Chapter 56: FlameFrost Village

  As the sun appeared on the horizon, three carriages set off again. This journey was surprisingly smooth. They did not have to fight with any Devil beasts. Although this northern region didn't have efficient Devil beast control measures as other areas, resulting in a higher number of Devil beasts, it was still relatively peaceful.

  The air had noticeably cooled, no longer sweltering like in Ratana City. In the distance, Nitaan saw mountains that appeared to have snow-covered peaks.

  Normally, this area should have been much cooler since there are snow-capped mountains not so far away. Yet, it is still considered quite warm.

  It seems these weird temperature changes come from the "fiery" nature of the queen that other Major powers often joke about. With her authority over fire, the areas under the rule of the Firegan Kingdom will always have unusually high temperatures.

  Before the sun fully rose above his head, Nitaan finally spotted the FlameFrost Village. As the large expedition approached, many villagers flocked out to welcome them.

  These villagers were all dressed in cotton clothing. Their houses and dwellings were constructed from stone and rammed earth. However, the architecture of the place didn't feel particularly underdeveloped.

  This place really reminds Nitaan of his home, Silalai town. Although the FlameFrost Village was smaller and had fewer inhabitants, the way of life here reminded him of his own little home.

  Numerous small houses lined the streets, food stalls were the villagers' gathering place, a prominent temple of the First Knowledge stood in the center of the village, and there were Patrol unit buildings and army barracks similar to those in Silalai town, only much smaller.

  “Princess Pailin, it is an honor that you have come to our FlameFrost Village.” One elderly villager comes out to welcome her.

  “Are you the village chief, Thit?” Princess Pailin stepped down from the carriage and walked towards the chief, who knelt to the ground in a deep bow.

  “That is right, Princess. My name is Thit, and I am the village chief of FlameFrost Village.” Thit rose slowly, his face filled with gratitude.

  “You have all traveled a long and tiring journey. Please, come and rest at my house. We have also prepared small houses to accommodate the soldiers and their attendants," the village chief said.

  "Sorry for all the troubles." Princess Pailin smiled faintly and followed Thit into the FlameFrost Village.

  Nitaan, as was his habit, surveyed his surroundings. He saw another old man approaching the group of soldiers with the village guards behind his back, conversing briefly before following them.

  He noticed that most of the villagers were at the level of Learners, but judging from their physical condition, they were probably no more than 2-word Learner, the normal standard for humans over forty. Just from appearance, Nitaan is pretty sure they have zero fighting experiences.

  He saw another burly man whose body radiated the power of an Engraver. As if sensing Nitaan's gaze, he turned and met Nitaan's eyes. He gave Nitaan a friendly smile and nod when their eyes met.

  This guy can detect too? Nitaan wondered.

  The man stepped towards Nitaan and Unit 3, who were preparing to follow Princess Pailin. Seeing this, the village chief turned back to introduce him briefly.

  "Gentlemen, this man is Sila. He is the head of the village patrol unit. And he's the only First word Engraver in the village," the village chief said.

  "If I were better, those villagers wouldn’t have had to lose their lives. I wholeheartedly apologized for my incompetence." Sila stepped up and bowed his head. He spoke loudly and sternly, his voice filled with seriousness.

  "Don’t blame yourself. An Engraver beast, wherever it may be, is a great threat. Your choices to request help will save many more lives." Princess Pailin smiled reassuringly.

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  "I can only express my deepest gratitude to Your Highness. Please help us slay that beast."

  "Protecting the people is the duty of a ruler." Princess Pailin gently pulled Sila up.

  "I, Sila, am willing to repay Your Highness’s kindness with my life!" Sila's eyes redden up a little. He bows back down again with a trembling voice.

  "There's no need. As I told you, protecting the people is the duty of a ruler. I also believe that ensuring the people's well-being is the duty of the royal family," Princess Pailin said with a smile.

  Sila's eyes welled up with tears. He couldn’t say anything, but his trembling body already said it all.

  That Devil beast is able to push First word Engraver this far? Nitaan narrowed his eyes. Sila is clearly in despair.

  "Alright, alright, Sila, don't bother the other villagers like this. Princess, please follow me to my house. I will give all the details of this mysterious Devil beast. Sila, you come too. You're the only one who has ever fought it," the village chief ordered.

  Everyone followed Thit into the small house. Although not large, it was well-maintained, clean, and fully furnished. He offered cold drinks and many other conveniences. Some even give them food along the way here. All villagers truly respect the royal family.

  "Village chief Thit, thank you so much for preparing so many things. But we want to deal with this Devil beast as soon as possible. We fear that if we move too slowly, more people will suffer," Princess Pailin said as the chief tried to get the villagers to bring various fruits.

  The chief sighed upon hearing this, his eyes filled with gratitude.

  "My story may sound strange and bizarre... But please believe me, this is what I truly saw and heard," the village chief sighed.

  "It all started about three months ago," the chief began, his face clouded and looking older.

  “I never saw this Devil beast with my own eyes. I simply went with the guards following the screams. When I arrived, I found only a tragically mutilated body.”

  “Even though I didn’t see Devil beast, the bite marks and claw marks on the corpse convinced me it was the work of a beast. Not human.”

  “The first incident, the body was outside the village walls, almost a kilometer away. I couldn’t reach it in time, so I thought it was just a Devil beast that had wandered too close to the village.”

  “Such incidents often happen to adventurers or villagers who venture into the forest. Not everyone has the means to hire guards every time they go into the forest.” The village chief’s face was somber.

  Nitaan nodded inwardly. He was used to seeing these kinds of events. He himself was part of a Patrol unit, so when he went into the forest, he often encountered victims, though fewer because the Patrol unit of Silalai town was much larger than that of the FlameFrost Village, and their Devil beast control was much better. But it wasn’t unusual.

  “The second incident, even though I arrived faster because I happened to be training new guards nearby, I still couldn’t arrive in time. This time, the body was stuck to the village wall," the village chief said.

  Princess Pailin frowned. It was outrageous that a Devil beast would attack villagers right beside the village walls.

  "From the attack marks and wounds on the body, I'm certain it's the same beast. I was furious, so I ordered a Patrol unit and guards to hunt it down and doubled the security measures."

  "And it didn't work?" Princess Pailin asked.

  "I… I'm not sure," the village chief replied through gritted teeth.

  Everyone looked puzzled at the village chief's answer.

  "Patrol unit managed to kill a 1-word Learner Iron-Scaled Wolf. Upon examining its claws and fangs, we found bloodstains."

  "Only one?" Nitaan abruptly asked. Pailin, sensing his frown, glanced at Nitaan.

  "Yes, just one. At the time, I thought we were finally done. However, shortly after, another victim appeared," the village chief said in a low voice.

  "Another body appeared again beside the village wall, and I was too late again. Perhaps it's because I thought Devil beast had been dealt with, so I lowered my guard," said the village chief.

  "A different Devil beast?" Leader Mei asked.

  "There are claw and fang marks on the body, just like the previous victims."

  "Then there might be other Iron Scaled Wolves," Kasa added.

  "No, we've searched the entire area, including all traces. There are no tracks indicating another Iron Scaled Wolf. The last time we found them, it was because I found the footprints of an Iron Scaled Wolf. This time, there's nothing."

  Everyone frowned. This mysterious Devil beast was extremely strange.

  "That's why I've increased the surveillance at every corner of the village, along with observation towers on the walls. However, we haven't been able to capture it or rescue the victims in time. We always arrive only to find bodies near the wall, just like before."

  "To this day, there are 5 victims," the village chief said, tears welling up in his eyes.

  "Does all the body look the same? Are you sure it's the same Devil beast?"

  "Yes, and more importantly, bodies always appear near the city wall. It's as if it's trying to mock us," the village chief said, tears streaming down his face as he clenched his fists in anger.

  "It must be a highly intelligent Devil beast," Napha said.

  Everyone nodded slightly. Such a well-planned attack could only come from a highly intelligent beast, choosing to strike when the village chief couldn't keep up.

  "We'll surely get rid of this Devil beast," Princess Pailin said, holding the village chief's hand and comforting him.

  "Please don't blame yourself. Many Devil beasts possess abilities that cause great difficulty for their opponents. This Devil beast might have concealment ability, so it isn’t easy to track it down."

  The village chief wiped away his tears. Nitaan saw a mixture of anger and guilt in his eyes.

  "Did anyone witness the attack or ever encounter this Devil beast? If we get information about it, we might be able to identify it. Did the village chief say that Sila once fought it?" Princess Pailin pulled out a large beast encyclopedia from her Palace Hold bag.

  "Only Sila has ever fought it. About witnesses, including Sila, there are 4 people," the village chief said with a troubled expression.

  "Could you please call them? I'd like to ask them for some information."

  "Certainly, I will go and fetch them. However, Princess Pailin..." Thit hesitated.

  "Is there something wrong?"

  "I have already questioned them. And I am quite knowledgeable about Devil beast. But what they described...is unusual."

  "It might be a mutated, which is why their description seems strange. Please let us try," Princess Pailin persisted.

  "Please do," Thit sighed. He clapped his hands lightly, and a young woman ran in. He gave her a few instructions, and she ran out of the house. Soon, four people stood before Princess Pailin.