114: Town in the fog

Chapter 113: The Town in the Mist

The doll Gedada gifted was very effective.

That night, Arthur was no longer tormented by nightmares.

After dawn, the mist spread again, obscuring the sunlight overhead and casting a hazy veil over the surrounding landscape.

Heir agreed to travel with Arthur and his companions.

They returned along the path they came, intending to retrieve the carriage.

Previously, Gedada had dispatched her companion—the giant crocodile—to guard the carriage.

The two horses pulling the carriage had narrowly escaped the wolves' jaws, surviving by chance.

On their return journey, the group no longer needed to ride the small wooden raft.

Gedada enthusiastically provided a small boat, pulled forward by another massive crocodile.

Heir sat by the boat, gently stroking the giant crocodile's tail, and explained, "They are Mr. Zhizhi's parents, and also the overlords of this Mud Crab Swamp."

"It is because of them that the Dark Lord's minions dare not venture in here."

Arthur listened to her words while checking today's intelligence.

He first synthesized three green intelligence reports into one blue intelligence report, then opened it to view the content.

The golden intelligence report was, naturally, the first priority to focus on.

[Wow~ Golden Legend (Enhanced/Follow-up)] An avatar of a demigod is trapped in Mist Town. Search Mist Town and its surroundings to find clues to rescue him.

This explained where the power protecting Mist Town originated.

Although the identity of this demigod was still unclear.

But Granny said his power was very similar to telluric energy, leading Arthur to deduce that he should be related to Mother Earth.

At any rate, he wouldn't be an evil god like Cyric.

Furthermore, the intelligence report about clearing negative energy from various regions finally had a new development.

It seemed Commander Jafar intended to start with Digray Farm.

[Blue Intelligence (Follow-up)] There is a Ghoul nest in the barn of Digray Farm, which can be destroyed with incendiary goo.

Unfortunately, Arthur couldn't make use of this intelligence.

At this moment, he recalled the four stones he had previously given to Old Joe.

If they had communication stones, they could transmit intelligence.

Finally, he checked the synthesized blue intelligence report.

[Blue Intelligence (Synthesis)] Heir Lovich is a sorceress with bloodline power, and she is highly respected in Mist Town.

However, a group of villagers led by Joshua Goldstein believe she and the Granny in the forest conspired to attract the undead attacks.

Arthur silently committed these intelligence reports to memory.

Then he asked Heir, "Gedada said you have magical talent?"

The young woman paused slightly, then replied, "Did Godmother even tell you about that?

"I can see she trusts you greatly, and I also know she saw your figure in the scrying pool.

But that doesn't mean I can fully trust you.

"Please forgive me, sir. I was born and raised in Qingfeng Valley, and here, easily trusting others often leads to no good end."

"I understand." Arthur nodded.

To bridge the distance with Heir, Arthur brought up Airo.

This move indeed worked; as the hero who put the Dark Lord into a long slumber, Airo and her companions' names were practically household names in Qingfeng Valley.

Heir sighed and said, "They exchanged their lives for a glimmer of hope here, but we are about to squander this opportunity.

"So, what do you want to know?"

"Everything about Mist Town, including potential allies we can win over."

The carriage slowly moved along the muddy old road.

The bumpy ride made Arthur secretly resolve that once he commanded Qingfeng Valley, he would definitely repair this main road properly.

After approximately two hours, the carriage's speed began to slow, and the mist ahead gradually dissipated.

The outline of the village could already be discerned.

Judging by Arthur's standards for evaluating towns along the way, Mist Town could be considered a place of considerable size.

It was situated in the very center of a long hinterland, extending all the way to the forest's edge.

It separated the Shilminster Forest, which stretched southwards, from the open fields and swamps.

The land here was barren and monotonous, constantly exposed to the fierce winds blowing from the Snowflake Mountains and the rain assailing from the west.

The few trees growing here were like hunched old women, their branches stretching out like grasping arms.

Perhaps, the scenery here was once not so desolate, the crops in the fields once swayed in the wind, and the roads were once meticulously maintained and used, but now all of that no longer existed.

Traces of violence and destruction were visible everywhere; the carcasses of livestock rotted in the fields.

Isolated farmhouses were empty, their vacant windows like deep, dark pits.

As the carriage passed through the area, Arthur couldn't help but look around.

This was once a farmer's settlement, with many simple farmhouses.

These farmhouses had a single structure, with wooden frames covered with thick thatch, mud, and even dung.

Heir said that such dwellings built with thatch and mud were common here.

After all, the meager resources meant that farmers were not entitled to use stone for building shelters.

The windows of each farmhouse were like pools of black, stagnant water, and all around was silent, with only occasional sorrowful sobs coming from the distance.

Soon, Arthur saw the true Mist Town.

The town's wooden palisade was quite crude.

A young man in worn armor sat at the gate, chewing on a tender blade of grass with relish.

Hearing the sound of hooves in the mist, he quickly grabbed a hunting fork from beside him, his expression tense as he stared intently down the old road.

When the oddly shaped carriage appeared, the young man unhesitatingly pulled the bell beside him.

The clanging alarm quickly spread throughout the small town.

Flora pulled the reins, preventing the carriage from plunging into the shallow ditch.

Heir stepped out of the carriage and shouted to the young man guarding the gate, "Scorpion, it's me, Heir."

The young man called Scorpion frowned and looked over, asking, "Heir? Who are these people?"

"They are the reinforcements I brought." Heir responded, "Lower the drawbridge."

"Alright, lowering it now."

Scorpion replied, turned, and entered the gate to prepare to lower the drawbridge.

Just then, a group of armed townspeople aggressively approached the palisade.

Leading them was a middle-aged man with a full beard.

Among everyone, his equipment was the most complete—he even wore scale armor.

He loudly questioned Scorpion, "Hey, Koyil, what are you doing?"

"It's Heir, Sheriff, she's back, and she said she brought people back."

The Sheriff of Mist Town frowned and quickly walked out of the gate, looking across the shallow ditch.

He recognized the mayor's daughter at a glance, but he couldn't be sure if the people she brought were safe.

After all, Mist Town could no longer afford any losses.

"Sheriff, it's me!" Heir shouted again, "Don't worry, they are not bad people."

Two more people emerged from behind the palisade.

The younger man with red hair asked, "Why aren't you lowering the drawbridge?

"That's Heir, my sister."

"So what?" The other older man retorted, "She disobeyed orders and ran off on her own.

"Now she's brought back these people of unknown origin; how can we be sure she isn't a traitor?"

The young man became furious upon hearing this: "Joshua, take that back.

"Otherwise, I'll personally shove it back into your mouth!"

"Alright, everyone, shut up!" The Sheriff pushed the young man aside and ordered, "Lower the drawbridge."

Seeing this, Joshua snorted coldly and retreated behind the palisade.