章 7: Investigation
The next morning arrived, and Borne immediately set out to begin his investigation.
A thick morning fog stretched out ahead, shrouding the road in a hazy mist.
Borne's thoughts drifted back to the matter of the investigation.
Before setting out, while he was preparing his gear in the stables, he overheard a conversation among some scouts who had just returned.
"I remember hearing something about a place called Falcon Mountain.
The Thunder Tiger and some other magical beasts are supposed to be residing there."
"Really? Wasn't there some notorious bandit who died in there too?"
From their conversation, Borne realized that this location seemed to match the third marked spot on his map.
Since he knew nothing about the mountain, he decided to leave the investigation of the third mark for last.
However, if the Thunder Tiger appeared there, it could prove to be quite troublesome.
But in the past two days, the Thunder Tiger hadn't made any significant moves.
It was likely hiding for the time being or only emerging for short periods.
As long as he was careful, there was a chance they wouldn't cross paths.
Borne reassured himself.
Suddenly, his horse, Radish, let out a noise.
Borne tightened the reins, becoming more alert.
That's when he noticed, not far ahead, a shattered ox cart lying across the path.
Pieces of wood and items from the cart were scattered everywhere, with one wheel detached and the other nowhere in sight.
Borne quickly dismounted and approached the cart.
He saw the ox lying on its side, pressing down on a villager.
Foam was forming around the ox's mouth, and its eyes were clouded over, as if it had been dead for quite some time.
The villager trapped beneath it appeared extremely weak, trying to cry out for help but only managing a faint sound.
"Are you alright?"
The faint sunlight fell on the faces of the ox and the villager.
Borne immediately stepped forward, trying to move the ox's body to free the villager.
The villager's eyes were dull, and his complexion was extremely pale.
"Here we go!"
Borne's hands gripped the ox's corpse, his arm muscles bulging with strain, veins standing out on his face.
He put all his strength into lifting.
Finally, he managed to raise the body slightly and took a few steps back, freeing the villager from underneath.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here."
Borne quickly poured some water into the villager's mouth.
The villager's dry lips moved slightly, opening just a crack to swallow the water.
"Radish!"
Borne called to his warhorse while carefully lifting the villager.
He gently secured the villager with ropes, placing him safely on the horse's back.
Then, without wasting a moment, he jumped onto the horse.
"Radish, go."
The warhorse shifted its gait to a steady walk, maintaining balance while still moving at a good pace.
"Hold on," Borne reassured the injured villager again.
Soon, the village came into view, smoke rising from several chimneys as morning had already arrived.
He noticed a particular house that stood out.
Borne quickly approached the house.
He carefully lifted the villager, walked to the door, and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
After a moment, a short elderly man came to open the door.
"This old man is injured and needs immediate treatment."
Before the elderly man could ask any questions, Borne moved quickly, carrying the villager inside.
The old man's face immediately showed surprise, and he quickly made way for Borne.
Borne glanced around and placed the villager on a simple wooden bed, while the elderly man stepped out to fetch others for assistance.
Within moments, a few villagers arrived at the house.
"It's someone from Heisenberg's family," one of the villagers said.
At that moment, a woman with a worried expression rushed to the bedside and began crying uncontrollably over the injured villager.
The elderly man approached the woman, bending down to comfort her.
"Don't worry, your husband will be alright."
The room was dim and lacked sunlight, so the old man carefully lit an oil lamp and brought it over.
The gathered light illuminated the injuries on the villager's body.
The old man formed a circular shape with his hands, and suddenly a green light began to glow between them.
He extended the light towards the villager, and a stream of leaf-like particles flowed into the villager's body.
Borne, standing nearby, watched with a look of astonishment.
"This old man is truly powerful… he knows healing magic."
The healing continued for about a minute, and gradually the green light faded away.
The elderly man stood up, his face gentle as he spoke to the woman:
"He is alright now, but his body is still very weak. He needs to rest here for two days."
The woman grasped the old man's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face as she said:
"Thank you so much, Chief, for saving my husband's life."
The village chief nodded and replied kindly:
"It's alright. Go home and rest. I'll take care of your husband."
With that, the woman and the other villagers left the house.
Borne stood there, wanting to say something, but the old man spoke first.
"Thank you very much, young man," the elder expressed his gratitude to Borne.
Borne scratched his head and smiled. "It's nothing, really. It's just what I should do."
Then Borne suddenly remembered his mission. He took out the map, pointed to a marked spot, and asked the elder quietly, "Do you know anything about this field, Chief? I'm here to investigate the Thunder Tiger."
The elder took the map and studied it carefully, but the dim light in the bedroom made it difficult, so he moved to the living room.
Borne immediately followed.
In the living room, the old man examined the map closely.
After a moment, he returned it to Borne.
"Some villagers told me there was some commotion in that field a few days ago, but my hearing isn't what it used to be, so I didn't catch much of it," the elder explained.
Borne nodded, then asked, "Do you know the exact location, Chief? I'd like to go take a look."
The old man nodded, walked to the door, and picked up a cane.
"I'll take you there."
Borne quickly declined.
"No, no, it's alright. Just point me in the right direction. The fog outside is heavy, and it's not good for your health."
The elder did not stop; he placed a straw hat on his head.
"It's fine. It's very close."
He then opened the door. Seeing that he couldn't persuade him otherwise, Borne resigned himself to following the old man.
Outside, Radish was fiddling with the weeds on the ground. When it saw Borne approaching, it immediately raised its head.
Borne waved a hand, signaling the horse to stay where it was.
The elder walked slowly but steadily, his cane tapping rhythmically against the ground.
Soon, they arrived at the field.
Borne immediately headed towards the center of the field.
Just then…
He sensed something was off.
He had stepped into a particularly deep depression in the ground.
Feeling the unusual nature of it, he crouched down to take a closer look.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット