Chapter 58 – A Ghost Village

Chapter 58

A Ghost Village

Date : Day 2 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

After stretching, Elise opened her storage bag to pick her bow and quiver. The items materialized from the void. Weightless one moment. Solid the next. She slung both on her shoulder. The bow rested against her back. The quiver hung at her hip. Arrows within easy reach.

Hyoren followed her lead. He picked his borrowed Iron Spear from his own storage bag. He felt the weight. The balance. The shaft was smooth beneath his fingers. Polished wood. Well-maintained.

The shape was slightly unfamiliar. Different from the spear he had fashioned in the wilds. But the weight and balance were good. Borin's work was flawless. The dwarf knew his craft. Every detail was considered. Every joint was seamless.

He nodded. Satisfied.

He then picked his trusty Cinder-maw dagger and slotted it on his belt. The leather stiff. But the dagger slid in easily. Secure. Ready.

Now both of them were combat ready.

Elise then looked up to the dual suns. Sol and Luna hung in the sky. Their positions marking the time. She checked the angles. Calculated the remaining daylight.

"Let's go, Hyoren. The weather is not too chilly yet, so we don't need our cloak. Stonewell is at the north of this village."

Elise started walking. Her footsteps were steady. Purposeful. He followed. Matching her pace.

"Let's go, Elise. Lead the way."

As they followed a smaller road to the north, Elise opened her mouth again. Her voice was casual. Informative.

"From Luin, we should reach Stonewell before night descent if we keep our pace."

Hyoren nodded. He caught up with Elise and walked beside her. Their footsteps fell into rhythm. A comfortable pace.

"So we investigate tomorrow, Elise? Where are we going to camp tonight? Outside or inside Stonewell?"

Elise put her fingers on her chin without slowing down her walking. The gesture was thoughtful. Considering.

"Maybe we check a bit first. If some buildings are intact, and it's generally safe, we camp inside the village."

She tucked a few strands of her hair behind her pointed ear. The silver strands caught the light.

"But if not, we erect a tent at a distance away from the village."

The day went on. The road was empty. There was no traffic going to the abandoned village. No travelers. No merchants. No farmers. Just the two of them.

The only sounds were their footsteps. The rustle of wind through the grass. 

After walking for hours, the dual suns of Kresneger started to touch the horizon. Sol was sinking first. Its golden light painting the sky in shades of orange and red. Luna followed behind. Its silver glow beginning to emerge. They arrived at their destination.

They climbed a small hill and the view greeted them. The crest of the hill revealed the landscape below.

A vast amount of abandoned fields. Wild bush and remnants of farm crops growing unchecked. The plants had escaped their boundaries. Invading the paths. Claiming the land. The road wound down the middle. A ribbon of dirt cutting through the green. And in the middle of the fields, there was a village.

The buildings were small. Clustered together.

Both of them stopped. The sight was sobering.

"Woah... the fields are... huge."

Hyoren was amazed with the scale of the field. The expanse stretched far. Farther than he had expected. Acres upon acres of land. Once productive. Now wild.

Elise chuckled. The sound was soft. Almost sad.

"Yes, it is... no wonder Baron Akela wants this village to be repopulated."

Hyoren nodded. Understanding. The pieces falling into place.

"Right. This might be one of the bread baskets of the region. And losing villages like this will give a blow to food supply."

Both of them then started walking again. Down the road. Toward Stonewell village. The descent was gradual. The path was worn. Still visible beneath the overgrowth.

As they walked, Hyoren was curious about the village. The silence was unsettling. Wrong. A village should have sounds. Voices. Life.

"Elise, why is this village abandoned? Is it a plague?"

She turned her face to Hyoren. Her hair swayed with the motion. Silver catching the fading light.

"I'm not sure either. I remember hearing about this mysterious disappearance of villagers overnight. But as it didn't concern me, I didn't follow it up."

She then reached into her storage bag to produce her guild card. The metal card appeared in her hand. She manipulated it. Her fingers traced patterns on the surface. Touching their quest. Details about it started to appear. Text materialized on the metal. Glowing faintly.

Hyoren's eyes widened seeing that.

"Woah... so a Guild Card can even do that? We can check our quest details too?"

Elise chuckled. The sound was amused. Teasing.

"Of course, Hyoren. How can we track our progress and goal if we can't?"

She said that as a matter of fact. Something all natives of this world would know. Common knowledge. Obvious.

Hyoren scratched his cheek. Embarrassed. The gesture was self-conscious. Awkward.

"I really should stop being shocked by many things..."

Elise smiled. The expression was warm. Understanding.

"Fufu. No need to worry. You are indeed clueless. So if you have a question, just ask your mentor Elise!"

Hyoren nodded. Grateful. The embarrassment faded. Replaced by appreciation.

Elise then continued reading the details on her Guild card. Her eyes scanning the text. Her brow furrowing slightly.

"It seems even Baron Akela is clueless about the case. It definitely is not a plague because it happened overnight."

She then handed her card to Hyoren to see it himself. The metal was cool in his palm. The text glowed softly.

Hyoren read the details while carefully following Elise's lead. His eyes moved across the words. Absorbing the information.

Stonewell village mysteriously disappeared overnight six months ago. Merchant caravans which were scheduled to the villages found them empty. There was no trace of battle with bandits. There was no trace of plague or monster attack either.

Early investigation went bust. But Baron Akela couldn't spare more manpower to investigate. So he delegated it to the Adventurer's Guild. The quest went unclaimed before they took it.

Guild notes : Rumor of ghost sighting from neighboring villager who tried to check, but unconfirmed.

Hyoren tilted his head reading the notes. The word "ghost" stood out. Troubling. He handed back the card to Elise. Then asked.

"Ghost? What is a ghost in this world, Elise?"

He needed to double-check. He didn't want to assume with his half-baked knowledge again. The word meant different things in different contexts.

Elise took her card and put it in her storage bag again. The metal disappeared into the spatial void.

"Ghost is a type of monster. There are many variations of them. But the most common one is Wraith. They are almost translucent white monsters. Their shape is vague. But resembles humanoid. They float and attack with dark magic."

Elise spoke while walking. Her voice was low. Serious. The topic was not one to be taken lightly. The wind picked up. Blowing from their back. Making Elise's silver hair flutter. The strands caught the fading light.

"It's unsettling though. Wraith usually only appear in places where the grudge of people accumulated. Like abandoned cemeteries. Battlefields. This is why clergy will cleanse such places with light magic to prevent Wraith from appearing."

Her voice carried a weight. Knowledge born from experience. From stories told by other adventurers.

Hyoren saw the grave expression on her face. The seriousness in her eyes. The slight furrow of her brow.

"I see. So the things which made the villagers disappear might be the reason those ghosts appeared?"

Elise nodded. The motion was slow. Thoughtful.

"That's right. Villagers who disappeared overnight. Ghost-type monsters which appeared afterwards. It's a sign something bad happened in this Stonewell village."

Elise concluded. Then turned to him. The corner of her mouth turned flat. Her eyes darkened. The expression was serious. Ominous. The wind continued to blow. Carrying with it the scent of abandoned fields.

"Also, if wraiths truly appear, we are in trouble. They are immune to physical attacks. So my arrows and your spear would be useless!"

Hyoren gasped. The implications were dire. Weapons that couldn't harm. Enemies that couldn't be touched.

"Wait, Elise. Then how do we handle them? We run if we wound one?"

Elise's serious face suddenly melted. The severity vanished. Replaced by amusement. And she laughed.

"Fufufu. I'm just joking. Well, they were immune to physical attack. But we have ways to deal with them. Now my question. How?"

Mentor Elise suddenly asked her student to take a test. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. She was enjoying this.

Hyoren's eyebrows furrowed. He tried to think. A monster which was immune to physical attack. In most games he played, they would be weak to magic. But was the logic the same in this world?

"Is it... Magic?"

Elise's smile widened. Triumphant. Proud.

"That's right. 100 points for you! Fufufu."

It seemed the game logic could be applied here in this case. Hyoren heaved a sigh. Relief washed over him.

She turned forward and started walking again. Her pace resumed.

"I can use my Magic Arrow skill to damage them. And you have your Cinder-maw dagger, right?"

Hyoren instinctively put his hand to his belt. Where his dagger was sheathed. The weight was reassuring. The dagger that had served him well.

"I see. That was good. I thought we needed to run away whenever we saw them."

Elise chuckled. The sound was light. Reassuring.

"Of course not. I already read the details before, so I know we can take it."

As expected of a veteran ranger. Elise knew her way with quests. Preparation. Knowledge. Experience.

Hyoren sighed again. The weight of his ignorance pressed on him.

"I really need to learn more..."

Elise put her hand on his shoulder. Trying to cheer him up. The touch was warm. Comforting.

"Don't worry. I'm here. We are a party, right? And you can slowly learn with me."

Hyoren nodded. Thankful. The anxiety eased. Replaced by determination.

Elise then fastened her steps. Her stride lengthened. Urgent.

"Let's go, Hyoren. The sun's almost set. We need to reach the village before dark."

They then quickened their pace to their destination. The village loomed ahead. Silent. Waiting.

***

Hyoren and Elise arrived at the village. The road led them through fields of overgrown crops. Wild grass. Abandoned tools rusting in the soil. The buildings grew larger as they approached.

They entered the gate. The wooden arch loomed above them. The planks were weathered. Gray. But still standing. An eerie silence greeted them. No voices. No laughter. Nothing. Just the wind whispering through empty streets.

Six months was not enough to make the houses in this village dilapidated. The walls still stood straight. The roofs still held. The windows still had glass. The bush and overgrowth also had not yet claimed it. Nature had begun to encroach. But slowly. The village remained. A shell of what it once was.

"Ghost Village."

The words came out from Hyoren naturally. Unbidden. The name fit. The silence. The emptiness. The sense of something watching from the shadows.

Elise beside him nodded. Her expression was somber.

"Yeah. An apt name for this. So eerie. Let's go, Hyoren. All the houses seem intact. We can rest here. Let's go to the Village Chief's house as it's the biggest."

Both of them then went to the Village Chief's house in the middle of the village. Their footsteps echoed on the cobblestone street. The sound was loud in the silence. Too loud.

The house sat on the plaza where a big stonewell was placed. The origin of the village's name. The well was ancient. The stones were weathered. Moss grew in the cracks. A wooden bucket hung from a rope. Swinging slightly in the breeze. The water below was dark. Still.

The Chief's house was in a similar state as the rest. Two stories. Wooden walls. A sloped roof. The door was closed. Intact. They opened it. The hinges creaked. A protest against the intrusion.

Dusty and still air greeted them. The smell of abandonment. Of time passing without human presence. Of silence and stillness. Hyoren waved his hand in front of his face. The dust motes danced in the fading light from the windows.

Inside, it was not broken. There was still furniture like shelves, cabinets, chairs, tables. The belongings of a family. A life. Left behind. The dust had started to accumulate. A thin layer on every surface. Gray. Soft. But the wear and passage of time had not yet claimed them. The wood was solid. The fabric was intact. The house was merely sleeping.

They entered the reception room. The first and biggest room they found. The space was generous. Designed for gatherings. For meetings. For receiving guests. Now it received only dust and shadows.

Elise opened the window. The wood resisted. Stuck in its frame. She pushed harder. It gave way with a creak. Trying to remove the dusty air. The evening breeze flowed in. Fresh. Cool. Carrying the scent of wild grass and distant fields.

"It's full of dust. But we can sleep here tonight, Hyoren. We don't need to erect a tent as the house is still sturdy. And if we light that fireplace, the air will be warm enough."

Elise scanned the reception room.

“We might not even need our Ward Stones. I haven’t picked any trace of enemy from the surroundings, and the walls will protect us.”

She then faced Hyoren, her hands gestured at the furniture scattered around the room.

"Help me drag the furniture away to the side, Hyoren. We will use our sleeping bag on the floor."

Hyoren nodded. The task was clear. Simple.

"Okay, Elise. Let's work on it."

Hyoren then did as instructed. He moved to the table first. The wood was heavy. Solid oak. He gripped the edges. Lifted. Dragged it to the wall. The legs scraped against the floor. A sound that broke the silence. Then the chairs. One by one. He arranged them neatly against the wall. Creating a vast open space in front of the fireplace. The room opened up.

He then arranged the firewood nearby on the fireplace. Some previous occupant had stacked them neatly. He lit it with the firestarter Elise had given him earlier.

At the same time, Elise took the mattress and their sleeping bag from her storage bag. The items materialized in her hands. She laid them in the middle of the room. After that, she took a portable magic lamp and put it in the corner to illuminate the room. Made the room feel less abandoned.

She then took a portable stove and cookware. The metal gleamed in the lamplight. She started cooking. With ingredients from her bag, she began to prepare a stew. Squirrel meat. Vegetables. Herbs. Spices.

Not long after, a savory aroma replaced the dusty aroma in the air as Hyoren finished his own task. The room was now cleaner. The fire crackled.

He sat on the mattress beside her. Looking at her cooking. Watching her hands move. Her silver hair caught the light. Her emerald eyes focused on the pot.

"Magic tools are convenient, Elise... We can eat warm food, have bright lights in the middle of nowhere."

Elise chuckled.

"Fufu. That's right. I always want to buy all this convenience. But going solo means it will cost me too much to afford all this. But now that we are together, this convenience is ours now. Fufu."

She then divided the stew into two portions. The ladle dipped into the pot. Filled two bowls. She gave one bowl to Hyoren. The steam rose from the surface.

"Please don't expect too much from it, okay? I'm not a good cook. I rarely have time to cook for myself."

Her pointed ears dropped slightly. Unease. Uncertainty. She looked away. Embarrassed.

Hyoren took the bowl. The ceramic was warm against his palms. He scooped a spoonful. Brought it to his lips. Tasted it.

His eyes widened. The flavor was unexpected. Good. Better than good.

"Woah... Elise, your cooking is delicious! It's simple, but still quite tasty. I would love to eat this every day."

Elise's pointed ears perked. Then turned to shades of pink. The flush spread from the tips to the base.

"Mou, you say that just to make me happy, right! Martha's cooking is the delicious one... not mine."

Hyoren smiled. Then scooped another spoonful of stew. Savoring it. The meat was tender. The vegetables were soft. The broth was rich. He chewed slowly. Appreciating the flavor.

"No, I'm not lying or sugarcoating it. I love your cooking, Elise. It has a different taste and charm than Martha. Both are delicious. But if I need to pick which food I would gladly eat every day, it's yours."

His words were sincere. He truly thought like that. While Martha's food felt like mother—warm, comforting, nostalgic—Elise's food was like... He couldn't really grasp the right word. But he definitely loved it. It tasted like home. Like something he wanted to come back to.

Elise boiled red. Her pointed ears twitched uncontrollably. The flush spread from her ears to her cheeks. To her neck. She couldn't handle direct compliments like this. She just froze completely. Overwhelmed with emotion. Her spoon hovered in the air. Forgotten.

Noticing her state, Hyoren tried to wake her up.

"Elise... Hey, Eliseee. Wake up."

He waved his hand in front of Elise's face. The motion broke through her trance. Before she finally snapped from her daze.

"Huh. What..."

Hyoren chuckled. The sound was gentle. Amused.

"Let's eat, Elise, before the stew turns cool."

She finally realized she was holding her bowl. The ceramic was still warm in her hands.

"Oh... right. Let's eat, Hyoren."

Elise replied weakly. Her voice was soft. Distant. It seemed the emotional breakdown from before was unregistered. Or she just forcefully reset it. Pretended it didn't happen.

Hyoren chuckled again. He was not tactless enough to mention it. The only telltale signs of her emotional breakdown were her slightly flushed face and her twitching pointed ears. The pink was slow to fade. The ears continued to flutter.

Both of them then ate in silence. Only the crackle of the fireplace and the sounds of spoon and bowl clinking in the dusty reception room of this abandoned village. The fire cast dancing shadows on the walls. The night deepened outside. The world was quiet.

They were alone. Two people. In a ghost village. Surrounded by mystery.