Chapter 302: Farahn Village

Stella and Lyrei arrived near the Wailing Forest without experiencing any troubles. 

They encountered several wild beasts but by showing their killing intent, they would just normally back away and avoid their path.

Aside from that, they are traveling in the day so there wouldn't be any stubborn Evil Beasts that would try to target them.

"Stella… I thought you are not in a hurry? Why are you like this?" Lyrei asked in an amused tone. 

She wasn't trying to complain but was trying to remind her that rushing wouldn't resolve her problem… They have been traveling for a while now and if not for their horses getting tired, they wouldn't take a break."

"Ugh… Sorry about that. I just want to reach the closest village as quickly as possible." Stella smiled wryly as the elf was indeed correct. Rushing things wouldn't resolve her problem. 

It's not like she's aware of the situation of her master. He may even be relaxing right now and she was just overthinking things.

"Anyway, we're getting near to Farahn Village. We can have a long rest there once we arrived, right?"

"Of course…"

Stella smiled at the elf. She wanted to investigate the village as quickly as possible to find the traces of her master's student. 

'I wonder if he's still staying in that village… I hope he's at least known by many villagers.' Stella mused as she looked at the path ahead. 

The road they are using is now made of stone as it is being used by merchants to trade between the villages. 

Their horses will be able to run a lot easier at this rate…

Finally, after several more minutes, they have arrived in the vicinity of the village!

They even met a couple of merchant caravans going in and out of the village. It seems that the trade here has improved quite a lot after several years.

Their horses slowed down as they saw the village patrols looking at them… For a small village, it seems that they aren't lax with their security… 

She can see that there's a lot of False Ivies planted around to scare off the Evil Beasts but it was quite obvious that the villagers realized that it is not enough to protect them here.

"The houses and roads have improved a lot, similar to Jarnae..." Stella commented after entering the village. There's already a large number of guards patrolling the vicinity of the village while there are also a lot of Hunters buying and selling materials from their hunt.

She could tell that the village has prospered after a few years. She could still recall how there is only a caravan once a month around this area but looking at the surroundings, she realized that there's a lot of Merchant Guilds staying in the village.

"Should we find a place to rest first?" Lyrei asked after observing the peaceful village. If they are probably in the Dukedom and visiting a small village, they would be followed by beggars or people who want to take advantage of them. 

But this Farahn Village doesn't seem to have that kind of problem. From what she could see, their main concern is the Evil Beast living near the village. 

"Sure, we can also look for a place to eat."

"Right, we haven't eaten yet… I hope they are serving some good food here"

"Well, let's see about that…" Stella smiled as she looked around the village. There are several buildings that could accept travelers like them but there are already posts outside their doors that they are already at full capacity. 

They tried to look around a little bit more and found a simple Inn… Because it is at the back of several three-storey buildings, the place was a bit harder to see if not for the signs posted…

Cling! Clang! Cling!

As Stella opened the door, the small bells chimed in a melodious tone.

"Welcome! How may I help you?" 

They were greeted by a gorgeous lady who seemed to be the waitress for the small pub.

"We're here to eat… and have a room for the night. Do you have a vacant room!"

"Of course… I can arrange a room for you. We only have a single vacant right now."

Stella thanked the lady who seem to be similar to her age as they were guided to a table. Aside from that, she noticed that the waitress is definitely possessing at least one Arcana with her! She's an Arcanist working in a small inn!

After they ordered their food, Lyrei looked at her and she knew what she was about to say. 

"I also noticed. It seems that she's not trying to hide it though…"

"Hmm… That's right. Since we're new in this village, this might be a common thing here."

"Ugh… I don't think so. Not just anyone would have the right to attend the Arcana Bestowal Ceremony here. It means that she's definitely not a simple worker here."

"If you say so. Should we ask her about it? There's not a lot of customers anyway… We can probably chat with her for a while."

Stella nodded at this suggestion as they waited for the lady to serve them their meals. 

She then observed the lady to try and find any signs that she's a member of some organizations in the kingdom. She has long black hair and brown eyes… Her pale and smooth skin shows that she's taking care of it. She's not wearing any kind of accessories that would identify her as a member of the Arcanist Association either…

"Hello, Miss… May I ask a few questions? We're actually here in this village to look for someone…"

"Oh? Is that so… I've been living here since birth so I can tell you that I know almost everyone living here. I may not be good with names but I can remember faces easily."

The lady answered brightly. She also seemed happy to help them.

"That's good to hear. We will also pay you for the information. Right, I'm Stella and this is Lyrei."

"Stella… Lyrei… Got it. You guys are Arcanists as well, right? I'm Yasmin…" The replied with a smile.