Chapter 47: The Truth of the Matter
As if seeing something, Lonis’s head ached.
That vague sense of being both near and far made the silver-haired girl sway precariously, as if she were about to collapse.
But just then, Elusian came to her side, holding her up at the last moment.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the black-haired little loli seemed to have sensed danger and transformed into her maiden form… Her lacquer-black longsword was held tightly in her hands, and her crimson eyes warily scanned her surroundings.
“That guy, he’s come this way again.”
“That… guy?”
“It’s the vengeful spirit, the one who’s been scaring you every night.”
“Ah!”
Lonis shuddered and looked around.
She saw that it was still empty around them. Apart from the burnt-down cabin and the dense woods, there was no trace of any ghost.
“Don’t look, I’ve already scared her away.”
“Eh?”
“Hmph, after all, I am the princess of a fallen kingdom, right? And I’ve been a ghost for hundreds of years, so ordinary enemies naturally wouldn’t dare to confront me head-on.”
Elusian’s gaze was piercing as she slowly swept through the nearby jungle… After confirming that the surroundings were safe, she nodded and said:
“Mm, Lonis, come with me.”
“Elusian, where are we going?”
“We’re going to confront the villagers directly. Things here can’t be delayed any longer.”
…
Elusian was a decisive girl when she made up her mind.
She never procrastinated. Just by gazing into her eyes, one could feel an indomitable courage.
(Is this… set by the system?)
(No, perhaps this is Elusian’s true personality?)
Although there was a slight difference from the girl she imagined, Lonis didn’t dislike Elusian’s demeanor.
She never wavered, no matter when. This girl might be more suited to be a hero than herself.
…
Before the two could return to the village, they encountered Old Hu, the grizzled uncle, on the way.
The uncle didn’t even carry an umbrella, and the pitter-patter of the rain slid down his beard, his hair clumping together in strands.
“You, you… Oh, have you found the merchant caravan?”
The uncle seemed to have mistaken Elusian for the silver-haired girl’s older sister… After all, they had the same eye color and hair color, and Lonis was accompanying her.
However, Elusian, as if seeing through something, said sternly:
“I advise you, stop pretending.”
“Uh…”
“It was you last night, who led all the villagers to the abandoned house, wasn’t it?”
“!”
Hearing Elusian’s question, the man subconsciously took a step back.
His pupils widened, but the corners of his mouth twitched as he continued to argue:
“No… what, what strange things are you talking about? What abandoned house… Oh, you heard this silver-haired girl babbling, didn’t you? Isn’t she foolish, so don’t take it seriously.”
“Seven years ago, a female mage died here in a fire. Her power was extremely strong, likely reaching the 6th Rank.”
“!”
“Originally, I wouldn’t interfere in your village’s affairs, but the vengeful spirit of that female mage has latched onto my maid.”
Elusian pointed at Lonis. Although she usually looked down on this “slave maid,” today she was unexpectedly treating Lonis like a treasure and said very seriously:
“Whatever you know, confess it all! Otherwise, if my maid is harmed, don’t blame me for being merciless.”
“You…”
Perhaps it was Elusian’s sadist aura that was too captivating?
Or perhaps Old Hu knew that the jig was up and he could no longer hide it.
The weathered man gave a bitter smile and frankly said:
“Yes, you are right… Last night, it was indeed me who led the villagers to the abandoned house. But please believe me, I had no ill intentions.”
“Oh?”
“I was just protecting your maid and your sister, because this village has been cursed.”
…
…
Gradually, Old Hu began his narration:
…
When should I start?
Well, let’s start from the day she arrived in the village.
I had never seen such a beautiful girl before… She had light pink beautiful hair, bright white teeth, and her beauty was like a flower and the moon. Every frown and smile was so perfect that just one glance made you fall in love with her.
Ah…
Saying that, it’s rather like you, Miss, and your maid? Both are beautiful girls.
It’s just that not only was her appearance outstanding, but her temperament was also very gentle and kind. On her very first day in the village, she helped the villagers by treating their illnesses and solved many problems.
At that time, I was just a young lad, and naturally I didn’t have the courage to confess to her… I was sitting on the rooftop, watching her walk on the road, watching her greet the villagers.
To tell the truth, initially, the villagers didn’t know why this female mage had come to the village.
But as she spent more time with everyone, she told us the purpose of her trip.
“I want to explore a ‘ruin’ nearby and complete my thesis.”
…
Although I knew she was only staying in the village temporarily, the thought of being able to help made me feel like my chance had come.
“Miss Mage, do you need a guide to find the ruins?”
“Eh…”
“I know the surrounding area like the back of my hand. If you need it, I can help you explore.”
“My name is Luna, and I’ll be relying on you from now on.”
“For me, that was a very nostalgic time. Miss Luna and I became companions, and we used the ranger’s cabin to the north as our camp, conducting searches of the surroundings…”
Although Old Hu had a reminiscent expression, Elusian coughed and said, “Please get to the point.”
“Uh?”
“The past is the past, isn’t it? I know you want to stop time forever at that moment, but the most important thing is the present.”
“You… you’re right.”
Old Hu was stunned for a moment, and when he looked into Elusian’s eyes again, he felt a hint of relief: “After that, Luna and I spent a week locating the ruins, but as soon as Luna stepped into those ruins, disaster struck.”
“Disaster?”
“Yes, a strange priest dressed in yellow clothes came to the village. He immediately stated that Luna was an apostle sent by demons, whose purpose was to unleash terrifying disasters.”
(Yellow clothes?!)
Lonis shuddered. She remembered that it was a priest in yellow clothes who had bullied her in her dream.
Old Hu then gently closed his eyes and continued:
“Although everyone in the village didn’t believe him at first, that priest was extremely skilled at persuasion and provided a lot of seemingly plausible evidence. As a result, most villagers also began to doubt Luna.”
“Eh?”
“Even so, it was just suspicion. But ever since Luna entered the ruins, all sorts of inconceivable things have happened one after another.”
