Chapter 105:

Ruhindorf is small.

I mean, much smaller than I thought.

It's of a scale that it wouldn't have even been marked on a map if it weren't for the furniture workshop.

It's impossible to rush into a place like this and conduct an operation.

Getting caught is one thing, but finding a place for many people to stay is a problem from the start.

There are no cities or other villages to stay in nearby, so we had no choice but to set up camp in the middle of the forest.

“Everything's fine, but can't you do something about the bugs.”

“You think I can? Can't you do something with your magic?”

“Are you suggesting we advertise our presence here?”

It was a relief that I hadn't learned magic related to barriers.

It would have been more frustrating if I knew how to use it but couldn't.

“Why did we set up camp in a place like this?”

“Go complain to Cesare. He's the one who introduced it. You agreed to it in the first place, too.”

“I didn't know it would be like this either.”

According to Cesare, there was a hut and a warehouse serving as a midway resting point for smugglers, and it wasn't that far from Ruhindorf.

He wasn't wrong.

Except that the hut was an abandoned house, the warehouse was a crudely dug burrow, and it was nearly an hour away from Ruhindorf.

“Hah I'll go and complain later. For now, we have to deal with the Ruhindorf problem. Have you found anything? Haven't you been here a few days earlier?”

“No, not much, surprisingly. It's just an incredibly ordinary country village.”

“Hmm.”

As I frowned slightly, Til's voice rose as if she were being unfairly accused.

“Our opponents are the Ravens. You think evidence will just pop out like that?”

“Kaseph and I found more than enough.”

“You guys went after the incident happened. Besides, you and Kaseph are originally specialists in this kind of dark and shady business.”

“I'll take it as that.”

Til opened her mouth as if to say one more word, then closed it.

She probably thought her results were meager, too.

“There's too little movement. Didn't you say they have to be near the village to cast a curse? For that reason, it's too quiet.”

“Are you blaming me?”

“No, not blaming, just saying that's how it is.”

Til replied with a deep frown as I got on her nerves while smiling.

She seemed genuinely wronged.

“I was joking. But it is strange. It was Kaseph who said it, and he knows everything about curses.”

The farther the place and target of the curse are, the weaker its power becomes.

That's why in Kranacht, the curse was cast from the city hall in the center of the city.

If Kaseph was right, it meant that they would be working inside the village, or at least near the village.

But to think she couldn't even find a trace.

‘Are they trying to use some unconventional method.’

Even Kaseph was surprised that the curse in Kranacht had formed a contract through administrative documents.

When I met Ivan back then, he also mentioned it was an experiment, so the probability was even higher.

“Let's try to broaden our perspective. Let's investigate a wider area around Ruhindorf.”

“For now, Ede has entered Ruhindorf, so I'll leave that part to her and investigate the outskirts. What will you do.”

I came here thinking there would be a rough outline, but in a situation like this, there honestly wasn't much for me to do.

What I can do, the count shadow corps or Til can do as well….

“By any chance, where is the place that handles Ruhindorf's administration?”

“Are you going to go there?”

“It seems to be the only place where I can make use of the name of a Count.”

“It's a place called Poroz, about 3 hours from here. It's not very big, but all the administrative processing for the villages around here is done there.”

“That's good. Though the thought of walking for 3 hours is a bit much.”

“Well, it would be a bit strange if a Count just arrived on foot.”

It was already strange for a noble to visit such a countryside, but it would be even more suspicious if I went alone.

“Well, there is a way to rent a carriage from a city that's 6 hours away.”

“What an excellent plan to waste an entire day.”

“Do you have any other way?”

Til said with a shrug.

Just as she said, I couldn't think of any particular method.

Even if I disguised myself as an official instead of a Count, I would still have to ride at least a horse to enter.

“…Is there any place nearby to borrow from? Regardless of the method.”

“Why are you going to steal one?”

“What are you talking about? It's just borrowing without consent for a moment.”

I wondered if there was a lone farmhouse or hut, or at the very least, a group of bandits.

Usually, in a fantasy countryside, such places are common.

“Ask Wilhelm when he gets back. He was supposed to investigate that kind of thing.”

“You've already sent him to investigate?”

“She gave a passionate speech about needing to know such information to prepare for any possible situation, so I told her to go ahead. I don't need it, though.”

That's because there aren't many monsters like you.

In any case, it meant I had to be stuck in this abandoned house until Wilhelm returned.

I sat down carefully on a chair that looked like it would break at any moment and slowly examined the map attached to the wall.

It was a hastily made map, so it wasn't neat, but it roughly organized what was around Ruhindorf.

It would be more richly organized once Wilhelm arrived.

“Hmm?”

There was something in the corner of the map that caught my eye.

A large circle and a question mark were drawn below Ruhindorf.

“What is that?”

“The most annoying bastard we've found so far.”

“How am I supposed to know if you just say that?”

Til, who grabbed her head as if she didn't even want to talk about it, answered with a sigh-filled voice.

“It's the Three Blades.”

“Until I left the Imperial Capital, they were clearly distracted by Brauder and the other Dukes, but when did the surveillance….”

“No, it's a bit different from what you're thinking right now. Only Hugo came.”

“Hugo, you say who is that?”

“You know, that annoying guy we met in Novosibir.”

“Ah, you mean that friend.”

I remembered that much, that he came with Victor at that time and interfered with us.

Considering he moved with Victor, he wouldn't be a nobody, but the fact that he came alone probably meant that support was lacking.

“Are you sure he really came alone?”

“I checked several times as soon as I heard the eyewitness account, so I'm sure.”

“Have you kept him under surveillance?”

“If I do it clumsily, he'll find out anyway, so it's better for me to check whenever I have time.”

“Isn't that too intermittent?”

“Not at all.”

There was no room to argue with her all-too-natural attitude.

If he came alone, he wasn't a priority, so I decided to let it go.

The first thing to find was a trace of the Raven.

I hope someone finds a clue.

***

“Oh dear, missy, you really don't have to help.”

“No, I'm indebted to you, so I should at least help this much.”

“I'm not giving you a discount on the lodging fee for doing that.”

The old woman warned with a rather grumpy expression, but Ede just laughed once and moved the laundry.

The old woman, who was scratching her head as if troubled, eventually gave up and accepted Ede's kindness.

“There's nothing good in giving affection to an old woman who even the villagers shun.”

“It's just helping you with some work in exchange for staying for a few days. But what happened that you're on bad terms with the villagers?”

“Where is it common for people to like an old woman left all alone. That's just how it is.”

Grumbling, the old woman began to unravel one by one the unfair things that had happened in Ruhindorf.

Ede brightly chimed in while surveying her surroundings.

Except for the furniture workshop located at the entrance of the village, Ruhindorf was not much different from any other Imperial countryside.

Even that furniture workshop was small and shabby compared to the ones built by the Vestol people.

It was so unremarkable that there was nothing to investigate.

‘She definitely said there was something suspicious inside the village.’

It was what Til had emphasized several times before sending her.

When casting a curse, one must be nearby.

So if a curse was cast on Ruhindorf, there had to be a trace, no matter what.

But as of yet, no such trace was visible.

“And that's why that damn village chief hates me. It's been years, but he's still holding a grudge over that.”

“You must have had a hard time.”

“You think so too, missy, right? Phew.”

The two, who had arrived at the stream before they knew it, put down the laundry.

Unlike the old woman who was still muttering and venting her grievances, Ede's gaze was directed elsewhere.

‘Who is that person?’

A woman with orange hair was standing by the stream, looking into the distance.

It was certain that she was not from this place.

She exuded an atmosphere far removed not only from the countryside but also from the city.

A noble, and not just any noble, but perhaps from a Duke's family?

No.

Even the people from the Chartra family she had seen did not exude that much of an atmosphere.

“That young lady came here again today.”

“Do you know her?”

“It's a bit much to say I know her. She's been wandering around here for a few days. She doesn't seem like a country bumpkin like us, but I don't know why she came here.”

It was certainly strange.

It didn't seem related to the curse, but it was still necessary to check once.

I'll have to finish the laundry as quickly as possible and at least strike up a conversation.

Just as Ede steeled herself, rolled up her sleeves, and crouched down, her lips twisted slightly.

The woman who had been looking into the distance suddenly turned her gaze.

She didn't stop there and walked straight this way.

‘Was I found out?’

A traveler who suddenly visited this remote place was perfect for arousing suspicion.

If my identity was discovered, should I eliminate her first?

But rushing in first without knowing the opponent's skill level was dangerous.

What should I do?

While she was contemplating, the orange-haired woman had already come right next to her.

On behalf of Ede, who was stammering about what to say, the old woman spoke first.

“Do you have some business?”

“Yes. With this young lady.”

Damn it.

She moved her hand to the dagger hidden deep in her clothes.

If she was already found out, the one who attacks first has a higher chance of winning.

“I don't know what your business is, but as you can see, this young lady is helping me right now.”

“May I help as well?”

No hostility was felt in her gentle tone.

As if it were an unexpected answer, the old woman looked at the woman with surprised eyes.

“Well, if you really want to….”

“Thank you.”

The woman, who sat down naturally next to Ede, rolled up her sleeves.

As Ede stared with a reluctant face, she smiled lightly.

She had seen countless smiling faces while working under Valheit, but this was a completely different feeling from Valheit.

She almost let her guard down.

No.

I still don't know this woman's intentions or affiliation.

I had to approach as cautiously as possible.

“Um, hello.”

“Yes, was that too sudden?”

“No, not necessarily….”

She was apologizing without realizing it.

She reminded herself over and over not to get drawn in.

“I'm sorry for suddenly talking to you. I'm also in a bit of a hurry right now.”

“Because of what?”

“My friend has gotten into a difficult situation.”

A friend.

Is she talking about the Raven, or conversely, is a real friend in danger because of the Raven?

“But isn't this area too peaceful for someone to be in danger? Right, grandma?”

“Not necessarily. Smugglers pass by from time to be. I hope that friend of yours isn't involved in any crime?”

“I'm not sure about that.”

The woman smiled lightly and added one more word.

“Because she's quite a snake-like friend.”

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