164 4.26 Monster activities

The ground was full of sand, so it was taking us a long time, but this was nothing unexpected at this point.

Flare was soring up in the sky, watching at the surroundings to see if there was anything noteworthy. But according to her, the path ahead was surprisingly calm.

She didn't come across any villagers or travelers on the way, which was strange. But since travels were rare during this time of the year, that wasn't much of a surprise.

We stopped a few times whenever we came across a big enough tree which could include the whole carriage under its shade. Most of us were tired because of what happened during the night, so these breaks were necessary.

On the way, I told Anna and Eliane about the hill and what happened there. They were listening to it carefully as if it was some sort of epic romance fairy tale.

Anna was sitting next to me and leaning on my shoulder the entire day, which I didn't mind. She would need to act like a princess once we reach the capital, so I thought I would just let her enjoy the travel for now.

Markus, who was also with us in the carriage, was looking at us and grinning the whole day. I was certain that he was up to something. But who knows what could be going in his head since I didn't bother to ask.

The weather was a bit more pleasant as it was cloudy, but there was no sign of rain. Mild rain wouldn't obstruct our journey, so we weren't worried too much.

Throughout the plains where we traveled, there weren't any villages or bridges. It was just dry wasteland with tall grasses wherever that a little water.

Even in this wasteland, we barely came across any animals. The most we saw were a few birds and some rabbits. A few deers could be seen far away, but we had no time to stay and hunt them.

After a long day of the tiring journey, we finally arrived at the village we were hoping to reach. It was a bit late by the time the village came into sight. However, since we didn't need to prepare camp and food, the little extra ride was worth it.

We stopped outside the village and waited for Garo and his Squad to complete their reconnaissance. I was a little surprised when they came out of the village quicker than expected.

Usually, they would talk with the village elder or chief and arrange things beforehand. If possible, they would also check the house we will be staying at and the food preparation there.

Since they came early this time, they must have come across something unusual.

They walked straight to our carriage and knocked on the door. "I think we will need to arrange our stay outside tonight."

"Why? What happened?" Markus asked.

"Did you come across any dead bodies? And were there any signs of the undead?"

"We didn't come across anything that suggested the presence of undead. However, there were some graves that looked freshly build, so we assume that around thirty people died during the attack."

"WHAT!"

There was a moment of silence since all of us were surprised by what happened. Princess Anna was barely holding her together, while Princess Eliane also looked somewhat disturbed by the news. As for Markus, he had a shocked reaction on his face.

I was feeling a bit touched by the news as well. With so many of them dead, it's no wonder that the villagers decided to abandon the village and migrate elsewhere.

"So, what should we do for tonight?" I asked.

The news was sad, but there was no point in standing stuck here. If we don't secure a place to stay, we might end up having to face a herd of monsters ourselves.

"Moster wolves move on packs, and they constantly keep on moving, so there shouldn't be any immediate threat staying here. We would need to be extra-cautious, though."

"Alright then, let's stay here tonight. We will start our journey early tomorrow, so let's arrange everything quickly and prepare to rest," Markus said.

Even though the monster wolves were gone, there could be other threats lingering around. I realized it would be better to secure everything before going to bed tonight.

[Flare, can you please look into the surrounding monsters and let us know if there is any threat.]

[I am already on it, master.]

After giving Flare instructions telepathically, we rode our carriage inside the small village.

By the looks of things, it appeared as though the place had been recently emptied. It had probably happened just a week or so ago.

The dead bodies were buried at the village center, which indicated that they had no intention of coming back and living here.

To be honest, I wouldn't suggest them to live here either. Considering the changing times, it was likely that the monster activities would increase, and this place was very close to danger.

We stopped in front of the inn, where we had last stayed. It was completely vacant inside, so we had to carry our supplies from the carriage.

Since there was nothing inside and the place was spacious, we could easily arrange a good-enough place to stay.

Naturally, the Princesses and the two of us were arranged rooms, while Garo and his squad, along with Jackie, would sleep in the lounge.

After preparing a place to sleep, it was time to make dinner. We all gathered around in the Louge while the knights started preparing dinner in the inn's kitchen.

Jackie was telling the tales of his travels to lighten the mood, so we were just listening. Right then, Flare contracted me telepathically.

[Master, I have found a few monsters that might be a threat. They include a pack of wolves, predator birds, and monster boars. Do you want me to deal with them?]

[Wait a while, I will join you in the hunt. I need to train myself and get stronger.]