Chapter 37

"Then, shall we go and talk to that man directly?"

Placida, standing at about 190 cm tall, had a robust build and a rather intimidating face. If he were to suddenly speak to an ordinary person, they would likely tremble in fear. However, the man they were talking about was probably a thief. It was unlikely that he would honestly confess what he was up to. Al shook his head lightly.

"If there's a commotion, it might delay the caravan's journey. Let's not approach him here."

Placida nodded in agreement, acknowledging that it would be clumsy to do so. According to him, they were scheduled to arrive at Roland, an outpost village, by mid-afternoon. However, the guard squad might be called upon to eliminate a barbarian settlement if one was found nearby.

"I won't be pulled into the extermination because I have orders from the baron," Placida muttered. Al needed to confirm his own tasks with Reta, but since there had been no apprentice duties during the day's travel and they weren't planning to camp after arrival, he wouldn't have much work to do. Al pondered what would be the best course of action.

The most important thing to confirm was the wooden box hidden by a concealment spell. Given the caravan's situation, it was a dangerous journey for an ordinary carriage to travel to an outpost village. That's why they were likely using the caravan to transport something. The contents were probably quite heavy or bulky, something that couldn't be carried on one's back. If it turned out to be something related to a crime, they could certainly detain the three men.

"Do you know what kind of accommodation we'll have in Roland?"

When Al asked Placida, he explained that the village had no inns since there were few travelers. The baron and the mage would stay at the village chief's or deputy chief's house. The guard squad planned to use the training ground in front of the garrison, and some merchants had branch offices. Most others would camp in the village square.

"I'll investigate on my own until around evening. Placida, please wait before approaching them. Can you continue your usual work so as not to arouse suspicion?"

Placida nodded lightly, looking a bit disappointed. Kain nodded vigorously beside him. It seemed that if he were left to it, he could coordinate with the baron, Eric, and the guard squad. Al was impressed by Kain's capabilities despite being the same age. "Alright, let's do it that way," Kain and Placida said as they left.

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Roland, one of the outpost villages, had a population of about 500, making it a fairly large village. Watchtowers were scattered around the recently harvested fields, and as the caravan approached, the people on the watchtowers, likely part of the vigilante group, waved at them. The guards leading the caravan also waved back.

Al observed this from the rear of the caravan.

During the morning journey, Al had secretly monitored the three men and confirmed that the carriage driver was Bashel, and the two likely survivors of the Bloodied Thieves were named Van and Varden. He was certain that these two were the ones who had ambushed and attacked him when he first arrived in Lester. He also confirmed that there were no other accomplices among the caravan's followers.

Another thing he confirmed was that Bashel touched the wooden box at regular intervals, approximately every three hours. From what he overheard, this was likely the duration of the concealment spell's effect. Although it was much shorter than Al's, it might have been the effect time when he first learned the spell. This also confirmed that Bashel was a mage.

Knowing they were about to arrive at the village, Al quickened his pace to catch up with Placida at the front of the caravan. By the time he reached him, the lead group had already entered the village, which was protected by earthworks and fences. The most prominent building was likely the village chief's house. The temple of the Earth Mother Iish, facing the village square, was a common sight in this border barony.

Upon arrival, Al immediately entered the church, blending in with a few devout followers. After a brief prayer to the central statue of the goddess, he climbed the bell tower. It was about 15 meters high, and as he had imagined, he could see the entire village square.

'Enhanced Perception' - Visual Enhancement, Teleview

Al hid himself on the bell tower and observed the people setting up camp in the village square. Bashel, Van, and Varden's carriage, which had just unloaded the barbarian corpses at the village entrance, was now empty and entering the square.

'Magic Perception'

The semi-transparent wooden box, still glowing faintly blue, was on the back of the carriage Bashel was riding. Based on his observations in the morning, the concealment spell would need to be recast in about an hour.

Al hesitated. He could have Placida detain Bashel at that time. If so, the wooden box would reveal itself when the concealment spell's effect wore off. However, without knowing what was inside, it wasn't a sure thing. Moreover, Bashel would likely sleep at night, and the spell's effect might wear off then. Al decided to continue his observation.

The three men parked their carriage at the edge of the square, away from the others. It was a less popular spot, but also less noticeable. They parked the carriage with the wooden box at the back and another carriage in front, setting up a tent in between so that the back carriage couldn't be seen from the road. This cautious behavior made Al hopeful that they might not use the concealment spell while in the village.

After a while, the three men approached the wooden box. As Al watched carefully, the box suddenly appeared, likely because the concealment spell had been removed. The spell could be canceled at the caster's will. Bashel unlocked it with a key from his waist pouch and, with the others, carefully opened the lid.

Inside was a large, dirty burlap sack, from which a human foot protruded. The delicate, dark blue long skirt suggested it was a young woman. Her feet didn't move, and she might be dead... No, the concealment spell couldn't be used on someone without their consent. It must be a corpse... Al continued to observe closely.

When the men removed the burlap sack, a young woman was indeed inside. Al froze when he saw her face. He recognized her. She was Luella, the eldest daughter of the Revi Trading Company and a classmate from middle school.

They weren't particularly close, but he wasn't a stranger to her. The idea that these three men had killed her shook Al deeply. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, but it seemed to be due to being covered in the burlap sack, not because they had undressed her. They must have kidnapped her in Lester and transported her in the box. Al couldn't believe she was dead and continued to observe. No, she might not be dead. He thought he saw a slight rise and fall in her chest. The color of her skin suggested she might not be a corpse. No, something was off... Al switched to a different enhanced perception to continue his observation.

Luella was alive. She was limp, likely unconscious due to magic or drugs. Al was relieved but knew he had to rescue her. He started to stand to contact Placida but stopped. When he was young, a woman in his village was kidnapped by orcs. Although she was rescued, rumors spread, and she had to break off her engagement. Even though she eventually found another partner, the memory of her crying face stayed with him. Luella might face similar rumors if it became known she was kidnapped by thieves.

Additionally, Bashel was a mage, and it was unknown what spells he knew. There was a risk that Luella could be taken hostage. A sudden attack to rescue her might not be the best approach. Al needed to come up with a plan. He continued to observe the three men. They gave Luella something to drink from a wooden bowl, laid her back in the box, and locked it again. The box was then concealed once more.

Thank you for reading.

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May 26, 2023 - Corrected "far-sighted" to "teleview" in the magic options.