Reborn as shield hero with Garps Template

"But this time, everyone should pay attention to safety."

"Why? This isn't the first time we've done something like this, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Today is different from the past. After all, during this period, many people have been forced to leave Lute Village because of hardships. If they can't find their relatives when they return, they might become frantic."

"Okay, okay, don't scare yourself. Let's finish the meal quickly—the time is almost up."

When the villagers at the next table said this, they suddenly sped up their meal and didn't say anything more.

Hearing these words, Motoyasu couldn't help but think about what he had overheard from the soldiers at the entrance of the village. If the dead souls return and can't find their loved ones, they might turn into evil spirits and attack outsiders.

Even though this is another world and he has become a hero, supernatural things like this still make people uneasy, and Motoyasu felt a tinge of guilt.

The villagers at the next tables hurriedly finished their meals and rushed out of the restaurant.

At this point, the proprietress of the restaurant approached Motoyasu and Myne: "Master Motoyasu, Master Myne, I have something urgent to attend to. Please, go ahead and take care of your own matters."

Without waiting for their reply, the proprietress, now dressed in black, also hurried out.

This strange occurrence made Motoyasu feel even more uneasy. He turned to look at Myne and the two adventurers: "Shall we go out and see what's going on?"

"Okay, let's go and see what they're up to!"

Now that Myne had nodded, the two adventurers didn't object.

Motoyasu and his party of four left the restaurant and followed the proprietress.

When they reached the central square of Lute Village, they saw a large number of villagers already gathered. What struck them was that all the villagers were dressed in the same black clothing.

In the previously empty square, a massive bonfire had been prepared.

As night fully descended, dark clouds blocked the moonlight, and the square was enveloped in darkness.

"Is it too dark?"

Standing at the edge of the square, Motoyasu noticed he couldn't clearly make out what was happening inside. All he could see were the black figures of villagers, slightly swaying.

Suddenly, a flame burst to life in the center of the square. A man wearing a grimace mask held a torch aloft.

At some point, all the villagers had also donned grimace masks.

Under the faint firelight, the masks reflected an eerie glow, while the black clothing remained almost invisible in the darkness.

From Motoyasu's perspective, it appeared as if only the grimace masks were floating in the air, making the entire scene unsettling.

"What are they doing?"

Motoyasu swallowed involuntarily, feeling a surge of nervousness.

Although the two adventurers had heard from Myne that there was no such thing as a "soul-returning night," they instinctively moved closer to Motoyasu.

Only Myne stood with her arms crossed, frowning, a trace of disdain on her face, quietly observing everything happening in the square.

At this moment, the villager holding the torch suddenly hurled it into the bonfire. The torch traced an arc through the air and landed squarely in the pile of wood.

The wood, as if imbued with magic, ignited instantly upon contact with the torch. Enormous flames shot up, accompanied by an indescribable fragrance.

Fortunately, the bonfire's flames brought light to the area, and Motoyasu felt a little relieved.

The villagers began moving towards the bonfire. They joined hands and started to jump around the fire, performing what seemed like an ancient ritual.

Strangely, no one made a sound.

The only noises left were the villagers' footsteps and the grimace masks flickering eerily in the firelight, creating a surreal atmosphere.

"Soul come!"

Suddenly, the villagers shouted in unison, their voices rising sharply into the night sky.

The sudden noise startled not only Motoyasu but Myne as well.

"Let's go... I have a bad feeling about this."

Motoyasu didn't care what the strange fragrance was—his heart was racing, and he wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

"Playing at being ghosts!"

Unnerved, Myne ignored Motoyasu, sneered, and stepped into the square. She grabbed a nearby villager and ripped the grimace mask from his face.

The sight beneath the mask stunned her. Not just her, but Motoyasu and the two adventurers also widened their eyes in disbelief.

The face under the mask was completely blank. No eyes, no nose, no mouth—nothing.

"Do you need something from me?"

The muscles on the faceless villager's head shifted slightly. Even without a mouth, it appeared as though he was smiling.

"Ghost!"

The two female adventurers turned pale instantly, screamed, and ran away.

Under their influence, the fear in Motoyasu's heart spread quickly, yet he stood frozen in place, unable to move.

"I'm the future queen! Even if you're a ghost, kneel before me!"

Though Myne's expression was twisted with fear, she still reached out to grab the faceless villager in front of her, but her hand passed through nothing but air.

The faceless villager seemed weightless, moving swiftly as if floating, retreating into the crowd of villagers.

Myne wanted to chase after him, but suddenly a darkness, like a giant hand, enveloped her vision. Even Motoyasu, standing behind her, found his sight consumed by pitch-black shadows.

Blinded, Myne drew her sword and swung it wildly, but hit nothing.

When Myne and Motoyasu's sight finally returned, they were greeted by an even more bizarre scene.

All the villagers who had been gathered in the square had vanished, as if they had never been there. Only the enormous bonfire remained, flickering and emitting that same strange fragrance.

"What on earth is happening?" Motoyasu asked, his voice trembling as he spoke, not realizing he was shaking.

"I... I don't know," Myne replied, shaking her head. Her pupils shrunk in fear as she scanned the area around them.

"Wait, where are they? Let's head back and check."

Motoyasu tightened his grip on his spear, noticing that the two adventurers had disappeared as well.

"Alright," Myne nodded, her confidence faltering. A creeping doubt settled over her.

At first, she thought all of this was caused by the villagers of Lute Village.

But how could ordinary villagers possess the power to escape their grasp and vanish before their eyes in an instant?