Chapter 171: Migration ( 21 )

Morning finally arrived, the gentle sun resuming its place in the sky. Sadly, its brilliant glow couldn't wash away the gloomy mood shrouding Winterseed. Even the soft wind couldn't lessen the sadness.The village square was filled to the brim with villagers, most of whom were shedding tears, while a few tried to maintain calmness—but even their composure couldn't hide their worries. The square was so crowded and busy that some villagers had to stand outside to witness everything.

In the middle of the village square, six corpses lay immobile on the ground. The villagers flocked around the corpses.

"Noooo! Why did they have to die? They were good people!"

"Mommy, is Big Brother going to wake up again? He promised to play with me today."

"My son, come back!"

Loud cries of extreme sorrow blasted across the area. The scenes at the village square were of villagers crying and others trying their hardest to console them.

Rowan and the captains stood in a corner of the village square where no one could see them. The captains all looked down with worried expressions. Roland had a very sad look on his face; he felt really down as the two dead soldiers were under his watch, and he had let them die. He felt as though he was responsible for their deaths.

"This is bad!" Bryce exclaimed with a deep frown.

"What is happening? How did six people die at the same time?" the archers' captain added.

No one really knew what was happening at this moment except Rowan. Sadly, he could not share this detail with the soldiers, as it would only make matters worse by invoking unnecessary fear in them.

It seems whatever bastard did this only struck the southern area of the village, Rowan pondered. No one in the other areas was attacked; all of them are okay, he continued. Maybe tonight I'll stay with the soldiers to see if I can find traces, he concluded. But how would I explain this to the people? There is already the strange condition of Ren and Liara worrying them, and now six people died on the same night!

Rowan looked at the captains, who were discussing among themselves, trying to find out what was really happening. He noticed the calmness of Roland and immediately understood how he felt.

"Rowan..."

Dragun and Vishirk arrived and quickly approached Rowan. Dragun met Rowan and dragged him to a corner; Vishirk accompanied them.

"You know what this is, right?" Dragun asked.

Rowan nodded.

"There is no way to fight against or defeat something of that level. About that deserted kingdom I told you about—I will go explore it very soon. Then we can move everyone there; it's the only way we can escape the clutches of those evil bastards!" Dragun suggested.

Rowan could only nod his head. He could not fully place his hope on the deserted land for now. The stories about that land weren't even clear; why should he put his hope in it?

"The people are confused and sorrowful right now, Rowan. Only your speech can calm them again," Dragun said, placing his hand on Rowan's shoulder with a smile.

Rowan nodded solemnly; he hadn't felt this stressed since he transmigrated. He walked up to the grieving crowd and climbed onto the raised platform in the middle, close to the six corpses lying on the ground.

He looked at the crowd in front of him. He could see Elara and the other farmers' representatives looking at the corpses of the farmers. Elara had tears in her eyes, while the others could only observe the bodies of their dead colleagues with sadness. Riela was standing in the front row, looking up at Rowan with a rather downcast expression on her face. Explore more stories with mvl

Rowan hadn't seen his people this sad and worried since he transmigrated.

Rowan took a deep breath and faced the crowd. The villagers looked up at him with tear-streaked faces, their eyes filled with fear and confusion.

"Rowan, please tell us what's happening!"

"Why did they have to die?"

"Are we in danger?"

Rowan raised his hands gently. "I understand how you all feel. I'm already looking into what happened. I promise you, I'll find answers soon."

The crowd murmured among themselves, but they grew quieter, waiting for him to speak.

He gazed at the six still bodies before him, his heart heavy. Gathering his thoughts, he began his speech.

"Today, we gather not just in mourning, but in remembrance of our dear friends and family. They were more than just neighbors—they were the heart of Winterseed."

He paused, his eyes scanning the faces before him. "They worked beside us in the fields, shared meals at our tables, and brought joy into our lives with their smiles and laughter."

The silence in the crowd deepened before more villagers began to cry once again, making the scene even more emotional.

Rowan spoke to them for a few more minutes before concluding and calling the soldiers to carry out the usual burial rite of burning the corpses. The soldiers brought the wood for the ritual and placed the bodies atop. Their expressions were extremely sad.

Rowan climbed down from the platform and summoned Blaze. He gave a quick speech once again.

The villagers gazed at the corpses ready to be burned, and their heartache increased—they found it difficult to believe they would never be able to see these people again. The parents and families of the dead cried even louder, while a few of them fainted, emotionally incapable of witnessing their loved ones' last moments.

Rowan turned to Blaze and nodded slowly. Blaze responded and did the needful. He summoned a big fireball that floated above the corpses like a sun brightening a dark world. Blaze made the fireball engulf the corpses; he controlled the flames to make the process gentler.

"Nooo!!"

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The cries increased. The soldiers who had been holding it in couldn't do so anymore and cried their eyes out.