Chapter 190- The trouble facing the village (Patreon)

The trouble facing the village

The academy provided courtyards for important guests, Scholars, and dignitaries who often visited. The location of these residences occupied a small area near the fields which catered for waiting tradesmen. Larger, prime estates suited the taste of the more important visitors, like the courtyard where the girl called Sahara stayed.

Unlike that palatial spread, complete with servants and hidden guards, however, the academy designated him, a simple three-room courtyard. At the rear of the building, the ancient wall of the academy continued its circle. Since Chu and his companions already possessed sleeping quarters, this served as a temporary home for Mr. Thomas and his wife. Currently, within one of the medium-sized rooms, a heated discussion unfolded.

"Word from the academy barracks says that the city has dispatched over half its soldiers so as to increase the patrols. I also heard a talk from a guy whose brother is stationed in the Military division here. He said Bitzers raided five more farms from a village north of the city."

"That sounds consistent with the news since they attacked our villa three days ago. Five farms in different places at the same time require at least five packs of Bitzers. With the Military spreading out their net of hounds and scouts, it's only a matter of time before the packs become smaller."

Chu replied while drumming his fingers on the small table. Ming had been gathering information from the barracks and garrison in the city.

"Rumors in the tavern say that the Military is withholding information. The larger mercenary groups have received information from their pigeon carriers in the north. Entire villages have been decimated. All burned to the ground."

"That's why I say we jump on the horses and ride home. We have to save Clod and the others."

"I agree with Ming, Miki and I have been talking to the barmaids in the taverns. Elder Jim taught us everything we know about trapping and hunting in the forest. This one owes it to him to head back."

Looking at the unusual pleading expression on Dyna, Chu then turned to Lucy sitting beside him. The fair-skinned girl narrowed her eyes as if in deep thought before speaking.

"Sakura said the situation looks grim for all the villages and farms located to the northwest of Limerock. The Military has ordered the recruits heading to the Northern Battlements from the south to split into smaller troops and journey along all the roads and villages until the twin forts. The Military has dispatched hounds and scouts to seek out the roaming demon beasts. She said the Imperial family has sent out an edict to aid the subjects, noble or commoner."

She turned her blue eyes to Chu while continuing.

"This is the first time where a horde of over a thousand demon beast bypassed the walls of the Northern Battlements. Even though the forts responded, they could not wipe them all out. About two hundred Bitzers have scattered into the Empire. If caught in the open Clod and the others won't survive."

"As I said at the beginning and I'll say it again. No! No way am I allowing you to ride out. Chu, you, yourself said the elders on the Council convened and suspected a tier two Bitzer led the horde. Take it from someone who has walked out of the hell called the North Pass. A tier two demon beast, even if it's of a common rank, can assemble a horde in no time from the scattered packs. Tier two demons create fear not from viciousness alone but from terrifying cunning."

Mr. Thomas slammed his fist on the table, rocking it with his rage. On the day after the attack, he literally had to lock these children inside the courtyard. He ended up vetoing all kinds of crazy suggestions from riding horses, taking the wagons, and even riding the wolves. According to Mrs. Thomas when they went to bed, he properly made himself out to be the bad guy.

Chu, however, had no such thoughts, and neither did the other elder children. With the exception of Sally, Brella, and Amanda, all the others had experienced hell during their time trapped in the cellar. When their boiling blood cooled so as to allow them to regain a semblance of thought, the actions had changed to planning.

Currently, data and useful information flowed in as gathered from the academy, garrison, taverns, and guilds. Besides the top commanders and Council Mages in Limerock, perhaps nobody processes as much detailed information as them. Chu placed an open scroll on the table.

"This is a map marked with the relevant information we know as of today. Woodhaven town, situated here below these two circles representing the twin forts, has probably been destroyed. According to reports from the Merchant Guild which possessed a large branch office to service the Military and Frost City with lumber, the cavalry arrived too late. The horde, however, had been in the middle of feasting when the cavalry showed up. That was the first battle."

He moved his hands towards a village near the forest.

"This is Willow Village. It is twice the size of Song Village because it provides the Military exclusively with the special wood needed to make heavy crossbows. Also completely decimated when the Military scouts arrived. Brown Village, situated southeast of Willow Village, destroyed, with no survivors. Kale Village, south of Woodhaven, burnt to ashes..."

Chu raised his head and scanned the surrounding faces. From the map, everyone saw the ink cross which depicted a destroyed village. Taking his ruler, he connected the carnage representations together. The point of this infringement ended at a village northwest of Limerock.

"I have been thinking. If I was a demon beast with a semblance of intelligence, where would I go?"

"Ah!"

Miki leaned over Lucy with a clap of her hands as she continued.

"I am a demon beast, so I want to aim for places with lots of people. That's why I slowly head east where the villages have more humans."

She narrowed her eyes then raised an eyebrow.

"No, I wanted to do so, but then the stupid humans decided to kill me. Winter is coming, food will become scarce and patrols will increase. Except for humans, the grasslands in winter can't support a large pack, so I turn... no..."

Chu nodded while pointing to the crude map.

"Sooner or later, the tier two demon Bitzer will realize that the Cities can't be trifled with. With the Military casting their nets to prevent them from breaking through to the east, the Bitzers will turn to the south. Even an idiot predator will understand the benefits of raiding the isolated farms and villages situated on the fringes. We have no choice but to leave now."

***

At first glance, the stone corridor appeared like that of a maze from a retro dungeon game. Flickering torches hung on the walls ten or so paces apart creating the eerie mood of cycling from hopeful light into the fretful dark. Plops of water fell from little patches of moss which threaded along the cracks in the stones above. A droplet aimed and maliciously struck Chu on the back of his exposed neck, initiating a frightful chill.

This rather unused passageway within the basement of the Inner Tower led to a mage division dealing with lifestone studies. Chu knocked and waited at a heavy wooden door, complete with an iron ring. When he wore away the stones at the entrance and contemplated whether to knock a second time, the door creaked open on a pair of large but rusty hinges. Everything about this sight screamed medieval.

"Greetings Mage Husk, and Elder apprentices. Council Mage Tarot advised me to visit this place since it housed the most knowledgeable people within the Empire to answer my questions."

"Ah, young inventor Chu. No need to bow and speak with such formality. Our experiments here deals with lifestones and their abilities. Coincidentally, Elder Gul visited a lecture by one of your companions and learned about the new practice called standard measurements. Everyone who dabbles in research considers it to be of utmost importance."

The wizened voice came from an old man partially obscured by ceiling-high shelves filled with dried claws, fangs, skulls, and all sorts of body parts that gave him the willies. Obscured glass jars, wooden flasks, and ceramic jugs contained a liquid with all manner of internals floating inside.

Crossing the path through the dusty shelves, Chu found himself within an open clearing with a long discolored table cluttered with all sorts of books and wicked looking tools. On the far wall, a man lay stretched out and secured with heavy chains binding his hands and feet. Chu sucked in a breath and retreated a few steps on seeing the bulging eyes which popped halfway out of the sockets. The man looked as if a succubus sucked him dry.

Really dry...

"Oh, don't mind him. He has been dead for months. Those young and stupid apprentices think he looks funny. I only tolerate it since they have already drained and mummified the corpse. Alive, he was a mercenary who became a Sersen and chose not to register with the Tower Mages and the Military. Someone identified him during a tavern brawl where he killed a man, and well... here he is."

Mage Husk stepped out from a narrow space between the shelves while holding onto a jar. He continued talking as he fished out a clammy human hand with a prong and slapped it onto the table. Turning to Chu with an oval face filled with wrinkles and the eyes of a manic thirsting for knowledge, he continued.

"My late teacher and head of this division did a comprehensive study on halfstones when he resided at the Dusk fort during his tenure. Halfstones seems a fitting match to a demon beast which appears as if it is stitched from different species. According to him, it's useless to the academy just like the Bitzer."

"I see. The effects of the stone startled me since it appeared so outrageous."

Chu replied while watching the bent old man shuffle towards him. Mage Husk looked up at him with the drops of fresh liquid nourishing his face and beard.

"Indeed, teacher said the same since even the Heaven itself tried to cast retribution. Worse yet, he found out that the halfstones defied the normal logic of lifestones and remained active for nearly half a year. Because of this, teacher ordered that all halfstones of Bitzers be carefully separated and buried to avoid a catastrophe. That was one of his many crowning achievements."

"Truly remarkable. I witnessed for myself the brutality and the image of the demon beasts. The halfstones simply piqued my curious mind. One day I hope to gain clarity from the heavens and contribute to the cause of humanity like Mage Husk and other Scholars. Oh, besides the halfstone I really wanted to ask about..."

Chu exited the tower and grasped a bellyful of cold outside air. He was amazed that his willpower lasted so long as to keep the bile down in his throat. Ming met him sitting on an open bench while expunging the vile air from his lungs.

"I dropped the message off at the blacksmith. He said it's not a problem to make the last-minute modifications. Lucy and Miki have stocked up on dried provisions and water."

"Good. And Dyna?"

"I escorted her to the Alchemist Guild yesterday after the meeting. Grandmaster Bing or whatever that old geezer is called says he will have her ready by the end of the week."

Chu nodded, signaling Ming closer while he scanned their surroundings.

"See if you can secretly fish for these items for me. The more the merrier."