Chương 54: The Farming District

Ch 54 - The Farming District Not long after that, the bus finally came to a stop as they reached the area that should have been close to their destination. One by one, everyone stepped off the bus, already dressed in their own battle outfits. They had arrived at the foot of a hill, where, on the opposite side, they could already see the outline of their destination. Nearby, three open-top off-road vehicles were parked, already prepared for the next part of the journey.

"From this point on, we'll be using different vehicles," Madou said.

"Suki's bus won't be able to reach the place we're heading." Someone else was already waiting for them there, the person assigned to pick them up for the next part of the trip. It was almost noon, so they quickly got moving again. Zeph ended up riding in the same vehicle as Lena and Malon.

"This has been one strange trip," he said.

"So... where exactly are we heading?" Malon answered, "We're heading to the Greenridge Farming District." He looked out the window as he continued.

"It's actually a small rural town. Most of the people living there are farm workers and their families. The population isn't very large, but the farmland they manage stretches across a huge area."

"Okay... if it's just a farming district covering that much land, then why call people who aren't even official hunters from an academy that's this far away?" Zeph asked. Malon smiled faintly. Since the driver was sitting in front of them, he lowered his voice before answering.

"That's the interesting part," he said.

"Maybe they're hiding something from the official hunters."

"Hiding something?" Zeph glanced to both sides as their vehicle followed a narrower road. Even so, the road was well maintained. The drive took quite a while as the path steadily climbed uphill, until something finally appeared in the distance. A city wall. It was not especially tall, perhaps only about the height of a two-story house, but it looked thick and solid.

"So that's where the people here live?" he asked. A few moments later, the vehicles rolled up to the city wall. The large gate slowly opened, allowing them to pass before the convoy finally came to a stop just inside. Zeph simply climbed out of the vehicle while Madou handled the discussion with the mission coordinator. The man waiting for them looked to be in his late fifties.

His back was slightly bent, as if years of hard labor had slowly worn down his posture, and streaks of gray had already spread through his hair.

"We've already prepared a place for all of you to stay," the man said.

"We'll discuss the rest once we get there." After that, the group began making their way through the streets of the small town. The roads were neat but quiet, lined with modest stone and wooden houses that showed clear signs of age. Farm tools rested outside several homes, while carts loaded with supplies stood beside the road. A few children peeked from behind fences before quickly disappearing again, and the adults paused from their work just long enough to watch the newcomers pass. No one greeted them.

They simply observed in silence before returning to what they had been doing.

"What exactly do they farm here?" Zeph asked.

"They're mainly livestock farmers." Lena said.

"They raise horned cattle, mountain goats, and wool sheep. The grasslands around the forest are perfect for grazing, while the surrounding fields are used to grow feed for the animals. Until recently, the area around this forest was considered relatively safe, so there were never many hunters assigned to this town."

"But they have a city wall," Zeph said.

"That should mean they were already prepared for attacks from outside."

"They do have awakeners," Lena replied.

"But most of them are only Rank 1 Apprentices, and being hunters isn't even their main job. They're farmers first. They only fight when they have no other choice." Zeph gave a slow nod. Every now and then, he glanced to either side as he noticed the townspeople quietly watching them with unreadable expressions. Those flat, emotionless stares reminded him of his own. Not long after, they arrived at the inn that had been prepared for them. It was a small, three-story building, but it looked clean and well maintained.

Judging by the welcoming entrance and neatly arranged interior, it seemed the town occasionally received merchants, travelers, or tourists passing through the area. The group was led into the dining hall on the ground floor, where a meal had already been prepared. As everyone settled down to eat and rest after the long journey, the man from earlier stepped to the front of the room and began speaking. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly," he said.

"My name is Goslik. I'm the mayor of this town. First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for traveling all the way from Lumeris. I know it wasn't an easy journey." He smiled warmly.

"I also know about the reputation of Lumeris Hunter Academy. Unfortunately, based on the risk assessment we submitted, the situation here wasn't classified as a major threat. Because of that, the only support we received was a team of Rank 2 Guardians." His gaze shifted across the room.

"I was also informed that only two of you are actually Rank 2 Guardians."

"Yeah, but we're stronger than five ordinary Rank 2 Guardians combined," Madou replied.

"You don't have to worry about that." The mayor let out an awkward smile before continuing.

"For the past two months," he said, his expression turning more serious, "our town has been suffering repeated monster horde attacks during the night. To be honest, the number of monsters is far beyond what we can fight head-on."

"What tier are they?" Madou asked.

"They're only Tier 1 monsters," Goslik answered.

"But the attacks happen regularly, at least once every week. Because of that, we've lost a large number of our livestock, and I'm afraid our city wall won't be enough if another attack grows even larger than the previous ones."

"Our awakeners aren't trained to fight prolonged battles," he continued.

"Most of them are ordinary workers who only take up weapons when they're needed. The town guard simply isn't strong enough to deal with something like this."

"Monster hordes?" Madou repeated.

"That's unusual. Tier 1 monsters don't normally gather together and launch coordinated attacks like this."

"We've been thinking the same thing," Goslik said.

"We suspect something is controlling them. Or perhaps they're being driven here by something deeper inside the forest." He paused for a moment before continuing.

"The source has to be somewhere within those woods. But ever since the attacks began, we haven't dared to explore any farther. We simply don't have enough people to risk sending an expedition into the forest."

"When do you expect the next attack?" Madou asked. Mayor Goslik hesitated for a moment, his expression tightening as if he disliked the answer he was about to give.

"The last attack happened around ten days ago," he said after a brief silence.

"If the pattern stays the same... then there's a good chance it will happen tomorrow. Or perhaps even tonight."

"Tonight..." Madou repeated quietly. The mayor gave a slow nod.

"I'm sorry for bringing all of this up as soon as you've arrived," he said.

"You've just finished a long journey, so please enjoy your meal and get some proper rest first. Later, I'll assign someone to accompany you and help coordinate with the town's security guards. They'll also provide any information you need about the previous attacks." He looked around at everyone gathered in the room before lowering his head slightly.

"We're placing our hopes in all of you. Not only to protect this town from the next attack, but also to uncover the source behind these monster hordes before even more lives and livestock are lost." After the mayor left, the group remained in the dining hall to finish their meal. There was no serious discussion about the mission afterward. Instead, the conversation drifted from one light topic to another as everyone quietly enjoyed the chance to rest after the long journey.

Some time later, they were shown to their rooms. The inn had paired everyone in groups of two, and Zeph ended up sharing a room with Malon. After setting down their belongings, Zeph sat in the middle of the room while Malon walked over to the window. Outside, the afternoon sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, painting the quiet town in warm golden light.

"If the attack really comes tonight," Zeph said, "then we'll be getting to work a lot sooner than I expected." Malon looked back at him but remained silent.

"Tell me," Zeph continued.

"What are you thinking? I need more information. Attacks like these, monster hordes... what usually causes them? Has anything similar happened before?" Malon finally walked over and sat across from him.

"Monsters usually move in large groups when something is driving them," he said.

"That part is almost certain. Sometimes it's because they're part of the same species, like a wolf pack hunting together or defending their territory. But from what the mayor described, this doesn't sound like that."

"Okay," Zeph replied.

"I think this is closer to a natural horde."

"A natural horde?"

"Yes," Malon continued.

"Something may have appeared in this town that keeps drawing monsters toward it. That's my current guess, at least. I could be wrong, but it would explain why different kinds of monsters are attacking the same place instead of acting as a single coordinated pack."

"What usually makes monsters attack humans?"

"Mana," Malon answered without hesitation.

"Monsters can only be killed effectively by awakeners because mana-based abilities are the most reliable way to damage them. The opposite is also true. They're naturally attracted to concentrations of mana that are different from their own. That's why higher-tier monsters often target populated areas with a high concentration of mana, which usually means places where many awakeners live."

"But they said there aren't many awakeners in this town," Zeph pointed out.

"Most of them are only Rank 1 Apprentices, and they're farmers before anything else. Even the city guards are just trained Rank 1 Apprentices." Malon nodded.

"From what they've told us, they already have a way to defend the town whenever an attack happens. The problem is that they no longer have enough strength to keep doing it." He folded his arms as he continued.

"With us here, especially Madou, Lena, you, and the others, we should have more than enough firepower to hold back a Tier 1 monster horde. We'll probably be fighting before long." Zeph listened quietly.

"And once we're facing the horde ourselves, we'll be able to learn much more about what's really happening," Malon continued.

"I'm actually hoping the attack comes tonight instead of tomorrow. The sooner we see it with our own eyes, the sooner we can figure out what's behind it." He paused for a moment.

"If we need to investigate further, we have someone with the perfect ability for it. Lena can fly. Her mobility would let her observe the battlefield from above. If something is directing the horde from the rear, she'd have the best chance of spotting whoever, or whatever, is controlling an attack on this scale."

"Lena..." Zeph repeated.

"I hope it doesn't come to that. Sending her out alone would still be risky, even if she can fly." Malon gave a small nod in agreement.

"Get some rest, then," Zeph said.

"We might end up staying awake all night." Instead of lying down, however, Malon stood up.

"I'm going to take a walk around town," he said.

"Just to get a better look at the place and gather a little information. Hugh and Suki are coming with me." With that, Malon quietly left the room, leaving Zeph alone in the silence. After he was alone in the room, Zeph slowly raised a hand to his chest. His heartbeat. Why had it been pounding ever since they arrived in this place? Thump. Thump. Each beat felt almost twice as strong as usual, echoing through his body. This wasn't normal.

The only other time he had ever felt something like this was when he activated his First Sigil. The Night Cavalry.