IBDFSML Chapter 46

The old woman was the village chief of Ritten.

We went to the home of Chief Paula and were able to hear in detail what had happened to the village over the past few months.

"It all began around the outskirts of the village. One day, the carcasses of wild animals began appearing one by one in places where hunters and gatherers used to frequent. At first, we didn't think much of it."

Chief Paula bowed her head with a grim expression.

"But then the livestock that the villagers raised and allowed to graze started vanishing overnight without a trace. And... around that time, even the occasional travelers from outside stopped coming altogether."

"What kind of livestock disappeared?"

Sion, who had been listening intently, asked.

"Everything from chickens and pigs to horses and cows. There was a wide variety."

"…!"

I was startled by the chief's answer.

'Horses and cows? For such large animals to disappear without a trace… something about this feels ominous.'

"We couldn't just sit around anymore, so a few weeks ago, some of the younger villagers set out to seek help from the outside. But none of them have returned. That's how our village ended up completely cut off from the rest of the world."

As the chief finished speaking, we heard quiet sobbing from inside the house.

Tears welled up in the chief's eyes.

"That's my daughter-in-law, Anna… My son was among the young people who left the village. It's already been fifteen days without any word…"

The chief trailed off, her shoulders trembling as she began to cry.

Among us, the warm-hearted and compassionate Genevia stepped forward and gently consoled the chief.

"…Chief, we don't know for sure yet. Your son might still be safe."

Then, the sobbing daughter-in-law Anna emerged from inside.

She was a young woman with a worn, haggard face and eyes swollen from crying.

"Everyone in the village says Hans is dead. That he was devoured by a terrifying beast. But I don't believe it! They haven't even found his body yet!"

Anna collapsed to the floor in tears.

As the atmosphere grew heavier with grief, Chief Paula slowly approached Sion.

With her hunched back, she knelt down and gently placed her hands over Sion's, speaking earnestly.

"You knights here with us now are the last people we can ask for help. Please… don't turn your backs on us. Help us."

"……"

Sion quietly observed Chief Paula for a moment.

Then, in a calm voice, he spoke.

"Chief Paula of Ritten Village, I understand your situation."

Sion helped her up.

"I promise you this, until this problem is resolved, we will not leave this village."

"…!"

At Sion's words, both Chief Paula and Anna looked up at him.

Their eyes were filled with immense relief and hope.

'Ahh, as expected of my favorite. He's so cool…!'

From within Sion's robe, I watched the situation unfold, my eyes sparkling.

A little later, we were guided by the chief to an empty house in the village where we would spend the night.

We politely declined the offerings from the impoverished villagers and made do with the food we had brought, while discussing the situation.

"There's no way a normal wild animal would behave like this. It must be the work of a demon beast."

Diene, who had the most experience and knowledge about demon beasts among us, spoke while eating.

"But one strange thing is, even though the Alpheon Mountains aren't far from the borderlands, for a beast to go so far as to devour horses, cows, and even humans… that wouldn't be a mere low-grade beast."

Garen asked Diene.

"Have there ever been cases where a mid-tier demon beast left the borderlands and appeared near villages like this before?"

"No, not that I know of. A beast that powerful would never leave the Alketa Glacier and cross the borderlands in the first place."

"Hmm, are the knights guarding the border that strong? So strong that even a mid-tier beast couldn't possibly cross?"

I asked curiously.

Even though I had information about the border and demon beasts from the original novel, I still didn't understand the situation as well as Diene, who was actually active in the field.

"There's a reason the Alketa Glacier is called the 'Cradle of Magical Beasts.' According to ancient scholars, there's an unknown source at the center of the glacier that creates an optimal environment for beasts to inhabit."

Then Sion spoke softly.

"That would mean the stronger the beast, the less likely it would leave the glacier, it would prefer to stay near the center."

"Correct."

Diene stretched and added.

"Depending on the enemy, this might turn into a more troublesome battle than we expected. Looks like our schedule is going to be delayed."

Sion gave a nonchalant nod.

"We'll find out soon enough once we face it head-on."

***

The next morning.

We set out from the village to track down the demon beast.

"Please, stay safe."

Chief Paula and several villagers saw us off.

Every single one of them had the same expression, as if they were watching people march to their deaths, full of sorrow and pity.

"……"

Once we were a good distance from the village, I perched myself on Sion's left shoulder and gently tapped his cheek.

"Hey, Sion."

"…?"

"This... it's not going to be something super dangerous, right?"

"Are you scared?"

Sion asked in a casual tone.

His expression was unreadable, but his voice held a subtle teasing note.

"…Huh? Not at all."

I blinked dramatically, trying not to lose my dignity as the loyal fangirl fairy who must protect her favorite.

But just as Sion said, this whole situation, hunting down an unidentified demon beast hiding somewhere, didn't exactly sit well with me.

'…Still, Sion and Genevia are here, and Diene and Garen seem pretty capable too, so we should be okay... probably.'

I gulped nervously.

'…But it's still my first time actually seeing a demon beast with my own eyes.'

Having only read about the beasts of the north in books, the idea of actually facing one in real life was overwhelming.

Just then, Garen, who had been inspecting a patch of snow, spoke up.

"The farther we go this way, the clearer the tracks become. Judging by the depth of the footprints, the creature must be large and heavy."

Sion and Diene scanned the surrounding area.

"Several trees nearby are either broken or damaged. Could it be a tree-dwelling creature?"

Without a word, Sion studied the environment, then knelt down and brushed his hand lightly over the snow.

Flurries of snow scattered between his fingers. Left behind was a thin, white thread-like substance.

"…This is…"

I fluttered over to Sion's palm and poked at the mysterious material.

Tilting my head, I commented.

"Isn't this… spider silk?"

Just then—

"Oh my god, what the hell?!"

Genevia, who had been standing behind us, suddenly screamed.

Startled, I dove into Sion's robe and peeked out with just my eyes showing.

"W-What?! What is it?!"

When I looked back, I saw Genevia crouched down, clearly startled by something.

"What's wrong, priestess Genevia?"

Garen rushed over, standing in front of her protectively.

Genevia, her hands trembling, pointed at the thick pile of snow under a nearby tree.

"T-There! Something just moved!"

"…!"

"…!!"

Garen and Diene both drew their swords and cautiously approached the snow pile.

All eyes were on the snowdrift when...

Something suddenly burst out from within.

"Aaaah!!"

"Screeeam!!"

Genevia and I shrieked in unison.

I frantically slapped Sion and shouted.

"What the hell was that?! Sion, that was a hand, wasn't it?!"

"…It's definitely a human hand."

The thing that rose out of the snow like a zombie was, without a doubt, a person's hand.

A moment later, Garen and Diene used their sword hilts to dig through the snow, and the upper body of a man, half-buried, was revealed.

"He looks dead."

Diene tilted her head as she observed the motionless man.

"But he definitely moved his arm earlier. He might still be alive."

At last, Genevia's cleric instincts kicked in, and she cautiously approached the body.

Then, she immediately began healing the man with her divine power.

A moment later...

"…Ugh…"

The man slowly opened his eyes, regaining consciousness.

"Are you awake?"

"……"

The dazed man groggily sat up and slowly looked around at all of us.

He must've been here for quite some time, his face was hidden behind messy, tangled hair and a thick beard. His clothes were worn, torn, and filthy, making him look no better than a beggar.

Through the strands of his unkempt hair, I caught a glimpse of his rolling, unfocused eyes.

At last, the man opened his mouth to speak.

"…Where… is this…?"

"You're in the Alpheon Mountains. We found you after you got stranded."

"…Who… am I…?"

"You are……"

Genevia instinctively began to answer, but then closed her mouth.

The man looked between her and the rest of us, tilting his head in confusion.

A heavy silence fell over us.

"……"

"…It seems…"

Genevia said with sympathy in her voice.