Ch.167Reunion (1)

It was late autumn, bordering on early winter. The time when the world gradually becomes tinged with cold.

During this period when winter’s mysteries had begun to exert their influence and temperatures were dropping, I was, naturally, spending my time preparing for the first winter I would face in the village.

As the temperature dropped daily and the environment changed rapidly, perhaps because the village was beginning to creak a little, I found myself spending most of my time in this office rather than out in the field.

But that doesn’t mean I was just sitting around in the office all day. A prime example was the extermination of the mid-level magical beast “Platinum Eagle” that had appeared near the village.

This bird-type magical beast resembling an eagle was a large flying creature with a wingspan exceeding 4 meters. Being based on a bird of prey, it naturally possessed high combat ability and a carnivorous diet.

Of course, the reason for its appearance was simply that this Platinum Eagle was similar to a migratory bird, likely heading south to warmer regions for winter….

The fact that it would pass through our village during this journey was something I, as ruler, simply couldn’t ignore. I ultimately ordered Hannah to hunt down this poor beast, and we reaped substantial rewards for it.

I might seem somewhat ruthless… but considering that if the beast entered the village, it would likely satisfy its exhaustion from long flight by devouring livestock or humans, it was necessary.

Anyway, Hannah was delighted to engage in a bloody battle against a creature worthy of a fight. The coat made from the Platinum Eagle’s platinum feathers became entirely hers.

Of course, through her hunting, I was also able to obtain one of the Platinum Eagle’s traits as if I had hunted it myself, thanks to the power of my “Lord of the Domain” trait….

In this case, what I chose was… the physical trait “Eagle Vision,” as the other two options happened to be the nearly useless “Avian Combat Technique” and “Light Bones.”

“Avian Combat Technique” is the experience of aerial combat with a bird’s body, which frankly has little practical use. “Light Bones” comes with the risk of reduced skeletal durability, making it essentially a disadvantageous trait in my assessment.

In contrast, “Eagle Vision” possessed surprisingly helpful sensory enhancement powers.

As its name suggests, this trait strengthens eyesight, and like all sensory enhancement traits, it combines excellently with other traits.

My “Petrifying Evil Eye,” directly connected to vision, had its range and performance enhanced by the influence of “Eagle Vision.”

The performance of “Weakness Detection,” which mostly activates in the form of visual information, was maximized, and “Hyper Intuition” could also significantly expand its recognition range thanks to the maximized vision it synchronized with.

Of course, there was a minor drawback in that my ability to focus on objects at close range decreased slightly, but at such distances, relying on senses and intuition is several times better than just vision anyway.

Unlike various special ability users who try to control and deceive vision, this intuition is a power that ignores such “logic,” and my sensory abilities are remarkable even to myself.

It’s somewhat strange how I can roughly determine an enemy’s position through the movement of air brushing against my skin, tiny sounds, and vibrations in the ground and objects.

Anyway, I gained new powers thanks to this. The hunt for the migratory bird ended with me giving Hannah the special protective clothing made from the sturdy feathers of the Platinum Eagle….

Perhaps because winter has arrived, the increasing movement of magical beasts—their southward migration—is currently the most critical problem our village faces.

Among the various incidents occurring simultaneously throughout the village as the first winter approached, this issue of northern magical beasts migrating south was serious enough to warrant particular concern.

Well, to be precise, the southward migration of northern magical beasts around this time is almost an annual event.

Although magical beasts tend to be territorial animals that settle in specific areas, that doesn’t mean there aren’t types that migrate like birds, changing their habitats.

A prime example of such magical beasts are northern beasts, which live in the cool north during summer and migrate south to relatively warmer regions in winter.

From their perspective, they’re simply following what’s encoded in their genes, but for those who become their targets, it’s hardly pleasant.

These “wild mid-level” beasts, usually just apex predators in their regions, consume large amounts of energy during long-distance travel, so they devour any passersby they see while moving over great distances.

If there’s anything fortunate about the situation, it’s that our village has mid-level beings capable of easily handling these migrating beasts.

Especially with means to compensate for differences in class, like golem armor modified for hunting large magical beasts, the village is sufficiently equipped to intercept whatever comes, regardless of what it might be.

And “that day” was also just an ordinary winter day, not particularly different from usual.

The temperature dropped daily, and most villagers now wore fur coats for warmth, with the frequency of people venturing outside clearly decreasing due to the cold.

As a result, the village’s overall vitality noticeably diminished. While I was reading reports on fur trade items with the outside world to check for any issues… I suddenly felt something.

—Ding.

The content of my hyper intuition’s response was a warning. A warning about an external threat. With the recent increase in approaching magical beasts from outside, the frequency of such warnings had grown exponentially.

However, this warning was distinctly different from what I had felt until now.

A tingling sensation similar to goosebumps spread throughout my body. All the fine hairs on my body stood on end, my skin crawled, becoming bumpy with gooseflesh.

This sensation, which could only be described as more intense than any warning I had ever experienced, stimulated my nerves. At the same time, I could feel something like certainty in my mind.

Something is coming. Something evil is approaching. Something hideous that mortal beings could not possibly handle—”evil” itself—is now approaching this village.

And simultaneously, I could feel it. I could feel it with my entire body. It stimulated all five senses, and something that was a sense but not one of the five sent fierce signals.

That approaching “evil” is my nemesis. A nemesis that cannot be ignored.

Normally, I would have agonized over whether to take companions in response to this warning.

If the early battles against “evil” were fought alone simply because I had no resources, now the situation is different—I have sufficient resources and no shortage of troops to deploy.

I would have simply been quietly considering the risks of bringing companions, worried about my identity being revealed by that “evil.”

But… my intuition was telling me.

To head north alone, that no one should accompany me. That such a choice might lead to consequences even more fatal than the risk of death.

‘….’

‘Intuition’ and ‘common sense.’ The intuition saying I must go alone, and the common sense saying companions are essential for safety.

In this situation where these two elements conflicted, I could calmly reach a conclusion.

Thinking about it, in this world, there have been far more cases of loss from following meager common sense than cases of gain—that harsh truth.

In a world where powers beyond human cognition—transcendents, mysteries—exist infinitely, common sense can realistically serve no greater role than that of a teaching aid.

Moreover, my intuition is a power that has never once lied. Even intuitions that initially seem incomprehensible eventually become certainties at some point.

And because of this, I could be certain.

‘…Let’s do this.’

The impulse this intuition brings me cannot be ignored. Having decided to faithfully follow it, I began preparing for departure.

“Pierre, bring Gus and prepare him for departure!”

“Yes! …But what’s happening, sir?”

“Probably something! I’m going to check it out!”

My partner is the familiar Gus. I instruct my servant Pierre to armor up my beloved warhorse and soulmate.

Thanks to Pierre, who adorned him with all sorts of armaments from head to toe, I continued my “preparations,” wanting to be fully equipped before engaging in battle.

“…Is something happening?”

“Probably, yes.”

“Be careful, Lord Alzar….”

And so, after receiving a potion set from Gretel who came to see me off just before departure, I now headed beyond, riding the fully armed Gus along the path guided by my intuition—

And I suddenly realized that someone was desperately calling for me.