CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 65: A STRANGE LITTLE VILLAGE (1)

The vehicle finally moved through the air. It rose a little, then more, until it began climbing through the layers of wind. The engines grew louder while the upper balloon’s lights glowed brighter.

From below, between the trees, the masked man watched it silently while Tell hovered beside him, staring at the ship.

The vehicle rose higher and higher until it turned into a tiny dot in the sky, then vanished completely.

The masked man showed no expression. He simply turned and walked back between the trees.

With every step he heard grass being crushed behind him and the sound of light but unmistakable footsteps. Hearing that, he stopped, pulled out his gun quickly, spun toward the source of the sound and lunged.

But he did not find a monster. He found Oliver, and beside him Lemur. Oliver lifted his hand and waved, while a small smile appeared on his face.

"Hello,"

Oliver turned toward Tell and waved lightly, as if seeing an old friend he had not met in a very long time.

"Oh Tell, how are you? It has been a long time since our last meeting, hasn’t it?"

Tell could barely answer before the masked man raised his gun straight to Oliver’s head.

"Kid, answer me. What exactly are you doing here?"

Oliver did not back away. Instead, he extended his hand and blocked the gun’s barrel with his palm confidently, then lifted his gaze to the masked man without hesitation.

"Nothing important. I followed you because I wanted to ask you something, but the ship suddenly moved into the air and drifted away. I did not want to stay out in the open and I was scared to call you, so I followed you."

The masked man shifted his gaze toward Lemur, searching for even the slightest lie.

"Is what he says true?"

Lemur nodded immediately. He looked tense but kept his voice steady.

"Yes, that is exactly what happened."

The masked man exhaled deeply. It was obvious he did not fully believe them, but he chose to swallow his doubt and turned forward again.

Behind him, Oliver and Lemur exchanged a quick glance and then smiled at the same time, a victorious smile because the plan they threw together at the last second had actually worked.

Tell stared at them in shock, her body stiff, her fingers trembling over her mouth. Now she was in trouble.

She had agreed with the masked man to move the villagers here, and Oliver’s return changed everything. She was no longer sure she could guarantee his safety. She had even forgotten to hide from him like she usually did.

She immediately turned toward the masked man.

"Do you have a way to make them return inside that thing?"

The masked man shook his head with annoyance.

"No. The only way is to wait at least a month until the airship returns."

Oliver got up from the ground and dusted off his clothes, then approached Tell who was covering her face with her hand in frustration.

"I was wondering where you disappeared all this time."

She lowered her hand a little and spoke in a softer voice, respectful and weighted with deep guilt.

"I did not disappear. I was here the whole time."

She expected him to treat her differently after learning he was the son of the Great Spirit of Autumn and after his village was destroyed because of her people. But she was surprised that he still treated her the same way he always had, no more and no less. No contempt and no worship. Just Oliver.

He pointed his finger toward the masked man.

"Have you been with him all this time? Looks like you really went through a rough period."

Tell tried to keep her expression firm, but she failed, guilt chewing her from the inside. A faint tremor flickered across her eyes before she flew away toward the masked man without answering Oliver at all.

The masked man kept walking, and Oliver and Lemur followed him.

Oliver was scanning every direction, turning left and right, while Lemur walked beside him talking. Sometimes their voices rose, sometimes they walked in silence.

But the masked man was not walking in a straight line. He turned, changed direction, retraced his steps, then slipped into a narrow path between the trees.

After long hours of continuous walking, they finally reached a small village with buildings attached to the trees as if they were part of the forest.

Oliver frowned the moment he saw it.

"What is this place?"

The masked man replied in a neutral tone.

"The place where you will stay until the airship returns."

The road had been long enough to exhaust any normal human, but the masked man usually would not have felt tired. This time he did.

His eyes had been glowing with a faint flickering purple light the entire way. By the time they arrived, the exhaustion was far more obvious in his movements.

Oliver noticed that, and it made him drop the idea of talking about walking further with the masked man.

They entered the village, and at their first step between the wooden huts, the villagers noticed them. They were extremely thin.

Their faces were pale and their eyes sunken. Their steps slowed when they saw the masked man. Their brief conversations died out, replaced by pure astonishment.

A man stepped forward, middle aged, his clothes simple and his face even more hollow than the rest.

He stood before the masked man, trying to gather his words.

"Sir... what are you doing here?"

The shock escaped him unintentionally. He realized it instantly, cleared his expression and corrected his words.

"I mean... it is nice to see you again, but it is unexpected."

The masked man responded with a slight dryness, showing neither discomfort nor relief.

"I was on a trip somewhere. I came across your village and decided to rest before continuing."

The man nodded quickly.

"In that case, why not rest in my home? As you know, there is no inn in the village yet... because of recent events."

The masked man did not think much.

"As you wish."

The man moved immediately, signaling them to follow. Whispers spread among the villagers, all about the masked man.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached a house at the edge of the village.

The man pushed the door open, entered, and gestured for the masked man and the others to follow.

The house was extremely small, barely enough for four people.

There were only two rooms. One barely fit a worn wooden bed.

The other held a short table and two chairs that did not look capable of carrying an adult’s weight.

As soon as they stepped inside, the masked man lifted his hand to his eye which began glowing again. Purple light leaked through his fingers.

He pressed hard against his eyelid, then turned to the homeowner with a low but sharp voice.

"Is there an empty room? I need to sleep a little."

The man quickly pointed to his own room. He barely completed the gesture before the masked man rushed straight there.

When he reached it, he slammed the door shut.

Oliver, Lemur, and Tell stood before the closed door, staring at it with slightly wide eyes.

Tell hovered near the ceiling, her eyes wide, while Lemur fidgeted with his hands.

Oliver crossed his arms silently, watching the door.

A painfully awkward silence filled the room until the homeowner motioned for them to come in further.

Around the small table, Oliver, Lemur, and the homeowner sat.

Tell hovered close to them, her eyes narrowed, watching every move the man made.

Oliver, resting an elbow on the small table, lifted his head and looked directly at the man.

"So... you know that masked man?"

The man took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes. He saved my life... and the lives of everyone left in the village."

Oliver raised his eyebrow when he did not get a direct answer. He asked again, calm but sharp enough to force clarity.

"How exactly did he do that?"

The man fell silent for a moment, then sighed deeply. His voice dropped.

"The village lived under the protection of a mythical creature for many years, then one day it suddenly lost control. We do not know how or why, but it began attacking everyone without distinction."

His eyes dropped to the table.

"For days it did nothing but rip out people’s eyes and leave the bodies behind. No one could approach it, no one had the power to face it. We were waiting for death, one after the other."

His hand trembled as he pressed his fingers together.

"Until that man appeared and faced the creature alone. I do not know what exactly he did, but all we saw was that we woke up and everyone who lost their eyes had their sight restored. Even those we thought were dead."

Regret seeped into his voice with every sentence, and Oliver sensed it clearly though he did not understand the reason yet.

"But the rest of the villagers do not seem grateful to him, right?"

The man closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.

"You are right. Most of them did not see him do it. They woke up to find everything over. Only a few know the truth."

Oliver looked around the room.

"You live here alone?"

The words came easily from Oliver, but their impact was huge on the man. Pain etched itself deep into his expression.

"Yes. After my daughter and wife died."

Oliver leaned back.

"I am sorry. I should not have said that."

The man waved his hand while his eyes stayed fixed on the floor.

"Do not worry. You did nothing wrong."

The awkward silence returned. Tell lowered herself slightly in the air.

Lemur intertwined his fingers, looking for anything to stare at except their faces.

The silence lasted until sudden knocks sounded on the door.

The man jumped to his feet immediately and walked toward it, while Oliver, Lemur and Tell stayed where they were, watching.

When he opened the door, he found three men standing outside the house.