Furrowing his brows, he looked down. Having momentarily forgotten his previous thoughts, Theo's eyes reignited with hope once again as he was surprised to find a patch of wet, muddy ground.
Deciding to investigate further, he followed the moist trail which, to his surprise, led him back to the base of the straw bales.
Approaching the mound of straw bales, Theo began to remove them. The further he dug, the more he realized there was something hidden beneath.
After ten minutes of digging, he unveiled a hidden chamber, cleverly concealed from onlookers. Inside, the evidence of recent activity was clear.
Frayed ropes, some still knotted, lay strewn about. Plates with half-eaten food were scattered on the ground. In the dim light, Theo noticed small footprints, possibly of children, and the noticeable stains of fresh blood on the ground. It was evident this was likely where the children had been held.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Theo knew time was of the essence, and they had to act fast.
As Theo turned around, he saw Limen approaching with hurried steps, his mouth slightly opened, discovering the concealed chamber amidst mounds of straw bales.
"Mister Theo, I couldn't find you anywhere. What have you discovered here?" Limen's voice trailed off as he took in the scene, his eyes widening with realization. "By the Ancients..." Limen whispered, mostly to himself.
"I think this is where the children were held," Theo murmured with an impassive look, pointing at the visible signs scattered all around the place.
Limen's expression shifted to one of deep horror. “In all my years as a commander, such audacity... to hide captives so close to town, and yet so cleverly concealed." After a short pause, he continued with a grave face, “They must've left in a hurry. We need to inform Her Highness.”
As they exited the field, they made their way to the designated meeting point.
From afar, Theo immediately sensed the tension between the other team. Lorian was standing apart, his expression cold. Meanwhile, Aerin wore a grumpy expression, looking as if she was burdened with the task of babysitting. The obvious tension between them left Theo wondering how Lorian had managed to irritate the princess so much.
Aerin expressed her frustration clearly. "We found no leads. This has been a waste of time."
Taking the lead, Limen filled her in on their findings, detailing the evidence from the hidden chamber, but omitting the more distressing details to shield Lorian. In a hushed tone, Limen briefed Aerin on the more gruesome aspects.
“All of this was uncovered by Mister Theo,” Limen added.
Aerin's gaze settled on Theo. After a moment of contemplative silence, she spoke, "If your findings are correct, the kidnappers likely took the southwest road. It’s the only way out from here besides the route we took, and our soldiers are guarding the other routes."
Limen, catching onto her implication, quickly added, "Which means, Shadowfen Village could be their next destination."
Aerin nodded, instructing, “Limen, get the carriage and meet us near the town’s gate towards the southwest road…”
Limen saluted and left, while Aerin, Theo, and Lorian moved towards the designated exit.
The southwest side of town was eerily quiet, with hardly any activity. Upon reaching the town gate, the distant rumble of carriage wheels grew louder, signaling Limen's approach.
Without further delay, the group boarded the carriage, heading toward Shadowfen Village with hopes of catching the culprits before it was too late.
On both sides of the road, mountainous cliffs stretched, seemingly impossible to climb from this path. On their way, the group looked tense and barely talked, as they were worried about the worst outcomes.
Just then, a series of chimes sounded. He glanced at the floating notification that appeared before him.
<<<<
[All your items have been purchased at the 'Buy It Now' price!]
[3,439,000 Nightshade Tomatoes have been sold for 103,170 Abyssal Coins.]
[A total of 98,012 Abyssal Coins have been deposited into your Golden Vault after deducting the 5% Auction House fee.]
[Balance=100,028 AC]
>>>>
After reading the floating messages, he opened the auction house and bought the listed scroll from the ‘Special this week’, leaving his balance at 14,028 Abyssal Coins.
<<<<
[Blazing Lion Scroll has been successfully purchased. Item is safely deposited in the Golden Vault.]
>>>>
Content that the scroll was now secured, Theo refocused on the present, letting the floating messages fade from his sight.
After about ninety minutes, the carriage came to a halt. Limen turned to the group, his voice filled with caution, “We’re nearing the village. It's best we proceed on foot to avoid drawing attention.”
Everyone agreed with his suggestion, disembarking quickly while Limen hid the carriage in the nearby woods.
It was already late at night, but the moonlight illuminated the surroundings. On one side were mountains, on the other, a forest, and nestled between both was a small village.
As they carefully entered the village, using shadows to move stealthily, they noticed the streets were empty. House doors were shut tight, and even windows were closed. It appeared as if there was no one present in the village.
As they passed one house, a young boy’s curious face appeared behind a window. Just as quickly, a woman's hand yanked him out of sight, drawing the curtains closed.
“There’s no mistaking it; they’ve been here. We need to be careful,” Aerin murmured.
Looking around cautiously, Limen suggested, “Maybe we should split up, Princess.”
Aerin hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward the village school in the distance, “Limen, take Lorian and investigate the school. He and I will check the warehouse.”
Theo was surprised by her suggestion. Wasn't she the one who had been so harsh to him during their first meeting because he was human? But it seemed her opinion was evolving after being with stubborn Lorian.
The groups separated, with Aerin and Theo moving silently together. As they moved, Aerin opened her mouth several times as if to speak but hesitated. Theo was not in the mood to entertain her, given he was not fond of her.
After covering some ground, they found themselves crouching behind a tree, eyeing the warehouses in front of them.
Four people guarded the entrance, and the gate was firmly shut. The guards chatted among themselves. They wore ordinary attire and appeared as if normal civilians.
One of the men stretched, exclaiming, “After tonight, I’m heading straight to the bar. It feels like ages since I last had fun with those women.”
His companion shot him a sharp glance. “Keep your voice down. The last thing we need is the boss overhearing such talk, especially tonight of all nights.”
The first man dismissed him with a wave. “The boss took off with that little girl towards the Silverbirch Forest. He won’t be around to eavesdrop.”
Watching these men, Theo's eyes shone. These were the same men who had cornered Neria and Lorian in Elwyn city. He'd had to give them a total hundred gold coins to release Neria. Connecting the dots, Theo felt certain that these men kidnapped Neria for reasons more than just ransom.
Aerin leaned in, whispering to Theo, “It seems we’re a bit late.”
He responded quietly but firmly, “We need to act fast. If Neria's not in there, I’m heading straight to find their boss. Time’s not on our side.”
Her brow furrowed with concern, “It’s risky. We don’t know how many are inside. We should go back to Limen and bring reinforcements.”
“That’ll delay us further. I'm going in. You go get the backup,” Theo declared.
Before Aerin could protest, he slipped away from their hiding spot, moving away from the tree.
She watched him move further away, heading towards the back of the warehouse. Biting her lower lip in frustration, she muttered, “Such a fool.”
Following his trails when she reached the back, she found a wide-open window, hinting at Theo's point of entry. Aerin paused for a moment, contemplating her next move.
Instead of following him in, she decided to retrace her steps and approach from the front, expecting some chaos or at least some noise at any moment. But oddly, everything remained eerily silent.
As she waited several minutes, a sudden creak broke the stillness. The door was widely opened. Aerin quickly ducked behind a nearby bush, her heart throbbed.
The guards looked toward the entrance of the warehouse and found no one there.
“Who's out there?” one of them asked hesitantly.
“It's probably just Adam messing around again,” another guard mumbled, trying to shake off the unease.
However, the most senior of them didn’t seem to be satisfied with their answer, “I don’t like this. You two, go check inside. I’ll cover the entrance,” he ordered, gripping his weapon tighter.
Hidden in the shadows, Aerin prepped herself for direct confrontation. A sleek black bow appeared in her hand, and as she channeled her mana, two green rings glowed on her left wrist.
She took her position and a shimmering arrow began to materialize, crackling with tendrils of thunder along its length. She closed one of her eyes to take her aim. Soon, she let go of her hold and released the arrow, which flew towards the target with incredible speed, causing a green trail to be left behind that eventually vanished.
As it hit the guard, white flowers blossomed on his body, accompanied by the crackling thunder, engulfing him, and he slumped to the ground.
When the second guard drew his sword, he too was hit by an arrow. He fell to the ground just as his comrade had.
With the guards outside neutralized, she waited, expecting their reinforcements to burst from the warehouse any moment. Yet, that expected rush of guards never came. Puzzled, Aerin decided to risk a closer look.
Carefully, she edged closer to the entrance. As she peered inside, the scene before her left her stunned.
Furrowing his brows, he looked down. Having momentarily forgotten his previous thoughts, Theo's eyes reignited with hope once again as he was surprised to find a patch of wet, muddy ground.
Deciding to investigate further, he followed the moist trail which, to his surprise, led him back to the base of the straw bales.
Approaching the mound of straw bales, Theo began to remove them. The further he dug, the more he realized there was something hidden beneath.
After ten minutes of digging, he unveiled a hidden chamber, cleverly concealed from onlookers. Inside, the evidence of recent activity was clear.
Frayed ropes, some still knotted, lay strewn about. Plates with half-eaten food were scattered on the ground. In the dim light, Theo noticed small footprints, possibly of children, and the noticeable stains of fresh blood on the ground. It was evident this was likely where the children had been held.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Theo knew time was of the essence, and they had to act fast.
As Theo turned around, he saw Limen approaching with hurried steps, his mouth slightly opened, discovering the concealed chamber amidst mounds of straw bales.
"Mister Theo, I couldn't find you anywhere. What have you discovered here?" Limen's voice trailed off as he took in the scene, his eyes widening with realization. "By the Ancients..." Limen whispered, mostly to himself.
"I think this is where the children were held," Theo murmured with an impassive look, pointing at the visible signs scattered all around the place.
Limen's expression shifted to one of deep horror. “In all my years as a commander, such audacity... to hide captives so close to town, and yet so cleverly concealed." After a short pause, he continued with a grave face, “They must've left in a hurry. We need to inform Her Highness.”
As they exited the field, they made their way to the designated meeting point.
From afar, Theo immediately sensed the tension between the other team. Lorian was standing apart, his expression cold. Meanwhile, Aerin wore a grumpy expression, looking as if she was burdened with the task of babysitting. The obvious tension between them left Theo wondering how Lorian had managed to irritate the princess so much.
Aerin expressed her frustration clearly. "We found no leads. This has been a waste of time."
Taking the lead, Limen filled her in on their findings, detailing the evidence from the hidden chamber, but omitting the more distressing details to shield Lorian. In a hushed tone, Limen briefed Aerin on the more gruesome aspects.
“All of this was uncovered by Mister Theo,” Limen added.
Aerin's gaze settled on Theo. After a moment of contemplative silence, she spoke, "If your findings are correct, the kidnappers likely took the southwest road. It’s the only way out from here besides the route we took, and our soldiers are guarding the other routes."
Limen, catching onto her implication, quickly added, "Which means, Shadowfen Village could be their next destination."
Aerin nodded, instructing, “Limen, get the carriage and meet us near the town’s gate towards the southwest road…”
Limen saluted and left, while Aerin, Theo, and Lorian moved towards the designated exit.
The southwest side of town was eerily quiet, with hardly any activity. Upon reaching the town gate, the distant rumble of carriage wheels grew louder, signaling Limen's approach.
Without further delay, the group boarded the carriage, heading toward Shadowfen Village with hopes of catching the culprits before it was too late.
On both sides of the road, mountainous cliffs stretched, seemingly impossible to climb from this path. On their way, the group looked tense and barely talked, as they were worried about the worst outcomes.
Just then, a series of chimes sounded. He glanced at the floating notification that appeared before him.
<<<<
[All your items have been purchased at the 'Buy It Now' price!]
[3,439,000 Nightshade Tomatoes have been sold for 103,170 Abyssal Coins.]
[A total of 98,012 Abyssal Coins have been deposited into your Golden Vault after deducting the 5% Auction House fee.]
[Balance=100,028 AC]
>>>>
After reading the floating messages, he opened the auction house and bought the listed scroll from the ‘Special this week’, leaving his balance at 14,028 Abyssal Coins.
<<<<
[Blazing Lion Scroll has been successfully purchased. Item is safely deposited in the Golden Vault.]
>>>>
Content that the scroll was now secured, Theo refocused on the present, letting the floating messages fade from his sight.
After about ninety minutes, the carriage came to a halt. Limen turned to the group, his voice filled with caution, “We’re nearing the village. It's best we proceed on foot to avoid drawing attention.”
Everyone agreed with his suggestion, disembarking quickly while Limen hid the carriage in the nearby woods.
It was already late at night, but the moonlight illuminated the surroundings. On one side were mountains, on the other, a forest, and nestled between both was a small village.
As they carefully entered the village, using shadows to move stealthily, they noticed the streets were empty. House doors were shut tight, and even windows were closed. It appeared as if there was no one present in the village.
As they passed one house, a young boy’s curious face appeared behind a window. Just as quickly, a woman's hand yanked him out of sight, drawing the curtains closed.
“There’s no mistaking it; they’ve been here. We need to be careful,” Aerin murmured.
Looking around cautiously, Limen suggested, “Maybe we should split up, Princess.”
Aerin hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward the village school in the distance, “Limen, take Lorian and investigate the school. He and I will check the warehouse.”
Theo was surprised by her suggestion. Wasn't she the one who had been so harsh to him during their first meeting because he was human? But it seemed her opinion was evolving after being with stubborn Lorian.
The groups separated, with Aerin and Theo moving silently together. As they moved, Aerin opened her mouth several times as if to speak but hesitated. Theo was not in the mood to entertain her, given he was not fond of her.
After covering some ground, they found themselves crouching behind a tree, eyeing the warehouses in front of them.
Four people guarded the entrance, and the gate was firmly shut. The guards chatted among themselves. They wore ordinary attire and appeared as if normal civilians.
One of the men stretched, exclaiming, “After tonight, I’m heading straight to the bar. It feels like ages since I last had fun with those women.”
His companion shot him a sharp glance. “Keep your voice down. The last thing we need is the boss overhearing such talk, especially tonight of all nights.”
The first man dismissed him with a wave. “The boss took off with that little girl towards the Silverbirch Forest. He won’t be around to eavesdrop.”
Watching these men, Theo's eyes shone. These were the same men who had cornered Neria and Lorian in Elwyn city. He'd had to give them a total hundred gold coins to release Neria. Connecting the dots, Theo felt certain that these men kidnapped Neria for reasons more than just ransom.
Aerin leaned in, whispering to Theo, “It seems we’re a bit late.”
He responded quietly but firmly, “We need to act fast. If Neria's not in there, I’m heading straight to find their boss. Time’s not on our side.”
Her brow furrowed with concern, “It’s risky. We don’t know how many are inside. We should go back to Limen and bring reinforcements.”
“That’ll delay us further. I'm going in. You go get the backup,” Theo declared.
Before Aerin could protest, he slipped away from their hiding spot, moving away from the tree.
She watched him move further away, heading towards the back of the warehouse. Biting her lower lip in frustration, she muttered, “Such a fool.”
Following his trails when she reached the back, she found a wide-open window, hinting at Theo's point of entry. Aerin paused for a moment, contemplating her next move.
Instead of following him in, she decided to retrace her steps and approach from the front, expecting some chaos or at least some noise at any moment. But oddly, everything remained eerily silent.
As she waited several minutes, a sudden creak broke the stillness. The door was widely opened. Aerin quickly ducked behind a nearby bush, her heart throbbed.
The guards looked toward the entrance of the warehouse and found no one there.
“Who's out there?” one of them asked hesitantly.
“It's probably just Adam messing around again,” another guard mumbled, trying to shake off the unease.
However, the most senior of them didn’t seem to be satisfied with their answer, “I don’t like this. You two, go check inside. I’ll cover the entrance,” he ordered, gripping his weapon tighter.
Hidden in the shadows, Aerin prepped herself for direct confrontation. A sleek black bow appeared in her hand, and as she channeled her mana, two green rings glowed on her left wrist.
She took her position and a shimmering arrow began to materialize, crackling with tendrils of thunder along its length. She closed one of her eyes to take her aim. Soon, she let go of her hold and released the arrow, which flew towards the target with incredible speed, causing a green trail to be left behind that eventually vanished.
As it hit the guard, white flowers blossomed on his body, accompanied by the crackling thunder, engulfing him, and he slumped to the ground.
When the second guard drew his sword, he too was hit by an arrow. He fell to the ground just as his comrade had.
With the guards outside neutralized, she waited, expecting their reinforcements to burst from the warehouse any moment. Yet, that expected rush of guards never came. Puzzled, Aerin decided to risk a closer look.
Carefully, she edged closer to the entrance. As she peered inside, the scene before her left her stunned.
