nodded and told Flora about his deductions and discoveries. Then he pointed to the ground. “I’ve sensed it. There are indeed deceased buried deep underground here, most likely Princess Leona.”
“So, are we going to retrieve Princess Leona now?” Flora blinked. “It should be easy for you with your abilities, right?”
“It is indeed easy. I can bring Princess Leona out in the blink of an eye,” Abyss said, looking at Flora. “But the price is that all these villagers will die because of our actions.”
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