Dream Life

Tria Calendar October 6, 2017.

The traffic shock on Als Street, the north gate of Barbezy, we are waiting for the gate to open in order to hurry back to our home village of Rasmore.

Other than us, a team of Knights chasing the whereabouts of the Orcs and a dozen adventurers supporting them - mainly veterans' scouts - were equally waiting to open the door.

Around the gate were merchants who came with a glimmer of hope that a permit might be issued, but they would not be given permission, and the merchants, who had eaten the stops for days, looked at us resentfully.

On the grounds that the Kingdom of Kaum protects travellers from the flock of oaks that attacked the two villages, it prohibits the passage north and east of Barbezy, and further south for the merchant corps. As things stand, permits are issued only to some adventurers and few others.

I heard rumors about this at the inn last night.

In that story, the Knights think that the Orc herd is an advance of the Demons, and they intend to put in their troops and settle for it once and for all. As soon as reinforcements from the Wang capital arrive, the upper echelons of the Knights will be able to take the streets at once, so that they will not be allowed to send out carriages that will stand in their way.

Furthermore, we are talking about a massive military input, based not only on the group that attacked the village of Alice, but also on the possibility of attacking Fort Toa, the largest defensive hub in the Kingdom of Kaum, in response.

Rumors were also circulating about restrictions on the movement of freelance adventurers and mercenaries. The Knights are thinking of expropriating adventurers and mercenaries in case the size of the Demon Army was larger than expected. It was further said that it was a measure to assume that the adventurers would be captured and not give information to the enemy.

The Knights use only the scouts of veterans who have the skill to escape the Demons in the form of urgent requests, but not so many veterans in Barbezy. There are also scouts in the Knights, but still too few compared to the vast woods, and we still haven't grasped the oaks' footsteps.

The very idea of concentrating forces, ensuring mobility and even controlling information would not be wrong. But if the prerequisite of the Demonic Army was wrong, a small village with poor defenses would be ravaged by the Orcs.

In a situation where the location of the enemy is unclear when, it is too much economic loss to continue to stop commercial activity.

(I guess around the king who played the faulty thought about getting it back once and for all. Even if a small village is wiped out around Barbezi (here) or the merchants leak a little dissatisfaction, if they can crusade the Demon Army, their reputation in the Wang Capital will be better at once. Of course, I wish I could crusade...... I guess I can only consolidate the protection of the streets in a situation where I haven't even grasped the enemy's position, but if I'm going to be wary of the Demons, I'd rather requisition non-veterans adventurers to widen the range of enemies at once... Either way, the kingdom's response feels halfway...)

Such a thing passes my head for a moment, but I immediately regain consciousness and proceed with the horse through the open gate.

It is usually an Ars street bustling with carriages, but now only the sound of horseshoes is echoed, turning it into a stunning mountain path. We continue northwest on that idle Ars street, but as we paced, we soon lost sight of a single line of the Knights, leaving only six of us on the road.

Proceeding about five kilometers, we saw a branch to the completely annihilated village of Alice.

"Whenever an enemy comes out of here, it's not weird. Don't be alarmed."

Beatrice draws attention, but there is no one among us to be alarmed. She also says it in recognition.

(Guess it's because I'm in a hurry... but I really can't get rid of the heartbeat...)

Ever since I heard that the Demons might be leading, I can't get rid of a bad feeling. Thoughts like obsessive-compulsive ideas occupy my mind, and I think I have to return to the village as soon as possible without knowing it.

I tell him I'm grinning and I give him instructions to change the line.

"The lead is Dan. Me, Mel, Sharon, Liddy and Beatrice are next. Liddy and Beatrice watch their back..."

Gradually run the horse at a speed of about a fast walk (trot) along the steeper mountain path. The horse is burdened, but I do not think that I will crush the horse because I decide to change horses every time I pass through the boarding town.

Only the sound of a horse's hoof echoes in a creepy quiet forest.

After leaving the barbecue and proceeding for about 10 km, a hungry demon begins to appear. But none of them were big demons, they received a warning from Dan who preceded them, and they rarely stopped the horse because I would magically eliminate it from the horse.

October 8th, the third day after leaving the barbecue. After noon that day, he arrived in Bogwood, the border town of the Kingdom of Kaum.

It's about fifteen km from Bogwood to my hometown of Rasmore, and if you let the horses run, it won't take two hours. The town, like the other towns on Als Street, was affected by the blockade of the streets, the security of the gates was rudimentary and the atmosphere of the town was dark.

When we find out we're from the south, a lot of people, starting with the gatekeepers, want information and call out.

Listening to him as he walked, he was told of the appearance of a demonic army led by the Middle-Ghost in the early horses and the blockade of the streets, but most of them blurred after that with little information and no idea of the situation at all. Some merchants have already been grounded for more than five days, and they hear many times of dissatisfaction with the kingdom.

One of those merchants deals with soap from the village of Rasmore, and he calls out when he realizes we're a Lockhart family associate.

Ask that merchant about the situation in the village,

"You came out three days ago, and there was nothing there then. Looks like your lord was summoning a vigilante..."

Five days ago, the village of Rasmore also seemed to have information in it, which was a story of heightened vigilance. Furthermore, there has been no talk of any anomalies since then, and for now, I am relieved that I have made it.

Check for updates on Adventurer and Mercenary guilds, but there was no information that they found traces of orc herds around town. But the adventurers here are also in the woods as far as they can go on a day trip, that is, only about a few kilometers radius, and there is no certainty that the orcs are really close.

Trying to thank me and walk away,

"That said, you heard a strange story."

I stopped and said, "Weird story?" and ask back.

"Yeah, it was yesterday, but he said a fluffy young man came here. That's from the south, too. The streets are sealed off...... you look like an adventurer, but apparently you didn't sign up for the guild, so you rubbed it a little at the gate. When the gatekeeper tried to catch him, he ran off into the woods."

"So, did the man get caught?

The merchant shook his head "wearing it,"

"The gatekeeper chased him, but he said he was stubborn inside and chased him about 100m. Still, the gatekeeper knew there was a river ahead of him. I thought I cornered him. That's right. But did he abandon himself or jumped off a cliff about the height of the roof? He said the gatekeeper rushed to see it, but I don't know if it was a bad hit or if he couldn't swim, but he was drowning in the river and he was dead."

"The orb must have checked, right? Was it a bandit or something?

The merchant waved his hand to the left and right loudly saying "no,"

"He confirmed the orb, but he was the only villager. However, the village where he lived was Alice Village. That's wiped out."

I thought it was a funny story.

Why was Alice Village's survival in Bogwood? And if you try to get into town, Orb - a demonic prop that will be your ID. They are often bracelet-shaped - it is common knowledge that identification is carried out in. In this situation, you can always identify yourself.

The biggest question is purpose.

I know you can't go into town, and if you're going to get caught on purpose and go inside, anyway, it doesn't mean anything if you're just going to run away at the gate. I don't know if it's positive that I can rub it at the gate. But in this situation, the number of gatekeepers is higher than usual, and it's inconceivable that gaps can be made.

"... that's not all that's weird. Looks like his gear was pretty good. That's what a veteran adventurer or mercenary would do."

I get more and more confused and ask, "Did the defense announce anything?"

"No, the story itself is not public. Of course, it's a small town. Rumors soon spread."

I thanked the merchant and headed to the Bogwood Defense Corps stuffing.

This town is a town in the Kaum kingdom, but it is quite favorable towards the Rockhart family because it benefits from the Rockhart family - the economic effects of crusading the surrounding demons and selling distilled liquor.

Naturally, my name is also known, and I will soon have a meeting with the captain of the defense team.

The captain was a man about forty years old with a disappointing physique, in the name of Pershing. The second son of a merchant does not make him feel like a soldier in the kingdom, and he has a strong impression of being a compiler of the town vigilante. Treat me amicably with the Lockhart family, the knights of neighboring countries who would otherwise be susceptible to subtle relationships, and I know them well.

Parsing grinned, "I'm out of time," he said, offering his right hand. When I shake hands, I get to work quickly.

"Rumor has it, the inhabitants of Alice Village tried to get through the gate."

Parsing glances slightly and nods, "Yes."

When you ask me what I think,

"Honestly, we can't even grasp it. As soon as the village of Alice was attacked, the streets were sealed off, so the very fact of coming here, without special permission, shouldn't be possible. Regardless, there's nothing you can't come through the woods, but you're still over a hundred km away from me. It's eight days in the woods where demons wander. Even leading adventurers should step on two legs..."

I checked the body in the defense, but, as rumors have it running through town, he was wearing pretty good gear.

"... Classes III to IV if you're an adventurer. I wonder if a mercenary would be of the fifth grade. That was pretty good scouting gear in my eyes. I'm only twenty years old, and that's a pioneering village villager, too. Obviously weird...... and my men say that my outfit is the amateur itself and it was like I was getting high when I could catch up right away......"

To sum up, a young man from the village of Alice wore veteran adventurer gear and tried to enter the town, but died in an accident without the ability to match his gear and without knowing his purpose.

From the village of Alice to Bogwood, you can use the streets for about one hundred and thirty km. There was no sign of using the boarding town, and there was no story of us and anyone but Knights officials coming through the streets until we got here. It is possible that we bypassed the boarding town while using the streets, but they are patrolled relatively frequently along the streets and it is unlikely that we can travel the streets without finding them so far. I mean, I can only assume you've been traveling through the woods.

From Bogwood to Barbezy, rugged forests persist, and even the main street, Als Street, is exposed to demonic threats. Even a fairly skilled adventurer at night cannot travel safely without having organized a few parties, not to mention the fact that an amateur young man traveled in eight days through a dangerous forest.

"... We can't judge, so I reported to the Knights..."

Indeed, yesterday, it was different from the early horses heading south.

(The fact that the villagers' survival was around here definitely implicates the Demons. I don't know what the purpose is, but then, the idea of being a herd of orcs should be completely abandoned. Being near Bogwood around noon yesterday means the village is already...)

He walks away thanking Parsing and leaves immediately for the village of Rasmore.

"Almost there, but don't get distracted. I have something to tell you earlier. Don't think it's the usual western forest, so you can deal with enemies whenever they come out. Shall we go?"

Five people snort loudly at my words. Usually the forest west of the village of Rasmore is peace itself, to the extent that wild dogs and haunted wolves get lost. But when I hear about the young man earlier, I don't think it's weird what happened.

In about an hour you will arrive at a branch from Als Street to the village of Rasmore.

Into the road to the village with vigilance, but it was a peaceful forest as usual to clap it out.

While Dan leading the way alerted his surroundings, he said, "Nothing in particular. It's a forest west of the street all the time," he reported. It was indeed the chirping of little birds and the voice of autumn bugs, and peace itself.

(Dan's right, it's certainly the usual forest. But there are frequent signs of people entering the woods. Your father seems quite alert......)

He did not loosen his guard, proceeded carefully with his horse and arrived at the entrance to the village in about an hour and nothing happened.

As soon as I see the village, I notice an unusual atmosphere.

It's only around 4pm and it's usually time for the villagers to snuggle into farming, but there wasn't anyone in the sloping fields on the hill. I can't hear the children running around, nor the beeping of the cattle and sheep being herded.

Plugging onto the bridge of the Finn River, which hits the entrance to the village, he saw a fully armed vigilante at the top of the south hill - the hill that is the southernmost of the five hills in the village.

That number is about ten. You see us, the face of the vigilante lays down his weapon simultaneously, and he takes an alert stance, but soon he finds out it's us, he unloads his weapon.

Several people come down the hill. Among them was the figure of Enos Vassel, a squire who was in command of the vigilante.

"Welcome home. Dear Zach."

He greets us with a bright voice, as usual. But under my eyes, I can make bears and see how fatigue is accumulating.

"Tell me what's going on."

You snort small at my words,

"I know you've heard about the Demons, but nothing so far. Guy's using the hunters to explore the perimeter every day, but we haven't found any trace of them nearby."

If Guy Jakes, who excels as a scout - Dan and Sharon's father - can't find traces, he's probably nowhere near the village so far. Of course, he and the hunters alone would only be able to look into a limited range, so it's possible we're missing out.

Further, we will check the information from Enos.

There was information that suspicious figures had appeared in Bogwood, and the villagers were evacuating to the hill where the "hall is the hill" - the hill that is the northernmost part of the village and houses Lockhart Mansion - and raising their guard on the surrounding hills.

I was exhaling relief.

(Did you manage to make it... but where are they?

Breaking up with Enos, the hall heads to the hill.

There is also no sign of people in the heart of the busiest village, with a chilly atmosphere like Ghost Town.

The nostalgic hall sees the hills, but neither there nor the usual long idle atmosphere was dust-free, and there appeared to be a gigantic squire, Byron Seedorf, giving instructions to the vigilante with a rugged look.

There is still time to be wrapped up in the sun, but light demon props, pine lights, etc. are already ready.

Speaking to Byron,

Byron on the strong side says, "Now you're relieved" and breaks the rapport.

"My father, my uncle, and my brother. You can handle this without us, can't you?

Byron shakes his head "wearing it" to an unobtrusive degree, explaining why in a small voice.

"No, because the Demons are the opponents. There's a big difference if you don't have a magician. Especially if you don't have a brilliant magician like Dear Zacharias or Lydiane, you must have struggled quite a bit."

Byron had experience fighting demons ten years ago at Fort Toa, the main impulse of the Kaum kingdom. It is also such a massive invasion that the fort falls, plagued by a large group of magical little demons, Imp. So I guess I find it extra comforting to have a strong magician presence against flying demons like me, Liddy and Sharon.

The vigilantes thought our appearance was comforting, too, and the dark expression was much brighter.

(I couldn't even afford a Byron in the war. No, I guess I couldn't afford it because I have had the experience of fighting demons...)

Climb the path of the hill where the sun leaned toward the mansion.

Many people can be seen in the school on the left hand side. Although it is expanded every year, tent-like tents are erected because it is not possible to accommodate all more than seven hundred villagers in school buildings. Many villagers were also evacuated to the distillery liquor reservoir, where large numbers of women were preparing their meals all over the hill.

(Good thing it's not the middle of winter. If I had known this would happen, I should have advised my father to expand the school building a little more...)

From the time I thought about building a school, I assumed that it would be used as a shelter in an emergency. But it is also true that I thought this village was peaceful and would never actually be used. So far, there is only one warehouse with six classrooms the size of thirty people and one like the staff room and materials storage room, plus emergency equipment.

(We can't have walls all over the village, but you should think about the fact that the hall surrounds the hills with walls. The walls are too brittle now... I can't help it now...)

The wooden walls around which the hall encloses the hills have collapsed somewhere and have been repaired, but we can't expect much of their ability as a barrier. So much so that it only works on low-level demons to the extent of precisely wolves and goblins.

With that in mind, I was on my way to the mansion.