Their initial response was slow, but the knights soon began to move in haste.
They were desperate to find me, scrambling in every direction.
“Young master! Young master! You search this side!”
“Understood.”
“You, follow me. And you, wait here for my signal!”
“Yes, sir!”
Gedren split his fifteen men, including himself, into pairs and sent them off in multiple directions.
They relentlessly searched every place I might have gone.
I watched the scene unfold from high above, at a distance.
“Persistent, aren’t they.”
I was standing atop the tallest spire in the Village of Villad.
Having suppressed even my Soulforce with martial arts, their chances of finding me were practically zero.
“So they’re searching the village first. Hm… I suppose that is the textbook method.”
The knights appeared determined to comb through the entire Village of Villad.
It was obvious they’d keep searching and moving about until I returned.
“It won’t be easy for them.”
Though I felt a bit sorry, I had no choice but to let them continue this pointless chase.
‘For now, I need to get some distance if I want to carry out my plan.’
So, I couldn’t afford to let myself be caught by them.
Once I returned home, I’d surely face my father’s wrath, but what could I do?
“This is the age for a bit of trouble, after all.”
If I wanted to create a situation that would justify the power I held at thirteen, I needed to cause some trouble.
“Well then, shall I take a look around outside first?”
Exploring the village on the first day was out of the question.
With the knights moving around so fervently to find me, it was hard to move freely.
‘Before that, I should scout the surroundings.’
Instead, I moved along the mountain near the village.
Since I needed to visit the dungeon, I decided to check there first.
Had I not come out alone, reaching the dungeon would have been impossible.
With concerns about safety and other excuses, they would have firmly blocked any attempt at a dungeon excursion.
But if I wanted to move freely in the future, I had to survey this place first.
‘If the chances here are slim, I’ll have to wait for another opportunity. But I really don’t want that.’
I hoped the naturally formed dungeon was impressive.
Only then would my plan sound convincing, too.
I didn’t need a guide.
I just followed the traces left on the path.
“Plenty of tracks left behind.”
There was no need to use any tracking techniques for pursuit.
Signs of the path leading to the dungeon were scattered everywhere.
There were even quite a few Mercenaries passing by.
“This hunt was a total bust.”
“It can’t be helped. Let’s prepare for the next one.”
Among Mercenaries, those who specialized in hunting monsters were called Monster Hunters.
Quite a few of them could be seen here.
Traps too big for use against people, and Mercenaries equipped with massive siege weapons capable of piercing hides in a single blow—those were their trademarks.
‘Not very efficient against people, but definitely effective against monsters.’
Mercenaries were known for doing all sorts of work, but it was interesting to see such specialized types.
‘If I modified just a few of those heavy weapons, their performance could really improve.’
It piqued my research instincts.
But now I had other goals, so I left them behind, suppressing my presence as I made my way forward.
‘Jump! Jump!’
Fwoosh—
Combining Heavenly Qi Movement and magic, my speed increased.
I arrived quickly.
“Is this the place?”
Many Mercenaries were coming and going from the dungeon.
With so many Mercenaries moving about, it was a wonder any monsters could survive.
“Hm… There really are a lot of monsters. That’s surprising.”
The number of monsters matched the number of Mercenaries.
I couldn’t see them, but with my senses, I could feel the presence of many monsters.
The dungeon’s magic continuously lured monsters in, and the monsters lured Monster Hunters.
This place was a fascinating, endless cycle of predator and prey.
“There are more skilled folks here than I expected, too.”
Though not revealing their true power, several of the Monster Hunters seemed to be Aura Practitioners.
‘Oh. Quite a few Practitioners—some even advanced?’
I even saw several who could obtain a knighthood as Auror Practitioners.
“Let’s see how things look inside.”
Ssshhh.
Moving silently, I killed my presence.
‘The scale’s impressive, too. I’d believe it if you told me there were hidden chambers. Hm… Good.’
Thus, the first day in the Village of Villad ended with surveying the dungeon and its surroundings.
The results were better than expected.
The dungeon was large.
Monsters appeared endlessly, and there seemed to be new tunnels being formed.
This scale was just right.
‘Great. Now, what about the village itself? It’d be nice if word spread just right.’
The first night.
Gedren’s eyes were sharp as he looked at me upon my return to the Bailiff’s house.
“Young master! As inspector—no, as the son of the Count—do you have any sense of responsibility?!”
“Sorry, sorry. The herb I was after would have been hard for anyone else to find, so I had no choice.”
“That’s… Mencor, isn’t it? This precious thing… Wait, no, that’s not the point!”
He was momentarily distracted by the rare herb I’d brought as an excuse, but quickly returned to the main topic and scolded me at length.
“Next time, you must go with us.”
“It’s just easier to move alone when gathering things like this.”
“That won’t do!”
“Ahh. What can I say? Hm. Fine. Then how about we go around together tomorrow?”
“Hoo. I’ll be sure to report this to the Count.”
“Ugh… Anyway, let’s stick together tomorrow. Can’t promise for the day after, though.”
“Young master! Haa… Never mind. Fine. Tomorrow, we’ll do as you say.”
After a long round of scolding, even Gedren had no choice but to surrender.
Dealing with my sly ways must have been exhausting, but he also seemed to consider that I wasn’t so weak as to be easily threatened wherever I went.
And so came the much-anticipated second day.
“First, let’s visit the Bailiff today.
Though it’s called a village, it’s really more like a small town.
Being its Bailiff, he’s quite the sly one.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Of course, he won’t act that way in front of you, young master… But that’s his temperament.”
Perhaps more comfortable now as my escort, Gedren offered up information unprompted, and led me straight to the waiting Bailiff.
The Bailiff was an old man with a long, sage-like beard.
He didn’t exude any magic, but his aura was strong.
Those who radiated such strength without any training usually had inflexible, upright personalities.
“I am Peas, the Bailiff of this village. I am honored to meet you, young master.”
“The pleasure’s mine.”
“If you ever need a guide, just let me know at any time.”
Even though the official reason for my visit was inspection, and he likely knew this, he looked confident and at ease.
Using Soulforce to observe him, his state was clear.
Even with third-class magic and alignment-detecting spells, he came out clean.
‘Oh? He’s better than I thought.’
He was upright in character and had a clear aura.
He even appeared confident outwardly.
I hadn’t intended to investigate deeply, but someone like him was unlikely to be involved in corruption.
“I don’t intend to dig too deeply. I’m just here for a brief sojourn.”
“Hmm… A sojourn, is it? If you had told me beforehand, I would have prepared at least a modest banquet.”
“No need. Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
As I watched, the interest in his gaze flickered and faded.
“You’re quite the interesting young master. You’re not at all as the rumors described.”
“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”
“Then, I’ll forgo the banquet. But if there’s anything else you require, just let me know.”
“No, all I need is for you to let me move quietly. Understood?”
“Quietly. Understood. I’ll be sure to keep everything discreet.”
“Good!”
Contrary to my expectations, the Bailiff was easy to communicate with.
He clearly understood my desire to avoid spreading word of my arrival.
“At your age, most prefer to make themselves known, so this is unexpected.”
“The young master certainly has a unique character.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
Even after I left the Bailiff’s room, Gedren and I continued to chat for quite a while.
Whatever the topic, it was not a bad meeting at all.
‘An interesting man.’
He was a curious fellow—not just an ordinary commoner, but certainly a good acquaintance.
The morning was spent meeting the Bailiff, and by afternoon I was able to move around with Gedren.
“Show me around.”
“Today, you really mustn’t go off anywhere alone.”
“I know, I know. Come on, just show me the way.”
“Hmm… Let’s start with the north side.”
The village layout was just as Gedren had described.
Except for an area to the west I didn’t need to visit, the north had inns, the east was for commerce, and the south was home to most residents.
What first caught my interest was the east.
“Buying Kobold teeth!”
“Recruiting Mercenaries to guard our journey to the Magic Tower!”
“Buying in bulk! Just bring them in!”
All around, monster byproducts were being sold—mainly low-grade ones from Kobolds or Goblins.
Even so, the prices were high.
But the most interesting thing was—
“Oh, that one’s alive.”
“Sometimes they buy live ones, too.”
“Why?”
“Mm… I thought you’d know, young master. For the mages. Apparently, they use them for experiments.”
A live monster was locked up.
An Orc we had fought before crouched inside a small cage.
“Kreeeek! Kreeek!”
Even captured, its fighting spirit was undiminished—truly befitting an Orc who’d give his life in battle.
“Experiments, huh… I see.”
“Depends on the mage, but I hear it’s done from time to time. Anyway, let me show you the rest.”
Even as we continued touring the east, I saw all sorts of things.
Since the Village of Villad’s economy revolved around Mercenaries, the east was the largest district.
And then—
“There’s nothing worth seeing in the north. You might just regret it.”
“No, let’s go. If not, I’ll just go alone.”
“Sigh. Fine, I’ll show you.”
Contrary to Gedren’s concern, the north was fascinating.
It was boisterous and loud.
“Last time, I was surrounded by a horde of Goblins!”
“Wasn’t it Kobolds last time? When did it become Goblins?”
Mercenaries boasted of their exploits, drinking from noon onwards.
Some sat quietly in the corners, sharpening their blades and holding their breath.
Others were busy assembling strange contraptions, perhaps for traps.
Though all were human, each Mercenary had their own distinctive way of living.
“They live fiercely.”
“They never know if they’ll die tomorrow. Some may look down on Mercenaries, but they’re not to be underestimated.”
“Really?”
“Yes. To survive on nothing but one’s innate talent is already remarkable.”
“I thought Sir Gedren, as a knight, would look down on Mercenaries. This is a surprise.”
“Not at all. They’re strong in their own right—regardless of their level.”
It was unexpected.
Rather than scorn them, Gedren respected Mercenaries.
‘No, maybe this is how it should be… I thought knights went around boasting of their superiority, but this was unexpected.’
With Gedren guiding me, I continued to explore the whole Village of Villad into the third day.
One day was enough, and I was starting to get the feel for the village.
Still, with this approach, there was no way I could fully explore the dungeon…