episode_0053

Fortunately, there was a spare carriage at Frost Castle, so I was able to rent a carriage and ride all the way to Snowpil Village.

“Oh? It’s Venice, right? It’s been a while!”

“Uncle Ben, it’s been a while.”

“Okay. Are you very busy these days? Show your face in the village often.”

“Haha… I understand.”

Ben, a guard I hadn’t seen in a long time, greeted me with a friendly smile and I answered with a smile. Then, I hurried into the village and checked the houses, alleys, corners of the village, etc. to see if there were any remnants of dark magic left.

Still a small but lively town. Residents with a gentle smile as if there are no inconveniences.

“It hasn’t arrived yet.”

It was a peaceful Snowpil village, no different from usual. I was thinking that maybe I was late, so I let out a sigh of relief.

“Ah… Venice! Why aren’t you showing your face like this these days!”

“Haha.. I’m a little busy with work these days.”

“Yeah…? Isn’t that lady making you do too much work at that time? If that’s the case… tell me! I will help you somehow!”

I smiled and said hello to the baker who was talking like that and showing off her invisible biceps, and then I headed straight to the orphanage.

The old orphanage that existed not far from the bakery was reborn as a new building with the support of the Frost family.

Now, I entered the orphanage with a smile as I saw that the building gave off the feeling of an old-fashioned and sophisticated building even from the outside.

Unlike in the past, when the old hinges made a loud sound when the door was opened, the new door opened smoothly and quietly.

As we entered the orphanage, the interior was revealed to be comfortable and clean enough for the children to feel safe.

The orphanage, which was full of dust, had many holes in the floor, cobwebs piled up all over the interior, and was filled with the smell of mold, is no longer there.

“Guys~ Look at this… Hey, it’s Venice!”

“It’s true. Guys, Mr. Venice is here!”

Barry and Lennie, who were sitting together on the neatly laid floor, looked at me and talked to the children, and the children started running toward me and chattering.

“Haha. How have you all been?”

The children were so excited and had so many things to talk about, asking me questions without stopping and telling me their stories. I listen carefully to each and every word and respond.

“Mr. Berry, and Mr. Lenny. Aren’t you having a hard time?”

“Yes. I guess this is the case. Nothing is difficult, and I actually look forward to it every day!”

“Me too. Now that things have come to this, I’m going to quit the Knights.”

Just like when I first saw them, they loved taking care of children and seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

Fortunately, the children followed suit well with them, so there wasn’t a single inconvenience.

As the story blossomed like that, time passed quickly and it was time for the children to go to sleep.

“Mr. Venice. Where are you going at this late hour?”

“I still have work left to do. I’ll go first.”

“Aha… Take a break from work. Well then, bye! Please show your face again!”

After saying hello to Barry and Lennie who had put all the children to bed, I left the orphanage.

‘Stealth’

After making sure that no one was watching, I disappeared and walked towards the place where I had hidden my bag.

The village was quietly asleep, as if it had never been so active. I look at the scenery of the village.

“….Good. From now on, it is time for surveillance.”

Wearing a warlock’s robe and a warlock’s mask that are different from usual, I quietly stand on the roof of a house overlooking the entire village.

The day the warlock gathering announced that they would attack Snowpil Village was tomorrow. However, there is no set time, so you must not let your guard down even for a moment from now on.

‘Because you might run into some warlocks.’

The reason I dressed up as a warlock differently than usual was to avoid suspicion even just once if I ever encountered a warlock.

Because a blade stabbing you from behind when you feel safe is sharper than a blade attacking you outright.

…The village may not be able to be saved. Because I won’t be able to prevent everything from damaging the building to collapsing.

However, we will make sure that no one gets hurt. That is the goal I have set.

“………….”

I quietly look down on the entire village.

***

‘Why… aren’t you coming?’

Time passed quickly, the next day arrived, the day passed and the moon rose at night. However, the warlocks don’t even show their noses.

There is no way I could have mistaken the date. The date designated by the warlock meeting was exactly today.

Contrary to expectations that a fierce battle would break out as soon as today, Snowpil Village is still peaceful today.

People are still greeting each other with gentle smiles, and it is so quiet that there is no sense of any danger.

….as if there was extreme calm before a huge storm broke out.

Tiring-

That time when I felt a little tired after staying up all night. Suddenly, a notification sound rings and a status window appears in front of your eyes.

[I feel powerful dark magic. Would you like to absorb it?]

“….What?!”

I immediately got up from my seat and looked around the entire village. Black magic began to bloom from all corners of the once peaceful village.

It looks like the warlocks aren’t arriving today, but are already hiding in the village.

However, ordinary residents who cannot sense the dark magic head to their homes without knowing why.

“Holy shit…!”

I hurriedly absorbed as much dark magic as I could and began to assess the situation. However, simultaneous black magic can be felt everywhere, to the point where it is hard to know where to start dealing with it.

Why… why wasn’t the dark magic detected? Even though I had been observing the village steadily since yesterday, I could not feel even a trace of dark magic.

‘Now is not the time to think about this.’

The first action that must be taken now is to evacuate people.

Since no attack spells or maneuvers using black magic had yet occurred, there was still time left.

I quickly run towards the orphanage. They kick down the door of the orphanage and gather up all the oil and flammable objects gathered inside.

The reason the orphanage is so quiet is because Lennie and Berry took the children outside for a picnic. It was time to return, but we had not yet arrived at the orphanage.

Crackling…!

I looked inside to see if there were any children left, but I couldn’t see anyone, so I lit a fire with a match on the table and hurried out of the orphanage.

Grumbling…!

Oil and flammable substances. And through the trees, the orphanage quickly begins to burn.

-Uh…huh?! What is that!!

-It’s fire!! It’s fire!!

People scream in unison at the sight of a brightly burning building in a dark village, and other residents who hear the noise also run out of their homes.

There are several reasons why the orphanage, which was the children’s home and home, had to be burned down.

First, even if I knocked on each door and told them to run away, not everyone would have heard. Some people may already be sleeping, and some may just dismiss it as the work of a crazy person.

Second, there was too little time. It was the best way to get people’s attention in a situation where the village could be devastated by black magic at any moment.

It was heartbreaking to know that I was burning down the orphanage with my own hands, but I had no choice but to burn down the largest building in the village to get the attention of all the village residents. The only building without people was the orphanage.

Fortunately, my plan worked. People run out of their houses, startled by screams, burning fires, and the sound of something exploding.

-Shouldn’t you put out the light first?! If this spreads to other houses…!

-How did you get rid of that?! Let’s evacuate out of town first!

-Lenny… am I seeing this correctly?

-Yeah… I think so. It’s not a dream.

Villagers slowly begin to gather at a point far away from the orphanage. Fortunately, there was no one left in the house who had not heard the news.

After a while, all the residents of the small Snowpil village gathered together and began to slowly evacuate out of the village. It seemed like they had given up because the fire was too big to put out.

[I feel powerful dark magic. Would you like to absorb it?]

However, there was no way the warlocks would easily let people go quietly gathered in one place.

The warlocks who appeared in various places were embarrassed by the sudden fire, but they laughed as they looked at the gathered residents.

-Isn’t that a warlock?! Run away!!

-Send the children and the elderly first!

-Ugh-!

At the sight of the black magicians revealed, people quickly began to run away.

If things had been the same, they would not have even known the identity of the warlock. However, through recent official messages from the imperial family, several warnings to be careful of the black robes and black magic that are the hallmarks of warlocks have made it possible for even ordinary residents to recognize warlocks.

“Giggles… They are gathered together beautifully. Search everything-!”

The warlocks gather together and unleash black magic attacks on the residents. There was fear in the eyes of the residents who were running away, and some even collapsed.

Crude dark spheres fly towards the residents, and some residents can be seen closing their eyes tightly.

“Where.”

Kwajangchang-!

And, I don’t just watch that happen. As soon as I reversed and canceled the black magic, the black magicians shook their bodies as if they were surprised and pointed at me.

“I feel dark magic. You are a warlock too, so why are we stopping you!!”

“Ha…”

Originally, I was going to quietly dig in among the warlocks and sort them out one by one. I guess I’ll have to change my plan.

‘Shadow Lance.’

Poobubuk-!

Wow!

The black magicians are cut down without even being able to react to the spear of black magic that rises from the shadows. Among them, there were bugs that barely escaped their lives, but they were confirmed dead by firing dark spears at them.

[Dark Magic Mastery Lv.5 —> Lv.6]

‘Let’s hurry.’

Judging from the powerful black magic felt, it seems that there are still many black magicians remaining.

Realizing that the black magician’s attack is starting now, I rush forward, following the dark magic I feel.