I Noticed That It Was an Academy After 10 Years

189. Losing One’s Self by Accident Means Death (5)

[Contractor, the atmosphere is strange?]

“I know even if you don’t say it.”

“Hmm, did something happen?”

We each said a word as we looked at the chaotic atmosphere of the Wendigo.

The Wendigo’s atmosphere was so depressed that such words came out naturally.

People walking with dark faces, people talking with serious faces, people looking at the mountains with worried eyes. The atmosphere in the village was so serious that you had to be unaware.

How will we do it. Should we start with an investigative investigation first? But I came to find the Phoenix, not to solve the case. Even if you’re worried, it’s probably right to check it out and if there’s no problem, go find the phoenix.

But my intuition was telling me that this atmosphere had something to do with the Phoenix.

“First, let’s find out what’s going on.”

“Do you know anyone?”

I don’t think they would reveal their true feelings to a stranger. We left the horse and carriage at the stables and headed inside, trying to ignore the occasional wary glances.

“What if it really collapses… ?”

“If it gets covered in snow like it did decades ago, it will be the end.”

“Why did an explosion occur at the top?”

“Has the Wendigo awakened?”

I heard the whispers of residents wearing somewhat Eskimo-like clothing, and it seemed like something serious was going on.

It looks like they are arguing about whether or not a monster named Wendigo woke up or not.

Well, it wasn’t any of my business.

Right now, the most important thing for me was to persuade the Phoenix to participate in the decisive battle against Harpas.

…Still, I have to check one thing.

“Tom. “Do you know anyone in this town?”

“I know, but I don’t know if he’s in town.”

I received an ambiguous answer to my question. Does this mean that Tom is also not sure whether he has acquaintances or not? Well, in a world without cell phones, it’s hard to know whether someone you know is alive or not if you haven’t been here for a long time.

It is also a world with a very high death rate.

I roughly put my regret aside and looked around. Compared to Snowville, the previous village, the environment was clearly underdeveloped. I would say it feels like a rural village in a remote mountainous region.

[Contractor, do they look like we are from outside?]

Are there other outsiders besides us?

I turned her head in the direction Lue pointed and observed the person who appeared to be a foreigner. People wearing thick winter clothing and something similar to mountaineering gear. Are there mountaineers here too?

I’d like to talk to you.

“Tom. “I’ll talk to you for a moment.”

“I’m going to look for white frost for a moment. See you again at the square.”

The division of roles is clear. I immediately walked up to the group of strangers to catch up with them. As the large figure approached me, the outsiders looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and wariness and asked questions.

“Looking at you, you seem to be an outsider like us.”

“I recognized it right away.”

“Just by looking at it, you can tell you’re a foreigner, don’t you?”

“That’s right.”

Three men and two women?

A member who looks a bit awkward climbing a rugged mountain boasting crazy conditions even from afar. I checked the badges on their chests and took out the certificates from their arms.

“It’s nice to meet someone from the same explorer guild.”

“Oh, you were a guild member.”

Their eyes softened. Still, the wariness seemed to have eased a bit since they were from the same guild. Thanks to this, I was able to ask the information I wanted to ask.

“Is there a dungeon here? When I looked at it, the atmosphere in the village seemed chaotic.”

“It’s not like there’s a dungeon. It’s just that…The village placed a request for our White Wolf Explorers. “I want you to investigate the wendigo.”

Oh, it was an exploration team.

“Wendigo… You mean?”

“What, didn’t you come to find out too? There must be no other reason for coming here to this wallpaper-“

“I’m looking for something personally.”

“I see. Then I hope you find what you want.”

The white wolf adventurers disappeared into the distance with a greeting as if this was courtesy of fellow comrades.

Write. I wanted to get more information.

But even this was a great harvest in its own way.

I was able to roughly understand how things were going in the village.

“…Wendigora.”

[What is that?]

“It’s probably a monster.”

Or it is some kind of ‘phenomenon’.

I looked up at the tall mountain range whose top was obscured by clouds.

There are still no certain elements of the speculations scattered around in my head, but some of them may be true.

“Maybe I’ll get involved with them again.”

Maybe we have the same goal.

————————-

“The white frost is dead.”

Tom’s voice, which had been cheerful the whole way here, had become somber. He came to the village where his friend lived for the first time in a long time, and the news of his death made him feel depressed.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s already been 15 years since we met, so it’s time… Did you find the information you wanted?”

“I managed to find it.”

“Thank goodness. So when do we leave?”

“It will go up tomorrow morning.”

“Be prepared. The weather in the mountains is very harsh these days… I guess I’ll go up there first.”

It would be better to leave it alone. I took my eyes off Tom as he climbed the inn stairs and cleaned up my share of the meal. It wasn’t as delicious as the luxury inns in Snowville, but it was a decent meal.

I got up and went out of the inn. It was a bit difficult to get in because I was sharing the same room with Tom. The man who lost his friend his needed alone time.

Since I had to gather as much information as I could before leaving tomorrow, I thought I would take a look around the village to help me digest it.

[Contractor, what is that?]

“It’s a sled.”

In a place like this where snow flurries, it would be more efficient to drive a sled with dogs than with horses. With that thought in mind, I looked at the dogs tied to the sled.

No, is it a wolf?

It’s bigger than most large dogs.

The sight of him sticking his tongue out and gasping at such a topic is both cute and absurd. No matter how big it is, a dog is still a dog.

[Gye, contractor! He’s looking at me!]

“Your tentacles look delicious.”

[No eee!]

The reaction to just one joke is so intense. I glanced at the dog, who seemed genuinely curious, and tapped Lue a couple of times as he was jumping around while hanging on my waist.

“Calm down. “I’m tied to a rope, so I won’t be able to run at you.”

[Really? Really?]

“It’s true. So, just stay still.”

It’s big enough to swallow a person’s head in one bite, but it’s not worth making a fuss about. I left the place with Lue, who had finally calmed down. Since I couldn’t even turn half a circle yet, I had to work out my steps diligently.

…Anyway, the atmosphere is really gloomy.

The deeper you go into the village, the darker the expressions on the residents’ faces.

Are wendigos that dangerous?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it in a game?

…This village didn’t appear in the original work, so it didn’t resonate with me because I didn’t know what a wendigo was.

I was walking while thinking like that.

“Oh, come here and see.”

“…You mean me?”

An old woman, who looked like the oldest person I had ever seen, sat in her rocking chair and waved her hand at me. Is she asking me to come this way? I approached her, wondering why her local she was calling me.

“You have a unique soul.”

…He’s definitely not an ordinary old man.

I decided to pretend not to know and just look around.

“Is that so?”

“It’s so foreign. But I’ve already lived here for a long time… If I’ve lived here for 10 years, I’m already a resident of this place. Isn’t that right?”

“…You’re amazing.”

I want to talk to this person for a while.

[Huh? What’s the story?]

“It’s a grimoire with an ego… This one is also quite heterogeneous.”

Her grandmother, whose name I did not know, moved her blue eyes and made eye contact with hers. Eyes of unknown depth. Strangely enough, she didn’t like the way she looked inside.

It wasn’t a malicious look that was trying to take advantage of me, but a warm look like an old man looking at his grandson.

“Who are you?”

“They say I am a bird that looks down. Although I am lacking, I am the chief of this village.”

“It doesn’t seem like it’s lacking at all.”

“Hoho, that’s too much praise. “The day is cold, so come inside.”

I followed the old man into the house as he stood up, leaning on the cane that was leaning next to the chair. As I entered the house, a fragrant smell filled my nose.

Are they burning scented candles?

“Sit down. “I’ll bring you a cup of tea-“

“I will accept it gratefully.”

“Be polite.”

[He is an amazing person.]

That’s right.

I quietly rolled my eyes and looked around the house until the village chief got in the car. A house filled with all kinds of household items and decorations. There is something that looks like dried meat hanging from a string hanging from the ceiling. It was a house full of life in many ways.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had tea with a foreign guest.”

“I think a lot of customers will come.”

“It used to be like that. But now he has almost given up his position as village chief. I’m old now too. “It’s time to be buried in the snow.”

Even as he talked about his own death, the old man’s voice was calm. Does that mean age? I took a sip of the refreshing-smelling tea and opened my mouth.

“You’re still correcting it.”

“Hoho, even though I’ve been like this, I’ve been taking good care of my body.”

“Is that so?”

“Did you come alone?”

“I have company.”

“I am so sad. “I hope you comfort me well.”

How far can you see? I asked, admiring the old man’s eyes.

“Do you even see the future?”

“That is not an area permitted to humans. But I can at least guess.”

“Could you please tell me a little bit?”

“I could tell you, but I don’t think it would do you any good. A hasty guess can lead to big trouble.”

“It’s a shame.”

“That’s wise.”

If you say so, I wouldn’t mind asking more. Then should I ask you something else? After taking a moment to choose a question, I decided to ask about the Wendigo, which has become a hot topic in the village.

“Can you tell me about the wendigo?”

“It’s an old legend that comes down to this village.

Long ago, an explorer and an indigenous people joined forces to defeat the monster ‘Wendigo’ and established a village here. The story goes that the wendigo that was defeated is hiding in her snowy mountain, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge.

She’s rumored to have returned recently, but don’t worry. It’s a rumor that goes around once in a while. “This town is boring.”

“It’s like a fairy tale.”

“Hoho, I see.”

Is it a fictional monster, or is it a real monster? Since it was a fantasy world, the possibility of the latter was high enough. Although it doesn’t seem to have much to do with me.

“From the looks of it, she didn’t come to look for the wendigo…” “Did she come to see the person at the top?”

“…That’s right.”

Do you even know about the existence of the Phoenix? Maybe he knew I was passing by the house and was waiting for me.

“Fill your bag full. It will not be an easy journey.”

“Thank you for the advice. “Do you have any other advice?”

“What happens next is up to you…I don’t have anything more to say. Oh, I can tell you one more thing.”

A mischievous smile appeared on the old man’s lips.

“Be careful because misfortune can turn into misfortune.”