Chapter 14: Arrived at the Abandoned Village!

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The next morning. The night fog that had blanketed the forest had already thinned, and golden morning sunlight slanted through the gaps between the trees where light began to filter in. The campfire had long since gone out, but the faint warmth of the remaining ashes told that the night had not been too distant.

Lloyd slowly opened his eyes. He seemed to have slept more deeply than he had expected, and despite the short duration, his mind felt clear. At first, he had kept watch for any signs of monsters nearby, but Lusha’s barrier seemed to be genuine. No monsters, not even animals, had approached. Feeling safe, he had fallen asleep without realizing it.

Ah. Lusha…

He remembered her then and glanced at her sleeping face, wrapped in a blanket beside him. After their conversation by the fire the previous night, she had gone to sleep peacefully. Even now, she breathed calmly in her sleep.

…I’m glad she seems to be sleeping well.

Her sleeping face was the best answer he could hope for. The smile and tears Lusha had shown that night had kindled a light in Lloyd’s chest. Just being needed by someone could lift a person’s heart so much. He didn’t know if he could ever be capable of such a thing himself, but if possible, he thought, he would like to live for someone. That was the thought that had been planted in him.

From then on, the journey had been calm. They had avoided the main roads, deliberately choosing only animal trails. Walking through the forest with someone was vastly different from living alone, and it felt strangely refreshing. The sunlight reflected off the leaves. The distant calls of birds. The faint flow of wind and the subtle scents. Each of these brought a quiet comfort to his heart.

Even though they had walked only along animal trails, they never got lost. His sense of the land from childhood helped greatly in this area. Moreover, the magical compass they had borrowed from the Temple Knights had proven very useful. Since he already had a sense of the land, all he needed was to know the direction, and he didn’t have to worry about getting lost in the forest.

Lusha’s possession of the “Element Gem” was also a great help. With it, they always had water and didn’t need to risk searching for rivers. Had he been alone, he would have long run out of drinking water and faced a crisis. 

As for Lusha, she collected wild plants and medicinal herbs along the way. She had apparently gained this knowledge during her time in the monastery, and her skill with plants was remarkable. She could distinguish edible plants, medicinal herbs, fragrant ones, and even poisonous varieties, collecting them skillfully and storing them carefully.

Thanks to this, the soup Lusha cooked changed its flavor each day. One day it would have a slight bitterness of mountain greens, another day a faint sweetness from root vegetables. The endless variety was Lloyd’s only delight. No, Lusha herself was the greatest comfort on the journey.

If she weren’t here, I’d have long since withered away…

Watching her wash her hands with water warmed by the fire, Lloyd thought that. Her movements were elegant, reflecting a refined upbringing, yet there was a warmth in her manner. Unpretentious, yet meticulous. Being beside her, he felt calm without a word spoken.

And on the fifth day, the two finally reached their destination. After passing through dense trees, a silent, abandoned village appeared. Half-collapsed houses stood quietly in the windless air. From a well buried in the grass, dry wind whistled through. Vines entwined a broken fence, telling the story of years untouched by human hands. No one had lived here for a long time; time itself seemed to have stopped, and the place had decayed.

Lloyd stood silently, closing his mouth. Before him lay a place where fragments of memories with his family were buried. He faintly remembered running through this village. He even recalled the faces of his parents, just barely. The name was…

“…Zaxon.”

“Huh?”

At Lloyd’s murmur, Lusha turned her head, tilting it slightly.

“The name of this village. I think it was Zaxon.”

When Lloyd said so, Lusha smiled gently.

“That’s a lovely name.”

The two dismounted from their horses and surveyed the abandoned village. Here, on the site of Zaxon, they would build a new base. That was their immediate goal.

Still, it’s completely falling apart… Can anyone live here?

Lloyd cautiously looked around as he stood at the entrance to the former village.

“Lusha.”

“Yes?”

“Do you sense any monsters living here, or anything like that?”

He asked Lusha, who walked beside him. She closed her eyes and activated her〈Detection Magic〉.

〈Detection Magic〉was a spell that detected life signs in the surrounding area, mainly used for scouting. For the past five days, they had relied on it to navigate the forest, choosing paths where no significant life signs appeared.

“No, it should be fine. I don’t sense any large life signs nearby.”

Lusha opened her eyes and smiled softly.

“There’s no sign of human activity either.”

Looking at the nearby houses, Lloyd nodded. Abandoned villages sometimes became homes for monsters or bases for bandits. But this village had decayed so much that nothing seemed to linger.

“It’s really a place completely forgotten…”

“Well, it can’t be helped. No one remembers villages that disappear from maps. Can you set the barrier just in case?”

“Understood.”

Lusha nodded, taking a holy seal from her pocket and placing it on the ground. She closed her eyes and began to recite words of prayer.

“O Mother who rules over the Earth… Protect us from evil. 〈Barrier of Purification: Holy Field〉.”

As she whispered softly, particles of light danced gently. A pale glow spread across the ground around her, the barrier’s presence enveloping the village. With this, no monsters should be able to enter.

“If we live here, we should maintain this barrier constantly.”

“Can it be done?”

“…Probably? I’ve never done it before, but with a slightly larger holy item, I think it’s possible.”

As expected of the “White Saint.” Her abilities seemed bottomless. After this exchange, the two began exploring the village. Muddy ground, fallen wheelbarrows, paths buried in grass. Traces of past life lay quietly, sleeping through the years.

“Does this bring back memories?”

Lusha’s voice was somewhat tentative.

“No… I don’t remember much. It’s been a long time.”

“I see.”

Lusha smiled faintly. Lloyd had lived here when he was only five years old. Fifteen years had passed, leaving only fragmented memories. Yet occasionally, some stimulus brought a fleeting image to his mind.

“Ah, but I remember falling over there, face-first, and badly injuring myself.”

He pointed to an open space next to a decayed well. He remembered splitting the area under his nose and how the bleeding wouldn’t stop.

“Eh, were you okay!?”

“Luckily, the priest had visited at that time. The wound healed without leaving a scar. And… Oh, right. I got scolded by the village chief for sneaking into the fields even though I was told not to play there.”

“Childhood Lloyd was quite mischievous, huh?”

“Well, I wasn’t as gloomy as I am now.”

Lusha covered her mouth and laughed at Lloyd’s jest. Enjoying the conversation, they quietly moved through the abandoned village. The sound of the wind was soothing, and only distant birdsong reached their ears.

“Home… It’s nice, isn’t it?”

Lusha muttered almost to herself.

“This isn’t really a home to call home, it’s just an abandoned village.”

“Even so, having a place where you were born, and memories of it… I can’t help but feel a little envious.”

“Envious? You don’t have a home, Lusha?”

Lloyd asked, sensing a slight incongruity in her words.

“I was in the monastery from the time I became aware of the world, so I don’t remember what my home was like. I don’t even know where it is. By now, there’s no way to find out, either.”

“I see… That’s a little lonely, isn’t it?”

“…Yes. I’d like to visit it at least once, if possible.”

Her small smile carried a trace of loneliness. It made a dull ache strike Lloyd’s chest. Soon, they arrived at a somewhat larger house deeper in the village. He was fairly certain this had been the village chief’s house. A single-story building, but considerably larger than the others. The roof was still intact, making it barely usable. Perhaps the wood used was of high quality.

“Let’s make this our base for now. If we repair and clean it, we can sleep here.”

“Yes! I’ll do my best, too!”

And so, the two established a new base. It was still a decaying house, but it was a start.

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