The day after receiving information from the weapon merchant Goliath, Elliott was busy preparing for his departure early in the morning in a room of the Royal Castle. Just then, Lloyd entered.
“I’ve canceled all appointments with the guests under the pretext of investigating the Undead Beast that appeared yesterday. With the vacation you were originally supposed to have, it should be around five to six days.”
After returning to the castle yesterday, Lloyd quickly adjusted his schedule to head to the hidden village, ensuring that everything was arranged for an early departure.
“Ah, I’m sorry, Lloyd, for causing you so much trouble,” Elliott said, a hint of guilt in his voice.
“Don’t worry about it. Thanks to Bishop Powell coordinating things, the real trouble was convincing Marcus and Richard,” Lloyd replied with a wry smile.
“It’s probably better they don’t know just yet, right?” Elliott mused.
“Yeah… that’s true…”
It was easy to imagine how Marcus and Richard, who respected and admired Elliott as a Holy Knight, would react if they learned of the current situation. It would surely be more than mere disappointment, and Elliott didn’t want to think about what might follow.
──I must return things to normal as soon as possible…
“If we take the carriage, it will take two days. But if we ride directly, we could arrive in less than a day, right?” Elliott suggested, his impatience evident.
“Well, that’s possible, but arriving in the middle of the night means we won’t be able to talk. Calm down,” Lloyd reassured him.
“I wonder how long it will take to repair the sword…” Elliott pondered aloud.
“That’s something we won’t know until we ask,” Lloyd replied.
With both clues and anxiety swirling in the air, silence enveloped the room. As Elliott donned a hooded cloak to avoid drawing attention, even the sound of the fabric brushing against itself felt unnaturally loud.
Just then, a cheerful voice broke the silence, accompanied by a light knock on the door.
“Elliott, good morning! Is it true you’re taking a break?”
Seeing Emily peek her head in, Elliott relaxed his tense shoulders.
“Yes, but for the next few days, I’ll be investigating the Undead Beast from yesterday.”
“Oh, really…? I was hoping that if you had time off, we could go on a date in the Royal Capital. But if it’s work, then it can’t be helped…”
Emily’s shoulders drooped in disappointment, and Elliott gently patted her head in comfort.
“That’s right. But I’ll finish as quickly as I can and make time for us.”
“Yay! I’ll talk to Marianne about coordinating my time off too!” Emily exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement before she hurried off, seemingly eager to consult Marianne.
“Is it really okay to make promises like that…?” Lloyd sighed, breaking the silence once more. Elliott raised an eyebrow and gave a wry smile.
“I can’t let her down. Time is precious; we should get going too.”
With that, Elliott quickly left the room to prepare for their departure. As he reached for the door, which had closed behind him, Lloyd paused for a moment.
“…I wonder when she offers her prayers.”
Lloyd’s quiet musing went unheard by anyone. To forget the words he had just spoken, he took a deep breath before opening the door and following after Elliott.
Along the highway connecting the Royal Capital to the local territories, a small stream flowed, with several watermills dotting the landscape. Behind them, a forest spread out.
“This is strange. I was told it would be around here…” Elliott remarked, scanning the surroundings, but he couldn’t find any side paths diverging from the main road.
It was still early morning, and the mist hung low, but visibility wasn’t too bad. Yet, all he could see ahead were the deep woods stretching endlessly.
After a full day of riding since leaving the Royal Castle, they had finally arrived at a destination that seemed far from any human settlement.
“Did we take a wrong turn…?” Elliott wondered aloud.
“No, this highway is a straight path. The watermill Goliath mentioned is definitely here. Given that it’s called the hidden village, the path leading there must be designed to avoid human eyes…” Lloyd replied.
Both of them turned their gazes toward the forest before them.
They ventured into the thicket leading from the highway to the woods, pushing through the overgrown grass, but they couldn’t find any traces of a path or markers.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, fatigue began to weigh heavily on them. They had been riding without rest since yesterday, day and night. Elliott furrowed his brow, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, overwhelmed by exhaustion and anxiety.
“…There were a few houses before the watermill. That area is likely the station for the carriage. There should be people there; let’s ask them,” Lloyd suggested.
Elliott grimaced but nodded in agreement. Given the circumstances, he would prefer to avoid drawing attention, but they had little choice.
Along the highway before the watermill, a few small houses were clustered together. At first, Elliott thought this might be their destination, but the homes appeared to belong to ordinary farmers, not blacksmiths.
With a small stable and a watering trough adjacent to the road, it seemed likely this was indeed the carriage station.
When they approached, an elderly woman with a hunched back answered the door.
“Excuse me, ma’am, do you know of a settlement called the hidden village around here?” Elliott inquired.
“The hidden village…? Ah, you mean the blacksmiths’ village, right? Did you not find it?” the woman asked, her voice warm.
Elliott nodded, and the old woman smiled gently.
“If you didn’t find it, that means you weren’t invited. Well, there’s nothing to be done about it; you should just give up.”
“…Not invited? Does that mean I need some sort of introduction or herald? If there’s something I must know to get there, please tell me,” Elliott pressed, unable to accept the idea of giving up.
The old woman sighed, her expression turning genuinely troubled as she looked at Elliott, who was struggling to hide his impatience and frustration.