Chapter 129 The Cursed One's Village (2)

"I-It's not a big house, but there should be enough room to accommodate the four of you... Please come in," The woman invited Lyan and the valkyries inside her house meekly.

The house is not what you would call battered. Despite of the medium size, the house is clean and the few pieces of furniture are placed neatly in positions that won't reduce the space for access.

(This is...) (Lyan)

The house is clean but there are several parts of the house that are broken. Those things need sufficient handicraft and the strength of a man. It's unlikely for such a clean house to leave a broken part untouched, so the conclusion is only one.

(A house of a single mother, huh...) (Lyan)

"This is your room," The woman shows them a decent-sized room enough for the four of them.

"Um. But if you want another room for the young sir, then you can use the room beside it," Added her.

"""We don't need it,""" (Surena, Emilia, and Alice)

"I'll use it," (Lyan)

Lyan ignores the Valkyries' comment and put his bag inside the next room.

"I guess we'll be lodging in this place for tonight," Lyan uttered in satisfaction.

Lyan parked their wagon and their horses at the house's stables. Considering the size of the village, the household must have experienced a certain prosperous period since the not only the house is quite spacious for a villager's house, but it also has a rather big stable as well.

There are one skinny horse and three cows inside the stable. Looking at how the cows are fatter than the horse, they must have decided to prioritize the well-being of the cows rather than the horse after considering which one that would benefit them more.

They don't seem to be using horse much for their work, and the cows will give them money from the milk and their wealth will increase if they breed and produce a calf.

(They should be living barely a decent life if they have this much, but yet, But the little girl... Nia, isn't it? She doesn't even have a single slipper or shoe on her) (Hestia)

(Yeah... Looks like it's more than what meets the eye) (Lyan)

"Mh? Hm? Huh? Where am... I?" The little girl called Nia slowly asked as she regain her consciousness.

"Nia? Nia! You finally wake up... Even though mother has told you countless times before that you must not enter the forest... You don't know how worried I am!" The mother once again hugged her daughter tightly. Nia's expression slowly melts as tears welled up in her eyes, but rather than answering her mother's hug, she suddenly widened her eyes.

"W-Wait mama! W-Wait a moment!!" The little girl struggled to get out of her mother's embrace.

"Nia?"

"I-It's not that I don't want the hug. But sis is!" (Nia)

"Sis is?"

"Sis is in danger, mama!!" Nia said desperately with tears.

"In danger? What are you saying? Lia is working as usual at the Birdie Inn. What are you-"

"I'm not lying!! I saw two bad guys dragging sis to the forest!! I was following them into the forest since sis looks like she's in danger!!!!" Nia explained with a loud voice, trying to prove how desperate she is and the truth of her words.

"They're bringing her... To the forest...? What are they...?" The woman muttered in shock. On one hand, she understands that Nia won't be lying after showing how desperate she is. But on the other hand, she doesn't want to accept it since she knows what kind of things that would happen for a young girl to be brought to the forest by two men.

Between the exchange of the mother and child, Lyan finally noticed something that had bothered him when he saved Nia in the forest.

(She was running deep into the forest without bringing a basket or bag to bring anything she was going to harvest, and her eyes are already red. She must have been crying not just when the monsters were about to attack her, but since the time she was tailing the bastards that are kidnapping her sister, huh...) (Lyan)

Lyan's eyes narrowed as he clenched his teeth.

(So the little girl's love towards her sister was stronger than her fear of the forest and the kidnapper. What a strong child) (Hestia)

(She's afraid, but yet she continues her steps far into the forest. She has a strong spirit befitting a knight) (Arturia)

(Yeah...) (Lyan)

"Lyan. What should we do?" (Surena)

Looking at Surena and the others, it's bare to see that they are ready- no, eager to save the little girl's older sister. But since they are currently Lyan's servants by the Mana Oath, as former knights, waiting for the orders from their master is a manner that they must follow.

*Sigh!*

(Seriously, if it's not because of that little girl's tears, I wouldn't act saint and try saving one after another. But after looking at such resolve from a little child...) (Lyan)

"Kid, Where did you last see your sister?" (Lyan)

"I-it should be around the place where you found me, mister! Then monsters suddenly appeared!" (Nia)

(She's talking well despite of her age. The mother must have taught her well, huh) (Lyan)

"Surena, Alice, Emilia," (Lyan)

"""Yes!"""

"Let's go," Lyan sprung outside the house and went to the stables to take the horses.

"W-Wait!" The woman shouted, But Lyan didn't pay her any heed.

(The place is not that far. If we galloped at full speed, we'll reach there in more or less an hour or so) (Lyan)

Riding the black horse, Lyan galloped in the direction of the forest together with the Valkyries on his back.

"Hobu, recoinnassance," (Lyan)

Some shadows left Lyan's shadow and went to the forest by traveling through the shades of the trees quickly.

They continued to gallop with their horses for thirty minutes, and Lyan suddenly received a signal from Hobu.

(So you've found them, Hobu. Good job) (Lyan)

Lyan closed his eyes and connect Hobu's vision to his mind.

"So there you are..." Lyan uttered as a grin appeared on his face.

It looks like a worn-out hunter's cottage in a glimpse, but the truth is, inside that cottage, there is a stair that leads to an underground basement.

Hobu had decapacitated the guards guarding outside the cottage and is guarding the stairs, ready to kill anyone who appeared and was suspected as his enemy as well.

After another twenty minutes, Lyan and the Valkyries finally arrived at the cottage.

"Looks like this is not a work of normal perverted villagers, huh..." Lyan uttered when he saw the cottage.

When observed properly, they could see that the worn-out cottage is not something that got worn out naturally. Traces of deliberate attempts to make it look like it's an old worn-out hunter cottage could be seen by those with keen eyes.

"Rena. Kidnapping from remote villages, hiding them in such a well-disguised base..." (Emilia)

"Yeah, you're right, Emi. Those are the basic procedures of the illegal slave trafficking operation. Lyan," Surena stared at Lyan with firm eyes, asking permission through her eyes for entering in.

(This is an illegal slave site. It must belong to a certain underground network, since when there is a business, there must be a customer that made the demands. If their master really got captured as a slave, then she must be in the possession of the people with the illegal slave site. Enslaving nobles even if they are former is something illegal, after all. Since they will always be useful for the invader side) (Lyan)

"I guess we need to make sure no one leaves this place alive then," Lyan then snapped his fingers, and the summoning grimoire appeared with a stronger aura than before.

(Its presence feels more powerful than before. Is it because of the increase in number of summoning creatures?) (Lyan)

With a single command from his thought, two big magic circles appeared before him.

"Acid ant queen, I'm counting on you and your little friends to infiltrate the place and shoot those who might attempt to leave from another exit," (Lyan)

The acid ant queen bowed, then a single green magic circle appeared. Acting like a gate, the other acid ants under her appeared like soldiers and went to the ground by digging them at considerable speed.

"While for you, Grimclaw," Lyan shifted his gaze towards the deadlight kneeling before him.

"You're coming with us. Let's show them hell," (Lyan)

___________________________________________________________________________

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary

Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers

Weapon: Magic Glaive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow

Equipment: Black leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastplate, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1)

Grimoire's Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army