I could look into it after I was done with the bandits. If the bandits hide out hadn't already been discovered then there was a good chance that we would be able to hide there for a few days without anyone suspecting a thing. I'd be able to relax for a while. I wasn't willing to look into the possible futures without clearing my mind first. I would both be safe, and relaxed after killing those bandits.
Night came, and I carried Balock into the woods. Digging a hole, and pretending to bury him. I actually replaced his corpse with a fallen log. The hole was deep, but any earth elemental could figure out my deception in moments if they took the time to look. Ethan was informed of Balocks arrival so he prepare for him to drop in.
I threw him in the hole, and at the bottom there was a spatial portal barely bigger then his body. Then I threw the log on top, and filled the hole in. It was a risky bit of deception on my part. There was a good chance that someone might uncover this deception if they took the time to look. No elf would risk digging up a half decayed body if they had a choice in the matter.
Sekka slept the night away while I was pretending to bury what appeared to be a dead dwarf. I pushed my way deeper into the thick marshes, and underbrush before erasing my presence entirely, and blinking myself two miles straight up. I followed the north star for a good long while. Searching for a village we had not been to so I could scout it out for our later destructive missions. If I could delay the elves from connecting the unusual merchant, and his unusual slave to the wolf, and fox that were stealing all the slaves then it would be good for me to do so.
I frowned to myself slightly as I glided along at a speed that would shred a human body like confetti. This whole peace mission was starting to irritate me. I knew it was the most effective way to make a positive splash both on earth as well as other planets. Maybe it was just my dragon pride starting to properly form, but I was really starting to wish that my powerful bearing would be enough to force those weaker then myself to respect me. Pretending to be a slave was another level of irritating as well, but that whole act would bring me a bonded that every instinct said would benefit me so I tolerated it.
The other reason I tolerated it was because many powerful elves were slowly becoming curious about our unusual duo. Powerful mages, and swordsman were starting to come out of the woodwork to inspect us. They weren't the only ones taking the measure of the ones that stood before them. The difference being that they're measurements of the two of us were completely off while I could actually see the vast majority of what they were capable they could not. They usually scanned through me once with their mystical senses, and just assumed there was nothing to sense when they didn't sense anything at all.
Their arrogance was the only reason they didn't question why they only sensed an empty void within me instead of bone flesh, and organs like any other human. They didn't see anything so they assumed there was nothing to see. Pure stupid arrogance. I smirked to myself. Balock would be waking up about now. My mask appeared in my hand as I took the time to change my clothing.
The whole point of tonight was stealth, but if I did happen to get seen I didn't want them to have a face. A simple mask was easier then putting out the mana on changing my actual facial features. A mask couldn't been seen through. A magical disguise could. It took some special rare eyes, but I wasn't willing to risk it.
A part of me still worried that someone might see through my human face, but the risk of that was minimal since my human face was also my true face. I allowed myself to fall when I spotted lights ahead. Slowing my descent only to soften my landing before blinking over near the city. There was a small group of buildings outside of the small town. The tall wooden fence that surrounded the houses told me that these people were poor.
It looked like four poor farmer houses. It appeared as if they'd built the fence themselves. I closed in on them quickly. It was obvious the fence had been knocked down on multiple occasions. I cocked my head as I scanned through those living here.
There wasn't any slaves within their fence. The gates were small, and the worn down cart that they used to transport goods was outside the fence. Most of their fields were barely fenced as well. It appeared as if the four families shared two large pastures, and two large mixed crops. The underground storage room beneath the barn was the only place that showed any sign of an enchantment although it appeared to be dormant at the moment.
A closer inspection told me that the enchantment was meant to keep the small room cold. That meant it was a fridge or freezer space. To think there were full blooded elves out here on the brink of starvation waiting for death just like the slums back home. It was the first time I pitied an elf. I glanced over into the woods not far away.
It appeared that there was some magical beasts planning to come here for their next meal. I blinked into the middle of the group of what appeared to be human size opossums that had green grass like hair, and a brown tail that looked like it was covered in bark, and killed them all. Storing the cores to either sell or use as snacks later. Throwing the bodies in a deep hole. Not all beasts on a planet could be strong.