[Vol. 7] Chapter 84: Mystery in the Mountain Village
After that, one of the militia guards stayed behind to continue his watch, while the other led the three adventurers into the village.
From the direction he was heading, it seemed their destination was the watchtower on the west side of the village, the same one [Tree Monkey] had mentioned earlier. That was where the militia squad was stationed, which made sense, as it followed the standard village defense structure of the Austre Empire.
By now, the night had grown late.
For most rural families, with limited lighting and no modern entertainment, there wasn’t much to do after dinner besides wash up and head to bed, except on special occasions or festival nights.
As a result, the village streets were completely empty, and the atmosphere felt eerily quiet. The only sounds in the darkness were the four sets of footsteps echoing softly as they walked.
Since the militia guard didn’t seem interested in making conversation and was just silently leading the way, Enrique and Sophie couldn’t find a natural chance to gather intel.
Meanwhile, Violet, who looked like she had nothing better to do, quickly grew bored and casually broke the silence.
“Hey, earlier you mentioned that the mountains haven’t been ‘peaceful’ lately. What do you mean by that?”
“Hmm…”
The militia youth hesitated for a moment but eventually sighed and nodded.
“Well, since you’re all skilled adventurers from the city, I guess you’ll run into it sooner or later. Might as well tell you now so you can be on guard.”
He pointed toward the shadowy silhouette of the mountains in the distance.
“Our village, Adelaide 192, is a small and remote place, completely surrounded by mountains. Traveling here is inconvenient. The roads are narrow and risky, so merchants rarely bother coming this far. Besides the occasional adventurer like you, we don’t get many visitors.”
“But we have farmland in the mountains, and we can hunt and gather enough to survive. Since the villagers go into the mountains every day, we usually notice right away if anything unusual happens.”
“Then, about two weeks ago, something strange happened. One afternoon, a villager went up the mountain and somehow vanished overnight. He didn’t return until the next day, looking completely exhausted and shaken.”
“He said he heard strange noises, saw mysterious lights, and kept wandering in circles, unable to find his way back down, like he was being trapped by something.”
"At first, most of the villagers thought he was just talking nonsense. Probably fainted from hunger while climbing the mountain and started hallucinating. No one took it too seriously. But then, not long after, other people started experiencing the same thing, like getting lost in some kind of phantom maze at night. And it kept happening more often and to more people.”
"Even though this strange phenomenon hasn’t actually hurt anyone, getting trapped in the mountains at night is no joke. Not to mention the risk of tripping and getting injured in the dark, but if someone runs into a bear or a wolf, they could really lose their life."
"Our captain led us on several search missions, but we never found anything. In the end, with no other choice, we went to Adelaide City for help, asking the officials or the Adventurers' Guild to send someone to investigate. For now, the villagers are avoiding the mountains in the late afternoon or evening, at least until someone can figure out what's going on."
After hearing this, Violet raised an eyebrow.
"Getting lost in the mountains at night... but we didn’t experience anything unusual earlier. So, did the investigators actually come?"
The militia guard shook his head.
"Not sure. I just got assigned to gate duty today, so I don’t always stay at the entrance. Maybe they came, but I didn’t see them. If you’re interested, you can ask the captain later… Oh, we’re here. Please wait here, I’ll go report in."
After leading them to a cluster of houses near the watchtower, the man left Violet and the others behind and quickly headed toward the central building.
"......"
The three adventurers exchanged glances.
"Hey, you heard what he just said…"
"Yeah," Enrique muttered. "The way he described it... it’s very similar to some of the early missing person cases reported to local Adventurers' Guilds. Strange lights, unexplained noises, and people trapped as if caught in an illusion. But there’s something odd… No, the fact that this village is still inhabited is already the biggest anomaly.”
Turning to the black-haired girl beside him, Enrique asked,
"Miss Violet, you’re an expert in [Holy Arts]. Do you sense any evil presence in this village?"
Without hesitation, Violet shook her head.
"No illusions, no signs of a magical barrier, and that militia guard was definitely a living human, not a puppet… at least for now. If we want to investigate further, we’ll need to get closer and interact with the villagers directly."
"Closer interaction, huh…"
Before the three could discuss further, the militia guard who had gone inside returned, now accompanied by a tall and imposing figure.
"Everyone, this is our militia captain."
The three adventurers stopped talking and subtly observed the man.
He looked to be in his forties, towering over two meters tall, with a body covered in thick dark-brown hair, resembling a bear-like beastman hybrid. He wore heavier armor than the average militia member, clearly offering more protection but also more difficult to move in. Unlike his men, he didn’t wear a helmet, and his right arm was fitted with a mechanized military-grade strength-enhancing gauntlet. Strapped to his back was a standard imperial officer’s saber.
Most notably, he had a monocular eyepatch, covering a deep scar that ran across his face, nearly slicing off a large portion of his skull. A mark that made him look particularly intimidating.
With only one functioning eye, it was likely that his injury was the reason he had been stationed here.
In the Austre Empire, positions like village militia captain were typically assigned to seasoned veterans. Soldiers who were fiercely loyal to the empire but had sustained serious injuries in battle or were simply too old for frontline duty, yet still capable of fighting.
This system not only provided wounded soldiers with a place to serve, but it also ensured that experienced warriors could train new recruits, preparing a reserve force for future conflicts.
While they may seem insignificant in peacetime, in the event of a large-scale war or invasion, these scattered veterans across countless villages and towns could be mobilized instantly, forming a formidable defensive force.
Unlike the young militia guard, who still had a hint of inexperience, the half-bear captain immediately narrowed his remaining eye, a sharp glint flashing in it as he assessed the three adventurers.
It was clear, he had noticed something unusual about them.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the younger militia member, instructing him to return to the village gate for guard duty. Then, in a deep, gruff voice, he spoke.
"An adventurer party, huh? Who’s the leader? Let me see your adventurer badge."
"Oh… that would be me," Enrique replied casually, stepping forward. "Here, take a look."
Once again, he pulled out his forged badge, handing it over.
The captain took it, examining it closely. His brows furrowed as he gave the three adventurers another long, scrutinizing look, as if he were sizing them up and calculating something.
"Mithril-ranked…? You don’t look like mere Mithril-rank adventurers… but whatever."
He let out a low grunt before introducing himself formally.
"Marcelo. Sergeant Third Class under the Austre Empire’s Southern Army, currently serving as the captain of Adelaide Village 192’s militia."
After that brief yet professional introduction, he gave them a small nod before turning around.
"Follow me. We’ll talk somewhere more private."