Login Required

From the Elf village near the border of the forest and the plains, not a single voice or presence could be felt.

Even approaching the houses, not a single child's shadow could be found. Of course, the livestock pens were also empty of animals... and the horses that should have been kept there were not tied up.

Had the village been attacked by bandits or wild beasts, forcing them to flee?

Koai thought so and investigated the houses and fields... but the homes, the fields, the fruit trees—none of them showed any signs of being ransacked.

For an attack, the houses and fields were too orderly. There were no signs that bandits or beasts of any kind had entered the village.

In fact, she couldn't even sense any signs of a hasty evacuation from an attack... It was far too tidy for that.

Conversely, if they had risen up to drive away bandits or beasts beforehand... they would have at least left behind nursing infants, their mothers, and some guards. As far as Koai knew, both humans and demons... were like that.

As Koai, feeling suspicious, began to walk on to hurry ahead... she heard the distant neigh of a horse.

Changing the direction of her intended path, she stepped onto a small trail that wove through the trees. After proceeding for a while, she came out into a slightly open area... It was a grassy field, and there, a single bareback horse was leisurely grazing on the grass.

Seeing this as a stroke of luck, Koai returned to the village's livestock pen and brought out a bridle. She then put the bit in the mouth of the horse, which was still grazing on wild grass in the field, and mounted it. Then she galloped the horse toward Taras Castle.