Chương 80: The Hidden Village

The gates of Shinkai had barely finished closing when the atmosphere of the settlement changed, not because anyone had drawn a weapon or raised an alarm, but because the people who had been watching from windows and doorways suddenly disappeared from sight, pulling children indoors and closing shutters with a speed that suggested this was not the first time the village had been threatened by strangers carrying fragments from the western lands.

Leo noticed the change immediately, just as he noticed the way the guards positioned themselves along the street rather than around the gates, leaving the entrances apparently undefended while quietly controlling every route through which someone might attempt to leave. The old man standing at the end of the street remained completely still. He was tall despite his age, with long gray hair tied behind his head and a simple dark robe that carried none of the ceremonial decorations Leo had expected from an elder.

A short blade rested at his waist, not displayed as a symbol of authority but carried like a weapon that had seen actual use. His eyes remained fixed upon the black fragment hanging from Leo's belt.

"Take it off." Leo did not move. The old man's expression hardened.

"I am not asking you because I want it."

"Then why?"

"Because the fragment is not harmless inside Shinkai." Rin looked between them.

"You know what it is?" The old man looked at him briefly.

"I know enough." Kaien stepped forward.

"Elder, this is my brother." The old man's eyes moved toward him. For several seconds, his expression remained unreadable. Then something changed.

"Kaien?" Rin looked at his brother. The elder took one step forward.

"You survived." Kaien nodded.

"I returned."

"No." The elder's voice became quieter.

"You returned once. We heard you had entered the mountain again." Kaien did not answer. The elder looked at the guards.

"Bring them inside." One of the guards hesitated.

"Elder—""Now." The guards obeyed. Leo followed without resistance, but his attention remained fixed on the settlement around him. Shinkai was not simply a village hidden from the Empire. Its structure was deliberate, almost defensive in design, with houses arranged around several central courtyards and narrow streets that could easily be blocked in the event of an attack.

The rooftops were positioned at different heights, giving observers clear lines of sight over the surrounding valley, while the outer wall contained several small openings that could be used by archers without exposing them to incoming fire. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It had been built by people who expected danger. Inside the elder's residence, the group was taken into a large room with a low wooden table in the center.

Several people were already waiting there, including three younger warriors wearing dark uniforms that differed from the simple clothing of ordinary villagers. Leo recognized the difference immediately. These were trained fighters. The elder sat at the head of the room.

"My name is Haru." Rin remained standing.

"What happened to the people taken near the bridge?" Haru looked at him.

"You noticed."

"We found their camp."

"They were not taken." Rin frowned.

"Then where are they?"

"They were moved."

"By whom?" Haru's expression remained calm.

"By us." Rin stared at him.

"You kidnapped travelers?"

"No." Haru folded his hands.

"They were people who had entered Shinkai without permission and had been followed by outsiders carrying fragments. We moved them somewhere safe before those outsiders reached them." Leo finally spoke.

"So you already know people are searching for the fragments." Haru looked toward him.

"We have known for several months."

"Who are they?"

"We don't know."

"Who sends them?"

"We don't know."

"Then what do you know?" Haru's gaze shifted toward the fragment again.

"They are becoming more organized." Leo waited.

"Three months ago, they were searching the mountains. Then they began searching the villages. Two weeks ago, they started watching the roads. Yesterday, one of our scouts found signs that a larger group was moving toward Shinkai." Rin looked toward the closed windows.

"How many?"

"We estimate twenty." Kaien's expression changed.

"Twenty people?"

"Possibly more." Rin reached for his sword.

"We should prepare." Haru looked at him.

"We already have." Leo remained seated.

"You said the fragment is dangerous inside Shinkai."

"Yes."

"Why?" Haru stood and walked toward a wooden cabinet against the far wall. He unlocked it. Inside were several objects wrapped in dark cloth. He removed the first. It was a black stone. Leo immediately recognized it. The same silver line. The same strange density. But this fragment was larger than the one he carried. Haru placed it on the table. Then he removed another. Then another. Five fragments in total. Rin stared.

"You have been collecting them."

"No." Haru shook his head.

"They came here." Leo studied the fragments.

"How?" Haru looked at him.

"They were carried by people."

"Who?"

"People who disappeared." The room became quiet. Haru continued.

"Every fragment was found near someone who had vanished. Some belonged to travelers. Some belonged to villagers. One belonged to a warrior who had lived here for forty years." Kaien stared at the stones.

"And you never destroyed them?"

"We tried." Haru's answer was immediate.

"What happened?"

"The first one survived fire." He lifted another.

"The second survived being crushed." A third.

"The third disappeared for three years before returning to the same place." Leo looked at the black stones.

"They are returning to the boundaries." Haru nodded.

"That is what we believe."

"And this one?" Leo touched the fragment hanging from his belt. Haru's expression became serious.

"That one did not return." Leo understood. It had been moving toward him. Or perhaps toward something connected to him. The elder looked at him.

"That is why I asked you to remove it." Leo considered the request. Then he took the fragment from his belt and placed it on the table. The moment it touched the wooden surface, every fragment inside the cabinet reacted. Five silver lines illuminated at once. The room filled with a low vibration. The warriors immediately stood. Haru's expression changed. Leo remained motionless. The fragments began moving. Not physically.

Their silver lines shifted across their surfaces, forming patterns that slowly aligned with one another. Then the six fragments produced a single pulse. A mark appeared on the table. Three lines through a circle. Rin stared at it.

"That symbol." Kaien stepped closer.

"It was on the mountain." Haru's face became pale.

"No." Leo looked at him.

"What?" Haru stared at the symbol.

"That symbol is not from the mountain." He looked toward the eastern wall.

"It belongs to Shinkai." The room fell silent. Leo understood the significance immediately. The mountain had not been the source of the symbol. Shinkai had been. And the fragments were not leading people toward the mountain. They had been leading the mountain toward Shinkai. Before anyone could speak, a sharp bell rang outside. Once. Twice. Then a third time. Every warrior in the room moved simultaneously. Haru stood.

"They are here." Rin drew his sword.

"How many?" A guard entered the room, breathing heavily.

"More than twenty." Haru's eyes moved toward Leo.

"And they brought a mage." Leo looked toward the closed gates. Mana had finally entered Shinkai. The hidden settlement had spent generations protecting itself from the outside world. Now the outside world had arrived at its gates. And for the first time, Leo understood why the people of Shinkai had feared the fragment more than the mountain. The fragment had not brought the enemy to them. It had revealed them. End of Chapter 80.