Chapter 91

The next evening, Al was walking alone through a desolate wilderness, quite far north of the road leading from the town of Milton to the border city of Lester. His steps were quite light.

"Once I get over that hill, I should be able to see my destination."

"Hmm, there certainly doesn't seem to be anyone around here. This should be fine. But, things have changed quite a bit while I was sleeping in the tomb..."

Al, who seemed to be alone, spoke cheerfully, and a response from Malachi came from a spot that appeared to be empty, slightly behind him. In fact, not only Malachi, the upper-class work golem, but also the barrel containing the body of Tempest, wrapped in a blanket, and Alnait, were all hidden on Al's transport disc by a concealment spell, making them invisible to others.

If he were to transport a body-like object on the road, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. There was a possibility that magical devices for security were installed at the entrances of large towns, but considering that he would have to transport a body, he wouldn't be able to enter the town. After consulting with Malachi, they decided that this form would be the least conspicuous.

"Has it changed so much?"

"Yes, the terrain itself hasn't changed, but this area, except for the coastal region, was supposed to be covered entirely by a forest. And the types of trees have changed. They were conifers back then."

Al tilted his head. Conifers, like the red pines that grow further north, perhaps. Could the forest's trees change over time?

"The abandoned village is over there."

When Al reached the top of the hill, he stopped for a moment. This was where he and Barbara had once looked down at the village. There were no signs of people in the village, and it seemed that nothing had changed since then.

"Hmm, there don't seem to be any signs of habitation. But why was it abandoned? Did barbarians come?"

"The reason for the abandonment is unclear. It could be due to a lack of rain affecting the crops, or an outbreak of disease, or the wells drying up. It's possible, though unlikely, that barbarians could come over the mountains."

"Hmm. Well, let's go to the village then."

Al cautiously descended the hill, crossed the fence surrounding the village, and reached the central square. The mayor's house, which the bandits had used as their base, and a building that looked like a church showed no signs of change. The guards hadn't come to investigate here after the bandits were captured. Al looked around for a while but found no signs of any changes.

"It seems to be fine."

When Al said this, Malachi, the golem, appeared from nowhere, having jumped off the transport disc. He was dressed in a butler-like outfit, which Al had bought from a traveling merchant at the foot of the hill. In his right hand, he held the staff that the guardian golem had once held. The concealment spell could be cast on the golem, but its effect would be lost if it moved even slightly. It was strange that he could speak, but according to Malachi, the golem spoke without moving its mouth, so it wasn't unusual.

"Hmm, I want to check the village a bit. Can you lead the way? We'll have to hide here for a while until you reach the research tower. Upper-class work golem, follow me."

Just like Malachi, the upper-class work golem appeared with a hop. He also held the staff that the guardian golem had once held in his right hand. It was a staff that could shoot magical arrows.

Al nodded and walked around the village with the two golems. He had explored the village once before, when he had tied up the bandits and waited for Barbara to bring the guards. There were about a dozen houses, including the mayor's house and the church. Many of the doors and windows were broken.

"Hmm, let's use the basement of this house. It's wider than the others, and the stairs leading down can be well camouflaged."

Malachi chose one of the houses. It had an old red roof and was smaller than the mayor's house but was a solid two-story stone building.

"Can you carefully transport Lord Tempest's body? There are many obstacles inside the house. Should we remove the concealment spell?"

"Huh? It won't hit, right?"

Al looked puzzled at Malachi's worried voice and responded with a question. Malachi shook his head.

"You just don't feel it hitting. It's still a physical object."

Al had verified the effect of the concealment spell many times, but it seemed to be slightly different from what he had expected. He tried placing the large box, which he had cast the concealment spell on, on the transport disc and tried to pass through a narrow gap, but the large box got stuck, and Al couldn't move forward.

"I thought the physical form was gone with magic."

Al said this with a slightly dejected look. He had learned the basics from his grandfather in his childhood, but after that, he had learned spells on his own without a proper teacher. While he had learned some spells from Eric after coming to Lester, there was no one to ask about the effects of concealment spells. His ability to use spells with his own interpretation was due to his self-study, but not knowing the characteristics of the spells was a significant drawback.

"Regarding concealment, I noticed it because the golem wasn't affected by it. As I said before, I'm not very knowledgeable about spells. I think it's best to investigate various things at Lord Tempest's research tower. Such issues are common, so there's no need to worry."

"If you add that function to me, I'll work hard to investigate! Let's study more together."

Gry's encouragement made Al feel that there was still much to learn, and he nodded enthusiastically with shining eyes.

After placing Tempest's body in the basement, Al and the others continued their work, not only preparing the tomb but also securing a place to watch the surroundings of the village and checking the fence to keep away beasts. The village had become a hideout for bandits because no one came, but there was no guarantee that no one would come. In the worst case, Malachi might have to protect himself with the staff. There was a lot to do, and before they knew it, the sun had set, and night had fallen.